THE STRANGE PROPOSAL (A SHORT STORY)
Part 6
©Franca Uwuigiaren
“Why are you all looking at me? I don’t know of any gift I received from the river goddess,” I told them.
“Your grandma and your mother know of the gift.” The priestess said.
My mother looked at my grandma in confusion.
“So both of you are saying you don’t know anything about any gift? Are you saying I am lying?” the priestess asked.
I stood with arms folded across my chest, looking at them and wondering what gift the goddess gave me that I didn’t know.
“Since you can’t remember, then let me remind you.”
“Thank you,” Papa said.
The priestess gave us a seat and sat on her chair. There was a table before her, and a calabash of water was on it. She told us that the water in the calabash is not ordinary but powerful. It can heal and cause the barren to be pregnant. According to her, the water is also a symbol of the covenant she has with the water goddess. She told us to come and peep into the calabash.
I stood up and wondered what was in the water. Suddenly, I was watching television in the water. I saw my mother carrying a baby with my father sitting beside her. They were very young. There were a lot of people in the compound celebrating with my parents. Then I saw my grandma came with a beautiful lady. This lady was too beautiful, and everyone stared at her in awe. This woman carried the baby from my mother without saying a word to her and she kept smiling into the baby’s face. I saw her sit, place the child on her legs, and begin to wear the baby a white bracelet, then on his neck a necklace with a seashell. She handed the child back to my mother. Then the picture faded.
“That child is you,” the priestess said to me.
“I know!” I told her.
“Wait, that’s not all. Keep looking.” She said.
I peeped with my eyes glued to the water. I saw that my mum was washing at the river bank. I was like six years old, playing with other children whose parents came to the river to wash or fetch water. While we were playing, a girl, a little bit older than me, gave me some pebbles, coins, and cowries. I ran to my mother, tapped her, and gave them to her. I pointed at the girl who gave them to me. My mother didn’t bother to thank this girl but she threw the things in an empty bowl.
“How was I supposed to know she was the goddess?” My mother suddenly asked after she watching that part. “She gave them to my son, and he played with them until they all got misplaced, and that was many years ago. Where do I go looking for them? It has been many years. I don’t know where they are,” Mum responded.
“Since we can’t find those gifts, what are we supposed to do?” Papa asked.
“I don’t know,” the Priestess said, like one who was enjoying the scene before her. There was a great silence. I didn’t know what I was supposed to say or do.
“Please…I was not aware of any gift; neither did I ask my grandma to request wealth on my behalf. My wife and son are dying. Help me. Nothing is working for me.” I pleaded, almost in tears. “Help me…I…never asked the goddess for any of her gifts…I don’t want her. Whatever was done was without my consent; please find a way to undo it for me, Amadolu (priestess).” She sighed and shook her head.
“I will try.”
We watched her carry the calabash of water and speak inaudibly into it for some time before looking at us.
“The river goddess doesn’t forgive or forget. She’s proud and jealous. I doubt if she will forgive you for rejecting her.” Amadolu told us.
I turned to Grandma angrily. “You see what you caused? Did I tell you I wanted her…”
“Shut up! Amadolu said with anger. Speak respectfully to my mother. You want to see her anger right now…you would have accepted her proposal. She would have blessed you, and even your generations unborn. Many are seeking for this kind of blessing. Daily, many come here to beg me to help them….you shouldn’t have been in this dilemma if you had accepted her proposal.”
Turning to Grandma, she said. “You started the whole thing; you will have to carry a sacrifice by yourself to Ama (river) and apologize to her for your grandson’s refusal to accept her proposal. You’re not new to this thing. You must give her something befitting. She has to turn her eyes away from your grandson.”
“Alright!” Grandma said.
“It will not be done in the day but mid night. You must go far into ‘AMA’ and offer the sacrifice.”
The moment Grandma heard that it would be done at night and far into the river, she became afraid.
“I…I…can’t,” she stammered.
“No other person will offer the sacrifice except you. You started the whole thing first. The same mouth with which you used to request she marry your son for wealth, use that same mouth to tell her that you’re sorry your grandson rejected her proposal and that she shouldn’t harm him, that every curse she placed on him and his family be removed. If you don’t do it…” she paused.
Everyone looked pleadingly at Grandma. “Grandma, please…don’t you want things to be better for me?”
“Okay, I will go.”
“How would we know if she accepted our offering?” My mother asked Amadolu.
“You will know,” Amadolu said.
“Okay.”
Papa paid Amadolu the requested fee, and as we were about to step out, she told us that the sacrifice must be carried out in the village she lives in, and if the goddess doesn’t accept our offering, none of us should bother to return to see her. We left. On the way, my mother and grandma talked about what to buy for the sacrifice. While they boarded a bus to the market, I and Papa went to the river bank to negotiate for a boat that would carry Grandma far into the water.
