GHOST (The Shadow in the Dark)

Part Forty Three

“There was nothing else on me, just headache and a bush. I could not remember my name or anything. I walked for hours and burst out on a road but they were speaking a language I could not understand. There was a food seller not far from where I was standing. I rubbed my head as I walked to meet her because I was hungry. I opened my mouth to speak but what I spoke sounded different from what they were speaking. The woman called me Aboki and told me to leave her store because my dirty body would prevent customers. I thought she knew me but I later realized it was what they addressed Hausas with. I could hear her Pidgin English and I could also speak. I begged her for food but she chased me away with a pestle. I was very hungry and had no idea of anything, I begged for food but no one helped. I got to a provision store selling snacks. There was no body outside and I was too hungry. I went and packed lots of biscuit and froze when I saw the owner coming from the back of the store. I was expecting her to chase me but she did not look my way and the noise I was making did not attract her my way. I left without being called.
     Later, I discovered it was a trait, people only saw me when they looked and even when they looked, they just did not suspect me and it’s with their subconscious mind. I managed to survive sleeping on the streets. I also later knew I was at Okija. As time went on, I moved to different states, met with criminals who sent me on errands, including stealing for them for a roof over my head but stopped when I could not find fun in it. I kept feeling I was missing something and I was always referred to as Aboki so I had no need for a name until I met Major’s family. His wife named me Saheed, meaning lucky or blessed. I had no idea if I was a Muslim or Christian. I attended Jumu’ah prayers with Major and family but stopped because it was not resurrecting any memory. I attended an Anglican church and felt headache whenever they prayed. Major Ahmed said I must have been a Christian and encouraged me to continue if it would help bring back my memory but the headache kept increasing with a flash of blood and screams so I also stopped, gave up on everything and became Saheed except, I kept feeling there was something important I must remember. The bead became my only past and I had to pull it off when the rope became weak. I did not want to change the rope.
  I met Wild on few occasions before I joined the army but we became close when I became part of the Circle same time I was called into Bar as a lawyer. I could not say why I was so keen on becoming a military lawyer. Wild offered to help restore my memory but I became his first failure, although he gave me back the knowledge that my parents and siblings were really dead as I had thought, and he also gave me back a name, Ella and that was all. In fact, he said the name might be from him because he is looking for one Ella, a girl he called his wife. Now I think about it, I guessed Wild wanted me to take the mission because he wanted me to rule you out in case my Ella was different from his. And it was because his own is Isabella and yours is Emmanuella.
    Meeting you was making me feel emotions I had never felt and had no idea how to handle them. I could not tell Wild but I wanted to know you more, I wanted to find out more about you, then you gave me a ticket by offering me a deal. I knew I went against my working principle but it was an opportunity to try find out if you are connected to my past and you kept giving me headaches and pissing my brain off with your bantering about the men sent to kill you. Sorry I acted that way but you have no idea what it feels like having flashes of memory when you are close to someone and losing it just when you are about to grasps it. Seeing Ibrahim was also what put me on the edge because the flashes increased and you kept denying me knowledge I needed so much. Wild, Jason, Wolf and even Pearl noticed I was not myself but I could not tell them. I took Ibrahim because I wanted to study it, I allowed the headache and flashes and the stabbing pain to dwell while looking at it, then I heard a girl’s voice telling me to also take her bead that it would bring me luck. That was enough to know we were connected and that damn teddy bear was mine. I decided not to force the memory anymore, just continue using my deal with you and make you talk. It worked because the more you talked, the more I remembered. But I only remembered more of what you talked about. At a point, I wanted to reveal my face to you, hoping you will recognize me but there was the part where you will notice I’m Hausa first and all bets will be off, so I wanted you to find the file and when you must have realized that evil has nothing to do with tribe but individuals, I would then reveal my face. Well, things didn’t go as planned and like I said before, I would have been late if I had taken the seconds to equip myself. My load was already out of the bike and just the pistol in my pocket. I have never been so destabilize that I could not think straight. I just knew I needed to safe you. I was right on time and I was grateful you did not take the bullet.
   Somehow, something good came out from being in coma because I remembered everything from my age of knowledge to finding myself in a bush.
