THE GREATEST IS LOVE

CHAPTER THREE - THE HAUNTED

The dream continued for several weeks and the Jeetah sternly warned their daughter to stop questioning them, even though they could see how great she suffers at night. They knew the answers to her question but those answers would open up more than a can of worms. It would mean digging up dead things and bringing them back to life, something Mrs. Jeetah had vowed to never do.

Naledi became a chronic hermit overnight and the only thing that finally brought her out of the house was Isaac leaving for Nigeria. When it was time for him to board the Airplane at Sir Seretse Khama Airport, he realized that Naledi was far in thought and nowhere near the Airport. Her eyes did not have their normal glow and she looked deadly tired. He excused himself from the group of well-wishers and took Naledi aside a little far from them.

"What is happening to you?" He asked.

Naledi looked at him and fought back tears.

"I have not been able to sleep Isaac. I have the same nightmares every day. I prayed and prayed but the old woman kept tormenting me with her ugly and scary face. But today she reached out to touch me, she was terribly close...it was really creepy!"

"She didn't say anything?" Isaac asked.

Naledi took out her phone and typed the word "Omolewa" on the messaging screen. Isaac read it out. "Omolewa." He looked up at her and said,

"It is a Yoruba name if I am correct. It means "a child is beauty."

"But that is a Nigerian Language Isaac. I do not have any relations to your country. Dad is a Mauritian and Motswana and Mum is just Motswana." Just then one of Isaac's well-wishers came towards them.

"You must leave now or you will miss your flight." Naledi hugged her friend for the last time and walked away. She didn't answer to Isaac calling her name instead she slowly walked out of the Air-conditioned Airport into the hot summer afternoon. At the rate things were going, she might lose her mind if the old woman visited her again in the dream. But why were her parents warning her to let it go? A sly smile crossed her lips. Nobody was going to deprive her of peace and a good night sleep. Not anymore.

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During dinner that night, Baboloki was around to check on his little sister. He got even more worried after seeing how tired she looked and she confessed she was not getting enough sleep.

"Maybe she was possessed by that Nigerian guy she was hanging around. I hear those people are fetish." Mrs. Jeetah said snobbishly.

Mr. Jeetah suddenly dropped his spoon loudly on his plate. The rest of the family looked at him surprised at his actions. He stood up slowly and glared at his wife.

"My precious daughter has been tormented long enough. Please tell them the truth. Aren't you worried? Don't you pity this poor girl?" Naledi looked at her Mother and then back at her father. She stood up abruptly and shouted,

"I knew it!!! When you kept warning me to back out...I should have known."

"You are so unfair! You knew how Naledi has been suffering in her sleep and you kept quiet? Why? What kind of parents are you?" Mrs. Jeetah pointed a warning finger at Baboloki,

"I can still give you a resounding slap and punish you. Don't think because you are working now and are all grown up you can be exempted from that. Why are you disrespecting me?"

"Omolewa" Mr. Jeetah whispered but obviously loud enough for his children to hear it. Mrs. Jeetah stood up too and grabbed her husband by the hand.

"Don't do this Michael. Please I beg of you. Don't." Tears quickly ran down her face as she held tightly to his hands.

"We hid the truth for so long. It is time to allow these children to know who they truly are."