CHAPTER SIX

“Tonye, Tonye, I’m at Omagwa airport, please just wait…I’m on my way.” Tarami’s voice was a mixture of fear and confusion, while I didn’t bother to respond, when she called again an hour later. Immediately she ended the call, I put down the phone and continued staring blankly at the television screen.

That particular day was a Saturday, followed by Sunday…by Monday the countdown to the initiation would begin…just a matter of time.

Less than an hour after I spoke with Tarami, there was a knock on the front door, and I could guess who it was.

“Calm down, just calm down…everything’s okay…stop crying…sit down.” It took me more than twenty minutes to pacify her, before she stopped crying and sat down with a wet handkerchief.

“Mum is dead and gone Tarami…she won’t be buried, nor would any party, wake-keeping or church service be done for her. I had her cremated.” I’d barely finished my last sentence, when she shouted me down like someone in frenzy.

“She’s been what…do you know what you’ve done?” She fired one question after the other, as I sat cross-legged and clicked my fingers on the chair.

“Can you now see why I said you should endeavour to visit her every day, when she was in the hospital?” I began calmly

“What has that got to do with her death, what will her relatives say…?”

“I don’t give a damn about any relative,” I began slowly, with emphasis on every word I spoke, as I walked towards her. “Where were the relatives not when she was in the hospital battling for her life?”

“Were the relatives not around when we were scurrying around looking for five hundred and fifty thousand naira to save her life?” I dropped three #1500 Naira MTN airtime recharge cards on her thighs, before walking back to my seat.

I changed the television station to her favourite – the fashion channel, before sitting cross-legged on the chair.

“Since you love your relatives so much, I believe that’d be enough for you to inform them of everything I’ve told you…in dEbieils.” She got up and was stomping to her bedroom when I stopped her.

“Mummy told me something, something nobody will ever believe.” I began in a very serious tone. When she stopped in her tracks and said nothing, I continued.

“Daddy was a member of a very powerful secret cult called Ebie. Literally, it means the 7^th letter of the Spartan alphabet, but this society has members in all spheres of life – business, religion, maritime, aviation, education…and several other sectors I can’t mention right now. He was to die at 63 – seven years times nine, but he stubbornly sacrificed mum in order to elongate his life span.

In the process, her blood was spiritually accepted, but since the deed was finalised years ago, his request couldn’t be honoured. The painful part is that mummy still paid with her life, after her blood was accepted by Ebie’s cult…”

I stretched my neck to look at Tarami, and was amused to see her sitting on the floor cuddling her legs in fright.

“Are you…are you serious?” she asked in a frightened voice.

“I never joke about death, killing, manslaughter or murder”.

“What about the money, what happened to all of Daddy’s money?”

“The money, assets, houses and everything he owned…went back to the goddess of prosperity. Wealth from Ebie was not to be inherited or sustained after the demise of an initiate, and if it eventually did, the beneficiaries might end up like you and I….”

“Tonye, everything you just said can’t be possible, because Dad was not that heartless. He couldn’t have done that to mum…I mean he loved her so dearly to think of doing that to her.

Were you even listening to yourself as you spoke?” she asked me, as the fear seemed to have ‘reduced’ in her. Without looking at her, I told her about my encounter with Timmy, and she immediately kept shut.

“Mummy’s soul would rest in peace, the moment that goddess’ heart stops beating…”

“You’re crazy if you think you can stand up against a spirit or goddess…do you want to get yourself killed?”

“I’ve never believed airline food could be to be satisfying, especially on a local flight, so I prepared something for you, it’s in the kitchen”.

I dropped the remote control and walked up to her, while looking at her make-up that had been badly ‘damaged’ by tears. I took her shoes and bags from her, and carried them to her bedroom.

She was still at the same spot, due to shock or surprise, while I didn’t bother to inquire about her ‘official assignment.’ After dropping the shoes and bags in her bedroom, I returned and helped her with her jacket.

“I’ll put this on a hanger, okay?”

“Tonye…thank you.

