The Intruder

CHAPTER 11: HAYWIRE

When Hajia Davies finished narrating her ordeal to the cleric, she waited patiently as he stood to go into the other room. She didn't know what he went to do, and she didn't even want to know. What she wanted was solution. Her daughter shouldn't be having troubles now. It made her think of when she was newly married too. It was a troubling period for her also. After five years of marriage and no child, she lost hope in the medications she was using and started asking around for alternatives. That was when her landlord's wife then introduced her to Alfa Anas. He was still a young cleric then, but he was already experienced in dealing with people and their problems.
The first time they met, he was smitten by the pretty Khawla Davies. He knew he was going to help her, and he already planned how she was going to help his evil intentions too. Khawla was desperate, and that made her an easy prey.
Hajia Davies didn't want to think about twenty five years ago. She needed to focus on now. She didn't want her child to suffer the ordeals of a childless marriage, an unhappy marriage. She didn't want Munawwarah to become desperate as she was then. Why wouldn't she be desperate then? Her in-laws were already planning to bring in a second wife for her husband! How was she to cope with that?
No, She must get to the root of Munawwarah's problems.
When Alfa Anas opened the door slightly and directed his gaze at her, it broke her from her reverie. Then the words she dreaded came out of his mouth;
"Come in."
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Munawwarah's POV

I woke up screaming, sweating profusely, my heart beating so fast. The dream felt so real. I started crying. Why was this happening to me?
I've not heard from Umar nor his parents since he stormed out of my hospital room. How did he change suddenly? Losing one's job might be saddening, but I didn't expect him to have deteriorated to this stage. It was just a few months. Would that have made him change like that?
I went to the window, looking over at the next house. Of course that was Umar's Parents house, as we've been neighbors since forever, but it didn't look like anyone was home. Maybe I could go over there with my mum in the evening so we can talk things out.
I went back to where I lay before, and picked my phone from the table to call my mum. When she left the hospital, I expected that she would come home straight. If I had known they would discharge me this afternoon, I would have told her to wait and we would have left together. I tried her number, it wasn't going through. Where could she be?
I tried her shop assistant's number, maybe she had gone to her shop.
"How are you? Is my mum over there?" I asked the girl. She replied that she hadn't been there that day. As I disconnected the call, I wondered aloud,
"Where could she be?"

Hajia Davies shivered as Alfa Anas closed the door behind them. The room was different from other parts of the house, and scary too. Different voodoo stuffs hung around the walls and ceiling. There was a small stage in front covered with a red cloth and lighted candles. A large white cloth encompassed that part of the wall, but the white was spattered with dark colors she didn't even want to think about what it might be. To her right was a round table with two chairs, and a calabash was on the table. To her left was a bed, with three skulls hanging from the ceiling over it. She swallowed a whimper as looked at that bed... those skulls...
"Have you asked your daughter if she's been experiencing any abnormal episodes, nightmares?" Alfa Anas broke into her thoughts.
"N-... No Alfa,"
"I told you years ago when you came here because of her illness, I told you she was a marine child, and you were supposed to make certain sacrifices on her behalf every three years. You sent money to my account for the sacrifices for the first three years after I told you, after that nothing." The occult priest/cleric stared at her with piercing black eyes.
Hajia Davies swallowed saliva involuntarily. "I thought it was just for...for those first few years. And... and she was already doing well...please help me make her life better... "
" I will my dear Hajia, I will. " The Alfa stood up from where he was sitting and moved towards her.
"how's your husband these days?" he whispered in her ears.
Hajia Davies was scared of this man. He was powerful, always has been. And he could make her life hell, literally, if she doesn't dance to his tune.
"He's doing well." She avoided looking at his eyes, those scary, evil eyes.
"Help me. " Tears were already running down her eyes. He used his left hand full of different types of rings, to clean her tears.
"I'll help you my dear Hajia... You still look so beautiful, Khawla."