Life With Tutu

Emenike was numb all through the burial proceeding. He appeared to be cold and unfeeling but he was crying inside his heart. He knew without doubt that he was a member of a secret cult, the Shepherds secret cult, modernised. Chuks and other Shepherd members stormed the carnival-like burial in Owerri. There was plenty to eat and drink. Villagers who came ate to bursting and carted away several takeaways. After the burial ceremony, there was a family meeting after which Emenike and family came back to Lagos. Emenike wished he had heard his mother’s last words, the reason she had sent for him on her dying bed. Did she know he was indirectly responsible for her sudden illness, did she know he was the one that had snuffed life out of her, inadvertently? He suffered severe insomnia. His heart was heavy and he took to staying out late at night, drinking in the Shepherds club. A year afterwards, Nash was delivered of a set of twins, a boy and a girl. He took solace in them, especially the girl...

And then, the dreams, better yet, nightmares started. Emenike would find himself in a dark unending tunnel, running as fast as his legs could carry him, yet strangely remaining on one spot. He would wake bathed in sweat even in the fully air conditioned room, his heart racing. He would hold the rosary, praying to the Holy Mother for hours, before he felt better. The dream was perplexing. The same dream, once every three days, never failing. He went for confession, but it didn’t get any better. The priest had asked if he was in a cult. Cult? Ofcourse not! Eventually he sought for Chuks's advice. They met in a club  belonging to the Sherpherds. Over drinks, Emenike explained all to Chuks who laughed heartily ‘You too dey fear! You no be woman oo' Chuks chided him ‘Easy for you to talk. I am not myself for hours after waking' Chuks sipped his drink, ruminatively ‘Maybe it is time you meet our lead Shepherd here in Lagos' Emenike looked blank ‘I mean our leader’ Emenike sho...

  It was during one of the antenatal sessions, Emenike and Nash had met Chuks. Chuks’s wife was expecting their second child and one thing led to another, they became quite friendly. Chuks upon learning of their predicament from Nash who believed in the mantra 'if you keep quiet you die, why don’t you talk and not die?’, started paying their bills in the hospital and even sorting them out periodically. Emenike was overcome with gratitude, no one had ever been this kind to him before. On one of the hospital visits, he drew Chuks aside to ask for help, a job, anything to keep body and soul together He remembered the searching look Chuks had given him ‘Guy, you want me to get you a job?’ ‘Yes, Chuks, the baby will arrive any day now, we’re yet to get baby things, asides that I don’t want to bring up my child in the house we currently occupy. Please help me' Chuks smiled ‘Hmmm. I’ll help you, better yet, I’ll introduce to the business I do. Instead of working for others, you’ll hav...