Talk to Chika Victor Onyenezi on the Fictionville blog
He raised the dust once more, kicked the soil harder with his barefoot. The dry season wind as strong as the season. The whistling pine clapped their hands, let out a whistling sound in at the same time. He likes it when these grasses scratch his leg. He walked deep into the forest. He could feel the season; truly yuletide is on the way. The dull sun that never goes down, the strong wind that never stop turning dust, they gray grasses, they trees that are beginning to shed their leaves. He went straight to his usual resting place in the forest, made a seat with dry grass under the mango tree, sat on it. Leaning on the tree he brought out his flute carved out of a bamboo tree, placed it on his lips stuck his two hands expertly on the hole. Blow his song of sorrow into the forest heart. A group of birds joined in the song of sorrow, donating their voice.
The world has cooked so much sorrow for him, the music raise many questions for him,” I am too ugly?” “Can’t the world love me with my looks?” Few days ago, a sales girl nearly laughed her hearts out, just because he bargained for some food items. His bulged eyes, and big teeth made her laugh that way. He knew why they laugh. “Are my really a fool?” He thought. He blew the song his grand father taught him. In school he doesn’t talk to anyone, he did it many times; they mocked him all those time. His mother told him that Jesus loves him,”is it only Jesus that love me? Have I seen Jesus? How can I see him?” he always ask her, the mother feels speechless each time he asks these questions, at times she even shed tears. He has been ugly from birth; he could be described as a replica of toad. His fingers are like that of toad. In a church service, a little lad cried out his eyes just seeing him. Tomorrow uncle Chike and the daughter will be coming to spend the day with them, “will they also laugh at me?” His mother once told him that Jesus would make him handsome,” you are still young before you enter high school next year you would be handsome “she told him. But the visit is only tomorrow,” if only uncle Chike would come next year, by then mum said I would be alright “he thought. Removed the flute from his lips, cleaned it his shirt, fixed it in his pocket. Picked a stone, aimed at his companions, scared them away, the birds scattered in all direction.
Today is Monday, just a day before Christmas. People are still returning for the celebration, the busy main road tells it. Uncle Chike is mums last brother; he returned from Ireland with his only daughter and would visit them today. He would meet his cosine from Ireland today. he has mixed feeling. He is happy because he has never seen them before, sad because she would laugh at him. That didn’t slow him down in dusting the olfactory, scrubbed the floor, and dusted all the pictures hanging on the wall of the sitting room. He could smell the sweet aroma of the stew being prepared by his mother and Tata his beautiful sister.
He could hear voices in the sitting room, a strangers voice,” they are here,” he thought, “but what can I do? Maybe stay here than cause laughter “ he thought.
“Chidi! Chidi! Come and greet your uncle “ he could hear his mother jubilating that they arrived safely. He piped into the sitting room, he could see the mother dancing the Ibo song of welcoming good things, she kept stamping her right foot on the ground, exchanging it with the left, the movement of her hands rhythm with the stamping. He took some steps forward,” good afternoon uncle, “he greeted, “is that peter, come along, come along,“ he gave him a hug that made him forget how ugly he was.
“Greet your cosine” his mother told him
She looked beautiful, around his age, dressed in expensive clothing. She spoke through her nose,“hello cosine” he didn’t reply.
His mother never leaves Jesus in anything she does,” lets pray” she said. She led a short prayer that ended with everybody saying “amen”. Mother hugged uncle chike again, they started jumping up, laughing, and telling stories of their experiences. He notices that the girl kept staring at him. Tata went to prepare food and drinks
“Chidi take your cousin to your room ” the mum told him. It was like placing a block on his shoulders,” go with him” the dad told her. He stood up without looking at her direction, bent his head low, walked into his room. When he turned the girl was at his back. He felt shy ran to his bed, stuck his head in between his knees. Still she moved closer, stretched her hand towards him,
“What is your name?” he was surprised to even hear her speak
“Can’t she figure out how ugly I am?” He thought
“I am Sandra “ the girl beaming with smile
“I am Chidi” he managed to utter
“I am in grade eight, grandtend elementary school, do you go to school?”
“Yes”
“What class are you?”
“I am in primary six”
“Truly but after your primary school what next?”
“I will enter secondary school “
“I like your eyes “she said seriously
These words came like a blow to him; no one has ever said these, not even his mother. “The only one who would love me is Jesus, is either she is Jesus or she is mocking me” he thought
“Why do you like my eyes?” he questioned
“They are pretty” the girl ran closer to him, sat beside him. Put her arm around him. He felt like in heaven, this showed him that Jesus truly loves him, if she could love him.
“Dad never told me I had a cousin like you” she smiled
“Tell me how is Ireland?”
“Oh, Ireland is big, we stay in Dublin the capital city. Every Sunday we go to the mall for shopping, I have many friends, my best friend is Natasha, and she is a white. She did her birthday and I danced “Sandra getting more excited
“Ah! You dance I can play music “
“Play for me”
He ran to his box brought out his flute, showed it to her
“Ah blow it for me” she pleaded
He place the flute on his lips, this was no time for sorrow. He blew a typical Ibo epic music; throw a dance step on the floor, bending his head to rhythm with the music, shaking his waist at the same time. They girl got excited, joined him in dancing. They had so much fun dancing, when they got themselves, they saw their parents standing beside the door looking at them with excitement. His mother was very happy to see him happy once in his life. Uncle Chike didn’t want the moment to end. He took the flute from Chidi, blew in happy sounds into the air once more. Birds gathered from afar to share in the happy moment.
The day is gone only the night still rejoices, the moon shinning straight into his heart. They are gone but he is happy, his soul rejoice, “someone loves me, Jesus do love me, he came today” he blew his flute into the air once more. He remembered how Sandra cried when they where about to leave, that made the father promise to bring him over to Ireland. A hand fell on his shoulder, he turned, it was a radiating face beaming with smiles, it was his mother. She bent low “he came today my son, Jesus love you, in his face you remain handsome “. He never let go of these words throughout his life.