Outcast - Episode 2

Mama Nnukwu returned to the river goddess, but she was assured that Mama would give birth to a girl. I returned from the womb with the two tribal marks Mama gave the fourth child before he died. It was a full mark on my two faces. But it came as a birth mark on the sides of my face. The exact spots where beards grows down to the chin. Papa as usual, was happy but with a hope that I won't die again.

"This is the same mysterious child", Mama said and panicked.

"Child is from God. Forget about the coincidence and whatever mark", Mama Ebuka assured Mama. It was surprisingly that Papa named me ChukwuEbuka. The same name as Mama's friend first son. 

I was five years now, I'm still alive. No Mama and Papa child have lived up to this age.. Mama Nnukwu always pressured Mama to get pregnant again, but it wasn't forthcoming. Mama Nnukwu thought Mama was doing it to spite her. Mama Nnukwu preferred to cook for herself. She doesn't eat Mama's food again.

"Why would I eat food from a wicked woman who doesn't want to do what I want. She has poisoned my son mind too. He only does her wish", Mama Nnukwu would tell her friends. She always called for meetings where she tables the matter to the kinsmen

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/outcast

. Papa always entertained the kinsmen with palm wine, as they discussed and cackled along. The meeting always end fruitless.

"It's not my fault. I have been trying........... not forthcoming", Mama said. After the 'I have been trying', I heard another muttering that came out from Mama, but I didn't understand. I was a child and couldn't grasp words fully. All I know was that Mama was crying.

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Papa promised to do anything I want if I survive on my sixth birthday. A day before, I fell sick, Mama was scared. My temperature became above normal. Mama wanted to take me to the Parish for Reverend father to pray for me. Mama Nnukwu rejected.

"He is an Ogbanje child from an OSU mother and must be treated in a traditional way, we will know happiness when she conceives a female child", Mama Nnukwu said angrily.

Mama countered her with so much guts, "you can't do anything. My child belongs to the church and nothing you can do about it. If I loose my child, I can't conceive again", Mama cried.

"Leave her to do anything she wants. This is our fifth child and your traditional medicine hasn't done anything", Papa chided Mama Nnukwu.

"Oh, it's your plans to relegate me. Don't worry, we will know who first saw the stars and moon of the earth", Mama Nnukwu said and ran to her hut. Mama Nnukwu lived in a hut, while Papa built a cemented four room apartment beside it. Mama Nnukwu had been told to relocate to our cemented house, but she preferred her mud house. She always said she loved the calmness and coldness it brought.

Mama took me to the Catechist office at the parish. He called for the Reverend father. A white man with curly hair, he spoke through his nose as our villagers alluded. I have never seen him before. The catechist took Mama and I, to the sacristy for the reverend father who was celebrating mass at the alter to be done. The sacristy looked beautiful. It was decorated with mass attires and other things. The architecture wowed me. I could still figure and observe most things around. My body was hot. It was above normal temperature.

"His body is becoming hotter. Like a boiling water", Mama said as she held catechist by his trouser. My eyes was closing bits by bits, I didn't understand what was happening again, until a body of water was being sprinkled on me and people were muttering words. I was lying on the floor haplessly, surrounded by two women on a long white scarf. The had no makeup on. They were beautiful. They wore white dressings.

"Thank you, sisters", Mama said. Mama and I stayed with the Reverend sisters for days. They muttered prayers every morning and night. The Reverend sister told Mama that she needs to be bringing me to church, so that I will be baptised and do other things necessary.

We got home, Papa's joy was unspeakable.

Read " The Missionary's Journey " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. He killed a fowl to celebrate my arrival.

"It seems this white man's religion is making sense", Papa said.

"It's like they have brainwashed you. There is nothing like our chi. The goddess of the river, Oma'mmiri, had assured we will be happy when a female child is born", Mama Nnukwu said. Mama Nnukwu found every opportunity to discredit my revival by the white man's religion.

I still had scary nightmares. It made me restless. I was being pursued by a woman with seven heads in my nightmares. She said she would deal with me. I was proving stubborn, which was according to her words. In my nightmare, I was always doing hide and seek at the back of the trees that littered our big compound. Just then, a woman with seven head, tickles me from behind, I turned staring at the scary creature before I scurried for help and she pursued me. While I almost fell, I woke up immediately.