"Play," a cracked voice echoed from the eerie child.
"You should leave, it's getting dark," Orisi replied as she turned to go in the house.
But before her foot could take a single step, the boy was there—directly in front of her, his movement a blur of unnatural speed.
"Playplayplayplay!" The words became a frantic, overlapping scream. Black water, thick as tar, began to ooze from his nose, his mouth, and his ears. His head lolled to the side, twisted at an impossible angle. Orisi immediately averted her gaze, her stomach churning.
"Take the ball, it's a gift to you," Orisi said desperate to placate him, she wasn't interested in communicating with the dead.
"What are you doing standing there? Quickly, get inside and change your clothes!" Her mother, Rungi, broke the tense atmosphere, stepping out of the house. She grabbed Orisi's hand, pulling her towards the door. As she was led away, Orisi risked a glance back. The boy was sitting outside, motionless, the ball in his lap as he stared into the growing dusk. She wanted no part of this—no part of ghosts. She prayed he would find his peace and be gone.
After taking a bath and changing clothes, Orisi accompanied her mother in the outside kitchen to cook dinner. The locally made cooking stones and fire wood were lit and smoke oozed in the atmosphere making Orisi's eyes tear. She would subtly turn to look at the place the little boy formally sat from time to time then turn back to help push the firewood inside the stove -the boy had disappeared, Orisi hoped he had been taken away just like her father and others.
Darkness covered the sky-the day had passed. Orisi and her mother quickly eat dinner. Orisi's mother then informed her that school was soon going to resume and to prepare for it. Orisi observed her mother's strong will to oppose her grandmother just for her education and was touched. She wanted to inform her not to worry, although she didn't know what her future held, she was however sure of the fact that soon enough, they wouldn't be staying in this village any longer.
The following day was Saturday, usually on this day, there was no farm work. It was saved to dry the millet out in the sun and also for winnowing to remove chaff from the grains. Although it seemed like a simple task, it was actually quite tiresome. A few village women would also be present to help.
Orisi and her mother woke up early and headed to the main house where breakfast would be served. With sharp eyes, Songu's had spotted them in a distance, it also seemed her arm was now well healed.
"Oh, Rungi, you've arrived. I wanted someone to go and fetch two liters of milk from Mutyo's farm, its good you are here just in time. Orisi, quick take this jug and this money and bring the milk," Songu said as she stuffed some money and jug into Orisi's hand.
"Be quick, your aunt Yingi has already mixed the porridge on the fire, this milk is to be added, hold the money well and don't lose it, don't play around, be quick..." Songu's voice was drowned out in a distance as Orisi walked further away.
As Orisi passed by the neighbor's house whom Maru and some other village ladies talked about yesterday while harvesting, she noticed that the place was now so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. They had lost their child after all, the silence wasn't odd.
She didn't want to inquire about anything so she immediately went to Mutyo's farm paid the money and milk was given to her. On her way back, she happened to see the little ghost boy from yesterday sitting on top of the man-made dam; connecting the dots, it was now clear that the boy was the dead son of the family. Why did he always appear at her home? Did he know that she could see him? Anyway, she didn't want to dwell on the topic so she immediately turned away and resumed her journey. However, a small pleading voice called to her.
"Help me."
Orisi sighed in frustration. "This is none of my concern!" she muttered to herself. But the thought of finding him on her doorstep again was too much to bear. Steeling herself, she approached.
"If I help you, you must promise to leave me and my mother alone. Forever. Or don't blame me if I beat you up!" she threatened, her voice a low hiss.
The little boy nodded, his movements unnervingly fast.
"How do I even help?" Orisi wondered as she placed the jug of milk on the ground.
The boy's translucent finger pointed to the ground besides the base of the dam. There, protruding from the soil, was the rusted end of a nail.
"What? This nail?" Orisi inquired.
The boy's head bobbed up and down in a frantic, jerky motion.
"Alright, stop! I'll pull it out." As soon as she spoke, he went perfectly still.
She grabbed the nail and pulled, but something beneath the earth held it fast. Finding a sturdy stick, she dug into the soil. After a few moments, her confusion deepened. She unearthed a banana blossom, and buried within it, the nail was driven deep, bound tightly with a strip of crimson cloth.
As she peeled away the cloth and wrenched the nail free, a woman's shrill cry shattered the calm.
"No! Who are you? What have you done?!"
Orisi was startled by the loud call and dropped the blossom down. A woman was quickly running towards her from the house in a distance-She knew her, she was the one who had lost her son due to the accident of falling in the dam so she was the mother of this little boy!
"What happened?" Another male voice followed behind her-that was her husband.
"What have you done? We are all going to die! We are finished!" the woman wailed, ignoring him. She snatched the banana blossom from the ground, frantically trying to re-insert the nail. When the man saw the object in her hands, the strength seemed to leave his legs, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Orisi turned to look at the ghost boy, and what she saw froze the blood in her veins. He was floating in the air, his mouth agape in a wide, grotesque grin. A silvery, ethereal substance was being drawn from the woman's body, sucked directly into his open mouth.
The woman suddenly began tearing at her clothes. "It was Mother's fault! It was Mother's fault!" she shrieked, over and over, descending into madness. Her husband scrambled to his feet, wrapping his arms around her in a desperate attempt to restrain her.
Orisi had never dealt with such a situation! She didn't know what to do and now she was scared.
"See what you've done! What shall we do now?" The man lamented.
"I am sorry, I just____" Orisi didn't know how to explain the situation. How could she tell them that their own son was the one who instructed her and probably inflicted the harm on them?