All the men with boats that we met did not agree to go into the water at night. Someone referred us to an elderly man who uses the canoe.
“It’s always dangerous at night…that’s why you won’t see any of these men ready to take such a risk. The man I am referring you to is an experienced man. He has been into this business long before we came here.” The man said.
We went looking for the man he referred us to, and when Papa told him why we were looking for him, the man smiled.
“I don’t want any of us to take that risk. Recently, people have been drowning here.” He said.
“Just name your price.”
“It’s not about the money.”
“Please…this is a matter of life and death.” Papa explained.
“Why crossing to the other side at such hour? You could cross now and probably…”
“We’re not entirely crossing. It won’t take you so much time. We want to offer a sacrifice to the river goddess.”
“It can be done in the day.”
“We were instructed it has to be in the night. Please,” Papa pleaded.
The man was quiet for a moment, looking at the distance into the water, and then his eyes travelled to people entering a canoe. He then focused his attention on us. He told us that the last time he went into the river at such hour, it almost cost him his life. We assured him that nothing would go wrong. He smiled and said we can’t determine that except God. He mentioned his price, and we agreed. He told us we could come and spend time in his house before midnight since he lives alone. Papa explained to him that the person he was conveying to the river was his mother, and we’re not going with her. He didn’t say anything because he knew his price was exorbitant. I know Papa deliberately didn’t bother to negotiate the price again for fear that he would change his mind.
Papa gave him part of his payment and promised to see him later.
When I got home, I called my wife to find out how they were faring, and she told me everything was fine. From the background, I could hear my son groaning and coughing, and it broke my heart. I told her what was going on here, and she told me she’s happy the priestess chose Grandma to offer the sacrifice.
“She started it. Let her finish it.”
When I hung up, I saw my mother and grandmother returned from the market. I didn’t bother to check what was in the bag they carried. I didn’t care. I just wanted the sacrifice to be over so my family could be normal again.
Evening was fast approaching. Immediately after dinner, Grandma went to the nest and carried two native fowls, and we set out to the road where we boarded a bus to the next village. We went straight to the man’s house, who later told Papa to call him Ibimina. He welcomed us inside.
I couldn’t sleep but listened as my father and Ibimina spent the remaining hours talking and chewing kolanuts. My mother spread wrappers on the floor and slept, but Grandma, like me, sat quietly in one corner, and I couldn’t tell what was going through her mind.
It was almost midnight before Ibimina stood up. He told my father that he was coming.
“I need to fortify myself. I can’t go into this large body of water without protecting myself.”
“It’s alright,” Papa said.
Ibimina went out, and for some time, I wondered what he was up to. When he eventually returned, he told us he was prepared. We all followed him to the river and watched him push the canoe into the water. Then Grandma brought out the calabash from the big sack bag, and my mother handed her the two native fowls. I could see bananas, native chalks, sweets, but I quickly removed my eyes. I was scared, actually, that Grandma was placing her life in the hands of Ibimina.
“Don’t you have a life jacket?” I asked. He smiled.
“No! I have never used it before.” Ibimina said.
I got scared as I watched him paddle away with Grandma.
As Ibimina paddled away, Papa moved closer to the river and raised his two hands up.
“Please spare my mother…good goddess. Spare her…accept her offering and quench your anger towards my son.”
Mama wanted us to go back to Ibimina’s house and wait, but I refused. I wanted to see the end of everything, so I sat on the sand, waiting for their return.
I raised my head and looked at the moon casting its light on the water and I sighed loudly. What will happen if the goddess refuses to accept the sacrifice? What if Grandma falls into the water? I reasoned.
Several times I stood up and looked to see if they were coming, but I couldn’t see far. Papa kept going close to the river and asking the goddess to grant his mother safety.
Mama just sat there, saying or doing anything. I didn’t know how long it took, but they eventually returned safely. My parents were so relieved. I could imagine what went through their minds.
“The priestess said we will know if the river accepts the offering,” I said to them. “How do we know if it was accepted or rejected?”
“In my experience, I know that if the river goddess is displeased, such one would not return. Both he and the paddler would perish.” Ibimina explained.
“That means our offering is accepted,” I said.
“Yes!” He affirmed.
“Is there a need to see Amadolu again?” Mama asked.
“I don’t think so,” Papa said to her.
We slept in Ibimina’s house, and as soon as it was dawn, we thanked him and went home. Relief flooded my heart, knowing that the goddess accepted the offering, and my life would return to normal again.
To be continued…
