@Davinchysax 22 January 2021 more from that month

The Man Hanku. Hanku rushed after the thief who came to his house at night to steal with the machete, running so hard as fast as his legs could carry him to catch the thief or even cause more harm to him. As he chased after the thief, his heart was filled with rage because he felt the thief neglected the fact that he is a man known in the community for his bravery and valour during the times of war and community conflict. It was in the early hours of the morning while most people were still fast asleep, they did not know that Hanku’s house was visited by a thief who probably came from a neighbouring village as he was sleeping. As the thief was running swiftly without looking back, he was praying to his Chi (God) for help because, in all his escapades, he has never been in such a situation where he becomes the victim. He could hear the loud crackling sounds made by the falling leaves and tree branches which were coming from behind as a result of Hanku’s heavy feet and this meant that he was not yet out of danger, so he ran even faster.

Source https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1537706388178-55c10865b82e?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MXwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHw%3D&auto=format&fit=crop&w=750&q=80 The people of iwa were known for the love they shared amongst themselves which they have always extended to neighbours and even strangers. They are known for farming and fishing because of the great Oma river which has been their source of water and fish since the days of old. Once there is a birth of a new son or daughter of the land, the baby will be taken to the river where he will be bathed for seven market days. This ritual was handed down to them by their forefathers as a way to connect every child born in the land with the ancestors. As the story goes, during the great war that happened between the people of Iwa and a neighbouring community, it was said that the great Oma river did not allow the enemies to cross over and to some who tried to cross the river, they all got drowned and because of that the ancestors institute the ritual of bathing every child born in the land as a mark of respect and loyalty to the great Oma river.

Source https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1557242836-b5ab8bb0ebb4?ixid=MXwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHw%3D&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=667&q=80 The story goes on to say that a river goddess known as Oma lives right inside the river and the people of Iwa brings sacrifices of appreciation to her at the beginning of every market day. For the goddess to keep protecting them, the Iwa people do not use the water for any other thing except to bath. If for any reason anyone goes contrary to this law, the water will become very dirty within a twinkle of an eye. For a stranger, it may sound like a fairy tale but the people of Iwa know better. They do not fish in the river by using fishnet or hooks rather once a true son or daughter of the land stands by the river bank intending to catch fish, he/she will see fishes jumping out of the river as if something is throwing then out of the river. This has been how they enjoy the blessings of the great Oma river.   When it comes to entertainment, the Iwa people have a lot of social activities to keep any visitor happy. They are known for their prowess in wrestling, dancing, storytelling and music-making. In fact, since the time of their forefathers, the people of Iwa lived as if every day was Christmas because they make merry in and out of season. This merry-making makes their community home for everyone at all times. It was on one of this merry-making day that Hanku emerged as the greatest wrestler. Hanku was barely known in the community before the wrestling saga because he was a man whose father was not among the high and mighty in the community. He grew up as a poor child but destiny they say cannot be denied. Hanku worked so hard both as a farmer and as a fisherman and because of his dedication to work, he gradually gained his place in the circle of men.

Source https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1605536258528-f6af46c4548c?ixid=MXwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHw%3D&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=400&q=80 It was on this faithful day of the wrestling contest that he came forward to contest amongst other young and brave men. The winner of the wrestling contest takes the princess of the land as his bride and by so doing gains affiliation with royalty. Amongst the contenders was Ikem their greatest warrior. He has been undefeated for so long that people began to fear for the other young men whenever the competition approaches. The girls murmur around they community saying that there are no husbands to marry because, in their community, they believe that a man who has not been tested and found worthy in the wrestling ground is not qualified to be called a husband. This made Hanku practice very hard privately in the determination of defeating the great Ikem because he had an eye on the princess.

Source https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1598122666068-59b41e0a3193?ixid=MXwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHw%3D&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=634&q=80 The beauty of the princess cannot be compared with any maiden in the whole community. People rumour that the princess is the great Oma river goddess in human form. Her skin glows like a diamond, her legs as straight as the lines drawn by the gods themselves. When she smiles, the whole community brightens up because her teeth shine like the sun. Princess Oma as the fondly called her was the choice of every young man in the community including Hanku. As the wrestling day draws nearer, the atmosphere in the community changed to that of uncertainty because every man was seriously preparing for the contest. The king opened the ground by pouring libations on the ground to chase away and render any evil spirit or charm that might be brought to the contest by any of the contenders. The wrestling kicked off. The contenders were shared into two groups of four wrestlers each. Ikem was in the other group while Hanku was in the other one. Ikem, as usual, was seen decimating all the contenders in his group while Hanku was also fighting so hard to come out tops in his group. As the gods may have it, Hanku and Ikem became the winners of their group and this brought Hanku closer to his dreams of marrying the beautiful princess.   As they both entered into the battle that will determine who stands as a better man in the community, Ikem who was already feeling happy because he sees Hanku as less a man and was already counting the princess as his fourth wife was taken on aware. It happened so fast that Hanku himself did not realize that he has won. It all happened while Ikem was basking in pride that Hanku lifted him off the ground with the speed of lightning and landed him backwards on the ground making Hanku the winner. There was great surprise amidst the jubilation but for the princess who didn’t want to become Ikem’s fourth wife, she was filled with great joy. The king declared Hanku the winner and handed over the princess to him. Hanku's joy knew no bounds because he was able to achieve his dreams of marrying the beautiful princess whom he truly loved.   It was on this early hour of the morning as Hanku was enjoying the view of the beautiful princess who was fast asleep that he heard the noise in his compound. As a warrior, he picked his machete and rushed out of his room only for him to see a human figure that dashed out of his compound with the speed of a cheetah and this led Hanku into a hot pursuit as he hoped to catch the thief. To be Continued…   Lead image https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1605536258528-f6af46c4548c?ixid=MXwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHw%3D&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=400&q=80