Chapter 5: Return to the River

3

When I wake up again, I dey back for River of Forgetfulness.

The sound of water calm, the breeze dey gentle. I dey feel like new spirit, even as my heart still dey heavy. Far for bush, one nightjar cry—like say e dey mourn for us.

Second Sister don return from land of the living, her power finish, she dey cry everyday because man break her heart, she dey wish make she die.

Every night, I dey hear her sob for next room. Sometimes, I go carry lamp go her side, just sit near her, no talk. Na only our sighs dey mix for air. The pain wey she dey feel, I sabi am well.

Mama Nkechi cook Forget-Worry Soup for her, save her life.

She grind bitterleaf with stone, add small ogiri, then stir am slow. That soup na thick, bitter, but if you chop am, e dey cool your mind small. Mama Nkechi go put small white chalk for her forehead, dey pray for her in deep Igbo. “O di mma, nwa m. The world go better.” The soup dey warm her chest, help her sleep.

Eldest Sister, her own don finish, she go hang big wooden rosary for her door, say na to dey calm herself now.

She no dey talk to anybody again, just dey sit for corner, dey recite psalms and ancient spirit chants. If person ask am question, she go just wave am off. Some people talk say na only time fit heal her.

I hold Second Sister hand, my thumb dey rub her knuckles, no need for words. The pain wey she dey feel, I sabi am well.

"All of una, one by one, no dey normal again," Mama Nkechi just talk as she find me, sigh.

She sit for big stool, remove headscarf, fan herself. "Tufiakwa! Spirit wahala don too much for this house!"

"Ifeoma, next month na your turn to go land of the living."

Her voice soft, but e get warning inside. She dey look me with that eye wey dey see inside person spirit.

The memories dey bite me like needle, my body just dey full of holes.

I dey feel all the old pain, like say e just happen now. My hand dey scratch my arm, my mind dey travel far.

"I no dey go. Land of the living no reach."

I stand my ground, voice low. Even if dem beat me, I no go change mouth.

Mama Nkechi still dey push: "If you no go land of the living do your trial, how you wan take climb up? No be say you always want reach Spirit Realm?"

She dey press me, her words sharp. She sabi say all spirit get secret wish. I dey look ground, no wan answer.

"If you no fit reach Spirit Realm, how you wan take find your mama…"

The word "mama" hit me hard. My heart dey twist. For years, I dey hope to see her again, but I no fit say am aloud.

Mama?

Since dem abandon me, wetin I dey find again?

I dey remember the day my own mama waka leave me. My spirit dey shake. Na only river water fit wash that pain.

I shake my head.

No word fit come out. The tears dey my eye, but I no wan let anybody see am.

"I no dey go. I go just stay here for River of Forgetfulness."

I siddon for stone by riverbank, dey look water. The world fit end, I no go move.

I no even know why I never scatter finish, but for now, as I fit stay by this river, e do me. I no dey ask for too much.

Some days, the wind dey carry scent of old soup, sometimes e dey bring echo of laughter. I go just hug my knees, dey hope say the pain go fade one day.

My mind just dey lost inside old things, my body full of wounds.

If I close my eyes, na only Obinna voice I dey hear. Even my sleep dey full of his shadow. I dey try forget, but memories dey hold tight like masquerade for festival.

Obinna voice still dey my head, cold like harmattan: "Why you dey put sugar inside?"

The words dey ring, dey cut me inside. My hand dey tremble as I dey remember.

I steady myself, try find any excuse, but nothing reasonable come out.

I dey sweat, dey search my brain for something wey go make sense. But my mouth dry, nothing show.

Obinna waka come near, him eyes dey on the birthmark for my wrist.

His steps silent, but I dey feel his presence like cold water for skin. Him eyes dey sharp, dey scan my soul.

"This black palm…"

Na old mark wey dey my body since childhood. Even for spirit world, people dey fear am, say e mean old destiny.

I sharply cover am with my sleeve, my body stiff.

I no wan make anybody see am. If dem ask, I go lie say na burn mark.

"The sugar na Mama Nkechi secret recipe. Any wahala, Spirit Lord?" I answer.

My voice dey strong, even as my hand dey shake. I look am straight, make e no see fear for my face.

Mama Nkechi just show for front of me, block Obinna sharp look.

She stand like big iroko tree. Her wrapper dey flutter, her face hard. She no talk, but her body dey speak warning. Nobody fit challenge Mama Nkechi for her own kitchen.

As she talk, the air come heavy.

Na so everywhere freeze. Even the wind hold breath. I fit see small sparks for air. Spirits wey dey pass run far.

I bend my head even more. Far away, the Judge dey run come, dey shake, dey beg Obinna: "Spirit Lord, abeg, calm down, abeg."

The Judge dey sweat, his staff dey shake for hand. E clear say the power wey Obinna carry pass the one wey River fit hold.

"This official don check every soul wey pass Bridge of No Return for the past hundred years, no see any person like that."

He dey explain, his voice dey shake. Everybody dey fear wetin fit happen next.

"Spirit Lord, Nkechi dey wait for you outside underworld."

Na so one small spirit child wey dey peep for door shout, voice tiny. Spirit children hide behind mortar, dey peep with wide eye. Everybody dey wait make wahala pass.

The heavy force just disappear sharp sharp.

Na so relief fill the kitchen. I fit breathe again. All the pressure vanish.

"Enough," Obinna snap, then rush go.

His footsteps heavy, na so dust dey fly. Everybody just sidon, dey look am as he waka out.

I raise my head, hate just dey burn for my chest as I watch Obinna dey go. The anger make the black palm for my wrist dey pain me, e be like say power dey rise inside me.

The pain dey climb my arm, my heart dey beat fast. E burn like hot pepper for fresh wound. I dey wonder if na time to finally use the power wey I dey fear since all these years.

Suddenly, Mama Nkechi cough blood.

Her hand cover mouth, red dey stain her wrapper. She bend small, spirit children rush come. She spit, hiss, “Obinna, thunder fire your stubborn head!”

"Chai, that useless man power strong o. He almost make me drink my own Forget-Worry Soup," she curse.

She spit for ground, raise her hand. "I never see spirit lord wey no get respect like that! Ehn! If to say I dey younger, I for show am!"

The Judge wipe him sweat, try calm her: "Aunt Nkechi, Spirit Lord never go far o…"

He dey fumble with his staff, dey look left and right, dey check say everywhere still dey safe.

"Spirit Lord, na him sabi! For Four Corners and Eight Forests, I no get anything, but I still make name, even if I no get power."

She dey brag, dey remind everybody say no be only power dey make person important. Her pride na strong thing, e dey give all of us small hope.

"So what if he be Spirit Lord? Abeg!"

She wave hand, hiss. Her voice loud, make even birds for tree jump. Some spirit children clap small for her.

Suddenly, Bridge of No Return begin shake, like say earth wan break. Even the agama lizard for wall pause, dey look as ground dey tremble. The black palm for my wrist draw one seal wey cover sky.

Wind dey blow, ground dey vibrate. My body dey float. The black mark for my hand dey burn, dey draw symbols for air. Na power wey I never use before. All the spirits begin run, dey shout.

Mama Nkechi fear. "Ifeoma, stop am now!"

She grab my arm, her voice full of panic. "Stop am! You wan wake all the ancestors?!"

Obinna, wey just go, turn back begin come towards me, step by step…

His face dark, his power dey gather. Even the river stop to flow. Everybody dey hold breath—nobody sabi wetin go happen next. For that moment, spirit and human, we all dey wait for who go break first.