₦airaland Forum

Bobby95, koligns, chukskator, babalolaabayo, seancodedprosper, jezyfreezman, Ayobami7, SunFlow, Kaycee9242, eyesofpearls, stainless239, Rhayne, MichaelBlake40, obedugo, phoenixchap, praizymicheal, tsharp, Dav8King, guruzmarstk, tehilah92, WHOcarex, killuminati, Dove18, Mrintegrity247, sk4real2, headbasher96, bigshearl05, 2Lynx, YINKS89, INDUSTRIALFAN, surddick, Cmyname, MhizSuccess, Gobek, maryamuwane, olumose001, IamAmbrose, oroolorun, Evajael, jagugu88li (where have you been!). kasey18, daneni1, hotswagg12, EKLE, Austeeenxx, Fazpen, djpriopry, ToyBoyAaron, lyricklekidd.....and everyone else. A midweek update due to popular demand. Enjoy...

EvaJael:
Thank you so much dear. Wow! I find it really difficult sha. Most of my write ups are set in Nigeria but Nigeria always seem so biggggg. I have issues choosing a particular place.

Well, that may be down to "style". I already spoke about how I write. I'm inclined to developing the characters and putting the focus on their experiences. I set a (traditionally published)novel in Port Harcourt before ever setting foot in the city and you won't be able to tell reading the book. Tried that when I read about James Hardly Chase setting his novels in America without actually knowing the place. It resonated with me because I believe it doesn't matter if you know what you're doing.

EvaJael:
Good morning everyone. I'm so sorry the thread's been so quiet for a while. I kind of got busy again.
So, I thought I should ask the writers in the house something today. What influences the setting of your story? Do you find it easy to just pick a location or you have to go through a tough time to determine where your book should be set?

Sorry just seeing this. I feel committed to this thread so let's do it.

For me, the setting comes with the inspiration. If a story is about common people, I won't be thinking Rolling Hills California or Lekki Lagos. I will drive to mushin or Ajegunle and feel the place if I have to and then pick up my pen the following day

JOSEPHINE

Lukman adjusted his eye patch and Montera hat, regarded himself in the full mirror in his shop and was satisfied with what he saw. Today was the day. He had thought about it long and hard and decided to make his move. Today. He was indebted to Ndifreke, the wise head he had consulted before making up his mind to go ahead with the challenge.

“Mr Freke, You know I hold you in high esteem since you came to this compound.”

“Thanks Lukman.”

“I remember when I still suffered low self-esteem due to my bad eye when adults and children alike made a mockery of me. You bailed me out, helped me to get the look I have now.”

“Yes, it is so.”

“But since then, even though the people that have been laughing at me have left me alone, I am yet to really assert my manhood.”
“How so Lukman?”

“I am yet to have a woman in my life.”

“Oh I see,” Ndifreke said and shifted uncomfortably. It was a Saturday morning, they had just finished reviewing newspapers with Mr Zubi and everyone had dispersed. Ndifreke remained seated on the stool in front of Lukman’s shop thinking about his life. Then Lukman showed up to open for business and requested that Ndifreke remained to talk with him.

“Well, Lukman. I don’t know how I can help you in that regard. You have to go out and find yourself a woman if you want one.”

“No no. I have found one already.”

“Splendid. Congratulations. So what is the problem?”

“Er, I have found her but I am not sure she has found me yet.”

“What does that mean Lukman?”

“Bros, all my life I have had one type of woman in my head. They are there, plenty o, but because of the low confidence I have kept away.”

“Hmmm.”

“Do you know that all I have been doing romantically for the past five years is to masturbate morning, afternoon and night with the picture of Nicki Minaj?”

“Oh dear, Lukman!”

“Ehen now. I kept thinking, when I start to toast a girl and then it comes to the part when I will say ‘look into my eyes’, what will I do? She will now be looking into one eye or what? Will I wear the patch? Will I remove the patch so that she looks into one good eye and a hollow one?”

“Lukman, you don’t need to tell a woman to look into your eyes when you toast her. What kind of Bollywood line is that? You get friendly if it is someone you see often, then express your feelings when you feel the time is right and hope she feels the same way too. Firstly, you must have a personality she can admire. Even completely blind people find love and get married. Look at Cobams, even Stevie Wonder. How much more you that has one eye. If ‘look into my eyes’ was a line they had to use then they would be heading to their graves lonely.”

