DEVIL IN THE CATHEDRAL
A Shadow of death
A Play by
Fortune Chinemerem Nwaiwu
The Devil in the Cathedral
© Copyright 2016
ISBN: 978-978-524-65-1-3
All rights reserved. No Part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publishers or license permitting copying.
Author’s Contact:
Tel: 08034367982
Ephesians 2:20
Published in Nigeria by:
Lomicob Publicity
Tel: 08034330084
Federal Housing State, Woji,
Port Harcourt.
Preface
The Synopsis of the Play:
The Devil in the Cathedral: A Shadow of Death is a play that exposes the devilish instincts in man, which have caused a fatal doom in the life of countless innocent individuals. The playwright is described as an icon of metaphor who uses such a narrative device to project every un-mannered soul as a devil. In the context of the play, the word "cathedral" is used symbolically as a metaphor for "the world and human heart" as places where the devil can reside in to cause havoc in the society. Really, a cathedral is the main religious synagogue of a diocese, a district under a bishop where praises and worship should be rendered to God. And it is expected from such a religious centre for worship to teach the worshippers the ideal things to live peacefully with one another. But we see that our political and religious leaders and their disciples have become devils in this cathedral who usurp offices and positions of importance to exploit the weak. The playwright laments over the inherent nature of evil in man and how the natural resources of CODERABIANS have been exploited by a band of barons of incompetence who rule the nation under the influence of evil instincts. From the Voice of the ʹRABIANS, we are told that some politicians do covenant with evil spirits for protection and such spirits control them to cause glitches and hitches in the world. That is why when we assume a person will do well in politics and vote for him, all we receive from him are failure and disappointment.
From one dimension of reasoning, a character, Chief Emezuruike, after a time of mental rumination, bemoans the death of his wife who is poisoned in the cathedral. The poisoner cum sorcerer is metaphorically seen as a devil. Indeed, he comes to church but all his thoughts and deeds are contrary to the word of God. At this juncture, the playwright operates with the principles of equation to say, "the man is a devil"— (p.....) who claims to be a Christian. Thus, it seems that every untutored element or entity is dubbed a devil.
Those Ochie hunters are seen through the lens of metaphor as devils. They are a part of the untutored elements and the bad and cruel part of the conscience, the naughty devils who harbour reckless and spirited energy in the mischievous way to maim innocent souls. Their dreadful acts cause a gross shadow of death in the nation of ʹRABIA in particular and Nile in general.
The devil lives in the cathedral of human psyche to control the shallow minds of some people who give him a chance to dominate them. It is said an idle hand is a devil's workshop. Thus, it is believed to some extent that unemployment has created a spacious room for the devil to drive into the psyche of youths and thrill them for destruction. This iota of truth is foreseen by the governor of Riv-Land to employ over thirteen thousand professional teachers as to avert and curb the problem of idleness. This problem of idleness escalates very revoltingly especially in Ochie land where the evil instincts in man thrust the youths to massacre souls and rape women. Property and other valuable items are vandalised and their evil deeds have caused a baffling intellectual homicide. Also the devil dominates the mind of some clergymen who perform mystic miracles and prophesy with the power of the devil that is invoked in some sorts of oil as to deceive souls. Such clerics are devil and for this singular fact, the Voice of ʹRABIANS warns drastically for their impending doom.
The mysterious disappearance of the dead body of the Professor of Theology after the wedding song, in other sense of reasoning, is metaphorically oriented. The Devil clothes himself in a human form to parade in the world. Thus, the said prof. Gilbert Biggson dies, and a devil takes his human form to move around the world to deceive people from what the Scripture says, "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement". The author uses this insight to clarify his audience that once a person dies anything that comes in form of his image is the devil and nothing more.
