Ghost in the Neighbourhood

Ghost in the Neighbourhood 1

 

My King and Husband, ausio

 Listen to My King and Husband.

chapter 0ne of 'My King and Husband'

 

PROLOGUE 

 

Her name was on everyone’s lips. She was the most beautiful woman that ever walked the face of the earth. Her people regarded her as a goddess because according to them only an immortal could possess her kind of extraordinary beauty.  Her statue was standing tall in the village square and her people made it a duty to visit and pay homage on daily basis. They practically worshipped and honoured her.

She was every man’s dream, but by the ordinance of the gods, she was already betrothed to a crown prince. Her marriage to the prince was expected to restore the lost glory of Umuezu Kingdom and everyone looked forward to the D-day.

But funnily, Ugomma was yet to be born. In fact, she was yet to be conceived.

 

Chapter One

 

Umuezu Kingdom was a very famous community located in the east of the River Niger. It was the envy of the neighbouring communities because of the abundance of gods’ blessings upon the land and the people. The lands were very arable, holding water bodies that haboured assorted fishes; and forests filled with wild animals. Underneath the ground were plenty of solid minerals such as gold, diamond and iron ore.

The people were mainly farmers, hunters, fishermen and goldsmiths. They were very prosperous people. Everything they needed to prosper abounded in their Kingdom hence they rarely sojourned to other Kingdoms in search of greener pastures. Instead, people from neighbouring Kingdoms and beyond, trooped into their Kingdom either to settle or to buy and sell. Umuezu kingdom had a very big market known as Eke-Ezu market. The market opened for business only once in four days but whenever it did, traders from far and near gathered in their numbers to transact businesses and any commodity that wasn’t available in the market didn’t exist.

Umuezu Kingdom was the pride of the Igbo land until suddenly things fell apart. They woke up one morning to discover that their waters had lost all their fishes; that their forests and bushes haboured no more animals; and that their mineral resources were gone. Dead fishes were seen floating on the waters while the forests and bushes were littered with dead and decayed animals. That year, locusts came from nowhere and ate up every green leaf in the Kingdom. Things that never happened before started happening. People started dying untimely and even pregnant women started dying while giving birth to babies that also died in the process.

That year Umuezu Kingdom witnessed total drought and consequently famine as their hitherto arable land yielded poor harvest.

Ezezu was very worried as the situation got worse with every passing day. He had convened meetings of his council of elders to find solution to the calamity that had befallen his land, but they couldn’t come up with any solution. In one of the meetings, he summoned the Ezemuo and mandated him to enquire from the gods why the Kingdom was being punished, and the remedy. He was certain that an abomination had been committed, but by who, when and how? Ezezu could not understand why the gods were punishing the entire Kingdom instead of singling out the culprit or culprits as the case might be. Ezezu had no answers to the numerous questions plaguing his mind but hopefully, Ezemuo would. But unfortunately, he didn’t. Ezemuo claimed that the gods had refused to reveal the answer to him.

“The gods are angry with all of us,” Ezemuo had revealed. “Their anger has put a dark cloud between us and them thereby preventing their blessings from reaching us. The dark cloud also prevents me from receiving messages from them,” he had concluded.

Ezemuo had never failed before. He was the man who lived in the past, present and the future. He was the eye of his people and they had so much confidence in him. So when he couldn’t come up with the reason why calamity had befallen the Umuezu Kingdom, everybody became mournful. A cloud of despair descended upon the land. If Ezemuo had no solution, then the situation was very serious. There was no hope.

Ezezu was particularly disturbed because he knew that his people were looking up to him for solution. Very soon they would run out of patience and he feared that they might revolt against him. In a desperate effort to save his people and also secure his throne, Ezezu invited seers from neighbouring Kingdoms but none of them could see the cause and solution to their problems. Nevertheless, one of the seers suggested Ononando, the greatest seer of all times.

