[b][i]Myrani was born into a family of seasoned idol worshippers. Her father was the most feared medicine man when he was alive. Her mum was believed to be a priestess sent directly from the gods as she had the solution to almost every predicament. Their compound had the biggest shrine in the village with over 35 different gods and goddesses.Although Myrani stopped worshipping the idols after she left the village to university, she never really subscribed to any of the major religions.Myrani was the only female child of her parents. She had four elder brothers who were allmarried and blessed with kids except for her younger brother Elis who was still in university.Myrani had been married for over seven years without any child. It was because of this gloomy fact that her mum asked her to come to the village so she could appeal to the goddess of fertility to give her a child.Although Myrani did not believe in the worship of idols or gods anymore, she had no option. She wanted to save her marriage which was falling apart as a result of her childlessness.**************She laid on the floor for a period of time close to the fire place where the carved image of the goddess of fertility stood. Myrani cried profusely as she made her supplications while waiting for her mum to come and perform the main rituals.“I come in peace” Myrani’s mother who was named Zuli declared as she entered the shrine backwards. It is believed to be a way of honoring the gods. She turned round to face Myrani and said.“Stand up from the ground and lay on that mat!” Zuli’s voice tone had changed. Myrani was wondering if it was really her mum or someone else. She lay on the mat as was instructed by her mom. The whole place was quiet except for the sounds of chirping birds that flew from tree to tree.“Create the vaccum, fill her heart so she can feel your air. Make the air warm, let her feel your presence…” Zuli said and then started making some incantations.Myrani could really feel the air around her becoming warm. The whole place was eerie and scary though it wasnt dark yet. There seemed to be a presence that enveloped them, everything was strange.“Look straight at these” Zuli said to myrani as she knelt down in front of her daughter with two rock stones in her hand.“Look at it and say what you want” she continued. “But mama these are just stones” Myrani protested.“Don’t allow your doubt anger the gods Myrani.” After few seconds of silence between them Myrani finally spoke “I want children, i want seeds to fill my empty womb”Zuli dropped the stones in front of the statue of the goddess and picked up what seemed like a rag and started hovering it over her daughter’s face.“Produce seeds in her let them fill the earth, let them serve the goddess, let them dance with kings in the middle of the sea. Barreness return to your maker, return…” As she spoke these words, myrani began to vibrate on the floor. As if the spirit of barreness was truly leaving her.“Return!! return!! return to your maker, if you don’tfind him, return to the sea, fly in the earth” Zuli continued in a more commanding tone while Myrani was still vibrating on the floor.Then all of a sudden the vibration stopped, the airbecame less tensed then the cock that was tied at one end of the shrine began to crow. It was unusual for a cock to crow at that time. Myrani was now more scared and confused…“Yes!” her mum groaned as though she had discovered something, “the barreness has entered the cock, take it, kill it and spill its blood on the rock stones” Zuli said as she walked towards the cock. She picked it and passed it to Myrani.“Mama, i can’t” Myrani hesitated, “this is too..”“Your destiny lies in your killing this cock” her mum interrupted.Zuli brought her a knife of which she reluctantly collected. She killed the cock after few minutes of contemplation then turned to face her mum “it is done mama”Her mum gave her a big grin, “now we will bury it and that’s all”She smiled back at her mum and embraced her. Then they turned to pick the cock for its burial…..but it was gone. It had vanished!*****************Myrani had returned to the city after the episode at the village. Her husband was not fully aware ofwhat she had gone to do in the village. All he knew was that she went to see her mother.Cyril, Myrani’s husband was from a different kind of background. He came from a wealthy Christian home and although he wasn’t so much into religion he wouldn’t have supported Myrani’s consulting an idol. So she didn’t tell him her mainaim of going to the village.***************“See you next month ma” the nurse said as she smiled at Myrani and handed her some drugs. “Thank you” Myrani replied as she smiled back.Myrani had gone for her pre-natal, she was now pregnant and 7months gone.Everything was beautiful and seemed to be working just fine. It got to the 9th month and as was expected Myrani put to bed. It was a girl.Her birth brought so much joy to the household, at least Myrani will stop hearing her mother-in-law’s constant ‘give me a grandchild’ chorus.Myrani weaned her daughter when she was a year and three months. She was named Kuchali which means beauty bird.***************Kuchali grew up to be a young beautiful girl. She seemed to be doing just fine until she got to SS1, when she started complaining of seeing shadows behind her while walking and fair women who chased her in her dreams.Almost every night Kuchali would scare the whole house or neighbourhood with screams from the dreams she had. It was too much to bear. Cyril and Myrani had to start looking for solutions-their only daughter was going crazy.