Episode 13
Mamiwota Is After My Life ๐ญ
When he wouldn’t let me explain further, I let him be for the moment.
After that, we didn’t speak to each other again all through the night plus, we let the baby sleep between us.
Before I woke up the next morning, he was gone.
I called Angela to give her the situation report.
“Dora, you have to make him understand that mamiwater is not a joke”. She said.
“How will I do that when he wouldn’t even let me explain. Infact, he forbade me from saying anything relating to mamiwater”. I testified.
“Oh God!”. She exclaimed.
“Please, what are we going to do now?. I don’t want to lose my mother-in-law or anyone in my family”. I cried.
“Why don’t we buy those items ourselves?. Do you have any money on you?” She asked after some seconds of silence.
I shook my head. Angela of all people should know the answer to that question. I don’t work, I don’t have any money. I had used my last card to transport us to and fro the shrine, the last time.
“I have no single kobo in my purse.”. I confessed.
She hummed.
“I think the only solution is for you to try and make your husband understand”. She said.
I was disappointed. I expected her to come up with a fast solution before things get out of hands.
Hubby came back that evening looking dejected. He slumped on the chair, humming to my greeting.
“What is it this time?”. I asked.
He sighed before he spoke.
“I thought they said that man was a seer”. He
sighed again.
“Is he not?”. I asked.
“He is not!. That man is nothing close to servant of God. Infact, he is a w!tch doctor”. He blurted.
“How do you mean. Did he not proffer any solution to Mama’s ailing health?”. I asked, curiously.
“That nurse must return my money. My hard-earned money”. He lamented.
“Please calm down, and talk to me. What happened?”. I asked.
He took a deep breath.
“Okay. Firstly,he said mama has a spiritual husband. I didn’t protest. Secondly he said there’s an evil spirit from her mother’s side tormenting her. Then the next thing, he said we should buy some, some, some… dem0nic items he listed which he said we would be sacrificing at a T junction by midnight”. He explained.
“Oh no! That is not good”. I exclaimed.
I did my best to cheer him up again, assuring him that nothing will happen to mama.
While we were in bed later that night, I raised up the issue of settling the water people.
“Why do you want to spoil this happy moment?”. He asked.
“Honey, you have to listen to me. Angela took me to oma mmiri. And I only conceived after I ate the egg given to me by the goddess”. I began to explain.
He pushed me gently away from his chest, and turned to face the wall.
“Goodnight”. He said, without turning.
After watching him for a while, I put my head down on the pillow, and before I knew it, I was fast asleep.
Again, he was gone before I woke up the next morning. I got down from the bed, picked our pee bucket by the door side, and tiptoed out of the room to dispose of it.
A kid was bathing in the center of the compound.
“Good morning, mummy baby””. She greeted as I walked passed her.
“Good morning, how are you?” I responded.
“I’m fine. Is the baby okay now?”. She asked.
“She is getting better”. I replied.
To prevent another Ethel’s story, I had devised a means of keeping the baby away from all the other children, and that’s lying that she was sick.
After I had disposed of the content of the bucket, and was returning to my apartment, something unexplainable happened…
#Story from Joy Ifunanya
