Must Read: The Claw, The Tail, And The Cross. - Season 1 - Episode 6

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: The Claw, The Tail, And The Cross. - Season 1 - Episode 6

The next morning I had taken my bath, dressed
casually and gone downstairs to the hotel
restaurant to have my breakfast of bread and
tea and eggs. It cost a crazy N1500 but I
wasn’t paying and so I decided to enjoy myself
a little. I was still eating when I received an
“official” text from the firm, telling me someone
would come to pick me up in an hour. I sighed.
Jenny was supposed to take me on some sort of
field trip but after yesterday’s encounter I
wasn’t sure she was still going to show up. Yes,
she had said she wouldn’t give up on me, but in
retrospect I suspected she had said it out of an
embarrassed bravado. I wouldn’t be surprised if
I got a new escort from Leemen’s today.

I remembered vaguely a lady who was trying to
get my attention yesterday at the meeting, a
young woman with short hair…but jenny had
taken all of my attention before and after the
meeting so much so that I hadn’t had the
chance to interact with anyone else.

I hadn’t really encountered a mermaid before
but then again I hadn’t had this much power
before the awakening of chukwudi the stronger.

He had thought me(or rather, I had taught
myself-the whole concept still got me confused
sometimes) how to completely use my ‘Sight’
and the more I learned, the more I realised that
I had been looking into the other realm with my
eyes half opened. I might have encountered
dozens of them without even knowing it. What I
was used to seeing were manifestations of
people’s problems; The greed demon on my
boss’ head, Lane the gateman back in Lagos
with his ever present single file of beer bottles
marching behind him, a loud mouthed pastor
with an empty soul. It was only after the
awakening of chukwudi the stronger that my
‘sight’ improved tremendously. I even had to
learn how to close it up a little to avoid being
overwhelmed by the problems of others. I had
kept it dim for a few months now and so it was
when I came to Asaba. But after yesterday’s
matter I was a little jumpy and so had done a
bit of eye opening before o came out this
morning. So far, apart from glancing at the
hotel manager who passed by me in the
hallway and realising he was having an affair
with one of the maids, nothing out of the
ordinary had happened.

I was thinking about all of this when the
restaurant doors opened and who should be
there lighting up the doorway but Jenny! She
looked as Sekxy as ever even though she dressed
simply in a red short sleeved top with an
insignia “biTe me!” on the front and a tight
fitting blue jeans . the top stopped at her
midriff and her beautiful flat belly was exposed
proudly for all to see. Despite warning bells
about what happened yesterday going off in my
head my jaw dropped.

She took one look at me, smiled coyly , and I
poo my mouth. Being good around her was
going to require a lot of will power.
“Good morning my Prince, did you sleep well? I
hope not.”
“You hope not?” I asked . “Why?”
“After the issue we had yesterday I want to
believe your night was haunted with dreams of
me. If not then that means I still have a lot of
work to do.” And she grinned mischeviously.

Nina, Nina, Nina, Nina…

What are you doing? She asked.

Using my girlfriend’s name like a mantra to
ward you off, I thought. Bit instead I said,
“Nothing.” Then I paused for a bit before
adding “I have a girlfriend-”
“You sound like a broken record,” she said and
made a swat at the air as if warding off an
annoying fly “Can’t we just be friends? We are
both adults and I would very much like to enjoy
your…company.”
“Yeah,” I said. “So long as its
nothing…er…naughty.”
She laughed. “You actually sound a little
scared! Don’t worry my Prince…I don’t bite.
And besides I seem to be making some
headway.”
“How so?” I asked, getting up from my finished
breakfast and walking up to her.
“Well yesterday you had a fiancee. Today she is
just your girlfriend.” And she winked and
walked off, her hips swaying gently from side to
side.

We followed our usual route to the firm where
we stopped briefly to pick up a few documents.

