C0 Prologue

Enugu, Nigeria.

Years ago.

...

It was quarter past six in the evening but the weather appeared relatively older than that. Wind began blowing intensively, it was obvious to the eyes of the masses that heavy rainfall would certainly be experienced.

Aliya ran helter skelter back home from her mother's provision shop which was few kilometers away from their house. And as instructed by her mother, she packed all their dried clothes inside and made sure their livestock were intact in their barn.

Immediately the rain began to fall, NEPA took their light - leaving the entire district in darkness. Everywhere became stone cold. Aliya quickly lightened the kerosene lamp in the living room as soon as she was able to get her hands on the matchbox which was kept on top of the table. Thus, she waited patiently for her mother's return in an armchair. She was eager to see her mother back home.

As the rain continued falling and becoming heavier, Aliya worried that her mother might not be able to return back home that night. You know how worried every child could be in such situation, right? She peeped through the window, but there was no sign of her mother. A sudden fierce thunder preceded by a powerful lightening frightened her. She quickly ran back to the chair and squeezed herself in it. There, she slept until she was awoken by weird voices in the morning.

*******

Back in the village, the family of Great Chukwuka were about to be fed a seemingly good news. Inspector Emeka, the one and only police officer in the family ran helter skelter to break the news flown to him by his informant from the city. He was eager to break the news to everyone in their family house, and as soon as he stormed into the compound of the house he started shouting nonstop - calling everyone out of their apartments.

"Emeka will you stop shouting!" Eze, the eldest child in the family said. He was the first to come out. "What is wrong with you this early morning, Emeka? You must have a good reason for waking us up or else I will cut your tongue this instant!"

"My brother, I have a good reason. But I fear none of you will believe what I am about to spill out" Emeka said while panting.

"What happened, Emeka?" Chioma chimed in as she stormed out of her own apartment.

"It is that Awusa (Hausa) witch o, the wife of our late brother" Emeka said shaking his head expressing bitterness.

"Azima? What happened to her?" Eze wrinkled one of his brows.

"She was hit by a strong lightening yesterday in the evening" Emeka said and then continued. "Just recently my informant called and informed me about it"

"You sure say this no be fake news?" Okechukwu, the no nonsense in the family chimed.

"You see?" Emeka shook his head disappointedly. "I said it, none of you will believe me" He turned about to leave.

"Ah, Emeka wait na" Eze stopped him. "If what you said is true then the wiseman was right about brother Okafor's death. Azima was the one that killed him, she killed her own husband and now nemesis has caught up with her!" He said widening his Kolanut stained teeth. "The gods never sleep!" He rejoiced.

"Indeed you are right, brother Eze!" Chioma uttered and continued. "I knew right from the beginning that Azima was a witch and I had warned brother Okafor not to marry her but he refused. He stole her from her family up north, brought her down here, married her... and as if that was not enough, he converted himself to her religion - Islam!"

"Ahh, what brother Okafor did is still paining me o! The village no longer respect our family anymore, and it is all because of that Awusa (Hausa) witch he married. Thank God she's now dead" Okechukwu said.

"Yes, she's dead. But as long as her daughter, Aliya is still alive then she is not dead. Don't you know that a Dog can never give birth to a cat?" Eze said.

"But our gods have already made justice to our brother - Okafor, what then should we do with the little girl?" Chioma asked, confused.

"We should kill her" Eze absentmindedly replied.

"Kill her? That's against the law!" Emeka chimed in protest.

"Weldon, oga police. Where was law when her mother killed our brother?" Okechukwu asked.

"Help me ask the mumu abeg!" Eze rolled his eyes.

"You people should not get it wrong, please!" Emeka said and continued. "If her mother killed our brother as we believe, what does that has to do with her? Remember, she's just a little girl. She has nothing to do with this, and killing her is a great sin"

"Says who? The indifferent Nigeria Police Force?" Eze smirked leaving Emeka speechless. "I, Eze, the eldest in this family says Aliya must die. And you, Emeka, is the one to secretly do the job because only you here can handle a gun perfectly. And if you can't do it, tell your boys in the city to do it. I give you today, if you don't do as I say then I will send mob to do the job for us!"

"Brother Eze, wait..." Emeka tried to make his brother understand but the stubborn Eze shushed him off and returned back into his apartment. Thus, Emeka disappointedly left the family house to the station and telephoned his informant. "Hello, Mr Patrick. Something is not right. I will explain later but for now I need you to do something for me. Your wife is very close to our subjects, please send her to get Aliya out of this state. It should be up north where the poor girl's mother belongs to. I will pay for everything, just make sure the girl is far away from here..."

*******

Aliya was astounded to see their living room filled with strange faces and neighbours, mostly women. Sadness was written allover their faces, some were even crying. What could be wrong? She wondered as she rubbed her puffy eyes, stood to her feet and began looking around for her mother. Whatever the situation might be, if she finds her mother she would be briefed. But where could her mother be? She searched almost everywhere in the house but couldn't find her mother. People only cry more when they see her, they didn't say anything to her - they wanted her to solve the mystery by herself.

"Mama!" She yelled her mother's name for the umpteenth time while thoroughly looking around. "Where are you, Mama?" She went to the barn but couldn't find her mother. And as she was about going back to the house to check again, some strong men carrying a stretcher walked into their compound. Inside the stretcher was something completely covered in white. Aliya wondered what could possibly be laying covered in such thing. Her thought was thus seized by a sudden grip, it was her mother's friend.

"Aunty Favour?" Aliya muttered.

"Yes, it's me. We have to go!" The cute chubby lady said as she began dragging Aliya out of the compound.

"To where? I am looking for my mother!" Aliya said.

"Your mother is... is somewhere far, Aliya. And I am taking you to her right now" The lady stuttered increasing their pace.

"Okay" Aliya smiled and remained silent until they reached a white Volkswagen Beetle outside. "Is she inside the car?" Aliya peeped but couldn't find her mother inside.

"No, but this man will take you to her" The lady said as she bent and talked to the driver of the car who sat comfortably inside. "Musa, here is the girl" She said and then lowered her voice. "Please, do as I said. Take her and drop her anywhere in the north"

"No wahala, madam. I go do as you said" The man said in his Hausa accent as he started the car.

"Thank you" The lady said and then held Aliya's hand to the other door. "Don't panic, Aliya. This man will take you to your mother"

Aliya didn't understand what was going on. "I thought you are taking me to her by yourself?" She asked the lady.

"Actually, I wanted to but I have a lot to do at home" The lady said opening the door for the 8-year-old girl. "Don't worry, we will meet soon. Greet your mother for me, okay?" She said and just then tears streamed down to her cheeks, the tears she had been holding for long. What could be the mystery behind it?

Aliya was bewildered, she was totally confused. What was going on? Why was her mother's friend also in tears... just like the people she woke up to in their house? She wanted to ask but the lady forced her into the car and then shut the door off. "Goodbye, Aliya!"