8 CHAPTER SIX A TALE OF THE PAST

The night was still dark, the moon was shining bright with crickets chirping in the village of Uma, a very peaceful village surrounded by four large seas.

So that night from one of these seas, two heads jutted out they gradually move forward their body Was slowly getting exposed. The two figures finally emerged from the water as their golden fishtails transformed into human legs.

They move discretely towards a large rock, they pulled out their clothing. The girl wrapped the white material on her chest, the length reached her ankle, her hair was threaded looking like sticks on her head, she wore her red bead over her white clothing, it stops at her waist, she wore another set of red bead over neck and wrists. The boy came out behind another large rock, wearing tiger skin clothing around his waist, he also wore red beads over his neck and wrist. The girl looks around thirteen or fourteen years while the boy is around eleven, twelve years. Their looks are perfectly symmetrical and their brown eyes are vibrant. "Let's go before anyone spots us", the girl said as she looked around their environment warily. " well if you listened to me and we both waited for Papa we won't "..... Even in the dark, he knew his sister was glaring at him so he quickly shut his mouth. They cautiously made their way to the village, the huts were randomly built, everyone just built their hut where they deem fit.

They quietly moved, hiding from the village guards, if they were caught they will be in a huge dilemma

"Zaira" the voice made both of them come to a halt. They knew that voice, they slowly turned around facing Ola the youngest village guard. The shock on his face was still apparent. "What are the both of you doing out here at this hour" he looked at them warily. Zaira sighed as she clutched her cloth "is all Topa's fault" he turned to look at his sister, mostly because he wasn't expecting to be accused. "He snuck out because he wants to join the fishermen". "Ohhh" Ola nodded as a childish grin appeared on his face easing the tension. "And you followed him" he frowned at her. "Zaira, that's irresponsible, do you know how dangerous it is now". The young man was about 179 centimeters tall, his dark mostly because he is always exposed to sunlight. He has a well-built body and he is around his twenties. " am sorry but I couldn't just leave him be" Zaira looked sad as she kept fumbling her cloth. "You shouldn't sneak out, we already have problems with the juju village" he clenched his fist trying his best to suppress his anger. "And there are cases of Mami Watas (mermaids) being sighted. That came as a surprise for both of them. Ola caught his tongue between his teeth's realizing he had said more he should have. He rubbed his black curly hair. " don't tell anyone about the Mami Wata" they both nodded their head." and Topa don't sneak out again, you know your father will want you to take over his farmland and don't risk your beautiful sister's life again, she's still young and unmarried". A mischievous grin appeared on Topa's face. "I didn't know that you want to marry my sister," he said feigning ignorance. Ola and Zaira turned red. "I didn't say I want to marry her" Ola blurted out, " I meant he started murmuring he lowered his head out of embarrassment. "Oh my bad, I thought you wanted to marry her" Topa was trying his best not to laugh. ". No, I didn't mean it like that" he raised his voice, he is now as red as a tomato as he wish for the ground to swallow him up. Zaira kneed Topa in the stomach to shut him up. "Let me take you both home" he quickly said and started walking ahead. Topa covered his mouth as he was trying his best to hold in his laughter. Zaira pinched his hand, "you better not laugh" she warned him. They didn't say anything to each other, he snuck them back to their home. Ola turned to leave but he stopped "when did you both arrive to Uma village" "well late last night, our papa dropped us" Topa lied smoothly. Ola nodded his head. "Thank you for bringing us home safely" Zaira smiled at him in appreciation making Ola's face red again. "Your welcome" he sturted and fled. Topa broke into a loud laughter Zaira smacked his head "shut up" you will wake the whole village up. They walked to a hut and knocked. A young woman opened the door as soon as she saw them she frowned looking displeased. "What are you doing here at these hour" "we came to visit Atika" Zaira answered not daring to look up. The woman kept giving them a stern look before she let them in. "Be careful not to wake my daughter" "yes ma" they both answered and sat on down on the mud stools. The hut was separated by a dry hay, so they couldn't see Atika. "Why didn't you wait for that man to bring you both" she said with her arms folded around her chest. "He is very busy, he hasn't come home yet" Topa answered her "and you children decided to come without him" she angrily raised her voice at them making them lower their head again. "We promised Atika that we will visit" Zaira stammered. The woman sighed, she's fair in complexion, she's tall, slender, and has a pretty face her hair was also threaded like Zaira's. Atika came out from the other side, scratching her sleepy eyes, her face brightened up as soon as she saw her sister. She jumped on Zaira and hugged her tightly Topa cleared his throat, the girls looked at him, Atika hugged him too he happily smiled as he hugged her back. "Look what I brought you" Zaira gave Atika a light pink beaded bracelet, the bead looks transparent and shiny Atika happily accepted it. "So pretty" she quickly wore it over her wrist. "Mummy look" Bibi forced a smile at her daughter "I made it myself" Zaira proudly told her sister. When she looked up she saw Bibi glaring at them. She clenched her fist. "What can I do to stop them from coming", she inwardly said, for how long does she have to hide the hatred she has for these vile creatures. " I must get rid of them.