More so, The Devil in the Cathedral: A Shadow of Death is a play of lamentation that is creatively grafted to presage the wicked for their impending doom which must surely come to pass. It strongly depicts the harsh condition of ‘RABIANS who have been marginalised in the affairs of Nilian governance. The ʹRABIANS own everything in the country, Nile. They are blessed with mineral resources but their political right to rule the country and control their natural resources is suppressed and deprived from them. They are being oppressed and exploited. For this reason, the Voice of ʹRABIA roars from the sky to Nneoma in the wilderness of anguish in a night as she is running away from her mother-in-law. The Voice in the wilderness makes a prophetic pronouncement that Nneoma's son called Dr. EJANG is destined to rule the country, Nile. This child, Dr. EJANG is seen or projected as a deliverer of the ʹRABIANS from the political enslavement which they are being subjected to in their country since after 1960 they got their independence from foreign oppressors. This prophetic declaration is authenticated when the Voice orders Nneoma to bathe her dead son in ocean which is miraculously wrought and provided for a strong conviction that the God of ʹRABIANS is at work to fight for them. The instruction to call the child EJANG as he is being bathed is vehemently ignored until Nneoma tries all she could and then realises to call him the covenant name, EJANG. The Child sneezes and then comes back to life. A scroll of Ten Commandments is given by the Voice as a guide for all the ʹRABIANS and anyone who confutes or invalidates them by the way of living is seen as the devil. Obeying the voice in the wilderness is a stepping stone to conquer the evil lurking in men’s hearts which has made them to misbehave in every field of human endeavour. This will help them not to do evil again but enable them to realise the need to wrought justice and live peacefully with one another and fight against the evil instincts in man. Nneoma takes her child to Bayelsa where she finally finds out her real father land and then an avenue is created for the reading of the Ten Commandments.
A lot of people including some of the ʹRABIAN political bourgeois, leaders and their bloody hunters and the underprivileged masses come to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments. As the play progresses, we notice that there is a constant breach of trust and obedience among the ʹRABIANS in the Ten Commandments because they have made covenant with evil spirits. We see that the promised child becomes completely a failure as when he finally becomes the first man from ʹRABIA to rule the country, Nile. He uses his political power to frustrate the plans of his ʹRABIAN brother, RAC, the governor of Riv-Land. Despite the political challenges governor RAC faces, he is still able to employ more than thirteen thousand teachers, build model schools, fly-overs, award contracts and reconstruct roads.
Also, the play satirically displays the ugly trend and serious mayhem in Ochie nationality. The people of Ochie become savage and brutal with their neighbours. The playwright having been imaginatively troubled to depict the incongruous inhumanity to man, which might have been observed in the socio-cultural milieu, felt the inclination to showcase the debauched image the bloody hunters and their politicians have projected in the land. Many people are rendered homeless, decimated, and raped; of which Ineye and Etunan are victims. As poetic justice may have it, the barbaric hunters and their unscrupulous politicians are faced with doom as the Old Woman, the mother of ʹRABIA orders his airy pastor whom she rescued from a bevy of tormenting demons to bring them for judgment. They are judged and tormented, and no one knows their fate.
The play is set in Nile, a country of thirty-six States, which is symbolically elucidated by the age of the man in the epilogue. It is also set in ʹRABIA, (CODERABIA) an acronym coined from nine States that have oil in the country, Nile. Symbolically, the nine year old child in the epilogue represents ʹRABIA while the thirty-six-year old man represents Nile because, Nile as a country comprises thirty-six States. The time setting is after 1960 after independence when the nation began to experience neo-colonialism and oppressive system of Nilian governance.
Fortune Emerence Chinemerem Nwaiwu
Foreword
The Devil in the Cathedral: A Shadow of Death is a metaphor of lamentation that bemoans the failure of a much looked-up-to leader and that of the led who fail to keep a code of Ten Commandments. This leader Dr. EJANG, who emerges with the rare opportunity which providence gives the minority, squanders it leaving his people not any better than he met them. The play is then a political satire just as it uses the Christian religious parlance to periscope the acts of the individual and the society at large as the cathedral. The irony is that whereas it is Christians that should worship in the cathedral, the people are possessed by the devil himself who rules over their hearts and therefore calls the shots that happen in the universe of discourse of the play to wit, bloodletting, violence, rape, prostitution, political intrigues, betrayal and vendetta. The repercussion is that ʹRABIA, the Niger Delta which should have been benefitted by the facts that it is an oil-producing political sub zone and that it produced the president, is worse off. Events in the play show that neither fact is a point of advantage to the ʹRABIANS.
