40 A lot of strangeness

"Yes, you were down, but you kept waking up internally to mumble some words. Like when I was taking you home, you kept saying "I am not dead oh; please don't put in the ground". I kept assuring you that the exact opposite was what I was doing for you. He waved, took a deep breath then continued "You kept assuring someone that you didn't kill your husband, that you were willing to drink something just to prove it". It was really weird but I knew it's because of the fever; it makes you hear and see things" he said.

"So we spent the night together?" Ego enquired.

"Yes, we did a lot more than just sleep. That's why I am surprised; you don't remember any of it".

"Exactly what other things?" She said looking stormed.

"You really want me to go into details?" he asked with a weak smile lingering at a side of his lips.

"No, don't go into details, I already have so many things to ponder upon, don't complicate it further," she said.

"If you are wondering whether we had sex, I can assure you that we didn't. I slept on a mat while you slept on the bamboo bed. I took care of you like a brother would a sister; nothing more" he said exhibiting a lot of confidence.

Ego was taken aback by the confidence and carelessness in which he said it; she found sit sexy and very manly to be self-assured. This was the reason for the feeling of knowing him and at last a reasonable explanation as to her strange pregnancy. She wasn't expecting him to say he had sex with her; that would be like jumping from a tall Iroko tree to touch the moon. The gods have used him to answer her prayers. All he just said must be the truth for there was no other way he would have known all these. This thought brought her back to the old lady; so the old lady was never real. Was it all a dream? Ndubisi should help her confirm her doubts.

"So you never saw an old lady with a dog here?"

Waving his head from side to side, he said "No, I never did. After you left without saying goodbye, I kept coming to check on you for over six market days and never for once did I set my eyes on anyone or saw any evidence that someone was staying here" he said.

With a mixture of unbelief and confusion written on her face "But an old lady was here. She had a dog named Ogologo that was wounded. We ate and spent an evening together here" she recalled, and then paused for few seconds still deep in thought before asking "How then is it possible that they never exist?"

"Nne, I don't know. But I am certain there is a lot of strangeness in this forest. It is not surprising you have seen an old woman that was never there" he said trying to calm her down.

"Am I losing my sanity?" she asked looking like a child about to cry.

"No! Not in any way. Alright, let me share with you an experience I had not long ago. Maybe it will further prove your sanity is intact" he said, paused, cleared his throat and began.

"Not long after your sudden disappearance, I went out to check on my traps as usual. I went past a hut not quite far from here. It is twice the size of this one, had a strange decoration outside of it, and a human skull hanging on the doorpost with bloodstains. I think it was an abandoned old dibia's hut.

"I think I know the hut. It also has the skulls of two goats at the entrance" she interrupted him with her eyebrow raised.

"Yes… but how come you know about it?" he asked looking surprised.

"Because I went there that night you saw me. The old lady led me there after convincing me that it was a safe place to hide from my accusers. But let's not talk about that right now, it further makes everything unclear. Just continue".

"Alright, I do pass that very hut almost on a daily basis and it is always quiet and deserted but this very evening was different. On my way back, not far from the hut I began hearing the cry of babies; maybe about two or three, I am no longer sure. The closer I got the louder the cry. At first, I thought it was babies that have been thrown into the forest and left for dead.

This is a very common sight here. I have seen over three sets of babies left like that. You hear them crying today and when you return the next day, they have been eaten by wild animals. After the last horrible sight of a baby that was eaten by an animal, I made up my mind to save the next one I came across. So I began tracing the cries to get the location. This led me to the strange hut, the cry seems to be coming out from it. From a distance, I saw three old women dressed in white sitting in front of the hut. Taking a closer look at the women from a concealed place, I saw one of the strangest things in my whole life".

"What? What did you see, tell me?" she asked curiously.

"The three old women were one person," he said with a weird smile on his face.

"How do you mean one person?" she asked looking shaken up.

Demonstrating with his fingers he said, "The same old woman dressed in white was sitting on three different stools". He hesitated and looked at her face for feedback, but she only took a deep breath, so he continued "I was gripped with fear; my head felt so big that I thought it was going to explode. I quickly turned away my gaze, bent down to process what I just saw and probably hold my head, preventing it from exploding…"