Have you ever wondered how life will be like if you weren't born the way you were?
Have you wondered why people judge others for a situation they can't control?
If you haven't,then welcome to my life.
Welcome to my world, the world of Rabel Ichie Uzoamaka the shunned maiden of Mabudazou.
"Witch", I heard a village mutter as I passed her by,
"Ekwensu's
is an evil proprietor; he's the god of all things evil
child", another spat the moment I walked past her.
I've grown used to the way they treat me in our small town.
It doesn't help that I dyed my white hair black to blend in with others, but despite that the villagers still single me out every time; every single time.
I paused at Mama Nneka's house to drop a herb for her; her daughter Nkechi is seriously down with fever.
A single dose of my Akwukwo Ede administered to her by me can clear her fever in few hours.
Her mother is willing to take the medicines I drop on her doorposts but she's not willing for me to directly treat her child.
The Mmiri ude I've been giving her is enough to keep the fever at bay but not fully heal her.
Walking pass Mama Nneka's house after I dropped the medicine on their doorpost, I walk towards the house of my friend Soso; I hope she isn't in Akwukw if she is, I won't forgive myself for not being to her house earlier.
"Rabel!", Soso happily rushed towards me, enveloping me in a breathe stopping hug she smiles up at me, "I thought you weren't coming today", she pouted cutely.
I stooped low to embrace my bestest friend; she's the only one that doesn't fear me in the entirety of Mabudazou.
"How can I afford to miss your warm hug soso?", I poked her cute chubby cheeks, " you're my ray of sunshine; the only person I will sail the entire world just to be with you", I smile at her.
It's not an exaggeration of words when I say those; she's the only person I will sacrifice both my safety for her.
She touches my dyed hair, "why did you change your hair color? I like the other one better!", she looks at my said hair with hatred on her eyes.
I touch said hair, " I want to try out a new look", I lie to her for not the first time since I started hanging out here with her.
I dyed my hair to make they animosity the villagers have on me to lessen, but instead of having the desired effect, it had the opposite.
She smiles like the kid she is,"it looks good on you though", she shrugs while giving me a side smile.
" Am glad you like it", I genuinely smiled at her.
" Mummy said Ekwensu must have taken you back to his lair when I complained about your lateness today", she lays her head on my shoulder, " I was really heartbroken when I thought you won't visit me today".
" Don't worry about that Dearie; I won't miss a day without you", I opens my bag of goodies, " guess what I brought for you today?", I Smile more brightly than I've done since I last saw her yesterday.
It's always a game we play each time I visit their house their house.
"Achicha?", She guesses,
I shake my head, "no", I grin more; this is my favourite part of my visit to their house.
"Kanda?", she guesses; she must have guessed that since it was what I brought for her yesterday.
"No", I grin the more.
She frowns, "am tired of the game; I can't guess any more, give me what you bought already", she pouts like the cute girl she is.
I brought out what I bought for her, "surprise!", I laugh at the look of surprise on her face.
"Really!", She squealed as she takes the the puppy I made with a wooden stake, "I love it Rabel; thank you very much!", She twirls with the puppy in her embrace.
I grin with satisfaction; I was afraid she won't like it when I saw it.
I decided to make the puppy when she complained about not having a play toy to play with.
Making the said puppy took me months to really perfect; months spent under the sun.
My efforts weren't a waste if the person I made the effort for really appreciates it.
"Am glad you like it", I shyly said; am not used to having compliments given to me, am well used to words of hatred spat on me.
"Like it? I love it!", She hugs me as she dances up and down with unrestrained happiness.
Her happiness to me is like an aphrodisiac; it's a contagious one.
"Soso!", I heard the sharp voice of he mother from her doorposts.
Their house like all other shackled buildings in the village.
Most of the houses in the village are built with stone
for those who have enough resources
and clay
for the poor masses
.
I live in a stone building since my dad was one of the richest in the entire of Mabudazou; he was a chief before his untimely death.
Soso and her family live in a clay building for they don't have enough money to build a stone house.
Their houses were roofed with thatch, not a speck of Nku was in sight.
Most of the thatch in their roof are already decaying for lack of care; I won't be surprised if the house caves in on them before the Onwa
month
ends.
I've asked them to live with me since am the only one living in the house my dad built, but they refused for fear they might be bewitched.
People are afraid of what they don't understand; they're afraid of things they can't control.
"Soso get back here this instant!", her mom stood on the threshold not making a move to walk towards me; I can see the fear in her eyes from a distance; she's afraid of coming closer to me for fear she might contact my witch illness.
"I don't want to come on just yet; I want to spend more time with Rabel", she pouts as she turns towards me, " I don't want to go just yet Rabel; hope you will stay with me?", she hugs me closer to herself for fear I might slip through her fingers.
I look up at the mother who was glaring at me, "I don't think that will be a wise thing to do now Soso", I don't want to leave her, but I can't stay with her more than I've already done if I want to spend more time with Soso another day.
Ignoring her calls for Rama might make her prevent me from spending more time with Soso.
"I have places to deliver my medicines to", that's not a lie at least; I have to visit at least three more houses before I retire for the day.
Ekele is suffering from paralysis and I have to give him his daily dose of medicine before sunset today; any delay from me might cause his untimely demise which will in turn lead to the villagers shunning me for the Rest of my life.
At least they allow me to walk the streets without physically abusing me; they verbally abuse me, but they haven't for once abused me physically.
"At least stay a little longer with me", Soso pouts , "you wasted enough time to come to me as it is, please stay till I leave for Akwukwo", she gives me her best puppy eyes.
Akwukwo is a place the children go to to learn of our history; every child on the entire village is expected to pass through Akwukwo before they can graduate to being tradesmen and women.
I never attended the learning for once in my entire life
the villagers threatened to remove their children from the learning center of I so much as attend the Akwukwo learning center
; the things I learnt I learnt from my father.
"I would have loved to stay Soso but I can't; you know Ekele is seriously down with illness, I can't afford to miss giving him his daily dose of medication", I stood up, " I will see you tomorrow Soso, take care", I look at the mother who was still giving me a deadly glare.
"I love you Rabel remember that!", she shouts after me.
"I love you more Soso", and I mean that, I love her more than I've loved any one in my entire life; she's more than a friend to me; she's family.
I took a short route to Ekele's house to avoid meeting the accusing villagers; it's not everyday one has the strength to listen to their verbal accusations.
Knocking on his door, I keep the medicine on his door post; he will see it when he opens the door.
Checking on the remaining medicines in my bag, I walk towards the other people that owns it.
Five more houses to go to before I complete my daily routine.