“You’re welcome,” I responded with a smile. She didn’t wait for me as she went into the kitchen to get the meal I’d prepared for her – toasted bread, Indomie noodles with two scrambled eggs in an Indian food flask, and a pack of orange juice.

These were the results of the trouble I went through, after waking up at 5:30 that morning. I couldn’t remember the last time Tarami opened her mouth to tell me ‘thank you,’ or any other word of appreciation. It seemed strange and unbelievable.

“Tastes good?” I asked her with my arms folded, while leaning on the door frame. She was about to say something when I stopped her, refilled her glass and returned to my television and remote control.

                                                                                                                                      

Perhaps it was my intuition or my cautious nature, but I knew deep down it had nothing to do with fear. On that fateful Tuesday morning I walked from Water Lines junction to the Zahari branch on Aba road to talk with my sister.

I wouldn’t take the slightest chance with her safety, as I thought about the initiation. If Ebie could destroy a family in such manner, then none of their numerous members could be regarded as a sacred cow. I was sure that even Timmy did not know such things as the ‘age limit,’ as he presently enjoyed his wealth, splendour…and women.

It was 12:15pm, when my phone started ringing. I refused to pick it up, and walked to David Barrington House on the same lane before I answered the phone.

“How far?” Timmy asked in his usual happy voice.

“I’m cool, how’s business and…your chicks?”

“They’re cool, everything’s nice… Listen, I called in respect of what we discussed last time.” I felt my heart beating rapidly as I watched the cars speeding in front of me.

“Her Utmost Prosperity has given her consent to your…joining us…”

“Utmost Prosperity, what do you mean by that.” I asked with nervousness in my voice.

“Don’t ever joke with that Tonye, she could strike you dead if you ever attempted something like that. That’s how she’s to be addressed at all times…”

I cut him short and asked about the next step to be taken. He laughed and asked why I was so eager to be wealthy. Before he ended the call, he addressed himself as a Mariner, the goddess as the goddess of prosperity, and informed me that the initiation would take place on Thursday.

I pocketed the phone and headed for Tarami’s flat. Although I’d given her a ‘breakdown’ of my ‘plan,’ which she strongly objected to inside the bank, I had no choice but to go ahead with it.

The first part of the plan was to change her residence. This I did by paying a property consultant a huge sum, out of what was remaining in my Aden Bank account. Three hours later, after much pleading, the landlady agreed to refund the balance off the rent paid for two years on our flat.

She was also wondering who that nice Uncle of ours was to get us hooked in a swanky apartment, in the Government Residential Area (GRA). My lies had no doubt tainted my conscience. That was why I promised myself that as soon as the whole Ebie ‘mission’ was over, the first thing I’d do was to repent of all my sins and turn a new leaf to the Most High.

The moment the landlady drove off in her Volkswagen Passat, an elderly man arrived in a Chinese lorry and began to pack the furniture and fittings.

It wasn’t a difficult task since I’d been preparing for it, since my revelation of Ebie by my late mother. Each time we filled the lorry, we drove down to the two-bedroom apartment, where we offloaded them before returning to Tarami’s apartment for the same procedure.

Inside the sitting room of the former apartment which was almost empty, I was rolling up the centre rug, when my eyes met a small portrait of I and Tarami, arm in arm, during our holiday at Obudu Cattle Ranch, 6 years ago.

I picked it up with a sigh and dropped it inside the leather jacket I wore. Soon, everything was packed, as I locked the main door and went to join the lorry driver.

I was about to join the old man in the passenger seat, when a taxi cab drove straight to the apartment and stopped some metres from the lorry. I saw Tarami alight from the taxi cab looking visibly angry.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked in an angry whisper, while paying her fare. The lorry driver must have thought Tarami was my girlfriend, as he ignored us and switched on the radio in the lorry.

“I’ll explain when we get there”.

“Explain what?” So you’ve been planning this for some time now…my apartment I paid for with my hard-earned money…”

I hushed her as she began to raise her voice, while telling her it was for her own good and nothing else.

