AMAMÌHE

Chapter 4

Things were getting confusing by the day. How all those people got healed was something I couldn't fathom or explain but that didn't stop word from spreading. We got constant visitors who were always around for the same thing. " Is it true you're the savior the gods have sent to deliver us?", "Is it true you can heal a diseased one with just a touch?", " Is it true you fly around at night healing all the diseased ones?"

I guess everything that had been rumored about me wasn't exactly true. I wasn't ready for all this and I certainly wanted no part in something beyond me. I made it clear to Ola that I couldn't do this anymore but I assume the gods and the Universe had plans of it's own.

I was in the backyard one cool evening with Mama debating what we could concot for dinner. These days, eating anything was possible. We were trying to take decisions as my mother joked around about Olanna and I which always made me feel uncomfortable. Most men didn't wait for the wedding night to take their wives and wives were surely treated poorly but I was going to do right by Olanna. My only fear was the inability to really tell if this nightmare would be over so that I could give Ola the ceremony of her dreams. I was 26 and I wasn't exactly wealthy. I dabbled in everything. Farming, hunting, palmwine tapping and I had been a wrestler once. What I'm trying to say is that Ola would lack nothing. I would fight tooth and nail to give her everything she deserves.

The evening was going well until we had unknown visitors. An aged woman and a teenage boy. I could tell just by looking at them that they had seen better days. I doubted they were from this place. The old woman's bulgy eyes were all that stood out in her appearrance. The boy could pass for a broom stick. I stood up, held the woman gently and led her to where I had been sitting.

" Nwa m, i meela ( my son, thank you)" she said in a raspy voice

" Mma, kedu?" I has asked her how she was doing .

She told me she was diseased and she heard that I could make the disease go away.

" Mma, I am not who they say I am" I had to put that out.

" Nwa m, Biko . Help me. I know I am old but if I die now what would happen to Obinna?"

"Mma..."

" Please try"

Her pleading got to me but I wasn't doing this anymore. I didn't even know what to do. I shook my head at her.

" Please help my grandma. " the boy had tears in his eyes. " I don't want her to die now. She is all I have"

" I don't know what to do." I told them truthfully before agreeing to give it a shot and then, did that I had done with Ola weeks ago. I held her and promised her everything was going to be alright and then really hoped it would be. They had thanked me, then left.

It appeared they had spent the night with a relative as they had come back in the morning and the mark on her chest had disappeared. She offered me some cowries for payment but I had rejected the offer as calmly as I could. It didn't take hours, we had more visitors, more diseased persons, from our community and others.

I did my best to help but everything was getting so overwhelming. Our King had even visited us and thanked me for all I had done. As I had repeatedly told everyone, I was doing nothing. Olanna visited more often to help Mama with the chores. I felt our community would be overpopulated soon with the number of people moving into our place.

I was doing some weeding in the compound as three people walked in. An older woman, a young girl adult and a teenage boy. The older woman, I was sure was the mother of the other two because the resemblance could not go unnoticed. The young girl looked nineteen or twenty. She could totally pass for royalty and she had me mesmerized for a split second. Her face was that of a goddess and her aura could drag about anyone to her. I was very sure they weren't of this community. I dropped my cutlass, wiped my dirty hands on my wrapper as I approached them.

"Nnor (greetings)" I said to the older woman.

" My son. We hope you are doing well. We are sorry to bother you but we've heard a lot about you." she glanced briefly at her daughter whose head was bowed low.

"We need your help. My daughter is dying. We are from Umuopara. The sign appeared on her chest early this morning and we practically rushed here. Please help her."

The woman was at the verge of tears and I didn't need to be told twice. I walked towards the younger girl and stood directly in front of her.

"What is your name?"

"Ada" she spoke so softly as she curtsied never looking up once.

"Ada..." I held her arms" You are going to be fine. Everything is going to be alright. You'll live. You hear me?"

" Thank you." she sniffled and it was clear she'd been crying.

