Despite the differences in our upbringing, Okem and I treated each other as equals. I wished I could see him every day I was in school. Unfortunately, that luxury was left for the holidays and once a term when he came along with my grandmother on visiting days. On those special occasions, Okem dressed in his Sunday best and wore his hair in a different hairstyle each time to impress me—whatever was in style that season. The haircuts always had a name—“pompadour” or “high top fade,” or “mohawk.” It was always something funny. I could sense his excitement whenever he showed them off. Those occasions were the most memorable of my stay in boarding school.
Okem was a day-student, so he was always at home whenever I came back for the holidays. We played and explored the city and visited friends. Sometimes, we stayed indoors and watched movies all day long. When the holidays were over, and we needed to part ways, we found it difficult to let go of each other. I would cry and Okem would look for a way to soothe me and remind me that come visiting day, he would be there in his Sunday best and a brand new haircut. That calmed me down immediately.
Chapter Four
MY TRANCE THE day my grandfather died marked the beginning of my adventures in Luenah. I went in and out a few more times and never could explain what got me there. All I knew was that I often drifted to Luenah when I felt down, either from missing my grandfather or being confronted with a problem I couldn’t solve. To an observer, it seemed like I was in deep slumber, although it never felt that way to me. I could always differentiate my sleeping state from the other dimension. Luenah was worlds apart from mine. With a population of about a hundred thousand, including animals and cryptic beings, this place fascinated me as much as it fulfilled me. In Luenah, I allowed myself to explore. I addressed my doubts and fears and interacted with the people I met in this mystical world. Soon, I started to refer to it as my place of utmost serenity. A place I felt most at peace. But never again was I able to see my grandfather until the day I turned eighteen.
* * *
I was sitting in my room staring into space, my thoughts shifting in every direction when I suddenly slipped into a dream. I followed the narrow path and eventually landed in Luenah. Like the gleaming sea, the golden hue cast by the sunset over the rolling hills took my breath away. I followed the path to the road and walked for several miles until I arrived at a grassy field that stretched out, unbroken, to the skyline. I cleared a spot and lay on my back. Facing the sky, I pondered the beauty of the surroundings as the sweet scent of flowers wafted through my nostrils. Sighting the carriage a few feet away, I stumbled towards it, my legs still numb from all the walking. I took a seat by the window after greeting the driver. We rode for hours, past many towns and rivers, but for some reason I couldn’t comprehend, the roads and the markets were deserted. The shops, including the little antique shop I frequently visited with a friendly elderly couple, had a closed sign on their doors. The pace of my breathing increased when in the distance, I saw the majestic peaks of the shrine—a place I was yet to enter despite my frequent visits—and reckoned we were heading in that direction. My excitement grew as I imagined who I was going to meet, what I was going to see, and all I was going to do. I had missed my chance to go past the doors the day my grandfather died; my grandmother’s hysterics had shaken me back to reality.
* * *
From the outside, the shrine was colossal. I wasn’t sure I would be allowed inside without my grandfather by my side. But as soon as I kicked off my shoes and banged on the brass knocker, the door flew open, and I entered with ease. I carefully navigated the roomy hallways that led to another ancient-style door that opened the moment I stopped in front of it. It was as if I was being summoned by a force greater than me. I glided past a bridge crafted with copper and silver, with the handles made of gold. The walls were made from stained glass. The ceilings bore carvings of beasts, some from the real world, others I had never seen or heard of before. They seemed to come alive as the carvings projected from the top. Strange creatures moved around in pairs. A growl startled me, causing my heart to almost fall into my mouth as I turned to watch a mysterious creature, the size of two bulls walk stealthily past me. Its body was like that of a man but his head was shaped like an eagle’s. Following him was a feline creature with two human heads. I could hear the faint soothing sound of a river running between the rooms. Without knowing the source, I could see it culminated in a waterfall that was clearly within view of the throne room. I observed the people streaming out from different corners. There were many rooms, so many, I couldn’t count. On a gilded throne sat a man—his age, hard to decipher, his long, tight curls, flowing down to his chest. A crown of stones sat on his head. His blue robe was cinched at the waist with a gold belt. In his hand was a carved cane, while his shoulders hunched as he waited in anticipation. Flanked on either side of him were lesser dressed men. Some sat at his feet with a look of amazement registered on their faces. The manner with which they gazed and bowed
