When The Light Dims

CHAPTER 9: SOPURU

"And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed"
-Deuteronomy 31:8.

My eyes skimmed over the dark room as I tried to recognize where I was. The scent of ointments tickled my nostrils, causing me to scrunch my nose. I felt something sticky and wet on my forehead. It was greenish and reeked like dung. A croaked voice emerged from the little window by the right. Singing. Terribly singing. I grabbed onto the stool nearby to push myself up. I forced my legs to thread through the bottles and green leaves on the marble floor but the ground seemed to be rotating. I managed to make my way to the table, gripping onto it as my only support. I took another step towards to the window but my legs grew weaker. I tumbled to the ground, knocking down a bowl of fish with me.

                                          

                                      ****

My stomach growled as my mouth watered at the tempting smell of smoked fish.  As I sat up, I realized I had been cleaned up. The house was so tiny, it had neither a kitchen nor bathroom; with the roof almost falling off. In front of me was an old woman whose skin was dark and wrinkled, but her lips twisted into a beautiful smile.

"Thank God o. I was scared you wouldn't wake up." She had the same voice from that of last night. She still sounded like she was singing but I was sure she was talking. I watched her warily as she pushed a plate of food towards me.

I didn't know why but I liked the peppery taste that persisted with each spoon. I wiped the plate clean with my tongue.

"Do you want more jollof rice?" she asked.

I fixed my eyes on her as she sat on the floor in a musty brown gown with little circles on it in which she was drowning. Her neck had a depression which was deep enough to hold water.

"Who are you?" It came out less confident than I intended.

"Call me Mama Teta, my child."

"Teta." I frowned a bit with the unfamiliar name.

"You don't know me. I found you unconscious at the bank of the Ocean."

Of course I didn't know her. I couldn't even remember how I got here in the first place.

"Unconscious for how long?"

"Well, you have been here for two months now."

I dropped my spoon. Two months. My mind went into a frenzy.

"Where is here?"

"Greenville." She adjusted her turban for the third time.

I walked to the window. Looking outside, a terrible fear took hold of me as I faced a deserted beach.

"You are not from here. You look rich."

This sounded like a conclusion rather than a question. She spoke with certainty, like I knew what was happening. Her eyes twinkled as they slid over my black curls then to my face. How do I explain to this old woman that I don't even remember where I'm from?

"What's your name?" she asked.

I opened my mouth to speak but realized that I couldn't remember anything about me. I was deep in thoughts, trying to put the pieces together. When I sat back, she shrugged and poured more of what she called jollof rice into my plate.

"I'll call you Donyen because you are such a pretty girl."

As I ate, she made her way to a box at the corner of the room.

"Ah, yes!" She held a beautiful short gown in her hand. It had a combination of purple and white colors on it. "When you finish eating, put on this danshiki." She dropped the cloth on the mat and sat beside me. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you until you want to go home. Don't forget to tell your parents how much I took care of you o." She gave me a crooked smile.

I couldn't place it but she seemed slightly crazy. She could be a mad woman. She spoke just fine. So, she couldn't be mad. It still didn't mean she wasn't weird.

"I don't know where my home is."

She chuckled in a high irritating tone. "It's okay. You can tell me when you want to go home."

I sat there as confused as ever. She must have thought I was joking. I ate my second plate as she watched me closely, smiling to herself. When I finished eating, I put on the danshiki she left for me.

"Time to go to the market," she piped as she grabbed my hand and a bowl of fish from the table.

As we walked down the dusty streets, Mama Teta was greeted by a bunch of men and women adorned with native wears. I picked a high pitch in their tones  as if they spoke with their noses. We passed several small homes, though some were incomplete. I saw a couple of kids in yellow and black uniform entering one of the biggest buildings in the area. Everything seemed so ancient.

"Where are we?" I asked mama Teta.

"Morre street, my child."

I nodded as if anything made sense.

When we got to the market, other women were already there with their goods. They were selling mainly food stuff. Mama Teta placed her bowl down in her corner.

"Good morning, Emine," Mama Teta greeted the woman also selling fish beside her.

"Cheyy!" The woman chirped like a bird in a language I couldn't understand.

"Don't bring that chichipolay today o." Mama Teta raised her hands to stop the woman from gossiping.

The woman spoke in her native dialect again and this time, she pointed to my direction. Mama Teta replied her in the same language. She made a mention of the name, Donyen but didn't look at me. As the hours passed, she showed me how to sell fish and described the fish to me as customers came by. We were there till dusk when the women started to pack. We got back late. Mama Teta lit a lantern and placed it on the table.

"Donyen, you are my good luck charm o," She cheerfully counted the money she made from today sales. "Don't leave me and go home o."

I knew I had to tell her the truth because sooner or later she would find out.

"I don't have a home," I said calmly.

Her grin dropped. She gripped my shoulders. When she spoke, her voice was different. It was spine-chilling.

"What do you mean by you don't have a home?"

"I can't remember who I am."

Her palm made contact with my face faster than I could imagine. Tears rolled down my face as I wondered if this was the same woman who saved me.

"So, I've been taking care of you for free!" I dodged when I saw another slap coming but I was not prepared for her reaction.

"Remove the danshiki immediately," she said as she dropped a gown I suspected was once white, with a few holes in it. I quickly removed her cloth and pulled the rag on. "From now on, you will be my servant if you want to stay with me."

I thought of running away. Where would I go to? Who did I even know? I accepted my fate in the hands of this old lady.

"No food for you this night, fool," she hissed.

I folded myself on the floor. Sleep wouldn't come. Only nightmares even though I had not closed my eyes.