“Err bros it is easy for you to say because you are handsome and flawless.”

Ndifreke shrugged and said, “Well yes I am handsome as you say, but there are people who are not known to be handsome but still find love. Personality is more important than looks. Any woman will tell you so.”

“It is true sha; somebody married Mr Zubi, even as the man wowo like Oshiomhole.”

“Worry about yourself Lukman.”

“Alright, alright” he said and chuckled.

“So where does masturbating with the picture of Nicki Minaj come into this?”

“Bros I like short girls with big yansh.”

Ndifreke chuckled and said, “Oh, so you do?”

“Yes bros. it is a simple and straightforward anatomy. You find what you are looking for quickly.”

“Oh I see. And you have found your own Nicki Minaj and don’t know if she will like you because of your one eye?”

“You see why I like you Mr Freke. You just make it easy for me all the time.”

“Oh well. I have already said it. Your personality will clinch it for you. You are already a sharp dresser. You don’t look for trouble. It is as if you are not in this Katakata Street. I’m sure your Nicki Minaj will appreciate those.”

“I hope so bros.”

“So have you told her?”

“Er…that is the issue bros.”

“Where does she live?”

“She lives here na.”

“Oh really?”

“Josephine: the new God Dey hospital nurse that took over the top floor room that has been locked since last year.”

“Oh.”

Ndifreke did not see any semblance to Nicki Minaj. But then, he barely gave her a second glance.

“You may not see what I am saying because you have Maya. No man will have Maya and pay attention to Josephine. But bros, the girl gather the thing. The sh*t box no be here.”

“Come on Lukman, you can’t call something you admire such a sh*tty name.”

“Hehe. But bros, that apart, the main bone of contention is that Achike has been all over the girl since she came to this compound. Why won’t he just leave that one for me? Mama Tobi’s yansh is at least three times the girls own. Why is he greedy?”

“He is not with Mama Tobi anymore. And like you, he has the right to go after whomever he wants.”

“This is not fair.”

“Have they started dating?”

“I don’t think so. But you know him nau. Because he has been doing houseboy all his life before his okrika business, he has started doing all her housework. Just as he cooked the fufu that fed the whole of West Africa for one month when he was after somebody’s mother, now he washes and irons this girl’s clothes, removes her rubbish, even goes to the market for her. And he is not a small boy o! Now, how can a one-eyed boy who has no energy for all that suffering compete?”

Ndifreke thought about Achike’s attempt at taking Maya from him. Wouldn’t it be nice if he had some competition this time around? It sure would be something to see Lukman slug it out with him for this Nicki Minaj.

“See Lukman, forget about Achike. For you, he does not exist. She is not his wife, and you can’t be sure she appreciates his doing all those chores for her. You are a finer, younger and more trendy guy. You cannot have dreamt of this girl all these years and pleasured yourself thinking about her lookalike and when you see her, you chicken out because of an ex-houseboy. Come on Lukman!”

Ndifreke watched as light entered Lukman’s eyes. His smile broadened and he adjusted his jacket. Ndifreke was only just noticing he was fully dressed for the occasion.

“Mr Freke. I just knew you were the man to talk to.”

“Where are you going to?”

“To corner her on her way back from the hospital. She’s on night shift and will be returning soon.”

“Good luck man.”

“Thanks. I’ll need it.”


Later that day Irikefe also went to Ndifreke to talk about Josephine.

“Bros you see her backyard? Asset of sizeable value.”

“I haven’t really paid her any attention.”

“Well, I understand. She’s nothing like Maya, but has that raw sexiness that you don’t care if she speaks Idoma or Swahili or can't even spell her name. You just want to attack her from behind already.”

“So you also want to attack her from behind?”

“Bros I no for mind. But na money I dey find.”

“She’s not your spec. A bit too old right?”

“Bros I don’t do small girls anymore.”

“Better not.”


Then came Castro also on Josephine.

“Bros Freke. Even my papa don notice the backyard. I saw him staring when she was going to work. The time has come for me to finally nail him.”

“Meaning?”

“I will tell my mother of course.”

