“The investigator might have been Amah’s uncle.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I sent Amah’s uncle to look for you.”
“You tried to look for me?”
“Yes. It was then that the abuse started.”
He swallowed hard and paused for a moment.
“I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through. I’m really sorry I wasn’t here to protect you. That has been my biggest regret.”
“I wished every second you were here,” I said, forcing back tears.
He pondered for a little while as he wiped a tear from the corner of my eye.
“I doubt it was Amah’s uncle, though. My benefactor had found whoever was looking for me and paid him handsomely to report the results of his search to him before sharing it with his employer. Amah’s uncle wouldn’t have been so vile to be playing two sides. So many months passed without results, and the investigator wouldn’t reveal who had sent him. When my benefactor thought the coast was clear, he provided some capital for me to start a business and later, land to build a house. My business flourished in no time. I became known as the ‘Merchant of Ajidi’.”
“Wow! Where is Ekema now? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
“Still at the palace scheming at all costs for Albert to take the staff, but I heard the staff has eluded him.”
“It has. Where could Ozumba be right now?”
“He roams around the palace waiting to take the reins, but he too is in limbo and will remain so if Albert is unable to grab the staff.”
“Did you say limbo? The last time I went to Luenah, Papa revealed Ozumba to me. It completely slipped my mind until now. Ozumba had a wreath on his head. ‘A mark of ill will,’ my grandfather had said. My grandfather was also trying to tell me something else before I returned.”
Okem squeezed my hand excitedly as I spoke. “What was he trying to tell you?”
“I don’t know. I regained consciousness before he finished.”
He sighed deeply and sank into a chair, my hand still in his.
“Try to recall.”
“He was saying something that sounded like ‘nothing is what it seems’, but he didn’t quite finish.”
“Ona, try.”
“I’m sorry, Okem. That’s all there was. I tried really hard to ask Papa about Ozumba, but he wouldn’t reveal much.”
He slowly let go of my hands and looked up as though he had come to a certain realization.
“Luenah might have the answers we seek. Can you take me to Luenah?” he pleaded.
I grimaced. “I don’t think I’m capable of taking someone else to Luenah. I can’t even really explain how I get there myself.”
“You can if you try. I beg of you—”
“Do you have any clue what you’re asking me to do? It’s obvious you don’t. Otherwise, you’d know it’s impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible, my dear,” he said as he arose.
“Only Eris are allowed into Luenah, Okem. Do you understand that? My grandfather made that very clear to me in the beginning. I think we should start thinking about other options rather than putting all our hopes on Luenah.”
“Do you have any other suggestions?”
“I can’t think of anything right now, but I’m sure if we put our heads together we can find a viable solution. Give me some time.”
“Ona, we don’t have time. These people are ruthless, and I’m sure your grandfather can help me. Talk to him on my behalf. Please, I’m begging you.”
His eyes were boring through mine.
I tapped my chin as I pondered our predicament. “I’ll wait till I get another chance to enter Luenah. One thing you must know is that I have never been able to will myself there. I’ll ask my grandfather the next time I see him. What reason should I give him for your wanting to visit?”
“Let him know he needs to show me how to take the staff,” he said, breathing heavily.
“Why do you automatically assume he knows how?”
“I can feel it in my bones. Don’t ask me how, Ona, because I won’t be able to answer. Besides, he disclosed Ozumba and told you he was marked for punishment. What does that tell you? Chances are your grandfather is deeply involved in this. Don’t you want to find out how?”
Chapter Eighteen
MY HEART WAS heavy when I left the hotel that day. Still in shock from everything I’d just heard, I snuck into my room the moment I got home. I couldn’t bear anyone seeing me in that state. None of the servants were around, and Albert wasn’t due back for another two days, or else he would have been waiting for me in the parlor. I had all the space I needed to reflect before I meet with Okem the next day. My head hurt as I pondered Okem’s request to take him to Luenah. As far as I was concerned, he was asking me to do an impossible thing as I’d never been able to transport myself to Luenah, not for lack of trying but because that skill was beyond the limits of my power. I also didn’t see how Luenah could help him, except to gain wisdom and direction. For some reason, Okem believed Luenah would help him make sense of the chaos. The staff was a physical thing. I couldn’t fathom how Okem expected Grandfather to help him weather that storm. My thoughts drifted to Albert. If Okem was indeed the Crown Prince, where did that leave Albert? Okem’s revelations had left me with more questions than answers. Was Albert really an imposter? Did Albert know? Is that why he hated Okem so much? Did he know where Okem had been all this time? Albert’s reaction when he discovered I had asked Amah’s uncle to look for Okem now seemed like a terrible red flag. There were many more, and they all flashed through my mind as I pondered Okem’s account of the treachery that had gone on right under our noses. I remembered how Ekema doted on Albert. I once told Albert that she loved him like a mother, and he thought that was hilarious. He got along more with Ekema than he did with his own mother, and it all now made sense.
