Madam Akii And Her Privileges

“ I suspect that they usually wait at the intersection of the boundary of the living and the dead, waiting for the days and hours the door would be opened to know if any of their family or village members are among the new entrants.

How they know that the person or the ghost whatever they call themselves across the line of eternity, we humans wouldn’t know. Is coming, I don’t know. What we humans have ever do this side of the realm is guess and more guesses. Both educated and illiterates. We just guess. Each tribe and race has their own tales concerning what goes on at the other side. I suspect like others that those at the other side has more knowledge of the happenings here than we do of them.

At times, when some certain humans reaches some certain age and meet certain requirements from the gatekeepers, they were allowed some confusing insight which was intentional act to keep us guessing, wondering and questioning ourselves about the true state of things that side”

“ Does that means that the gate keepers controls events here too?” Ochuko asked the story teller.

“ That is what I suspect like everyone else. Like I have hinted, no one is ever sure” Amadu the 80 years old village head replied.

“ But, how do they know when someone or some ghost is coming from their villages or families?”

“They are ghost, they must have possess special abilities or were being alerted by the gatekeepers”

“Do they have tribes and races there?”

“ They must, I guess. If not, how do they recognize one of their own when they see them?”

“ Then, there must be discrimination there too. Even hatred, favoritism and those vices there”

“ No need for those things. They are not there to stay. They sing, eat and sleep while waiting for their time”

“ Their time, what time?”

“ I suspect once dead and cross over to the other side, you would be registered and given papers that contains your performance here and your due date there to return as babies here”

“ You mean they are the ones that change into babies back to earth?”

“ That part of the mystery is agreed upon as reality by all tribes, races and religions here”

“ How do they transform into babies and how do they choose the families they are going to be born into?”

“ That is aspect they don’t have say on. It is your deeds while here that determine where you are going”

“ But it would not be fair to send someone from the rich and advance nation to poor and third world countries”

“ Fair and unfair has no part to play too. Nothing personal in it. It is programmed for ages before your arrival. If you want good deal, be good while here. Amount of time you would stay there and where you would reincarnate is automatically programmed. Families, continent, kinds of wealth and peace you would meet here is decided by your behaviors while here”

“ But it won’t be the same gatekeepers managing heaven and hell that side”

“ Nothing like heaven and hell situated that side. Both is here on Earth. The thing is that, when you are a bad man and die, you would reincarnate very fast to begin your suffering this side. If your sin is too enormous, you have to do longer term here suffering and after your death, you reincarnate again suffering”

“ But madam Akii said she saw those being caned that side”

“ Yeah, madam Akii is with us here. I suspect she is guessing like all of us or maybe she is right. I suspect she have been granted those certain Privileges I told you about”

Madam Akii is 84 years old lady that some people believed has a little problem in the head. She usually goes to where burial ceremony is taking place, stood at a corner narrating how he saw the person being buried and others like him crossing the realm of the living to that of death. 

“ Shit, they were many marching like soldiers and I was calling on him to turn back but he eyed me and smiled and continues his March across the line. I was shouting and shouting but he never looked at me twice”

People including those doing the burial would burst out laughing and regards it as side entertainment from a semi mad woman. Yet, some older folks would eye her and eye one another. They believe that the lady was talking sense. 

Her tales were even given more credibility by a middle aged teacher her son died in a questionable circumstances about 7 years ago. The lady was being disturbed by forces she claimed was behind her son’s death. Her tales has so many components to it that people were wondering if it was as results of her son’s death or acute malaria.

     But when she bought many food items and other house hold items and send to madam Akii to thank her for sending her back to the earth, people began to have double minds about the state of the woman’s mind and some began wondering about that of madam Akii. 

“ How can that woman be talking nonsense?”

“ But, how can madam Akii send dead person back to earth”

“ But, when you engaged that lady in dialogue, wasn’t she talking sense?”

“ She was, I am still wondering how the living would send the dead back across the line she have crossed”

“ Well, you heard from the horses mouth and heard from madam Akii too. So, why would an educated lady like that be talking nonsense. If she wanted to send gift to madam Akii, why add tale of death to it?”

“ Well, it has been two weeks since the story started. Let wait for a month and know if another angle would be added to it”

The tale had it that the younger lady died with her family members there besides her. On crossing the line of eternity, Madam Akii intervened. She started shouting with all her might for her to turn back. She was shouting and pointing and virtually commanded her to turn back with immediate effect.

Whether on her own or force of the order from Madam Akii, she was wheeled back to the living with the sickness that sent her there in the first place gone. After five days, she came to show her appreciation.