AJEGUNLE: The Tale From The Ghetto (By Fikfaknuel) - Season 1 - Episode 6

7 years ago

AJEGUNLE: The Tale From The Ghetto (By Fikfaknuel) - Season 1 - Episode 6

Aja Igbologun lived in the secluded Igbologun, which was close to Ajegunle, but one had to cross a river, and the river looked particularly fearful as it's waters roared high. People unfamiliar with the environment didn't cross over because of the water. So Igbologun barely had visitors.

Basiru alighted from the boat as soon as it stopped. His fright for water wasn't going to end soon, and whilst in the boat, the water raged violently, and his uneasiness was obvious as the passengers looked at him in a mocking way. They knew he was one of the few visitors. Why? Why was he visiting? He guarded his facial expression with a strong frown. He wasn't going to tell them that he was a time bomb, waiting to blow. He wasn't going to disclose through his fear for water that his head was on borrowed time.

He didn't have much luck locating his uncle's house as he walked the place, barely seeing any soul. Even if he did, he wasn't going to ask for directions. His mission here was too discreet, too important for another ear to hear. He ended up walking about the village twice, and was getting frustrated when he realised he wasn't making any progress. He shut off the afraid voice of himself that placed his mission here high in priority. After some time, he met a child and asked him where Aja Igbologun's house was, and after about seven minutes of being led through the mouth of the child, he finally knew where the place was. He rewarded the boy's efforts with a fifty naira note which the boy told him to throw on the ground, then brought out his little penis, and poured urine on it. He then stamped on the money with his leg and picked it up. Basiru looked at him amused. He doubled his pace and was in front of the house in about ten minutes. The house was old-fashioned, but they were plans to drag it back into the present as some bricks were on the front,and the roof was replaced with a shiny, new zinc. Basiru smiled, but was uncertain, of how he would be received. His uncle was a man who held very little grudges but it had been long he seen him, and a person can change after such a long time. His uncle might be angry that this was the first time he was visiting him in eight years, because he needed a favor. The last time they saw was when his son, Moji was born.

He entered into the house, touching his pocket to check whether the kolanut and naira notes was stilll there. They were. He muttered a little prayer that things pan out well.

"So you have come to me for a protection charm'' His uncle asked with a tone of finality after he had told him the situation he found himself in. He had shook his head whilst listening to his nephew's story, pity on his face. It was most wise if one stays away from cult members, not to talk of a senior member of the Aro cult.

A flicker of hope burnt through Basiru's soul. He made sure he told the story in a tone that would rouse pity. He painted himself as the victm when he was quite sure that if his aging uncle was at the scene where he confronted John Paul, he would spank him and maybe render him dumb for quite some time. He had done that to him in his younger years, after he displayed his passion for being strong-headed. His father, Aja Igbologun's younger brother would laugh as his punishment was being served. Basiru knew it was only a matter of time before his uncle quizzes him on why he had failed to come see him. He wouldn't ind using his deceased brother, Basiru's father, as a chip for bargaining for guilt. As far as he provided him with the protection charm, he would offer him his guilt,and the ten thousand naira in his pocket of course.

Aja Igbologun went into his inner room, and Basiru heard him chant inaudibly. He smiled, for he knew at this moment, his uncle was no longer human, but a middle man in his purchase, of a favor from the gods. He prayed that the gods accept the fee he was willing to pay and if they didn't, he was sure his uncle would bargain eargerly, as the gods had no mouth, that could eat yam, or the kolanut he brought. After about twenty minutes, his uncle came out with a razor and a black liquid in a bottle that once had cheap liquor as it contents. His uncle approached him, not saying a word, and sat down beside him.

"Take off your shirt'' the old man ordered in a voice that made Basiru think that the gods were still speaking through him. He wondered what the razor and the seemingly thick liquid which was like gum was for. He knew that protection charms was items tied to a rope, and tied around the waist, or kept in the pocket. It was potent as long as it was on the person it was supposed to protect. However, he obeyed without letting his thoughts become words.

Aja Igbologun, loosely translated in English as Igbologun's Tortoise now took the blunt razor and cut into the flesh of his client, at his back. Basiru winced in pain, as all his thoughts concerning his protection flew away from his mind, as he bothered whether his uncle wanted to infect him with HIV/AIDS. His uncle cut further through his skin, and he counted twelve different cuts. The great herbalist then opened the bottle and used his fingers to rub the sticky substance inside the wound. It peppered Basiru immensely and he reacted by bending his back, and giving an half-shout of "Ah!'', to which his uncle barked at him to "shut up, boy!" oblivious of the fact that he was a thirty nine year old man, married, with a kid.

He was finished. There was a loud silence as Aja Igbologun, whose name was Kalejaiye looked at his nephew, breathing heavily. Basiru went inside and poured water into a cup and brought it to his uncle. He still knew his way around the house. After his uncle had drank the water, he told him `thank you' with his eyes. The preparation and application of the charm, or whatever, had really exhausted him. His uncle still looked at him, and Basiru knew the time had come for him to answer the questions of his uncle, as to why he has failed to keep in touch, and rarely visit.

"You do take pleasure from depriving your late father's brother from enjoying the company of his nephew in old age, eh?''

Basiru sighed, he tried hard to produce a justifiable lie, he wasn't about to tell his uncle that he hadn't visited him for eight years because he was scared of water. His uncle had reason to be angry, for he was lonely, as his only daughter had married an Igbo man based in the North, to which he agitatedly protested, until love triumphed. He was lonely, and wanted to know why his closest relative didn't visit regularly.

"Ehmm...uncle'' Basiru thought of how to process his thought-out lie while he wore his shirt. "It's not like I don't want to visit, but work no give me allowance. When the new governor enter, he embarked on a road-building project where I work, and that has maximised traffic. I close very late. But I promise, i'll visit often from now on''

"It's okay, I see reason in what you say even though it's a lie. You seem to forget i'm half human, half spirit. Please do visit''

Basiru was shocked, he had forgotten about his uncle so soon. So he knew he was lying yet allowed him to finish the story. Old age really changed a person. If it was in his youth and he caught him, Basiru in a lie, he wouldn't hesitate metting out the usual punishment of dumbness to him. Basiru turned to leave, almost forgetting the money he wanted to give his uncle, as a token of appreciation. He did so, and said his goodbye with a waving hand, trying hard to smile even though his brain reminded him of the daunting task ahead, crossing the river. Kalejaiye too waved his feeble hand slowly as his nephew left.

Damn! Basiru thought, as he ran back to his uncle's house, when he remebered that he didn't ask him what would alter the potency of the charm. He knew that all charms had something, which rendered it useless and usually, the wielders of the charm are cautioned on their actions and inactions.

"Idiot, I thought you had forgotten everything so soon'' His uncle scolded him in his typical fashion after he had asked for the charm's loophole.''

Basiru stiffened his face and motioned his uncle to go on.

"Well, the charm I drew on your body...'' He paused, as he observed a cough. Basira smiled as his uncle called such a painful activity a `drawing'. If it was, then he was the most terrible artist in the world. "As I was saying, the charm is a very potent one, and its only loophole, guaranteed to render it useless was when you stop being a man''

Basiru smiled as he walked out of his uncle's house. He had a very potent protection charm and it would work, as long as he continued being a man. His manhood wasn't going to disappear with the withdrawal of the night moon, he wasn't going to grow breasts overnight. He smiled again.

If only he knew what being a man meant.