THE CURSED LANTERN Episode 12 By Okafor Erasmus Ugochukwu

THE CURSED LANTERN Episode 12 By Okafor Erasmus Ugochukwu

Mazi Obidinazu woke up that early morning feeling so scared. He was beginning to feel that nemesis was catching up on him. All through the night, he twirled on the bed while the wife slept soundly. In his dream, he saw Amandi with two faces chasing him around. He felt that the spirit of the supposed dead boy was after him. He didn’t know what to do but still didn’t want to tell his wife about it. That early morning, he began to feel that the deity of Mmirimuo River may have started unleashing its anger because of the python he killed and hung the blames on Amandi. It dawned on him that the spirit of the eke (python) and the deity were coming after him. He even started seeing the Ikenga of his late brother flying around and trying to locate Amandi. He just realized that the boy may still be alive and not devoured by wild animals as he thought.

Looking around the unkempt room, he searched for his atu osisi (chewing stick) and found it. He slowly got up from the bed where Arunne laid too and went to the door. All of a sudden, he started being afraid of everything around him. He was even afraid to open the door, so he first slid it open a little and peered through the slit. No dead python was there, so he pushed it halfway and came out stealthily. Looking up at the bluey firmament, he shook his head in dismay.

“Ife nkea akaria (this is too much)” he muttered and shrugged, “but he should have been dead. And I’m sure the Anunuebe solution worked,” he mouthed trying to convince himself that Amandi wasn’t alive. “But what if it didn’t work?” he soliloquized, “No, it can’t be possible. Even if it didn’t work, I may have to go back to the distant Umundanda village to meet this powerful native doctor,”

As he was falling deeper into endless thoughts, Ojiugo opened the door of her hut, adjacent to his position. The man was startled by that, so he hissed.

“Nna anyi, ututuoma (good morning, father),” she greeted yawningly, “Why are you awake this morning and talking to yourself?”

Obidi didn’t feel like talking to his daughter because all he gets was blames from her. He knew that Ojiugo was so smart that she could easily detect what was going on if he wasn’t careful about concealing his emotions. He simply took the stool and sat.

“Bring my dry gin and Oji Igbo (kola nut),” He instructed her, “don’t forget the nzu (calabash chalk). Let me communicate to the gods,”

“Which of the gods, please?” she asked with curiosity, “the sleeping ones or the ones that have been answering your secret prayers?”

Obidi was infuriated by that attacking statement but didn’t want to engage in a battle of words with her. He knew that Ojiugo was ready to say more which would end up pricking his conscience, so he swallowed his impending words and said: “Just bring the things I said you should present here. Or are you now the mouthpiece of the gods?”

Ojiugo was surpriseed that her dad didn’t lay curses on her or chase her with a whip. It was then that she began to think that something was wrong with him. Being a smart girl, she had to dig further and be ready to run away whenever her dad wants to attack.

“If you say so, but I’ll like to join my precious father to talk to the gods,” she said with an expectation of a scold but got none. She was disappointed, so she heaved a sigh of relief and defeat and went into her dad’s hut to bring those things she was told to present.

As Ojiugo entered her father’s chamber, she noticed that her mother may have been peeping because she saw her rush back to the bed. Ojiugo caught her in the act. The young girl tried to laugh but controlled it; even though her face was already smiley.

“What is amusing you, nwata (child)?” Arunne barked but in a noise-controlled tone, “is your father okay?”

Ojiugo didn’t reply to her at first but got busy trying to locate the things she was asked to bring. Whenever she meets her mother, she’d be ready for her usual troubles.

“Nne, Ututuoma (good morning, mother)” she greeted and continued checking the corner where her dad keeps those items she was sent to bring, “Is he not your husband?” she asked smilingly, “ask him ooo, because the sober mood of my father this morning is strange?”

Arunne looked at Ojiugo with suspicion and snorted. “And what is your business about that?” she asked disdainfully, “won’t you mind your business?”

