I was sleeping in my house one Sunday evening when I had an unexpected visitor. His name is Nnamdi, one of my kinsmen. I was surprised to see him because he has never visited me. I had never visited him either. We only exchange casual greetings whenever we meet ourselves. Nnamdi is also an auto mechanic and he is doing very well. After the breaking and eating of cola nut, I enquired about his journey to the village because the last time I met him on the way, he told me that he was travelling.

“My brother village is not good now. You know that I travelled for the burial of my aunt.’’

“It is true. How did it go?”

“What will I say? I will say it went well. After all we have buried her. We were in tears all through.”

“It is a pity. Please accept my sympathy. Death is so wicked. The last time I saw that woman, she was full of life.”

“You can say that again. Do you know that I spoke with her on phone in the morning, by evening, I heard about her death.”

“That is unbelievable! What could cause such death?”

“You know that my uncle who is her husband is dead. But before he died, he bought a piece of land. He was farming on the land before his death. Now that he is no more. The person that sold the land started laying claim on the land.”

What nonsense claim could he be laying?”

“He claimed that he never sold the land to my uncle. He only used it as a bet to borrow money. But my aunt insisted that her husband bought the land. Of course she was aware of everything that transpired. They had been on the matter for a while. On the day that my aunt died, she went to the farm to harvest cassava. Immediately she entered there, she collapsed. They quickly rushed her to the hospital. Unfortunately she gave up the ghost even before they could get to the hospital.”

“This is wickedness. I believe that the man is responsible for her death. God will surely judge him.”

“Sure. He will reap what he sowed. You see all this men living in the village, they are very wicked. They want to kill every other person so that they alone will exist. If they don’t kill, they make the person useless. No matter what the person does, he cannot succeed.”

“What you are saying is the truth. It is just that. It is not everyone there that is wicked. We still have good ones.”

“Ikenna, listen to me. Trust no one except yourself. Some of them will be pretending that they are good to you but they will be using your stars to shine. Some will transfer your star to their children. Their children will be progressing but their brothers children will never make it.”

“Truly, the heart of man is desperately wicked.”

“Let me shock you. While in the village I visited a former classmate in the next village. I never knew that his uncle was a native doctor. While I was in my friend’s sitting room, I was hearing a voice. He was saying: ‘I came to thank you for what you did for me. He is already useless. Recently, he got involved in a case. I was called to intervene so I sold one of his land and make a huge profit. Please make him more useless, so that I can collect all his land. Very soon, I want him to pack his load and come back to the village. Then he will become my servant. I was hearing him clearly because the shrine was at the back of my friend’s window. When I told my friend that I know the person talking he doubted me .We decided to watch out for when he will go out. Behold my suspicion was confirmed. It was Mazi Nze; your uncle.”

“Nnamdi it is a lie. My uncle cannot do such. Nothing will make me believe your story.”

Nnamdi laughed when I said that.

“It is okay, I will not force you to believe me. When I saw your uncle, I wanted to go and confront him but my friend restrained me. He warned me never to try it if I love my life. However he begged me to tell you what I saw. I told him that I don’t think it is necessary because you will never believe me. After all, I don’t have evidence. He insisted that I should tell you. I have done my part. It is left for you to take it or trash it. The choice is yours. I will take my leave now.

“You are not serious. You saw my uncle in native doctor’s house. What did you go to native doctor house to do. I should beware of my uncle. Then I should beware of you too. Ndi obiakpo (wicked people). You want to cause enmity between me and my uncle. If you step your feet in my house again I will empty a full kettle of hot water on you. Special adviser on native doctor matters. It is true that the problems I have in life are Nedu and unknown persons from my village. Must you bring my beloved uncle into it,” I murmured angrily.

Watch out for the next episode