Unfinished business

FORWARD- This is the continuation of chrysalis.

Chrysalis- /kryselis/- A pupa,especially of a moth or butterfly enclosed in a firm case or cocoon at it's early stage of development

"When a body is sent back to earth in another body,as a young child,they have dreams and flashes of memory of their past lives but too young to comprehend or say exactly what they see. Whatever happened in their past lives affects what happens in their present lives,am sure you wonder how? I would tell you,it is quite simple, if someone was a good person in his previous life and died tragically or died without feeling fulfilled,they come back to earth and become successful,as a way of being paid back by God,but if the wealth gets into their head and they misbehave,they at their death are returned back to earth and they keep returning until they achieve a state of purity through their deeds and are then welcomed into God's arms"

I looked on,totally enamored with all the Marabout has said but still on the fence about the issue,he had tried to talk me to understand why we had to dig up our late dad's grave, we sat by the logs of burning fire outside,the chilly wind blowing softly,I pondered,thinking about meeting a supposed reincarnate of my late dad in the land of the living,it felt surreal


"What if he's a young boy" I asked

The Marabout smiled,turned to look at me and said

"Smart boy...smart boy...yes,it is a possibility that he might be a small boy but don't worry,if you meet,you would feel the connection and you would hear all you need to know"

"But what if he isn't prepared to see us? I mean,he might not remember" I replied

"What father doesn't want to reconnect with his son?" He said firmly,I sighed,this is tough,I obviously wouldn't want to disturb dad's peace and oh lord! Exhuming my own dad's grave because some Marabout claims he is reborn somewhere here on earth? What if he is reborn a  white kid and the "new" mother won't buy our bullshit,lol,different thoughts coursed my mind but I didn't want to ask the man so as not to sound like am intentionally trying to piss him off.

Meanwhile resting upstairs,events of the past few hours earlier kept replaying in mom's mind,she sat on a soft couch,reflecting on the argument she had had with the Matriarch of the Adagiri home...

"... THE WAY YOU INSIST ON NOT HAVING HIS GRAVE EXHUMED,IT MAKES ME WONDER IF YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DEATH AND CAN'T STAND SEEING HIS REINCARNATION"

Matriarch had thundered,Mom was taken aback,she's been accused by bad belles and dad's family a lot of times about killing dad but this felt deep,probably because a part of the statement was right, can she stand seeing her late husband's reincarnate? If it's true all this voodoo stuff works,we are nigerians so in our heart of hearts,we sort of believe and fear the african voodoo.

Mom let out a petrified exhale,looking absently at the ceiling totally unaware of my presence

"Mom...MOM...MOMMY"

I called out three times before she jolted out of her reverie

"Oh sorry son,I was lost in thoughts" she said rubbing her eyes

"Mom,why are you getting worried? All this stuff won't work and on the bright side of things,meeting dad's reincarnate shouldn't be so bad now, should it? I mean we get to ask questions and also dad's mom gets chastised for her role in his death and all that"

I said,trying to raise her spirits,she smiled and said it was fine,I stood up and sauntered into the sitting room upstairs in our own chambers in the massive Adagiri country home where my brothers and some of our cousins were playing a game of football on playstation,I couldn't help but imagine what life would have been like if all our dads were to be alive,I walked past all of them and went downstairs to take a leisurely stroll within the vast compound when I saw the Marabout again,mumbling some inaudibly words,walking around the house with some sickening smelling incense,who knows,maybe to invoke dad's spirit since his tomb is within the compound,I was quite pissed at his sight at that moment,almost tempted to ask how much dad's mom was paying him for his services

"Am just sick and tired of all these reunions" I thought to myself,just at that moment,the Marabout smiled at me and walking towards me,he said my dad misses me, "AH!" I exclaimed in my mind,the Marabout continued

"He was very fond of you am I right?" The Marabout asked

"Yes...which father isn't fond of their sons?" I asked

"A lot,trust me,a lot,I could feel the his energy around you! Soon,you would meet with him in a new body" he said,I just nodded that I have heard him

Few hours later, we were all gathered around dad's tombstone,smoke puffed from an earthen black pot and the Marabout chanted some gibberish that sounded like a dirge,my brothers and I were cladded in just rafia palm to cover our modesty,I looked around but didn't see Mom,she ought to be here,I thought.

Just as the Marabout was about to address us about how to proceed with exhuming the grave,Mom appeared with some policemen and respected islamic clerics in the community and they halted the proceedings,I heaved a sigh of relief,it was as though I could hear my pop saying "no son,don't disturb my sleep,no don't " I was so glad it was over,the islamic clerics chanted quranic verses and called us all out and preached about how what we were about to do was wrong, the Matriarch kept eyeing my mom with scorn and my mom back,she just doesn't fear that woman again,lol

Obviously, the Matriarch had other reasons why she wanted the graves of her late sons exhumed and not just because she misses them! But what could it be?

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