“You will do no such thing. What will you even tell her?”

“I will tell her that her husband is admiring another woman in this compound.”

“And your proof?”

“I will tell her to just put her eyes down, that she will see.”

“Men don’t behave like that.”

“Well, whatever. Maybe I should just focus on getting her before he does.”

“You are born again Castro.”

“Ehn…I mean I will focus on winning her soul for Christ.”

“Better.”


It was curiosity that made Ndifreke watch out for Josephine. He made sure he stayed in front of the house to see her when she returned. Lukman did say she was returning from work that morning. So he made himself comfortable on the stool in front of Lukman’s shop. Not that he had a place to go to. There was a theft where he hustled at the wharf and they were looking for some people. Luckily he got tipped off that he was one of those they were looking for. Some boys found a way to vandalise a bulletproof car that was shipped in by a senator. They removed gadgets worth five million naira and now everyone was on the run. He dared not go close for at least a month. How he would survive for that long he had no idea. But he would take life one day at a time. He won’t kill himself.

She saw him rise from the stool as she approached. She had previously only seen him once. The impossibly handsome boy with the pretty pregnant girlfriend. Josephine had always been attracted to men who had beautiful wives or girlfriends. For some reason, it made her feel prettier. If a man with such good taste found her attractive, then she really was attractive. It did worry her that he did not as much as give her a glanced in the two weeks she had been living there, instead, it was the clownish Achike, the one-eyed barber, and some of the younger boys and married women who wanted to kill her with unsolicited attention. But it seemed the fine boy was finally checking her out now. She was deliberate with her steps. She knew just how to walk to set her hips in the right motion to get the men to pay attention.

“Good morning bros” Josephine said as she passed by Ndifreke.

“Good morning nurse,” he said. “How was work?”

“Fine, bros. We had two births, one by CS. It was a tough night.”

“Oh. You should be very tired then.”

“Yes, I am.” She said. “Let me see what Mama Cowbell has this morning. I don’t think I want to cook. She spun and went towards Mama Cowbell’s shop. She knew now he would get the full view of her behind. She was yet to see a man that her backside did not affect. She did well to check if she had had the desired effect when she came back into the compound. The answer was yes. They locked eyes. And she made sure she looked away first.

Ndifreke Knew he had stared at her longer than necessary. In his embarrassment, he tore his eyes away from her and looked around. Thankfully, no one was watching him.

But someone was. It was the kind of exchange Mama Akunna never missed.


TO BE CONTINUED.

Mods thanks for taking care of the trespasser for me.

tehilah92:
centino abeg na, I don join nairaland by force
update na

You're most welcome tehilah92. Tomorrow ehn...

2Lynx:
Beautiful piece of art, the way you arrange the plot, guy you to much, been a ghost reader since, but if i no comment now na sin!

Ride on jare

Nice to have you man. Welcome on board.

DaV8King:
@Centino confirm your airtime has been received. Cheers!

Received with thanks

bisghearl05:
beautiful piece, made my day with loads of laughter, weldone bro

Thanks

DaV8King:
@Centino confirm your airtime has been received. Cheers!

Correct man

Thanks.

headbasher96:
i dey with u any mod cross your path i will bash him in

That would be something

Dove18:
I clicked d post by mistake but spent an hour laffin hard. great work bro. invite me if u can. I wouldn't mind getting d full series by mail. possible?

Would have loved to but it isn't complete yet. Maybe in a couple of years

headbasher96:
no forget headbasher96 o

Absolutely not my man! Keep bashing the heads make dem hear word

Joezzmann, oroolorun, koligs, killuminati, Dav8king(sent you a PM), Mrintegrity247, sk4real2, Ayobami7 good to have y'all. Glad you like my work.

Not forgetting the faceless new comers as well, thanks for stopping by Do lemme know your thoughts too

ToyBoyAaron:
Centino u are the best bro.. I can visualize every inch of your story. It feels like watching a seasonal movie. Thumbs up man

Thanks man!

Kaycee9242:
Centino well done, they av just helped to boom mama business

DaV8King:
Centino, long time silent reader here.
Abeg PM me your digits, gatz to add to your data/airtime no matter how small!

Tuale baba, more ink to thy biro!

