Chapter Seventy Five

"Ok, you better pay attention because it's a story that we were told when we were very young," Rose said.

"Okay... Go ahead, ma'am!! Am all ears." Christopher said.

"Story, story!!!" Rose said and waited for him to answer. When Christopher didn't say anything, she looked at him and shook her head.

"What!?" He asked seeing her reaction.

"You are supposed to say STORY!! That's supposed to be your answer. Then, I will say Once upon a time and you'll say TIME!! TIIM!!" Rose said.

"Ohh, sorry... I didn't know I was supposed to answer or even say a thing." Christopher said apologetically but with a smile.

"At least you are smiling..." Rose mumbled. "Now, let's start again. STORY!! STORY!!" She said out.

"STORY!!" Christopher answered with a smile.

"Once upon a time??!" Rose said after his answer.

"TIME!! TIME!!" He answered.

"There was a girl whose parents would always warn her never to take anything from anybody. Her parents would always tell her not to take gifts from strangers and she should never beg in school. One day, one of her classmates happened to be celebrating her birthday. That classmate of hers brought biscuits and sweets to school and then shared them with everyone in the class. The young girl whose parents had asked not to take anything from strangers was scared to eat what was given to her." Rose said.

"So, what did she do? Did she eat it or not?" Christopher asked.

"She kept everything in her pocket and took it home while all her classmates ate theirs," Rose answered.

"And?? Is that the end to your story?" Christopher asked when Rose stopped talking.

"That's not the end. When she got home, she forgot that she kept the sweet and biscuit that was given to her in her pocket so, she didn't say anything about it when she got home. In the evening, her mother took out her uniforms and started to wash them. While she was washing, she felt something inside the pocket of the school uniform. Out of curiosity, she dipped her hand into the pocket and brought it out was in there. Can you guess what the mother found??" Rose asked Christopher who was listening attentively.

"What else? She would definitely find the goodies the girl took from her classmate." Christopher answered.

Rose laughed at his answer and continued. "When the mother took out what was in the pocket... It was a human finger!!" She said.

"What?? A human finger?? How did a finger get into the girl's pocket?" Christopher asked.

"The mother called the little girl and asked her what a finger was doing in her pocket. That was when the girl remembered that she put something in her pocket. After her explanation, the mother kept the finger and went with it to the girl's school the next day." Rose said and took a dramatic pause.

"Why are you stopping?" Christopher asked because he was already interested in the Story.

"Okay... After explaining to the school authorities, they called the girl who gave the sweet to everyone in her class. After everything, the birthday girl later confessed that she was a witch. Her grandmother initiated her and she was asked to bring in children. She explained that everyone who ate the sweet and biscuit had been initiated like herself.!" Rose said.

"That's bad... What did they do to the girl?" Christopher asked.

"Do you want to know what happened next??" Rose asked and Christopher nodded his head. "What happened next was, THE END!!" Rose said.

"Huh!!" Christopher said with a blank expression.

"Hahaha, what's with that face?" Rose asked pointing at his face.

"How can a story just end like that? You didn't even tell me what happened to the evil girl!" Christopher complained.

Rose burst into a fit of laughter at his complaints. "That's the end of the story." She said between fits of laughter.

Christopher started to smile while watching her laugh. Even tho he didn't know why she was laughing, he just found himself smiling. "Okay... What's so funny?" He asked.

"The point of that story is to tell us not to take things from people. Especially classmates. The purpose of that story was to keep us from what we call, 'longer throat' its keeps us from wanting what is not ours and taking food from people." Rose said.

"Ooooh!! That's creative. Did it stop you from taking things from people!?" Christopher asked with a smile.

"You can't even imagine. That story hunted me till I was in secondary school. If anyone should offer me even water!! I will run away. If I see that person next time eh!! I will run away thinking that person wants to initiate me into witchcraft." Rose said.

"But, why would you run away!? Not all witches are bad." Christopher said.

"You don't understand. In the place where you grew up, that might be true but In this country, witches are the things we fear the most!" Rose said.

"Why is it so? I mean why?" He asked.

"Wait, how many years have you been in this Nigeria?? Seven years!! And you are still asking me this kind of question?? You did not learn anything ooo!" She said and shook her head at him.

"Ha!! I learned a lot of things! But I find it hard to grasp what you are getting at!" He said.

"See... That will be a lesson for another day. I will tell you about that topic another time. Don't let me spoil your idea of witches." Rose said with a smile.

"Come on!!! Tell me!! I want to know.! You already piqued my interest and now you want to stop?? That's unfair!" Christopher complained.

"Okay!! Stop being a baby!! I will talk. Well, we see witches and the most wicked and evil people. Most times, we hear of a family that has been suffering for years without a solution. A wife that has been wanting a child after many years of marriage and a family whose members just keep dying mysteriously. At the end of the day, after going from one place to the other, it will be discovered that a member of the family who is a witch is behind everything. So, tell me. Is that a good witch?" Rose said.

"From what you just said, that's very bad. On the other hand, I can say my father Is a wizard. He is wicked and evil.!" Christopher said.

"Yes, your father is wicked but, if he is a wizard eh!! He would have eaten you when you were in your mother's womb. Since he doesn't want a child, he would never allow you to be born. He will not even stress himself by paying people to attack us. He will just be in his house and do whatever he wants to us. He can even make you run mad!!" Rose said.

"Really!?" Christopher asked.

"Yes... It's just that it will be a shame if they make you mad. All your handsomeness will just go to waste." Rose said.

"So, are you saying that I am handsome?" Christopher asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

"When have I said you are not handsome?" Rose asked him.

"That's true. Does that mean you always admire me?" Christopher asked.

"You are very funny!! I don't admire you. What's there to admire?" Rose said and stood up. "Let's go back inside. It's already very late and we have things to do tomorrow." She added.

"Come on!!! You are just trying to evade my question. It's still quite early and we can skip work tomorrow..." Christopher whined as he stood up as well.

"Yes, you are right!! I am trying to evade your question but, we can't skip work! You need to work harder because you are yet to buy me my ring!" Rose said and raised her hand so that he could see her fingers.

"You are right!! I need to get you a ring but I don't need to work hard for that.!" Christopher said and took her hand in his own.

"You are not working hard just for my big ring but for my wedding and my bride price!!" Rose said.

"Oooh, I seriously have to work hard! I have a lot to do!!" He said with a smile. "Marrying a wife is not easy at all!!" He added.

"Are you complaining? Because if you are then, there is no escape. This is now a do or die affair.!" Rose said playfully.

"Don't worry dear wife, I dare not complain. You can do with me whatever you want and I will not breathe a word of complaint." Christopher said.

"Better!! Now, let us go in. I am very sure that Princess would be waiting for us!" Rose said and they both walked back into the house, hand in hand and a smile on their faces.