Omonigho: The marine princess Read online

  "Sir I don't know o. She has been like this since yesterday..."

  "Since yesterday? Fr. Esene exclaimed. "Did she fall down or something? Have you been to the hospital?”

  Mama Omonigho kept sobbing. "They told me to come here sir. They said it's a spiritual problem o. Heo! Please help me o. She's my only child. Heo, Okosun o! I am finished."

  Fr. Esene looked at the young girl once again. She wasn't moving at all. He turned toward the boy who was looking at them from a safe distance. "Harry, go into the sacristy and get a red stole. Bring a bottle of Holy water as well. Hurry!"

  Harry couldn't mask his excitement as he ran to get the items. Father was about to raise the dead in his presence. He wasn't going to miss it for the world.

  ***

  The Queen mother summoned the fallen angel again. Her maids were in deep trouble. If she had been able to see through the thick wall blocking the Church she would have known enough not to send them there at this hour. The fallen angel came into her chambers as quietly as he had left it moments ago. He made a sweeping motion with his hands and kept still. After a while he did it again. Then again. The Queen mother was bemused. She had never seen Reficul repeat motions before. This was more serious than she thought. After the fourth trial, Reficul looked at her. Then he went toward the big serpent. It uncurled and moved away from the pit. He looked down at the pit, nodded at the Queen mother and he dissolved into thin air. The Queen mother went over to the hole. Sure enough, her maids were all in there, momentarily dead to the realm of humans and of the spirits...

  Chapter Six

  Battles

  Omonigho felt the cold again. She was standing on a tall mountain overlooking desolate plains. It was dark; probably late in the evening, or was it early in the morning? She wasn't sure. Gusts of wind tugged at the tiny piece of clothing she wore. She couldn't tell if it was a dress or a cloak. She wasn't seeing straight. But she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to limit the effect of the cold. Then she saw them. They were lined up in a single file, all the way down to the horizon, as far as the eye could see. In the midst of that multitude, she felt totally alone.

  Omonigho turned away from the mountain and broke into a run. She knew these men. These were the same men that took her night after night. She had been with them as far back as she could remember. They were the reason the Queen mother had told her she couldn't ever marry. In a way, she was married to them. It was a covenant she didn't remember entering into. As she ran, the men followed her. They were tall and muscular; completely naked. They seemed to fly across the air straight at her. She increased her pace; running through the ruins as far as her legs could take her. Blisters formed beneath her feet as they brushed over the rough-hewed surfaces of stones and rocks. But she felt nothing. No pain; just an overwhelming sense of emptiness. She could see light ahead. She continued running, hoping to get to the light before the men caught up with her...

  ***

  "Let God arise, let His foes be scattered. Let those who hate Him flee away. Let them melt like wax in fire...“ Fr. Esene kept reciting palm 68 in a booming voice. He knew exactly what he was doing. Cases like these always came to them. It hadn't taken too long to notice that the young lady was probably oppressed by marine and serpentine spirits. When he began sprinkling holy water on her, she erupted into the most indescribable twists and gyrations he'd ever seen any human person perform. He had to stop after a while. He didn't want the young lady injuring herself fatally on the altar rails. They were before the tabernacle inside the Church, and the young lady had been lying just close to the railing.

  Fr. Esene looked at the girl's mother who had taken many paces back from the sanctuary. From the look on her face he could tell she couldn't believe what she was witnessing. He waited some moments. Then he continued the prayers, "By the authority of God most high, through the passion of Jesus Christ on the cross, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I command ye marine and serpentine spirits, BEGONE!” The girl began gyrating again...

  Harry watched as the scene unfolded before him. True enough, Father had raised the dead. True enough...

  ***

  Omonigho had left the men behind. She wasn't sure she outran them. It was as though they had suddenly withdrawn of their own volition, as though they saw no reasons in continuing the chase. But she could not get to the light. The faster she ran, the faster it receded from her. She increased her pace repeatedly. And just as she felt she was close enough to the light, floods of water rushed in upon her and carried her off in its waves...