That evening, Ezezu gathered all his people in his palace. “Our salvation is near,” he declared. “We have been informed of a great seer who could reveal the causes and solutions to our problem,” he stated and the crowd cheered with joy. “His name is Ononando,” Ezezu continued when the cheers died down, “and we are convinced that all our problems will be a thing of the past once we are able to bring him here,” he said and the crowd cheered again. “But the problem is how to reach him. He lives in a faraway land and our inquiries disclosed that the paths to Ndoki are hazardous. Very few people have succeeded in reaching him. Many either gave up and returned home or died in the process.” Ezezu’s despair was palpable.

“Cha, cha, cha, Umuezu kweenu!” Ikuku hailed the people as he took the stage without invitation.

“Yaa!” the crowd chorused.

“Rienu!”

“Yaa!”

“Muonu!”

“Yaa!”

“Zuonu!”

“Yaa!”

“Kwezuonu ooo!”

“Yaaaa!”

“Igwe, you shall live forever,” Ikuku said as he knelt briefly before Ezezu.

“It shall be well with you,” Ezezu patted Ikuku’s back with his staff.  

Ikuku sprang to his feet and danced about briefly. “Igwe, we will go to Ndoki Kingdom and we will bring Ononando here,” he boasted, as the crowd cheered him on. “Igwe, have you forgotten who I am. I am Ikuku amanonya, okara mmadu, okara muo. The only man that wrestled with a spirit and defeated him,” he said, hitting his fist on his chest severally, amidst cheers from the crowd.

Ikuku was the commander of the Umuezu army. The army was very formidable - in fact, they had never lost any battle. The fear of the Umuezu warriors was the beginning of wisdom. Members of the army were selected by the gods themselves and as long as they lived, they would neither marry nor have any intimate relationship with women. They also were not allowed to own or keep properties. Their welfare was catered for by the Kingdom.  Those that violated the rules either became mad or met their untimely deaths. And no one dared decline membership of the army once selected. Doing so would equally attract the wrath of the gods.

The warriors were responsible for maintaining law and order in Umuezu kingdom and nobody was above the law. They ensured the security of the Kingdom, making sure that the people went about their businesses without harassment. And at night, while their bodies slept in their houses, the spirits of the warriors transformed into lions, and patrolled the length and breadth of the Kingdom and with this in mind, the people of Umuezu could sleep with both eyes closed.

“Can we set out for Ndoki immediately?” Ikuku asked Ezezu. Just like everyone else, he wanted a solution as soon as possible.

“Calm down, my son,” Ezezu advised. “You will go, but not today,” he said conclusively and Ikuku looked at him with surprise. The crowd was equally surprised.

“Yes, you are not going today,” Ezezu reaffirmed. “It is already dusk, besides, we need to fortify you for the journey. You will also need to go with some food and water.”

Everyone was in high spirit. Ikuku and his men would soon go to Ndoki kingdom and come back with Ononando and their lives would return to normal, but Ezezu was troubled. He feared that whatever that brought hardship and untimely deaths to his Kingdom could have equally affected his warriors. What if they were no longer invincible? But there was no need raising his concern as that would dampen people’s enthusiasm and hope.

At cock crow the next morning, the twelve selected warriors assembled at the Ezu shrine for fortification and words of advice from Ezemuo. During the ritual, Ezemuo killed a white ram and bathed the warriors with his blood. Rams were the symbol of brevity and strength in Igbo land and it was believed that the gods used their blood to strengthen their people. Umuezu Kingdom had always performed this ritual before embarking on wars and other difficult tasks and it had never failed them.

The delegates set out for Ndoki Kingdom the moment the ritual was completed. They were expected back in eight market days at most. Very soon, Ononando would arrive in Umuezu Kingdom and his arrival would bring all their woes to an end, but their hope began to dwindle as days rolled into weeks and weeks into a month without the return of their warriors. After a full moon of waiting in vain, Ezezu gathered his people once again, this time to mourn the warriors, for it was obvious that they were dead. After a month, if they were not killed by the enemies, hunger would kill them. They were patriots and should be honoured with a befitting funeral, not minding that their corpses weren’t available for interment.

