Paranormal Activity

Amidst all the fun I had over the weekend, I met an old long lost friend. 

Cordelia and I were friends way back from my days in  the polytechnic (2002), where I had my OND before heading for Uni. Our friendship was not your typical bestie kinda relationship, but we were friends, really good friends. She was an Igbo girl with  heavy accent, funny and loud...lol, but loveable! I just was not a fan of her talking and did not hide it as I would always chip in here and there to correct some words she would pronounce differently and make it sound different from its original meaning. A typical example is ''Oil'' which she ends up pronouncing as ''Oyel'' whatever that means...lol. Am glad Cordelia is not the type that is into social networking sites other than Facebook. I could bet she does not even know what a blog is per say. So I can write this story hoping she never sees it or gets to read it. Now don’t judge me yet, am not doing amebo (gossiping) it was not some sort of secret story afterall. I just wanted to share it, spooky as it may, such things really do happen and exist.

Ok...Cordelia has not changed much though accent wise I mean, but its’ not as terrible as it was back in the days, she's done some polishing. In her usual self she made jokes of how big I had grown literally and  as she puts it “bigz girlz”. Herself had grown fat and looks mamaish (mother like), but trendy though. I was sort of surprised she was not married yet, cause back then in school she was the one who would say I can’t wait to be married and have kids, am so sick of schooling, and all sorts suggesting marriage. Every relationship she gets into is a prospective marriage opportunity. Cordelia was dating an HND student then and they were practical living together like married couples. Oh Gosh! Their fights were like the ones I see my parents have growing up at home. She was way too mature and all womanly than all of us. Then she would call us girls and she the woman, nature favour her well as she was well rounded and curvaceous. Cordelia was your typical African beauty,  perfectly toned light skin, tall, hour glass shaped. Make I no lie...we all envied her. Especially me, I coveted her skin so much! I had severe youthful acne and was always breaking out, it left me all scared up with spots and acne pits...kai..really bad o! What I did not have with a perfect skin I made up with good grades. What endured Cordelia to me initially. She hated books, course work, exams, everything that has to do with school.

I parked and made to alight my car, when I heard my name, Alice Akor. A little surprised because no one calls me that way except for friends from way back high school. I could not make the face initially, like I said earlier, she is added alot of weight and looked really older, but ofcourse not for long. After all the pleasantries and questions, sitting under the comfort of a shed we decided to do some catching up...and the real story started.

My dear I have been through alot over the years o! You guys just abandoned me, that’s not fair atall o! Remember that my bobo then in school na? I said yes...what's that his name again...Buchis she quickly replied. Hm! He dumped me after his youth service and married a fellow corp member . I wasn’t surprised to hear that though, they were tell tale signs back then, can’t explain that now sha...that’s another story entirely. She continues...my dear fear men o! I have had series of heart breaks, one after the other they just dump me for no particular reason. The last one that broke the camel’s back was my last boyfriend, that was three months ago. I had gotten pregnant and we had seen each other’s families and had started marriage preparations. The date for my Igbankwu had been set, then I was four weeks gone. Just like that he called it off, went off with another girl he had gotten pregnant and now I hear they are happily married. I felt sorry for her and was wondering how she managed to tell me all these without a tear or show of emotion...she continues, I had to abort the pregnancy the fourth I have had. My dear, I was near suicide, nine different men in ten years? It was then that I had to sort for help as my case seemed beyond ordinary. I kept asking myself what was wrong with me that men after proposal and marriage plans just take off. What was it with me. Was I an ogbanje (someone possessed with water spirits), alot ran through my mind as I sort for answers.

A concerned friend took me to a church here, were the pastor after praying said a proverb to me “The termite that eats the kolanut lives inside the kolanut” I didn’t understand him until he said my problem was from my house, my family. Still confused, babe I no just believe the man o! my loving family ke? Who in my family na? When they all were crying with me when the last one took off, especially my mum. I travelled to Enugu as I was too frustrated in Abuja. One Sunday like that I decided to go with my cousin to her church, na all these fire for fire church, as life tire me na (Pidgin English)...during the prayer session in the church... hm! My sister! The pastor just pointed at me and asked me to come to the front, babe I almost passed out o! I didn’t want to go o! But he called me again and now everybody had turned to stare at me, so I reluctantly went to the front, and he started praying and saying stuffs, just then he paused and asked me where my mother was, told him. He prayed some more and asked I wait after the service proper. Babe my heart was palpitating on another level (couldn’t help laughing at these point, hungry for more gist), finally I was with the pastor...he said the same thing the pastor I met with in Abuja. Your problem is from your house, in his words “Giants of your father’s house”. He then asked again where my mother was, I answered, na so d tori start o! He told me my mother was the one causing my problems, she’s behind all my predicaments. I needed to go for deliverance. At this point I was too shocked to listen to Cordelia, I had lots of questions for her, you mean he said that? Did you believe him? What was your reaction at that point? How can your mother be behind your problems? How? You mother I said in awe. Cordelia said my sister I was to shaken to even utter a word, but just then memories of the strange dreams I usually have flooded my mind. The dreams were so strange I usually wake up really scared and covered in sweats. Out of curiosity I asked her what kind of dreams, and she told me the spookiest dream ever! I cannot write all sha...but in one of her dreams, she said her mother came threatening her and her father was asking why she would not let her go and is always fighting her and her mother replied because I can never bow to Cordelia.

The pastor asked her to fast for seven days, the first three days were dry fast. During which him and his team of pastors would be praying with her, and that she would see the hand of God. I was too anxious for the outcome of her deliverance, I asked, so what now happened after your fasts? Cordelia said when she finally travelled back home, she could almost feel her mum acting awkwardly or it could be because she still was confused that her own blood mother could ever be responsible for her problems. She was still in so much doubt, until she had another weird dream, this time she was in a big fight with some huge cat, in which she gave it a really merciless beating. That same morning her mum was too ill to get up the bed...wide eyed I was, as I was staring at her with keen interest, in my mind I thought this sounded like one of those Yoruba movies I see on Yoruba African magic o! Cordelia said she almost ran out of the house for fear, could this be some mere coincidence or her mum truly was a witch. That they were serious pointers to what the pastor said to her, especially that the complaint her mum gave was of body ache “in her mums words” as if someone punched her all over. Now that had me goose bumped all over. What??? It should be some coincidence of some sort, because I could not begin to think how a mother who gave life to a child would ever think of hurting that child for no just cause. As at when she was telling me these super story...she said her mum lays critically ill and acting all weird. She been asking people to forgive her and all, she still does not believe her mum is a witch and pities her in her sick condition. But then she said the pastor had told her she would die for her evil deeds. Talk of Gods Vengeance!

Hm! Now that’s some weird story, and if you’re thinking its fiction you’re on your own o! I only have this plenty questions in my head needing answers. Other then the movies, do this kind of thing really happen? Could Cordelia be lying? But then what does she stand to achieve telling me such lies and about her own biological mother? Where do those movie script writers get their stories from? Facts or fiction? I know witchcraft exist but then ones mother or father? Brother or Sister?

As a literary student, have read novels with supernatural elements, but never have I read where ones parent could be an impeding factor on the life of a child. Maybe I have not read broadly enough...maybe.

God help us and not make us victims of paranormal activities.