Backward peeping

Terry arrived at mile -3 Park around 8am. He planned to be at Onitsha around twelve, go to main market, do his shopping before going to his parents house.

The bus that finished loading left as he entered the park and the next on line was saloon car. He cursed his luck for being few minutes late. He spent about three hours in the park waiting for his bus to finish loading. but, there was no passengers for it was ordinary day. The bus finished loading around 12:30pm and their journey to eastern part of the country commenced.

 About thirty minutes later, around elele town the journey of three and half hours ended. The bus Developed a problem. The driver parked the bus and told the passenger that he wants to go and look for mechanic. After receiving all manners of abuse and threat from angry passengers. He went in search of mechanics. Fifteen minutes Later, he returned with one mechanic who after examination told the driver what he has to buy for repair work to start. The angry passengers was listening to the conversation and asked the mechanic about how many minuets it will take him to put the bus back in order. he told them about one hour or more. On hearing one hour, the passangers demanded for refunds of their fare, that they can’t wait. According to some,they had urgent meeting to attend. Driver told them that he has called their head office that another bus is on the way to take them to Onitsha. 

One hour later, the mechanics was still battling with the bus and bus from headquarter to take them to Onitsha was no where to be found. “Do you think we are stupid?.’ one woman asked the driver. “you did not call for any bus and you kept us here for hours now using our money to services bus you should have serviced before bringing it into mile-3 park”. “I called two times already, I thought you people saw me calling them?, if you like, I will call them again”. He picked up his handset and start dialing number and talking loudly to the hearing of every passenger. 

Elele where the bus broke down is a village, getting bus there is always difficult. some passengers that forfeited their money and want to enter another bus, only one succeeded. 

Terry, tried his best to enter another bus but all in vain. Even to return to port harcout and enter another bus was difficult. He was wondering how backward the town of elele was and was cursing his luck for not holding on till they get to Onitsha before the bus will develop problem. "Why always me?”, he querried. Reminiscing on past incidents his luck ran out when he needed it. He was pulled out of reverie by the voice he heard coming out a store nearby, He was trying his best to place The voice for he was sure hundred percent that he had heard that voice uncountable times in the past. As the realization came to him that the voice belonged to Nkoli that died six years ago, he was puzzled. As he was about to go to the store and see who the voice belong to, driver of the bus called for passengers to take their seats. He entered the bus still hearing the voice talking with some one inside the store and saw a boy of four years or there about came out of the store to wash hands. what he saw washing hands was carborn copy of Nkoli that died six years ago. from his seat, he asked the mechanic who the woman inside was, and was told that the lady was from Kogi state that her husband died two years ago. His confusion deepened. The voice belong to Nkoli, The Image he saw of the kid was Nkoli's, and she supposed to have died six years ago not her husband for she was not married then. She also suppose to come from his town in Anambra state not Kogi state. “what is happening here?”. He asked himself. 

They got to Onitsha around eleven in the night. The bus stopped them around upper Iweka tarzen bus park.upper iweka that usually Swarm with all manners of questionable characters at night was totally empty. beside private cars that pass at high speed at intervals, the place was like ghost town. No car, no human. After spending about one hour plus there, luck came their way. A man coming from where only him knows at that hour of the night offered them a lift to Ogidi. Since he was going to Nkpor, he jumped in. got to his family house around 12:30Am and has to wake his parents that has gone to sleep to open door for him.Being tired and late himself, he went to his room straight away and fall into coma. Forgetting all thought about shopping and nkoli. In the morning, he was woked by his mother to eat, he checked his watch, it was few minutes pass nine. He greeted his parents, shower and went to market; promising to tell them how and why he was late last night.

Terry returned from shopping and narrated to his parents How the bus he entered broked down in elele and how they spent about three hours or more repairing the bus and How he saw and heard what he will describe as carbon copy of Nkoli the daughter of Mazi Okeke that died six years ago. "Is it possible for ghost to marry and give birth to humans?”, he asked his parents. His father was the one that Laughed and told him: “ghost story is what you find in childrens books, if any adult like you start taking ghost story serious like I can see you do, it is a sign of malaria”. He laughed and persisted that what he saw and heard must be Nkoli and no other person. “didn’t you attend his burial with me when she died?” his father continued. “I did, that was why I was surprise when I heard that voice and saw the kid”. He said. His mother kept quiet for a long time and later asked: “when you heard the voice and saw the kid, did you go to see who the voice belonged to?” “I wanted to, but the bus was about leaving. I asked the mechanic and he said that the woman was from Kogi, that her husband died two years ago”. “you see, Nkoli is from your Town not Kogi State, at times, people resembles each other”. The father said. “you should have spread you Legs, bend and peep through your legs. If the boy legs were touching ground, then, it can not be Nkoli but if the boy legs were hanging, he is a ghost and it must be Nkoli then. Ghost cannot give birth to humans but their kind”. She said. The father laughed and told the wife to go and prepare food that he is feeling hungry. “peeping inbetween legs in twenty-first century looking for ghost”. "Make sure that no outside heard that suggestion from your mouth before they turn our family into laughing matter?”. The father continued. 

The mother was still disturbed by the ghost story long after terry has returned to port Harcourt. She started telling people what her son said and the story started gathering mounentum, it even got to the traditional ruler of their town. the youths persisted that they should select some people to go and foundout the real truth behind the story. “ when one dies violently like Nkoli did in accident, the persons soul at times flew out of the body and settles somewhere. That might have been the case with Nkoli.” They said. “it is important that the truth is foundout and appeasement done properly for her spirit to move on in peace”. They continued. It was finaly agreed that seven able bodied youths plus Terry's mother and two other women should accompany Nkoli mother to verify things at Elele.

The appointed day came, eleven of the choosen entered bus and went to elele with Terry’s mother acting as guide. They got to the particular spot terry described to his mother and true to his discretion, The boy they say was carbon copy of Nkoli. He told them that his mother is still at home that she will come shortly. Carbon copy, even the sound of voice is exactly like Nkoli’s. the seven boys turned their back on The boy and spread their Legs, and were peeping through it backwards when the neighbors started wondering what is happening. The seven concluded that the boy leg was firmly on the ground, ‘but he is only four years”, " let wait for the mother they concludes some neighbors has sneaked out to call police, others to alert the boy’s mother. As they saw the boy mother coming, the seven boys, got up spread their legs and was peeping through it when the officers came and took all of them to the station. 

At the station, the officer incharge of their case asked them to explain for the fifth time in twenty minutes exactly what it was they said they were doing there. 

“What type of ritual were you performing there?” He asked. 

Nkoli’s mother was the first to speak. 

“My son, it is not ritual but tradition. I lost my daughter in accident and I was told that she was sighted here, and these people followed me to verify the story. Infact, I am not even yet convinced that the woman out there is not my daughter”. 

“Your son?" you have added me to your lost sons, did I die in accident too?”.

Terry’s mother replied: “officer, not like that I was the one that told them what my son told me. We just came to make sure, that is all”. 

“you hired bus, hired seven kidnappers and ritualist, travelled three hours, came here and nearly succeeded in your mission and your are telling me this ghost story and accident to confuse me or to elicit sympathy. when you are ready to talk, let me know”. He stomped out, banging the door behind him.

One month later, they were still in the holding cell in elele station, demonstrating three times each day, peeping through their legs and making statement over and over again.