AMAMÌHE

Chapter 2

Returning home in string of leaves and grasses I had found close to the shrine was the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to me. People stared at me as I walked by and murmured things amongst themselves. Surely, they were as shocked as I was. I had taken the longer and more lonely path home but had still met people that stared at me like I was some foreigner. I was yet to get down to the reason of all this. I don't remember going to that shrine and I definitely don't remember going there n***d.

I finally reached home and was relieved not to find my mother awaiting me. My joy was short-lived as minutes later, she came into my hut. I had already tied a wrapper around my waist and was currently on my bamboo. The gods knew I didn't want to talk to anyone until this wave of shock had left my body.

"Amam, what happened?" my mother asked, standing directly in front of me with her hands akimbo.

" Mama, not now. Please not now."

" No....you will talk to me now. What is this I hear? You were running around the village n***d? Amam, what is it? Talk to me" she sounded worried

" Mama, I will but not now. Please."

"Amam, biko (please). I'm your mother. You need to tell me when something is wrong."

"Mama, I need to sleep"

After she waited for minutes to see if I would talk to her which I didnt, she left my hut but I never got to sleep within hours. How I had found myself at that shrine was beyond me. Were the gods trying to send us a message? I had pondered on this as sleep took me.

"Amam" someone called me but it wasn't in me to answer right away. This sleep was peace and I needed nothing to interrupt it.

"Amam, wake up" The voice came louder this time and I could already tell to whom it belonged to. Olanna. What was she doing here?

"Mhmm" I drowsily replied

"Wake up. Amam." she shoved me a little bit this time.

I reluctantly opened my eyes and sat up. I let the sleep clear from my eyes for seconds before looking up at her.

She looked troubled. Worried. Depressed. I saw a tear drop fall from her eye right before she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand. I looked down at her hands and found them trembling. I scooted forwards and took her hands in mine.

"Ola...what is it?"

"I..." tears clogged up her throat as she looked downwards refusing to meet my eyes.

"Ola, look at me. What is the problem?"

"What did...." A fresh round of tears poured out as she took her hands away from mine to wipe her tears.

"Amam, are you okay?" she sniffled then continued." I heard what happened....and Mama said you refused to talk to her. Are you fine? Is everything alright?" she asked me inspecting my body with her eyes.

"I'm okay. I'm fine" I didn't need anyone worrying about me and certainly not Ola. What had happened had happened and sooner or later an explanation would be given. I was surprised as Ola hugged me tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. Her tears poured down my bare back and I hated being the reason she was like this. She cared about me way too much. She cared about anyone she came in contact with. I rubbed her back as I whispered soothing words.

When she was done crying, I explained how everything had happened and she told me what the villagers were sprouting. Most said I had been possessed by an evil spirit. We had talked for hours until she had decided to leave. It was late anyways.

I left my hut to meet my mother at the backyard. There was a pot covered with a crooked lid resting upon the stones and wood she had put together to make fire. I sat with her and we ate together after she had brought down the pot would her bare hands and had served the watery soup with wooden plates and spoons. We were just going over the events of the day when we heard metals clanging in our direction. Mama looked at me and I stood moving towards the direction of the noise. Ezemmuo? I tilted my head in confusion as I watched the old man move around our house pouring libation and chanting words to himself. Ezemmuo was the eyes of the gods. No one ever saw him in broad daylight. He hailed form Nwadike which made me really question the reason he was here. I've never seen him before but his staff spoke volumes. Everyone rumored about how terrifying his staff looked and now, I had seen for myself. It was something else entirely. Ezemmuo wasn't to be compared to any dibia in Dikeopara. He saw what others couldn't see and heard from the gods directly.

Mama hid behind me and I could bet she watched, with fearful rounded eyes as Ezemmuo moved around our compound. Why was he here exactly? Had it to do with what happened to me? Were there any message from the gods? All these and many more questions ran through my mind. Nothing was answered as Ezemmuo left the compound chanting in a loud voice.

I woke up the next morning to a string of Mama's cries. She was rolling on the floor in my hut. This wasn't a usual scene. The last time I had seen her behaving like this was when Papa died and I couldn't fathom what the reason could be this time.

"Mama?" I knelt beside her " What is the problem?"

"Efuolam oo(I'm finished)" she said throwing her hands up in the air as she kept on kicking out her legs like someone was trying to pin her down.

"Mama. Talk to me" I held her firmly in place as she struggled to break free.

" They have come to take me. Okoro, why would you do this to your son? What have we done wrong? Where have we gone wrong?" her wails were louder by the minute and the last thing I needed on my hands were a bunch of nosy neighbours and I had wondered briefly for a moment why she had mentioned Papa's name.

" Mama, you have to calm down" when she had started crying and stuggling again, I shouted at her. She really needed it at the moment. " Calm down"

She started sobbing again as I helped her to stand. The wrapper she tied on her chest fell and I bent quickly to retrieve it. I wanted to cover her up but what I saw on her chest shocked me to the marrows. I looked up at her and she nodded with teary eyes and lips clamped down to prevent her cries from ringing out. Tears flowed from her eyes as she quivered all over. My mother was dying.