Chapter 8: From Palace to Lower Realm

Of course, the two men no follow us. We just waka go Odo Platform as all the celestial maidens dey look us.

The look na pity mixed with small happiness—nobody go miss us.

Odo Platform na straight road to lower realm.

Legend talk say Odo Platform na road of no return. Once you jump, na only spirit go see your bone.

Five hundred years ago, if we jump, na die, bone sef no go remain.

No hope, no return. The wind for platform dey cold pass freezer.

One celestial maiden laugh:

Her laughter sharp, like goat wey dey choke.

"See these two, dey do like say them wan die. Na jealousy dey worry them because Oba’s son and General of War dey treat Ngozi well."

Her eye dey shine with small wickedness. Na human nature, even for spirit land.

The laughter turn to shout as we jump together.

Nobody believe say we fit do am. Our wrapper fly, our spirit strong.

......

Wetin happen for Celestial Kingdom after that, we no sabi. Nobody find us.

For palace, na only new gist dey trend. Old wahala, dem just forget.

Maybe dem believe say we die, or dem no just care.

Palace no dey keep memory. If you no dey useful, na dust dem go treat you.

Before we waka enter novel, me and Ijeoma na real hustlers.

Our hustle no get level—market, car wash, hawk gala, do all. Na survival we sabi.

We reach JSS 3 before orphanage madam talk say money no dey, make we go work.

That day, rain fall, our cloth wet. But na from there street wise begin.

Each of us dey do three jobs at once.

Morning na pure water, afternoon na house help, evening na market. Ijeoma even try barber shop once.

By the time we reach 21, we don save like three million naira together.

We dey calculate every kobo. No party, no spend anyhow.

For our kind city, half a million fit buy small flat for town.

Na true o! For back of town, you fit get small one-room with kitchen.

But the day we go house hunting with our ATM, na so we waka enter novel.

We just dey find house, next thing, na so world turn—light flash, na juju land we land.

You no go believe. We just waka enter compound, everywhere just turn, light flash, na new world.

Luckily, we sabi adapt. We fake am for five hundred years for Celestial Kingdom, even escape with our life.

Our head strong. If na people wey no sabi street, dem for die since.

But this world still full of spirits, we no too sure say we go survive for lower realm.

Lower realm na another wahala. Spirit full everywhere—some good, some bad.

So as we land, we find one hidden place for mountain, enter seclusion.

The place cold, wind dey howl. But at least, nobody dey disturb us.

Just like that, two thousand years waka pass.

Time dey fly when problem full ground. Na so two thousand years go.

Sometimes we go out, travel for one or two years, but most time, na mad juju training.

We dey read scroll, dey practice power. If dem see us, dem go think say na witch school.

Whether na method or na talent, our progress dey mad.

We dey try all—herb, spell, blood oath. Anything wey fit give us power, we go try am.

Exactly two thousand years, my body just shake, like say pure celestial energy dey enter my bone.

The feeling na mixture—pain, joy, fear. My eye wan pop, my hand dey sweat.

Cold catch me, frost dey my eyelash.

My breath dey come out like harmattan smoke. E shock me.

Same time, I hear Lu Ijeoma shout for next cave.

Her shout loud, echo for mountain. I dey fear, but I no fit move.

But my body freeze, I no fit move.

Na so spirit dey hold person. My mind dey race, but my leg no dey answer.

I begin panic, fear say madness go catch me, but the cold turn warm small small.

Inside my belly, the cold begin melt. Small small, I begin feel alive again.

Soon, I fit move. I rush go next cave.

I no even wear shoe. My leg dey run like goat.

Lu Ijeoma dey ground. As she hear me, she look up.

Her face dirty, but her eye bright. She dey smile, but fear still dey.

Her deep purple eye full of shock:

You go think say she see spirit, but na herself she dey fear.

"Morayo… I think my inner core don come back."

Her voice dey shake. For her, na miracle.

She eye me from head to toe.

She dey size me, dey check if na me or na spirit.

"Morayo, you… you don grow immortal bones?"

She talk am slow, like say if she shout, e go vanish.

Immortal bone—na rare juju power wey dey make spirit strong, e hard to get if dem no born you with am.

I born with ordinary bone, na why Musa dey call me useless.

I dey remember all e insult—today, I get power.

But now…

Na shock hook me. Joy and fear dey fight for my chest.

I look down. My immortal bone dey shine blue, cold light.

My skin dey glow. The blue light dey cut through night like star.

Before I fit reason am, thunder and lightning strike outside cave. Purple fire almost divide mountain into two.

The ground shake. I fit smell ozone for air. My body dey tremble.

I shock. "Wetin be this—?"

My mouth dey open, but sound no gree come out.

"Na ascension wahala!" Ijeoma shock too.

Her voice loud, e echo for cave. Both of us dey fear, but na hope dey push us.