Appeasing The Gods

They hurried through the halls, the doctor checked his pulse and dilated eyes for any sign of life. Echoes of panic shrilled through Amarachi"s heart. She searched for a response—any indication he was still alive, hands drove through her hair and lips smeared with red lipstick. She followed them as they pushed him down the halls.

There was a bullet lodged in his skull. She believed in miracles but doubts still gnawed at her. He just proposed a couple of weeks ago, and they were happy. They were to have a life together. One moment, Ebele was by her side and the next, in the hospital ghting for his life. Was that how life worked? He had always felt a great urge to protect her, even when she had a good handle on things. Why did he have to take the bullet meant for her? She would have accepted her fate wouldn"t a inching. Did he think the situation was better with him dead instead of her? It should be her in the emergency room, not him.

Amarachi glanced at the white ceiling as she was sickened by the thought she might be alone. Life without him was empty and loveless. She tapped her feet impatiently as her eyes glued to the door separating her from Ebele. He needed her and she should be by his side, not in the cold reception area. How stupid was she? Her brother could wait a few more hours in jail. She should have known better, a part of her wished she didn"t hurry to meet up with his demands. He was her elder brother and she was the only one who cared enough to clean up after him.

Amarachi felt rage wallow deep within her. What had she done? There was no way she would pardon her brother with Ebele gone. After all, it was entirely his fault. The worst part was he probably wouldn"t care if her ancé died. She was with Ebele when the call came in, and he had insisted on going with her to bail him out of jail. She should have never let him come, if he dies she would be scarred for life.

The horrible banditry played in her head. One of the men pointed a gun at her, when he requested she take o her clothes. Amarachi was reluctant at rst but agreed to their demands. The skinny man with an ugly scar that ran from his temple down his chin, grew impatient. He hit her across the face and Ebele stepped in front of her so fast she didn"t see it coming. The shot was incredibly loud, her ears were numb and nose couldn"t stop re-visiting the smell of the gunpowder.

The men ed when they saw him drop to the ground, at rst she didn"t move, couldn"t believe her man was lying on the ground bleeding to death. He lost his parents a couple of years ago, and she was the only family he had. She should have been more willing to do whatever they wanted, it was a small price to pay for his life. It was her fault! The realization dawned on her as she stared widely at her hands, there was blood on them. She burst into tears pulling her hair.

It wasn"t long before Amarachi"s parents arrived at the hospital, quickly they pulled their daughter in a comforting embrace. Hours pa.s.sed and Amarachi was exhausted, her eyes stared into s.p.a.ce and her mouth ajar. She wanted to believe it was a nightmare, it had to be! Her parent got up as a doctor approached them, quickly she stood almost staggering back at her uncomfortable seat.

"We know where the bullet is, and it would take a few hours of surgery to remove it. We can"t guarantee anything but we will try our best. The region of the brain where the bullet is lodged, suggests there is every likelihood of memory loss. If he makes it, he might not remember a lot of things, even skills he has known all his life, like taking a walk and other basic things. He would need all the support he can get," he said.

Amarachi"s blinked several times and prayed for strength. Her parent burst into tears, they had come to love Ebele like a son. Amarachi nodded as she found her seat, burying her face in her palms, she wailed and shook her head in denial.

"No!" she muttered, she wouldn"t give up. He could get better, couldn"t he? She had faith, it was the only thing that kept her sane. She had to believe he will recall the love they had for each other.

What if he hated her for what had happened to him? Amarachi embraced her knees as she rocked herself. She shook o the comfort her parents tried to give. No matter what the outcome was, she will never give up on him as long as he lived. He was her soul mate and wouldn"t leave her alone in the world. He will live, he has no choice!

In the theatre; Ebele"s life was in the hands of professional strangers. Deep within his subconscious he was so still, it caused him to panic. Something powerful held him and it continued to tighten with each second. He screamed but couldn"t hear his voice, he struggled with all his might but the bond wouldn"t bulge. After a while it loosened its hold on him, till he could move but it was extremely dark. How was he supposed to leave when he couldn"t see a thing? He paused, trying to calm his frenzied mind. Soon a poke nudged him at his side, he froze not sure it was real. Pop! There it was again.

