Chapter 3

ABUJA

ITS BEEN A whole week since Charlie's husband was confined to the hospital bed still in a comatose state.

She had lose weight due to stress,having gone to several places to seek solutions but it had yielded to no avail, her mind was preoccupied she didn't even notice when her daughter Somma had parked the car close to a big mall

"Mum" Somma tapped her hard on the shoulder which made her jump

"Seriously mom you need to stop doing this,shutting yourself out from reality"

"Am okay dear"

"Daddy is going to be fyn,he has a strong fighting spirit and he won't give up to death that easily,so stop been dead to the world" Somma held her hand as she spoke softly holding her mothers hand in reassurance.

Somma only a girl of twenty two, light skinned like her father with a striking resemblance,she was graceful and had a vision of becoming worlds best surgeon which her father had promised his full support morally and financially, four more years before she graduated from Gordon's medical university in London she still wanted to believe her world was not crumbling.

"Why did we stop anyways " her mother asked

"I need to get some personal stuff from the grocery store"

"Okay don't take too long the night vigil has worn me out"

"I know,I will be back in a jiffy"

Charlie as her daughter found her way into the mall .

The early morning sun stood proudly at its peak as hawkers filled the tarred road advertising there wares to slow moving vehicles.

She allowed her eyes to roam round the street and imagined how beautiful the world would be with no problems,as for problems it was like a glue stucked in her skin a cool wind blew in the car,she decided to step down resting her back to the car she took notice of the things around her,there was a similar bus stop where passengers sat to wait for long buses it reminded her of the first time she met Ike her husband it was more like she been a damsel in distress and he was her knight who came to the rescue.

"I see a dark cloud hovering around you"

A deep voice spoke suddenly from nowhere whicjy made her jump

"Jesus! Who are you" she screeched seeing a man hagardly dressed looking at her in a strange way

"There is a storm brewing a very heavy one,the wind howls angrily,there is darkness,there is pain,there is agony, I feel so afraid for what I see would become of you,is so terrifying,you will loose the proof of your existence on Earth"

Charlie seems more flummoxed she studied the man trying to make out who he was,he was too thin to have such a heavy voice,maybe he was one of those agbero boys who duped people as a means to make money

"Let your heart not rest for war had been declared.. Run...Run and hide" he said in low whispers and walked away not even demanding for money

Charlie tried to weigh every words the man had spoken there was some truth to it at least there was a dark cloud Hovering

"Hey! Hey you" she shouted going after the man when her daughter called out running after her

"Mum! mum,what's wrong with you? why are you going after a mad man"

Charlie wanted every reason to believe he was a mad man her inner sense of reasoning thought otherwise.

"That man...that-"she pointed at nothing in particular

" what about that man"Somma asked confused seeing her mother state

Charlie shakes her head confused"never mind let's just go home"

She purposely sat at the back of her car to avoid her daughter scrutiny, the last thing she want is for her daughter to think she was going bonkers but the words of the stranger keeps on running through her mind she just needed the truth,the truth behind why all this things are happening to her.

The short ride home has taken a toll on the ladies as they found there feet on the ground there fatigued self showed they needed a good amount of sleep,Somma helped her mother out of the car as their House help emerged to greet them

"Welcome ma,welcome small madam"comfort greeted them with a weary look

" thank you "Somma answered as her mother only forced a nod

" please help carry the things in the car inside"Somma told her

"Madam sorry ohh one man wey say him be Oga brother is inside"

Charlie stopped in her tracks as she turned to look at comfort "come again"

"One-" she was hesitant seeing the look on her madams face

"One man come look for oga I swear I pursue him but he say he no go anywhere until him brother follow him even jubril try " she recounted her encounter with the man

"Ma I dey fear the man well well he look like juju man with the kind eyes he use look us even the way he dress"

"How could you allow a stranger into my House"

"Dad never said he had a brother" Somma chirped in

Charlie ignored her daughter as she took a cautious step back into the house now alert.

Indeed there stood a tall man muscularly broad his light skin had been turned by the sun,his eyes were too dark and looked Evil though he wore a black gown that stopped at his feet his rough Dada was scattered with white cowries his hands and leg included.

He didn't even sit his posture showed he was in an urgent mission

does this things still exist Somma thought bidding behind her mother

"Who are you" charlie asked alert"what are you doing in my house "

The stranger studied the young girl ignoring the woman she had a striking resemblance to his brother then he turned to the woman groaning like a beast "who are you woman"

"This is my husbands house"

"Tah! Tah!You are cursed so I wonder why my brother is with you" his body vibrated in anger Charlie was frightened at his attitude she thought he was ready to call on thunder to strike her at they moment

"I have come come Ikenna"

"Who the hell are you"Charlie asked courageously

" hahaha"the stranger gave a sadistic laugh

"I am Obike the true son of Ikuku Ike whose father fathers was the great Ikenga that has ruled through Oshimiri dynasties

" okay mum now am really scared "Somma muttered under her breath

" I have come to take the chosen one dead or alive back to where he belongs "

"What are you talking about" Charlie asked confused

"When you spit on the wind it comes back to land on your nose such is the case of Ikenna he must obey the call or he dies like a chicken"

Obike moved as fast as a whirlwind and grabbed Somma from behind

"Mummy" Somma screamed it happened so fast that Charlie thought it was one of those Nollywood movies

"What are you doing let my daughter go"

She had never been so frightened in her entire life as she tried to grab her daughter back but ended up catching thin air

"Ikenna must come back to Umumiri, he must obey the call or she dies"

"Somma....Heyyy...Somma" Charlie shouted

"Comfort has killed me ohh" she shouted as she ran out of the house like she was going bonkers

"Madam wetin happen" Jubril the security guard ran to her

"They have taken my daughter ohh,my only daughter what do I do, did you see them pass the gate"

"No madam" Jubril ran inside to look for Somma finding it hard to believe

Comfort was no were to be found she must have ran away out of fear

'Let your heart not rest for war has been declared...

You will loose the proof of your existence' the words of the hagard man echoed through her mind

Hey what do I do

What do I do she lamented bitterly.