At once!

lady25:
Na serious KATAKATA. Well-done op. This is a very wonderful piece . And very real too

Thanks lady25

olumose001, eyesofpearls, pgodson7, tsharp, labelle123, maryamuwane, Gobek, emperorblog, Ann2012, headbasher96, YINK89, Cmyname, surddick, FreshestManny, INDUSTRIALFAN...I see y'all

EvaJael:
Oh! Centino, I owe you big big hugs. May God make ghost readers repent. It's obvious you've forgotten me sha #sobbing. I used to follow number 225 Katakata street before I left nairaland for a while. I'll join the train again this Sunday. Thanks for your comment, you have lifted a sister's spirit

“If I want to read a novel, I write one” – Benjamin Disreali

I’m Centino. Relatively new here. The above quote is why I write. I have no heroes of the letter; I follow in the footsteps of none. I am my own inspiration.

I got bored stiff with “literature” and began to fancy myself to do a good enough job for me. I reckoned if I wrote my kind of book, surely I would find likeminded people who will appreciate my style.

I do not like fluff. If something happened in the afternoon, tell me what happened. I don’t see the point of describing the sun. How the environment laughed because the yellowish red hue of the sun tantalized the roofs. What’s that? I know what an afternoon looks like! I like a story. A good plot. Who likes who? Who hates who? Who is after who? Who fvcked who? The human experience is robust and I just want to hear of it. From every perspective. And for goodness sake go straight to the point! If an adverb will drive home a point, I will use an adverb. If a simile sounds silly, I cut it out. If you are obsessed with words and you want to wa.nk to them go and read a poem. Rules? They are not for me. I will write my own the way I want to. “Better to write for yourself and have no public, than write for the public and have no self” – Cyril Conolly. Word.


“The first thing a writer has to do is find another source of income…" Ellen Gilchrist. And I will add, then you can experience true freedom.

I will not write about an asylum seeking PHD holder who ends up as a cab driver in New York so that I can be appreciated internationally. I will not carry my Katakata Street to okada books and sell 10 copies in one year so that I can get something for my troubles. I will not read “how to be a successful author” and burn myself out trying to sound like someone else. If you want to be the next Chinua Achebe, sorry you came 60 years late. So I make sure I am not hungry. If the money comes, I want it on my own terms. So I write when I want to write, if I want to write, how I want to write. The only people I want to kill are the ghost readers of Nairaland. Come on guys…Tell a brother/sister that s/he is trying. You don’t know how far that can go. You think this is easy? Try it.


Finally. Most tellingly… “One of the things a writer is for is to say the unsayable, speak the unspeakable and ask difficult questions” – Salman Rushdie

At Easter, I wrote a chapter I called "food for thought". In it, I asked why anyone thinks Jesus whose flesh was dust like mine and yours would ascend to heaven where there is no such consistency. Do you think God is in the business of impressing people? Do you think creating heaven and earth and trying to save the souls of man is a circus? (Didn’t put it quite like that but you get my drift…). The result? I got the fewest likes that week. And guess what? It doesn’t matter. I will say it. I am a writer.

Aunty Eva Jael. That is me o.

Having said that, you can now bundle over here and see what I do for Nairaland mostly on Sundays. Many thanks.

https://www.nairaland.com/3893393/number-225-katakata-street

RESUMPTION


“So tell me, how did you do it? Stay dead for two days?”

“I’ll first tell you that it is dangerous. One bad move and you can’t re-enter your body. I put everything on the line. I needed to make that big statement. First, it was the stupid boys putting weed in my food. Then Talabi putting poison! When were they going to learn? Well, I came out here the first night and followed them close when they took my body away. I was listening to their plans for it. When they said they were taking it to the General Hospital mortuary, I felt relieved. I know they are understaffed and don’t have space in the freezers, meaning they will leave me somewhere for a while without tempering until people come to claim other corpses. The daytime was the difficult part. It is not for nothing that we always return to our bodies before daybreak. You don’t want to be in this state without adequate protective cover which the night provides. Best bet is to go far into the forest if you must be away during the day, but I couldn’t risk being far from my body and not knowing what they did with it. So I looked around and found someone I possessed. So I sat at the gate of the mortuary and watched. I knew where they kept my body and knew it won’t be my turn until the following day. So as soon as I sensed the hour approaching, I left the body of the madman and went back into mine. I was conscious for two hours but the poor man working on the corpses had no clue. Anyway, I pulled it off. It was 50/50. Anything could have gone wrong. I won in the end.”