Then we headed out towards the field. It was on
the outskirts of town, a place not yet developed
and covered with a lot of thick bushes and tall
grasses. The piece of land to be used had been
cleared out and a bulldozer was currently
working on leveling the place. Jenny took me
along to the workers and introduced me to the
foreman, who was also Lebanese. There was an
assistant foreman, an indigene of the eastern
part of the country who spoke to us in a deeply
accented voice. I addressed him in his native
tongue and we exchanged pleasantries after
which he went on to complain of some of the
working conditions and if I could do anything
about it. I replied that I would try and he
walked off looking satisfied. I turned back to
Jenny and the Lebanese man who were looking
at me curiously.
“He says they would like better working
equipment and someone to provide lunch while
they work instead of making the workers
wander off.”

The Lebanese man nodded and went to make a
call. Jenny looked at me admiringly.
“You have barely set foot here and already you
are changing things” she said.

I shrugged. “I just happen to speak the
language, that’s all. How about you? Arent you
from around here?”
She nodded. “Originally, yes, bit I grew up in
Warri and among foreigners and never really
picked up the language. I’m learning every day
sha.” She looked at me, “maybe you can teach
me?”

I smiled and walked towards the edge of the
clearing and she followed me. I tried to change
the subject.
“I’m happy your firm has been able to create
some jobs here. There must be around a
hundred workers on this site!” I said.

She walked beside me replying, “two hundred.

And we hope to employ more when we set up
proper.” She picked out her phone from her
pocket suddenly, as if it had been vibrating,
“hello. Yes? They are?” And she turned to me.
“Some of our board members are around”.
“Let’s go and join them.” I said, and we turned
around.

We came back to the clearing just as two cars
pulled up. The doors opened and a man and
the woman I had seen with the short hair came
out. She was a pretty lady and wore minimal
makeup, and was a little on the slim side.

Her boss was a mountain of a man, huge, with his
shirt buttons almost popping out of their
positions as they tried to imprison a pot belly.

From the other car came out two young men
that looked left they would be in their late
thirties. Jenny introduced me to them and we
sat down in a makeshift platform We were still
talking when I saw something move in the long
grass.

It moved in the tall grass and surrounding
bushes and was extremely quiet. I watched it
from the corner of my eye and soon it came
into the clearing and into full view.

Sidney…

“Well, I suppose Mr Bells is somewhere around?”

I asked. They all stopped talking for a moment
and Mr John, the huge man said “No he isn’t .

He is attending a meeting on the other side of
town…”
“Well, who brought his pet leopard?” I asked
and pointed at the leopard that was now
standing calmly behind them.

All three men jumped violently and jenny and
the other lady gave shrill lady-like screams.

They all whipped around and then – started
Laughing.
“Very funny Chuks, you got us! The Lebanese
called Engman said.
“Got you?” I asked, puzzled. “How?”
“Well there’s nothing there sir.” The short
haired girl grinned. “My name is Chioma, by the
way.”
“Yeah, Chuks jokes like that sometimes…”

Jenny said smiling disarmingly and the men
nodded.

But I could see it. It stood like a statue behind
them, poised as if tracking down a prey.

I looked at this leopard closely. It was almost
like the other one I had seen the day before but
on further observation it was definitely bigger
and more majestic. It’s coat shimmered brightly
in the sunlight and it raised its head as if
surveying its territory. And it had two tails.

A manifestation.

I was mixing things up too much on this trip.
Something wasnt right.

And then I realised that they were all looking at
me, Jenny especially was giving me a “say-
something-fast” look
I laughed along to cover up and everyone
relaxed. I was further introduced to Mr kelvin
and Mr Obi who shook hands with me heartily.

We discussed some more and then Jenny said it
was time for us to go. I went back to the car
with her and we sat in the back seat waiting for
the driver. Jenny was oddly quiet.
“What is it?” I asked.

She remained quiet for a while then spoke:
“That’s why you are avoiding me and being
nervous around me.”
“What? I don’t understand.” I said.

She turned to face me.
“If you could see that leopard just now, then
you have the sight. That means you can see
me. The real me.”

I held my breath. She smiled and traced her
fingers along my chin.

I held my breath. She smiled and traced her
fingers along my chin.
“You know I am a mermaid don’t you?”