Chapter 7

The weather was blustery. Ntone had gone to the market with Eno-obong. Ntone needed to buy foodstuffs while Eno-obong needed a few wears. A downpour seemed inevitable as dust particles flew into their eyes momentarily blinding them. Ntone was grateful that they had bought all that they needed since dusk was already approaching. The buses and taxis that passed by were filled up and had no extra seats left. The two girls waited by the roadside for almost two hours, praying that a downpour would not start.

“I think we should walk back to school.” Enoobong suggested, stooping to pick up her sack. Several people hurried past them. The colour of the clouds had turned to a hue of black and tiny water droplets were already grazing their skin.

“Wouldn’t the distance be too much for you to trek? I can walk the distance myself but I’m concerned about you.” Ntone replied, at the same time trying to make way for the ever thickening throng that flooded past them.

“I know of a shortcut that would lead us to school.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Ntone picked up the BAGCO bag beside her and followed closely behind the other girl. They couldn’t move beside each other as they made their way through the crowd. Ntone trusted the other girl’s judgement because her parents lived in Calabar. Eno-obong obviously knew the environs very well. They went through a road that seemed to cut in between a line of shops. By the time they took the turning to the left, the rain droplets were already grazing their skin with increased intensity. The road seemed deserted and Ntone noticed that a few uncompleted buildings lined both sides of the road.

“We have to move quickly.” Ntone said, her blood already curdling. “It appears we are the only people on this road.”

“Relax.” Eno-obong replied. “You have only the rain to worry about. I have passed through this road several times.”

“I still think we should move quickly.”

They moved on, content with silence as a companion until the sound of footsteps behind them caused them to turn round. Their eyes met with the fearful images of four men, moving menacingly towards them.

“Don’t you dare move!” a voice barked. The girls couldn’t see their faces in the dark but the outline of their figures against the darkness revealed three tall men and a short one. Ntone swallowed hard, as she was unable to control the wild race her heart was doing. Both girls knew that attempting to run would be futile.

Ntone took a step backwards and bumped into her friend.

“Didn’t I tell you not to move?” the one who had spoken first barked.

“What do you want from us?” Ntone’s fingers had already curled into a fist.

“Ha, ha, ha! Good question.” Another with a gruff voice replied. “We want you.”

The men drew dangerously close. A mixture of alcohol and Indian hemp oozed from them causing Ntone’s stomach to churn.

“Please don’t harm us. We are students.” Enoobong tearfully pleaded, grasping Ntone’s left hand as if for refuge.

“Shut up!” several gruff voices barked in unison.

Ntone’s mind was working fast. Only a brilliant idea would save them. She reached inside her handbag and felt the spray can. Her heart warmed up in gratitude when she remembered that she had tossed the insecticide inside her handbag instead of the blue BAGCO sack. Their assailants would have been suspicious if she had to stoop to search for anything inside the sack.

“Do as I say.” She whispered into Eno-obong’s ear.

“Throw away your sack and run when I say so.” “What are you saying?” Someone barked.

“We are just…” Ntone began, gently pulling out the spray can containing insecticide. She pointed the can in the direction of their faces and, without wasting a split second released the content on them.

“Throw your sack and run.” She said to Eno-obong, who promptly obeyed.

Loud sneezing and coughing followed almost immediately while the two girls ran as fast as their legs could carry them.

“Follow them.” An angry voice yelled.

The girls covered a good distance while the men followed in a hot chase.

“Keep running.” Ntone shouted. While Eno-obong began to show signs of slowing down, Ntone had no difficulty in running. The strenuous life in the village had prepared her. They ran until they arrived at a busy road. It was a commercial area and many shops were still open. They stopped running and trudged on until they were enclosed by the safe walls of the university.

●

“I hope Usuku’s medicine is not dead too.” Asinya said in a loud voice.

“Ssh.” Evelyn cautioned, placing a forefinger on her lips. They were on their way to Usuku’s shrine. This was their second visit. On their first visit, Usuku had promised to send the arrow of destruction to the girl in Calabar. Three months had already elapsed. Asinya who had patiently waited for news of the girl’s doom was disappointed when she heard nothing. The second visit to the medicine man was to find out what had gone wrong. Evelyn, her accomplice, had accompanied her again to the next village.

“Haven’t you heard about what Usuku did to the stubborn chief?” Evelyn asked, readjusting her wrapper even though it was held securely in place.

She did that whenever she was about to tell a tale.

“What chief?” Asinya asked, puzzled.

“Chief Ibiam.” Evelyn began, reducing her pace. Asinya did the same. “You see, for some time now, Chief Ibiam had been waging war against Usuku’s village. His boys would lie in wait for the villagers in the surrounding bushes. They spared no one. Chief Ibiam wanted the land beyond the river. Usuku sent emissaries to Chief Ibiam asking him to desist from such despicable acts but Chief Ibiam would not listen. He even went as far as slaughtering the wife of the Chief in Usuku’s village while she was on her way to visit her mother in another village. Usuku’s anger was let loose. He unleashed the waters in their river on Chief Ibiam’s village. The village was wiped away in one night by a strange flood. Not even a rat survived it.” Evelyn gestured by creating an O with her thumb and forefinger.