“Wow! That’s thrilling.”

“Don’t ever try it. I could because even if I did not make it, I have lived my life.”

“Okay. Something to remember for when I am old.”

“When you are old, make sure you allow your children a little affluence. Even we witches now know to sacrifice a little. We are evolving like the rest of the world. So you can have a bedroom to yourself when you visit them and can put a do not disturb sign on the door so you can go out and enjoy daytime activities from time to time. I mentioned the forest earlier. If you ever go there in the daytime, you will be better convinced that there is no better life than this.”

“Really? Why so?”

“You will meet witches from all over the world. The different time zones mean it is night for some of them so they can come around and play. I love the guys from Haiti. Oh my, they are something else.”

“I want to experience this.”

“You are a long way from there.”

“I will do all I can to reach there.”

“Ok back to here and now.”

“Yes. Who do we visit tonight? I’m hungry for action.”

“Calm down. We need to plan.”

“Of course.”

“Ndifreke’s people are not happy with me.”

“Why?”

“Because he seems to be making a headway in life.”

“Yes, I thought so too. He is now reading Think and Grow Rich and The Secret.”

“If he likes, let him read Sleep and Grow Rich. Nothing happens for you until you have disentangled yourself from our grip. I’m expecting his people soon, together we will tighten the ropes again and pin him down. He will be thrown out of the Wharf this week.”

“Wow, lovely!”

“We will turn his attention towards women. It would be fun if he impregnates another person. We’ll see about that. We can only do as his people want.”

“How about the rest? Like Mr Zubi. You know he has money. Why don’t we make him lose his job too?”

“We can’t touch him.”

“Why?”

“There is no link. Witchcraft is a thing of the blood. You cannot really affect the destinies of people you have no blood link with. You may do so in tandem with their people who will always find you, as with Ndifreke. I can’t perceive Zubi’s people. If he were more ambitious, he would not even be here. There is nothing in his path. People like him can read Think and Grow Rich and if they can apply the principles, they can get somewhere. All we can do to his type is to go to their rooms and mess with their dreams and scratch their bodies after we have made love to them. But if they are fearless and resist we have to scram.”

“Ok. So let’s do it.”

“We will. We will visit everyone tonight. It’s been three months. But the big assignment is with Ndifreke when his people arrive.”

“Okay. What about Irikefe? We have scores to settle. And visiting him is tricky.”

“I know. Don’t worry, I will find a way.”

“And we can’t ruin him like we can Ndifreke right?”

“Not quite. With people like that, you work on their weaknesses. Constantly stay in their consciousness and point them in the direction of destruction. You will depend on their cooperation. If they too are strong and live right, then there’s nothing we can do. But in his case, he isn’t.”

“Good. Because he can’t go scot-free.”

“I know. I will leave him for now. What I need to do principally is to get to Maya in the daytime. Her tummy is beginning to show.”

“Is it time for the soul to incarnate?”

“No, but I need to prepare the ground for it. A physical touch would be most effective. She won’t be able to erase that. The first kick is in six weeks.”

“I leave that to you. Can I go now? I have work to do on Mama Tobi. Now that Achike has dumped her, I need to take care of her.”

“Naughty boy. As she has decided to open her legs in her old age, yes we should keep her occupied. Have fun. I will wait here for my guests.”


Maya tossed and turned as she continued to come to terms with the changes in her body. There was no light so she could not sleep. She touched herself and saw that the discharge continued to increase. Her bladder was full again and she needed to pee. How many times had she peed already since she turned in at 10? She could not remember. She picked up her phone and checked the time. It was 2 am. Then all of a sudden, she felt a presence. The room suddenly became dense and her head felt like it had doubled in size. She tried to lift her arm but she could not. She tried her legs but it felt like they placed a huge rock on them. It was as if she had been nailed to the floor where she slept. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Slowly she slipped into unconsciousness. Then from what seemed like a distance, she heard her mother moaning and calling Achike. She tried to focus but could not. But she heard right. “Achike, I thought you will not come back. My daughter is already gone. My nyash is bigger than hers. Enjoy it Achike.” Maya continued to hover between sleep, wakefulness, and paralysis until she drifted off and woke up two hours later. Everywhere was calm now. She had control of her body and extremities again. Gingerly she stood and went to the bathroom and returned. She lay back and thought about what had happened. She would need to speak to someone about it in the morning.