The play, like the biblical John the Baptist poses the question, is Dr. EJANG the one who is to come, the chosen one, the Messiah, or the ʹRABIANS are to look for another? This question hangs on the lips of everybody till the end when it becomes apparent that the Messiah is yet to come.
DR. GODWIN USHIE
Department of English and Literary Studies
University of Calabar, Cross River State.
Cast
The Old Woman: The matriarch of ʹRABIANS.
Nneoma: The daughter in-law of the Old
Woman and the mother of His Excellency, Dr. EJANG
Chief Emezuruike: The dreamer and father to Nneoma whose wife is poisoned by a devil in the cathedral.
The Young Evangelist: A minister of God.
Ineye and Etunan: They are the most promiscuous doxies and victims of the crisis in Ochie land in the play. Both are friends at home and in university.
Ebi: A mentally retarded pastor who is seen as the voice of the people.
Tamara-Ebi: The wife of Mr. Sky and a mother of Ineye.
Tamara- Tare: The woman whose husband is in prison, who before the minister for justice pleads for mercy.
Mr. Sky: The Husband of Tamara - Ebi and a father of Nneoma.
Brown: The young man who is posted to Ochie as a classroom teacher.
Okon Willson: The youth representative.
Mebenco and Noye: The bloody devils
The Voice: A dramatic-god (Deus ex mechina) who issues a scroll of instruction to ʹRABIANS
Mr. Ukaegbu: The fair man whose car is burnt to ashes by the agents of devil.
His Excellency, RAC: The executive governor of Riv-Land.
Dr. EJANG: The promised child from ʹRABIA, the president of Nile.
Prologue
Enter the young Evangelist wearing his black clerical garment, a royal pastoral robe with an ephod. In his right hand, a big Bible of New Living Translation is seen while he holds a white handkerchief in the left hand to his eyes weeping like prophet Jeremiah. He moves forward to address the audience —
“If only my head were a pool of water and my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night for all my people who have been slaughtered”. I weep for you; good people of Nile, our leaders have disappointed us. I grieve with intense sorrows at heart; our children have become savage, bloody hunters — decimating their brothers and associates because of that old ugly monster that was cast off from ABOVE. I am very much saddened for what I have seen under the sun and felt the inclination to record from my congruous imagination the evil that wrecks our nation and I believe my sayings are a song of woe if we refute the Ten Commandments and fight against the devil in the cathedral.
I see the Black Monster falling down to the globe and I hear the celestial angel roaring in pity and anguish: “Woe unto the earth and the people on it because the devil is cast down upon the earth to deceive the hearts of men. He is like a great musician; his rhythmic samba is a noose to those who dance with him. The Monster is fuming, he has been dethroned from above and vowed not to suffer alone. He now becomes occupant and uses our political front-runners, the cream of the crop and his disciples to ransack and destroy the world.
O God, I hear my people weeping and I ask: “Why thou weepeth?” They grumble: “No one cares for us and we have been hungry since after 1960." O Lord, they are like sheep without a shepherd. They want to go back and be under white colony. It is better to be ruled by the foreigners who would allow us eat the crumbs that fall from their table … yes the crumbs … than to be ruled by landlords who have made us scrub and keep us in hardship. We remember Lord Lugard! We like to spend with Pounds and not Naira, they groaned.
Oh people of CODERABIA, behold a ruler will be born in your land! He is humble. He is coming for peace but the country of Nile does not need him. He will reign for eight years with the fear of the Great Numen but many hands will be against him. The 'REBIANS will see him as a failure, then another ruler will sprout out from the tree of Northern part with six horns in his forehead and the country will think that he is the government of change they have been waiting for since after 1960. But he will disorganise the country. Hardship is as scorpion as a whip in his hand to punish the masses but those who know their God shall be strong and do exploit.
Now, a drop of blistering sweat falls down from the Young Evangelist and thunder begins to rumble on the sky. A young man is conspicuously seen in a wilderness muttering: Why me alone! Why me alone! We are three! Why must thou follow only me? I pointed my gun on you; I only heard the sound of the rifle but did not see you die. I left you alive. Am I the one that gave you the final blow? What about the politicians who sent us to silence you in a silent night? How long must you keep on tormenting me O spirit of the dead unless I confess? I see you everywhere I go. In the dream, bathroom, you are everywhere and will not let me rest. Leave me alone, and write me no more, MENE, MENE, TEKEL AND UPHARSIN, I beseech you.