  ***

  The Queen mother watched as her princess was being swept away in the floods. Her spirit body would heal with the waters. Then she would return, and with her the other maidens. For the first time she had to admit that the mission had been a bad idea. But this was not the time for regrets. The battle was only just beginning...

  Chapter Seven

  Strange happenings

  Omonigho opened her eyes inside the hole. She couldn't tell how long she had been there. One moment she was being swept away by strong currents, the next she was in here? She felt pain for the first time; hot searing pain. The heat jarred her into total consciousness. The other maidens were all inside the hole with her. Recollection came slowly. Wasn't this hole supposed to be a sanctuary, a refuge? Why then was it so hot? This was where they came to regain strength whenever missions failed. The ancient hole had protective and healing powers. One was supposed to be untouchable in here. Then she heard voices. Voices? How was that even possible? At first they seemed far away, then the sounds came loudly inside her head. Or was it her mind? The voices increased her discomfort. What was happening to her? Omonigho struggled to get out of the sanctuary. She needed to get out, or she'd die. As she lifted her head, she caught the steady gaze of the Queen Mother. For the first time in her life Omonigho could have sworn the Queen mother seemed unsure of herself.

  ***

  "God the Father commands you, God the Son commands you, God the Holy Spirit commands you, the blood of the Martyrs command you... "Nothing prepared Fr. Esene for what happened next. The young lady who had been still for sometime suddenly jumped up and took to her heels. The movement had been so unexpected that no one moved for another second.

  "Come back o! Come back. Father is not done o." Harry was the first to recover from the shock. He ran after the fleeing young lady. He was surprised that she would run out like that. Wasn't she supposed to wake up calmly and thank Father for bringing her back to life? Harry was amused. The young lady was running in the wrong direction.

  Mama Omonigho jumped into action almost simultaneously. She ran after the young boy. She couldn't understand what it all meant. But they were heading somewhere and she wanted her daughter back inside the Church. She wanted this thing completed, whatever that meant. She could hardly quantify her relief that her daughter was awake, let alone up and running.

  Fr. Esene took a break from his prayers. He took out his handkerchief and wiped perspiration off his face. It was good that the young lady was awake. Now he would need to speak to her. Getting her to renounce her other life would not be easy; it never was. Whatever would happen next would largely depend on whether she was willing to let go of that other world. When it came to matters of deliverance, free will was important. He knew that from experience.

  ***

  Somewhere else, the Queen mother watched in amazement as her princess was sucked out forcibly from her sanctuary. That had never happened before. Strange things were happening under her watch. Strange things! She could tell higher forces were at play. She immediately put her arms together and began the ritual that would bring her princess back to her...

  Chapter Eight

  Decisions

  Many days had passed since Omonigho was taken to the Church. She couldn't quite explain what had happened to her there, and why her mother had taken her to a church in the first place. But she knew that the experience had changed everything. Everything! Now she was standing in fron
t of St Michael the Archangel Catholic Church not knowing exactly why she had come. There was something mysterious about these Catholic Churches. Something she could not fathom. So maybe she was here to find answers. Maybe she was here to take a better look at the shiny star-like object with a white center. Maybe she wanted to know why she could not perform her mission within a Catholic Church. She needed to know. And she needed to see that man again. The man of God that had been able to pull her out of the sanctuary of the Queen mother. The Queen mother had warned her against coming here. But she knew she had to disobey.

  "Excuse me o. But were you not the girl that ran away the other day?” Harry had been watching the young lady from a distance. He had given her sometime to wander around inside the compound before making his appearance. "I thought you'd never come back. But Father said you would. He was right."