“Hia, the same reason why I asked you if he isn’t your husband,” Ojiugo reminded her, “please, I don’t know. And stop asking me questions but at the end contradicting yourself. How can you ask me what his problem is and at the same time tell me to mind my business?”

Arunne hissed aloud, making Obidi notice that Ojiugo was wasting time, and maybe discussing with her mother.

“Where is this girl with what I told her to bring for me?” He hollered making Ojiugo rush out with the items.

“Nna anyi, see them here,” Ojiugo said and presented them, “Nne wants to know what is wrong with you oo,”

Arunne was angered by Ojiugo’s statement so she peeped from the window. “I’ll kill her today,” she muttered, “let her come back into this hut and meet me waiting,”

“Nne ooo” ojiugo shouted to Arunne’s hearing, “sorry, I’m not coming back into that hut because I know your plans of ambush. It’s not working anytime soon, so change your strategy. Come and ask him yourself,” she started leaving as Anuka was entering, “see him, see them all,” she added scornfully and went to the kitchen to wash the used cooking utensils.

Obidi couldn’t help but accept that Ojiugo was a bright and promising young girl. She was his favorite child but being that she wasn’t in support of whatever evil he was perpetrating, they were always at daggers drawn.

Arunne, having acknowledged that her hidden position was busted; came out to meet her husband.

Anuka took a seat and came close to his father, and sat beside him. “Nna anyi, ekenekwam (Father, I greet)” and to his mother, he said: “Nne, ututuoma (good morning, mother)”

“And what’s good about the morning?” Arunne barked at him, “Efulefu (loafer)”

“Why not reply to his greetings first before you start destroying the day with your sauciness,” Obidi hollered at his wife, “give this boy some credit. Even though his brain has been used by his ancestors, he greets well at least. Well, he took after his mother. Adighim (I’m not) surprised,”

“Nkea osinoo gini (what’s this one saying)?” Arunne said contemptuously to Obidi and took the deck chair and sat, making them form a circle. “And don’t ever disturb my sleep again with those hisses and jitters as if you met a ghost while asleep,”

It was obvious to Obidinazu that his wife was even awake without even asking him what was wrong with him all through the night.

“I am beginning to have a rethink about some things,” Obidi said and snapped his finger. “He used to be my very good brother but after getting married to you, things changed. Ajonwanyi (bad wife),”

Arunne didn’t find that statement funny, so she looked angrily at Anuka, making him understand that his presence wasn’t needed anymore.

If Anuka knew his mother well, he knew that she wanted to drop a very ear-tingling message or statement for his father, so he had to excuse himself and leave forthwith. He left like a shot and joined Ojiugo in the kitchen; even though he wasn’t welcomed there.

There was a breeze of silence between Obidinazu and Arunne. Arunne was so angry but didn’t know where to start in dishing out her evil and jaw-dropping words. Her lips were sealed with anger at the moment as she tried to digest the accusation that her husband laid against her.

Obidi didn’t care beause he felt that everything was okay between him and his brother until his wife got into his life. He regretted it a lot but couldn’t turn back the hands of time.

After a while of silence, Obidi said: “When we were kids, my brother would always tell me to avoid going into the bushes alone. Obidike was so caring that he had to fight one Azueruala who was never defeated by his counterparts. My brother was a very strong boy but we never knew until that day. As we were playing at Ngene River after swimming, I didn’t know when I mistakenly poured sand at Azueruala. He pushed me hard and made me hit my head on a tree. The forehead started to bleed. Before that act, I already begged him fervently to forgive me. We were all afraid of him as kids, so I had no option other than to apologize. He used to bully many of us in those days; including my brother. But that very day, I knew that Amandi’s father was a very strong boy. He couldn’t withstand seeing my forehead bleed, so he rushed at Azueruala and the fight started. People gathered and started singing and clapping for Azueruala. They thought that he’d finish my brother up, but in the end, he left in shame because he was defeated. Since that time, my love for my brother intensified. But what did I pay him with?”

Arunne didn’t even care about the narration. She felt that she was even wasting her time listening to what she felt was gibberish. She continued to hiss around him but was bereft of the suitable words to reply to him with. After a while, she stood to leave, and then looked down at him.

