Ndubisi lay on the king-sized bamboo bed, staring at the thatched roof and wondering how his life had changed so dramatically.
Not long ago, he had been hungry, poorly dressed, and running from people who wanted him dead for a crime he did not commit. Now he was well-fed, well-dressed, and wealthy enough to command a vast network of farms. He was responsible for managing one of the largest agricultural enterprises in the region, and, more importantly, he had somehow won the affection of the most beautiful woman he had ever known.
He had never asked the gods for much.
Yet they had given him more than he could have imagined.
Ego had been away for three days. She had sent word that she would return the following day, but the wait seemed longer than it should have. He missed her terribly. It was only the third night he had slept without her in more than two years.
During those years, he had gradually worked his way into her heart. What began as gratitude had become trust, and trust had slowly blossomed into genuine affection.
She now depended on him to manage her farms, oversee her workers, and supervise most of her other businesses.
What more could a man ask of the gods?
Apparently, quite a lot.
Like most ambitious men, Ndubisi was not satisfied with what he already had. There were more farms to acquire, more opportunities to explore, and more achievements to add to the already impressive list of things he had accomplished.
He smiled to himself.
His life had certainly changed.
*
Ego arrived at her compound late the following evening.
She was welcomed with smiles, greetings, and excited chatter from the household. Ndubisi was the first to remind her just how much she had been missed.
After settling down, Ego narrated everything that had happened during her journey to Nnewi. Ndubisi listened attentively, occasionally asking questions as she described Osundu's strange memories and her encounter with his former family.
Eventually, exhaustion overcame her.
She slept deeply against Ndubisi's chest, feeling safer than she had in years.
Around midnight, however, she woke with the familiar urge to urinate.
Careful not to disturb him, she slowly slipped from the bed. Ndubisi was fast asleep. She gently pulled her wrapper from beneath him and used it to cover herself before stepping outside.
The compound was beautiful under the moonlight.
The moon bathed the surroundings in silver, while torches planted at strategic points provided additional illumination. Ego immediately noticed the changes.
Ndubisi had been busy.
The hedges had been neatly trimmed. More flowers had been planted. The compound was cleaner and better arranged. Additional torches had been installed, giving the entire place a completely different appearance.
She smiled.
This man has really been working.
She silently thanked the gods for bringing such an industrious and dependable man into her life.
With every passing day, the memories of Nnanna seemed to retreat further into the past. She still loved and remembered her late husband, but the part of her heart that had remained frozen since his death was gradually coming alive again.
Then her eyes landed on the hut.
The hut where she had hidden Nwaza.
She had not entered it since the last full moon.
She hurried behind one of the nearby huts to attend to the reason she had come outside. When she was done, she quietly returned and entered the hut.
Immediately, her thoughts turned to the bird.
She began removing the various protections she had put in place to keep curious people away.
Then she froze.
The cage was empty.
"Where is the bird?"
She searched beneath the cage.
"Where has it gone?"
She looked around frantically.
"Has someone entered here?"
There was no sign of forced entry.
"Did the bird escape on its own?"
Her heart began pounding.
"Have the gods taken back their gift?"
She searched beneath the bed, around the walls, and in every corner of the hut.
Nothing.
Bloodstains and pieces of rotten flesh from the rabbit she had last fed the bird were scattered around the place. She had not cleaned the hut because of her journey.
"Nwaza!"
She began turning everything upside down.
"Nwaza!"
Then something suddenly flew from the thatched roof and landed on top of the cage.
Ego spun around.
There it was.
Her bird.
"Oh!"
Relief washed over her.
"What a relief to see you!"
She quickly grabbed it.
"I thought you had gone and left me alone. I travelled; that's why you haven't seen me these past few days."
She smiled at the bird.
"First light tomorrow, I'll have this place cleaned properly."
Then she remembered something.
"By the way, I need money. I spent quite a lot on my journey."
For reasons she could not explain, Ego raised the bird above her head and began singing the familiar song.
"Nwaza oh... Nwaza!
Nwaza oh... Nwaza!
Achoro m ego oh... Nwaza!"
She had barely reached the middle of the song when everything suddenly became unnaturally quiet.
Then she felt something cold strike her forehead.
A thick liquid slowly ran down her face.
It passed over her eyebrow.
Then her nose.
A terrible smell filled the hut.
Bird droppings.
Ego looked up at the bird.
For a moment, she was speechless.
Then she burst into genuine laughter.
"You!"
She dropped the bird and wiped the mess from her face with the edge of her wrapper.
"Nwaza, so you have started doing this now?"
She laughed again.
The bird had never behaved like this before. In her mind, it had always been a mysterious creature, almost sacred in nature. She had never imagined it capable of such ordinary mischief.
Still, she considered the incident a good omen.
Perhaps this is another way the gods are blessing me.
She picked up the bird again.
This time, she wisely kept it at chest level.
"You don't make the same mistake twice," she muttered.
She resumed singing.
Nothing happened.
She sang again.
Still nothing.
Five minutes passed.
Nothing.
Her smile gradually disappeared.
She became uneasy.
Perhaps something was wrong.
Ego carried the bird outside and positioned herself directly beneath the full moon.
She began singing again.
Louder.
Again.
And again.
She continued until her voice carried across the entire compound.
Still nothing happened.
Eventually, she had awakened almost everyone.
But no cowries fell from the sky.
No strange wind appeared.
No thunder rolled.
Nothing.
Ego's confidence began collapsing.
She lowered herself onto the cold earth, still holding Nwaza.
Her eyes filled with tears.
Inside the master hut, Ndubisi stirred.
At first, he thought he was dreaming.
Then he heard it again.
A faint singing.
He slowly opened his eyes.
The voice was familiar.
It was Ego.
But there was something wrong.
She was crying.
Ndubisi immediately jumped from the bed and rushed outside.
Other members of the household were already gathering.
He followed their gazes.
There sat Ego on the cold ground, her legs stretched apart, her wrapper barely covering her, tears running down her face.
She was staring at one fixed point.
In her hands was the strange bird.
Over and over again, she repeated the same words.
"Someone has tampered with my Nwaza."
Ndubisi stopped.
His expression changed.
He had never seen Ego look so frightened.
He slowly walked toward her.
"Ego…"
She didn't respond.
"Ego, what happened?"
She finally looked up at him.
Her eyes were filled with fear.
"Someone has tampered with my Nwaza."