HALF HUMAN, HALF SNAKE

CHAPTER 1: THE STRANGE VOICE ON THE ROAD.

We were all four in number that were given birth to by my parents. George was the firstborn of my parents, followed by Williams as the second born, and Anna as the third. I was the last born of my family.....

We are all light skinned including my dad except my mom who was dark skinned.

It was 11:56 am. The day was seen brighter due to the sunshine. While I was playing with my favorite toys which my dad bought for me, my mom called out to me, I left my toys and ran out to her.

'Amelia, you will go with me to the stream, to do some washing.'
She said that to me while she kept on folding the dirty clothes into a big bowl.

I felt very excited about it because I am the type who loves playing with water and it has been a while ever since I set my eyes on a stream. "Yes, mom." I declared, spun, and ran towards my toys and picked them up, took them to my mom's bedroom, and hid them.......

Before I came out of the room my mom had already folded the dirty clothes. I went to her. She carried a big bowl filled with dirty clothes on top of her head, she held my left hand with her right hand and pulled me slowly to her front. As we were about to proceed out to the stream.

My dad told my mom to allow me  stay at home and play instead of going to the stream with her.

My mom glanced at him and said.

'What will her gain be? If she stayed here and played throughout the day. if she goes to the stream with me she will learn one or two things.' She paused.

'What will she learn at this younger age?.' my dad said.

This should not lead to a serious quarrel
between the two of them, I prayed within myself to
the goddess of our land.
'Everything. if she doesn't learn now, when will she learn, is it when she got married? Then people will be saying like a mother like a daughter, right? A bad child is for the mother, while a good one is for the father,simply because she can't do any house chores.' My mom paused for a while, while My dad remained quiet on his furniturechair. As he kept on gazing at the luminous sky.

My dad said to my mom, 'I just don't feel too comfortable allowing her to go to the stream with you today.'

What is my dad trying to figure out, that my mom wouldn't be able to look after me at the stream or what?

My mom didn't hear that statement I guessed because she will turn everything upside down. My mom is kind of a person who has a hot temper.

'As a mother and not the offspring of life 's devastation, allow me to give my children the best I can give them now before it will be too late.'

My dad mumbled as he frowned his face...

'What did you just say?'
My mom raised a question at my dad mumbling.......

'It is not what you should worry about.'

My mom rolled her eyes and handed me a bucket as she tapped me on my occipital.

My mom said to me. 'Let's get going!'

We proceeded out of our compound.

After some distance of strolling from our hometown, on the road. on the left side and right side of it, all I could see was natural and pure green grasses and some straight tall trees. The winds blew very smoothly and gently. I could hear the beautiful volley of voices of the birds singing.

All of a sudden, the birds stopped singing and flew away. As we kept on walking, I heard a baby's voice crying.

'Waa waa, waa, Hu waa!'

I glanced around to find the baby crying yet I was unable to find the baby. Come to think of this can anyone come into this bushy area with a baby? no, no one would ever think of coming here with a baby to do anything on this hot afternoon. Since I couldn't find a baby around here, the voice I was hearing is a demon voice. Yes, a real-life demon!
I wasn't really scared about it because I was with my mom and the majority of people from my hometown have experienced a thing like this. Some of the elders in my hometown who had experienced it several times have said that.

'Demons do that to scare anyone who comes across them and disturbs their peace.'

After some moments of strolling away from the area where I heard a voice weeping like a baby voice, winds blew on me from the left side which made me feel cold at the same time, I was frightened for no reason.

My mom kept on walking without looking back,unknown to her what I was experiencing.

She was the one at the front while I was at the back because I hadn't been to that particular stream that we were heading to.

I was going to apprise her about the strange baby voice weeping that I heard, I quickly recalled what my grandfather was telling George and Williams one evening & I was listening to it too.

'In Africa, there is a particular time that people are not supposed to walk, except in the metropolis.' Said my grandfather.

'What time is that and why are people not supposed to walk?' Williams asked.

I sat five feet away from them, eyeing them and listening to their conversation at the same time.
My grandfather took a cup that was filled with palm wine.(Palm wine is a natural white liquid gotten from a palm tree. It can only be found in African countries. It is a very intoxicating drink, and once one drinks too much of it, the person will forfeit control,underaged children are not allowed to drink it). He sipped it and dropped it on his wooden table while he was still sitting on the bench.

My grandfather proceeded. 'From 12 pm to 2 pm and also 12 am to 2 am, no human should be on the road walking except if he or she has a brave heart, then the person can walk on the road all alone.'

'Why?'. George raised a question at my Grandfather.

'My dear, that is the particular time that spirits and ghosts walks around.'

'That is awe-inspiring'. Williams declared.

'Yes, it is'. George replied to Williams.

My grandfather continued. 'At the metropolis, they don't walk around because the metropolis is always a busy place with a din 24/7, and ghosts, spirits, or the gods do not like such a din environment. They prefer residing in a place where there is no din. One more thing I must tell you two as a growing up man, whenever you find yourself going to a place, do not tell your partner whatever you saw on your way until you both get to the end of your journey.
Before you inform him or her, because what you witness your partner might not witness it, and once you dare notify him, both of you will start a race that does have an ending. So it is very good to keep whatever you discovered to yourself till the end of the journey.

Because of that which I recall, I decided to keep the strange sound that I have encountered to myself.

A few feet away from the spot where the winds blew on, all of a sudden, I heard gigantic loud footsteps coming in our direction from the back.
I stopped walking and turned my head and looked behind us to see who was coming but I couldn't find anyone.

At this point, I became more scared than when I earlier heard the voice of a baby wailing.....

Could it be that my mom too is aware of what is going on, and acting as if she is not?

My mom continued singing while strolling.

Later again, I heard a familiar voice of an old woman that declared.

'Welcome into our homeland, your homeland!' I turned my head and looked around yet I couldn't find anyone, this increased the fear in me more...

Could this be that my dad knew I was going to face all these challenges, that was why he didn't want me to follow my mom to the stream? I questioned myself silently. Had I known, I would have listened to my dad, stayed at home, and played with my toys. Oh goddess of our land save me.

I did a fast walk and overtook my mom

My mom questioned me. 'Are you alright?

I declared yes to her while I wasn't.

I asked her. 'How long is it going to take us to get there?'

My mom replied. 'We are almost there.'