Everyone was in a mournful mood when suddenly a very young man appeared in their midst, Ikuku appeared with him. People’s initial reaction was to scamper to safety but Ikuku was able to convince them to come back. Ikuku then narrated to the people how he and his men were captured by some cannibals and kept in captivity; how their captors killed and ate each of his men; how he himself was being prepared to be killed and eaten before Ononando came to his rescue.

“The gods had revealed our mission to the great seer and mandated him to come and save me. He had appeared like a ghost, grabbed me and jumped into the fire my captors would have used to roast me and the moment we jumped into that fire, we disappeared from the cannibals and appeared here,” Ikuku explained.

If not that Ikuku was available to convince them, the people wouldn’t have believed that the young man in their midst was the great seer they were waiting for. They were expecting a man with either bald head or gray hair, and long white beard and moustache. Ononando was a very mysterious man. He had no beginning and it was believed that he would have no end. He had lived for hundreds of years but had not changed. Some people believed that he was a god living amongst humans.

When it was the seer’s turn to speak, he revealed to Umuezu people that the gods were punishing them because their crown prince mistakenly killed the princess of Uduaja Kingdom.  According to Ononando, the prince had gone hunting at the same time the princess of the neighbouring kingdom was taking a tour of the woods. The prince had seen an antelope and fired an arrow at it but unfortunately the arrow missed the animal, but pierced into the chest of the princess, killing her at the spot.

“The gods had been enraged. They would have struck the prince to death instantly but it was a mistake. Besides, the gods wouldn’t kill a crown prince - instead, they would visit his people with hardship and deaths.

“And until the gods are pacified, the situation would not get better. In fact, it will get worse,” Ononando stated.

The seer went ahead to prescribe the solution which included confessing to the Uduaja people and then performing a sacrifice as stipulated by the gods.

Without wasting time, Umuezu Kingdom provided all the items needed for the sacrifice and much more. And it was Ononando himself that performed the sacrifice. At the end, he decreed that the gods had heard their cries of contrition and that things would get better, but would only return to normal when one last condition was met.

“For many years to come, Umuezu Kingdom will not witness the birth of a princess and as long as that is the case, things will not completely return to normal. Honestly speaking, the gods didn’t reveal to me how long the wait will be, but when the rains come in good quantity and at the right time; the streams and rivers get filled with fishes once more; the forests and bushes become populated by lots of animals; and gold and diamond begin to sprout out from the ground like seedlings; just know that the queen is with child. A baby girl! A princess! She will be the only person that can purify and salvage the land. She shall be called Ugomma. She will be the most beautiful creature to be made by the gods and her heart will be more beautiful. She will love humanity with a passion. Fighting for the less privileged will be her greatest source of joy. But most importantly, she must marry the crown prince of Uduaja Kingdom. Her marriage to the prince will mark the climax of a reparatory process that started today. Let me warn that if for any reason Ugomma fails to marry the crown prince of Uduaja Kingdom, she will die a miserable death and Umuezu Kingdom would be visited with even more hardship and deaths than she faced in the last few months. Be warned,” Ononando admonished, jumped into the bonfire made for his transport and disappeared.  

And the wait began.

Prologue to My King and Husband

 

