Feeling so happy and I can’t wait to get home because today is Friday. Don’t know why we always anticipate for Fridays. If you are in this country you will understand why Fridays are so much anticipated. From Mondays to Thursdays we work our asses off and close late and almost everyone looking frustrated at the end of each day except on Fridays when almost every one closes by 3:pm and school closes 1:pm, so we always thank God for Fridays.
I got home and there was light, now let me tell you, one of the most happiest moments as a Nigerian kid is coming back from school after a hard day under a hot sun and then get to realize that there is light, you will feel like you are at heaven’s gate. That was how I felt, so happy.
Pulled my uniform, threw my backpack on the floor and headed to the kitchen because I was the only one at home. I opened the pot and found jollof rice and beans. Oh my God! Enjoyment will not kill me today, I said to myself. Due to how hungry I was, I took more than I could eat and ran to the parlour to put on the T.v. It is almost 3;pm and my favourite cartoon would have started, I love cartoons.
“Oh no! This cannot be happening, e no go better for these people,” I said out of anger as PHCN (Power Holding Company of Nigeria) took the light. This is just the wrong time, I was so engrossed with my cartoon and this PHCN people wants to spoil my day.
“Who do I play with now since am the only one home”, I thought. Yeah! Let me go to Victor’s house he should be back from school now.
Victor is a friend of mine whose house is a stone throw from mine, I always go there to play ball and video games whenever am bored.
I decided to rest a little before heading to Victor’s house because it was still sunny.
Gba! Gba!! Gba!!! Victor’s gate sounded as I hit it hard so he could hear because he could be sleeping, lazy boy he can sleep for Africa.
“Yes! Who is that, I am coming”, Victor shouted. He got close to the gate and asked who it was.
“it’s me”, I replied,
“you who”? Victor asked again,
“it’s me promise, come on open the gate jare”, I said after losing my patience.
“Oh! Promise how fa na, so it’s you that wants to break my gate” he responded. We greeted each other, laughed and went inside.
Good Afternoon, I greeted, that was Victor’s step mom, Victor’s mom died almost a year ago and he is the second child among 3 children of his father and late mother. His step mom got married to his dad a few months ago and she looks caring.
“Good afternoon, how are you?'' she replied,
“I am fine”, I answered.
Then me and Victor started gisting. After we have talked so much about school and movies we thought of playing football because their compound was big enough to play a three man’s team.
Victor brought his ball while his step mom went inside without saying anything to us, we played and played until it was past 6 in the evening. Looking so tired we stopped and went inside to catch our breath before I would be going home.
“Are you not hungry? Let me bring food for you guys”, Victor’s step mom insisted before I could say no. My mom has warned me not eat outside, but at this juncture I couldn’t say no because I was hungry and Victor was not helping matters, before his step mom finished asking he already said yes.
Eba and vegetable soup with stock fish and meat, “damn! If I no eat this food make I die”, I said within myself. We cleared the whole plate and drank water.
“Thank you ma”, I said to her happily as I was going home.
“Thank God’ she replied. “Greet your parents for me” she said, then Victor Saw me off.
It’s almost 7pm and everyone at home would soon be back, I quickly arranged everywhere to avoid punishment. Not quite long my mom first came back then my aunts and dad came back also, the whole house was full. While dad strolled out to buy something, my mom and aunties were gisting and I overheard them talking about mrs Angela, that’s the name of Victor’s stepmom. I positioned myself to hear what they had to say about her because I really enjoyed her meal.
“That mrs Angela is a witch”, one of my aunts said with a low tone while gisting with my mom. As I heard that, my spirit left my body. Witch? I asked my myself, but she was acting all good today.
“Could she have also bewitched me with the delicious Eba and vegetable soup”,
“Chai! Am dead, so I will start flying at night when am suppose to be sleeping”, I thought deeply in fear.
I became restless and scared. Nobody must know I went to Victor’s house talk more of eating there, if not I would be as good as dead because they will beat the alleged witchcraft out of me and probably starve me to death with fasting.
