The Dancing Mermaid Episode 2 – Blessing-Enejo Abrahams Elleywrites
The sight of it got me startled as I stood there on my feet watching the catfish thump and then I moved towards it to take proper look.
“Poor little fish. It must have been washed down here by the rain” I said to myself as my heart kept beating so fast and my head turning left and right.
“Why don’t you pick it up and go drop it in the river?” a voice said from behind startling me, and then I turned swiftly to see who it was, it was the voice of Nura the village midwife. Nura was loved and respected in my village cos of her kind heartedness and compassion for any pregnant woman that goes to her for delivery.
“Good day Nura!” I greeted bending my knees.
“Good day Ojali. You should help the fish get back into the river, instead of just standing there and staring at it. These creatures too have loved ones you know? More reason why I don’t eat them. Who knows if nature has a special blessing for you if you help this one instead of ignoring it and allowing it to be made into soup by another” she said as she left for the market.
I nodded sporadically. I moved very close to it, picked it up and then put it in my bag. I then started to contemplate wether to go to the market first or go to the river, I finally decided to go to the river.
I arrived there, brought out the fish and had it lowered into the river. As soon as I dropped it, it disappeared and then I started to hear a melodious song coming from afar off. I paused for a minute to see where it was coming from cos the sound of the music started approaching, then I saw about 6 young ladies dressed in white and dancing on water, while another lady with the tail of a fish sat on a golden chair before them also wearing a golden crown.
“Mermaids!!!” I exclaimed popping my eyes, and then took few steps backward. I was going to take to my heels when I could no longer feel my legs, they became numb.
“Oh no!” I exclaimed again with fear written all over my face and was struggl!ng to lift up my legs but I felt nothing.
“Help! Somebody please help!!” I cried but there was nobody to help.
The mermaids started to approach me, they were very beautiful ladies with hairs almost touching their feet and their skin as smooth as yolk.
I looked left and right again.
“Somebody heeeelp! ” I screamed but this time they were few feet away.
They finally approached me and the music stopped as soon as they did. The lady sitting on a chair then stood up beeming with smiles, revealing a well arranged dentition. I looked closely, it was the lady Dogo had his way with that her remains later vanished when she d!ed.
“You?!” I exclaimed in a shaky tone.
“You’re alive?” I questioned.
“Yes I am. I saw you follow me on several occasions, I also know you don’t know how to dance and would want to learn.” she said.
“Yes but, I thought you d!ed?” I queried curiously.
“No I didn’t d!e. I was going to bring fortune and blessings into your land but the human mind is w!cked. That last dance I did before the young man forcefully had his way was the dance to open doors, but I withdrew all I was going to give as soon as he did that to me. He thought I had d!ed but I didn’t, I only returned back to where I came from”
“But, how come you never fought back being a mermaid?” I queried again tremble!ng.
“Some things happen for a reason. I know the guy is dre@ded, but what he did will lead to his downfall” she said.
“That fish you caught and brought back isn’t an ordinary fish, in fact here she is” she said pointing at the lady beside her who stood there smiling at me from ear to ear.
“I was going to finally destr0y your village for that young man’s sin but my daughter pleaded, and asked to be turned into a catfish. If no one had helped her and k!lled her for soup, I would have destr0yed your village and every human in it. But for saving my daughter and bringing her home, I shall bless you and your generation beyond your imagination. Come back in exactly 7 days, I shall give you a gift. A gift that will turn you into the greatest dancer that has ever lived” she said.
“Wow!” I said, elated.
“You can go now, go and return in 7 days”
As soon as I heard that my legs became so free again. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me from there. I wanted to run home but then I remembered my mother had sent me to the market, so I took the route that led to the market. As soon as I arrived at the market, I heard the town crier announce that the dance festival in which the greatest dancer would be handsomely rewarded and get chosen by a wealthy suitor was in 7 days. I became happy hearing that, cos I already had hope.