“My mother was moaning in her sleep and calling Achike,” Maya said to Nidifreke. “That is so strange.”

“Why is it strange?”

“What do you mean why is it strange?” Maya looked at Ndifreke squarely in the eyes. His eyes betrayed a knowingness that she found disconcerting. “Why are you looking like that?”

“Em like how?”

“Like you know something I don’t.”

“Me? no o! I don’t know anything.”

Maya knew he was not telling the truth. While she studied him, Mkpoikanna came into the room. Mkpoikanna was renowned for his forthrightness. He was just the right person to ask the question. “Bro Mkpoikanna. Please tell me. What do you know about my mother and Achike?”

Mkpoikanna first looked at Ndifreke who now wore a resigned look and then said: “Achike dey fvck your mama na.” He then picked up his knapsack and left the room as if he had just said the grace. Maya sank back in her seat. It all began to make sense. She had thought he was close to her mother because he wanted to get to her that way. Now she knew why she never heard her mum mention him in her presence which was what Maya expected after she saw them together. She now knew why all of a sudden her mum began to wear lipstick.

“You know I can’t come and tell you that,” Ndifreke said.

“I understand.”

“How do you feel?”

“Truth is I can’t be bothered if my mum has a lover. But Achike. After our history. Is it right?”

“We cannot judge your mother Maya.”

“Hmmm.”

“Yes Maya.”

“There’s something else.”

“Tell me.”

“I think something or someone comes to our room at night.”

“How?”

“Something entered our room last night. I’m sure of it. I couldn’t sleep because I’m needing to pee frequently and there was no light. I felt it. Shortly after it entered, my mum began to moan and call Achike. It was not a dream.”

Ndifreke stood and walked to the window. Maya stood too and went and stood by him.

“I am trying to understand what happened to me too last night.” Sensing he would alarm her, Ndifreke turned and said, “Maybe it was nothing.”

“No don’t say so. I know what I felt was not nothing. If you felt something similar then there is something wrong.”

“I saw three people. It was a dream all right but if felt very real. They hid their faces because they thought I would recognize them. They tied me to a stake and left me there. I woke up very weak.”

“I think we need to pray.”

“Well, maybe.”

“No, seriously. We are under attack.”

Ndifreke thought about it and said “Easy. It was a nightmare. And it’s a coincidence it happened to two of us in one night.”

Maya was not convinced, but she did not wish to argue. She would talk to her mother about it. They had to do something.

“I have to go now. I need to lie down before my mother returns from the market. Please think about what I have told you. We need to do something.”

“Alright darling” Ndireke said and took her hands. “Soon I’ll get a place and you will move in with me okay? I feel bad that you are carrying my child and you cannot even have a good sleep.”

Maya nodded and said, “it’s ok. Let me go now.”

Maya took two steps in the corridor and tripped over a large snail shell. As she was about to fall she felt someone hold her by the waist from behind. She felt a sudden jolt as the hand caressed her stomach before she was spun round to face Mama Akunna.

“Na who keep dis tin for hia? shey you no wound?”

“No mama. I’m fine. How you manage catch me quick like dat?”

“Na ya luck say I quick see you as you wan fall. I see say you no look ground as you comot for ya man house.”

“Thank you Mama."

“No problem my pikin."

Maya got to the staircase and started to climb. But she could not ignore the burning sensation she felt where Mama Akunna had touched her tummy. She turned back and looked and saw that she was still standing there.

Mama Akunna was smiling at her.


TO BE CONTINUED

gracile:

None I've written yet, don't mind me the story been in my mind alright I'll just need to start pouring them out. Its pure laziness, i know you understand lol

A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people - Thomas Mann.

MhizSuccess:
wow. Thanks for the update

You're welcome

tsharp:
Thanks for the update Centino. Lost hope for dis week when yesterday passed. Abeg still try on Sunday.

