Outcast - Episode 8

The next day, Mama told me to take a plate of food to Adaeze's house out of care. I entered their compound, Adaeze sat at the entrance of their door with her grandmother and well wishers. I got there and greeted everyone, Adaeze looked pale. Her leg still looked swollen, her eyes were unnecessarily big. I handed the food to Adaeze's grandmother. She thanked me.

"Who is that?", Adaeze asked her grandmother. I turned back to listen what she had to say.

"It's your friend, Obiefuna", she answered.

She broke into tears, "I don't want to have anything to do with him", she said and coughed repeatedly. Her grandmother patted her calmly at her back, so it would stop. Tears trickled down my cheeks and I quickly ran to my house.

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I later overheard Mama Nnukwu talking with Adaeze's grandmother. Adaeze's grandmother told Mama Nnukwu that Adaeze had been having some nightmares. She sees the river goddess threatening her not to associate with me. She said I was an ogbanje and anybody that accompanies me to a place I'm being targeted would be killed. I was eavesdropping on their conversation, hiding by the side of Mama Nnukwu's hut as I leaned to the wall. I was heartbroken to hear when Mama Nnukwu told her to cut her granddaughter off from me, if she still want her alive

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/outcast

. I ran out from where I was with my mouth covered. They saw me running, but didn't know where I was coming from. I got to the sitting room and broke into tears. 

Mama abandoned Nwakaego in the sitting room as she entered her room. I sat on the sofa as tears dripped down my cheeks. Nwakaego stared at me continuously.

"Why are you crying, Christopher?", Mama asked as she came out from her room. She called me Christopher on rare moments. I got Christopher and Nwakaego got Christiana during our baptism. I wanted to talk, but my tongue couldn't move, it stuck.

"Tell me, Nna'm. You are no longer a child. You are older than somebody now. You need to talk more these days and stand up for yourself and your sister", Mama barked angrily.

"Am I an Ogbanje?", I asked in tears as spittle flew out from my mouth. I always watched in class as our teacher dissected the topic ogbanje in our Igbo comprehension textbook. It wasn't something to be proud of. She loathed an ogbanje child and the same time, have a pity for them.

"So, I'll die soon", I asked Mama in a successive tone. Mama bent low, and sat on the sofa I was sitting on. She placed her hands on my head.

"My son, you'll not die. The spirit in you is greater than spirit in them", Mama said.

"Who is this person that you heard it from his or her mouth?", Mama asked.

"Mama Nnukwu and Adaeze's grandmother", I replied.

"Both of them? How lowly! And Adaeze's grandmother?", Mama asked again.

"Yes, they were saying that Adaeze had a dream where a river goddess warned her to stay away from me", I said.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish. You seriously need to stay away from their heathen way", Mama said angrily. She bathed Nwakaego and me, as we left for vigil. Before we left, she dished Papa's food in a plate and covered it.
Mama carried Nwakaego on her back, until we got to our church compound. It was my first time of going to a vigil. It was done inside the church. Everybody dressed like they came to sleep. Heavy clothes to cover their bodies and legs from being bitten by mosquitoes. During the deliverance, I was awake which was unusual, as I kept staring at the those shaking and falling on the floor. I was confused on what they were saying. I saw Mama signalled Padre Pio, he came and held my head and started praying. Immediately, I fell, and started rolling on the floor.

Read " The Dormitory (A Sequel) " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. I could feel water being splattered on my body. Mama called it holy water. It tasted salty.

By 5:00Am, everyone converged to their various houses. We walked with Mama Ebuka and her two children, Ebuka and Chinyere. They were fifteen and twelve year old. Chinyere held my hands as we walked. Mama Ebuka was chatting with Mama. We got to our house first and Mama told them goodbye. We entered the house, unlike Papa usual way of waking up and going to the farm early or to the market to sell farm products, we saw him still lying on the sofa.

"He is obviously tired, let him have some rest at least today", Mama said. Mama tucked me in the bed and laid Nwakaego beside me. I was awoken by cries and wailing after some hours.