chapter 8

Not shunned for something you don't have a hand in.

Shunned for a gift I never asked nor requested for.

A gift I wouldn't have wanted to be had I been given the chance to choose my path of destiny.

A gift that benefits them more than it does me *hand on my chin; lost in thoughts*

“Have the gift benefited me for once? The answer remains no. If it works only to my benefit, father wouldn't have died before I can get to him. Mother wouldn't have died before she can hold me in her arms.

I truly am a cursed child like the villagers call me, not a blessing as my father thought my gift to be.

If I'm a blessing, why does misfortune knock on my door every damn time?

Why is that people around me always gets hurt because of me?

I'm the daughter of Ekwensu.

The forest is always devoid of both humans and the occasional sounds that surround Uderide forest * a forest that never sleeps, with wolves parading in it almost every time.*

A forest I've only been to twice; forest humans are afraid to thread on for fear of the wolves and what they might do to them.

The forest of Uderide is the richest since it's filled with assorted fruits; an Iyi *a sparkling water body* its waters are medicinal for the cleaning of a barren woman.

I've gone as far as the Iyi once when I had a patient who's said to be barren.

She's been married to her Obi for thirteen moons without showing any sign of Idi Ime * it's when a mother becomes heavy with a child.*

When I was consulted, I braved the elements and the dangers of roving around the Uderide forest to get the Iyi for her.

Bravery I wasn't commended for, and neither did the female who I risked * going into the Uderide forest is a risk taken by those who have nothing to lose, just like I had nothing whatsoever to lose* my life for thanking me for that.

Her lack of thanks won't make me any taller than I am, but at least it would have elevated my heart.

A complete moon cycle later, she gave birth to a baby girl.

A girl is not allowed to breathe the same air as she is.

A girl whose words of shunning hurts me the most since she was the only patient I risked much for.

The first time I went to the Uderide forest was when I got Ude for my Ima.

The search for the Ude doesn't take much from me like the water from Iyi, yet the ones I risked my life for didn't appreciate it.

A shuffle around made me aware am not the only one here.

“Who's there? Show yourself.” I take threatening steps towards the place I know the noise to be coming from.

“If you're not afraid, come out!” I shout as I take more steps towards it.

I'm not a fearful person * I mean, what do I have to lose? Furthermore, I have no one to mourn me if am gone; no one to remember the ubochis we spent together* I fear nothing.

Not even the wolf king is scary enough for me, I take everything head-on.

Reaching the place I heard the sound from; peeking through the small bush, I was met with the cute smile of a baby Agba *an animal that looks more like a human but without the normal human anatomy. It has climbs and hops on trees.*

“Oh baby," I coo, scooping the tiny bundle of joy in my arms, my bag of goodies already forgotten.

The baby made a little noise in its throat with a smile still plastered on its face.

It's as if it's trying to tell me something.

“What's it?” I ask as lightly as I can.

It made another sound in its throat while still gazing at me.

Who knows what is trying to convene but can't.

“I guess I will take you home then, since it seems your mother isn't anywhere near here.”

That has to be the truth, since there's no sign of the mother.

Does the mother die?

It has to be, since a mother never leaves her child without protection.

Mothers live to protect.

I won't say I've experienced such love, but I've seen how Soso's mother protects her young.

A love I lament on not having an experience on.

The baby made another sound in his throat; now tugging on my Akwa.

Its tugs insistently.

“What does it love? Anything you want to tell me?” there must be something it wishes to relay to me but can't because it's not only an animal but a baby.

A sound at the bush near the one I took the animal up from made me alert of another presence.

Walking towards it with the baby animal carefully held in my arms, I walk inside the dimly lit place.

The sun's rays weren't reaching this part of the forest.

A sight that made my inner healer rear it to head up was what met me at the other side of the bush.

The mother, I suppose it's the mother since the baby started struggling to leave my hold when we came in there.

It made a happy sound as we neared the almost dead mother.

Lying in the pool of her blood, the mother gave me a look that convenes so much, a look that makes my heartache.

Carefully dropping the baby, I give it my best practiced stern look, “stay here, don't move closer to her.”

Running back, I take up my bag of Goodies, thankfully I got enough Ude to last for Many Izu Ukas.

Kneeling beside her, I crunched to check where the blood was seeping from.

She had a large cut on her stomach, a cut that looks suspiciously like a hunter's Nkwaoru * it's a weapon that has a sharp edge with a wooden handle.