So, Onyesonwu carried Fanasi, Diti and Luyu with Mwita all the way from Jwahir to Durf to go and lose confidence when she stood face to face with Daib. The man she had so anticipated to kill that she had spirit travelled to his office to attack him whilst they camped in the desert with the red people?
At that point when she lost confidence, doubted the prophecy and felt like a piece of nothing before Daib I felt a part of me surging with anger, especially because this journey had claimed and will still claim the life of people, and here is the stage, the central stage, the opportunity you have been waiting for and all of a sudden you start doubting the prophecy, start calling yourself nothing. Like seriously, is that how you use to do?
The Soceress who can turn to anything turnable, Vulture, Tiger, name it, who can make the wilderness rise, who kept the whole Papa Shee community in blindness got face to face with her real dad, the person she is saving her anger for, the reason she fought Aro just so she'll be his student, the reason she fought the masquerade, the Nuru man that defiled her mother to birth her, the Nuru man because of whom She's Ewu, the reason she'd been harnessing her Eshu skills, got face to face with him and could do nothing.
Will I call this respect or paternal blood workings? I could feel Onyesonwu's anger, how badly she wanted to destroy Daib, how badly she wanted to save the world, how necessary it was for her to kill him. She even couldn't wait, she had to attack him spiritually, so I anticipated a war start when they got to his office, I expected a physical tearing, and turning into animal, my body surged in anticipation I had to tell it to calm down. Only for me to get to the scene and find Onyesonwu powerless! Doubting herself. To say I was disappointed is to say the least, if not for Mwita, the entire prophecy would have drained out, Daib would have killed her for free.
And my anger rose with pain when Daib turned into a tiger and killed Mwita, Mwita was also bent on killing Daib, but his rants were not as much as Onyesonwu. When Mwita died, I couldn't feel. If Onyesonwu had even tried to do one thing in support of Mwita, they'll kill Daib easily. I hate how Mwita died. I expected him to outlive the prophesy of Onyesonwu's death, I expected to see him to the end, alive. Not in the spirit world. Mwita, the love of Onyesonwu's life.
And how strange I felt, when I discovered it wasn't really a past history about the pregnant female sorceress who destroyed all the fertile men once she got pregnant, but a prophecy Onyesonwu will fulfill. That moment when she lost Mwita and couldn't get a hold of his spirit to raise him back to life, she searched inwards and found his sperm in her and made the meeting of his sperm with her eggs possible. The mayhem she unleashed resulted to the Nuru sorting after her. She didn't only lost Mwita, I lost Mwita too and couldn't feel anything about his death. I just read the line, Binta's death caused me pain, Mwita's made me numb.
As I read on, I found strength in her weakness. She rewrote the great book in Nsibidi. Even Daib didn't know that his daughter is the Sorceress that will rewrite the Great Book, the prophesy he got wasn't correct, and he was busy sorting a man, when the thing in front of him was Ani's tool, Ani's recreated tool.
I can't compare Onyesonwu with Merlin, even though as I approached the ending of the book, Merlin came to my mind. Onyesonwu is Onyesonwu, Merlin is Merlin! Both Sorcerer and Sorceress Supreme in their category.
How Mwita stuck to Onyesonwu gives me a kind of happiness I can't explain, he also had wanted to be a Sorcerer but then he loved Onyesonwu and though he had some reserves he never felt threatened She is the Sorceress and He the healer something he feels is a woman's job.
I felt fulfilled when Onyesonwu rewrote the Great book, somehow it made up for her flop in Daib's resident. She broke the curse, she set the Okeke's free, the Nuru weren't the boss any longer, and Ewus weren't seen as outcast, offspring of violence. When she flew as a Kpoyungo and saw Nuru, Okeke and Ewu kids playing together, I heaved in fulfillment, she did it! She did it!
I know Mwita will be proud of her.
And then I read on, during her initiation, she had seen her death, she was to be stoned to death. After Mwita's death, I watched (insert read instead) in sadness anticipating Onyesonwu's death. Something in me felt it won't happen, Onyesonwu does not fear death, those who don't fear death do not die!
And there in that cell, when she turned into a Kpoyungo and breathed fire on the entire building, I heaved, hailing her in my subconscious. The book ended with me heaving...... Indeed Who fears death?
I like Nnedi's use of mixed sorcery, ancient time and mordern time together in a piece. In the time of Magic I never expected computers but it was there. I like it! I like the energy Onyesonwu exudes. It's like no other!
And Luyu, Kai! Loyalty and Faithfulness is the summary of her life. Such bravery. Such bravery. Only she against Nuru men, and she Said "Come On" to them. At that point I wanted to drag her inside with Onyesonwu, I be like what do you think ya doing. But that girl is brave. One of the gift the eleventh rite cult gave to Onye.
Me sha don't believe Fanasi and Diti will make it to Jwahir alive, how can they? No food, No water, only Sandi the camel.
For Who fears Death, I never experred it, and I don't want it to end.
When I got to page 411/411 I know I've made it again in 2019, completing the second material. I'm gunning for quite a number and I will hit it.
©Chines Zoe
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