Mama Akunna sent to liberate the world with Ogogoro

Centino na master.

Thanks man. Sunday...hmmm

phoenixchap:
I hope the writer block done clear

e be like

beetown:
oshey Centino

you've outdone yourself again.

Really nice

Thanks man.

eyesofpearls:
Ah! Centino baba! You’ve done it again! You keep one drooling for more! Na wa o

THE AFTERMATH

The next three months at 225 Katakata Street saw a major shift in the worldview of its residents. Akunna’s travails rocked them all such that they all saw themselves to reevaluate their lives and their roles in all that happened. Some believed that in some way they were culpable. They all knew Awero was having an illicit affair with Talabi and did nothing. They all witnessed the abuse Mama Akunna meted out to her and her children and did nothing. To say it came as a total surprise that that family crumbled would be dishonest. But the death of a woman and her four children was not something anyone hoped for envisaged. Now they were left feeling they had failed in some way.

“You see why I like communal living,” Achike said. If this was in our village, a woman leaving her husband's bed and going to another man’s in the same compound, the elders would have stood up. They would have made sure that that thing that is scratching her between her legs is subdued. They would have taught the man the lesson of his life, paraded both of them through the streets, and had them cleansed. But here in the city, we say we are minding our business, and today they are dead."

“In my place, ekpo nka awo would have taken care of the matter. The woman and the man could have died if nothing was done quickly. The spirit does not take nonsense. But the children would have been saved. This Lagos life has destroyed lives.” Mkpoikanna-Abasi said.

“How does that one work Mkpo?”

“There is a spirit in the land that takes care of married women who cheat. If you just go outside and fvck, your own don finish. Hin go kill you and kill the man sometimes. Your belle go big till e burst and you go go explain to your ancestors wetin dey worry you for your toto.”

“That is so primitive.”

“Primitive ehn, as Awero use because of fvck kill all her children so good?”

“Well. My own is that, from now on, I will not see evil and keep quiet. If we had stopped the affair, Talabi would have gone and looked for another woman. Awero would have been managing Akunna, or even leave him if she did not want again. At least they will all be alive. The tragedy we have seen, I don’t want to see again.”

“We can inaugurate our own council of elders in this compound and take a close look at things as they happen. We all know where we belong in society so we cannot claim importance we do not have. If the only thing we can gain in our lives is to institute a system that will cater for all and prevent things like what happened recently then let’s do it. Mr Zubi, we already see you as our leader. Be the compound chairman.”

“Agreed. Agreed.”

“Mr Cosmas. I too know. Be our secretary and mouthpiece.”

“Agreed. Agreed.”

“Every married man who has children will join the council. We will meet once a month and review things. Anything we do not like, we speak up. If anyone is going astray, we rein them in. If anyone needs help, we offer what we can. We don’t want to sit around and do nothing and someone else ends up at Yaba left like Akunna. And speaking of Akunna, we must take turns to go and visit him at the psychiatric hospital. We cannot leave him alone now.”

“I believe that what we are practicing in this country is democracy. Is it not proper for us to democratically elect those that will make up this council?”

“Have you come again with your confusion Josiah? What has the democracy done for us since 1999? We sheepishly follow the ways of Oyinbo people even when it does not work for us. If I had my way, we will come under a strong man who will whip everyone in line. Democracy is not for Africa because we Africans behave like animals and animals need iron hand.”

“Shut up there my friend! How dare you disrespect us? You may be an animal but I am not!”

“I stand by my words. Look at Libya today. Compare it with Libya under Ghaddafi. They had the most robust economy. Things worked. There was no slavery. Everyone stayed in their lane. Same as Iraq under Saddam. But busybody Uncle Sam went in with their forces and decimated a working system and today the people they claimed they wanted to liberate are roaming about like sheep without a shepherd, killing themselves and destroying what their visionary leaders put in place. Here in Africa, we know how we were prior to democracy. Those of you who are too young to know, go home and ask your elders.”

“Alright, enough. Mr Zubi is our chairman. We will meet every last Saturday of the month and consider things. Everyone should be happy with that. Mr Kingsley, how do you see it?"

“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community – Anthony J. D’angelo”

“You have come again. You have not seen that people have died and we have to solve a problem in plain English.”