She was not convinced, until I told her there was a possibility of harm, or even death to her now that I’d known about the secret of Ebie. She was soon lost in fright, as I led her into the lorry, to sit beside the driver. I sat next to her and shut the door, after which we drove off from Benjamin Opara road, never again to return.

Thirty minutes later, Tarami was leaning on the bannister in the veranda with her mobile phone, while the driver and I offloaded the lorry for the last time. When we were done,

I followed the driver and he dropped me off at a fast food restaurant, before bidding me farewell. I bought a plate of spaghetti, with small serving of macaroni in takeaway packs, a large piece of fried turkey, two canned Fanta drinks and some salad for Tarami.

I was already running low on cash as I bought only a burger for myself. Minutes later, we ate in silence while my mind kept straying to the initiation. I tried to imagine what it entailed, whether there would be a painful or impossible thing a new initiate had to do and the wealth to be amassed by such a new initiate afterwards.

“Do you know what I like about this new place?”  Tarami asked, barely taking away her attention from the food in front of her.

“What?”

“Constant electricity, water supply and frequent police patrols.” I watched her tearing the fried turkey with all the strength her jaws could muster.

“It’s a bad habit to talk with your mouth full,” I reminded her, after downing one of the cans of Fanta.

“Is that so…but you’re the one mummy used to caution whenever we ate together.” I could hear the crunch made by the salad and macaroni in her mouth, as I stood up to prepare both bedrooms. The way she ate, drank and belched…she must’ve been really hungry from work.

I smiled as I thought to myself, feeling the small portrait in my chest pocket.

                                                                                                                                      

Going south of Port Harcourt to the Atlantic Ocean and further to the point where no land was visible, a strange wind began to blow. As the strange wind blew, a ripple appeared in that ‘particular spot’ on the Atlantic Ocean.

The ripple kept appearing and disappearing, until she appeared – the goddess of prosperity. The marine sphere was located two hundred and eighty metres below sea level. It was gigantic and existed only to the goddess, her ‘pet,’ her ‘marine aides’ and the invisible doubles of Ebie initiates.

The marine sphere was invisible to an ordinary mortal, scuba diver or any underwater exploring mechanism. Anyone who felt ‘curious’ enough to explore the marine sphere, such as a marine biologist or scientist, would never imagine that an invisible marine sphere existed around there.

They would never imagine that there existed an invisible marine sphere, the size of a small European football stadium, with chairs neatly arranged inside it in rows and columns. In between the well-arranged chairs, which were three feet in height, was a wide passage measuring two metres in width.

It divided the rows of chairs into two equal sections, and led one directly from the watery altar at the front, to the pool of ice particles at the back. This was where I was going to spend the better part of Thursday night – D-day for my initiation.

The strange ripple continued until all the initiates’ invisible doubles had taken their seats inside the marine sphere.

The invisible doubles of Ebie initiates were surprised at their being ‘summoned’ on such short notice, on a Thursday.

‘summoned’ on any day apart from Sunday (the 7^th day of the week), meant something was definitely amiss. Inside the marine sphere, there was one interesting or rather scary feature, which was associated with the ‘physical characteristics’ of the chairs the initiates’ invisible doubles sat on.

They were black in colour, with purple upholstery and backrest. The upper part of the backrest was carved and designed to resemble the head of a king cobra with a folded hood.

The head of the carved king cobra came ‘alive’ when an initiates’ invisible double, or any other person (inside the marine sphere), sat on it. The head of the king cobra subsequently spread its hood after coming alive and continued to hiss and slither until the initiate’s invisible double or occupant  got up.

The watery altar in the front which was two feet high was one of the few things that illuminated the marine sphere. It was placed on a six feet elevation and designed like a large settee.

It also had four white horns, which were seven inches long, and affixed on their bases to each corner. The horns were curved, with their points facing the centre of the altar.