Late in the night I couldn’t sleep, I was scared of finding myself in the midst of strange people doing strange things. I could hear almost every sound and movement in the room that night I became more terrified and wished I didn’t eat that food. I managed to survive that night without sleeping, I woke up very early and put on the t.v to watch movies so I could cool my head and forget about the night.
A lovely Saturday morning it was, after washing my clothes and doing my chores I was so tired, I needed food, only for one my aunt to call me to go get something for her at the bus stop.
Shit! I was so angry, if I could shout on her I would have.
She sensed my anger and said “if you like squiz your face like shit you must go and buy what I sent you”.
At this juncture I was boiling and in my mind I was abusing her, wishing she could just fall sick for me to rest small.
Later that evening, guess what, she fell terribly sick. She was healthy in the morning what could have happened?. A thought flashed through my mind and I remembered when I wished she could just fall sick so she would stop sending me on errands.
“Could it be that I am now a wizard, whatever I say or wish now come to pass?” I asked myself.
Well the weekend was nice but I was still living in fear. School activities resumed on monday and I forgot to do my assignment over the weekend.
“All of you submit your assignment” the teacher commanded. What the hell! I did not even for one second remembered we were given assignment.
“Where is your assignment”? The teacher asked me,
“I forgot it at home,'' I replied.
“You are lying, you didn’t do your assignment come out here,'' she shouted.
“Now Pick pin”, she commanded.
“Pick pin” was a very harsh punishment that weakens all your bones when you do it. You must have done something terrible before any teacher would give you that punishment.
I did as she said and it was like she forgot me there. This made me angry and in my mind I said “you must feel my pains today the same way I am feeling pain now”, I said it with no ulterior motive, just out of anger.
The next day the news came to us in school that my teacher had an accident and she was seriously injured, she was hit by a bike, and they had to rush her to LUTH.
What is happening this is the second time I am saying something bad and it happened. I decided not to think about it. I got home ate and slept off, I had a little dream and saw a cousin of mine drowning in an ocean and struggling to survive, I didn’t understand what I saw but that same evening we got a call that my cousin died.
Something is really happening I don’t understand anymore!
That night I was outside mourning my cousin because I liked him so much, he was funny and brilliant. While I was crying and thinking, I looked forward and saw two birds on a tree chirping, to my surprise their chirping sounded strange.
I could hear what the birds were actually saying and interpret it well. I looked back to see if it was someone else talking but no, nobody was there. I became scared as strange things started happening to me.
Things started getting out of hand, when I saw some people from afar, I saw a strange being, I saw some people with horns on their heads, some with two heads, some walking with their heads, and some with blood on their hands. I was the only one who was seeing this, nobody else could see what I saw.
I was losing control, head-gone, I don’t know who I was anymore, who would I tell this to, they would think I am mad and call me different names.
One hot afternoon, I went to buy garri to drink after I came back from school. As I was about to drink the garri, I remembered there was one coconut tree near our house, I could pluck the coconut and use it to drink my garri, best combo.
I rushed down, went to the compound where the coconut tree was because the owners were not around and they had no gate.
I tried plucking it and I heard a strange voice saying, “Don’t try it or else you will die”, I looked around but no one was there, I quickly dropped the stick I was trying to use to pluck the coconut but as I was about going I started hearing strange voices inside the tree, it was like they were pounding, and I could hear people chanting.
I looked closely and saw smoke coming out of the tree, it was then I ran as my feet could carry me, I forgot my slippers there as I ran for my dear life.
I got home, shivering. I have never seen this kind of thing before, what is happening, it all started after I ate Eba and vegetable soup last weekend.
“if only I knew mrs Angela was a witch I wouldn’t have gone to visit Victor”, I thought as I continued seeing more strange things.
An old time friend came to visit my aunt one thursday evening, yeah I forgot to mention, my aunt treated herself and got well. Thank God I didn’t wish for her death.
I was sitting at the balcony when I saw my aunt’s friend from afar and it was like I was dreaming, there was a strange clay pot on her head, her hands were bound with chains and there were bruises over her.
“What is this I am seeing, this thing has started again, how will someone leave her house and come to someone’s house looking like this,'' I whispered to myself.
“So no one saw this lady looking like this all the way from her side? Am I the only one seeing these strange things?” I questioned myself as she came closer.
