FELICIA'S POV
The coldness that lingered in my face and bare parts of my body gave me quite a scare even though I was acting so brave. I had to finish what I had started. I was not one to back down on challenges. Looking back at Pamela and Ritah who looked so frightened I would almost see them shake in fear as we approached the house of the witch doctor.
Not that it was an eerie shed or a shrine like I had seen in the movies before. It was just an ordinary house within the compound in Chilanga. We had just
seen a poster directing to the house and the names of the doctor written in big red letters.
“ come on girls we are here, stop looking like you have just seen a ghost” I whispered upon reaching the house wandering if I should knock or just wait for the person I assumed was inside to call us in.
“am sacred Fey, this is so ....”
“ shshshsh someone is coming “ I whispered seeing a man emerge from the back of the house.
“Felicia right? “the man asked looking at me as I held my phone in my hands
“we talked earlier” he indicated seeing how shocked I looked. In my mind I had though he just guessed my name not realizing I had talked to him before, he even gave me directions to the place. “oh yeah. It’s me, sorry I thought I would see some...” I started but stopped instantly not wanting to say what was actually on my mind. I had wanted to
say some old scary man with horns in his head. The man who kept smiling at us as he greeted each and each one of us seemed so unexpected. He was tall and had a light skin tone, a small well shaved moustache, he was dressed casually in jeans and short sleeved shirt I wondered how on earth a decent looking man was involved in some juju business.
He looked to be slightly above 40 in age. He asked us to get inside the house and to add to my shock, the three roomed house was neatly displayed with some modern furniture. A soft black and white carpet on the floor.
We looked at each other in awe, but said nothing at all. We sat down all in one sofa and let the man sit in his own facing us. He smiled again and asked us to present the items he had told us to before we could proceed.
“Should we put them on the table or some....” Pamela looked at him still
holding the basket with live chickens in her hands.
“Yeah sure my child. Am not some creepy witch doctor you expected to find” he laughed as though he had read our thoughts.
The man walked to the other room leaving as behind. After what seemed like forever he came back with three tins, handed us each one and asked us to drop the pants inside.
He took some roots and some kind of powder, white smooth staff I could not dare ask what it was, and sprinkled it in the tins, he brought a container of water and asked each one of us to say what we wanted as we poured the water in the tins.
“I want to get the attention of men, especially those with money. I need to have the power to make them do as I delight” I spoke first and sighed when I was done.
“Your turn” he looked at Pamela who
went on saying my exact words with a low voice I almost smacked her head to wake her up.
Ritah did the same too only adding she wanted to find true love. I looked at the girls and nodded to assure them as the man spoke some incantation’s I was not able to make any sense out of it. He handed us back the tins afterwards and sighed looking serious this time as his gaze stayed on all of us.
“Well it is done, go home and put the contents of this tin in a bucket that you can easily cover and hide it where no one would find it. Make sure you wash your face every day you wake up and never change the water” he instructed. “For how long shall we use the water?” Ritah spoke her own voice chocking her. “Well a month will be okey” he smiled at her.
“Well so you have it, now you can head back home and do as I said, guard those
tins with your life and when you get home make sure you hide it from anyone else.” He added as we stood to leave.
“Well that went on well, it was less creepy as I expected it to be” Ritah sighed as we matched back to the road having our tins wrapped in our chitenge wrappers and placed inside the basket. I went home that night and did as the man instructed, getting the small bucked mom had put on top of the cupboard and sneaked into my room quickly putting some water in it and pouring the contents of the tin before anyone could see me.
I grabbed my phone and called the girls to find out if they did the same and each one confirmed they were successful without any issues arising.
“Good we are good “I smiled sitting down to reflect on the activities of the day. My phone beeped and I looked at the caller Id, it was Daniels.
“Hai Dee what’s up?” I sighed laying down my bed.
“Hai, I came home mom told me you sneaked out on her. I tried your line it was off, you back now?” he asked in his soft voice.
“Yeah, am back now Dan, what did you want?” I asked hating he was trying to insist on seeing me.
“Well I wanted to say bye to you fey. My uncle from Lusaka came to pick me up I think I told you earlier about him. I will just come back next term to write exams from here” he explained I felt guilty I was being so rude with him. He was always so good to me and yet I always found a way to intimidate him. “Oh that, am sorry I had a long day. Well am glad you told me and too bad we will miss you here. “I smiled to myself trying to comfort him.
“So, can I come over and say bye in person?” I heard him breath softly I was sure he was smiling.
“Umm no Dee, am sorry. Will just be talking on phone because now I need to rest. Like I told you I had a long day” I turned him down and he hang up after a few seconds.
A month later.
I woke up as usual taking out the bucket to wash my face as was instructed. The moment I lifted the water in my palm I noticed a thing looking like a maggot wiggling in the water. I took a closer look to notice if I was just imaging things but realized it was so real. The thing moved about gracefully and as tiny as it was, it looked up at me like it could see me.
“damn!” I screamed placing the bucket back under the bed, feeling my heart beat faster I thought it would push out my chest.
