RITUALS

Expository

Cramped up in this little space, I pressed my forehead against the window pane scanning the dark night. It was past two in the morning and I couldn't sleep. Few minutes ago I was about climbing into my bed when a loud shriek caught my attention, it was dark, really dark and there was no power supply, my saving grace was a dim rechargeable lamp hanging on the nailing on the wall. It rocked above giving that 'switch-switch' sound imitating the movement of a rocking chair. It occurred to me the shriek was from outside but now as I stole a glimpse through my window, the world outside was silent.

It was pretty cold and covered in the harmattan mist I couldn't even see the road at least not without my glasses, "no stars in the sky" I thought aloud as a vivid picture from a scene in Silent Hill flashed through my mind sending goose bumps through my body. Shaking my head roughly I fought the thought replacing it with an image from Men In Black 3. I would rather think of aliens in a night like this than Silent Hill, still staring blankly outside I wondered what caused the shriek it was obviously not an animal and judging by the time, I guessed the 'thing' needed help. I couldn't imagine what possible danger had befallen the creature.

Doubting the reality of things, I started to think my mind was playing games on me as I always did have a scare for darkness and whenever Grandma ogbèalu told stories of ghosts and spirits under the moonlight it worsened my case.
Clearing my head I made up my mind to go to sleep and as I turned to grab my sweater on the reading stool beside the famous mahogany table made by my grandfather, the intense boom of a sharp cry filled the air in the distance a little below my window. Fear and curiosity gripped my soul as I scurried back into position beside the window glaring widely in the darkness. Then I saw it!

The figure of a man emerging from the mist dressed in the form of an Mmanwu(masqurade) it appeared as though it was floating few inches above the ground carrying a calabash around its waist, palm frond in its mouth and a broom in its right hand. It danced around in circles and after a while a long trail of people men and women whom i later understood to be worshippers emerged also from the mist half naked.

Then it occurred to me I was a witness to a ritual in procession little wonder why the village was not progressing. I was from a very strong Christian Pentecostal background with zero tolerance for idol worship, my dad was a Reverend minister. Staying almost all my life in Abuja we only returned home during Christmas, my dad was one of the few patriotic elite men left in the village who believed in giving back to the community. Trying hard to develop his home town at the same time preaching change "he would be so heart broken right now if he saw this" I said to myself as the worshippers swayed from side to side carrying their candles up in the air, the Mmanwu was at the center dipping his hands into the calabash on his waist he sprinkled a thick kind of liquid over them as they moved around in circles humming to a certain tune. This liquid was blood.

Still trying to process my thoughts I looked back to the thickening mist and out of it emerged two dwarfs all painted in nzu(native chalk) also half naked dragging something along, it was unusual. Thrusting my head forward I settled my eyes on the object...Alas! It was the body of a headless man!!

My heart raced to the ceiling and I began to perspire profusely, I could feel the room cramping up on me...no I couldn't take it anymore... screaming out loud I jumped off the bed. It was a bad dream!