As she came closer, the strange things disappeared.
“Is your aunty inside?”, “Yes she is,'' I replied looking at her strangely.
“Aunty someone is asking after you”, I shouted.
“Who is that”, my aunty asked.
“It is me o Risi”, .
“Ahan! Risi bawo ni(how are you)”,
“mo wa kpa (I am fine)”, they both exchange pleasantries but I still can’t forget the things I saw concerning her.
As the days went by I saw more strange things and I lived in fear seeing a lot of evil appear physically. I couldn’t hold it anymore before I go nuts.
“I need help, I can’t continue living like this, I can’t continue having nightmares at daylight”, I thought sadly.
I summoned the courage to tell my mom about the genesis of everything. She screamed and shouted after the whole story, they arranged on how they would take me to the mountain for deliverance.
After everything I began to prepare for my journey to the mountain for deliverance, A journey I knew it won’t be easy at all but I had to do it if I wanted to be like every other normal human.
We got to the mountain which was located in the Southwestern part of Nigeria, Ogun State precisely.
We started climbing the mountain, it was a very high mountain. We climbed and climbed until we got to the top, I saw strange things happening again but this time it was like an angelic arena.
“Why is everyone here putting on white?” I asked my mom.
“That is the dress code here” she answered.
“Now go and change and put on your white” she said.
As I went to change I saw a man standing at a corner, he was putting a white regalia, with white hairs on his head, white beard, his eyes were so bright like halogen light that I could not look straight to his eyes.
He stretched forth his hands asking me to come forward, I moved forward with fear, a loud voice then said “go down on your knees”, I knelt down, the old man came closer with a golden bottle filled with oil and poured it on my head.
“Yeeeeeee yeeeeeee” I screamed as the oil touched my head then I jumped as I felt something hitting me on my back.
“Will you stand up from that bed and go and wash those plates”, my mom shouted at me. So it was all a dream, the oil was actually water she poured on my head and what I felt hit me was a hot slap. It was all a dream, what a terrible dream at noonday.
I actually slept off when I decided to rest a little before going to Victor’s house.
Promise Everest….
Back From The Grave
Have you ever heard about reincarnation?, Let me break it down. Have you heard about real life stories of people who once lived with a ghost either directly under their roof or as a neighbor and they never knew?.
I don’t believe in reincarnation because it’s not biblical even though people believe it happens.
It all started one Monday morning in our neighborhood off campus. We stayed off campus while in the university due to the new structures and hostels that were being built in the school premises.
We had so much freedom to participate in activities outside the school curriculum, there was no restriction as to when to go out and come in because we all had our apartment, each to their tent.
That monday morning, I was so hungry because I did not eat the previous night. I had a 7 am lecture and my stomach was rumbling, I guess the worms in my stomach were screaming for help. I had to manage myself, I went for lectures on an empty stomach hoping to get snacks and soft drink within the school premises.
In the school premises you could see almost everything you need. The only thing they probably don’t sell is human parts, but no matter the amount of food you eat within the school premises you still feel hungry after a short while because the sun there is like a consuming fire and can dehydrate you.
After the lecture, I ate snacks and took soft drink. Lectures ended by 3:30 pm and at that time I was so hungry that I could eat anything served on a plate. I rushed home to prepare a proper meal. Before cooking I went to buy rice and beans from Mummy Ade popularly known as (Iya’ a’la’ta’ swe’swe’) a nickname given to her in Yoruba because of her pepperish food.
Mummy Ade just launched her canteen earlier that monday and few hungry students had already trooped in to her restaurant to taste her food, rate her and recommend her food to other students because it was delicious.
After dealing with my plate of rice and beans, I licked the plate and made sure there were no traces of rice or beans left before I moved to the kitchen to prepare my concoction rice. Aside garri which has saved many student lives in times of hunger and lack, concoction rice has been a regular student meal that has saved student.
As the days went by, Mummy Ade became the talk of the town. Her canteen was the happening place and peoples first choice. You could find some notable men and women in her canteen on queue fighting and screaming at each other while waiting for their turn to be served.