Act One Scene One
The scene unfolds and audience can see vividly that the atmospheric condition is not clement. The heavenly luminaries- stars and moon refuse to illuminate the sky and the earth with their brilliant lights. A mighty wind is felt swaying trees and flowers here and there in a destructive way. Thunder and lightning are seriously booming and striking putting the people’s minds in a tension. Everywhere is completely darkened and sullen. Heaven is now aggressively weeping unconsolingly. His weeping tears are rolling down into the chamber of mother earth. This time, people that live in well-furnished houses with solid foundations are expected to sleep and dream good dreams but the reverse is the case. Everybody is awake because of the gloomy weather. People begin to make supplications of forgiveness of sin to the Almighty God, the Creator of the whole universe.
Light flashes from heaven and a red-mud house is un-mistakenly seen, one roomed house where an old woman whose age is uncertain and her daughter-in-law with a child knotted at her back are also seen standing erect to avoid being drenched and lashed by the heavy down pour. Once again, the light flashes and audience notices that the old red-mud house had two rooms before but one room fell off during the last heavy windstorm that ravaged the city. The roof of the house is as old as the owner and it’s leaking now.
The Old Woman: (Looking at the situation at hand, she exclaims piteously) “God my son, can’t you be merciful to your mother!”
Nneoma (Aside): Why should old people at times misbehave? Why should this old woman address her maker as her son? Does it mean that she is older than God? Or is it because she is old enough and everybody in the community calls her mama? Whatever may be the rash reason, she has contravened the law that says: “Do not use God’s name in vain”.
The old woman moves a little towards where their pot of food is carefully kept. She removes the water-proof used to veil the pot so that the rain will not penetrate it. As she is taking off the water-proof, heavy drops of water are seen gushing and pouring down. The old woman does not mutter any audible thing but rather ponders that the nylon has served its ideal purpose. As she unveils the pot, lo-and-behold, the quantity of their soup has astoundingly increased.
The Old Woman: (Crying) Nneoma, my daughter, tomorrow morning we shall say our Lord’s Prayer.
Nneoma: (Surprised) Mother, what is wrong? Is the pot of soup filled up with water? Why are you crying?
The Old Woman (Tears roll down her cheek and she begins to recall past events): I am the most wretched and underprivileged widow in this world. I have not seen a woman that can compare her ordeal with mine. I have known ancient rivers, and landmarks. I have existed before the Nilian CivilWar that claimed many lives and property. I have heard a lot of stories, how my poor husband trekked from Edo-Benin to this area, Ochie and I have heard from others saying this poor husband of mine trekked from one part of Heart-Land to this area. Now my children say that my poor husband did not trek from any place at all. He conquered here and established himself. I am an old woman and I can still remember history, things that had taken place for even a period of time. I remember most of my great grand-children who died due to starvation during the Nilian civil war. I am the woman that sustained most of the causalities during the war. I have lived before the coming of Lord Lugard in the country. I lived in ignorance of my natural resources. I was made to believe that ignorance is a sickle cell disease that can never be cured by any professional herbalist. What a woe! My husband did not really know about the natural resources surrounding his environment but as he gained a little knowledge of it and tried to possess it, he was coldly murdered. That is the coldwar! What a bloody country! I have suffered a lot. The mother of CODERABIA, now see my condition. I have stayed in a river for a period of time but it did not turn me into a fish. This is my fate! (The old woman moves so meticulously to her daughter-in-law and embraces her in tears). My daughter-in-law, you’re so young to live with an old woman like me. I would suggest to you to re-marry to any man of your choice. Any man you see that pleases you to live with, you are free to take my grandson along with you but when this child grows up, let him remember this family.
Nneoma (Bleeping out cries): Mother of the ʹRABIA, I have vowed to live with you. If I have made a grievous and a costly mistake, let it be. There are things that you did not understand in my relationship with your son. We were course mates in the University. My parents sent me to school to study but the gem in your son captivated me to idolise him. Our love was strengthened when he said to me that his mother is the mother of ʹRABIA. I whole heartedly believed him. In my State everybody respects Riv-people because they are always rich. They have money. We longed for and thirsted to come to Riv-Land where everything that matters is oil-money. What would I do? The little opportunity I had was to choose the University of Port-Land to study Petroleum Engineering. Mother of ʹRABIA, here I met your awesome son, and we were entangled in a romance which resulted to my unwanted pregnancy and consequently, the termination of my education.