He was lost, confused and desperate for freedom. He made an e ort to wake but it felt impossible. Death was so near, he could almost taste its concrete stench hovering around him. He felt its obscurity, heard its hushed whispers and dreadful allure - its frail icy hands reaching for him in an endless pursuit.

Finally, he grabbed something solid. He didn"t see what it was but he knew it was rm, almost a.s.suring. He placed his energy on it and almost immediately, a ash of light blinded him. It was quick and faded almost immediately. He willed himself to stay put, ghting against the current that swung at him.

Soon, it was bright again and he felt himself oat, like the way a feather danced with the wind. In a split second he was in a room. There were two chairs and a table in between. The walls were the lightest shades of grey and the door black. It was locked and the s.p.a.ce was extremely cold, he shivered rubbing his arms and exhaling, vapour coiling out. He looked around, observing his new environment.

Ebele waited a while, antic.i.p.ating what was going to happen. He didn"t remember much, his memories scattered at the depth of his mind. He was befuddled with anxiety, because the s.p.a.ce reminded him of an interrogation room. After a while he decided to take a sit.

Soon, a woman graced his company. She walked through the wall, her form bleary at rst, but it took a solid appearance the next. She was in a cream dress, her eyes were dark as midnight and cheekbones high in appraisal. There was something beguiling about her. She was on silver cornrows, which lagged behind her; almost kissing her calves. She threw him a saint-like smile and sat in front of him, watching him with great scrutiny. She interlocked her ngers and moved closer.

"Where am I?" Ebele asked. "What happened to me?"

"One question at a time," she said, her lips twitched in a smirk then vanished almost immediately. "Something happened to you," she said.

"Am I dead?" he asked.

"Not yet," she shrugged.

"Am I going to die?" he asked. She didn"t respond only watched him.

"What happened, and who are you?" he asked, but she just kept staring at him. "I can"t remember a thing but I understand I have something important to go back to. Will you help me?" he stared hopefully at her.

"Well, that"s not my duty. I have no intention of helping you," she said nonchalantly. "You were shot in the head and you are going to die," she said rmly. He stared at her, confused.

"But I don"t want to die. I have to return back to my world. There"s something important and I just don"t know what it is. I can"t die now," he stated. Ebele couldn"t explain what he was feeling at that moment. He felt empty. He couldn"t feel the thumping of his heart, the constricting of his muscles and couldn"t hear the soft sound of his breath. Something was very wrong. If he wasn"t dead, where was he? Heaven? No! He doubted heaven was just a four-cornered grey walled structure. There had to be something more.

"Why ght it? You mortals dget when you come across death. It is not something you should be afraid of. After all, mortals are all born to die. You leaving that world, allows another soul to descend on earth, it creates stability the world needs. You have to let go and come with me," she explained.

"Where? And you still haven"t told me who you are." Impatiently he stared at her, hoping she would aid him on his quest to return back.

"I am just a guardian," she sighed, staring at him as if searching for something hidden in the profundity of his soul. She stood, stretched her hand and waited for him to take it. Ebele had a great urge to follow her but he couldn"t, something held him back. He stood stepping away from her.

"I am not going with you. I have to get back," he said adamantly "you don"t understand".

"You mortals can be very stubborn," she hissed, her dark skin glowing. Such beauty beheld such purity and an extraordinary presence. For a moment he just stared at her. "They always think they have a choice in everything, always think they know better," she said, looking straight at him.

"Is it my time to leave this world?" he asked. She was taken back by his question. Not many humans demanded answers. Most don"t even speak but he was di erent. He had a curious mind, had the bravery to change his fate. She was intrigued even though she knew everything about him. She could tell that he had begun to remember little things from his life.

"No!" she nally answered his question.

