9 The creepy old lady

It was almost evening when Ego set out for Umudibia if not, she wouldn't be home before nightfall. On her way home, she spied an old lady from a distance. She had a monstrous look; she was tying a torn long black wrapper from her chest down to her legs. Her long dark hair was grubby and looked lice-infected. She has ferocious eyes like that of an ape and a hooked nose, crooked as if it had been broken. Her skin looked very pale as if she was chilled and she had spindly legs like that of an old spider.

"Such a very creepy and weird looking old lady," thought Ego shivering in premonition.

What is an old lady doing alone in the forest by this time of the day? How is she going to carry that log of firewood? Where are her children? Ego questioned herself. She has heard stories of wicked old women that passed away and return back to earth as spirits to torment the living and it was said that most of them reside in this forest; could this lady be one of them?

The strange old lady was standing beside the bush path that Ego was about to pass and on the ground beside her was a bunch of well-tied firewood. Ego greeted her "Nda dalukwa, good evening"

"Thank you, my daughter, can you help me put this firewood on my head?" the old lady asked Ego; her voice sickly and cackling. "I have been waiting for someone to help me with it" she continued.

Ego, now surprised asked her in return, "can you carry this thing?"

"Yes!" the old lady responded nodding her head; "I have been doing it myself" she added.

But Ego being a kind soul would not allow a woman old enough to be her grandmother to carry such heavy load when she could help. So instead of giving it to the old lady, she helped herself with it. Then she said

"Nda, I can't allow you to carry this, so I will help you carry it to your hut".

You could see the surprise on the face of the old woman; as if she could not believe her ears.

"You would do that for me, my child?" she said beating her chest lightly with her palms.

"Yes Nne, come let's go to your hut," Ego said beckoning on the old lady to lead the way.

"Thank you, my daughter, and may the gods bless you. It will be well with you my child", the old lady said picking up Ego's basket.

"Nne, why suffer yourself like this, don't you have children that should be doing this for you". Ego asked?

The old lady did not respond; instead, she asked Ego

"What were you doing in this forest?"

"I came to look for herbs that I need for my trade"

"It seems you didn't find much?" The old lady asked as there seem to be little leaves in her basket.

"Nne, I found much oo…" she said, waiting for her to ask the next question already knowing what it will be.

"Then why can't I find them in your basket or are my eyes deceiving me"? She asked with a dreamy and ghastly smile.

"No mama, they are not deceiving you," Ego said laughing; "I used most of it in treating a new friend I met in the forest that was wounded".

"Alright, that's so nice of you," the old lady said.

"Nne, how far is your home from here?"

"We will soon get there my daughter". The old lady replied.

"Do you come to this forest often?" Ego asked

"Not really, I only do when I need firewood" she answered.

The rest of the journey was a quiet one, they trekked for about twenty minutes before they got to a hut in the middle of nowhere that Ego has never seen or heard of. The environment around the hut doesn't look like where activities have been taking place for a long time; it rather was like a place that has been abandoned for ages. Nothing was outside apart from a clay pot that was filled with dirty water and a native stool made with stones arranged that was now very dusty. The air in the atmosphere was damp and cold. The before-farm behind the hut was now very bushy as no one cleared it for a long time. The total atmosphere seems creepy to Ego. The hut had some faint patterns drawn with black and white native paints which have faded with age.

"Is this where you live? Ego asked the old lady disbelievingly. How can someone live in this hellhole? She asked silently within herself.

The old lady nodded with a weird smile on her face.

My day cannot get any weirder than it already has. What have I gotten myself into? She thought as she brought down the log of firewood beside the hut.

When Ego entered the hut, she was surprised to find out that it had a different vibe; filled with activities. The hut was a single room with walls like hurdles, and a thatch roof protecting its owner from sun or rain. There were no windows. The door was low – she had to bend to get in. In its midst was a burning fire which provides light for the darkroom and purifies the damp and cold air. The roof and walls were smoke-dried but clean. On the side of the room directly opposite the door was a bamboo bed; on it was a round log of wood which serves as a pillow. While on the walls hung big red bead necklaces; animal bones and fishing nets hung from pegs upon the walls. On the other side of the room were the cooking utensils like clay pots and bowls were all in a basket. Beside the basket were her mortar, pestle and also a native stool for sitting.

On the other corner was a large earthen jar filled with clean water; inside of the jar floats a gourd. She must have gotten from the water from Nworie River; that is located at the fringe of the Umudibia, Nekede. The Nworie River joins with Ota Mmiri River in this location. Ota Mmiri takes its name from Ota Mmiri– the river goddess. Its origin can be traced to the Imo River down to the River Niger and from there it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.