Asinya shook her head in bewilderment.

“Hmm, I hope he unleashes another flood on my step-sister.”

“Your mind works really fast my friend.” Evelyn laughed, clasping both palms. “We have to hurry. The shrine is still far away.”

Asinya didn’t seem to hear her accomplice. Her mind was still working on the possibility of Usuku sending a flood to drown her step-sister in Calabar.

“We must hurry my friend. It might rain.” Evelyn said, casting a quick glance at the sky.

They walked through the meadow that separated Usuku’s hut from the main road. The rotting thatch roof was gradually becoming visible. They saw a woman walking towards them and instantly recognised her. She was from their village.

“Quick, hide. It’s Maggie.” Evelyn whispered.

The two ladies quickly ducked behind the grasses to the right.

“Do you think she saw us?” Asinya whispered, crouching behind Evelyn.

“No, she was muttering to herself, and she had her face down.”

They waited behind the grasses until the woman passed. When they emerged from their hiding place, they had grasses and leaves stuck to their hair and other body parts. They quickly brushed away the dirt and continued with their journey. They were still scratching their body when they arrived at Usuku’s hut.

“I hope you come in peace.” Usuku asked the moment they walked inside the hut.

“Yes.” Evelyn responded. “My friend is worried that the medicine has had no effect on her stepsister.”

Usuku laughed at this remark. When he laughed, his bare chest shook causing lumps of flesh to perform a wild dance. He had the height and build of a warrior.

“Then she doesn’t know how Usuku’s medicine works.”

Evelyn nodded to her friend in a gesture that clearly said, ‘Didn’t I tell you?’

Asinya was still feeling irritated by the scratches the tall elephant grasses had left on her body. She returned a perplexed look.

“Sit.” Usuku motioned to a low wooden bench in front of him. Both ladies promptly obeyed.

“You said I should destroy the girl, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Evelyn responded, when Asinya didn’t answer.

“Usuku’s medicine is programmed for the right time and season. Didn’t you tell that to your friend,” he shot Evelyn a searching look.

“I told her, but she wouldn’t listen to me. It’s good that you’ve confirmed what I told her.”

“You have nothing to worry about. The news will soon get to you.” Usuku said, turning to stare at Asinya.

“What news?” Asinya asked, momentarily forgetting her irritation.

“The girls doom. I am Usuku, the mediator between men and demons. I do not lie.” He rose to his feet, his eyes rolling fearfully as the words came out of his mouth like a war chant.

“Go. I do not speak in riddles. My words are clearer than the sun. The girl’s doom is sure.”

“Thank you.” Both ladies echoed, as they rose to their feet. They scurried out of the hut as if they were being chased. Even when they had covered a good distance away from the hut, the medicine man’s chants still resounded causing them to run until they were safely out of the meadow.

●

“This is a case of murder. It cannot be handled by the school.” The chief security officer of the university spoke in a raucous voice. Ntone however didn’t hear him. Neither did she see his lips as he spoke. This was because her eyes had unleashed a flood that was temporarily blurring her vision.

“I didn’t do anything.” She cried further. “I cannot kill a human being.”

Her mind frantically raced through the only memory she could recall for the umpteenth time. Theresa and Folashade had both gone to their respective homes for the weekend leaving her alone in the room with Idorenyin. When she woke up in the morning, her eyes met with a gruesome sight. Idorenyin lay on the bed in a pool of blood with a knife pierced through her chest. She had called for help while she tried to pull out the knife from the girl’s chest. She was still trying to pull out the knife when girls from the other room knocked on the door. She had been too shocked to notice that there were bloodstains on her bedcovers, the rubber carpet and since she had tried to pull out the knife from the dead girl’s chest, she was also drenched in blood. The case was immediately reported to the university’s security office. At the security office, Ntone was shocked when the security officers said she was the chief suspect in the murder. They even had evidences to support their claim. The knife had her fingerprints and she also had blood on her. Ntone had informed them that she locked the door before they went to bed the previous night. On close examination of the doors and windows, they were still intact and there was no trace of a ‘break in.’

“The police have arrived.” Mr. Michael rose to his feet as two police inspectors and a constable walked inside the room.

Ntone wiped the tears with the back of her palm. She didn’t know what was happening around her. “She must have been lost,” she told herself.

“You’re welcome, officers.” Mr. Michael shook hands with the men. Ntone returned their questioning gaze with a curious one.

“We have to take the suspect to the police station for interrogation.” A tall and lanky one among them announced. Mr. Michael only nodded.

“You have to follow us to the station.” The tall man addressed Ntone.

“I didn’t kill my roommate. I was equally shocked when I saw her lying in a pool of blood. I didn’t know that trying to pull a knife out of her body would implicate me.” Ntone sobbed.

“You still have to follow us.” He said, sounding impatient. Ntone nodded and followed them out of the university security office. A crowd of students blocked the entrance and they had to push their way through the throng. She saw the fingers that pointed in her direction. Her eyes blinked helplessly at the flashlights from cameras as people took pictures. The tears were transparent enough for her to see the media team as they viewed her through large video cameras placed on their shoulders. She could also see the cloud that loomed over her threatening to destroy all that she had ever worked for.