Rosa Mystica hospital, Enugu - The Etimology. The statue of Virgin Mary under the title of Mystical Rose enshrined within the chapel of Montichiari-Fontanelle (Italy) apparitions Location Montichiari and Fontanelle (Italy) Date 1947–1966 Witness Pierina Gilli Type Marian apparition Shrine Sanctuary of Mystical Rose – Mother of the Church Attributes The Blessed Virgin Mary featuring three swords, or three roses in red, white and yellow. Feast day July 13 (feast day) December 8 (at noon, the so-called "Hour of Universal Grace") Rosa Mystica (or Mystical Rose) is a poetic title of Mary. One form of Marian devotion is invoking Virgin Mary's prayers by calling upon her using a litany of diverse titles, and the title 'Mystical Rose' is found in the Litany of Loreto. It is also a Catholic title of Our Lady based on the Marian apparitions reported between 1947 and 1966 by Pierina Gilli at Montichiari and Fontanelle, in Italy. Origins: The Biblical source of the title is Song of Songs 2:1, often translated, "I am the Rose of Sharon". Bishop Robert C. Morlino draws a connection to Isaiah 11:1, "But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. This is also reflected in the German Advent hymn Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, known in English as ""Lo, how a rose e'er blooming", which makes reference to the Old Testament prophecies of Isaiah which in Christian interpretation foretell the Incarnation of Christ, and to the Tree of Jesse, a traditional symbol of the lineage of Jesus. The devotional medal of Maria Rosa Mystica – Mater Ecclesiae Roses have long been connected with Mary, the red rose symbolic of love, the white rose, of purity. In the fifth century, Coelius Sedulius referred to Mary as a "rose among thorns".[4] Known as the “queen of flowers”, the rose represents Mary as Queen of Heaven. Medieval writers also referenced a passage from Sirach 24:14 "like a palm tree in Engedi, like a rosebush in Jericho". Bernard of Clairvaux said, "Eve was a thorn, wounding, bringing death to all; in Mary we see a rose, soothing everybody's hurts, giving the destiny of salvation back to all." Mary is celebrated under the title "Our Lady of the Rose in Lucca, Italy on January 30. Roses feature prominently in the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Ghost in the neighbourhood

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02FdKGzmgEjrirN92xjjWhhAZnqKjW23WFUDM95vyYq2qXa7b4KmDFHR6KHdSxciWal&id=754788651

Acute pyelonephritis of an ectopic kidney in the right iliac fossa can mimick acute appendicitis. If care is not taken, the kidney could be seen as an abnormal mass during appendectomy and removed. Most ectopic kidneys have normal functions and people can live to old age without even knowing that they have ectopic kidney. Therefore, ectopic kidneys SHOULD NOT be removed carelessly. It might be the livewire of the patient. Beware!

Buy Ghost in the neighbourhood

https://paystack.com/buy/ghost-in-the-neighbourhood-raqfeo

Say no to alcoholism and substance abuse

After drinking and smoking Indian hemp, he entered a bike. see what spokes did to his leg. #speedyrecovery

Do you have a crush? Married or single? Do they know you are crushing on them?

A Debian sharing her experience with Dr Ezeokeke book club.

Do you deserve this gift?

The ghost is roaminv in the neighbourhood

Holiday novels

e-copies are available @ #1000.00 each. Enjoy the yuletide

Oakbooks

Presentation and distribution of our latest novel, 'Ghost in the Neighbourhood', sequel to 'Tomorrow may be Mine'

Our latest novel, 'Ghost in the Neighbourhood' which is the sequel to 'Tomorrow may be Mine' will be presented and distributed to interested persons (and everyone should be interested because the story is mindblowing). Venue is Polo shopping mall, Enugu, starting from 3pm on Friday, 17/9/2021 till everyone gets a copy. Those that can't come to Polo shopping mall can indicate when and where we should bring their copies to. We can send via courier if need be. We can equally send the soft copy if that's ok by you. You can buy for yourself, children, other relatives, friends and school children. So do well and indicate the number of copies you want. Also indicate if you want 'Tomorrow may be mine' in addition. A copy of each goes for #1,000 or $5 as the case may be. Pay into Union Bank, 0014499673. Acc name is Ogochukwu Ezeokeke. The cost of courier will be added to the above cost for those staying outside Enugu city. You can reach us on 08035088983( call, sms and whatsapp) or DM us on Messanger or gautshoox@yahoo.com or even through the comment section. Thanks and God bless as you support our ministry.

Not wearing a Mask in Public is like drinking and driving.

 "Hello, Doc!" he greeted loudly as he stepped into the consulting room.

