"Jericho!" Aju bellowed,deep lines of constricted veins etching her slender neck. "Jericho!" She called again,advancing towards where the sleeping child lay on the raffia mat. She was fuming in annoyance now,repressing the urge to strike her.
The sleeping girl murmured something incoherent in her sleep and wouldn't bulge. Instead, she positioned her head in a more comfortable angle and continued to snore softly.
"Je-ri-cho!" Aju impatiently made to shove her now but stopped midway as Obuh in that croaky voice of his commanded her to a halt. "Don't you wake Jeriko! Leave her, woman! "
Aju's hand slowly dropped as she rounded on her husband angrily,"Why wouldn't I wake the foolish girl who dreams and sees all sorts of foolish visions?! Tell me, Obuh. The dishes are dirty and have not been washed! No melon has been split today! The yams have not been stacked in the barn ! The chickens haven't been fed! Yet you would rather leave her to snore away!"
Obuh stared hard at his wife and the corner of lips tilted lopsidedly. It was hard to decipher if he were amused or angry now. "You know how those dreams have helped us in the past. Let her dream,Aju. Leave the child to fetch news from the gods. Not everyone is blessed by the gods to hear and see things! " He brushed past her and went out.
Aju bristled in anger. One more look at the girl and she was sure to strangle her and face the consequences. Mustering all the willpower she could,she moved away from her, gnashing her teeth and cursing the day they found the orphan child by the river bank ten years ago. If only she hadn't been moved by the wailing infant whose face was covered with blood; the sight of the twisted umbilical cord that was unevenly severed. She remembered the moment the shrieking child had seemed to stare right through her soul,her small half-closed eyes fixated on her. It was never easy to forget the gush of maternal instincts she felt the moment the she quietened and somewhat seemed to angle towards her bosom! It was a warm feeling. The beauty of it was awesome.. Well, until she began to grow into some sort of clairvoyant being!
Yes, she had been barren and had incessantly cried to the gods for a child. Yes,she was eventually remembered by the gods and blessed with the most beautiful child in the whole village, but oh, how she hated that psychic streak that had become a part of her. And gradually she'd come to detest the child passionately.
"Papa! Papa! " cried Jericho. Obuh heard the frantic cry of his daughter and rushed back into the hut.
"You're awake my daughter.." He reached for her and held her in his arms. A trickle of tear flowed from her eyes as she pulled away from him. She wiped her face with the back of her hand,holding her father's stare intently.
And then Obuh noticed that she was far from being upset. Was it a smile he saw lurking around her lips?
"Tell me about your vision,child.." he urged.
She smiled now, her eyes lighting up as she did. She was such a beautiful child. Obuh's chest tightened with so much love for his daughter and on impulse stretched out his arms. Wordlessly she rushed in and held on to him."Mama will have a son." She said softly.
Obuh pulled back.
He blinked his eyes,forehead furrowing in a slight frown.
" Come on,tell me about it." His voice was huskier now.
"In this dream I saw Mama carrying a baby. He had the most beautiful eyes. There she sat under the moonlight,playing with him. It was a boy, Papa. A big boy..." She trailed off,her eyes staring into empty space,her mind capturing what she had envisoned. Jericho swallowed as she went on,"He bore a striking resemblance to you, papa. He had long hands and long legs,just like you. Mama was so happy. She played with him. She laughed with him. Everyone was happy. "
"Go,child! Go tell your mother what you have seen." He urged.
Jericho hesitated. She knew how upset her mother was over her ceaseless visions.
"Go child. She will be happy over this!"
Jericho slowly went in search of her mother and found her at the backyard feeding the chickens.
"I can see you have finally woken up! Right now go and fetch some water from the stream. Afterwards you wash the plates." Aju said as she sighted her hovering nearby.
"Mama, I had a dream -" Jericho began gently.
"Will you shut up! Who is interested in your stupid and cursed dreams??! Me? "
"Mama..."
Aju took a menacing step forward and Jericho fled her presence fast as her legs would carry her.
"Stupid child. If it she isn't dreaming of one death or the other, she's dreaming of snake bites. Harbinger of doom! Who cares if she dreamed I even bore a child! Nonsense..."
She went back to the task of feeding the chickens that were clucking now in delight.
To be continued.
