SON OF THUNDER

CHAPTER 2

There was a stream behind Michael’s house that catered for the water needs of people living within that environment. Almost everybody in that area went to Shalala stream to fetch water. It was a shallow, slow-flowing stream with sparkling water. Many people preferred drinking the water from the stream because of its sparkling nature. For this reason, most families fetch water from the stream for their water needs.It really served the people in the vicinity very well but people were f*******n from going to the stream in the night. Even though nobody knew the reason, everyone obeyed it and avoided going there in the night for the fear of the unknown. So, Angela felt that the best way to punish James was to send him to Shalala stream in the night to fetch water. So she waited impatiently for their water to finish so that she could order James to the stream at night. Even though James told her that their water had finished, she refuse to call the tanker drivers to refill their water containers. Expectedly, in the night, there was no water for domestic use in the house, especially, the water to use in washing things and flushing the toilet. So, she asked James to go and fetch water from that stream at about 8pm.“But aunt, nobody goes to that stream in the night,” James protested in fears. “Shut up. See your mouth. So, we should stay in this house without water? Is that what you are saying?” Angela snapped indignantly.“Aunt please, I don’t want to go there this night. They say spirits go there in the night and they can harm anyone who goes there at that time,” he said and started crying. Angrily, Angela seized a stick lying nearby and hit James so hard on his head with it that small stars filled his eyes. He did not need any further prodding to obey Angela’s instruction.He picked up a big bucket and left. He cried as he walked to the stream late that night. Though the stream was not too far from their house, it was definitely not a good time for anyone to visit there much less a small boy to do so. As he approached the stream, he heard some strange noises which made a cold shiver to run down his spine. Fear gripped him all the more. But luckily for him, he met an old woman who seemed to be coming from the stream.“My son hope you are not going to Shalala stream by this time of the night,” she inquired in motherly voice.“That’s where I am going to,” he replied, tears running down his cheeks.“No you can’t. Don’t you know that humans are not to go there in the night?” the old asked him, not smiling.“I know but my aunt forced me to and if I don’t, she may kill me,” he replied in tears still finding their ways down his cheeks.The old woman thought for a while and decided to help him. She took James’s bucket and poured her own water inside it and helped him put it on his head.“Now, go back. Tell her you fetched it from the stream but under no circumstances must you come again to fetch water from Shalala stream late in the night. Is that clear?” she asked tugging her right ear lobe with her right fingers.“Yes mama. I won’t come again. God bless you ma,” he promised and turned back immediately.He walked as fast as his leg could carry him. After a short distance, he looked back and to his utter astonishment, the woman has disappeared. Shivers ran down his spine and he felt this head swollen. He increased his pace, feeling uneasily that any moment, something strange might happen. But before long, he reached home without anything unbecoming happening. He was relieved and heaved a breath of relief.Angela was surprised to see him back quick and in good condition too.“Where did you get the water from?” Angela asked surprised.“From the stream,” he replied laconically.“Are you sure of this? If I find out it’s not from the stream, I will roast you alive,” she threatened.“I swear, it is from the stream,” James insisted.Angela was amazed, in fact, puzzled. Even though she was not sure of what could have happen to him at the stream by the time, she knew that Shalala stream was a no-go-area by that time of the night.“Okay, if you say so. But that means the stream is even safer at night. So you have to go back and fetch enough water that can take care of our water needs this night,” she said.James opened his mouth, eyes and nose wide in terror as if he had just seen or heard a ghost.“What? That I should go back there this night?” he asked to be sure of he heard her right.“You heard me right. Now pour it inside the container in the kitchen and rush back,” she ordered in a mean voice. James stared unseeing at her, and before she knows it James had collapsed on the ground and fainted.Initially, Angela thought that James was play-acting until all her half-hearted efforts to wake him up by mere tapping proved inadequate.“This is serious, what should I do now?” she asked herself as panic gripped her. Suddenly, an idea came into her mind.She carried the water that James had fetched and poured all of it on him. James woke up morosely and opened his eyes.“At last, you are awake. I thought you were never going to wake up,” Angela spat on. “As you can see, I have used the water you fetched to revive you. This means that you have to go back to the stream twice instead of once. This will teach you a lesson never to hesitate to obey my commands any time I give them,” she said in a raspy voice.The venom in her voice decided James’s fate. He believed immediately that it was futile to try to let her see reasons. With this, she literally forced him back to the stream. By this time, it was extremely late to venture out of the house not to talk of going to Shalala stream which people were expressly f*******n to approach at that time in the night. James cried heart-brokenly as he trekked to the stream. To his momentary relief, he met the old woman again at the same spot he met her before in his first journey. But this time around, the old woman did not look his way talk less of talking to him. She did as if she did not even notice the presence of James. She seemed to be angry that James came back to the stream against her express command not to do so.James stopped before her and tried to explain to the woman that he was forced to come back to the stream but the woman was not just interested in what he had to say. She just kept on going with the water she seemed to be carrying.Disappointed, James continued his downward journey towards the stream in tears. As he walked down the sloppy road to the stream, he started hearing some strange and terrifying sounds and again and fear gripped him. Goose pimple quickly covered his body out of fright. He could see some imaginary images on the river and heard what sound like the voice of spirits. With a thumping heart, he quickly stepped into the stream and bent down to fetch water and run away… It all happened in a flash‼! Without warning, some mysterious hands sprouted out of the stream and grabbed him. Before he had time to scream, the unknown hands had him into the bowel of the stream. He disappeared so quickly that nobody who had not witnessed the incident would have immediately believed what happen. Only his bucket was left floating aimlessly on the surface of the stream.