"You are welcome, and happy new year!" I responded.

"I wish you the same, my brother," he said as he pulled a seat and then started laughing.

I was hitherto busy trying to catch up with his medical details but I was distracted by his laughter. "What?" I asked fixing my gaze on him,

He laughed some more before he responded. "So, you still dey wear this thing?" 

I didn't need to ask what he was referring to. I knew what he was talking about. He wasn't the first to ask such question and he will definitely not be the last. In fact, I am so used to the question right now that most often I feel like not responding but I do because it is my duty to educate the ignorant on health matters. Besides, ignorant people in a pandemic are like drunk drivers, they will not die alone. In fact, sometimes, they come out without a scratch, meanwhile they have succeeded in snuffing off many lives. 

"Are you referring to my mask?" I asked rhetorically. "Why should I stop wearing it when COVID 19 is still very much with us?" I said to him. "Honestly speaking, I am tired of wearing it but I have to persevere in order to protect myself, my loved ones and people around me," I added gently.

"Forget that thing," he interjected. "There's nothing like corona virus. They are scamming you people."

I wasn't surprised at his comment. In fact, I was expecting it. Many people including the very educated think that COVID 19 is a scam.

"Who's scamming us and what makes you think it is a scam?" I asked him. I  maintained a high level of cordiality as I spoke to him, otherwise I wouldn't be able to convince him.

"I don't think, I know it is a scam," he insisted. "Government is just using it to steal money." He wanted me to believe him, yet he hadn't made a point to buttress his opinion.

"What is then killing people in Europe and America if you claim that COVID 19 is a scam?" I wanted to know.

"There is COVID 19 in those places. At least when you turn on your TV, you see people in European and American hospitals finding it difficult to breath but here you see people in isolation centres playing football and you want me to believe that COVID 19 exists here. Another thing is that someone will test positive today and before you know it, he tests negative, meanwhile, there is no cure. Doc, they are just using our brains. What we have here is malaria"

By the time he finished, I concluded that what is playing out in our society is the highest level of ignorance and we all are to blame. Both government officials and medical practitioners have not taken their time to enlighten the general public about COVID 19. We have not explained to them that there are three categories of the infected individuals. That there are (1) Asymptomatic people, who don't need any treatment (2) those with mild symptoms, who can recover whether treated or not, and (3) those that are critically ill, who must be treated otherwise they will die. 

We are yet to explain to them that the asymptomatic ones are not sick and that they should actually go about their normal daily businesses but are just isolated to prevent them from infecting others who might become critically ill and die from it. If they know this, they won't be surprised to see those in isolation centres playing football. We have not told them that those that have mild symptoms will recover even when they think it is malaria and take antimalarial drugs. We didn't tell them that it is only the critically ill that are admitted in the treatment centres and given intensive care.

We also didn't let them know that just like most viral infections, that COVID 19 can resolve after a while and that is why people test negative after some time even without any treatment. They also need to know that COVID 19 is mainly the disease of the elderly, the chronically ill  and the immunosuppressed; that just like that drunk driver who may kill many and not die, that carriers with strong immunity can infect many who will die and they (the carriers) won't die.

Even though my patient didn't acknowledge that COVID 19 was real before he left my office, I noticed a subtle change in his attitude after my lecture to him on COVID 19. 

When he came for check up a week later, ladies and gentlemen, he was wearing a mask.

Who sees a bush baby and lives?

 Bush babies also known as Galagoes or Nagapies( meaning 'little night monkeys' in Afrikaans) are small nocturnal primates native to continental Africa. The name 'bushbaby' comes from either the animal's cries or its appearance. The Afrikaans name 'nagapies' is because they are almost exclusively seen at night.