“All I can tell you is that you already have that wickedness in you,” she said disgustedly, “stop looking for who changed you. The same brother you are now suddenly talking fondly about, who killed him?”

That question was a thunderbolt to the ears of Obidi making him startled. His head spun with confusion and wild thoughts. He couldn’t understand what he heard, so he took the bottle of the dry gin and rushed at his wife to hit her on the head. As he was trying to do that, he became giddy as if everywhere was becoming cloudy and dark. As he attempted to be in control of himself, he fell to the ground. He suddenly passed out.

Arunne thought that Obidi was joking, so she continued to go into her hut without feeling the need to help him out.

When she stayed for a while in the hut and didn’t see him get up, she then realized that he must have been in trouble, so she rushed out and went to him. “Nna any! Nna anyi!” she wailed but he didn’t answer. “Umuakaa (these children) come ooo. Your father isn’t breathing anymore. I’m finished,”

Ojiugo and Anuka who were already warring with words in the kitchen heard the distress call from their mother. They rushed out of the kitchen to meet her. Getting to the location, they were surprised to see her on the ground while their father lay lifeless on her body.

The children couldn’t explain what happened because a couple of minutes earlier, the man was hale and hearty. They rushed at him to know what happened in their absence.

“What happened and why is he lying motionless here?” Ojiugo asked while Anuka tried to pull Obidi up.

“Papa (dad) wake up, pleaseeeee!” he yelled with tears and started to shake him vigorously to make him wake but the man remained lifeless.

“Nne, what did you do to him?” Ojiugo growled at her mother, “Did you hit him on the head? Why is his head bleeding?”

Even though Arunne was furious with that statement, she had more pressing issues that overshadowed her anger. She needed her husband to be awake, so nothing else mattered at the moment.

“I didn’t do anything to him oo,” Arunne stressed to prove her innocence, “he simply wanted to him a bottle on me and fell,”

Ojiugo didn’t believe her mother, so she looked angrily at her for a while. “I know you must have done or said something that made him try to hit you. Now he has ended up being lifeless here. Nnem mmakwa ofuma (My mother that I know too well)”

“Zurughariba (continue misbehaving)” Arunne yelled back at her. “One day you’ll be a mother. And I’ll be alive to see how you’d be in control. Spineless jelly like you,”

Anuka was so disturbed by the exchange of words because none of it was going to wake the dying man. He couldn’t understand the need for long talks where a man needed to be saved. “I can’t imagine that you women are here exchanging words while this man is passing away,” he yelled at his mother and sister.

“Aren’t you the man that is meant to rush out to find a physician?” Arunne shouted at Anuka, “di okpara okuko (a fowl’s first son)” she added mockingly, “go and look for Ijiji let’s know what is happening to your father, biko (please)” she blurted and held her husband, “please, don’t do this, dim (my husband). I can’t face these children alone. You must get up oo,”

Anuka bolted out immediately in a wink of an eye to fetch the chief priest.

Ojiugo wished her mother was a child so that she’d give her a serious beating that she wouldn’t forget so soon. She simply rushed out, brought a bucket of water, and started sprinkling on the man to provide first aid treatment as they waited for Anuka to return with the chief priest.

After a while, Obidi started panting; showing he was still alive but too weak to get up. His eyes remained shut while his heart throbbed harder as if he was gasping for air.

“Will he be alive?” Arunne asked feeling confused as she fidgeted.

Ojiugo wanted to give her mother a disdainful and derogatory reply but realizing that she still had to respect her as a mother, she swept those thoughts and plans away.

“I think he will,” she replied but still feeling bad for not being rude to her mother, “at least he is alive and we must have to be prayerful. But all I can say is that my father who was meant to offer his morning prayer to the gods ended up not doing it because he was distracted,”

Arunne would have slapped her daughter if not that she was still in a happy mood because the girl helped bring her husband back to life. She simply cast a sly look of anger and warning at her and hissed.

