MY HUSBAND IS A RIVER SPIRIT

My name is Amara, I am 22 years old, and I live in Rumudara village.In my village, there is one rule every girl knows. Never go to the Old River at midnight.My grandmother told me when I was small, "Amara, the river has a husband. He lives inside the water. He is very handsome, but he is not human. If he sees you and likes you, he will marry you, whether you like it or not."I laughed. I thought it was just old story to scare small girls.Until last night.It started because there was no water in our house. My mother was sick, my father traveled to Port Harcourt, and my small brother Ebuka was crying because there was no water to cook.The time was 11:45pm. I took my bucket. I said, "I will just go quickly, fetch water and come back."The Old River is 10 minutes walk from our house. The road is dark, with plenty trees. As I was walking, the crickets were shouting loud. The moon was full and shining on the water.When I reached the river, everywhere was silent. Too silent.I bent down to fetch water. That was when I saw him.He was standing inside the water, but the water was only reaching his knee, yet he was tall like masquerade.He was the most handsome man I have ever seen in my life. His skin was dark and shining like oil. His chest was broad, no shirt. His eyes were glowing blue, like torchlight inside water. His hair was long, with water dripping from it.He was looking at me and smiling.My heart stopped. My bucket fell from my hand inside the river."Amara," he called my name. His voice was like water flowing over stone.How did he know my name? I have never seen him before in Rumudara."Who are you?" I whispered, my legs shaking."I am Ezu," he said. "I am the owner of this river. And you... you belong to me. I have been watching you since you were 16 years old coming to this river."I wanted to run, but my legs could not move. It was like my feet were glued to the ground."I don't belong to anybody," I said, trying to be brave. "I am going home."He laughed. The whole river shook when he laughed. Fish jumped out of water."You cannot run from me, Amara. Your grandmother promised you to me before you were born. She came here 23 years ago, crying because she had no child. She begged me to give her a child, and she promised that if she had a girl, she will give the girl back to me as my wife."My blood became cold. My grandmother never told me this.That was why my mother gave birth to me after 15 years of no child."You are lying!" I shouted."Am I?" He stepped out of the water. As he stepped out, the water followed his feet, like it did not want to leave him. He was now standing in front of me, so close I could smell river and fresh rain from his body.He touched my face. His hand was cold and wet, but it felt... good. Like electricity."Tonight is your 22nd birthday, Amara. I have waited. Now you are a woman. It is time for you to be my wife.""Never!" I pushed his hand.His glowing eyes turned dark. "You don't have a choice. In 7 days, there will be full moon again. I will come to your father's house to take you. If your family refuses to give you to me, this village will have no water for 7 years. No rain. All your rivers will dry."I started crying. "Please, leave me alone."He looked at my tears and his face became soft again. He wiped my tears with his cold finger."Don't cry, my beautiful wife. I will not force you inside water like other spirits do. I will marry you properly. I will give you wealth. I will give your family riches you never imagined. But you MUST be mine. I love you, Amara."He bent down and picked my bucket from the river. The bucket was now filled with clean water, but the water inside was shining like diamonds."Go home," he said. "Tell your grandmother that Ezu is coming in 7 days."He turned to go back inside the river. Before he entered, he looked back and said, "And Amara... don't let any other man touch you. If any man touches you, I will kill him. You are my wife."And he disappeared inside the river. One moment he was there, the next moment, only water.I ran. I ran like never before. I did not stop until I reached my compound, panting, with my bucket of shining water.My mother was awake, sitting outside."Amara! Where have you been? Why are you breathing like that?"I dropped the bucket. "Mama, I saw him. The river husband. He said Grandma promised me to him."My mother's face turned white like paper. She did not say "which river husband?" or "you are lying." She just held her mouth and said, "Chi m! So he has finally come."That was how I knew everything he said was true.My mother dragged me inside the house where my grandmother was sleeping.We woke her up. I told her everything. The man inside river, glowing eyes, name Ezu, 7 days.My grandmother, who is 87 years old and never cries, started crying."It is true," she whispered. "In 2003, your mother was crying every day, no child. I came to Old River at midnight, I sacrificed white fowl, and I heard a voice inside water. The voice said, 'I will give your daughter a child, but that child if she is a girl, she will be my wife.' I agreed because I thought it was just spirit talk. I never thought he would really come. I am sorry, Amara."My whole world scattered.I am promised to a river spirit I don't know.In 7 days, he is coming to marry me.If my family refuses, the whole Rumudara will have no water for 7 years.What will I do?That night, I could not sleep. At exactly 2:00am, I heard water dripping inside my room, even though there was no water there. I looked at my window, and I saw wet footprints on the floor, coming from the window to my bed.And I smelled river and fresh rain.He was inside my room.TO BE CONTINUED...