On the 7th day, I got up very early before the occassion, I was on my way to the river when I met Dogo, the young man that had laid with the mermaid.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he questioned with a hand on his waist…
The Dancing Mermaid Episode 3 – Blessing-Enejo Abrahams Elleywrites
…”Erm…erm…” I stuttered scratching my head.
“What is a young girl like you doing out here so early?” he questioned again.
” I’m … I’m going to the river to fetch water. Yes, the river” I said pointing towards it.
Dogo paused for a second and then looked at me from head to toe bursting into laughter.
“Going to the river? And how do you intend fetching water, with your palms?”
“Ermm…i…” I said stammering.
“If you know what is good for you, just get out of here this minute. Except you want to see that which is bigger than your age” he thre@tened.
“Ah, no please. Let me run along, I forgot my calabash in the house so let me go back and get it” I said as I hurried out of there but I refused to go home even though he stood there watching me leave but I pretended as though I was leaving, I then returned after like 2 minutes and hid behind a tree very close by to watch Dogo.
“Let me see what he too is out here doing so early” I sololoquized.
His hands were already raised into the air above his head. He was carrying a small pot but I never knew what was inside it.
“Oh goddess of achara, I bring before you this name. I desire to have his land and his wife. I love the situation of the land so much, and I know that you shall grant my wish. I love his wife so much and also wish to make her mine. I ask of you this day o goddess of achara, that you take Ocholi the son of Ideyin’s life. Let him not see the next market day”
“Oh my!!” I exclaimed but I quickly covered my mouth.
The man Ocholi was my maternal uncle. The reason why Dogo wanted his land and his wife still remains a mystery to me. I was shocked to my bones and at that point I didn’t know whether to go tell my uncle or run straight to my mother to inform her, but I had my own mission before me. All of a sudden, I felt an ant sting on my right leg.
I endured the first, second and third sting, but the 4th sting I slammed my leg on the ground. Dogo who was still there making his endless list of wishes looked back swiftly as soon as he heard a sound. He quickly dropped the pot on the ground and then started to trace where the sound came from from. I took to my heels when he started to approach without looking back.
“You! You!! I saw you!!!” I heard him cry out but I continued running without looking back.
When I was sure I had run far away from where he was, I decided to stop and rest under the shade of a tree. I started panting heavily, while my heart continued pound!ng non stop. I was there for like 10 minutes, I wanted to be sure that Dogo had left before proceeding to the river, then I started to hear the sound of the drum. The dance festival already begun. I remembered there was a back route to the river very close by, then I looked left and right and then decided to go through the bushes not minding the risk, and before I knew it I was finally on the back route leading to the river.
As soon as I reached, I remembered I forgot to ask her the last time I came how I would call on them when I’m around. I stood there again for another one hour, pacing and confused on what to do. I picked up two tiny stones and threw them into the river but I either heard or saw nothing. The village drum was still beating, and this time maidens must have gathered even dancing already.
“Hello! Hello!! Mermaids can you hear me?” I screamed but I got no answer, then I started to cry.
I cried for another 15 minutes, and then I turned back to leave.
“You do not cry here, it’s a taboo” I heard all of a sudden from behind. It was the voice of an old hunter I had never seen before.
“What are you here for? To fetch water or see the mermaids” he asked.
“To fetch… To… See the mermaids” I said trembling.
“Pick up six stones and throw them into the river, they will appear to you” he said and left.
I thanked him bowing my head and I stood there watching him till he was no longer in sight. I wiped my almost dried tears, and then I picked up six stones and threw them into the river, and the mermaids appeared right before my very eyes.
“Welcome, beautiful maiden.” she greeted with a smile sitting on her golden chair as her golden crown sat perfectly on her head.
“Here, take it. Now run, go there and show them how well you can dance now” she said throwing one of her shiny wa!st beads before me, one of those beads she used to wear to dance in the village.
I bent down and picked it up and started to stare it as it dangles so beautifully on my hand with my mouth agape and my popped eyes.
“You gave me this?” I asked as a tear made its way down my cheek.
She smiled and nodded.
“Thank you, ” I said, and then I took to my heels grinning without looking back, but I forgot to ask her if it would be effective at all times…
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To be continued!