The Old Woman (she woefully exclaims): You children of new generation, how long would you learn to stop all this mess? You say education without prostitution is a waste product? What aren’t nonsense! You have put yourself in the early motherhood. Who will help you to train my son?
Nneoma(Sobbing with tears): Mother, it is only in God I put my trust. He is our good Shepherd. He makes water to spring out from a dry land. He makes a way where there is no way. I know my God who redeemed Israel will never forsake me. He knows very well what the future has in store for me. He that gives life has something to offer to sustain it. I, therefore, believe in his providence and I will not fear any misfortune for it helps to strengthen my faith in God.
The Old Woman (interrupting): When did you learn to be faithful when out of prostitution you conceived my grandchild?
Nneoma (dehumanised): Mother I may admit that I was a prostitute but has not my prostitution left a legacy for your son? If he had died childless, what would be your fate? No, mother I wasn’t a prostitute and my child is not a corrupt seed. Oh, my father! What would he say about me? For two years now, a father that sent his daughter to school has not yet set his eyes on her. What would he think of me? Kidnapped or killed? I don’t understand myself again. I did not know if that late wretched and poor husband of mine charmed me! No, I am lost, completely lost. I have no degree certificate and no husband. What am I? I can see myself in the centre of orbit. The world comes from the east to the west and from the north to the south. I, the poor daughter of Emezuruike, am at the cardinal point. What if I go? What if I break the oath? What if I abandon this old woman to live with my father? What would my father say if he sees me with a child? What would he say if he eventually finds out that I have stopped schooling? What if…
The old woman is emotionally disturbed as she sees her daughter-in-law crying. The child that Nneoma had tightly wrapped on her back is now lying or her lap crying unconsolingly. The audience can picture it out that the child’s crying is caused by the sobbing and weeping of the mother. The old woman gnashing her teeth moves towards Nneoma and gives her a severe slap on her face.
The Old Woman: (Cautioning) Do you want to kill this child?
Nneoma: (Looking at her mother-in-law in tears) Mother, you slapped me?
The Old Woman: Yes, I did. You allowed the child to cry endlessly. Is the child the cause of your terrible adversity? Or you want him to die for you to live like a woman that has never given birth to any child before so that you can have the time to flirt around?
Nneoma: Mother, enough is enough. I can’t condone all this insult again. I know why I am giving you all this respect. It is not that you are old or what but because you are the mother of ʹRABIA. So, respect yourself.
The Old Woman: (Laughing sarcastically) Mother of CODERABIA? I said it all of you hate me and my children. Few months ago, I heard you saying that my people are kidnappers. If you are tired of living with me you go your way. I don’t want you anymore. Did I force you to marry my son? My children are bad and yet everybody wants to come to our abode. Let me ask why did you study Petroleum Engineering? Wasn’t it borne out of working in an oil company? Wasn’t it because of my husband’s mineral resources that you were struggling to have a degree but ended up with a degree in pregnancy? A pregnant spinster!
Nneoma (Exceedingly annoyed, she scoops out water and heavily pours it on the old woman): This is your repercussion.
The Old Woman(Shivering and cursing): Jesus! Nneoma, may your days be cut short. Nothing good will come out of you. May you ever regret the day you were born. May curse be upon the womb that brought you to this earth. May the second man you will experience as husband die a miserable death. May you be a victim of widowhood. May your light be blotted out and your State of origin experience hardship. They will come to my land and look for a job with no employment. I, the mother of CODERABIA have spoken.{The old woman tries to get another cloth to change, but they are wet by the rain. She props on the wall shivering like an asthmatic patient. Suddenly, she raises her voice once again} If you like, run to Jericho, I don’t care. But if that child dies, you will be in trouble.