Timmy’s invisible double trembled as he sat on a chair inside the marine sphere, lost in deep thought. He didn’t mind the slithering king cobra head behind him, which seemed to like his black suit.

The goddess had never been late for any meeting, but today of all days she was yet to arrive, half an hour after the invisible doubles of all the initiates were seated with their Ebie swords (katanas) between their knees.

He knew trouble was brewing as he concentrated on the shiny black floor, upon which he saw his own reflection.

Today’s meeting was one which could be termed ‘emergency meeting’ because all their meetings were always held on Sundays. This was irrespective of the location of any initiate in any part of the globe; after all it was their invisible doubles that were invoked.

The moment had finally arrived, as all the initiates’ invisible doubles – clothed in black suits, white shirts, purple camisoles, purple ties and purple brooches and purple neckties, stopped all forms of communications.

They soon focused their attention on the watery altar, where the four horns started sparking and forming a ball of smoke in the process. The ball of smoke was soon suspended in the centre of the watery altar, as the entire orb became illuminated at a very high intensity.

Timmy’s invisible double raised his head up and looked at the watery altar, which measured a metre by three metres. He could not help admitting within himself that it was a magnificent sight to behold, than the plush office of the real Timmy.

He recollected the initiation rituals for the real Timmy (though it wasn’t pleasant), was something he knew the real Timmy would never forget. Timmy’s invisible imagined how the real Timmy felt as he woke up that fateful night atop the watery altar, seeing the names of past initiates in red ink, appearing and disappearing on the top surface.

As the intensity of the sparks increased, one by one, seven beautiful mermaids appeared around the watery altar. They stood close to the horns, and held their hands together around the altar.

They soon started mumbling inaudible incantations, while concentrating their gaze on the watery altar at the same time. Up till this very moment, I wondered how they managed to stand on their tail fins as their jet black hair shone on their naked bodies, from their waist up.

Suddenly, the seven mermaids began to ‘shred’ away, while their silky hair seemed to vapourize. This was followed by their bare breasts and finally the scaly parts of their body.

The sparking ceased as the bodies of the seven mermaids now lay as ash on the ground around the watery altar. The next moment, the smoky ball which was now glowing, shot up above the heads of the seated invisible doubles and soon disappeared.

“Utmost Prosperity!”  

“Utmost Prosperity!!”

“Utmost Prosperity!!!”

The ‘utmost prosperity’ chant echoed inside the orb as all the initiates’ invisible doubles kept repeating it in unison. While chanting, they thumped their sheathed katanas, and concentrated their gaze on the upper surface above them.

They always began the chant immediately the smoky ball disappeared. The tone used by each initiate’s invisible double was high enough to be heard, but was neither a whisper nor a shout.

The chanting soon came to an abrupt end, the moment the sound of a flame being doused by fire was heard at the rear end of the orb. Barefooted and stark naked, her body stood after it was formed, from her feet to her neck. 

The ‘smoky ball’ which had shot up into the air some moments ago, soon landed on her neck and transformed into the head of a beautiful young lady. This was adorned with silky jet black hair almost reaching her waist, which crowned the beauty of the five foot ten inches immortal.

Immediately her ‘body formation’ was completed, a crimson coloured gown appeared and covered most parts of her body. She soon strode majestically to the watery altar, while the initiates’ invisible doubles bowed in respect.

Tilting her head upward as she walked, her green eyes were focused on the watery altar, while both arms were folded across her breasts.

Words could not describe in adequate terms how beautiful the goddess of prosperity was, without any form of make-up. Her hair was beautiful, while her face was flawless with a beautifully shaped nose.

She possessed firm cheeks and sparkling white teeth, while her finger and toe nails were natural in their appearance. Her breasts could be said to concur with her physique, because they were neither too big nor too small.

She finally sat down on the watery altar, with her legs crossed and placed her left hand on her right thigh. While caressing one of the horns with her right hands, she looked at all the initiates’ invisible doubles seated.

Suddenly, without any warning, she let out a loud cackle which seemed to vibrate every being and object inside the marine sphere.

