Akata Witch

where you can speak the words into it without having to catch it first. Once the words are inside, the juju lives and acts on its own. Hold out your hand.” She put the invisible juju pouch into Sunny’s outstretched hand. It felt wet, soft, and cool.

“My first language was Efik, so I speak the trigger words in Efik,” she said. “Your first language was Igbo, so-”

“English,” Sunny corrected.

“Really?” Chichi said, cocking her head.

“Well, yeah.”

“Okay, your trigger words will be in English.”

“So what are the words?”

“You ready to cross?”

She hesitated. “Yeah.”

“Just say ‘Bring music of my heart.’ But I’ll say ‘Bring music of Sunny’s heart,’ since this is for you. You should still try to bring forth your spirit face yourself. Call it like you’d call me or Orlu, like it’s a good friend.” Chichi spoke the words in Efik and the music started.

Sunny looked out at the fast-moving river and tree bridge. In her head, she said, Come to me! It came as if it had been waiting. From deep within, she heard a low voice whisper, “Anyanwu.” Anyanwu, that was her spirit face’s name, her other name. In Igbo, Anyanwu meant “eye of the sun.” It was a cool name. Definitely fitting. This time she walked in what she knew was a straight, regal manner. She inspected herself as she moved, for the rushing waters below didn’t scare her.

“Hello?” she said, testing out her voice. It sounded rich and a little lower. She considered herself, who she was, what she had learned in the last few days. She stopped and allowed herself to drop into that deep concentration she knew so well. With her spirit face, she was sure of what she was doing. It made sense.

She looked down. She couldn’t see her feet. She laughed and rushed forth. She was wind, mist, air, partially here, but also there. The music was in her ears like the soundtrack of a dream, as she zoomed to the end of the bridge. She got there in seconds, the music still playing. She shot past Sasha and Orlu, behind a nearby tree. All she had to do was think it and she became visible again.

“Wow,” she breathed, as she looked at her hands. Four large chittim fell at her feet. Copper ones, the most valuable kind. This was an important lesson to learn. She put them in her purse and went to the others.

“How’d you get here so fast?” Chichi shouted, laughing.

“I did this invisibility thing! It was like flying without leaving the ground!” she said. And something else she couldn’t quite describe. She looked at Orlu and Sasha. “I shot right past you guys.”

“So that was the warm breeze we just felt,” Orlu said.

“I thought it was someone else who didn’t want to be seen,” Sasha said.

“This is crazy.” Sunny couldn’t stop grinning. Life was getting weirder and weirder. But this weirdness she really liked. If she could do this at will, nothing could harm her. Not even her father when he was angry.

“It’s not that amazing,” Sasha said coolly. “I can do that with a little powder and a few words.”

“Well, Sunny was born able to do it,” Chichi said.

Sasha just scoffed and pursed his lips. Sunny was too excited to care that he was jealous.

“You best hope she doesn’t treat you like that when you’re learning Igbo, Sasha,” Orlu said, as they started walking.

“I don’t need my ass kissed to learn,” Sasha grumbled.

They went right to Bola’s Store of Books. Sasha headed straight to the section marked ENTER AND BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK. This time, two teenagers, an old man, and two women were perusing the section. Orlu went to a section marked BOOKS OF CREATURES AND BEASTS OF THE MYSTIC WORLD.

“What are you interested in?” Sunny asked Chichi.

She shrugged. “I’ll find something,” she said over her shoulder, ambling away.

Sunny looked at all the categories: Time Tweakers, Love Juju, Ability Honing for the Unblessed, Parenting, History, Leopard General Literature, Leopard Science Fiction. Her eye fell on the same book that she had noticed last time. It was in a section labeled SCRIPTS, ALPHABETS, AND STRAIGHT JUJU. She picked it up. Nsibidi: The Magical Language of the Spirits. When she opened it, all she saw were pictorial signs. The longer she looked, the more the signs began to pulse and migrate about the page. She held the book closer to her face and they moved about even more. On top of that, the book seemed to be whispering to her.

“Huh? What are you saying?” she whispered back. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped. It was the shop owner, Mohammed.

“Hi,” she said, feeling her face grow hot. “I was-I was just…” She put the book down and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Was I not supposed to touch that?”

“Relax,” he said. He picked up the book and put it back in her hands. “You’re a free agent, right?”

She nodded. A man browsing beside her sucked his teeth loudly and moved to another section.

“Interesting,” Mohammed said, ignoring the annoyed customer. “Your instructor sent you all here to buy books?”

“Mhm. But I don’t know anything, really.”

“That’s an understatement,” he said, chuckling and patting her on the shoulder. “You see anything in that book that… wiggled a bit?”

“Yeah. And I heard… whispering.”

He nodded. “Few can see Nsibidi. Buy this book. It calls you.”

“What happens after they stop wiggling?” she asked.

“Eh,” Mohammed said with a shrug. “Only people like you will know. But it’s a book, so you will learn something, I’m sure.”

“Who’s the author?” she asked.

“Sugar Cream.”

She frowned. Where had she heard that name?

“She’s one of the scholars,” Mohammed said, laughing. “You really are new. She’s head of the Leopard Knocks Library Council.”

She clutched the book to her chest. “Can you help me find one other book?”

“Sure.”

“It’s called Advanced Juju Knife Jujus by Victoria Ogunbanjo.”

Now it was Mohammed’s turn to frown. “For you?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” But he looked unsure.

The book was small with leaf-thin pages. It had a picture of an ancient-looking juju knife on the front with blood dripping from its tip. Altogether, her books cost three copper chittim.

“That Nsibidi book is really expensive,” Sasha said. “You can really see it move?”

“Yeah.”

“What’d you get?” Chichi asked.

Sasha grinned. “Udide’s Book of Shadows.”

“What?” Orlu nearly shouted. “You’re kidding!”

“Who’s Udide?” Sunny asked.

“The supreme artist,” Chichi said. “A giant spider that lives underground. She’s the most creative creature on earth. She wrote an actual book of shadows? Na-wao, nice find! What language is it in?”

“Arabic, for some reason. This thing cost me two copper chittim,” he said.

“It’s more than worth it,” Chichi said, looking hungrily at the book. “I’ve never heard of anyone finding a copy.”

Sasha’s grin widened.

“You sure that isn’t stolen?” Orlu asked. “You never know at Bola’s shop, especially in that section.”