The next day Bibi brought out the vegetables, she sells in the market. Zaira and Topa held it for her but she didn't even glance at them or thank them, she held Atika's hand they left her small compound. "Bibi good morning, is such a surprise seeing your stepchildren here, when did they arrive," her nosy neighbor Adora asked. Bibi smiled at her "they arrived late last night. " really, I did not see them come in" the woman looked at Bibi suspiciously "I didn't know that, you could see in the dark" Bibi's kept her pleasant smile. Topa chuckled he quickly covered his mouth when he saw the woman throwing daggers at him. She cleared her throat and walked away.

They reached the market, the fishermen bought in live and fresh fish to the market women, some are selling vegetables, fresh pepper, and tomatoes, some are trying to attract customers by showing them their fresh yams, cassava, maize, and another foodstuff, the market is bustling with the crowd. Bibi has already set her stall, the kids started running around while Zaira quietly followed them behind. "You kids shouldn't go far" Bibi warned but was distracted by a customer, the children around the marketplace kept playing. When the town crier came hitting his gong with a stone. "Everyone should stop what he or she is doing and go to the chief's hut, he has an announcement to make" the man kept shouting on top of his voice as he went through the village. The children ran back to Bibi's stall and they all left to the chief's hut. All the villagers gathered waiting for the chief. A fat short looking man came out he was dark in complexion, his height is about 160cm, beside him was a very white in skin complexion around 175cm tall vivacious looking goddess, her eyes is as dark as night, she smiled at the people showing her dimples and open teeth, wilting the men's heart and making the women feel terrible about themselves. "As you all know Emeka visited Bali village" his deep voice resounded all over the place. "Something terrible happened at the village of Bali, Emeka will tell you about it". The chief sat down on his chair and his wife sat beside him on a smaller chair. Emeka came forward he looked haggard and traumatized. " When we were in Bali, I and the other fishermen went to catch some fishes in the ronke river but there isn't much fishes there. So we decided to sail to the sea on the east side of Bali".

Flashback

"Obinna give me the net" Emeka collected the net from his brother and kept it in his boat, some of the fishermen have pushed their boats into the water and hopped on. There was a total of five boats and twenty-five fishermen each boat carried five fishermen and their nets. Some started paddling into the sea, Emeka is in the last boat while his cousin was in the second to the last boat. The fishermen kept conversing among themselves as they steer into the water.

"LEAVE" they heard an enticing female voice.

MINI DRAMA

Ohi finally opened his eyes, he saw his grandma and a beautiful colored lady who was glowing, he quickly sat up startling the women

Ohi: grandma can I ask you a question

Ewatomi: sure

Ohi: can you see the red woman * he pointed at Oya

Oya: am not red but Burgundy in color *she flashed him a smile.

But Ohi kept staring at her with so much curiosity until he finally remembered what happened

Ohi: I was in that dark forest (Oya cut's in ).

Oya: yes we saved you

Ohi: *nods his head* so what did you tell Bola when you took him back home

Ewatomi: oh no I forgot about him (place her hands on her head).

Oya: don't worry I will handle it

In the day forest, a man with a grim expression walked to was Bayo who was wailing like a baby

Bayo: please anybody take me home, I don't know how I got here.

Man: is because of your terrible attitude. Bayo screamed out of fear he hit his head and passed out, the man carried him and disapparated and apparated in Bayo's room he flung him on top of his bed and disappeared into the night.

Oya: his now home safe and sound.

Ewatomi: thank you

Ohi: did you see the person that save me (he stared at both of them waiting for an answer. Oya and Ewatomi looked at each other they are both confused).

Oya: what do you mean

Ohi: someone saved me, is all thanks to that person, I will find that person ( they saw the determination in his eyes. They have no idea who Ohi was talking about).

A/N: sorry about the mistake, I uploaded the unedited version, please forgive my mistakes, thank you for reading my story. 😇