“And who distracted him from the prayers?” she retorted.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Ojiugo muttered and tried to avoid her beating.

“My husband, can you hear me?” Arunne said and brought the deck chair closer, “help me put him on the chair,” she said to her daughter.

The two women managed to lift Obidi with much effort until he was rested on the seat. They panted after that as a result of doing the tedious job of lifting an able-bodied man.

There was silence as the two ladies remained thoughtful and hopeful. They stood around Obidi while waiting for Ijiji and Anuka to show up. As this was going on, Ijeoma, Okwuoma, and Ojinigbo entered.

Seeing Okwuoma, Ojiugo’s anger deepened.

She collected that bottle of dry gin and rushed at her but Ojinigbo and Ijeoma blocked her from doing that.

“I know what she did,” Ijeoma said and knelt before Ojiugo; but still stopping her from fighting Okwuoma.

“Yes, we all know what she did,” Ojinigbo entered, “but we have to forgive her,”

“And if I had been sacrificed, and she was made the palace chief maid, would she be begging for forgiveness?” Ojiugo asked shrewdly but angrily.

“Yes, I would have dropped all that just for the sake of our friendship,” Okwuoma said brokenheartedly. “I have done terrible things and I’m here for a redress. But what is happening to your dad? Is he not well?” she asking looking over Ojiugo’s shoulder to observe what was happening.

Okwuoma’s statement made the other girls realize that Obidi wasn’t just resting but not feeling well. They all mobbed him to know what was going on with him but Arunne gave them seats to sit a few meters away; to allow the bedridden man to have some fresh air.

“He will be fine,” Ojiugo said trying to disperse that despair that was about crippling the positivism in her, “He slipped and fell, so he’s unconscious for now, but he will be better soon,” she explained, “My brother will soon arrive with the chief priest to take care of him,”

Ojinigbo and Okwuoma looked at each other and shook their heads disapprovingly.

“Why are you all looking like you do not believe me?” Ojiugo asked looking baffled by their body language.

“You need Ometaraburu, the aka na-agwo oria (the hand that heals) and not the chief priest,” Okwuoma reminded her.

Arunne almost forgot that they had a good physician to take care of her husband. She bit her finger slightly and said: “I almost forgot about him. Can you fetch him for me, Ojiugo?”

“I will do that,” Okwuoma said trying to be of help in any way she could just to appease the friend she betrayed. She started leaving immediately so that she wouldn’t wait for Ojiugo to disapprove of her offer to help.

“Please tell him we are desperate,” Arunne added with a shout when the girl was already far off rushing to get help.

“Okay ma,” she replied but her voice was indistinct this time as she disappeared from their sight.

They continued to wait to see if either Ometaraburu or Ijiji would arrive anytime soon. It was a dicey situation, and immediate help was needed to avoid losing the man.

Both Ometaraburu and the chief priest were not found after a couple of minutes. They kept waiting until Okwuoma came back with the physician.

Anuka came back too, but without the chief priest.

“Chai, oburu okporo isi lota (he just came back with his empty skull)” Arunne said angrily when she saw Anuka without seeing the chief priest, “I wish you were sacrificed as a child,”

“Mother, can you stop that,” Ojiugo interjected furiously, “why not listen to him first,”

“Please, Ometara, come and know what is happening to my precious husband,” Arunne said hastily and dragged him to Obidi’s position. She didn’t care to listen to Ojiugo’s submission.

The middle-aged man took a closer look at Obidi and then forced his eyes open. He observed his eyes and entire body. With some herbs, he treated the head wound and the blood stopped gushing forth. After getting him treated, he checked his vital signs and realized that he was okay.

“He is okay now,” Ometaraburu said observantly, “but something is confusing here,” he added looking so befuddled.

“And what could that be?” Ojiugo asked with utmost curiosity and eagerness to have her father back.

