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THE EXECUTIONER by Chika Victor Onyenezi
He hurriedly paced down the corridor. He examined the
examination hall where Staga was taking his last
paper. Staga is the Lordo (highest rank in cult) of
the Black Brothers Fraternity. He is reputed to have
murdered a large number of people, especially people
from other fraternity. Among his peers he is reputed
to had single handedly staged a gunfire that killed
four of the rival cult called “Sachet Boys” at
University of Nsukka.
Stanley Onuchukwu a.k.a Alpachino has been sent from
University of Nsukka by the Sachet Boys. To help Staga
meet his waterloo, Staga was busy taking his final
paper in the examination hall of University of Ebonyi.
Alpachino walked into a small classroom at the back of
the examination hall. He bought out an eighteen-ponder
pistol, foreign-made. Rechecked it again, it was fully
loaded. He doesn't want anything to hinder him from
gunning down Staga. He had been instructed to take a
sweet revenge.
After the examination, Staga walked out of the hall
gyrating to his oral song of victory. Four other boys,
his personal bodyguards joined him in his gyration.
They had been waiting for him to finish his last paper
so that he can safely lead him out of the school. As
usual they knew that other cults would likely strike.
Alpachino knew the perfect time to strike. Getting
closer to him, he clutched his foreign-made pistol
aimed at his target and released the bullet into his
head. The rest of the boys on sighting him didn't even
have the time to draw their weapon, ran for their
life. Staga staggered to the soil. Alpachino drew
closer to him, released another bullet into his head.
“Abi you no dey die?” he questioned the dead man of
immortality he claim. He shot into the air. Students
were running in every direction. He pocked his weapon
and joined the fleeing crowd out of the gate.
He made it back to Nsukka that night. There was
jubilation among the Sachet Boys. They gyrated and
drank to stupor. The Lordo conferred on him the post
of the executioner. The Wiseone is a tough voodoo
master who lives in the forest of Uchieme. In the
middle of the night, they set out to the forest, a
lonely, frightful place. Clutching their matchet
firmly, palmed their guns. The four headmen of Sachet
Boys protected themselves from wild animal that often
attack. With the words of the Wiseone they guided
themselves against invading spirits of the dead. Those
spirits sometimes block their way. They just mumble a
few mantra kind of a religious jargon and the spirits
are gone. They kept on going fully at alert. Only
birds and insects sang in the night. The only noise
was their foot crushing the dead dry plants. The Wise
one set a large fire in the middle of the forest. They
have confirmed his invisibility, because he appears
and disappears at will. He wore red overall gown
tonight. They stood beside the fire.
“Welcome to Ulaukwo” Wiseone mentioned. Ulaukwo is the
god of Sachet Boys. They believed that every Sachet
Boy must serve Ulaukwo for the rest of his life. He
protects them. Ulaukwo's strength has grown so mighty
that university dons began to pay him visit. They
formed the senior Sachet Boys. They provide assistance
to the junior boys when needed.
“We have found a new executioner” the Lordo spoke. The
former executioner was shot dead during a gun combat.
He was a dreaded shooter.
“Bring him forward” Wise one said. The Lordo took
Alpachino to him. Alpachino stood face to face before
the immortal man, the golden corn of the sprits. Any
teeth that bite him crack. Wise one set a large pot of
fire, the pot large enough to contain human being. He
commanded Alpachino to enter into the pot. Alpachino
bravely entered into the pot. Wise one began to mumble
his mantra till the pot broke into pieces. Alpachino
stood in the middle of fire, fearless and brave. He
walked out unhurt. Sweat was pouring out of his body.
Wise one took a gun from the Lordo. He shot Alpachino
but the bullet did not penetrate his body. The boys
started gyrating round the fire singing.
“Odieshi”
That means no bullet can penetrate him.
By sunset the following day, Alpachino was with his
girls around the campus love garden. A young pastor
walked up to him with a large bible under his armpit.
“Repent for the Kingdom of God is near.” The young man
preached to him.
“Out of here man” Alpachino yelled at him. The girls
mocked him. The young pastor persisted. He said.
“Let us go to Judges Chapter.” As he was opening the
bible, he drew out a 42.2 pistol blasted Alachino at
close range. The tough executioner, the man who
bullets cannot pierce his body, fell on the floor. He
lay in the pool of his own blood, excruciating pains
from the gun shot wound he sustained in the head. The
young pastor shot his again. Alpachino gave up and
died. The hunter has become the hunted. The
executioner has been executed. Black Brothers had
taken another pound of flesh. The saga continues.