MY HUSBAND IS A RIVER SPIRIT

EPISODE 5: THE VISIT FROM THE RIVER PEOPLE

That night, my father locked all doors and windows."No one will marry my daughter to a river! I suffered to have this girl after 15 years! No spirit will take her!" he was shouting, drinking kai-kai.My grandmother was quiet. Then she said, "You cannot fight Ezu with cutlass, my son. If we refuse him, Rumudara will have no water for 7 years. Our people will curse us.""I don't care!" my father shouted.At exactly 12 midnight, we heard drumming.Not church drumming. Not village drumming. Water drumming. Like drums beating inside water.Gbim. Gbim. Gbim.My mother held me tight. "Amara, cover your ear, don't listen!"But I had to look.I opened my small window.Outside our compound, there were people. Many people. But they were not normal.There were about 10 of them, tall men and beautiful women, all wearing white wrappers that were dripping water. Their skin was shining like fish scales in moonlight. They were carrying baskets filled with gold, fishes, and white clothes. They were singing in a language I did not understand, but it sounded like water flowing.And in front of them, leading them, was Kael.Tonight, he was not wearing singlet. He was wearing a real chief wrapper, red cap, beads on his neck, like an Igbo prince. He was so handsome my breath stopped. His blue eyes were glowing brighter than ever.He saw me at the window and smiled.My people have come to see their queen."Amara! Close window!" my father shouted and dragged me back.But Kael's voice was already inside our house, not through window, through the water we were drinking. The cup of water on our table started shaking and his voice came from inside it."Good evening, my in-laws. I am Ezu, but your daughter calls me Kael. I have come to greet you and bring gifts for my wife."My father carried his cutlass again. "You will not take my daughter!"The water in the cup rose up and formed Kael's face. A face made of water, floating in air."I am not here to fight, Papa Amara. I am here to show you what I will give if you give me your daughter peacefully."Outside, the river people dropped their baskets inside our compound. When they dropped them, the baskets turned into real things.One basket turned into bags of rice. Another into cartons of indomie. Another into a generator. Another into money - plenty naira notes that were not wet.My mother shouted, "Blood of Jesus!""That is small," Kael's water face said. "If you give me Amara on full moon night in 5 days, I will make this family the richest in Rumudara. I will give your son Ebuka scholarship abroad. I will give you, Papa, a house in Port Harcourt. I will give your wife's akara business money to become shop. All I want is Amara."My grandmother knelt down. "Ezu, please, she is too young. She wants to go to school.""And I will let her go to school," Kael said. "I am not wicked. I love her. I have loved her since she was 16 and first came to my river to fetch water with her small bucket. I will be a good husband. Better than any human boy in this village."He looked at me, even though his face was water."Amara, come outside. My people want to see you."My legs started moving on their own. I did not want to go, but the blue mark on my collarbone was pulling me, like magnet.My father held me. "Amara, don't go!"But I pushed him. Gently, but I pushed him and he fell. I did not have that strength before.I walked outside.The river people saw me and all knelt down. "Our queen! Our queen!"Kael was standing there, now solid again. He touched my face. His hand was cold, but I was used to it now."You are glowing," he whispered. "My mark is looking beautiful on you."He brought out a gold necklace, with a blue stone that looked like river water trapped inside stone."For you. So that anytime you miss me, you touch it and I will come."He put it around my neck. The moment the necklace touched my skin, I felt dizzy. I saw visions - a big palace inside water, with gold everywhere, fishes that were maids, and me, wearing white, sitting beside Kael as queen."Do you like it?" he asked.Before I could answer, we heard a motorcycle.Chike. The boy who likes me. He came with two of his friends, holding Bible and holy water."Amara! I have come to save you from mami water! Pastor said we should pray for you!"Kael's face changed. His glowing blue eyes turned black. Like storm.He did not shout. He just looked at Chike.And the ground under Chike's motorcycle turned to muddy water. The motorcycle sank. Chike fell inside mud."Next time you come to my wife's house, you will sink inside real river," Kael said, voice like thunder.He looked at me again, soft again."5 days, Amara. Water the plant. Wear my necklace. And don't let any man touch you again. You are mine."He and his people walked towards the direction of Old River. As they walked, their feet turned to water and they disappeared, leaving behind all the gifts.My father came outside, saw rice, indomie, generator, money, and his mouth opened."Amara... is this spirit... is he... is he rich like this?"I touched the necklace Kael gave me. It was warm.And for the first time, I was not sure if I wanted to be saved.TO BE CONTINUED...