“Yes, please,” Arunne concurred. “What’s the nature of the confusion? We want to know what you know too,”

After a while of body cross-examination, Ometara shook his head and said: “The chief priest is needed. Nkea karirim (this is more than I could handle). He should be awake now because, physically, nothing is wrong with him except the head injury. I have treated that, so he should be awake by now but he isn’t. Let’s see what happens when the chief priest comes,”

“Ina anukwa (did you hear that)?” Arunne asked Ojiugo, “your father isn’t getting up and we can’t do anything,”

“But the chief priest can,” Ojiugo reminded her mother.

“But here is Anuka,” Arunne said with a loss of hope. “He isn’t even telling us why he came alone. Mazi Okpo (Mr. Nonentity), where is the chief priest you went to fetch?”

“He wasn’t in the shrine when I went there,” Anuka replied straightforwardly and angrily, “I asked his subjects but they said they knew nothing about his whereabouts. They even said he left and didn’t come back. I waited and waited but still didn’t see him. That’s why I started coming back,”

Without talking to anyone, Ometaraburu packed his drugs into his bag and left immediately because he’d done his part and wouldn’t do more than that.

Arunne tried calling him back but felt that there was nothing he could do since it was a spiritual problem. She felt so desolate and dejected, short of words, and numb too. Everything happened so fast and seemed obscure to her because she couldn’t understand how the husband that was with her suddenly went cold.

Ojinigbo and Ijeoma held Ojiugo and took her to a corner to feel better.

Anuka and Okwuoma took Arunne to the stool closer to where Obidi lay and made her sit.

“He is sweating, showing he’s still alive,” Okwuoma said consolingly, “take a deep breath and relax. We’d figure out what to do about this in no time. We, the girls can still go back to the shrine to find the chief priest,”

Arunne was filled with hatred for Okwuoma but there was no time to show it because of the dicey situation she was facing. At that point, even the suggestion from the devil would be considered important just to save the life of her husband.

“What about letting the King know about this?” Ijeoma suggested.

Ojinigbo nodded in affirmation to show she agreed with that. “The chief priest may even be in the palace,” she clued.

“Anuka…Anuka!” Arunne yelled at her son, “didn’t you hear Ojinigbo’s suggestion, or should we cook ukwa (breadfruit) for you before you know that you need to start being useful in your life?”

Anuka suddenly came forward as he scrambled to obey his mother. “Nne, what should I do now?” he asked confusingly because her mother’s scolding gets him confused sometimes.

“Okana ajukwa (he still asks)!” Arunne yelled at him, “Go to the palace and check if the chief priest is there, ele (antelope)!”

Anuka suddenly rushed out to avoid another insult from his mother; especially when Okwuoma, his secret girlfriend was present. He didn’t want his mother to insult him before the girls but the deed was already done. He simply had to live with that by getting used to it.

As they waited, it was surprising to everyone to see Mazi Esomchi, the storyteller coming with the help of Agujiegbe (Nkolika’s father) who led him along. Nkolika and some children accompanied them too.

Arunne and others were so surprised when they saw the same man that found it hard to move about. It became obvious to them that whatever made Mazi Esomchi come out was worth witnessing or listening to.

Ojiugo who always admired Mazi Esomchi’s wisdom suddenly rushed to him and held his hands. “Nna anyi, why didn’t you summon us other than coming here by yourself?” she said trying to get a seat for him, “you must be fatigued by the trek to this place,”

Esomchi stroked Ojiugo’s hair and said: “Nwa (my daughter), you used to be one of my brightest story-listeners when you were a kid but your parents made you stop coming. But I understand,”

Arunne cast a sly malevolent glare at the old man feeling bad about his statement. She pretended to be so concerned and occupied with her husband’s health that made her not notice the presence of the old man.

Ojiugo didn’t want Mazi (Mr.) Esomchi notice what her mother did but the old man already knew but didn’t bother about it. He came for a more important thing, so no need to split hairs when more pressing matters are at hand.

Agujiegebe made Esomchi sit while the children gathered to listen.

“Is my house now a playground or the place for egwu onwa (moonlight play)?” she muttered to herself.