Written by Osarhieme Okungbowa.
And yes, it's pure fiction! *hugesmile*
The sleeping girl murmured something incoherent in her sleep and wouldn't bulge. Instead, she positioned her head in a more comfortable angle and continued to snore softly.
"Je-ri-cho!" Aju impatiently made to shove her now but stopped midway as Obuh in that croaky voice of his commanded her to a halt. "Don't you wake Jeriko! Leave her, woman! "
Aju's hand slowly dropped as she rounded on her husband angrily,"Why wouldn't I wake the foolish girl who dreams and sees all sorts of foolish visions?! Tell me, Obuh. The dishes are dirty and have not been washed! No melon has been split today! The yams have not been stacked in the barn ! The chickens haven't been fed! Yet you would rather leave her to snore away!"
Obuh stared hard at his wife and the corner of lips tilted lopsidedly. It was hard to decipher if he were amused or angry now. "You know how those dreams have helped us in the past. Let her dream,Aju. Leave the child to fetch news from the gods. Not everyone is blessed by the gods to hear and see things! " He brushed past her and went out.
Aju bristled in anger. One more look at the girl and she was sure to strangle her and face the consequences. Mustering all the willpower she could,she moved away from her, gnashing her teeth and cursing the day they found the orphan child by the river bank ten years ago. If only she hadn't been moved by the wailing infant whose face was covered with blood; the sight of the twisted umbilical cord that was unevenly severed. She remembered the moment the shrieking child had seemed to stare right through her soul,her small half-closed eyes fixated on her. It was never easy to forget the gush of maternal instincts she felt the moment the she quietened and somewhat seemed to angle towards her bosom! It was a warm feeling. The beauty of it was awesome.. Well, until she began to grow into some sort of clairvoyant being!
Yes, she had been barren and had incessantly cried to the gods for a child. Yes,she was eventually remembered by the gods and blessed with the most beautiful child in the whole village, but oh, how she hated that psychic streak that had become a part of her. And gradually she'd come to detest the child passionately.
"Papa! Papa! " cried Jericho. Obuh heard the frantic cry of his daughter and rushed back into the hut.
"You're awake my daughter.." He reached for her and held her in his arms. A trickle of tear flowed from her eyes as she pulled away from him. She wiped her face with the back of her hand,holding her father's stare intently.
And then Obuh noticed that she was far from being upset. Was it a smile he saw lurking around her lips?
"Tell me about your vision,child.." he urged.
She smiled now, her eyes lighting up as she did. She was such a beautiful child. Obuh's chest tightened with so much love for his daughter and on impulse stretched out his arms. Wordlessly she rushed in and held on to him."Mama will have a son." She said softly.
Obuh pulled back.
He blinked his eyes,forehead furrowing in a slight frown.
" Come on,tell me about it." His voice was huskier now.
"In this dream I saw Mama carrying a baby. He had the most beautiful eyes. There she sat under the moonlight,playing with him. It was a boy, Papa. A big boy..." She trailed off,her eyes staring into empty space,her mind capturing what she had envisoned. Jericho swallowed as she went on,"He bore a striking resemblance to you, papa. He had long hands and long legs,just like you. Mama was so happy. She played with him. She laughed with him. Everyone was happy. "
"Go,child! Go tell your mother what you have seen." He urged.
Jericho hesitated. She knew how upset her mother was over her ceaseless visions.
"Go child. She will be happy over this!"
Jericho slowly went in search of her mother and found her at the backyard feeding the chickens.
"I can see you have finally woken up! Right now go and fetch some water from the stream. Afterwards you wash the plates." Aju said as she sighted her hovering nearby.
"Mama, I had a dream -" Jericho began gently.
"Will you shut up! Who is interested in your stupid and cursed dreams??! Me? "
"Mama..."
Aju took a menacing step forward and Jericho fled her presence fast as her legs would carry her.
"Stupid child. If it she isn't dreaming of one death or the other, she's dreaming of snake bites. Harbinger of doom! Who cares if she dreamed I even bore a child! Nonsense..."
She went back to the task of feeding the chickens that were clucking now in delight.
To be continued.
Written by Osarhieme Okungbowa.
And yes, it's pure fiction! *hugesmile*
Awesome. More more more!!!
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