Ogechi’s mother-in-law watched her with open worry. Her almost black eyes scrutinized the younger woman’s every move. She stood near the drying bush meats and plants surrounded by silvery smoke. She stood there, unaffected, ignoring the rising smoke under the drying meat and plants. The entire compound smelled
Uloma woke up in her room, with Abali on her bed and Ekama on her solid mud floor, chattering away at each other. Ulo groaned, resting the back of her palm on her forehead. “Hey, look who has decided to come alive.” Ekama said, coming to sit on the head
Uloma felt content and happier than she had felt in longer than she could remember. They were sitting in one of the most secluded forests in their part of the realm. The part where students lived away from real life, away from reality, and in that moment, surrounded by friends,
Uloma let out an exasperated, frustrated noise. It was not just the stares that were getting to her; it was the incessant expectation that she had to do more. What was with everyone now treating her like she was expected to be better? She was the mediocre daughter of Death;
The old woman stood motionless for a second, watching the sunset, her hands clasped behind her back, her lips silently moving. She stood there until the sun made its last dip, at which point she sighed and released her clasped hands. She was the embodiment of overwhelmed. Her wrinkled face
“Goat.” Ekama called from behind Uloma. Ekama, Uloma’s heart breathed. She was falling apart just standing there, by Emenike’s door in this incredibly soothing waiting room, which was not in any way soothing for Uloma. Hearing Ekama’s voice, Uloma let out a breath she was unaware she
A dog ran into the compound and stopped dead as if entranced. It worked slowly towards the tall, domineering woman with the wild hairdo, eyes capable of throwing the world into chaos, and the thin, frail man with stars in his eyes. The man watched the woman as if she
True fear. Ogechi had always wondered what that was like, every time she imagined being buried alive. She would lie in her hard bed, wondering what fear that deep would feel like. On those days, she would wonder how Uchechi was doing, buried so deeply. Was she scared? What if
“You are pregnant.” Ozioma stated in a manner that was so matter-of-fact that her friend coughed and rolled her eyes, burying the laughter that had almost escaped her at the accusation. “And this conclusion of yours must be why you have been watching me all afternoon like a hawk, right?
“Uloma.” The voice drifted to her half-awake consciousness. For a second, she pretended that she was human again, that a mother who thought the world of her was cradling her in her arms and singing her lullabies. “Okay, this is beginning to worry me. Should we call someone?” Uloma heard
It was not that difficult to tell the Spirit worlds apart from the human world, Uloma thought as she walked down the hall, in a building that was technically not there, as it only existed because they could all agree that it might, and they could all agree that it
There were times when Ogechi’s brain would wake up convinced that her body was paralyzed. That movement was unheard of, and it had no capacity for mobility. She would lie in bed, willing her body to remove itself from its state of incapacitation. She would lie there, reminding herself