"You are the reason my wife has become like this! Just leave! Go away! "The man roared.
Frightened by his intense gaze of hatred, Orisi immediately run away from the compound she didn't stop until she stumbled into her grandmother's compound, her face pale, sweat-slicked, and her breath coming in ragged gasps.
Rungi was at her side in an instant. "Orisi! What's the matter? What happened?"
Orisi could only shake her head, regret a bitter taste in her mouth. Why had she broken her own rule? She had been ignoring the dead since her childhood, walling her mind against their presence. She would never, ever interfere again.
"What's going on here? Orisi, where is the milk?" Songu inquired as she came out of the kitchen and approached the mother and daughter.
It was at this time that Orisi discovered that she had left the jug of milk back. Still in shock, she just blankly stared at her grandmother.
"Mother-in-law, the porridge is just right for the milk," Yingi said as she wiped sweat off her face with her jacket as left the kitchen approaching the group.
"I asked you a question! Why aren't you replying, are you deaf or something?" Songu roared.
"I Left it back," Orisi replied.
Songu's hand shot out, grabbing Orisi's ear with a punishing grip. Orisi winced in pain.
"Foolish girl! You will show me where you left it this instant!"
As her mother fell in behind them, panic surged in Orisi. She couldn't lead them back there. "I don't remember where I left the jug!" she cried out, bracing against the pain.
"What did you say? Rungi, is this how you raise a child? She will refund my money! Now, stop this nonsense and lead me to my milk!" Songu's voice was filled with anger at Orisi's defiance.
Looking at this, Rungi also felt that her daughter was being a little bit unreasonable.
"Orisi, tell us where the milk is, others need to drink and we are delaying the work to be done for the day," Rungi said.
"Why is there a large crowd in-front of Weru's house?" Songu suddenly inquired when they view to Weru's house appeared.
It's at this time that Orisi came to know the name of the residents of that house. In a second, Songu had marched towards the crowd and Rungi followed despite Orisi's efforts of pulling on her clothes to keep her back, gritting her teeth in frustration, Orisi also followed behind her mother.
"Maru! We were waiting for you back home. If Orisi hadn't misplaced the jug of milk, the porridge would be ready by now. What's going on here? Why are there a lot of people?" Songu immediately asked as she pushed through the onlookers.
"Calamity has befallen Weru's home! The husband and wife are all dead! Now no one is left in the three family home," Maru explained.
"What! How is that possible? They were alright a few days back," Songu exclaimed.
Orisi was also now also frozen in shock, she had left the husband and wife well and safe in their compound! How come they were dead? Looking around the place, there was no spirit of any of the three in the vicinity.
"Their bodies have just been retrieved from the dam, Mutyo's herdsman spotted Weru together with the wife jump into the dam before shouting for help. By the time the villagers arrived, it was already too late," Maru explained.
"Oh heavens have mercy on their souls!!!!!!" A loud chant spread out attracting the attention of the people around.
"It's Owoburangi! How come he is here?" Murmurs from the crowd erupted as a man endowed in bark cloth appeared, in his hands-a small calabash came into view.
Orisi knew all about Owoburangi, this was a cultural leader who was rarely seen in public except in very special circumstances. She also didn't sense any ill-will from the man.
"From dust to dust, evil to evil and good to good, what is life without karma?" Owoburangi chanted as he passed through the path created by the villagers heading directly to Weru's house where the couple were now placed. When he was about to enter the house, he seemed to have sensed something which caused him to stop in his tracks.
"Who was careless to leave their jug of milk here?" Owoburangi inquired but didn't wait to confirm who the owner was before entering the house.
Songu immediately spotted the jug and confirmed that it was indeed hers, the milk was also well covered but due to the deaths that had occurred here, she was afraid of what people would think.
"This girl, I sent you for milk and you left the jug here? What were you thinking? Quickly! Fetch the jug," Songu scolded as she pushed Orisi towards the jug.
Orisi had really underestimated Songu, even knowing that someone had died in this very compound, she wasn't scared of retrieving her property. Rungi wanted to object but knowing her mother-in-law's temper she didn't dare.
Orisi slowly picked up the jug of milk but when she was about to turn back, she came face to face with Owoburangi who was also stepping out of the house.
"Young girl, can I ask if you have seen any banana blossom anywhere around?" Owoburangi inquired causing Orisi's hand which was holding the jug to slightly shake but she quickly masked the reaction and anxiety as she knew exactly what he was asking for! She was the one who unearthed it! Was he going to expose her deeds?
The villagers looked around for the banana Blossom besides them as they whispered amongst themselves. Rungi wanted to quickly pull her daughter away from the crowd, she didn't want her involved in the matter at hand however as she was attempting to move forward, her daughter's actions shocked her deeply.
Orisi slowly nodded and led Owoburangi to the man-made dam pointing the banana blossom which was lying beside the dam for him.
"Thank you for the help child," Owoburangi replied with kind eyes, wrinkles graced his old face as the white gray hair on his head appeared more transparent as he bent down to pick up the blossom, his movements slow with age. He retrieved the object, placing it carefully in his bag.
Then, his gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by righteous fury. He straightened and addressed the crowd, his voice booming. "Some people are really tired of leaving! Who is responsible for sealing the dead and defying heavens will?"
Murmurs of enlightenment, confusion, and inquiry quickly erupted from all the villagers around. But Orisi heard no more. Her mother's firm hand was already on her arm, pulling her away from the crowd, from the dam, and from the chilling secret they now shared.