Act One Scene Two
This scene opens and a crying of a babe is heard. Thunder is still rumbling in the sky and a ray of lightning is strikingly illuminating the earth. A figure of human being is seen carrying a babe. She is also crying and one wonders why this lady and her babe are crying miserably. Who will console each other? The illumination makes it apparently understandable for the audience to discover that this place is wilderness. As the lady is running away, she becomes more aware that the place has not drained or experienced the heavy down pour. Everywhere is dry. The child is in need of water to quench his thirst. The mother running and looking for a river, could not see, she bemoans for her apparent predicament. It is obvious now that the little babe will perhaps die of thirst. She is now ruminating on whether to run back to her mother-in-law to fetch water for her dying babe or to move forward. She is now at the middle of her journey. To go back to her husband’s place will be too far for her and to go forward is also far, but what would she do? She stops as the babe is no longer hooting out any crying. She wraps the child with her wrapper and keeps him on the bare ground.
Nneoma (Her voice in defiance of gravity with tears echoes): My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? My little child is dying of thirst and I’ve no water with me to give and revive him. My mother-in-law has driven me away from her household and I am now left alone in the wilderness with no one to comfort me. If this child dies here, what will be my gain? Let me die instead of my only babe. Let him live. Remember what the old woman said if her child dies. Have you forgotten how terrible ʹRABIAN boys are? I know that you, Almighty God are greater than they. I trust in you. Have you forgotten how I used to sing of your mercies in your sanctuary? My God, my God, have mercy upon me, a sinner. Yes, I sinned against you and nobody else. Yes, my sins are like smokes that irritate when they enter into the eyes. Yes, you had mercy upon Jeshua, a priest, when Satan reported him to you. Yes, you made your son Jesus Christ, to rebuke Satan. Father, look into my plight and save this child. No, I will not live to see this child of mine dead.
The child is abandoned. It is now 2.00 A.M. The young lady is full of blubbing and she has gone sofar leaving her dying-babe behind. As she treks, she slumps and becomes very weak and sorrowful.
A voice roars from heaven:
Voice: Nneoma my daughter, go back and take your son for I have seen your plight.
Nneoma:(Regaining strength) I am afraid to reply because I do not know who is speaking. This is night; a night demons are free to parade in this wilderness of sorrows and death. Who are you? Speak in the language of comfort and hope and not that of woe.
The Voice: (Saying comfortingly) I am the one, I am the one. Believe in my father and also in me. Let not your heart be troubled. I have come to answer you. This child of yours will liberate my people of CODERABIA. I have heard a lot, and I have seen how my people of CODERABIA are being marginalised and exploited. This child will be named EJANG. Many will stumble because of him and many will kick against him but I will fortify him with armour of my protections if he’ll be obedient.
Nneoma (Bowing her face down): Are you the Angel of the Most High God, or the great prophet who forgives sins? I am doomed for I have heard the voice of my God, who has come to vindicate me. How can this be when truly I am not an indigene of ʹRABIA? How possible that I, Nneoma, a daughter of Emezuruike be a mother of a great ruler of this nation?
The Voice: Do you still doubt me, you faithless servant? Oh! My people have lost their true identity. Why are you travelling to Egypt on foot? Is Egypt your father land? You have completely lost your identity. Your people went to exile there in Egypt and they have been redeemed. Yes, they went to exile because of incessant killing of innocent souls. Now, turn your face and go back to pick up your dead child and I will bring a man that will direct you where to locate your true father land.
Nneoma (Weeping for the death of her baby, she asks): Is my son, the promised child dead? If he is dead my Lord, remember that you have expensively made yourself a liar. Can the dead be the ruler of a nation? But I know you’re not at all a liar.
The Voice: Mother of little faith, your child is dead but he will rise to live in the land of living.
Nneoma(Sobbing with tears): I know he will rise again at the resurrection morning.
The Voice: Believe in me and watch out what God will do for you in this wilderness of anguish. God is your Creator; he gives life to anyone he loves. Now look at your left side, what are you seeing?
Nneoma: My lord, I can see the pool of Bethesda of the old.
The Voice: Now go, run and get your dead child to this river. Bathe him in this river and he will regain his life.
Nneoma: My lord, I can see rivers I had never seen since I came into this wilderness. Oh, how marvelous is He that makes rivers in the wilderness!
