EJIMA

CHAPTER 8

“I don’t think she can make it” 

Someone was saying. The words were gibberish and echoed in Ejima’s ears like the voice of some market women, arguing over the price of a goat. Her legs and thigh were on fire and her body ached. Lifting a limb was almost impossible.

She tried to raise her head, but the sudden weight of ten thousand people will not let her. Where am I? She tried to recall. Her memory flashed back and a new pain sparked through her spine. She saw her husband and her best friend in her mind's eyes, smiling together, and laughing at their jokes. 

Nonsense thought

She sniffed just as the image of her fall also flashed in her vision. My baby. She panicked but her hands would not move when she tried. The only thing that was moving at the moment was her eyes, which provided her with multiple images.

“Drink this,” A voice seemed to say. The multiple images appeared over her head and poured something into her mouth. 

“But she is still breathing” Came another strange voice.

“I can’t say how long,” Another voice said. It was difficult for Ejima to distinguish who was saying what and why.

“But,” The voice continued, or so she thought, “I think the hands of the gods are in this.”

“Hands of the gods my foot. This woman is nothing but calamity and abomination. She is a harbinger of misfortune. We should appease the gods for touching the unclean.”

“Listen to me. I said the hands of the gods because no one could have survived this. She had bled so much when they brought her here, yet she had the strength to bring forth the abominations.”

Ejima’s stomach sank when she heard that. Abomination. That’s a term the midwives use for a child that had not formed properly in the womb or one that had not lived. 

Wait a minute... 

Did they say, babies? They had said babies, right? How many were they? Could it be that she had those demonic babies in her womb all this while?

“You said something?” One of the women asked as the room suddenly grew quiet. 

Ejima licked her lips, not realizing she had spoken out loud. She turned her head and was glad when her body responded. She could feel her nerves again.

“You said, babies. What do you mean by that?”

“Emm…” The woman paused as she exchanged a glance with the other women standing behind her. The multiple images of her face had merged and Ejima could see her. She could recognize that triangular face anywhere. It was Adaku, the midwife she was indebted to.

“There were three babies in your womb. You gave birth to three children, and they lived,”

“What?” Ejima jumped out from the bed as happiness ignited her soul. She couldn’t tell how she had done it, but she felt strength all over her body. It must be the liquid they had given her. But who cares? What matters now was that she still has a place in her husband’s domain. He was going to accept her back, and life will just return to what it used to be.

“Where are they?” Her bright eyes flicked from one woman to the other. Adaku and Buchi were the best midwives in the community.

“They are…” Adaku stammered.

“They have been buried alive,” Buchi shouted, not minding the hands of Adaku which was trying to hush her voice, “Let me speak” She snapped and turned to Ejima, “You should know better when you gave birth to those abominations. Witch” She hissed and walked out of the room.