The cackle seemed to last forever, as she repeated it the second and third time before she stopped. This was followed by a deafening silence, as she inhaled deeply.

“Timmy,” she called out at his invisible double in a sardonic tone, while examining her toenails. When Timmy’s invisible double responded, she told him that she did not feel comfortable with his ‘request’ concerning me.

“I called this emergency meeting because of that…discomfort.” She soon stood up, with both hands behind her back and started pacing in front of the watery altar, with her head bowed.

“I hope you remember Code 77,” she continued. “The more initiates you bring into Ebie, the longer your lifespan…courtesy of Ebie.” The next moment, she stepped onto the same surface where the initiates’ invisible doubles sat.

While she walked behind the seats, the heads of the king cobras (which had since come ‘alive’), slithered and hissed near her, as if they were her pets.

“Tomorrow, when the initiation of…what’s his name again?”

 “Taribo,” Timmy’s invisible double quickly interjected.

“…the real Timmy will get an additional seven years…so he’ll die at fifty-six, if he cannot get another initiate…” She proceeded to the section which was mostly occupied by the invisible doubles of foreigners, as her eyes surveyed every nook and cranny of the marine sphere.

A strange aura seemed to be present wherever her feet treaded upon. Timmy’s invisible double was simply awed by her beauty, and did not realise when she disappeared and appeared at the watery altar. She continued looking around, while her jet black hair shone on her head.

When she stopped abruptly, she informed the ‘audience’ that she was going to entertain their questions, no matter how numerous they were. Some hours later, the invisible doubles of some initiates started straying towards the pool of ice particles, in a bid to return to the physical world.

She stopped Timmy’s invisible double and invited him up to sit with her on the watery altar. When he came forward, he declined to sit atop the watery altar, stating that he wasn’t worthy of sitting on the same surface with her Utmost Prosperity.

She shrugged at his response and commenced the dialogue.

“This man…you’re bringing to join us tomorrow, I’m still uncomfortable with the whole idea. It’s as if he’s going to be an angel of death or something similar.” She began in a very stern voice, with both hands placed on her thigh.

“You don’t have to worry yourself about anything, he’s clean, he’s okay and I must also remind you…” Timmy’s invisible double whispered, as his katana almost dropped from his shaky hands.

“That his late father was a member of Ebie, until his death. ”She chipped in.

Unknown to Timmy’s invisible double, the goddess already had a bird’s eye view of every ‘inappropriate’ act I was going to carry out. Furthermore, the major reason for her insistence on my initiation was due to her insatiable appetite for blood – human blood.

The blood she derived from the periodic ‘prosper,’ to be carried out by my humble self (when I became an initiate), and the other initiates. The reason why Ebie initiates referred to such activity as ‘prosper,’ instead of sacrifice, was one thing I couldn’t possibly fathom out.

“His late father’s loyalty to Ebie was unquestionable, even though he was assigned to deliver married women”, she continued.

“He always went out of his way to obey every instruction Ebie gave him.”

She shut her eyes briefly, as a strange wind from nowhere blew her long hair sideways.

“Do you think his son can fit into his late father’s shoes?” she asked Timmy with a sadistic smile.

“Of course,” Timmy’s invisible double stammered, while trying to control his anxiety.

“That would even be a plus, since he had a father who was once a member, so certain things won’t seem strange to him…”

Timmy’s invisible double and the goddess were now the only ones inside the marine sphere, as he tried hard to conceal his apprehension.

“Dismissed,” she whispered to him as she sat cross-legged on the watery altar, with both palms placed on her knees. Timmy’s invisible double walked briskly to the pool of ice particles with a look of relief.

Few seconds after he stood in it, the ash seemed to give out some bubbles, as the lower part of his body, followed by his torso and finally his head sank into the powdery substance.

Seconds later, the ash smoothened itself as if nothing ever happened. Immediately tranquillity was restored inside the orb, a strange wind began to blow as the goddess began to inhale deeply, as if she was expecting something to happen.