The Voice: You will name this area, Riv-Land for I have created it to be a fountain of life to the whole nation. It will be a place where a dying soul will find bread of life to eat. It’ll be a place where every king of the nations will desire to rule but with my solemn promise, your descendants will keep on ruling it. I have entrusted the kingdom to your descendants if only you obey my statutes. Yes if you obey my commands, I will give you the hidden treasures from the kingdom of darkness and I will always be with you in time of troubles. Once again, my daughter, listen, I can see that there is a devil in the cathedral. Yes, I call it cathedral because Satan has dominated almost every heart of men of this world. With no exception, political animals, you know what I meant by political animals? Yes, they have covenant with evil spirits for protection and such spirits control them to cause problems in the world. Be careful, my daughter, when you see your father tell him that a time shall come when the devil in the cathedral will be removed. Those of them that use oil to prophesy and wrought some powerful miracles, tell them to wait for their doom.
Nneoma: My lord, this devil, what does he do?
The Voice: He was with angel Michael and later on committed a sin of disobedience. He was cast down from above, and he now uses the opportunity to deceive people who have the shallow mind to follow him so that he will not be the only one to perish. He is in politics, education, and church and in every field of human endeavour. He has prostituted himself with the daughters of the world and the wombs of women give birth to devils and today devils sprout out like a juju tree and enthrone themselves in the world of politics and religion, the cathedral.
Nneoma (Perplexed): Oh! Is that why the truthful angel exclaimed woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for the devil came down unto them having a great power because he knows he has only but a short time?
The Voice: My dear daughter, the world is a cathedral created for the exaltation of God’s glory, but heaven weeps because man has come short of God’s glory. Rejoice for those who know their God shall be strong and do mighty exploit. The only two ways the devil can be conquered are by constantly reading of the Scriptures and obeying the word of the Truth. Behold, the Lamb who gave his life to deliver the world, in him there is salvation of human soul. Now I hand you the scroll of instruction and let every soul meditate on it day and night. By doing it, the devil will no longer have power over them.
Nneoma: My lord, your commands I desire to know, speak once again I beseech you.
The Voice: Thou shall not kill;
Thou shall not kidnap your fellow CODERABIAN;
Thou shall be your brother’s keeper;
Thou shall not be found with any gun;
Thou shall not remove any tribal ancient landmark especially where oil well is found;
Thou shall not deny any CODERABIANS the chance for employment for the nations natural resources are theirs;
Thou shall not marry outside your tribe for this will ruin the reputation of this state;
Thou shall not withhold justice in the court of law;
Thou shall not oppress your fellow CODERABIANS and;
Thou shall not take bribe. I’m the voice of the CODERABIANS.
Nneoma {becoming flummoxed, she asks for the grace}: I need your grace my lord to obey and abide with these Ten Commandments if I have found favour in you.
The Voice: My grace is sufficient for you. But if you love me, keep my commandments. Now, hurry up to get your dead child to this stream of life. Hurry up before the nocturnal owls and lions devour him.
Nneoma:(Running away like an angry mad woman in the street. She could not locate the place she left her child. She is now completely lost in the wilderness. Though, she is trying to be observant to trace back where the ocean of life is. She digs ground somewhere as to be reminded her way back to the stream. Looking to west and east, she wonders who might have taken her child in the wilderness). My lord, I cannot see my son, he is missing. The promised child is nowhere to be found
again.
The Voice: He is not lost. It is you that lost your way just like how you have lost your true identity. Now be going to your right side. Hurry up my daughter.
Nneoma: (Looking at her son) My lord, he is dead as you said. No more of the promised child? Speak to me my lord for I desire to hear more of you. (She picks up the child and calls out his name), Ebuka, Ebuka, Ebuka!!! Oh my God! I’m left alone in a strange land I do not know. Where is the strange voice of the wilderness? Ah, a lonely voice bears the shame of the night! Come and abide with me for the night is full of sorrows and death! If the comforter has gone, to whom will I run for soul fortification? No, I remember what He asked me to do. Ebuka is not dead. He is not dead.