  Omonigho was silent. She looked at the boy and smiled. She couldn't help smiling since the boy was grinning so much. He was probably her age mate. Fifteen? Sixteen at most. But he was certainly not as dark skinned as she was. He had chubby cheeks like one of those very rich children she often saw around. Why was he smiling at her like that? Omonigho looked down at the worn-out slippers on her feet. She then lifted her gaze to her dusty legs and the rumpled dark plaited skirt she wore. Or was he laughing at her faded yellow t-shirt? Whatever it was, she could tell he didn't mean it in a bad way. There was no air of superiority in the manner the boy presented himself. And his smile was welcoming after all.

  "You don't talk much, do you?” I am Harry Abulu. I just finished minor seminary, and am now on holidays. This is my home parish." Harry stretched out his hand for a handshake. "Do you live here in Ekpoma?"

  Omonigho's smile widened as she took the boy's outstretched hand. He was doing like one Oyibo person. She didn't know which question to answer first. And she had no idea what a minor seminary was; she didn't intend to ask either. They hadn't talked much the last time. She had not been in any condition to speak to anyone then. She had been so angry. Angry at her mom, at the man of God wearing white, and at this very boy for trying to convince her to go back into the Church. Things hadn't gone so well that last time. In the end, the man of God had had to let her go with her mother.

  "So? Are you going to talk or just hold my hand?" Harry withdrew his hand and folded his arms across his chest as though he had all the time in the world.

  "Omonigho Okokhere is my name. I was wondering if I could know more about this Church. And maybe I could also meet the man of God that was praying for me the other day?"

  "Of course. Of course." Harry checked the wrist watch on his left arm. "It's just 10 'o'clock. Father is in the office. Please follow me." He turned swiftly and led the way.

  Omonigho followed at a distance.

  ***

  The Queen mother kept monitoring her princess with her mirror-like globe. Why was her princess so stubborn? She had told her not to go back to the Church. She had been very clear about that. Yet she had gone there? The Queen mother summoned some maidens and sent them to the Church compound. They needed to keep an eye on her princess. But they would go in their human forms this time. She wasn't taking any risks. Her princess was playing with what she had no idea about. Worse still, she might stumble on the truth about the Creator. That was not to happen. She couldn't let that happen.

  ***

  Omonigho had been telling Fr. Esene her story. She hadn't wanted to say anything at first, but the man seemed to know about her other world so well. Besides, this was the first time she had ever been able to talk to someone else freely about herself. With this man of God, it wasn't as difficult as she had thought it would be. He easily believed her story.

  "So what about your Father," Fr. Esene asked. "Did you try telling him about your dreams and the voices?”

  Omonigho looked at her hands. The office was silent yet she could hear voices. They were here. She could tell. The other maidens were here. They were yelling at her, discouraging her from telling the priest anymore of her story. "My dad died before I was seven. That's what my mum told me. But it seems she knows things I don't. I stopped talking to her because she pretended I was normal." The yelling inside her head was becoming a roar.

  Fr. Esene looked at the child, noticing her discomfort. She shook her head from side to side as though trying to ward off some invisible forces. "Would you like me to introduce you to the person of Jesus Christ?" He asked her in a gentle voice.

  "No!" Omonigho roared. She jumped up from the chair and moved towards the door. "Don't come near me. Don't please. Don't...”

  Chapter Nine

  Secrets Revealed

  Mama Omonigho heard screams. She jumped out of her bed and made for Omonigho's room, knocking over a few objects in the darkness. Not again! Her mind chided her. Not again. These screams had become frequent since her daughter started going to the Catholic Church. She couldn't tell if it meant things were getting better or worse. She had to admit that for weeks now Omonigho had not gone into intermittent unconsciousness as she used to do. So maybe she was getting better after all. But she couldn't explain the constant nightmares, and the long reddish streaks that usually appeared all over her daughter's skin each time. The most frustrating thing was that Omonigho refused to talk to her whenever she asked her about the screams and marks.

  Mama Omonigho was scared. She didn't want her daughter to die the way her husband had died many years ago. She couldn't wait any longer. She'd have to go to the man of God and tell him all she knew. Every other avenue had failed. Time was running out.