" Look up at me and believe you'll be fine"

Her eyes raised to mine and truthfully without prejudice, her's were the most intoxicating I've ever laid eyes on.

"I believe"

Later, however Mama found out they had nobody to stay with was quite surprising. We made them spend the night with us in a hut Papa had shared with his mistresses. Mama had been adamant about my father not sharing their hut with other women and my father being a peace loving man, complied. In our world, men didn't need permission or even suggestions from their wives to do anything. Once the've paid your bride price, they owned you. They could have as many wives and mistresses as they pleased and nothing could be done about it.

We were sharing a pot of tasteless soup together at the backyard with sticks brought to make fire in between all of us illuminating the place. Ada's mother, Ifeoma licked her wooden plate and spoon stating it was the best thing the've ever had in a long while. I wondered briefly what the've been eating as food. Ifeoma told us that in Umuopara, they feasted on withered grass, sand and anything they could find. Water wasn't even available unless your urine counted. Ifeoma let us know she came to Nzeka from time to time with Ada to take water and anything they could find back home. It was how they've been surviving. They've contemplated finding a place in Nzeka to stay but her husband's brothers promised to take their home away from them if they ever left. If everything should be over one day, they wouldn't have anywhere to return to.

I looked up as Ola made her way to me. I smiled instantly. She had that kind of effect on me. I've missed her. She greeted Mama, then Ifeoma and her children. Her gaze lingered on Ada a bit before she sat besides me. I introduced her as my bethrothed. Ifeoma was elated and said I has made a right choice. It got Ola smiling so wide. Ola and I excused ourselves as I escorted her back to her home. Ola asked me who Ifeoma and her children were and I had explained everything to her. We talked non-stop about everything there was to talk about. I couldn't wait to legally make her my wife.

I woke up the next morning and took my cutlass, after having decided that I was going to clear some grasses and unwanted plants in my farm that was behind the house only separated with a mud fence and bamboo doors. I didn't need poisonous snakes making a home in there. I was a few feet from my hut when someone hugged my legs from behind restricting any movement.

" Thank you so much. Thank you. The gods will bless you...."

Ada, I figured kept raining praises and blessings on me. It appeared she was finally healed.

"Ada, it's okay. Stand up"

"Thank you so much. The gods will never forget all the good that you have done."

I could feel her tears on my legs and I didn't appreciate the unnecessary worship.

"Ada, stand."

Finally, she did and as I turned, ready to talk to her, she just had to surprise me again by hugging me so tightly, stopping any flow of air. I was shocked and felt really uncomfortable. I didn't like this one bit. She kept on spitting words of thanks but I had already tuned her out. If Ola saw this, it was going to be a very tough one to explain.

" It's fine, Ada. I've heard you. I have to get going."

It seemed she just realized what she had been doing as embarrassment clouded her face.

" I'm sorry. I'm... very sorry" she faltered before smiling hugely. The kind of smile that was so bright it could bring back the dead to life.

" The mark is gone. I can't believe it. Thank you so much. The gods will reward you."

I offered her a little smile before leaving. The farm was very bushy to start with. I had felt a little bit discouraged before I got down to work. It'd been hours and the only thing that kept me sane was the water enclosed in a bottle made with dried goat skin. I was very hungry. It was time I left. I would have to continue with this tomorrow. I took my now empty bottle, cutlass and started making my way out when I knocked my leg over something. I hissed in pain before looking downwards. Confusion stirred in my head. It was not possible, was it? I bent and dug around what I had found. I took it out and inspected it further. I hoped my mind was not playing jokes on me. I kept what I had found and looked around for more and surprisingly, I found more. I look at the tubers of yam I'd harvested and deeply, I knew it wasn't normal but I didn't care one bit. I had found food. Real food. Good food.

When everything had started going down earlier this year, everybody ransacked their farms including us. Everyone had made sure they harvested everything they had planted, especially us. How yams would remain on this farm left me bewildeired. I couldn't wait for Mama to see this.