45 Ogbanjes

"Nda, I think you are taking this issue way too serious. Even if he was in his previous life; it doesn't amount to same in this life" she assured her.

"How do you know?"

"Usually Ogbanjes have pronounced birthmarks on their bodies where they were marked after death; so they can be recognized easily when they returned".

"Osundu has a birthmark at the back of his neck oh!" Ego broke in.

"Yes I know, but most Ogbanjes also come back with a distal phalanx of the left little finger or any other amputated part of his or her body; which is done to make the Ogbanje cult expel the individual from their league. They hate ugliness and deformities. Osundu doesn't have any missing part, he is perfect and beautiful" she concluded smiling at her.

Raising her hands up and looking at the dark sky above she said "My fathers please don't let my son be an Ogbanje oh! I don't know what I will do if I lose him".

"You are not losing him. By the way, most Ogbanjes are always sickly, punishing their parents. Osundu has not fallen ill more than twice since I can remember. So you have nothing to worry about" she reassured her.

"Yes, he has not," she said smiling. "Olii, thank you; you have succeeded in convincing me that he is not one of them". She added after showing her appreciation by giving her a tight hug.

Oluchukwu beamed and said "Now that we have that off the way. Can I tell you what he said to me about two market days ago?"

"Please do! What did he tell you?" she asked as curiosity reappeared on her face.

"I was bathing him that particular evening and humming a lullaby to him at the same time when abruptly he said "Nda!". I responded, "Yes, Nwoke oma". With those big eyes of his pinned on me, he said "I remember that song". After laughing to my fill, I jokily asked him from where. He then said, "My elder sister Ndidi used to sing it to me whenever I was crying". Those words sent chilling fear all over my body. "He then added that he misses her, but I didn't allow him to complete that sentence before rebuking him. He then began crying.

"It is doing the same thing to me right now as you are saying it," Ego said rubbing her palm all over her body.

"That was not even the first time; he made a statement about his past life to me".

"So he has been talking to you; why am I hearing it for the first time?"

"I didn't see it as anything worth mentioning to you but after observing your reaction to what he said today. I thought it was high time I told you".

"Alright, what other thing did he say?" Ego asked.

"It was a cold night. I laid in darkness with him trying to put him to sleep. Then all of a sudden he called me "Nda Oluchukwu" to which I responded "Dim oma". He then said "Do you know I used to have another mother. Her name was Uka". This was the first time he was saying something of that nature to me. I thought he was bluffing. So I asked him what happened to her. He pulled closer to me, and then whispered into my ears saying "She slept beside me and never woke up". I jumped out of the mat in fear. I think that frightened him as he began crying aloud as I had hit him. It took some time for me to muster enough courage to return back to the bed".

"That must be scary and cold," Ego said eyes goggled with surprise and fear.

"Since we are talking about reincarnation, let me tell you a story".

Ego kept mute but nodded signaling a go ahead.

"When Amuwa my cousin was born, the chief priest was invited by the child's father to come to identify who reincarnated as their son. The Dibiaafter laying out all the objects needed for the consultation asked Azuka the child's mother to sit and carry her baby on her laps; while a raw egg was placed on the child's right palm. The dibia went ahead and said some uncommon incarnations before commencing to ask the child who he returned as?

"E wu Okoro?" the dibia asked. Nothing happened.

"E wu Okonkwo?" he inquired again and yet nothing happened. He went on asking as the parents provided names of late family members, yet nothing happened. Then the grandmother suggested a name and immediately the dibia inquired from the child whether he came back to ask the mentioned name, the egg shattered violently as the child began crying and did not stop till consoled by the grandmother.

When Amuwa was four years of age, grandmother came visiting. Immediately Amuwa saw her, he ran over to welcome her shouting on top his voice "Mma! Mma! Mma!" These were his first words. She carried him up and he whispered something into her ears. These words brought tears to her old eyes. When asked later on why she shed tears when Amuwa came to welcome her, she decided for the first time to share with us the story of the strange man who our cousin came back as.

"Long time ago, when our grandmother Nnenne was still young, wild and beautiful. One beautiful day, she was returning from the stream, when suddenly a stranger jumped out from the bush and startled her; her clay pot fell and broke. Nnenne quick to anger didn't wait to hear from the innocent man, she landed him a dirty slap. Which she quickly regretted because you can't slap a man for any reason and walk away without him returning the favor to avoid been a laughing stock to his age mates. The young man with his palm gently romancing the affected cheek forced the most beautiful smile Nnenne said she had seen and apologized for his wrong; promising to follow her home and explained what transpired between them to her parents.