[STORY] THE GHOST VISITOR (Episode 08)

Episode 08.

The joy in her heart made her unafraid of the dark or the noise in the nearby bushes. With a skip in her stride, Nneoma strode home. When she drew near to her husband’s family compound, she blew out her lamp light and sneaked in. Her door was not locked, so she gently pushed it open and went in. She danced around the house for a moment and then ran into the kitchen, it was almost dawn and her intention was to warm the leftover food she had. Her children would return home soon and would certainly ask for food. When she stooped to light re in her cooking place, she felt a hand at the back of her head, she swung around to see who it was. The sight she saw left frissons of dread shooting through her veins. She made to shout for help, but her voice gave no sound. The mighty presence, raised its hand and slapped her to unconsciousness. Beside her replace, Nneoma lay. To her it was like crossing a divide; like stepping from one room into another within fractions of seconds. She sprang to her feet and looked around. She was suddenly in a place she could not recognize. Her kitchen and everything in it were gone. It was and endless stretch of empty world with no trees, grass, mountains, or water. It was just empty. Its soil was red and hot. She looked around wondering where she was. “I cannot be dead! The gods cannot do this to me! Who will take care of my children?” She tried to pray to the gods of her people, but a voice spoke up and demanded her up.

She looked for where to hide but there was none. The sound of the voice was like the sound of death itself. It was as if all she wanted was to run from the voice. Shaking with dread and crying, she looked about hopelessly. When the voice spoke again, it was gentler, “This place is hell. You don’t want to come back to it…” the voice paused. Nneoma felt the voice was familiar she had heard it before. Now that it spoke to her gently, she could sense the familiarity in it. Something made her x her gaze on the hot red soil, to her utter shock, the ground under her feet caved in and she saw that beneath the soles of her feet was a world filled with burning flames. In a flash she saw innumerable number of men and women sinking into that world of burning flames and being consumed in it. Their cries tore her soul apart. Then she remembered what she saw when Eleke had her dragged to the chambers of hell. She had seen a man, only that he was different and was not like the men she had known amongst her people. He had spoken to her in a voice unlike any she had heard all her life. And all he said was, “I will show you the truth.” When he spoke to her she realized the flames had no power over her. In the face of the horror underneath her feet, she craved to hear that strange man to speak to her again. “What is the truth?! Please show me the truth!” “This place is the truth. All who follow the sacrifices of the gods of your people come here.” That was unthinkable. Nneoma felt offended and being lied to. “We offer what we do to our gods because they demand it and our gods are just!” “Who were you told is at peace in his death?” “My husband, Olekanma. At least I saw him this morning in the land of the spirits. He was fine!” “This is your husband,” said the voice. Immediately a force grabbed Nneoma and plunged her into the world of burning flames under her feet. In a corner of it was Olekanma being devoured by a raging fire.

Nneoma could not stand the sight of her husband in such torture. It was the worst horror her eyes had seen. She turned away, but the image was everywhere. She closed her eyes, but that could not stop her from seeing the image. It was not just that Olekanma was being tortured in flames, he was being eaten up by tiny, little creatures she had not seen before. She went on her knees and cried out, “Please take me away from this place!” “Nneoma! Nneoma!! Open your eyes and look at me!” It was the voice of Olekanma. Nneoma opened her eyes a little. Olekanma was standing in front of him. “Obi m, what you saw in the land of the spirits this morning was a lie. This is the truth. I have never left this place nor been to any palace since Eleke took my heart that morning.” “But I saw you! I kissed you, and we held each other!” “I know that too, but I was not the one you kissed. Spirits here can change their forms like Eleke did when he slept with you. They have the power to take the form of anyone they wish to.” Nneoma felt giddy and her head swooned. What she was seeing and hearing were beyond her. Her teeth clattered as waves of dread shot through her body. “They will try to take Onyeka from you and make him a priest who will take blood for the gods. He will take both human and animal blood. Do not let them! You must stop them! If you let them take him, then he will come to this place too!”

“Tuakwa! (God forbid!)” Nneoma spat. “Make sure no one finds out about what you know. Do not trust Nwaraka. He knows the truth, but has been deceived with empty promises.” Nneoma began to repeat to herself, “Do not trust Nwaraka, for he has been deceived with empty promises… My children! Nwaraka has my children!” Nneoma tried to run but found herself waking up from the vision she had just had. At the door of her kitchen were two apprentices from Nwaraka, listening to her muttering to herself, “Do not trust Nwaraka, for he has been deceived with empty promises.” The apprentices were holding her children by the hands. By the time she got a hold of herself and stopped saying those words, the apprentices had heard enough. She stood to her feet, ran toward the apprentices and snatched her children away from them. “Nneoma Uruaku, Nwaraka would have you return this evening with Onyeka and a white c–k. The gods have seen a gift in him,” said one of the apprentices. Nneoma did not argue. She simply nodded, her hands firmly around her children. She knew exactly what to do. Meanwhile the elders who were sent to Okwohia to ascertain why a spirit was attacking Nneoma’s household were sent back home with the same message by the three different native doctors they consulted with. The message was, “The mystery of the attacks on Nneoma’s household is a matter for the gods, they will speak to no mortal about it.” When the apprentices had left, Nneoma paced about her house anxiously. Her children could tell something was wrong. However, they could not wait to tell her what happened at Nwaraka’s shrine in the night. “Mama, papa visited us at Nwaraka’s shrine in the night. He said Onyeka will be a great voodoo priest,” Nneka said with glee. Nneoma’s mouth hung open in absolute disbelief. She looked from Nneka to Onyeka, and tears pooled from her eyes. “Mama what is it? You look troubled,” Azubuike asked. Nneoma composed herself and tried to explain things to her children.

“Whoever you saw at Nwaraka’s shrine was not your father. I have been to the land of the spirits twice this morning. I saw things and heard things even the best native doctors in all of Igbo land do not know yet. Your father warned me to never let them make Onyeka a voodoo priest. There is a great deception going on against our people. It has been revealed to me…” Nneoma was still saying when Onyeka made know what he saw in the night. “Mama, it was not papa who came to see us at Nwaraka’s shrine.”. His words surprised everyone present. Nneoma grabbed him and asked apprehensively, “What did you see Onyeka?” “He had horns. That man had horns, papa doesn’t have horns,” Onyeka replied. “Pack your bags! Pack your bags children, we are running away!” Nneoma shouted to her children.

To Be Continued….

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