Suddenly, in the middle of the well-arranged rows and columns of chairs, the wind stopped, the moment a ‘young lady’ appeared and sat on the same chair Timmy’s invisible double sat on during the meeting.

She sat with her legs crossed, and possessed an angry countenance while looking in the direction of the goddess of prosperity.

Her present countenance did little to impair her beauty, as it could be rightly said that she was more beautiful than her Utmost Prosperity.

Although this strange lady was slightly taller, she seemed to possess more ‘authority’ than her Utmost Prosperity in a very mysterious way. Her attire was such that could arouse any man, on mere sight of her graceful physique.

This was due to her bluish gown which covered her neck to her heels, and which swept the floor. Under the transparent gown, she wore a white brassiere and pant, accompanied by a golden necklace and anklets.

She exposed her well-groomed finger and toe nails, and her face which resembled that of an average Asian. She stood up from where she sat and let out a large cackle, which not only echoed inside the orb, but seemed to rattle the chairs inside it.

Her Utmost Prosperity seemed unperturbed by the ‘young lady’ standing some metres in front of her, doing something unimpressive, as far as she was concerned.

“I don’t know when you’re going to learn…learn to be cautious and sensible.” She began as she stood up and started walking towards the goddess of prosperity.

“What the hell are you talking about and who needs your presence and counsel in this part of the globe?” Her Utmost Prosperity queried, while trying to conceal her anger.

“Let me tell you something you don’t want to take seriously, that boy or man will lead to your ruin, if you don’t prevent him from joining Ebie…”

Instead of responding the goddess of prosperity only laughed out mockingly and pretended she didn’t understand what her fellow goddess was referring to.

“Seductra,” she called out at her, standing up from the watery altar and coming down to the same surface, which the other lady stood. She stopped with her arms folded across her breasts, when she was ten feet from her.

“I’m in charge here; I mean I’m in charge of everything and every power that emanates from the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, I can do and undo whatever I desire. You can do whatever you desire with the power that emanates from the Pacific Ocean…”

“Shut up, just shut up, I’m talking about your extinction if you don’t listen to words of reason, and you’re here talking about…power.” The goddess of prosperity wanted to interrupt before Seductra hushed her

“Let me let you on a little secret my dear, I don’t like you, nor care about whatever foolishness you are trying to exhibit. I only care about the legacies of past goddesses who toiled for centuries to make Ebie what it is today…that’s the only reason I’m here in this…marine sphere.”

In a fit of rage, the goddess of prosperity rushed towards Seductra with a raised fist, and poured out all the venom she’d been harbouring towards her.

“You are the goddess of seduction, and I don’t give a damn if you and all your girls aren’t satisfied with all the men you’ve seduced in your territory, neither do I care if you desire men in Africa. But let me tell you something, nothing and I repeat nothing is going to stop Mr Taribo’s initiation…”

She stopped abruptly as Seductra planted a kiss on her lips, while holding her chin tenderly.

“Your breathing is too…hard,” she whispered, while turning around swiftly and returning to the seat, she’d earlier appeared in. She soon sat down after adjusting her red hair, while the angry look on her face had long been replaced by a smile, which revealed every inch of her beauty.

“I only felt you needed some warning.”

She began to fondle with the big toe of her left leg, as she sat with her legs crossed. The goddess of prosperity stood where she’d been, like someone in a trance after being stunned by the kiss. She was unable to move a finger, as the strange wind began to blow again.

“If you ever need my advice or assistance, you know where to find me…”

She winked at the goddess of prosperity and disappeared after uttering the last word, while the goddess of prosperity let out a deep sigh.

She turned round and began walking to the watery altar, warning herself to control her emotions at all times. It was expedient she did this, not only because she was a ‘role model’ to her initiates, but because she was also an immortal.

Moments later, she was atop the watery altar with her legs crossed, and began to smoothen her hair with both hands.

I’ll get you Seductra, someday I will, she fumed, as the seven mermaids began to appear around the watery altar, one after the other.