Many students including myself almost went bankrupt because of this woman’s delicacy. Even when I had my foodstuff and my gas to cook I would still buy from her, and her food were never satisfying.
One Friday, I had little money left with me as I had spent all my pocket money buying Mummy Ade’s delicacy. I had to manage till month end.
“Let me manage myself since I have rice, sachet tomato and groundnut oil, I will prepare my regular concoction and keep on eating it pending the time my parents will send me money” I said to myself.
While preparing the meal, I heard a knock on my door,
Knock! Knock!!
“(Who be that) Who is it?” I asked.
“ Na (It’s) me Solomon”, the person replied.
“Wetin happen (what is it)? I asked solomon before opening the door.
“Nothing happen(ed), I just say make I come greet you. (I just decided to come and greet you)”, Solomon answered.
I opened the door reluctantly, murmuring, knowing fully well that solomon is a food monger and he has come to shorten my ration.
“E be like say I waka well (it’s like I came at the right time)”, Solomon said, after perceiving the aroma of my concoction.
“Yes! you waka well ( yes! You came at the right time)” I replied.
Deep down inside of me I was angry and saying “ why this long throat come here now when I wan chop, he just wan shorten my ration, person no fit cook food for this house make this guy no show face (why is this glutton here when I am about to eat, he just wants to shorten my ration, so someone cannot prepare a meal in this house without him getting to know)?”
Solomon is a good friend of mine, very funny and above all a food monger. He doesn’t get satisfied eating one boiled egg, the least he would eat is 3.
Food was ready.
“Should I serve you?” I asked solomon.
“Sharp! Sharp!! As e dey hot ( sharply, before it gets cold), solomon answered.
“ This nonsense boy, I know say e no go reject food (this nonsense boy, I know he wouldn’t reject the food)” I murmured to myself and I felt like breaking his head because I planned to eat the food alone so I could manage it.
On the 20th of may, my money was almost finished and there was still ten days more for the month to come to an end.
“See wetin iya’ a’la’ta’ swe’swe’ don cause she wan turn me to beggar (see what Mummy Ade has caused, she wants to turn me to a beggar)” I was thinking and worried.
I managed to survive till the month ended by jumping from one friend to the other, what we call “gbenu si” in yoruba language, That is begging indirectly by giving out the little ingredients you have to friends who have foodstuff and also rendering service of cooking or washing dishes with them to secure your own portion of the food.
Na where man dey work na there e dey chop ( where a man works that is where he eats).
See wetin Mummy Ade food don cause, (see what Mummy Ade’s food has caused).
On the 30th, I called my mom, “ Mummy our lecturer said we should buy a particular handout and do some registration which will cost five thousand naira only”, I lied to her just for them to top the pocket money.
As a guy man I gat lie to them for house to get extra money wey I go use flex and freshen up especially the one wey I go spend for iya’ a’la’ta’ swe’swe’ side, e dey very important (as a young man I must lie to them at home to get extra cash to lavish, especially the one I would spend on Mummy Ade’s delicacy).
Lying about course registration has been almost every student way of getting their parents to top their pocket money.
Ping! I received an alert on the first of june. Thirty thousand Naira.
“Aaaaaaah”, I screamed happily.
“I must show face for iya alata swe’swe’ side today, e don tey wey I chop better ( I must visit Mummy Ade’s restaurant today, it’s been days I ate her delicacy)”, I said happily.
As soon as I withdrew the money I ran home, went upstairs to call Solomon.
Solomonkey! Solomonkey!! I called him with a loud voice.
Solomonkey was the nickname I gave him because he nicknamed himself Solomoney but he was always broke.
“Guy I no like am o, no dey call me solomonkey (Boy! I don’t like it, stop calling me solomonkey), he replied.
I laughed so loud because he looks and acts funny when angry.
“Wetin dey do you, dey no dey play with you?(what’s wrong with you?, I was just joking with you)”, I teased him.
Come on! go and put on your clothes, let's go to Mummy Ade’s canteen to taste her delicacy once more, I insisted.
“ I don’t have money,will you pay for me?”
“No problem, all the bills on me, just hurry up and put on your clothes,” I replied, feeling like a boss.
