Behind Her Smile - Season 1 - Episode 7

Episode 5 years ago

Behind Her Smile - Season 1 - Episode 7

His thoughts rested on how she’d reacted to his closeness. Nervous was the word to describe the look on her face. But why?

She’d had that same look on her face the day he’d told her she was a mermaid. He’d said that because of her extraordinary beauty, but she hadn’t taken it well. She had freaked out. For years, Michael had been trying to figure out why, but there was no such luck. Miriam was a mystery, and he loved her regardless.

Memories stole him over.


( flashback)

***

‘Miriam do you know that you look like a half cast?’ Michael asked.

‘I am not white blood,’ she replied.
‘You are. Do you even look at yourself in a mirror? You look too beautiful to be a Nigerian, and look at your nose.’ He touched her nose.

‘Mikey, stop,’ she protested.
‘Okay, kiss me if you want me to stop,’ he teased.

She gasped. ‘Mikey!’

She yelled

‘I was just joking,’ he said. ‘And besides, there is nothing wrong with best friends kissing. Okay, fine if you said you’re not white in any way, then are you a mermaid? ‘cause seriously this your beauty is not ordinary.’

Miriam stiffened. She blinked rapidly, her gorgeous eyes transfixed on him. Had he said something wrong?

Waving off her reaction with a chuckle, he said, ‘I was just joking. Come, let’s sleep.’ He dragged her with him to his bed.

Present…
Michael sailed back to the present. Thoughts of Miriam plastered a smile on his face. She was beautiful, well endowed. She was in fact, a figure eight. How heavenly it always felt to rake his fingers through the silky long, glossy-black hair she always packed in a pony.

“I have to get her back and spend the little time I have left on this earth with her before it is too late.”

***

He was the only one who had called her a mermaid, even though he’d joked about it. His instincts was a mystery she could not unravel.

Miriam was a mermaid. Nobody knew this but she, and she was determined to keep it that way till she completed her mission in the palace. Then she would return to the sea, where she belonged.

“Miriam, who are you talking to?” Ella asked, joining her in the kitchen.

“The Prince asked me to get him something,” Miriam lied. “So I’m just reciting it so I won’t forget.”

“Oh my God,” Ella said excitedly. “You have seen the Prince. He’s good looking, right?”

“Ella!” Miriam shouted. “Stop. If you like the Prince that much, please you know the way to his room. I’m very sure he wouldn’t mind adding you to his list of women.”

Miriam was not the hot-tempered type. She always smiled as everyone and everything. But today was different. Ella hoped there was no problem, because she had grown fond of Miriam.

She stormed out of the room, leaving Ella stunned. “What is wrong with me today? First I was feeling strange when the Prince touched me and now I am angry with Ella because she was admiring the Prince.

” Am I jealous? No I can’t be. But could he really have many women in his life? No, I don’t think so because the Prince is a good person who has respect for himself and others. What if he has a woman, then what will I do?”

She gave herself a mental kick. She had to concentrate on her mission so she could leave, or else she’d be hurting both herself and Michael.

A strong wind slammed into her from all angles, knocking her into a wall.

“The fulfilment is here,” a voice said. It was the same voice that had said the same words to her days ago.

Screaming, Miriam sprinted into her room and shut the door.

Scared of the only thing that tend to hunt her for the rest of her life.

“oh heavens, is getting closer day by day and I don’t know what to do ” she said, clutching her chest with her hands to calm herself down from the fright she feels.

“Joy, have you heard?” Angel asked Joy. The two girls were heading for the stream, with empty buckets in their hands.

“Heard what?” Joy asked.

“That the Prince is coming to the Obi today and will be sharing gifts,” Angel said excitedly.

“Oh heavens!” Joy said. “That’s good news.”

Joy elbowed Angel, directing her attention at Obiageli who’d been quiet all through the walk.

“Obiageli,” Angel said. “You seem lost in thoughts. What happened?”

“Calamity will befall this kingdom soon,” Obiageli said. “But what I don’t know is how it is associated with the return of the Prince.”

“And what do you mean by that?” Joy asked.

“I had a terrible dream,” Obiageli said. “Everybody in this village was lying dead, but only a certain woman was seen, going house to house in search of any survivors. Suddenly, the sky was filled with smoke and vultures descended on the bodies but could not eat any. Instead they picked up all the bodies and transported them to the palace, and then they disappeared. But one body was missing.”

“This your dream is very scary o,” Joy said, petrified. “I don’t even know why I asked you to tell me. The last time you told me your dream, five people died on the same day in this village. And the disturbing thing is that they died the same way you told me they would die”

“But how did you know how many bodies were there to be able to tell when one was missing?” Angel asked. “How did you know it was the whole village? Did you count all the villagers?”

“No,” Obiageli said. “There was this particular dead body that got my attention the most. He was wearing a crown on his head which means he was royal, and a certain light was glittering around him.

But when those vultures took the bodies to the palace and dropped them there, he was missing and the old woman was laughing like she knew what happened.”

“Hmm,” Joy said. “Seriously this story is quite scary and I know that you didn’t just have that dream for nothing. So what are you planning to do?”

“If you ask me, I think you’re just thinking too much,” Angel teased. “I mean you have not even seen the Prince and you’re already dreaming about him. Or are you falling for him? I heard he is so handsome and sexy.”

Joy glowered at Angel. “Can’t you be serious for once?”

“What do you want me to say?” Angel asked. “You want me to be scared like you or start jumping because her dreams always come true? See, if you ask me I think she needs to stop thinking too much and maybe if she follow us to the Obi today then she will know what the Prince really looks like.”

The three girls walked in silence, each one overwhelmed with unsettling thoughts.

‘What could possibly befall this village?’ Joy asked herself for the umpteenth time.

***

“You said that you can get a perfect pacifier for this sacrifice?” Queen Jaja asked the Chief Priest.

“Yes my Queen,” the Chief Priest said. “In fact, I am already working on it, and very soon, Alaga herself will choose who is perfect for the ritual and everything will be done on the Alaga festival, so be prepared.”

“Thank heavens that the gods are still on my side or else I wouldn’t have known what to do,” Queen Jaja said. “Who do you think they will ask for?”

“I had a revelation, a prophecy,” the chief priest said proudly. “A child who searches for a road. If she doesn’t get to find it, I will show her the road by using her for the sacrifice.”

Queen Jaja’s face wrinkled with confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“She is asking for two pacifiers who will willingly agree to be used for this sacrifice,” the Chief Priest explained. “Or else she will destroy the palace and the entire village.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Queen Jaja said.

“Once upon a time in this palace, a woman was killed, and her baby was sacrificed to Alaga. That woman is back and she is very angry with this palace. She said that everything started in this palace and so everything will end here. She is ready to kill everyone who knows about the story and she is starting with the palace. My Queen, she is already in this village, and soon she will step her foot in this palace, and once that is done, disaster will befall this kingdom.”

Queen Jaja knew this story all too well, and it was one she had hoped she would never hear again. Her predecessor had made a certain sacrifice that had brought darkness upon the land for two days and all who had participated in the sacrifice were struck by thunder on that very day.

“But why is that sin still haunting us?” Queen Jaja asked.

“Because that child is back,” the Chief Priest said. “She is in this palace and her spirit will draw her mother closer.”

“We need to find the child before the mother does,” Queen Jaja said. “Then she will be used for the sacrifice.”

“I pray we find her soon,” the Chief Priest said. “My Queen, I will be on my way now.”

He walked out of the Queen’s chambers, leaving her with her thoughts.

“Who could she be?” the Queen wondered.