After Nneka's father almost loses his life and farm, her mother mysteriously vanishes. She then moves to Lagos to live with her grandmother, but she soon finds there's more to her grandmother's life than she knows.
While hawking, she meets a boy...
The real Efezino hobbled into the room with a brown leather bag slung over her shoulders. She winced as the heel of her red stilettos got stuck in Bilkis's amputated foot. Her wrinkled face twisted into a scowl as she loomed over her aunt's corpse. "Useless woman." She spat on the body. Hundreds of black ghost termites rose from the floor and devoured the flesh of Bilkis and the fake Efezino. The creatures tunneled back into the ground, leaving a faint scent of cinnamon and milk lingering in the air.
"Next time, I won't take ginger before I spit." As she dropped her bag on the floor, there was a quiet knock on her door. "Who be dat? You no know say na with house be this?" There was a shuffling noise before the visitor responded. "Ma, it's me, Dumebi. My mama send me here to learn from you." Dumebi, a stout, tall girl with rough dark skin bowed her head timidly, as Efezino peered down at her. Her sharp brown eyes studied the girl as if she was a piece of meat. Her long red manicured fingernails brushed the girl's shoulder, then she pulled Dumebi into the room. "Bring out all the materials. Tonight we will have a very long lesson." Dumebi shuffled in, spitting the strawberry gum in her mouth on Efezino's hand.
Dumebi carefully studied Efezino's face. Her ebony skin was wrinkly yet smooth, her robust frame and drooping breasts struggled to fit in a tiny red minidress she squeezed into. Four rolls of stomach fat drooped down and pressed against the sides of the dress. Her large feet looked uncomfortable stuffed in three-inch, crystal-studded red stilettos. She packed on bright red eyeshadow on her eyes and wore thick fake lashes. Her lips, a glaring red, were very irritating as they were cracked and rough. Dumebi felt like ripping up the carpet to wipe her lips. They looked worse than dead ants surrounding moldy beans. Efezino bent down to open the large black plastic bag Dumebi brought. If not for the tight dress, her long, wrinkly breasts would have been sweeping the carpet. "I brought everything you asked for, ma. The curry powder, the salt, honey, macaroni, pig's blood, mud, and a sheep's bladder." Efezino stood up and motioned for Dumebi to sit on a stool. "If you stand up from here, I will kill you." Dumebi opened her Whatsapp chats on her phone. She raised the phone above her head and smiled. She took a selfie, then captioned "About to do jazz!" Her phone vibrated wildly from the new texts she received.
Efezino dragged a giant black and red Ghana-must-go behind her. She changed into black lace lingerie and knee-high wool socks. "Stand up and help me! What are you looking at?" Her thong was covered in small brown flakes, which gathered in the middle of her butt. Dumebi almost held her nose but stopped herself in time. If she offended Efezino, she would die three times before finally dying. Efezino was a savage in the juju world. Dumebi's friend, Idris, told her a story about Efezino. She used a very harsh juju on seven drunk men after they tried to rob her. They all held Ak-47's and strapped knives round their waists. All of them had threatening tribal marks engraved in their foreheads.
When Efe refused to surrender her two hundred thousand naira debit card, they immediately fired at her. Bullets riddled her body until she was like a dish sponge. They pounced on the corpse and started tearing off her clothes and bag when one of them screamed. A portion of his skull broke off, leaving the skin and flesh hanging off the side of his face. A black tentacle wiggled out of the hole and choked him to death. The others had their brains travel down their spines. Their bones were twisted inside their bodies as if they were clay. Their corpses vanished into thin air, leaving only the items and cash they stole. That night Efe walked away with three million naira and four new pants.
Efezino arranged three calabashes, one black bottle of powder, two metal spoons, and a smaller green Ghana-must go bag on the floor. Out of curiosity, Dumebi rummaged for the key to the green bag. Efe flung it at her chest and hissed when the key slipped from her hands. "Your hands better be able to hold these things here! If they fall, I will finish you." Efezino snorted and spat next to Dumebi's thigh. Dumebi opened the lock and unzipped the bag, only to find two human heads and a stuffed black nylon bag. Two rusty nails were shoved into the pupils of its eyes, and a black string was tied around its forehead. "Aunty Efe, is it only one string we'll use?" Efe beamed at the girl she thought was wearing too much. "You're not an idiot, after all. We'll be using white ribbon and silver rings. This is like a small class, and I will test you later. Make yourself comfortable."
Efe removed one of the calabashes and placed it between them. She opened the black nylon bag and brought out two bottles of lotion and a small bottle of curry. "Pour the black powder and be mixing it with a spoon." Dumebi stirred the powder in the calabash. She watched the dark dye stain the fresh golden wood. Efe screwed open the lotion bottles and squeezed out a sawdust like-powder and a creamy, green paste into the powder Dumebi stirred. As soon as all three ingredients touched, blue smoke burst out of the calabash and filled the room. Small gaseous skulls floated in the air like dust. They started stirring the mixture together in an anticlockwise direction. Explosive red and black pellets burst out and popped on the ceiling. Black scorch marks stained the white paint covered boards. Efe grabbed the head and pressed its neck into the mixture. The nails glowed a bright orange, and blood ran from the tear ducts of its dead eyes. Its mouth moved like a gaping fish, releasing five hundred naira notes that piled on the ground. Efe swiftly strung a white ribbon on its forest.
Dumebi's marveled at the amount of money in front of her. If Efe gave her some money, then she would be able to buy herself a 360 lace wig and show off to the older girls in her street. She would buy new shoes and bags and spite the women in her church. Efe divided the pile of cash into two unequal parts. She gave Dumebi more money. "I get more money wey I go use. Make sure you no tell anybody o! Let me even collect your number so I can call you." Dumebi recited her number slowly as Efe's chubby fingers smashed the phone screen. She flashed Dumebi's phone and was satisfied when she heard her ringtone. Dumebi picked a torn red bag inside the green Ghana-must go and stuffed the money in it. Each time her hand went in with the money, it came out empty.
"Don't misplace my Rakasa. You won't find any bag that can eat things like this in the local juju market. The human head that I bought was even expensive. They keep saying that it's because of economic recession."
Dumebi piped in. "I won't even think of losing it. I went there to look for ribbon, but they said that it was nine hundred naira for one. I even wanted to buy incense stick, but that one was still too expensive. What should I bring tomorrow?" Efe thrust her middle finger into her left nostril and pulled out a large, dried brown piece of catarrh. She rubbed it on the side of her forehead and coughed. "Bring sand, three sticks, Blue Band butter, and fresh palm oil. Go to Adaros for the quality ones."
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Blue Band butter.
Dumebi packed her things and dusted her knees. She said her goodbyes and walked out of the house.
Efezino cleared up and prepared for her next student to arrive.
