Silent Screams - Season 1 - Episode 23

4 years ago

Silent Screams - Season 1 - Episode 23

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Continues…
It had been two days since Chilufya had been put to rest, the Kalufyanya family had gathered around the living room to discuss the fate of Alfred.

Everyone sat quietly and waited for the meeting to start.

For a few minutes, an awkward silence hung in the air but Mr. Kalufyanya cleared his throat and broke it.

‘Without wasting anyone’s time, we shall go straight to the purpose of this meeting,’ he said, his eyes focused on Alfred.
‘My heart aches at the death of my only son Chilufya this news came as a shock to me and the entire family but what’s done is done. However there won’t be any need to take the case to the authorities we will deal with it traditionally.’

‘Thank you,’ Abby breathed a sigh of relief.
‘My son was an heir to a big and powerful empire since he didn’t die a naturally, you need to make amends for his death.’
He looked at Abby and her husband, ‘Because your son has taken from us, we must take something from you to appease his spirit.’

Abby cleared her throat, ‘Sorry to cut you short but what does that mean?’
‘It means that unless you make amends for Chilufya’s death, his spirit will never rest and your family will be struck with mysterious deaths and Alfred will fall victim to some strange illnesses resembling mental illness, the spirit is willing to shed blood and hunt your family for ever if you don’t appease it.’

Abby’s face felt stiff as if the colour had drained from it, this was more than she could handle.

‘So what does the spirit demand?’ Daniel finally spoke up
‘Two live chickens, 10 herds of cattle and a young girl.’

‘But where are we supposed to find a young girl to give you,’ Abby asked

He looked at her tummy, ‘You can offer us the child in your womb.’

Abby and Daniel looked confused as they exchanged glances.

‘The child in my womb, I am not pregnant,’ Abby said.

‘You are three weeks along you and a few months from now you shall give birth to girl.’
‘This is absurd Kalu,’ Carol who had been quiet all along spoke up.
‘Shut up woman.’

‘No this is witch craft and I refuse to be a part of it, Abby don’t give in to him.’
‘I said shut up Carol.’

Carol stood up, ‘I am so done with you and your occult practices. The only thing that made me stay in this weird stupid marriage is no more so am done.’

She pulled her ring off her finger and placed it on the table & marched out.

‘I think we can continue, what do you guys say?’

‘If we give you this girl does it mean my son will never be haunted?’
‘Yes, this will be erased from his mind he will never remember the accident.’
‘Then so be it, we shall give you our unborn child,’ Daniel said.

‘Daniel!’ his wife exclaimed
‘As soon as the ceremony is performed the child in your womb will belong to us. You can choose to either raise her or allow us to raise her ourselves.’

‘I would rather raise her myself,’ Abby said

‘You will ensure she remains a virgin until her 25th Birthday when she will be married off to the spirit of my son –Ngozi. And if you go back on your word, calamity shall befall your family. You shall all perish.’
‘Oh my,’ Abby gasped in disbelief.
‘We shall not go back on our word sir I promise,’ Daniel assured him.
‘Thank you.’

They stood up and shook hands to seal their covenant.

As they drove back home, Abby was a little disturbed with her husband’s decision but she choose not to question him, he was the head of the house after all and his decision was in the best interest of their family.

When Abby went to the hospital a day later, she found out she was indeed pregnant.
‘Daniel, you know how much I have longed for a daughter, how do I give her up just like that?’ She asked, tears running down her cheeks.

‘This is hard for me too Abby but Alfred is only six, do you want him growing up with a mental disorder, do you want calamity to befall us.’

‘No,’ she shook her head.
He wiped her tears with the palm of his hand, ‘we haven’t seen this child and we don’t even know if it will survive let’s do this for our son please.’

*

A week later, a group of people gathered at the cemetery for the appeasement ceremony. They were all dressed in red robes with no shoes on their feet.

It was late at night, the cold wind blew onto their faces and they could hear some scary night owl sounds.

The healer stripped half naked and started crawling on the ground writhing like a snake while chanting in some strange language.
Violent gusts of wind suddenly swept through the forest and raised strange echoes. Almost immediately the air was electrically charged with a kind of peculiar energy, Abby had one of those feelings like someone was watching them, she held on tight to her husband’s hand.

As her gaze turned ahead to the far end of the cemetery, she could see a shadowy figure form glancing back at her.

A sudden sense of fear ran through her nerves like the chill of an icy wind, she opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. Not even a squeak, she tried to scream again, but still nothing came out, she could hear herself but it seemed no one else could. It was like she had no voice at all.
After this the healer stood up and grabbed the chicken, he killed it and burnt it. Then he got the ashes and mixed it with some herbs.
Next he sprinkled the mixture on the grave.

A moment later, an intense pain shot through Abby’s tummy, the pain was like nothing she had ever felt. Then her head began to spin & a sense of weakness and breathlessness took over. Abby’s vision then became blurry and a dark outline came over her before she fell to the ground.
At that point a light flashed at the far end of the cemetery & the figure disappeared.
‘It is done the wrong done to our son has been righted,’ the healer said

The members of the Kalufyanya family were excited they started ululating as they danced around the grave while clapping their hands in what appeared to be a rehearsed fashion.
‘Cheze navi cho cha,’ the healer chanted as he handed each one a piece of the goat which had earlier been slaughtered, he gave Daniel a piece too, the two families were now united and a bond of marriage had just been formed.
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