REUBEN Episode 8 – Blessing-Enejo Abrahams Elleywrites
… “Sparrow! Sparrow!!” I heard from afar, he yelled snapping me out of all that was playing in my head.
“Uhm! Uhm !! ” I answered blinking my eyes.
“Where did your mind travel to? I was talking to you now but you didn’t respond”
“Don’t mind me jare, I was thinking about something ” I said.
“What is it? ” He quizzed taking a few steps closer.
“Can you keep a secret?” I asked him with hands on my waist.
“Of course” He replied with a giggle.
“Is there any secret of yours you would want to share? I promise to keep it safe” He said with a hand on his chest.
“Ok then, if you say so”
“Please, I need a native doctor” I said.
Melvin looked at me, shocked, with his dropped jaw he then questioned.
“Why? What for?”
“See, something is happening around me that I need a native doctor for. It’s like a puzzle, and it’s only a native doctor that can help solve it” I said.
“Like what? Talk to me, your secret is safe with me” Melvin said and then I sighed.
“You see this your landlord’s wife? She looks so much like that my mother’s twin I told you went m!ssing” I said and he busted into laughter.
“Is that what you need a native doctor for? If she was the one don’t you think she would have recognised you at first glance?”
“You won’t understand. I know what I’m talking about. What if she lost her memory or something?” I said.
“Memory loss? But, is that why exactly you need a native doctor?”
“Erm… Yes! I need to know if she’s the one so I can inform my people back home” I said sitting on the plastic chair by the corner of the room.
“Hmm… I don’t know why I feel there’s more to this. But, being a correct guy, there’s one at Mkpor, very close to my village. But it’s far o, and me I don’t have transport fare” He said raising both hands in the air.
“Not to worry about the transport fare, I’ll pay” I said sitting with both elbows on my laps.
“Ok then. I hope you also know that we will eat something on our way. I do not joke with my stomach at all” Melvin said waving a hand.
“All will be taken care of” I said with a nod.
He started to smile from ear to ear.
“Sparrow the G! ” He hailed and then approached me with a handshake.
The following day, we took off to Mkpor. It was a 2hrs journey but the road leading there is nothing to write about. It wasn’t even a tarred road as we kept jumping into different potholes. The driver was an example of the phrase “The bl!nd bat”. At first I thought we weren’t going to make it there alive cos of the way he drove, but God intervened.
We arrived at the shrine on foot from the junction where the vehicle had dropped us. It was a lonely and a tiny road in the middle of a very thick bush.
“How did you even locate this place?” I asked Melvin while struggling to pass the bush path.
“Guy, when I was still with Stone, there was no where I didn’t go just to fortify myself from bul!et penetration. I have eaten all sorts and also drank all sorts to that effect” He said.
“Wow. Stone once told me to get such done but I’m not just interested” I said.
“Why?” He questioned marching before me while I pursued.
“Nothing. I’m not just in for all these diabolic things”
He turned back, looked at me and then let out a laugh.
“I hope you don’t think maybe I’m taking you to a pastor’s house. This one you said you don’t like diabol!c things”
“You’re not serious” I said busting into laughter.
“It’s just that, I needed to see a native doctor concerning this particular issue” I said.
“It’s well o” He responded with a giggle.
Well, we finally arrived at the shrine and after pulling off our shoes, we were made to sit on a mat where we sat for close to 30 minutes waiting for the native doctor.
He finally arrived and after sitting on his stool, he popped the question.
“Yes, what can I do for you?”
I cleared my throat, turned and glanced at Melvin.
“Ermmm… Sir, my mother absconded with her concubine when I was little” I said re-adjusting myself on the mat while Melvin sat there with a stare.
“The thing is, my father was a police officer. I was going to sh00t my mother’s concubine the day I caught her with the man in our house. But I still don’t know how it happened till date. I pointed the gun at him and I then pulled the tr!gger. But the bul!et returned to my Dad instead who was standing behind me. It met his forehead and he d!ed instantly.”
“Ogwokogwo!!! (A slang)” The native doctor let out all of a sudden.
“Wonderful” Melvin exclaimed. I turned and looked at him, and then turned my head back to the native doctor.
“And sir, the major reason why I’m here is that, I came to Enugu here to hide from some people, and I stumbled on this friend of mine along the road. We’ve been friends for quite sometime now. He took me to this restaurant run by his landlord and to my surprise…” I then turned again to Melvin who sat there with a dropped jaw.
“To my surprise sir, the landlord’s wife is my mother, while the landlord himself was that concubine”
“What?! ” Melvin exclaimed all of a sudden.
“Look man, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you” I said.
“Sir, I was taking a stroll round the house when I saw this shrine at the back of the house that belongs to the landlord. I want to destr0y that shrine. I want to deal with both of them and make them regret what they did to my late father”
“What?” Melvin exclaimed again and this time, rising on his feet.
“First, you lied to me and made me bring you here. And now you want to destr0y that shrine you saw at the back of the house? I’m not going to be a party to this please, I think it’s high time you left my house” Melvin fumed.
“I’m so sorry man, please just calm down” I said.
“Calm down for what? Don’t tell me to calm down” He r@ged.
And then the native doctor picked up his horse whip swaying it from side to side.
“Young man, calm down” He said to Melvin.
“Sit” He added pointing towards the mat.
“First of all, that shrine you want to destr0y, there are three big eggs on the ground in the shrine. Am I correct?” The native doctor asked.
“Yes sir” I said nodding sporadically.
“If only you know what getting hold of those three eggs will do for both of you”
“How?” I queried.
“Hmm… You see those eggs? If you pick and destr0y just one, the man will be rendered powerless which is good for you. But If you destr0y the second egg without destr0ying the third one, you will go ins@ne and will remain so till you d!e. And if you succeed in destr0ying the third one, both of you will have power, affluence and everything good. Just touch the content of the third egg after you must have destr0yed it with the tip of your finger and lick the finger. That’s it. I know what you’re into, your friend once came here sometime ago. Now if you succeed in doing this, no guπ or anything capable of kill!ng one can k!ll you. You will both be dreaded, and will r0b anywhere successfully.”
“What?!” Melvin and I exclaimed in chorus.
“Yes. And… Your father is not de@d. Only that, he’s no longer how he used to be” The native doctor revealed.
“What?! It’s a big fat lie” I exclaimed rising on my feet, and he nodded.
“Where then is he?” I queried…
To be continued!
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