It took Mazi Esomchi some time to rest so that he’d have the strength to talk about what he came for. After resting, he looked at Arunne and said: “Human’s wickedness begets wickedness from the gods. This household has condoned evil for a long time but I kept observing and leaving the fight for the gods. It seemed they were asleep, but for them to pin Obidinazu Acharaba down shows that their silence isn’t foolishness. The wisdom and actions of the gods shouldn’t be questioned,”

“What is he talking about?” Arunne muttered angrily and tried to leave.

“Oh, you want to leave your husband to die just as you did many years ago?” he said confrontationally making the woman be shocked.

“Don’t look surprised. Staying in one location or being confined in my house doesn’t make me a dullard. I have sharp eyes and my ears are everywhere, with a sharp brain too. I can tell you things happening in this village that you knew nothing about,” Looking at the children, he said: “You don’t always need to follow me about, my little ones, but since you’re here, I have a story for you,”

The children were happy when they heard what Mazi Esomchi said, so they all started clapping for him until he silenced them with his hand signal.

Agujiegebe wanted to leave since he’d helped the old man reach his destination but felt he could learn one or two things from his wisdom, so he relaxed. “Go on, we are listening, great one,” he said and sat beside his daughter on the sand.

Arunne felt a mockery of her husband was being made, so she looked disgustedly at Mazi Esomchi and said: “My husband is lying still here like forage but you chose to come into his compound to turn it into a playground. What kind of insult is this?”

“Mother relax, let’s hear from him first,” Ojiugo said but looked away as if she was just talking to no one.

“Ewu (goat)” Arunne cursed her, “Someone would be here insulting your parents but you won’t defend them. Instead, you’re supporting the accuser and insulter. Clap for yourself, Anuka the second,”

“Mother, I think it’s time for us to know more,” Anuka said as he showed up. He joined others, “and before you start insulting me as usual, you should know that the chief priest isn’t at the palace,”

Arunne felt that she was alone this time because no one supported or defended her; not even her son that accepts her decisions sheepishly. She felt like disappearing from the crowd but shame wouldn’t let her do that, so she remained standing beside her husband to know what Esomchi wanted to talk about.

“Once upon a time,” Esomchi began while everyone listened keenly, “two elephants were both brothers and best friends. They promised each other that they’d watch each other’s back. That friendship started and they enjoyed it. Many enemies kept coming; especially the lion that wanted to kill the older elephant for a feast. The younger elephant remained unyielding. There were many promises of a good harvest to make the elephant dine luxuriously but the younger elephant still refused. Later, the cunning lion told the younger elephant that he’d give up his position as the king of the jungle if the elephant would deceive his brother and deliver him to be used for the great feast that the lions observe each year. In that feast that is usually celebrated once in a year, the ram is usually used, but the lion wanted his reign to be well heard all over the kingdom of the animals, that was why the lion wanted an elephant to be used at that time. He wanted the biggest animal in the whole world; hence the deceit. The elephant felt the offer was mouth-watering but the love he had for his brother couldn’t allow him to betray him. He kept on pondering the promises and thinking of when he’d become the king of the jungle by betraying his brother. At a point, he needed someone to discourage him, so he decided to confide in his wife. That was when he made the greatest mistake in life. The elephant’s wife couldn’t wait to be called the Lolo or Ugoeze (queen), so she convinced the husband to take the offer. She kept pressing hard until she lured the husband to accept it. That was how the innocent elder brother was delivered into the hands of the lions and was killed,”

The children wailed at this point and they started crying with pity for the dead elephant.

Mazi Esomchi already narrated the life of Obidinazu and his wife in a few sentences. He simply looked at the woman who was already breathing threats and gritting her teeth.

Arunne felt like leaving such an unwelcomed gathering or even killing the man telling her life’s story using a folktale. She couldn’t leave because it would be obvious that she was the culprit, so she stayed back but kept dying inside of her. It was a tumultuous moment that got her mind shrunk into the abyss of melancholy and disgust. She was vengeful at the instant but couldn’t do anything to the old man. She simply started humming the Ozu ga-anwu ozo (another death would occur) song while waggling her legs and gnashing her teeth.