I pulled down the shades, took a long relaxing bath, and changed into a silk robe. With some jazz music playing in the background, I lay on the futon and tried to achieve my next mission—willing myself to Luenah. There were so many critical questions I needed to ask my grandfather, and I needed him to answer all of them this time around. Each time I began to drift away, I found myself jumping back into consciousness. I was unable to relax, let alone concentrate. The book I had been struggling to read for days was staring at me from the side table. I grabbed it and flipped it open to the first page before adjusting the light to avoid straining my eyes. Thirty whole minutes passed, and I neither fell asleep nor drifted into Luenah.
“What if this doesn’t work?” I said aloud.
“What if what doesn’t work?” I heard someone scoff.
I turned a ninety-degree angle, sending the book on my lap to the ground with a loud thud.
“Albert!”
I jumped right up from the futon, stepping on the book, not caring to retrieve it and wondering how long Albert had been standing there.
“Albert, you’re here. I thought you weren’t due back for another two days?”
“I canceled my trip. Didn’t realize I needed permission from my Queen to do so?” he said half-jokingly.
“No, not at all,” I said, shaking my head.
“What did you do with the rest of your day?” he asked. “Did you see Amah?”
“I thought I told you she’s traveled to London.”
“Oh,” he said, smiling wryly.
“I’m glad to see you,” I said, taking his hands. At first, it felt reassuring, but little did I know that the smile passing his lips was about to reveal an even bigger monster than the ones he had manifested in the past.
He squeezed my hands tightly.
“Are you really happy to have me back?”
“Yes,” I whispered, scared out of my wits.
“How? Happy? Are? You?” he said, still holding both hands tightly, almost as though I was a rag doll. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, everything went dark. Suddenly, I felt something kicking my legs. I
struggled to open my eyes and there was Albert.
“Tell me again how much you’ve missed me. Did you miss me when you were with Okem?” He was yelling.
I opened my mouth again to speak, but nothing came forth.
“You can’t speak because you were with Okem,” he continued to berate me.
I gasped.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out about your little secret? Huh? You take men to a hotel because that’s the type of person you are. You are nothing without me.”
Stunned to find myself on the ground and unable to recall how I got there, I felt something dripping into my mouth. With my index finger, I patted my nose. It was tender and blood was on my hand.
“You should go with that nonentity,” he concluded, hissing and walking out the door.
I waited till the sound of his footsteps faded before I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My nose was still bleeding, and one side of my face was swollen. As I ran the tap and wondered how pathetic I had become, my mind ran to Okem. He was in danger. I had to get to him.
Okem
Right after Ona left my room at the Palisir hotel, I pondered for long everything that was going on. Unable to think properly indoors, I decided to take a walk around the hotel grounds to clear my head. An hour later, I came back upstairs to take a nap as I hadn’t slept the night before. I lay down on the sofa and thought about all the things I’d discussed with Ona since my return. They had thrown me off course. I couldn’t help but think that if I hadn’t been so hot-headed, I would have waited to hear everything she had to say the day I left. Even now, Ona’s grandfather’s words come back to me. “Okem, you need to calm down sometimes and listen,” he’d always say. They are almost prophetic, and I wished I listened then. But there’s no need crying over spilled milk. I remember when I used to sit down with him and eat akara and akamu. Oh, how I’ve missed him. Almost as much as I’ve missed Ona. I wish everything could go back to the way it was. If only I could turn back the hands of time and make things right. But how can I make things better? God please, make this pain go away. That snake Albert is ruining her life. The mere fact that he’s in it is interrupting her whole existence. He’s always been wrong for her, and because of him, she’s just roaming the earth without a purpose.
Just as those last thoughts crossed my mind, my heart sank, and I lost touch with my surroundings. Before I knew it, I found myself walking down a narrow path, bordered by trees on both sides and streams of water flowing beneath. Confused as to how I got there, I turned around to retrace my steps. All I saw were images of wild creatures in varying shapes and sizes, representing doom and gloom. I continued on my path, with longer strides this time, praying the creatures behind me would disappear. As I began to calm down and appreciate the tranquility offered by the trail in front of me, I reached its tail end and floated into another reality.
“I told Ona the same thing.” I heard a deep voice say.
The moment my eyes collided with the striking figure before me, I realized I was looking at Ona’s grandfather. He’d changed a bit, but I was certain it was him.
“I made it clear to Ona,” he continued, “that the person she marries will either propel or thwart her purpose on earth.”
“Where am I?” I asked, confused. I thought I’d died and woken up in heaven. I marveled at the beautiful surroundings, the mountains, the rivers, the lush vegetation, and the life forms. Everything seemed so familiar and yet so strange.
“You’ve finally made it,” Ona’s grandfather declared.
“This is Luenah?” I stuttered, still aghast.
“That’s right.”