Getting close to the ocean, Nneoma is afraid to bathe her dead son in it. She fears that the ocean will gulp her child up. She however, keeps the child at the verge of the sea and scoops out water with her hands from the river to bath her late son. She calls: Ebuka, Ebuka Ebuka!!! (Ebuka is not making or showing any sign that he is alive. She begins to weep for her son). If this is my doom, let it be! I have seen mothers who have mourned over the death of their children. That is the world!
We cannot live without grief and sorrows. Death is that invisible that quells man’s dreams. I’ve seen mothers that mourned for their seven children. Did they kill themselves? Oh, you the voice of the wilderness, you have made yourself a pathological liar. I did everything you asked me to do and yet, the child is dead.
The Voice: You, the daughter of Viper, when would you learn to speak respectably before people? I’m the one, I’m the one, let not your heart be troubled, believe in God.
Nneoma: (Convinced) I’ve known you are the Angel of the Most High, forgive me.
The Voice: If you believe, do what I asked you to do.
Nneoma: (Even after bathing the child for the second time, the child shows no sign of life in him. This time, the thought comes to her mind to call him the promised name. She scoops the water again with her bare hand and calls): EJANG my son, awake, awake. EJANG, the deliverer of ʹRABIA, awake in the name of Jesus! EJANG sneezes and urinates. He is alive! (Nneoma yells). Now I believe the God of ʹRABIA is alive. He sees me at the time of weeping and comforts me. He made river to spring up in a desert. He has delivered me from the hand of Sycorax, the wicked witch of ʹRABIA.
The Voice: You daughter of Viper, when would you learn to speak fairly about people? Your mouth is leaking out insults, and it’s very deadly like the venom of poisonous snake. Your abusive words are as dangerous and venomous as deadly cancer. You are a mouth-murderer. How dare you call your mother-in-law a Sycorax? Is it because you have read the “Tempest”? You are a murderer at heart because your heart is still not in good term with your mother-in-law. Do you know how old she is? Her life is in the hands of the Most High who has made his people to come out from Egypt. My people were oppressed and exploited by those foreign leaders who came up in the name of Christianity and trade. I heard the voice of Awolowo; and the voice of Nnamdi Azikiwe and so many of my children. Then I delivered them from the hands of their oppressors. They gained their freedom in 1960. Yet my people are marginalised and exploited. Oh neo-colonialism is at work! I will not open my eyes to see injustice in this Promised Land that is why I want to make a solemn covenant between me and my people of CODERABIA through this son.
Nneoma: Your wish is my command. Who am I to question your authority?
The Voice: My daughter, it’s now a time to set apart the sheep from the wolves. For many years now, wolves have been ruling this country. Now I will guard my sheep to sit on that seat of honour and the gates of Hades shall not prevail. So many people have come deceiving my people that they have been called by God to rule. If they are called by God why should they kill their opposing contestants? The crying blood of the innocent souls has reached heaven. If this bloody nation does not repent of their sins, I will come soon to wipe away the wicked. I am the one that fights for the right of the poor. I am the father to the poor and the cause which I knew not I searched out, and I broke the jaws of the wicked and plucked the spot out his teeth. This nation I will make her give up what she has violently taken away from my children. Yes, they plunder my children. They cast lot to know who will be the next ruler neglecting my people. No, I will not keep silent. My daughter, hear me once again.
Anyone that kills is not a member of CODERABIA.
Anyone that kidnaps shall be stoned to death
Anyone that removes ancient tribal land marks is cursed.
Anyone that carries gun shall be killed by the gun
Curse be on anyone that denies his fellow CODERABIANS the chance of employment
Any man that marries outside his tribe is like a dangerous animal.
Anyone who pursues good shall find it and anyone who pursues evil, evil shall conquer him
Anyone who oppresses a fellow CODERABIAN shall not have any inheritance in this Treasure Base of the Nation.
Anyone found guilty of bribery and corruption shall be cut off from the tribe.
Anyone who loves his brother shall prosper.
My daughter write out these commandments I have given in a tablet and let all the nine tribes that make up CODERABIA read and know I am the One that delivered them from the hands of Egyptians since 1960. Anyone who refutes the body of instruction is a devil. The peace of the mind and heart I leave with you, my daughter.
Please contact the author Fortune E.C. Nwaiwu for a full copy of the text via fortune.nwaiwu.fn@gmail.com or call +2348034367982
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