WITCHCRAFT  WITHIN.

Okorago is a young noble man with all the stuffs it takes to be recognize in a society. He commenced his primary education at his village –Nsuka. A manner felt on him and he continued his education in the city where he attained a degree, became fabulously rich and built mansions of his own. As a result of peddling rumours of witchcraft in the village, he vowed never to go to his village again. Nothing could trigger his conscience to think of going back to village. All his perception was that, he would be killed by the witches when he gets to the village.

  As the saying goes, a butterfly cannot call itself a bird; so as the bullet cannot remain when the trigger is squeezed. His only backbone, in the person of Nwokocha Agbadi; his Uncle, died a dreadful death which turned the mood of the entire village. The elders said “when run-off water bounces on the snake in a tunnel, it cannot stay any longer but runs out of it”. Okorago has to come and pay homage as well as give the last respect to his uncle.

As rich as Okorago is, he pledged to give the most prestigious burial rite to his uncle in the village. When fear, anxiety and desire mingle, who takes over the mantle? This circumstance seemed voluntary-mandatory to him. He decided not to portray his wealth when he gets to the village.

On the d-day, he borrowed his friend’s Volkswagon (VW) beetle car for his voyage. He did tremendously well to leave no stone unturned as custom demands of him to the funeral and burial rites of his uncle; Agbadi. As the saying goes “when the nestle falls, the weaver bird flees”, everything was settled and Okorago has to return to his root.

On his triumphant journey back, the vehicle generated a mechanical fault and could not move again. (What would OKO think was the cause?).He got down; walked vigorously to the front and opened the bonnet. Interestingly, there was no engine. Forgetting that VW beetles have their engines at the back, he threw his hands on the head, cried out loudly and said, “Oh! These witches of the village have taken the engine away from the car”! 

Coincidentally, an old woman appeared at the scene   and curiously asked Oko of his trauma. Oko profusely pointed an accusing finger on the poor old woman and said “so you’re the one, so…eer it’s you, why can’t you live me alone? I return it to you in Jesus name! You think you can kill me? Na lie”!

The woman patiently asked “my son what have I done? Oko answered with anger “you old wretched witch, can I be your son? You better fix the engine you stole from my car with your witchcraft”!

As a widow to a former government worker, the old woman remembered that when the husband wanted to check the engine oil of the same car in those days, he checked from the back bonnet but not front. She fearfully said to Oko “poor boy, the engine of these cars are usually at the back not where you’ve opened”.

Oko came to his senses, checked from the back and there it was! Without thanking the old woman, he fixed the problem quickly and drove away.

The poor widow said “boys of today, no one bewitches you; but your own conscience”!