The Anansi Girl

Nansi Girls

"Where are we?" I look around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Lagos." Skokie reached for my face. I stepped back and he flicked my nose. 

I rubbed my nose and resist the urge to threaten him by asking instead, "Why are we in Lagos?".

"Where were you Skokie? I've been calling for days. I need to speak to Spider." A woman stormed into the living room wearing a Kimono style robe, maroon boyshorts and rose colored strapless bra. She was speaking to Skokie, but looking at me.

The woman, slightly taller than I was, was startlingly beautiful and dark. She had a very slim figure, long silver hair dropped in curling rivulets behind her. She reached up, dragged the silver wig off her head revealing shoulder length black hair. She dropped the wig on the ground.

"Asha I was on another call." Skokie walked up to Asha, grabbed her around the tiny waist and kissed her. I thought about looking away, thought about it, then decided it was not up to me to look away. If they felt comfortable making out in front of a stranger, well that was on them. Besides, I couldn't resist the urge to glare daggers at Skokie's back. 

"Yes I can see that. Who is this?" She asked when they were done.  Skokie stepped back from us.

"Another Nansi girl." Asha walked up to and around me. As she circled me like a lion would it's pray, she had her hands held up, palms out fingers twitching slightly. 

"What are you doing?" I tried stepping away from her, but I couldn't move as she continued to circle me. 

"She is testing you." Skokie stepped away finding a seat on one of the sofas in the room while Asha kept on with whatever she was doing.

The more she moved around me, the more constricted I felt. Soon, I couldn't move anything but my eyes.

"You don't smell or feel like one of us. Who are you?" Asha sounded stern and suspicious. She was making me feel like I was back in high school being tested by the cool kids, to see if I had what it takes to join in their special group. I looked from her to Skokie sitting on the sofa to her right. Here were a group of strangers inspecting me like I was some kind of lair. Was it not Skokie who jettisoned me from my normal life to this stranger's home in Lagos, Nigeria? I did not ask for this. I never wanted to be part of whatever this is.  

"My name is Ninni Soobili." I offered.

"Ninni? I don't mean the name you go by, but your real name." 

"That is my real name." I urged struggling to move, but still unable to.

"Her name is Anyaokyanin, Asha. And she is a Nansi girl, look." Skokie reached into his back pocket and pulled out the necklace I had been wearing.  Asha took it from him to examine it. 

Asha looked at the necklace and looked at me. Her features softened a bit. 

"Well, I have never heard of Soobili Nansi and I know all of my sisters." 

"Err..sister?" I asked.

"Yes sister. All Nansi girls are sisters. All  Odenkyem boys are brothers. And all of us, Nansi girls, Odenkyem boys and the the children of that rascal Osebo, the lazy Owoh and so forth are cousins." 

It was obvious, I was loosing my grip on reality.

"The only sibling I have is Sammy and he may be a queen but the last time I checked he was male. And I've never heard of any cousins named Osebo, Owoh and Odenkyem. I have two cousins Joseph Kwawa in Belgium and a Sarah Soobili who is studying in China. That is as far as I know."