Sally Island 8

Miss Pat had just gotten home from work with her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend waiting on her with straight faces. She gets easily bothered whenever she sees her kids unhappy, according to her, being a good mom is making her kids happy every given time. She threw her hand bag on the floor and quickly inquired why her daughter had a straight face, of course she met with a ridiculous lie aboutmphow Eve was busy peeping her while she took her bath. It was weird to Miss pat being that Eve was a girl as well and a little one at that, but she didn't care to put much mind to it. She quickly grabbed her whip and stormed the storeroom where Eve was locked up. Eve had cried all day and started to settle into the pain. 

Eve had just wiped her face to get up, hearing the door click open but was faced with a fiercer whipping than she had earlier received.  Ono's mom had barged in and started flogging her without asking a single question. This action stretched out Eve's patience, this was more than she could even take on a normal day, it wasn't part of the bargain for coming into the lives of these ungrateful humans. She had reached the limit she could stomach, it was time. As Miss Pat flogged her, she started glowing slowly, Miss Pat didn't notice she was changing at first, Ono quickly looked as her boyfriend pointed it out. Eve was glowing so fast Miss Pat started seeing it for herself. Within minutes, she had turned into a strong flare glowing even out of the compound, holding her shocked spectators spell bound to make sure they see everything. 

Eve grew in minutes, glowing still grabbing on to the cat who was the only one who passed the test. You see Eve was a Mutubu sent to bless or curse depending on how she is received and treated. Her legend was widely told on the island how she had cursed and blessed many of the Sally Islanders, she usually disguised as a little helpless girl but somehow many fail her tests when faced with it, simple to pass but many fail just like Miss Pat and her family did, the chief priest narrated to me. I sat carefully listening to him. He narrated that the mermaid we saw might be the same Eve Miss Pat's family mistreated or another of her kind, bottom line is that we passed the test, that doesn't mean we might pass the test the next time anyway. Eve transformed fully into her beautiful self, it was time to go and bless or curse the family. Miss Pat who instantly knew who Eve was went on her knees begging but her ignorant daughter was still asking her mom what the whole begging was about. 

Her boyfriend now narrated how her family was in danger of eternal curse of hardship because of the way they treated the little girl who was a goddess in disguise. Ono quickly recalled so many favours she could ask the goddess and started pleading too. The other Mutubu she encountered had caused her enmity with her village, and now here came another who could simply reverse the whole situation and she ruined it even more, condemning herself to a curse too. She wasn't happy at all, she started regretting how she treated Eve and how she made life miserable for her. They were still inside pleading for mercy when another glow came from outside, reflecting into the hut. It was Eve's ride home, she walked gracefully out of the hut into the golden chariot waiting for her outside ignoring the plea for mercy, she placed a curse on Miss Pat's family and on Ono's sneak-in boyfriend and took off into a shinny cloud.

I had gone to the chief priest after the experience we had on the island with the mermaid who left us a treasure chest, I was bent on finding her. I told the priest of my intentions and he in other to drive a better understanding, narrated how Mutubus operate with this story. You don't find them, he explained, they find you, and mostly if you treated them right the first time you meet them, there is every possibility of meeting them again. Eve after leaving Miss Pat's family, disguised as a little girl again and was taken to another family, a happier family she would bless later on due to how good she was treated when she was with them. I learnt everything I had to learn but knowing Omin too wanted the mermaid as much as I wanted her, and I know by now, he must have taken some moves to that effect. It was dark and the chief priest insisted I stayed for dinner, I couldn't, I had to go home, the fishes we stored in the cold room where quickly sold after the mermaid visited us, business moved faster, so I had to fish every night against the rush the next day. Although we were supposed to be richer, I didn't sell my own share of the jewelries, I buried it somewhere for the future. So I still had to hustle like I was still broke, I really had to go home that night so I can cast my nets as usual with the crew. The priest gave me a small bottle of wine as a take home gift as I left. You dare not reject a gift from the priest, so I took the wine and left. 

Story: Nnagoziem TheVyrus Udensi 

Illustrations: Chevelin Pierre