Complete Story

CHANGE: The Complete Story

It was a sunny day in the afternoon of August 12, 2011. Gbemi raced down the stairs on hearing the sound of her father's car horn meaning "Daddy is home," as the norm by her dad to let his little girl know he was home. So she hurried down the stairs to give her dad his usual welcome hug and of course get her treat for the day.

Her mother from the kitchen called out, "Gbemi take it easy before we all have to race out too for a trip to the hospital", rolling her eyes she said, "Hmm, this child wont kill me! Omo Daddy!" with so much envy.

Gbemi on getting outside saw not just her dad but her father and his closest friend Uncle Ayo; who just got out from behind the driver's seat. Even though she felt that was strange; why would Uncle Ayo drive daddy back home, she didn't care. She quickly ran to give her father a hug, "Welcome home daddy" and said to her dad's best friend, "Good evening Uncle Ayo." Her dad looked down at her with searching eyes and looked over at his best friend and looking confused asked, "I have a kid too?"

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"Ogbanje! Esu! Witch! What have you done to my son? He doesn't recognise me, his own mother, neither does he recognise his daughter. How did you do it? Was it poison? I said it oh, I told everyone when they were all crazy about you" saying: 'it doesn't matter where she's from, the Igbos are human beings too' "I told them oh that these people are all diabolical. My late husband; God rest his soul wouldn't listen. Now look at what has happened!! Wicked woman, please release my son!"

Gbemi couldn't understand why grandma was calling mom all these names, the most she understood was that they weren't good names, at least she could make out what witch meant. 'My mom certainly isn't a witch' she thought, and for the rest, she just figured because they seemed to make mom upset; as she could see now that, her mom was weeping inconsolably.

Gbemi's mom kept crying and when she could find her voice, said: "Mama, please I have done nothing to your son. He is my husband and the father of my angel, why would I want any harm to come to him? He hardly recognises me either."

Grandma seemed to have become provoked by mom speaking, as she immediately got up, turned her face away from mom, while grumbling and at the same time tapping her right foot against the ground. As soon as mother finished talking, she stopped tapping her foot, folded her arms, faced mom and with a very loud voice, said; "Who understands witches and why they do what they do? I know you did this to my son and I'll make sure you suffer too for this. God is my witness." By now, she had unfolded her arms and they were on her waist, at akimbo; her eyes opened wide and searing down on mom.

Mom kept crying and said, "God knows I have done nothing wrong. Mama please I am not a witch, I love my husband."

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Dad loved popcorn so much and he was very good at making them. He usually had this routine where he'd make popcorn every evening on Saturdays and Sundays; those were movie nights for us as a family. We had missed this ritual now for 6 months.

Another thing I missed was seeing my mom. Grandma had sent her packing; saying "no witch would live in my son's house." Even though, there were times Dad recognised me now, it however didn't last long. He asked of Mom too a couple of times but Grandma would always say, "relax, don't worry your head about her. She is a bad woman who made you sick, so she had to go!" Dad never understood and would get in the car to go find mom sometimes but always got lost halfway there. By the third time it happened, Grandma always made sure there was someone driving up behind him; who always offered to help him back home. "Wow, longest time. I saw it was you and had to pull over too," they'd say. "Oh you don't remember me? I actually thought you did and that's why you pulled over first," they'd go on to say; when Dad looked confused and wouldn't recognise them. Then they'd go on to produce a picture of them with Dad to make sure Dad went with them. Somehow it always worked.