My thoughts went back to the man recalling what he told us before we left. “anything you will notice come and tell
me do not do anything without consulting me first” he had warned. Frowning, I pulled out the bucket and looked at the thing again, this time I touched it, for some reason I felt connected to in and my earlier thought of smashing it dead where gone. I placed it back in the water and took out my phone.
“Ritah where are you? We need to meet ASAP! “I spoke immediately she picked the call.
“yeah I was about to call you too ba guy, I found ...”
“shshshsh, not on phone, lets meet at the classes in school there is no one there being a weekend, let me just call Pamela as well” I added before cutting the line.
“oh God what is this?” I sighed deeply as I felt my hands shake I was so scared. My mother walked in and asked why I looked like that and I faked a smile telling her I just failed a biology test and
my friend has just called me to inform me.
“Well you hardly read your books my child. You seem occupied by lots of things the past month and I hate to say this but people are taking Feli” she breathed heavily her face showing concern as she sat next to me.
“What is going on with you my child? “She asked me
“ I I um am okey mama” I stammered without looking at her.
“if these stories I hear of big cars dropping you off almost every day are true, I want to warn you to stop Felicia. Am almost 50 and in my growing up I have never deepened my hands in doing evil things. I know I don’t give you much since your father died but I beg you in the name of God, be content with what you have and learn to appreciate God for the gift of your life.
You are very intelligent and I want you to concentrate on your studies and pass
with good grades. I might not have some money to take you to college but God has everything planed out for you” she went on talking but my mind was gone. All I could think of was the thing growing in the bucket under.
“I know mam, you always say that” I mumbled
“Well you never listen still, when was the last time you went to church Feli?” she asked
“ mama listen I told you am busy studying, soon we will be writing exams and I don’t have time to go to church, I can pray in the house too you know, you always say God is everywhere. Now can I go? I need to meet Ritah and Pamela at school, it`s about school” I stood up making her shake her head as she looked up at me.
“Do not lose the path of righteousness my child, beware” she pointed at me and walked out before I could.
DANIEL'S POV
I was rushing to class 2 years later, my lecture was scheduled at 10 am and I was 10 minutes late. Without paying attention to where I was going.
I felt my hand hit something/ someone and I looked back panting as I came to a sudden halt.
“Watch it you fool” I heard a voice yell from my back.
“Am sorry dear I did not mean to hit you, I was just rus.....” I could not finish my sentence and I saw her face.
She was dressed in a long skirt and heavy sweater. A very awkward dress code given it was so hot the sun was bright even though it was still morning. To add to the fact that the girl standing before me was known to be one of the fashion queens in secondary school, made me wonder for a second if I was seeing the right person.
“Fey!?” I looked at her closely more of a question that a statement.
“Daniels” she too looked up at me surprised.
“Oh my God Fey it’s so good to see you again. What are you doing here?” I smiled holding her in a tight hug her slim body engulfed in my arms it felt like she belonged.
Her soft breathing made me want to hold her forever recalling all the times I had spent loving her back in high school even when she dumped me. If not for the fact that she stepped back clearing her throat I could not have opened my eyes to look at her.
“Am just reporting. I was given admission to study Public Administration here at NIPA. What about you?” she asked me smiling I could not help admire her perfect but small lips and soft but bright eyes.
“Mmmm am um studying ACCA here
too. I have been here since last year” I sighed taking my eyes from her.
“I was rushing for class but now, I think am late. I can just use this time to catch up with you know, it’s been forever, I never knew this day would come” I honestly told her.
“Am sorry Dan, but I have my uncle waiting up and I cannot leave him now. He brought me here and am sure I will do just fine, I only have one thing to do since I will be coming from home” she said looking uncomfortable around me I thought that was bizarre.
“Okey my dear, I was just hoping to chat a little bit you know it has been long” I spoke with a tone of disappointment.
“ I guess I will be seeing you around “ I smiled holding her hand.
“Yep, sure Daniels I will see you around “ she smiled back but her smile for some reason did not go beyond her cheek bones. I could not help the girl I knew had changed she had this sight of
sadness that made me want to pull her out and bring out the old cheerful Felicia that I knew.
Then I realized she was not mine to take care of. I was just a guy she had left years back because clearly I was not good enough for her.
I was hurt when I heard stories of how she had become the talk of the small Kafue town, people I knew from Kafue would tell me how my Felicia had become a girl with big cars.
Rumor had it however, that her life changed a year after school but I never wanted to take any of that from people. My understanding was that some people would always talk no matter what you do, either good or bad, so I decided to shake off the story. Deep down my heart I had wished I met her again.
That day my hopes had materialized but
them how was I going to get her close to me when on the first day of seeing her after a couple of years, she seemed lost and so much in a different world. I shook my head as I watched her walk away. Her behind still as perfect as I could remember. Her curves even in a long skirt she had on were evident and more appealing now. I decided to take walk to the lecture thinking I could have the last minutes to attend it before it was over.
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