Friday, January 10, 2014

Eji Oko - Ochosi Kills His Mother

There was a time when Ochosi walked the earth, but had no special gifts or powers of his own.  He went to see Olofi to find out what his purpose on earth would be.  Olofi decided to give him the ache to be the divine hunter on earth, so that he would never go hungry again and could always be prosperous.  He did this all under one condition, and that was for Ochosi to never forget where he came from and always remain humble.  Anyone that called upon Ochosi for his help hunting things would be served.  He agreed, and elated, Ochosi left Olofi's palace and went back to his house.

Ochosi began to use his new hunting skills, and every day went to the forrest in search of new animals.  He quickly became an impressive hunter, and was able to blend into the forrest so that animals could not see him.  He was able to move silently and stealthily as well, so as not to disturb anything.  Furthermore, his ache was seductive to animals, and they were drawn to his presence.  Whenever he found an animal that he wanted, he pulled an arrow from his quiver, placing its shaft against the arrow rest of the bow and nocking the back of the arrow with the bowstring.  As he drew the arrow back, he made a simple prayer that the arrow would kill his game swiftly.  From there, a swift release of the arrow and it found its way to the animal's heart every time.

It was amazing the turn of events that took place in Ochosi's life.  He went from being a nobody to acquiring great fame and fortunes instantly.  He took many of his kills to the market place and sold them, and always kept the finest animals for himself.

Initially, he didn't mind sharing his new wealth with his family and village, and was very happy to be able to provide the meat to accompany all of their meals.  However, this began to change over time and he began to resent the fact that he was the only one in the village providing the food.  One day, he decided not to share with anyone.  He insisted that they needed to find their own food, despite the fact that he had way more than he could possibly eat by on his own.

Of course this did not go over very well.  Begrudgingly each member set out to acquire their own wealth, but could not do it.  It became easier for them to sneak into Ochosi's pantry and steal some of his kills.  They thought he had so much that he wouldn't notice anything missing.  They began talking poorly of their brother behind his back, and resented him horribly.  Things became very tense, even at home among his own family, and many arguments ensued over money and possessions.

Ochosi began to notice his possessions dissipating.   He still had to leave his house everyday to hunt, so was unable to investigate the issue, but he knew that someone was robbing him.  One day, while he was out, his mother came by his house to ask him for some food for a party that she was planning.  Since she could not find him, she decided to go into his pantry and help herself.  "My son, the great hunter, would not mind if his mother borrowed a few things" she thought to herself.

Upon Ochosi's arrival to his house that evening, he noticed a considerable dent in his pantry.  Furious, he decided to punish the perpetrator.  He ran outside, pulled an arrow out and loaded it into his bow. Aiming for the sky, he retracted the bowstring as far as possible.  He looked to the skies, praying to Achoqua and Olofi, asking for their guidance in ensuring that the arrow found its way to the heart of the person that had robbed him that day.  He let loose, and the arrow went flying into the sky.  A moment later, Ochosi heard a terrible shriek come from the town of his mother.

"It couldn't be" he thought to himself, but he decided to visit his mother.  The sound of the woman's yell was very similar to that of his mother's voice.  He ran swiftly to her house, and was immediately brought to his knees.  There lay his mother on the ground.  The arrow that he had shot just minutes prior was sticking out of her heart.  In a moment of rage, without thinking Ochosi had decided to punish his perpetrator to death.  This blind justice killed his own mother, whom he loved very much.

Ochosi had let the fame and fortune of his new gifts go to his head, and had forgotten that Olofi had commanded him to always remain humble.  Instead, he had become conceited and egotistical.  In a moment of passionate rage, he actually committed a grand error and killed his mother, the person whom he loved most.