Obidi who was lifeless was seen shedding tears; showing that he was passing through a rueful moment of his life. He was regretting whatever had happened in his life but couldn’t wake up to seek help and be delivered.

Ojinigbo and the other girls were surprised seeing what was happening, so they took a rag to clean his tears but Esomchi told them to allow him to be.

Arunne was infuriated by that, so she angrily grabbed the cloth made from the skin of a furry sheep and started cleaning the tears of the husband.

Mazi Esomchi raised his voice and said: “Oya gbuo ozu, ya na ya ayiri lawa (when a sickness kills a man, it goes into the grave with it). When a female elephant decides to become the male elephant, she’d be ready to face what every man faces,” he added proverbially, “To be a man is not a day’s job. So after killing the elephant,” he continued the story, “the brother who was expecting to be made king ended up being reduced to nothing. When he realized that he was deceived, instead of him changing for good, his wife made his life worse. He started engaging in several atrocities. Instead of blaming the wife who lured him into betraying his beloved brother, he transferred the aggression to the elder brother’s son saying that it was his father’s dirty and vengeful blood that made him lose his position as the king of the jungle. The time we’re in now is for nemesis to catch up on him and he’s regretting it already. There are still some secrets that the wife of the elephant would reveal, but the story would be completed by her?”

Nkolika was keen to hear the secret, so she didn’t want the story to end as it did. “Nna anyi (our father), why not complete the story since you are the one telling it. How can we expect an animal to talk let alone tell us a secret?”

Even though Nkolika asked her question based on her intelligence as a child, Arunne felt as if she was being reduced to a lower animal. She cast an evil eye at the child but pretended she didn’t. A lot went through her mind but she couldn’t utter a word. Inside of her, she was engaging in a secret war with the storyteller and waiting for when she’d finally kill him in his home. All she needed was for the man to go home first.

“The animal will soon become a human and tell us the remaining story,” Mazi Esomchi replied to Nkolika, “since I have been telling you all stories, have you seen any animal turning to humans?”

“Nooooo” the children and the adults chorused.

“This time, it would happen,” Esomchi assured them, “and even if the storyteller has his mouth shut eternally, the animal being in human form must complete the story for me. Mark my words and ponder the promise I have made. This is the end of the story,”

Everyone started clapping for the storyteller but none could understand who the story was being directed to.

Ojiugo was the only one who was trying to decipher the theme of the story to make out some meaning from it but she wasn’t getting it right.

It was surprising to everyone when Arunne dropped to the ground. People were surprised to see that, so they rushed at her but she still pushed them away.

“Nne, what’s happening?” Anuka asked with confusion and tried to help but she pushed him out too.

Ojiugo didn’t bat an eyelid. She was so angry at her mother because she always knew her to be an evil woman.

“My hand, my hand!” Arunne repeated in anguish as the breeze of nemesis started blowing around her.

Mazi Esomchi simply looked at Agujiegbe and said: “I’m done with what I came here for. Take me back to my house. There, I’ll wait for the said evil to come. The children were warned not to clean the tears of the weeper but this woman chose to disobey. The left hand used for the cleaning has been paralyzed. Let her deal with it,”

That revelation got the people shouting but that never moved the woman.

She tried to stand but couldn’t, so she started calling on his children to help her out.

As Mazi Esomchi left, the entire children followed him.

Ojinigbo, Ijeoma, and Okwuoma stayed a bit longer but later left. They were beginning to notice that a curse was upon the parents of their friend, Ojiugo. They started to avoid that family like a plague, to avoid being affected too.

In no time, the story of what happened at Obidi’s house went viral. Even the king became aware of it.

#OpraDre THE CURSED LANTERN THE CURSED LANTERN THE CURSED LANTERN THE CURSED LANTERN THE CURSED LANTERN THE CURSED LANTERN THE CURSED LANTERN THE CURSED LANTERN THE CURSED LANTERN THE CURSED LANTERN THE CURSED LANTERN

To be continued…

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