Akata Witch

“No problem,” the man said. “Been rainin’.” From his accent, Sunny could tell the man was from the Caribbean. “Get in,” the driver said. “No worries, Star. Mud ain’t paint, ya know.”

In the van, the toddlers refused to leave Orlu. They snuggled against him in the backseat and were soon fast asleep.

“So your mother told you that charm?” Sunny asked Chichi.

“My mother knew your grandmother,” Chichi said. “But not very well. Your grandmother visited my mother last night in a vision and gave her the juju that she gave me. My mother called it a ‘bring back.’ Only powerful scholars can make one. After they die, they bring it back to someone living and whoever the juju is worked on will have his worst sins brought back to him, if it is the will of the Earth.”

“Classic,” Sasha said. “Black Hat’s sins really did catch up with him.”

“I wonder how the other Oha covens got those few children out,” Chichi said.

“Black Hat probably killed those coven members instead, using their lives to further open the way. But their lives probably weren’t as effective as the children’s.”

“He may have forced them to ingest ten times as much calabash chalk before he killed them,” Orlu said.

The driver stopped at the Aba police station and got out.

“You,” the driver said to Orlu. “Help me bring ’em in. Let me do de talkin’.”

Orlu nodded, as the driver carefully took the boy. Orlu carried the girl. They were in the station for a half hour.

“We were questioned, some,” Orlu said, as they drove away. “We just told them we found the children wandering near the gas station. I didn’t bother trying to explain about being all muddy. Driver, they’ll be okay, right?”

“Right as the right kinda rain,” the driver said. “Pickney dem resilient likle tings.”

Orlu had developed an attachment to the children, as they had to him. It made sense; he had returned their lives. Sunny patted him on the shoulder. “It was for the best. They have to go home to their families.”

“Hope they don’t blab about what they saw,” Sasha said.

“Even if they wanted to, they don’t have the words to describe it all, really,” Chichi said. “And who’s going to believe what a small child says?”

“Hey, is this going to take us to Leopard Knocks?” Sunny asked. They’d turned onto a narrow bumpy road, flanked by forest on both sides. She could have sworn she saw a blue monkey swing by on a branch.

“’Tis,” the driver said blandly. “Only official dem can enter this way.”

She watched attentively out the window. Minutes later, they approached a wide concrete bridge that ran over the river. Everyone closed their eyes, the driver included. He even let go of the wheel. Sunny kept her eyes open. She considered asking what was going on. Nah, let me just watch, she thought. The moment the car moved onto the bridge, she felt her spirit face pushed forward. It was involuntary. She looked around. Everyone else had changed, too!

Orlu’s face was square and bright green. It was decorated with thousands of wiggling Nsibidi symbols too small for her to read. Sasha had the wooden head of a fierce-looking parrot, his thick beak a bright yellow and the rest of his head a bright red. She’d already seen Chichi’s long, marble-like spirit face. She couldn’t see the driver’s because he was in front. Then they were over the bridge. She quickly shut her eyes and pretended to open them with everyone else. She looked out of the window, embarrassed and a little guilty. What she’d viewed was very, very private. But she was glad she’d looked.

When they reached the Obi Library, the sun was just coming out.

“Your chittim be taken to your homes,” the driver said flatly.

“What about mine?” Sunny said. “My family won’t know what it is.”

“It’s taken care of,” he said. He drove off without saying good-bye. None of them really cared. When they stepped into the library this time, the change was obvious. Though several buckets still collected drops of water, people were walking about quickly and talking excitedly, some looked agitated and some happy. News traveled fast.

Samya jumped up from behind the WETIN desk when she saw them. “You’re here!” she shouted. People stared. Samya ran over to them. “Come!”

Again they were led to the third floor, not the fourth. To Sugar Cream’s office. Sugar Cream stood up and hurried over.

“Samya,” she said, “get them fresh clothes.”

“Yes, Oga,” she said, leaving.

“What happened?” Sugar Cream said. “Tell it all to me.”

It took them a half hour. Samya came with a stack of clothes, setting them on the floor next to Sugar Cream’s chair.

“You four did an excellent job,” Sugar Cream said when they finished. “And you, Sunny, put the deepest fear into Ekwensu. But because of what Black Hat has done, it will be easier for her to return now, and she’ll start gathering in the spirit world. So we here in the physical world must also prepare. I’ve known this time would come.” She paused. “I will tell your teacher and your mentors about all you did.” She stood up and hugged each of them and took Sunny aside.

For several moments, Sunny and Sugar Cream looked into each other’s eyes. Sunny held her breath but didn’t look away. Then Sugar Cream pursed her lips and said, “You’ve proven yourself today in more ways than one,” she said. She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. “Okay.”

Sunny grinned. She finally had a mentor.

21

Timing

By the time Sunny got home, the sun was setting again.

She’d been gone for over twenty-four hours. The air was heavy with mist as the rainwater evaporated in the heat. Her brothers were outside, kicking a soccer ball around. She wore a clean green rapa and white T-shirt. Her sandals, the ones she’d left home in, were encrusted with mud, as was her hair. She ran over and stole the soccer ball from her brothers with her feet. Even in her rapa, she was quicker than them.

“Where have you been?” Chukwu asked. He looked angry. “You look terrible.” She kicked the ball to Ugonna.

“Trying to save the world,” she said.

Ugonna kicked the ball to Chukwu, who kicked it to her.

“Daddy is going to flog the hell out of you,” Chukwu said, looking her up and down. “Mama defended you and said she’d given you permission to go, but Daddy…” He looked at his watch. “You better get ready for it.”

She brought her foot back and sent the ball flying across the street into the neighbors’ concrete fence. Chukwu cursed at her as he ran after it. Ugonna punched her in the shoulder as he followed Chukwu. She went inside.

The smell of pepper soup filled her nostrils as soon as she opened the door. Highlife music came from her parents’ room. It was half past six. She didn’t care what time it was. She had reason to be late. And her father’s issues weren’t hers. She went to the kitchen, where her mother stood bent over a huge pot of pepper soup.

“Hi, Mama,” she said.

Her mother whirled around, her eyes inspecting every part of Sunny for injury. She grinned and tears came to her eyes. Then the grin fell from her face. Sunny turned around to face her father.

Neither of her parents had been to work in a day and a half because of the rain. It was rare for them to enjoy free time. Her father wore his favorite home outfit, a yellow and blue wrapper and a T-shirt. But there was not a trace of relaxation on his face.

“Where in hell have you been all day?”

“Dad,” she said. Her voice shook. “I was up to nothing unholy or shameful or dirty. I was with my friends and-”