Uyai

Oct 10 1962

I gently pushed the wooden windows open and stared out of them, crossing my arms under me and resting my head on them. What was I staring at? I did not know. I was just staring into oblivion, wondering how on earth my life had changed so quickly.

My uncle was gone. I didn't understand how exactly, all I knew was he was gone, and he was never coming back to meet me. I had overhead uncle Etim telling aunt Ekaete but I ran away from the door before they realized I was there.

"Uyai...Ima"

Aunt Ekaete's voice whispered softly behind me but I didn't turn back to look at her, I ignored her even though I was well aware she was calling me. Lost in my own thoughts, I was trying to make sense of a few things.

I rather felt than saw aunt Ekaete and Uncle Etim sit at my sides, uncle Etim occupying my left and aunt Ekaete, my right. Aunt Ekaete buried my face into her arms, offering me some sort of comfort and I didn't complain. I wanted to seek protection in her arms, even if it would only last so long.

I had come to pick up and understand the meaning of some words in their language in the little span of four days. It really wasn't that hard. I learnt that Ima means love and she said it as a way of trying to make me feel better.

It wasn't working.

"Your uncle..." Uncle Etim started.

He stopped and cleared his throat to try again. I really wasn't listening to him, I slowly tuned out of his words as I thought of something my uncle had told me a while ago.

"Has gone to live in a beautiful place...with Jesus right?" I finished for him but still asking at the same time.

I raised my head up, and turned to face uncle Etim, looking directly into his eyes. I really wanted it to be true.

"Ehn? (What?)" He just said.

"My uncle used to tell me that one day he would have to leave me like my parents did, but I should not worry or be sad because he would be in a good place...he is there now right?" I asked again.

He slowly looked at Aunt Ekaete with helplessness in his eyes. I didn't want to be sad. I didn't want to worry, just like my uncle had told me, but I couldn't help the feeling of loneliness in my chest, even though I knew my uncle was happy. I sighed loudly and pulled myself further away from Aunt Ekaete's arms, not wanting to feel comfort anymore. I pulled my knees to my chin and held them in place with my little pale arms, after resting the side of my face on them, I closed my suddenly tired eyes.

"If he went to a good place...why didn't he take me with him then?" I asked no one in particular.

"No!..." Aunt Ekaete quietly exclaimed.

I didn't understand why she made it sound like it was a bad idea to go with my uncle, he was in a good place after all. It would be nice to just go there with him, especially since I was a burden to both of them. Was I not welcome there?

"You're, um...you're too young to go to this beautiful place. Your uncle wants you to live your life here first before you go and meet him...do you understand Uyai?"

I thought about it. So I wasn't welcome there because I was too small. My heart thudded quickly in my chest as I fought hard not to burst into tears. I didn't want to cry like a little baby again. I could hear it's loud uneven beats in my ears, and I closed my eyes tight, trying to return my breathing and heartbeat back to normal, and feeling the heat of my body as it turned red.

"Okay..." I said in a weak voice, too tired to say any other thing.

"You need to rest Ima, come..." Aunt Ekaete said, extending her arms out to me.

I wrapped my arms around her neck and sniffed in the smell of purple water lilies which always surrounded her. She carried me in her arms to the room that had become mine for a while now, and dropped me onto the bed in it. Sniffling involuntarily, I tried to control the little tears escaping my eyes.

"Don't cry mbakara mmi (my oyinbo/ my white person). Everything would be just fine. We'll figure out what to do. I promise you" Aunt Ekaete said, sitting down beside me on the bed.

"I don't know anyone else. I don't have anybody, and I definitely do not want to go back to any blasted foster home...please" I whispered.

Aunt Ekaete gave me a long inscrutable look, then looked back at her husband. Uncle Etim had been lazily leaning on the door post, watching us, but after Aunt Ekaete looked at him, he sighed and walked towards us.

He sat on the ground beside my bed and pulled the discarded cloth I used as a blanket up over my body, and then over my face. I let out a small laugh which I couldn't hold back and unsuccessfully tried to pull the cloth down my face. He pulled the cloth down a little and I spotted a smile on his face, before he pulled it back over my face again. I giggled and futilely tried to wriggle out from under his hold on the cloth. Finally, he pulled it down and tucked it under my arms, tickling my armpits too, and sending me into another fit of giggles I couldn't control.

"We would think about these things in the morning Uyai mmi (my Uyai), right now, you just need to close your eyes and go to sleep...promise me you would go to sleep now" He said to me.

"I would make no such promises. I would not promise something I cannot keep" I said, finally giving in to the smile that had been plaguing my lips, because it was much better than crying.

"You better go to sleep...I am sure you have not heard of Ojuju Calabar, that is why you do not want to sleep" uncle Etim said.

"Who is Ojuju Calabar?" I asked uncle Etim, laughing, but the look on his face made me think twice about laughing.

"Hmm, Ekaete..." He faced Aunt Ekaete with a grave expression.

"Should we tell her about Ojuju Calabar?"

Aunt Ekaete smiled a little, and turned to look at me. Then her expression changed to a serious one as she looked back at her husband.

"We have to tell her. If we do not warn her, who will?" She finally said.

"Who is Ojuju Calabar?" I finally dared to ask, trying not to show the fear that was slowly creeping up on me.

"Oh Uyai, you mean, what is Ojuju Calabar" Aunt Ekaete said.

"In the land of Calabar lies a black monster known as Ojuju, with blood red lips and red eyes that shine in the dark, with dirty brown teeth that are as sharp as blades...he preys on little children in the dark who do not want to do as they are told. He eats them up and they are never seen again..." Uncle Etim described for me.

"If a child does not want to take his bath when his mother calls for him, Ojuju Calabar takes that child. If a child does not want to sleep when the adults say she should...Ojuju Calabar comes crawling for her in the dark" Aunt Ekaete added.

I looked from uncle Etim's grave expression to aunt Ekaete's serious one and I forced myself to laugh.

"It's a lie. There is no such thing as that" I said.

"Ohhh, then you wouldn't mind if we call him then" uncle Etim said.

"You can call him?" I asked quickly, too quick to deny believing in him. Blast.

"Yes, if you do not close your eyes and sleep now, we would call him for you" aunt Ekaete added.

"I am not afraid of him jo" I said and turned my head to the side, resting my right arm under it.

"Ojuju Calabar, iyo, iyo, iyo..." Uncle Etim sang.

"Ojuju Calabar, iyo..."

"Enough, enough, okay. I will sleep now. See, I am already closing my eyes" I quickly interrupted, closing my eyes tight enough to hurt.

I heard uncle Etim chuckling to himself.

"Don't worry, if you go to sleep now, the ojuju Calabar would not come after you" he said.

"Goodnight" Aunt Ekaete whispered into my ears.

I felt her kiss my forehead and stand up from my bed. Opening my eyes with only a peek, I watched her walk to the door, and Uncle Etim also rose on his feet after her. He kissed my forehead lightly and followed aunt Ekaete. At the door, he turned back and looked at me, tilting his head to the side a little in contemplation, a smile playing on his lips. I wondered what he was thinking about.

"Goodnight Uyai mmi (my Uyai)...all will be well" he finally said.

Turning off the lightbulbs, he shooed Aunt Ekaete out of the room, and closed the door behind them.

"Goodnight" I whispered quietly into the darkness.

And immediately closed my eyes to fall asleep, so the Ojuju Calabar wouldn't come after me.

A/n
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