Chapter 1

Have you ever wondered what life will be like if you weren't born the way you were?

Have you wondered why people judge others for a situation they can't control? 

If you haven't, then welcome to my life.

Welcome to my world, the world of Rabel Ichie Uzoamaka, the shunned maiden of Mabudazou.

“Witch”, I hear a villager mutter as I passed her by,

“Ekwensu's(is an evil proprietor; he's the god of all things evil) child,” another spat. 

Without saying anything about that, I continue with my journey.

I've grown used to the way they treat me in our small town.

It doesn't help that I dyed my white hair black to blend in with others, but despite that, the villagers still single me out every time; every single damn time.

I pause at Mama Nneka's house to drop a herb for her; her daughter Nkechi is seriously down with fever.

A single dose of my Akwukwo Ede administered to her by me can clear her fever in a few hours.

Her mother is willing to take the medicines I drop on her doorposts, but she's not willing for me to directly treat her child.

The Miri use I've been giving her is enough to keep the fever at bay, but not fully heal her.

Walking past Mama Nneka's house after I dropped the medicine on their doorpost, I walk towards the house of my friend Soso.

I hope she isn't in Akwukwo if she is, I won't forgive myself for not being at her house earlier.

“Rabel!” Soso happily rushes towards me, enveloping me in a breath-stopping hug she smiles up at me, “I thought you weren't coming today,” she pouts cutely.

I stoop low to embrace my best friend *if there's a word like that* she's the only one who doesn't fear me in the entirety of Mabudazou.

“How can I afford to miss your warm hug soso?” I poke her cute chubby cheeks. “ You're my ray of sunshine; the only person I will sail the entire world just to be with you,” I smile at her.

It's not an exaggeration of words when I say those.

She's the only person I will sacrifice both my safety for her.

She touches my dyed hair, “why did you change your hair color? I like the other one better!” she looks at my said hair with hatred in her eyes.

I touch said hair, "I want to try out a new look.” I lied to her for not the first time since I started hanging out here with her.

Likewise, I dyed my hair to make the animosity the villagers have toward me lessen, but instead of having the desired effect, it had the opposite.

She smiles like the kid she is, “it looks good on you though,” she shrugs while giving me aside smile.

“ Am glad you like it,” I genuinely smile at her.

“ Mummy said Ekwensu must have taken you back to his lair when I complained about your lateness today,” she gently lay her head on my shoulder, "I was heartbroken when I thought you won't visit me today.”

“ Don't worry about that, Dearie; I won't miss a day without you.”

I open my bag of goodies," guess what I brought for you today?” I smile more brightly than I've done since I last saw her yesterday.

It's always a game we play each time I pay a visit to their house.

“Achicha?” She guesses.

I shake my head, “no”,

I grin more; this is my favorite part of my visit to their house.

“Kanda?” she makes another guess.

She must have guessed that since it was what I brought for her yesterday.

“No,” I grin the more.

She frowns, “am tired of the game; I can't guess anymore, give me what you bought already.” she pouts like the cute girl she is.

I brought out what I bought for her, “surprise!” I laugh at the look of surprise on her face.

“Really!” She squeals as she takes the puppy I made with a wooden stake, “I love it Rabel; thank you very much!”, She twirls with the puppy in her embrace.

I grin with satisfaction.

I was afraid she won't like it when I saw it.

Furthermore, I decide to make the puppy when she complained about not having a play toy to play with.

Making the said puppy took me months to perfect; months spent under the sun.

My efforts weren't a waste if the person I made the effort for really appreciates it.

“Am glad you like it,” I shyly said.

I'm not used to having compliments given to me, I'm well-used to words of hatred spat on me.

“Like it? I love it!” She hugs me as she dances up and down with unrestrained happiness.

Her happiness to me is like an aphrodisiac; it's a contagious one.

“Soso!” I hear the sharp voice of his mother from her doorposts.

Their house is like all other shackled buildings in the village.

Most of the houses in the village are built with stone (for those who have enough resources) and clay (for the poor masses).

I live in a stone building, since my dad was one of the richest in the entire of Mabudazou; he was chief before his untimely death.

Soso and her family live in a clay building, for they don't have enough money to build a stone house.

Their houses were roofed with thatch, and not a speck of Nku was in sight.

Most of the thatch in their roof is already decaying, lacking care; I won't be surprised if the house caves in on them before the Onwa (month) ends.

I've asked them to live with me since it am the only one living in the house my dad built, but they refused for fear they might be bewitched.

People are afraid of what they don't understand.

They're afraid of things they can't control.

“Soso get back here this instant!” her mom stands at the threshold, not making a move to walk towards me.

I can see the fear and hatred in her eyes from a distance.

She's afraid of coming closer to me for fear she might contact my witch illness.

“I would rather not come in just yet; I want to spend more time with Rabel.” Soso pouts as she turns towards me.

“ I don't want to go just yet Rabel; hope you will stay with me?” she hugs me closer to herself for fear I might slip through her fingers.

I look up at the mother who was glaring at me, "I doubt that will be a wise thing to do now Soso.”

I would rather not leave her, but I can't stay with her more than I've already done if I want to spend more time with Soso another day.

Ignoring her calls for her might make her prevent me from spending more time with Soso.

“Am afraid not, I have places to deliver my medicines to,” that's not a lie at least; I have to visit at least three more houses before I retire for the day.

Ekele is suffering from paralysis and I have to give him his daily dose of medicine before sunset today.

Any delay from me might cause his untimely demise, which will in turn lead to the villagers shunning me for the rest of my life.

At least they allow me to walk the streets without physically abusing me.

They verbally abuse me, but they haven't for once abused me physically.

“At least stay a little longer with me.” Soso pouts, “you wasted enough time to come to me as it is, please stay until I leave for Akwukwo,” she gives me her best puppy eyes.

Akwukwo is a place the children go to learn about our history.

Every child in the entire village is expected to pass through Akwukwo before they can graduate to being tradesmen and women.

I never attended the learning for once in my entire life *the villagers threatened to remove their children from the learning center if I so much as attended the Akwukwo learning center.*

the things I learned, I learned from my father.

“I would have loved to stay Soso, but I can't.

You know Ekele is seriously down with illness, I can't afford to miss giving him his daily dose of medication,” I stand.

“ I will see you tomorrow, Soso, take care.” I look at the mother, who was still giving me a toxic glimmer.

“I love you Rabel memorize that!” she shouts after me.

“I love you more Soso”, and I mean that I love her more than I've loved anyone in my entire life; she's more than a friend to me; she's family.

I take a short route to Ekele's house to avoid meeting the accusing villagers.

It's not every day one has the vitality to listen to their linguistic accusations.

Knocking on his door, I keep the medicine on his door post; he will see it when he opens the door.

Checking on the remaining medicines.