ROUGH PAST (II)
At this time, it was past eight O’clock at
night. In Lagos, likewise other booming cities across the country, at eight,
many residents were yet to return; hence, Andrew was still expecting more
sympathizers in his apartment, particularly his neighbours who were still on
their way home. And he had apparently lost the strength to walk to the entrance
towards keeping the door open.
As
he, alongside his best friend Dube, separately sat firmly in a single
upholstery chair right at the former’s parlour, they both seemed not unlike
soured brown pap packed in archaic plates. Therein, the latter dissolved into
uncontrollable tears; sure, he wasn’t just sharing the pains of his childhood
pal but was equally feeling for himself.
It would interest, perhaps shock you to
note that the 42-year-old Dube who attended the same primary, secondary as well
as university with Andrew in the ancient city of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria was
as well passing through similar marital crisis in his life. He had thus far
entombed two wives and was currently living with the third one named Lucy. But
the two didn’t die in pregnancy as those of Andrew did, though they passed away
mysteriously.
Lucy who had been living in fears
having learnt of the unspeakable that befell her predecessors, had taken her
precious time to tour across almost all the ‘bible-believing’ churches within
her territory toward ascertaining what actually was wrong as well as solving
the ordeal, all to no avail. Each of
them came up with different problem cum prophesy, and ended up actualizing
nothing having consumed reasonable sum of money from the solution seeker.
“Oh Lord,” exclaimed Dube, facing
upward, still seated. “What is all these?”
Andrew was speechless.
Dube quickly wiped out his tears. “God
answer me.” he said. “Why are all these happening to us?”
There was maximum muteness.
“I can’t just understand.” Andrew broke
the silence, still firmly seated. “Are we cursed or what?” He added furiously,
stylishly looking at his friend.
“It is high time we found out.”
suggested Dube. “We can’t continue like this.” He supplemented, gesticulating.
“I think you are right.” Andrew
concurred. “But how do we go about it?”
“I think I have an idea.” Dube thought
aloud.
“You do?”
Dube nodded. “Yes.” He said.
“So..?”
“Don’t worry,” quoth Dube. “I will
tell you later.”
“I can’t just wait.”
“Relaxed, okay?” urged Dube. “First
thing tomorrow morning, we shall embark on a journey.” He informed hesitantly.
At this moment, it was about some
minutes to nine O’clock.
“To where?” Andrew inquired anxiously.
Before Dube could respond, his cell
phone rang; it was Lucy, his darling wife. He sluggishly took the call. “Hello
dear!” He answered.
“Honey, how are you?” she enquired.
“What is wrong with your friend.” She added in a jiffy.
She was with him when Andrew called
to ask for his presence urgently. So, since Dube left his matrimonial home for
Andrew’s, she had remained perplexed and consequently lost her appetite.
“Nothing so serious, dear.” He lied.
“Nothing so serious?”
“Yes dear.”
“So why
the urgency?” she said, referring to the said phone call.
Dube was silent.
“So, are you coming back tonight?” she
supplemented.
“No,” replied Dube quietly. “I will be
back tomorrow.”
“Dear, I know there’s something
wrong.” She perceived. “Please tell me, what is the problem?”
“Like I said earlier,” quoth Dube.
“Nothing so serious.”
“I insist you tell me what really
happened.”
Andrew was ab initio overhearing the
conversation as he sat in the seat like a rejected baboon.
“You
insist?” reechoed Dube.
“Yes.”
“Okay,” said Dube. “Chidinma is gone.” He
notified hesitantly.
“Chidinma is what?”
“She died in labour.” He frankly
supplemented, cut the call as he heard her roaring.
He was therein troubled by the thought that
Lucy could not cope with the bad news, but was later consoled by the fact that
they were living with one of his younger sisters who could serve as a good
consoler.
The following day, the duo – Andrew and
Dube – embarked on the proposed odyssey. They were headed for a soothsayer who
could aptly interpret their past, present as well as future.
“Oh,” exclaimed the soothsayer as soon
as they were ushered into his mud house. “Your hands are stained with blood.”
They looked at each other in silent
awe, standing.
“I mean,” the old man added. “Pool of
blood.”
They were enjoined to sit on bare floor, and
therein the equally seated soothsayer began to reveal their rough past.
As if they had forgotten, the truth of
the matter was that the duo was into cultism during their university days. They
committed countless atrocities while in the confraternity and what they were
suffering at the moment was not unconnected with a murder they committed
inadvertently on one certain day they went for a highway robbery.
On that fateful day, they shot
sporadically and in the process, a stray bullet caught a heavily pregnant woman
who was a passerby. The said victim died at the spot but before she gave up the
ghost, she cast a spell on the robbers, stating that none of them would ever
hear the cry of a baby in his marital home.
Intriguingly, according to the
soothsayer, Andrew was actually the one who released the bullet in question.
In line with the shocking revelation, a
holistic cleansing was conducted on them thereafter, and consequently they were
eventually freed from the lingered bondage.
Andrew remarried one year on upon his
parents’ importunities and was afterwards blessed with bouncing children,
whilst Dube and Lucy were equally blessed with a happy home juxtaposed with
beautiful kids.
Though
they were later released from the cursed land, the lesson they learnt from the
Karma that ensued from the rough past remained a thing they would live to
recall.
FDN Nwaozor
Executive
Director, Docfred Resource Clinic - Owerri
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