  Omonigho was sprawled on the floor. Once again, she had rolled off her bed. Her face contorted in intense pain. "Omonigho!” Mama Omonigho shook her daughter gently as she called her name. "Omonigho, please wake up." She shook her daughter again. The young lady rolled onto her right side. Then she drew in her knees to her chest like a baby and opened her eyes. "Omonigho, what's wrong? You were screaming in your sleep."

  Omonigho sat up on the floor. She was so cold. She looked at her mother as the tears spilled down her cheeks. "Mama! I am tired. They want to kill me. Mama they want to kill me." Omonigho still felt the sting of the slap the Queen mother had given her. She had thought she'd go blind. She had been trying to understand it all. She had questioned the Queen mother. She wanted to know why she felt pain when the man of God prayed. She wanted to know if there were powers greater than theirs. She wanted to know why their realm could not withstand this new power. But instead of answers, she kept receiving the beating of her life each night for disobeying the Queen mother.

  "No one will kill you my baby. Heo! No one will kill you. God forbid! I won't let that happen. I won't. God forbid! Osenobulua!" Mama Omonigho held her daughter close to her breast, refusing to let go.

  As her mother wrapped her up in a tight embrace, the anger rose within her. Omonigho made up her mind right then to tell the priest everything she knew. Everything!

  ***

  Fr. Esene sat on his desk in silence. He listened with patience as Mama Omonigho and her daughter recounted secrets they had hidden from each other for many years. He knew Mama Omonigho was very shocked at many of the things her daughter said. For instance, she hadn't known it was Omonigho who had struck the death blow to her father for refusing to sacrifice more members of his family. Omonigho on the other hand was surprised to hear that her father had dedicated her to the altar of the serpents as soon as she was born. He had been the chief messenger of the marine and serpentine realms. That was why all those that had issues with her had died mysterious deaths. That was why she had nightmares and heard voices… Fr. Esene continued to listen in patience and in silence.

  Mama Omonigho looked up in tears. This was becoming too much for her. She still remembered how they would all dress up in white clothes and go to the river every fortnight to do the dance and appease the goddess. She had stopped the ritual after her husband died. She had even stopped performing the sacrifices since then. But she hadn't imagined that her daughter wo
uld turn out this way. She had thought the thing her father did to her would pass after his death. She had been wrong. She didn't even know her daughter; the destinies she had destroyed; the young ladies she had initiated; the young men she had slept with and contaminated with serpentine spirits of destruction. She could not take it anymore.

  Omonigho kept a straight face as she narrated her story. She knew her mother was devastated. But she didn't care. She had had to carry her cross alone. She had wanted to share with her mother when it all started. But she had never taken her seriously. Well, she no longer had anything to lose. She was going to die either way. She had disobeyed the Queen mother yet again by coming here. And she had even made matters worse by revealing most of her secrets. They were definitely going to kill her now. She was sure of it. So it was better to die disobeying the Queen mother. She was tired of being pushed around like a slave. She was tired of being told what to do. She wanted to do something out of her own free will this time. She was tired of ruining other people's lives. She was done.

  "Are you willing to give it all up?" Fr. Esene asked mother and daughter when they were done talking. "Are you ready to be delivered from the kingdom of darkness? Do you want to encounter God in a most powerful way? Do you believe that He can save you and offer you protection from the Queen mother, and from her marine and serpentine spirits?"

  Omonigho nodded. She was ready. She had nothing more to lose. She knew the Queen mother was so afraid of this Church. She knew the shiny star-like object would protect her. She just had to try. She had no choice.

  Mama Omonigho looked at her daughter. Then she nodded as well. They were in this together. She was willing to take the risk. She didn't want anyone coming after her because of her daughter.

  As Fr. Esene took mother and daughter to the chapel, he knew that the battle was only just starting. He knew that the following weeks would strongly challenge the decision they had now made. But for now, it sufficed that they were willing to take the initial steps. He trusted God to provide them the enabling grace for the challenges ahead...