Except the part where you and Grandma saw my dead body, that was not me and I have no idea who you saw because I was already tied and sold to the business man that very day he took me away from your house, only he was not a business man but a ritualist who sold me to an Okija shrine where I was tied with others waiting to be beheaded and have my parts butchered for different purposes. My wound was treated by the native doctor, he spoke Igbo throughout but I knew it was not yet my turn. We were made to watch people being slaughtered. Babies were pounded in a mortar, there was no segregation of age or gender. There were both old and young waiting for their turn including me. The horror killed some before their turn. We were like animals in a ranch, no bathing we defecated and urinated where we were tied to and we were chained to a pole and padlocked, no escape. One of the nights, after the man had pointed to me, indicating I was the next, I made a third attempt to escape. My hands found a bended iron and I seriously had no idea how I was able to twist and open the lock setting myself free. I set the others free and ran away with them but they soon discovered and pursued after us. It was night and their torches were very bright. They started catching us one after the other because we were too weak to run. I squatted under a tree already sure I would be caught but they walked past me without noticing me. I heard them shouting in pidgin that I was the only one missing. Later, they gave up and retreated. I stood up and walked a long time in the forest. I had missed my step and fell hitting my head on a wood knocking me out and deleting my memory. If you research the news you will discover that place is now history, not my doing but they were discovered. It shocked Nigeria as a whole because of the numerous human skulls that were discovered at the shrine. I will track down my uncle when I’m fully fit. He has a lot of questions to answer.
  I don’t think I still need to tell you that the person you have been with, has been Ibrahim, your one and only Ibrahim. I told you we are linked together but you did not want to believe me, your body knew me the moment it saw me. I tried many times to signal to you that I’m Ibrahim but your mind is very stiff and unbending Emmanuella. We owe Wild a lot, that dude sees what one can never think of thinking. He said he had always had the feeling he was missing something about me from the very day I sent them a video where I was playing with Efe. I play with children a lot but I felt connected to your step mum and dad and I had a push to visit his office that night when I was supposed to be sleeping and he said my reactions felt personal to him and also the fact your name is Ella. 
   Thanks for holding on to my memory but I prefer Ghost to Ibrahim. Ghost can do a lot of things Ibrahim cannot do. Thanks for still loving me and thanks to your body for recognizing me. But I’m only disappointed with you on one thing.
   You say you are a Christian, you believe in God, Jesus Christ, even Angels. As a child, your mind was opened to believe me but as an adult, you are doubting my story. If you are a true Christian, why is it difficult to believe that Angels are ministering spirits and they are on assignments? When last did you read your bible? Have you not read about Angels appearing to different people in the bible? Or is bible a fiction to you? I saw the doubt when you told me the story of Ibrahim escaping death. Lady that story is true. Jason told me yesterday that he might be Angel Mikel, the angel of war. If you believe the bible, then you should know Angels are still ministering Spirit. You need a lecture from Jason. I did not doubt you at that time not because I remembered the event but because the video you said Ibrahim had talked about is real. There are many mysteries one cannot explain but it does not mean they are not real. Jason said the video I was showed by the Angel was a projection of my destiny as a guardian, destined to help many. I can’t count the number of those I’ve rescued and protected but I’m still baffled on why the Angel did nothing to save my parents. I asked Major about it and he said his believing it or not will not change the fact that it happened. I’m also called Messenger of death by some Hausas, and some nicknamed me the killer on the roof. That image the man on white showed me turned out to be the day I executed those who attacked your family because I remembered the setting was the same. I guess I’m more Christian than you. Jason has promised to explain more but most importantly, my family can’t wait to meet you, the girl from my past.
  But I need to tell you the truth, Ken is more handsome than me, so let’s not talk about Mark. I am not handsome but not ugly. If you are still willing to marry this not handsome guy, raise the white gown, take your mum’s bead, take the rose flowers, pick the ring, wear the gown and come meet me at the river. And you need to stop confusing numbers, I lost my memory but I was correct with my age. I was ten and you were four when I joined you but stayed till thirteen before…”
I stopped reading and raised the gown, the bead, the bouquet and the ring were there. I found myself running to the river like my life depended on getting there immediately.