THE SCARE

We sat around gazing intently at Uncle Inyang as he spoke. Our roasted corn forgotten as our attention had been captured by his riveting and very scary story. “The ‘ekong’ comes out in the middle of the night roaming around and eating little children who are still awake” Uncle Inyang said.

He went on to tell us the story of a boy who had not turned off the oil lamp in the hut one night. The masquerade had appeared in the room and that was the last anyone heard of him. We sat still, completely intrigued and at the same time terrified by uncle’s story.

I believed in ghosts and evil spirits because whenever we gathered for family prayers, mama always made sure we waged spiritual war against these dark spirits. I and my older brother had once gone along with some friends to pick mangoes from the afe ekpe the other day and when mama found out, she had given us the beating of our lives and had made us drink olive oil; some of it was put in our bathing water and we were made to bath with it. The purpose of the olive oil was to destroy the evil spirits that had followed us back home, she had told us.

It was getting late and we had to turn in for the night. I went into the room I shared with my brother and I got into bed. I couldn’t stop imagining the spirits roaming our deserted compound, I would have sworn I could actually hear the ekong’s bell.

I shut my eyes, tried to get rid of the thoughts and willed myself to sleep. I think I dozed off because I was abruptly awoken by the creaking of a door. I could make out the sound of muffled footsteps and I saw the shadow of something or someone pass over the window. The door knob turned slowly and I lay still, frozen in fear, my wrapper over my head. The thing on the other side of the door was trying to get in...

The door flew open and I could feel the creature walk towards the bed, I could hear it breathing. Next thing I knew, my wrapper was roughly yanked off my body. I screamed for help till I thought my lungs would burst.

I opened my eyes and looked up, bracing myself for whatever spiritual or physical warfare I was about to engage in. Mama stood over me a look of amusement and irritation on her face. “Will you go and have your bath” she snapped letting her impatience show. I heaved a sigh of relief, I had never been so happy to see mama. I got up, grabbed my towel and made for the bathroom with a chuckle.