15/12/2024
I went to my cousin's birthday party, and everything was going joyously as expected until 10 PM. I informed my cousin of my departure, but he insisted that I spend the night at his house.
However, my mom had told me not to sleep over for reasons best known to her. I didn’t want to upset my cousin, nor did I want to disobey my mom. So, I made a choice that would please everyone. I told my cousin that I wouldn’t stay the night, but I would hang around a little longer. He happily agreed, and I’m pretty sure he thought I would eventually change my mind. Around 1 AM, I announced my departure again, and my cousin began his sermon of persuasion, reminding me of the rising insecurity in the country. He was speaking facts, but disobeying my mom was something I wasn’t ready to do. I assured him that I would be safe and left. I courageously walked until I reached a particular route called Ogenebo. Ogenebo is a community pond in the Nsukka area of Enugu state. Rumor had it that a man who couldn’t repay a bank loan had jumped into Ogenebo when the bank threatened to claim his properties. No one knew he had jumped into Ogenebo; he was declared missing and searched for over five days. It was on the fifth day that his body was found floating on the surface by a woman who had gone to fetch water. After his death, another rumor arose that his spirit hovered around Ogenebo, appearing to people who passed the route late at night. As I approached Ogenebo, the thought struck me, and my whole body began to shake. The night was as silent as a graveyard. All I could hear was the tapping of my feet on the ground. I wished I could just disappear and reappear at home. Just as I was walking, I suddenly began to hear footsteps behind me. That’s when my heart started beating a hundred times a second. Looking back wasn’t even an option because I was terrified. I increased my pace and realized that the footsteps behind me were also trying to match my speed. That was when I knew it was time for a marathon. I quickly kicked off my slippers and started running. The footsteps also switched from walking to running, and that’s when my feet broke the Guinness World Record for speed. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m sure I was moving at the speed of light. As I was running—or should I say flying—I kept praying that my mom wouldn’t take long to open the door. Luckily for me, when I got home, my mom hadn’t even locked the door because she believed I would be coming back . I quickly opened the door, jumped inside, and bolted it shut. I was shocked to see that my mom was still awake, and I’m sure it was because of me. Moms are really the best! She asked me what had been chasing me, but I told her we’d talk during the day and went straight to bed. A hand tapped me, and I opened my eyes only to discover that it was morning.“Good morning, Mama,” I greeted, yawning.“Good morning, son. Someone wants to see you.”Curious, I followed my mom outside to see who was looking for me. When we got out, I was shocked to see a madman holding my slippers. He stretched them toward me and said, "Last night, I was scared. That’s why I was following you. Then you suddenly shook off your slippers and started running."🏃😂😂😂😂
© Aneke Daniel Makuochukwu
