Chapter 11

Jesse playlist

Fragrance to fire

By Dunsin oyeka

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Nnomma had succeeded in forcing her father to bed ,so he could rest,he had kept on insisting that she looked for the stranger and bring him home,but where was she going to look for him ,he had saved her father with his mystical powers, she never had the opportunity to thank him .

If not for that stranger she might had been orphaned and all alone in this wicked world,having lost her beloved fiancee and mother to the cold hands of oshimiri,if her father had been the next victim she would have committed suicide knowing the agony would be too much to bear.

It felt more like the deities that the forefathers of umumiri had brought into the land with their own hands had marked her family as a victim,because it had succeeded in stealing her family happiness and leaving them all in despair, she had been heartbroken this past days and forlorn since the death of Osita,he was the only man ready to have anything to do with her who never mocked her father or the circumstances around her life.

Nnomma headed out into the dark with a touch light to go look for the stranger 

"Nnomma, where are you going at this hour of the night"

Adanna called out as she approached her friend

Their houses was just a stone throw away from each other but they hadn't seen each other for a while due to the circumstances happening around.

"I...I need to go look for someone"

"I saw what that stranger did where did he get such magical powers to defeat oshimiri masquerades, it has never been heard off"

"Shh! Adanna don't you know the trees and even the wind has ears,I have had enough drama in my life right now ,I don't need anymore ,please don't mention that name again"

"Its true my friend I forgot it brings nothing but badluck ,pains and suffering" Adanna lamented

"But i would like to know where that stranger got those powers ,so I can also use it to protect my poor mother and my siblings"

"Adanna please I need to go look for him,its getting late"

"There is a rumour that the stranger is in that abandoned church building ,I wonder what he is doing there "

"Are you sure"

"Its just a rumour ohhhh" Adanna replied her

"Adanna"A thin woman called from the other Adanna compound

" that's my mother ,I must return back,but I hope you are not thinking of going there this night "

"Am sure those masquerades are looking for him,I need to bring him here"Nnomma replied

" we all know they will come after him for daring the masquerades of the gods" Adanna replied

"Whatever I need to go,see you later" nnomma replied as she left on her way to the abandoned church building "

Nnomma had never felt so terrified as she kept on turning around to check if she was been followed, the serenity of the night was like there was no life in existence, the bloody toll Oshimiri had in the community had taken an inbred fear on every one that everyone was unsafe ,she didn't even know why she was risking her neck to go look for a total stranger,he might be dangerous or worst than oshimiri, she hastened her feet ignoring the slow whisk of the wind ,the distant crock of frogs ,even as vultures hovered high in the sky screeching loudly .

Atlast Nnomma sighted the strangers car parked she moved close to see if he was inside but felt someone's presence ,the back of her neck pricked she was about screaming when strong arm wrapped around her mouth,she tried struggling kicking hard she was not ready to die that easily.

"Don't scream,relax its me" Jesse said softly as he let her go.

Nnomma slowly allowed herself to relax as she took in deep breaths

"Why didn't you just say you are there,you nearly brought my heart out of my chest" she queried

"I was expecting someone ,but sure not you" Jesse replied

"What?" Nnomma looked confused

"Never mind its really courageous of you to come out here in the dark despite what I see happening in this community" Jesse replied still looking at her

"My father asked me to bring you home,its not safe here"

"Thanks for looking out for my safety,is you father better now"Jesse asked

" yes he is fine,can we go now ,my skin is prickly like something is about to happen"

"Don't feel jumpy,you are safe with me ,God is with us" Jesse smiled"i am pastor Jesse"

"You are a pastor" she frowned

"Yes,I am a pastor and may I know your name" he chuckled

"Nnomma...what brought you to this cursed land"

"The holy spirit brought me here for an assignment and you have such a pretty name"

"Who is the holy spirit again" she inwardly asked herself looking confused

"He is a closest friend and a teacher you would love to have around you"Jesse replied with a smile

" let's go please"Nnomma replied not wanting to know how he could easily read her mind.

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"Oshimiri na kute kite

Oshimiri na bada bada...

This song rang in charlie self concious mind as she slept ,she felt uncomfortable, how could the ambulance seat be so hard and hot that her neck was cramped she shivered and was sure she wouldn't be able to move struggling to open her weak eyelids.

The morning sun greeted Charlie as it shone brightly clouding her vision

" I'm tied to a tree"

She tried to move but couldn't ,her feet hurt from standing too long she could not tell how long she had been there,suddenly everything that had happened before she had passed out flashed through her only then was her brain recuperated,only then did she registered that it was the only tree in the strange compound the houses were painted red and black everything about the place was unsettling to an innocent mind ,she wondered if Tope the Ambulance driver might had survived but how would she know.

The strange song that rang through her dazed dream was now heard loud and clear now as strange people came towards her and danced round the tree,they were clad in black wrapper,black charcoal dusted round there eyes and lips ,nzu dusted there bare feet's, each held a calabash with water on it that oozed black smoke

"Oshimiri na kute kute

Oshimiri na bada bada

Charlie had never felt so frightened in her entire life,it was a whole different kind of fright than when her daughter had disappeared into thin air with a stranger or when her husband had that look like he was about to die,she screamed loud thinking it was a dream they laughed wickedly at her silliness,it was a mockery laugh each sprinkled a drop of water at her from the calabash

" please where are mine? Where is my husband"

She asked desperately but was ignored

"I am pressed,I need to take a pee" she said again struggling to free herself it was to no avail

"Where am I,somebody please help me" the more she screamed the more they mocked her.

It took a while for Charlie to realize there was no help coming for her, the danced seized as they dropped the calabash round her and went away muttering incantations only known to them

"Oh God what have I gotten my self into? I should have listened to my husband, who did I offend ohhh

Who is doing this to me" she cried bitterly and in shame as hot liquid poured down from in between her thighs wetting her gown and flowed down her feet 

"please somebody help me"

Charlie saw no way to cover her shame ,she wept silently not knowing her fate or that of her family,her life had suddenly become a total mess

"Where is this cursed land?".

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