"Then why are you taking me away? Why don"t you want to help me? Are you not a guardian? Why don"t you guide me back to the world?" he asked quickly.

"There are many people who die even though it is not their time. It is ill-fated but that is how unfair life can be," she explained. "But why do you want to go back to the world? It is full of hardship, sorrow and pain. What awaits you is very unfortunate. I am taking you away to a better place," she moved closer to him, trying to read his train of thoughts. A face struck his mind, a lady with a great smile. She was familiar but he couldn"t tell who she was.

"And with sorrow, pain, and disappointments also comes happiness, joy, and love. As much as I get tired of life sometimes, it doesn"t mean I don"t want to live it to its fullest. There is someone waiting for me, I need to go back." He nally understood why he was reluctant to leave. It had to do with the lady he had just remembered.

She watched him, "You were a good man, but I don"t see how you can be happy if you go back."

"But how do you know I wouldn"t be? I will take my chances," he said rmly, hands clenched to his sides. She chuckled. A swift coldness washed over him. It was something he"d never felt before. A powerful current gripped him for a while, and left him feeble. He stared at his translucent palms. His energy had begun fading.

"What is happening?" he asked dreadfully.

"You have nally pa.s.sed through your last transition" she said, her eyes softened on him. He felt an overwhelming heave of sadness. Ebele faltered as he tried to doubt her even though he knew the truth. "Now let"s go!"

"What do you mean?" he asked

"I think you know what I mean" she slightly tilted her head. As confusing as things were, he did understand what she meant, he was gone from the world he knew.

"At least let me say goodbye to her," he stared at her with optimism.

"But you have no business in that world and even if I accompany you, she wouldn"t be able to see you," she stated.
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"I will go anywhere with you, just let me say goodbye," he persisted. She sighed then gave him a small nod. Before he knew what was happening, they were in the hospital. His body was still in the theatre. It was ironic staring at himself. It was him but wasn"t. So this was how death worked. The refutation from life was cruel. He tried to touch his body but it wouldn"t accept him, didn"t recognize his essence anymore.

"You can"t go back to your body, it"s too late," she said behind him. "There is a lost connection between your esh and soul," she explained. Slowly she led him to the waiting area, Ebele froze as he recognized the lady.

"She can"t see you," the guardian read his thought.

She was exactly as he remembered; large eyes, full rosy cheeks and lips that bloomed in fading red. He stayed at the corner, away from her. He wanted to talk to her so bad it hurt, wanted to touch her bright skin. He was terribly frustrated as he watched from a distance. It was di cult to observe but he couldn"t stop staring. She hadn"t known of his pa.s.sing yet and he was aware the news would break her. There was so much he wanted to do.

"Death is terribly hard on those you leave behind," she said. A doctor pa.s.sed through him causing him to shiver. He gasped at the intense sensation.

Ebele watched as the doctor told them of his pa.s.sing. Amarachi screamed, "You promised, you said you were never going to leave".

She dropped to the oor, shaking profusely. Amarachi called out to him, refusing to believe he was gone forever. She wouldn"t be able to see again. No! It must be some kind of cruel joke, her Ebele can"t die, it was not possible.

He felt drained as he moved closer, he reached out to Amarachi but his hands couldn"t feel her. Ebele hated watching her su er, he wanted to tell her he didn"t mean to leave her all alone.

"We have to go now!" she said, a little reluctant. This was the part she hated. He would hopefully forget about her when he begins his journey to eternity. She hoped he would. There was so much grief weighing on him, she felt it cut through her. Ebele expected tears, an old habit of the living but no liquid came pouring.

Ebele was distracted by another man, who was wheeled in. They pa.s.sed Ebele, and for a split second he knew what he had to do. He couldn"t leave her, she was his and he made a promise. Ebele threw a knowing look at his guardian. As their eyes locked, she knew of his intension and was shocked by it, before she could retract his essence, he zapped himself into the unconscious man. She was furious, as she watched his soul settle in his new body.