Return of The Lost Soul | The Ink Well Prompt #121

Valeriy Ryasnyanskiy

What are you doing in my house? Haven't I warned you never to step foot in this compound?

Apoi shouted at Ichie as he approached his hut from the farm. It had been a very tough day for him. The rainy season has been favorable this year and the planting of yam tubers and corn seeds have to be faced squarely for a bountiful harvest.

Apoi, be kind enough to hear me out before judging me. Since your wife left with my brother, you haven't been your normal self.

Ichie lightly convinces Apoi to listen rather than chase him out of his compound like a common housefly.

With his tight face with fat lined wrinkles on his forehead, Apoi approached wielding his machete like a man hunting in the wild. Fear gripped Ichie and he took a few steps away from the door mouth of Apoi's hut.

As he approached, his vexation increased. He wants to devour Ichie. His presence irritates him.

Take a deep breath, my friend. Your anger is not worth it. I have come up with a solution to this problem, be calm, please.

Ichie begged him. When Apoi heard the word solution, his strength began to drop. He wanted Olanma, his wife, back no matter what. She is the most beautiful woman in the whole of Kekeocha. How would it be held that the wife of the biggest farmer was taken away by a common palm wine tapper?

Apoi was not sure of what to do, whether to give sit or discuss his solution in a standing position.

It is the Ogbanje Spirit. Olanma is disturbed until you carry the sacrifice to the water spirits, her soul will wander far away with other men.

This isn't the first time Apoi will be hearing that his wife may likely be possessed. Beautiful fair ladies are known to be from the marine world. If care is not taken, their husbands may have to pay heavily to the goddess of the river or live a miserable life.

What do you think I should do next? I want my wife back, please.

Apoi talked back to Ichie for the first time in several months. They have been friends since childhood. How will a woman separate their friendship, more so that Ichie wasn't primarily involved in the elopement?

I will lead you to the priest at Ogboto, he will consult Arusi and from there, we will know what to do next.

Quickly, Apoi went to the back of his house to wash his hands and legs and wore cleaner clothes. He wanted to know how to call back the soul of his lovely wife from wandering away with strange men.

The two friends walked the lonely path that led to the dark forest of Kekeocha, the shrine of Arusi. Only in rare cases do people consult this shrine.

As they step their foot at the shrine, the priest spoke from within the shrine house

Do not move any further. What brought you here is the wandering soul of your wife, Olanma. Go! Bring seven yards of white cloth, wife bar soap, a white cock, and salt in seven days. Her soul will return to her body and she will come back to her husband.

Apoi was in shock as the priest spoke.

How did he know what we were coming for? He even mentioned the name of my wife.

Apoi ruminates in his mind. He became hopeful that his lovely wife will return after this whole trouble.

Thank you, the great priest. We will return in seven days.

They left the shrine quickly without looking back. Apoi was still in shock. He least expected that the priest would be able to give such details about his life.

My friend, you see what I told you. Everything will be over in the next seven days. Just go prepare all the items the priest had mentioned.

Ichie assisted his friend, Apoi, to get all the items and on the proposed day, they carried the materials to the priest at Ogboto.

The priest wrapped the white cloth around a log of wood and bathed it using the white soap as he called Olanma's soul to return from the river goddess who had called her back to her spiritual home.

The soul of the living hath nothing with the dead, let Olanma alone. Her husband is waiting, let her back.

The priest was speaking to the wind or an imaginary figure that cannot be seen with mere eyes.

Apoi and Ichie watched with fear and enthusiasm as the spiritual rites were carried out. After all, was said and done, Apoi was asked to bathe himself with the remaining soap until it was finished.

You can go. Your sacrifice was accepted. Olanma is now free. Her soul will never wander away anymore.

The priest spoke, swinging his hands in the direction of the path out of the forest, the two men walked smartly.

Ichie decided to escort him home. There, they met the surprise of their lives. Olanma was already at home, preparing sala soup for her husband. She doesn't look like someone who had left home for a while. She just stood up and greeted

Nnayi, welcome.

And then returned to the kitchen to complete the soup preparation. When she was done, she served Apoi and Ichie the delicious meal and munched away, never worrying about the wandering soul of Olanma.