You need to see the joy on Solomon’s face. I don’t know why greedy people like freebies.
He rushed to his wardrobe with the speed of light, scattering his room to find a short to wear.
You know that kind of speed you use when preparing yourself for an impromptu free ride, you just have to scatter your wardrobe and find something to put on fast before the person changes his or her mind.
We got to the restaurant, crowded as usual. We waited for our turn to be served. We ate two raps of Fufu and Egusi soup each with kpomo, roundabout and shaki (meat).
Walking down home with toothpicks in our mouth, sweating and smiling. You can’t eat that kind of a meal and still find an atom of sadness hiding in your soul.
Got to my room, I fell flat on the bed and slept off. Thank God it was a Saturday, a lecture free day.
Well! I woke up late at midnight, so I decided to remain inside and prepare for Sunday morning service. That Sunday was the day I and every other student within that surrounding will never forget.
After everyone came back from church that Sunday evening, I was outside with other guys gisting near the restaurant, we were still contemplating on buying food because it has become part and parcel of us. We never knew something mysterious was about to happen.
Then a middle aged man came down from a bike to buy food from the canteen. After they had served him, he went straight to the counter to pay his money. Mummy Ade was always sitting behind the counter to collect money and also monitor other activities in the restaurant as a restaurateur.
As the man stretched his hand to pay, he was surprised to see the face of Mummy Ade looking so familiar. He was shocked.
“This lady looks like Mummy Tope that died last year at Ibadan”, the man murmured in Yoruba language.
Mummy Tope who was late, was a neighbor to this man in the same compound in Ibadan but here is Mummy Ade Aka iya’ a’la’ta’ swe’swe’ looking exactly like her here in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
The man looked at her carefully to confirm what he was seeing. He saw a scar on her cheek, this was the same spot the scar was on mummy Tope’s face when she had an accident before she died.
The man kept on staring at every part of her body and could recognize her.
He shouted, mummy Tope! Mummy Tope!! Is it not you I am seeing, or am I dreaming? (in Yoruba)
We were looking at the man, thinking he was mad. We held him and started questioning him. We also told him he might be mistaken her for someone else, that we know her as mummy Ade and we also know her little son, Ade.
I never mentioned her son Ade. He was between the age of 13/14, very funny and always disturbs in the canteen.
The man argued, saying he has her picture and that of her son, and he was eager to show us. We became curious and confused. We surrounded the man as he opened his phone gallery and showed us the pictures. They looked exactly like Mummy Ade and her son Ade.
“This people you are showing us are dead” one of us said reluctantly, pointing his finger to the picture of her and her son lying in a casket.
“Exactly what I am saying,'' the man replied confidently. At this juncture, both the workers and we all that were there to buy food were in pandemonium.
What is going on, could this be true? It’s not possible! Everyone was asking in confusion.
As we were asking and murmuring in confusion, a sudden wind blew, dust covered everywhere and no one could see clearly for a few seconds until the wind became calm.
Mummy Ade and her son Ade with few of her belongings were nowhere to be found after the wind stopped. That was when we knew we were as good as dead.
It was on that day I knew that not every mad person you see roaming became mad due to hard drugs or diabolical utterances, some actually became insane due to confusion that their brain could not access, just as our brain couldn't access what was going on at that moment.
Every where scattered.
“so I have been eating food prepared by a dead person” this was the song on everyone’s lips as they placed their two hands on their head feeling devastated.
Some people almost vomited their intestine while others were thanking God not to have tasted her food ever since she opened her canteen.
I went back to my room after everyone had ran away from the scene, but I was scared and couldn’t stay alone.
Solomon who was also there when the whole drama took place was already packing his bags and baggage, heading home to his father’s house which was not far from where we stayed.
I called home and explained everything to them in fear. I told them I would be coming back home during the weekend to book a counselling section with my pastor and probably go for deliverance so that they would use the blood of Jesus to flush away everything I had eaten at Iya’ a’la’ta’ swe’swe’s canteen.
With fear and assumption, I lived my life in campus staying clear from food vendors because I don’t know which one might be a walking corpse.
Prince Promise.
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