“I’ve been dreaming of this place for years. No wonder the times Ona described it to me, it felt like somewhere I’d been before. Now I understand why. I have been here. I am so sure now. This must be how you found me, Sir.”
“We’ve been waiting a long time for you,” Ona’s grandfather said.
A carriage pulled up right in front of us, and he took my hand to lead me in.
“My son,” he said. “This is a great feat. Congratulations. Only a select few make it to Luenah. You’re one of the chosen ones. You’re one of the few in the long line of Eris.”
* * *
We rode for what seemed like a whole day to the shrine. It was a marvelous ride. I don’t believe Ona did it justice when she described it to me many years ago. On entering the shrine, the whole court sat quietly as though they had been anticipating my visit. The throne room was filled to the brim, and there seemed to be some sort of celebration going on. A feast was spread out. The man I assumed to be the supreme ruler of Luenah was on the throne. He was resplendent in a long gilded robe that swept the floor beneath him. The late King—the Ideme, my father— was there too. He held a heavy object in his hand. I bowed before him.
“Father?” I said, sighing deeply.
“My son.”
“Father.”
“Son, I am so sorry that I wasn’t able to protect you on earth. Please forgive me. I was only human. My only consolation is that the infinite being was there for you.”
“I’m sorry too, Father. What they did to you was evil. They deprived you of your offspring.”
“Don’t worry, my son. Everything happens for a reason. The most important thing is that the wrongs will be made right, and the truth will be revealed soon.”
“How? There’s been so much damage. And who will believe me?”
“They will have no choice but to believe you after you leave here today. You will have the blessing and the anointing you need.”
He stretched out his hand to further reveal the object he was holding.
“With this,” he said, “no one can come between you and your destiny.”
I froze to the spot as I stared at the twenty-inch-long wooden structure, detailed with brass tacks. The top part depicted a man’s head with elaborate headgear and scarification marks on the face. The handle was twisted, had a separate ring at the top, with pyro-engraved details.
“The staff,” I finally muttered and shifted my gaze to my father and then back to the precious gift he held in his hand.
“Take it, my son. It is yours.”
I stretched out both hands and took the staff. I examined it with admiration, a smile spreading across my face, and joy filling my heart.
“Thank you, Father. I didn’t know it would be this easy to take this staff.”
The late King nodded and chuckled lightly.
“Yes, it’s that easy. You see, this heirloom is not a physical thing. It’s spiritual. What those hooligans didn’t know was that they couldn’t just pick it up from its sanctuary just because they stole your birthright. The staff cannot be transferred from person to person indiscriminately. It is rightfully yours. Take good care of it and everything it represents and then pass it on to your heir—your first-born child. You will know when the time is right. I had tried to pass it to Albert, but I couldn’t because it wasn’t rightfully his. The spoilt brat doesn’t even know it, but he is finished.”
“Did Albert know the staff wasn’t his?”
The Ideme shook his head. “But he will soon find out. He is being told of his legacy as we speak.”
“So he was an innocent victim like me?”
The late King hesitated a bit before saying, “He was at birth, but unfortunately, with parents like Ozumba and Ekema, what chance did he have to remain pure? Ekema had a great influence on him. He was her puppet.”
“How do I carry the staff out of Luenah?” I asked, looking around at the faces in the throne room.
The entire court laughed. I laughed too, not knowing why everyone thought my question was funny but happy to be in the company of friends.
The Ideme cut through the laughter.
“I guess you haven’t figured it out by yourself. Here it is: anything you bind in the spirit will be bound there on earth. Everything in this world, including creation itself, was first manifested in the spirit befo
re it transcended in the multi-dimensional world you live in. Go now. When you arrive, the staff will disappear from your hand, but you will be able to pick it up from the sanctuary with no trouble. No one on earth has the power to do that but you.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said, bowing again to him.
“Thank you, Father would be more appropriate. Now go in peace and take what already belongs to you. I don’t promise that it will be easy, but as long as you pursue it with courage, you will come out victorious.”
I drifted back to earth before I could respond. It took me a while to regain consciousness and realize where I was. When I finally came around, I jumped right up and looked around the room in confusion. That was when I heard Ona’s frantic knock on the door and her voice calling, “Okem open for me!”
Ona
The moment Albert left my room, I ran out of the house, went straight to the garage, and got into my car. The guards banged on the window and made signs for me to step out of the car, but I ignored them and drove straight to the Palisir hotel. I doubt they had heard the squabble in my room, but they must have seen Albert drive off in a hurry. On my way, I struggled to catch my breath. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I had been afraid of Albert for far too long. Now that I had the chance to face the fear of his assault, I felt stronger and more confident than ever. I tried to call Okem from the lobby, and when he didn’t respond, I took the elevator to room 765 to meet him. His jaw clenched, and his chest heaved up and down as a combination of pain or anger clouded his face as he opened the door and removed the scarf I’d used to disguise the bruises on my face.
The Place Beyond Her Dreams Page 14