Bush babies have large eyes that give them good night vision in addition to acute hearing and long tail that help them balance. Their ears are bat-like and allow them to track insects in the dark. Their gestational period is 110 to 133 days and young are born with eyes half closed and unable to walk immediately. The newborn weighs less than half an ounce and is fed by mother for six weeks. Female maintains territory but shares it with offspring. Males leave their mothers' territories after puberty but females remain, forming social group consisting of closely related females and their young. Adult males maintain separate territories, which overlap with those of the female social groups, generally, one adult male mates with all the females in an area(Area commander). Males that have not established such territories sometime form small bachelor groups.

Bush babies can be used as pets but this is not commonly done as their diseases could be transmitted to man. Besides, their movement by humans attracts harassment from customs officials. Bush babies communicate by calling to each other and by marking their patches with urine. By following the scent of urine, they can land on exactly the same branch every time.

Myths:

Bush baby also refers to a myth that is used to scare children to stay indoors at night. Most likely arising from the baby-like cry, the unusual nature evolved into a myth about a powerful animal that can kidnap humans. Some believe that whoever sees the animal dies.

Is there any link between this animal and the novel titled 'Bushbaby'? Why not read?

See what a lady was delivered of after many years of pregnancy(Fiboid)

"Good morning, doc!

"Good morning, madam. How are you today?" I smiled at the beautiful lady as she walked into the consulting room. 

"I am fine, thanks," She smiled back at me and sat down, "and you?" 

"Very well, thanks. How may I help you?" 

"I am pregnant, so I came to register for antenatal care," she explained happily. "It's my first pregnancy and trust me, I'm very excited." 

"Congratulations!" That I was happy for her wasn't in question. Anyone that knows what young women with fertility problems go through in the society will be happy for her. 

"Thanks. My husband is so excited, too. He's a very rich and generous man. Rest assured that he'll reward you handsomely if you take good care of me and at the end of my pregnancy, his baby boy is delivered to him in good health," she said to me with a bold smile and my heart leapt for joy. This is the kind of patient I like taking care of, I said to myself. "Oh, I see that you have already done an ultrasound scan." 

"Not yet," she answered, "I hope to get it done today." 

I dropped my pen and focused my gaze on her. "So, how did you know that your baby is a boy?" 

"Because my pastor said so," she answered proudly. 

"Your pastor... told you... that your baby is... a boy?" I asked with disbelief. 

And she nodded. 

"I see," I said, scratched my head and decided to let that slide. Besides it was time to get down to business. I needed to take her history and examine her as quickly as possible. I had already spent so much time with her and soon other patients on the queue would start complaining. "So madam, when did you see your period last?" I asked as I retrieved my pen from the desk. 

"I am on it," she said casually. 

"You are?" I asked not believing her and she nodded. Things were getting complicated so I decided to straighten them out. "Madam, it's not possible to be menstruating while pregnant. Once you become pregnant, you stop menstruating till after your baby is born. If you are bleeding right now, then you're having threatened abortion or retained product of conception," I explained with regret. 

"But I never missed my periods. They always came at the expected time," she said and my jaw dropped. At this point, I needed to ask the basic question. "Did you do a pregnancy test?" I asked her. 

"Nope," she sounded jovial. 

"So how did you conclude that you are pregnant?" I asked with frustration. 

"My pastor said so," she emphasized the words and I got so angry that I felt like punching her in the face. In this age and time? Gosh! "Well, madam...," I started after a brief silence, "I'm not saying that your pastor is wrong but this is a hospital. We practice medicine not miracle. I would have requested a pregnancy test but your tommy is already big enough, we should get an ultrasound scan instead. We need to be sure that what is growing inside of you is truly a baby. It could be fibroid," I didn't voice out the last sentence. I would have been tagged a devil instantly. So I kept that thought to myself. She agreed to go for the scan and when the report came out, the impression was that she had multiple uterine fibroid. When I read the report to her, she shook her head and told me that it was a fine boy not a fibroid and promised to invite me for the baby's church dedication. I smiled and advised her for a myomectomy so that she could get pregnant and have her fine boy but she angrily walked out on me. She came back after more than a year not to show me her 'fine boy' but to agree to the myomectomy and the picture above is what we harvested.