*************Zuli had been ill for quite a while, Myrani had related Kuchali’s issue to her but it seemed the all knowing priestess was too weak to do anything about it.She died eventually and the family shrine which she spent all her life maintaining was brought down by the locals.Zuli’s death brought more happiness than sadness to the villagers. At least no one had to tread in fear of “the great witch”.Myrani mourned her mum while trying to figure out a permanent solution to Kuchali’s predicament.**************Myrani and her husband resorted to seeing a diviner who was believed to practice strong magic. He stayed at the outskirts of the capital, about an hour’s drive from their home.“There is a demon holding her bound. It is a very strong one. It has tied her soul to the river so she can take care of the children of the waters” The diviner said with his eyes closed as if he was seeing what he was saying.“She has an attachment to the fertility goddess who resides in the seas and her daughters are the fair maidens Kuchali sees in her dreams” he paused and smiled…“and the shadow, the shadow is the shadow of death”…“shadow of what????” Cyril and his wife chorused, now really astonished at what the diviner was saying.“He will strike her to death when its time, so her soul can return to the waters” he continued.The room was silent for few seconds, then Cyril broke the silence “I don’t understand this whole thing” he was sweating profusely as though a heater was plugged to his veins. “My daughter? goddess? sea ??? How come?” he said in an exasperated tone.The diviner turned and looked at Myrani as if telling Cyril that she had the answers to his questions. “Baby, what is he talking about?” Cyril turned to face Myrani, “talk to…” ” You need to consult a higher diviner” the diviner interrupted as he turned to face Cyril again.Kuchali just sat down quietly, wondering like her dad what the whole thing was all about.The diviner then turned to face the wall, as is his usual ritual. Cyril and his wife understood it was time to go so they left for home.Myrani lay on the couch and tears flowed from her eyes. How could she have given her daughterover to some goddess? She was now seeing the futility of what she had done. How does she tell Cyril she is responsible for this?All these and many other questions and thoughtsbrought only one thing to Myrani’s mind-Regrets!!***************“Baby am sorry, i did it for us” she pleaded with her husband.Myrani and her husband were having a really hard time now that she had told him the truth about what she went to do in the village years back.**************Kuchali had stopped going to school because she fell ill from time to time. She seemed not to be growing at all and she barely spoke a word. It seemed the demon was really in control of her.“This is the 21st century for goodness sake, how could you subject an innocent child to such diabolic bullshit?” Cyril couldn’t contain himself anymore. He wanted to just strangle Myrani the whole of his strength but the love he had for her was stronger than the disgust he felt.So he calmed down and drew her to himself “The diviner said we could consult a higher power, we should go back to him maybe he could direct us somewhere” he said softly. Myrani nodded “I’m sorry” she murmured as she wiped her tears withher palms “Its ok dear. Let me get the car keys” Cyril stood up to get his keys as Myrani went to Kuchali’s room to get her set.*************“I know a grand diviner who stays east of the capital. I will give you further details on how to locate her but first let me commune with the spirits” the diviner said and he faced the wall as was his usual ritual.*************They got to locate the grand diviner as they were directed.The grand diviner was a female; a tall, beautiful and fair lady. Kuchali whispered to her mum that she looked like one of the maidens she sees in her dreams and they both chuckled.They had all sat down and explained things to thegrand diviner and how they were referred to her.She smiled, closed her eyes and moved her neck from side to side. The candles went off and on asshe did this, then she opened her eyes with such a great force as though she had seen a vision that haunted her.“I see an unholy alliance…. woman!!! You made promises you didn’t fufill. You promised the goddess sacrifices didn’t you???” she roared.“Ye… yes i did” Myrani responded in fear. Her husband tapped her softly on her back, he was confident they were close to the solution.“You want your daughter to live a normal life??” the grand diviner asked authoritatively.“Yes” Cyril answered immediately“Then she must die! yes! your wife must die. She must use her own blood to appease the goddess or else your daughter dies and all your seeds after her”Myrani fell faced down and started crying.This was the peak of it.Cyril loved his wife and his daughter. He wasn’t ready to lose anyone of them.“Seven days, you have seven days, i can help youwith the process” the grand finally said smiling. She was sorry for them, it showed in her eyes butthat was the only solution.So they went back home disappointed, hoping fora miracle though expecting the worse.*************Cyril’s phone rang, it was Myrani. Had their daughter died? But it wasn’t the seventh day yet. He picked the phone and instead of Myrani, he heard his daughter’s voice. She was crying.“Mummy put a knife in her stomach, there is blood everywhere”Cyril ran out of his office and rushed home with the hope that he could take Myrani to the hospital but he was late. Myrani had already given up the ghost. He got home and found her body lying lifeless on the kitchen floor. He could not process the whole situation.It was as if the world had stopped spinning. The only thing that moved was the red crimson that streaked the floor.He held his daughter tight and they cried together.This is what had remained of him; His daughter and hope.
THE END
Tomorrow another exciting story need ur support guys vote @romancelord for Mr Coolval 2015
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