TITLE: The Village Girl EPISODE: 10 * He held her face, each hand to one cheek, so that their eyes met. You will stay, do you hear? The heavy seriousness in his eyes was stirring. Mma nodded. Good, he said. When he left the room, Mma cancelled her earlier decision to leave in the morning but she did not unpack yet. The Monday morning that followed was different. Everything about it was wrong, not morning-like. It did not come with the usual joy that mornings brought. It was unusually dark, swollen dark- grey clouds filled the sky. There were occasional wind gusts, the curtains billowing each time they came. Once it was strong enough and the cans and bottles of soap and related items on the window wall of the bathroom fell to the floor. Richard was gone. He left quite earlier than usual. The new project they were working on belonged to a Lebanese and those people tend to get quite finicky...when they are rich. Cynthia did not go to work or neither for her usual morning walk which she did on days she did not go to work. Stella knocked on the door. Who is that? Madam, its me. Stella, what is it? Her voice was low, almost muffled, like one talking with piece of plastic bag over her mouth. Madam, I want to tell you something. Not now. Come back later. Madam, its serious o. There was a long pause. Stella stood there waiting. Madam? Finally the door opened a notch and Cynthias face poked out. What is it? Something was not right about her face. It wasnt as smooth as it has always been. Her cheeks appeared swollen and her eyes seemed to have sank deeper into her face. There was a large pimple on the lower part of her left cheek near her lower lip. Madam, its about Oga. Cynthia left the door and Stella walked in. What about him. He slept in Mmas room the whole night. What? Yes. I saw him enter and he did not come out. Cynthias face took a whole new transformation, this time nothing suggesting exhaustion. Only one word was close -- frightening. It was like where one put fire to a lump of petrol- soaked foam material. She banged on Mmas door with what seemed to be all the energy she could bring together. Everywhere looked strange. She couldnt quite describe it. The closest definition of it was hell. The deep pit filled with aggressive yellow flames. The scorched features around. The thick cloud of dark smoke enveloping the air. It sure was hell. But she wasnt in it yet. She was sure. She couldnt feel the burning yet. Inside the round fiery pit, red hot flames soared and roared, sending out hot crumbs of fire. She dodged the scalding crumbs and finally saw clearly where she was: on top of the narrow fence that surrounded the pit of fire. Just one careless step and she is crashing down into the sea of flames. She was terrified. She spread her hands wide apart to maintain balance. The fence seemed to get thinner with each passing second. Then finally she saw them. The two women that were her nightmare. One on her right and the other on her left. She couldnt quite place their faces but she was aware of the marked difference in body size: one was shorter and fatter and the other slimmer and taller. They were close now, their faces darkened with evil determination. She cried out, begging them to spare her as they inched closer and closer. But she knew they wouldnt listen even if she cried out blood. They grabbed her, each by one hand. With masterly control they swung her back and sent her flying down the pit. She rose with a start, huffing and puffing. The AC was on but beads of sweat crowded her forehead. A rough bang came on the door, startling her. When she opened the door and saw Cynthia and the fury in her eyes, Stella standing beside her with face twisted in a frown of disgust, she confirmed who her tormentors in the dream had been. Cynthia nearly pushed Mma aside as she flooded into the room. Pack all that is here that is yours. Stella will show you the way out of the estate. Madam, you saying? Stella, get my purse. Yes, ma. They stayed in silence till Stella returned with the purse. Cynthia opened it and brought a wad of clean N500 notes. She counted about eight or ten and dropped them on the bed. Thats for your transport. Madam, what I doing to you? Telling me and I saying sorry to you. You showing me nice before and then you changing sudden. If you are not quick enough, you will miss your bus. Cynthia left the room. Mma was in the sitting room with her bags before Cynthia could sit and turn the TV on. If Cynthia was surprised at how quickly she had packed, she did not show it. Mma held out the bags containing the new clothes Richard had bought for her. Madam, I going with this? Take them. Outside, surprise caused Okons eyes to widen. You dey travel? Open the gate, you fool! Stella barked. Ha. It is your mother that is a fool, Okon said in his native language. Stella did not show Mma out of the estate. She stopped at the gate and locked it back herself as soon as Mma passed. Getting out of the estate was not Mmas problem. She knew her way. Her destination was. And probably the weather too. It was now so cloudy that it looked like dusk. Soon the sky roared and began to shed its contents. Mma covered her head with her Ghana-Must-Go but the rain was too aggressive. She ran into a nearby pharmacy and the fair lady in a blue coat asked her to leave, that she cant stand there. Mma did not understand. But I standing already na? Young girl, please leave the premises. Mma shrugged in disbelief and picked up her bag again. She was already wet when an Hausa man in a wood kiosk waved at her to come over and take shelter from the rain. Richard knew something was amiss as he drove into the garage. It couldnt have been the dull look on Okons face as he opened the gate. Or the unusual sheath of silence that enveloped the whole estate. Or might even be the flock of noisy black birds he saw on the compound wall as he was driving in. Until that day he had never seen them. He climbed the stairs slowly, not with his usual end-of-work zeal when he sometimes took the steps two at a time. Something about today was different. He could feel it now like a prick on the skin. WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 11
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 16:44:06 +0000
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