The Darkest Hour - Season 1 - Episode 31

4 years ago

The Darkest Hour - Season 1 - Episode 31

**
Just at the entrance of the lecture hall, David’s phone rang. He was with Mike, Sandra and Enest.

“David, something is going on in the village” Mrs Robinson, the mother sounded on the phone..

Enest was closer to Mike than David. But all knew each other as friends and course-mates. They gazed at David in front of the lecture hall. Other students could be seen trooping into the hall. Some female students stopped at the entrance making sure they take a selffie first.

“What’s going on in the village?” David queried his mother on the phone.
“Some strangers were caught in the dark forest and have been ordered to be killed” The mother replied.

David provoked. “Mum, how can educated people like our people still belief and practise such traditionalism? I mean when will this undimished enthusiasm for traditions and customs stop? How can a person turn into a prey for his fellow human being all because of a mare forest?”

Sandra and the other boys drew closer to David when they heard him speaking unabashedly.

“Son, why speaking grammar for me?” Mrs Robinson asked.

“Who are the persons they want to kill?” David neglected her mother’s question.
“They said their names are Udoka and Monica. They are twins for that matter oh”
“Udoka and Monica!!” David shrieked.
Hearing the name ‘Monica’ Enest became more enthusiastic on the phone call. He drew closer than initial. Meanwhile, David had ended the call already.
“I’m going to the village now!”

“What happened?” Enest and Mike asked simultaneously. Only Sandra kept quiet coz she didn’t know what was going on.
“Can you imaging they are about to kill Udoka and her sister simply because..” David hissed and ran out immediately.
“Guy, I’m following him” Enest hurried out too.

“I’m not leaving David” Sandra also took on her heels.

“Neither do i” Mike quickened his steps too.

***

Chief Dike had a wife who was pregnant. The pregnancy was at it’s due month. Already, he had grown up children who were in school. Lolo Dike, as the wife was addressed watched her husband hurried out without his car when the news reached him that strangers were about to be killed.
:
At the village square, crowd of people followed Udoka and Monica to where they would be killed. They kept crying until they got to the destination. They were made to sit on the floor still with their hands and legs tied. The crowd gathered around them murmuring one thing or the other.

“Quiet!” the king ordered then everywhere became calm. He looked at the twins. “Who is your father?”
“He’s late” Udoka replied.
“What of your mother?”
“She’s Rose Williams”
Hearing that, people began to murmure. Chief Dike could be seen struggling to meet the king. After he stood beside him, he shocked for seeing the twins again. “Linda and Hannah?” he thought.
“Why did you strangers enter our forest?” the king asked the twins. They kept quiet but Monica was forced to shout in tears, “We are no strangers of Ndiogoro village!”
Udoka looked at her while noise arose among the villagers. Even the king and the elders became confused. Chief Dike stared at them having only one thing in mind: THESE MUST BE MY NIECES.

“We are the daughters of Late Mr Williams Anochie who married my mother, Rose from Eziukwu village” Monica added.
“Heeey!” people shouted. Only the old ones knew who the twins were talking about. By then, chief Dike gesture became completed, Therefore he wore a different face immediately. The king ordered two guards to go fetch Mrs Rose Williams in Eziukwu village.
“But, you people are outcast!” elder Onu reminded the twins.
“Yes!” chief Dike exclaimed with other elders.

“Your father died because of what you just did”

“So, you are still regarded as strangers” the king took over from elder Onu. “But you must tell us why you entered the dark forest after which you’ll be killed”
“Such thing will never happen!!” David rushed out from the crowd to the open cycle.
“David?” Udoka’s hope bounced back.
Mrs Robinson, who was observing all that was happening at a corner became surprise at her son’s intervention. Elders murmured, likewise the villagers.
“Is that not the only son of Robinson?” one of the elders whispered rhetorically.