The Winter Wizard

The Wizard Winter 

“Oh, no!” I said in my sleep

“Yes”

I wake up the same dream always ending with me walking in the snow and leaving no foot prints. Strange I think I have never left the shores of the tropics what could it mean another adventure? One with me and my guardian angel? Well, the adventures I have been having to go on have never happened during winter. My mother enters the room carrying a calabash filled with Banga and starch;’my favorite food. 

Uzer was in the delta region of West Africa and it was harmattan and our colonial masters used to talk about winter and since I heard their talk , I have been having dreams about being in the temperate regions of our globe. It was a cold , dry morning, I could smell dust. My father was sniffing tobacco, the palm trees were lush, as I sat in my thatch house which was a hut, saw that my angel had left a bottle of strawberry juice. 

“Why did you start talking about snow, we oyibo men deh talk of. “

“Mother it is white man or Caucasians. Not oyibo. “

My mother was about to go to my stool where she will see the drink that my guardian angel gave me. A drink that had never been seen before, if my mother sees it then my secret will be open like an habiscuss. It was just like yesterday when I became eighteen and became a man. Mary or Miss. Abel began teaching me the gospel and physics. She described how the climate in her country- America. I had told my angel that I want to go there on a trip. We prayed Jesus appeared and told me that if I can become a psychic with my angel, Angel Hezbola. I said of course, we see every night for an hour and my angel who had the skin of a white sheep and a purple crop like Joan of Arc, so handsome was he. He taught me different languages- French and English and even Spanish. Hebzbola knew all my secrets and had taught me how to wrestle. For in two weeks I was to wrestle against the men of me village for the hand of princess Onome in marriage. She was beautiful and obviously rich but I was poor but good to behold. 

But first things first Jesus and Hebzbola had planned a trip vis astra travel to Washington to help the daughter of the richest man in America, after that we were to branch of to heaven for my reward. That is if I could pull of my mission successfully. 

Two days after, 

“This is how you fight Otega, you look into the persons eyes, till he is afraid. Then you take his left hand as he wants to push. Throw him to the floor using your right leg to deck him.”

“Hezbola it’s time for the two of you to go to America for you next mission. Bye. “ A familiar voice told me and Hezbola 

“ I guess Hezbola,” I said, as Jesus disappeared form our room which had no tiles but sand and as hot as a flame, as I looked at the thatch ceiling. Awaitingg my Owo soup and starch of which the air seized not to smell of. “ Jesus has spoken I guess it’s time for us to stop our training. “

“Hebzbola, your magic wand.”

“I know Otega we have to go.” He said as he began to spin a peach rod that began to bring out Gold dust. Immediately we arrived in a carriage and this was in America around January. As we race down from the snow sledge. Every one around us found it strange too that a black man would be dressed so well in this the nineteenth century since I was supposed to be a slave. In the frosty snow, I felt cold. The trees unlike the African tropics had no lush leaves, the weather was hot and I felt the eagerness to go back to my Uzere village. What made me angry was in all the time I spent there I never saw anyone playing in the night like Uzere where we used to tell fables and stories and stayed awake till about 1 a.m. playing ‘ten-ten’ or stone game called “ayo’. 

We were driven in to the mansion there we told the servants our names I was called Oliver and my former invisible friend was called Henry. Hebzbola my friend turned Henry dropped his purple crop for a passionate blond hair cut and goatee with blue eyes. 

We sat in the mansion near our cabinet which was supposed to be our middle class home. 

One of the slaves came in , with wine for us to drink so that we could wait forBaron Gandabelt and his wife Mrs Gandabelt. “Otega! Hope you are not a slave too?” One of the slaves said who was taken from my village by chance. 

“Ese, no my best friend brought me here cause I asked him too. How are you doing in the land of cold.? Can you help us increase the amount of wood in the fire. We are waiting for the Baron. But please do not tell them you know me.” I replied 

Immediately, the Baron and his wife came down the stairs as she came down the stairs of her luxurious den to the main sitting room where they kept their most prized visitors. Even though the Gandabelt’s were sad they were able to host us in the most lavish way for the first time I ate cake I was shocked to see the florid colored icing. With purple cherries ,blue berries and all. 

But that was not why we came as I sat beside Joyce Gandabelt, I felt her pain her only daughter was missing. 

“It’s a spiritual matter, Gloria my daughter missing. “ the Baron and his wife Joyce said at the same time. Henry seeing her felt her pain. 

It was our job to bring her back, we assured hr we would. 

We arrived after launch at the designated voodoo cabinet where Jesus had told us she was we were to get her by violent spiritual warfare. 

It was 12a.m. and we had to seek for Gloria in the Hindu shrine of Damendra. He was a witch and needed Gloria as a sacrifice. Now Gloria was pretty and well shaped on arrival she had turned mad. We passed through a back door. We prayed for her and she was healed but the battle had just started. Hebzbola fought against the witch and won. Him and I took her to her parents. They began to praise God. We left through astra travel and arrived in Uzere while every one was still sleeping. 

The next day was the wrestling. I won , married Onome and became next to the throne as she was King Ovie of Uzere’s only child. 

And we lived happily ever after 

By Daniella Idogho