“I think what he is saying is that we must be ready to care for each other. That is point of the whole thing.”

“So what have we been saying since morning?”

“Easy my friends.”


Mama Akunna was at first evasive and even dismissive when asked about her dying experience. How did she come back to life after being certified dead? Did she really eat the poison? How was it that it was that day of all days that she became kind to the children and shared her food with them? If Talabi had not made a dash for it and Awero confessed to the poisoning, Mama Akunna would surely have been cooling her heels in Kirikiri by now. Compound members however suspected that she must have known about the poisoning and turned the tables on Talabi and his lover. Irikefe and his father were certain. After the law was satisfied that she was a lucky innocent old woman and left her to continue her life, with a lot of sympathy for having to suffer all those losses and having her only son committed to the psychiatric hospital and now having to take care of an infant grandchild, Mama Akunna turned her attention to her business and used her alleged death to her advantage.
Since people wanted to know what it was like to die, she had a story for them.

“As I just close my eye I just fly go one far place for up. When I reach dia I see one Baba wey wear white agbada with long biabia. Hin come call me by de name my mama give me. Hin say Nkechi wetin you dey do hia? I come tell am say na die I die. Hin come say 'No Nkechi…you cannot die!' I come tell am say papa, dem say I don die. Dem put otapiapia for my stew. Hin come say No. 'You cannot die. How can you die when you drink ogogoro everyday? Hin come tell me say dis ogogoro wey I dey sell, dey also drink, naim save my life. Hin come say 'I sent you to the world to use ogogoro to save the lives my children.' Na so hin talk o! una know say I no sabi grammar. Hin say 'Whoever drinks your ogogoro will not die but have eternal life.' I come say haa, papa, na ordinary ogogoro with root I dey sell o! Hin come say 'Who told you it is ordinary ogogoro with root? I made ogogoro and the root and I gave you the idea to mix the root. Everybody you mix root for will be healed of every disease.' I come tell am say Ok papa I have hear. I go go back go save my people with my ogogoro. I come beg am say make hin no leave only me to go alone. I beg am make hin leave Awero pikin dem. Hin come say dem be basitad. 'And every basitad must to die'. I come say Ok papa na true you talk. Every basitad must to die. So I come wake up. So my people, if una wan live long like me, make una come buy my ogogoro. Anything wey dey worry una, make una come tell me, I go helep una. If to say ogogoro na bad thing or say I be bad pesin, I no for die come back.” Mama Akunna told the same story every day as outsiders flocked to her shed and her business blossomed.


Castro approached Sister Esther and said, “Sister, could what Mama Akunna be saying be true?” Her response was “My father is no author of confusion.”

“But she died. We all saw it. She could be telling the truth.”

“We are not ignorant of the devices of the devil.”

“Erm Sister, Can I come and pray with you tonight? I am filled with the Holy Ghost and I want to share.”

Sister Esther looked this way and that way and said “Your fada.”


Irikefe moved back in with his father after promising to be of good behavior and hoping that her recent travails would take Mama Akunna’s attention from him.

Achike slept with Mama Tobi two more times but began to avoid her when she made him make two basins of fufu every weekend. “If I continue like this,” he said to Josiah “I will turn to an ape.” So he turned his attention to a pretty new tenant called Josephine who was a nurse at God Dey Hospital.

Ndifreke continued to toil to provide for Maya who now had a visible baby bump. He listened to her tummy every day and never returned home without a gift for her. They seemed happy together. Though he worried as her tummy grew, because she still lived with her mother and he was nowhere near getting a place of his own, he somehow felt assured that everything would be all right.

Mama Akunna took note of everything that went on in the compound. Then one night, as soon as she unstrapped her grandson from her back where she put him when she did her business, she lay beside him on the bed she had now inherited and one minute later, they both left their bodies and landed on the roof in the form of kites.

“Why did we have to wait so long to come out here again" he said to her?

“Because it was not yet time.”

“So it is time now.”

“Yes it is.”


TO BE CONTINUED.

beetown:
I've been here since the start, frustration has brought me out of ghost mode...


Centino coman update

Hahahaha what an entrance. Welcome man. Enjoy the update

tsharp:
Centino be filled!

Thanks my bro! I receive it!