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Chapter Eight
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2020-10-02 13:12:41The explicit silence that grew between the beautiful couple that morning was unexpressed on the look on Mrs Coker's face that morning as she came down the stairs looking perturbed, but was self controlled. The house was quiet, as it was a cool Saturday morning and the chirping sounds of birds as they fluttered their feathers, could be heard. One might think that the Coker's had a life that excluded the troubles of this world from the outside, but there was more to this as the strength to keep a family from the disparity that filled this earth was found in the person of Mrs Coker. She had set off on her journey that morning, to get Edna as she had left her to enjoy the comfort of her family and also her grandmother had wanted to have a discussion with her. She would begin by going to the office to get some documents prepared as her boss at the office had requested for them. The work had to be done quickly, in order to avoid coming back late in the evening. Mr Coker liked to eat his breakfast early in the morning while the children were still asleep. She made sure his food was ready and served at the dinning table. Her husband Mr Coker had been a loving man at the earlier years of their marriage but as the years rolled by he had turned into a man she felt was arrogant and cold towards her. He had always wanted more children which she would have loved to give him, but her inability to conceive again after their second child made their bond as a couple over the years cold. Her relentless efforts to get a child led to the habit of drinking all sorts of concoction and meeting different native doctors. She recalled on one occasion her friend had taken her to a Native doctor whom she claimed could resolve her problem of childlessness.
They had both gone out very early in the morning before the cock crowed, and the thought of going to a "juju man" again had gotten her scared, but she had yielded to the idea to ensure that she had peace in her home to avoid the incessant quarrels her husband brought. The taxi driver dropped them across the road and they took a narrow path which seemed to Mrs Coker like an endless route as they walked for a very long time. As they approached the shrine, the sight of strange animal bones which were placed in front, and blood was sprinkled around which got them frightened. Mrs Coker felt disgusted at the sight of blood and feathers but comported herself in a proper way.
The "juju" man smiled in a strange way revealing his broken front tooth and then commanded them to move backward, he sounded as though he was possessed with something other than himself. They moved backward slowly, and watched as he danced to the carved wooden statues in front of him. He presented a kola nut that was placed at the middle of the shrine and stretched forth his hand towards the sky. After some incantations, he picked one of the kola nut from a plate and placed the plate at the position of the ground were he had gotten it. He chewed the kola nut briskly as his jaw moved from side to side then he spat them on the ground.
"What do you seek in the altar of "Osimiri" he asked with a tone of huskiness.
"Osimiri, my friend has come to your altar to request for a child." Theresa finished her Statement in fear.
He got up from the mat and made some incantations towards the Calabash on the ground and turned to speak to them.
"Woman you are going to appease the God's with a sacrifice. The sacrifice of a black hen and one of your husband's clothes will be needed. However this sacrifice must be carried out with other items like the head of a new born baby cattle, who is still suckling, a black cock and the egg of an eagle but you have to give me the sum of two hundred thousand naira to get the items." He ended his statement and commanded that the sacrifice had to be carried out before dawn. They thanked him and walked out of the shrine after the 'juju man' ended his statement. They did not speak to each other for sometime until they were far away from the shrine Mrs Coker heaved and spoke:
"Do you think this will work?" Theresa reassured her once again as she talked about people who had gotten children from just going to meet him for the same problem. The day of the sacrifice came, Mrs Coker woke up very early in the morning when the sun was still rising in the cloudy sky.
"Where are you going to at this hour of the day?"
"I have something very important to do so that's why I am about to get prepared at this time of the day."
She got up from the bed that she and her husband laid on, but sometimes felt cold as she laid down on it alone when he went for some of his endless trips which seemed to take a long time before he returned and even when he was back, their seemed to be no time to stay at home with his family. She took her bath quickly and called her friend that morning as they headed for the shrine. The 'juju man' looked strange that morning as he had powder covered all over his body, his left eye was painted with a white chalk and his eyes shone very bright, he sang some songs of incantations and asked them to follow him as he walked through a bush path which led to a river. When they got to the river Mrs Coker was commanded by the 'juju man' to stand upright with the black cock in her hands. He made no sound now and after Mrs Coker had requested for what she desired he beheaded the cock and placed other sacrifices on the water as they left. Although she felt gladdened that a child will come the feeling of fear and the memory of effortless trials made her hope less. Months passed and their was still no sign of a child and when it became evident that a child was not forth coming she gave up her search for one. But that was sometime ago, she finished the paper work at the office before noon and hurriedly went to get Edna.
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