Love In Flying Times

From the streets of Google: Slowly, and in bits and pieces, the idea of the witch emerged. Very broadly speaking, a witch is a person who employs magical entities, which may include powers she carries within her body, to harm others. She doesn’t have to be a female. She certainly doesn’t have to be a hat and a broomstick.

As a Nigerian child, born in the 20^th century, one of the stories I grew up hearing was that of witches. I didn’t quite believe any of them because I never saw manifestations, but the truth is that some of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents did not only witness it, but also practiced it.

Growing up, we were often warned during visitations to our hometowns not to let this aunty’s hand touch our heads, or receive food from this uncle, or go anywhere near that old woman majorly because they have been termed a “witch,” as a result of the havoc they have caused in homes and in the lives of individuals.

They have the ability to transform themselves into something or someone else, especially if they have a mission to accomplish. Oftentimes, it is never for good. It is so tragic that they even harm people close to them, including their children.

A lot of things are changing as Christianity and modernization are taking shape, however, witchcraft did leave permanent scars in the lives of some people and stories that will last forever.

Several years ago, Aunty Carol, after graduating and serving, met a young man and fell in love with him. Their love was like the kind that people would say was written in the skies, but then again, what is love without a little obstacle?

Unfortunately for Aunty Carol, his father did not like her, and as a result, did not approve of their union. He was the only son among several older sisters. His sisters were beautiful and typically a man’s spec, but none of them were married. He was the only one who found his soul mate, and wanted to settle down, but his choice of a wife, being Aunty Carol, did not sit well with his father. Just like most Nigerian parents who don’t shy away from disapproval, the man publicly made it known that he didn’t want her in the family.

While all this was going on, Aunty Carol was informed that this man was a witch. Even though he attended church and was a participating member, he still practiced witchcraft, but Aunty Carol, being a Child of God, did not believe the stories told about him because she always saw him in the church. How could a Christian like this be a witch?

Rumors even had it that he definitely tied down his daughters from getting married with his witchcraft, and he was trying to do the same with his son, but the love Aunty Carol and her partner shared was deeper than whatever it was that was being said. Family members tried to talk her out of it, but she paid deaf ears.

Despite all odds, they got married and lived in Lagos.

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Aunty Carol didn’t conceive in the first few years of her marriage, but the love they had for each other seemed to be waxing stronger.

Eventually, she got pregnant, which was a good thing, but after some months, the husband who would cross oceans and take bullets for her stopped loving her all of a sudden. Aunty Carol experienced the darkest moment of her life at that time. She was not just alone, but she also suffered diverse sicknesses all through the pregnancy. Women are usually known for receiving love and care during the time of pregnancy, but Aunty Carol’s case was the opposite. He would leave for work too early and return very late at night, leaving her to be by herself. When he would return late, he wouldn’t even bother with asking her how she was feeling, or if she had had something to eat.

Apparently, her father-in-law had sworn that since she went ahead to marry his son, she would never conceive, and if she ever did, she would give birth to a dead child, or she would lose her life during childbearing.

Aunty Carol carried the pregnancy for eighteen difficult months.

Her stomach was as large as a woman carrying triplets. Her head became small. She lost a lot of weight. She was a terrible sight.

Aunty Carol went from one medical checkup to another, but they couldn’t find her baby even though he was still alive, unknown to her that her father-in-law, from his coven, had hidden her child somewhere around her ribs, and tied the baby’s head as well. At the hospital, they kept telling Aunty Carol that it wasn’t her due date yet. At some point, she abandoned the hospital and focused on prayers and herbal treatments.

Then, one day, she felt the baby coming, and she was rushed to the hospital by her husband.

You would think that that was the end of her problems, right?

Aunty Carol was ushered into another stage of travail as she was in labor for about two to four days. Her husband, who hadn’t been showing her love and care, stayed with her at the hospital day and night. They tried everything they could, but nothing was working. Caesarean section was the next option, but she had already been warned against it, so she couldn’t take it.

At the hospital, there was this particular nurse who had been gifted with spiritual eyes. She became worried that Aunty Carol had spent too long in the labor ward. When she did her spiritual findings, she saw a dead woman with a baby who was also dead. The nurse conversed with Aunty Carol and asked her some personal questions. Then she told the hospital to send Aunty Carol’s husband home. They succeeded in getting him to leave by telling him to go and look for more money.

Right after her husband left the hospital, Aunty Carol went into actual labor.

She had the baby, a boy, and he came out with stitches around his head; proof that he was truly tied on the head by her father-in-law, and till this day, the scars are still on her son’s head. Also, it was revealed to Aunty Carol that her husband’s presence had been a monitoring source for her father-in-law. Her husband wasn’t told about her delivery until about nine hours later, so that she would have enough time to get well.

When her father-in-law was informed about the successful delivery, her was evidently disappointed.

Aunty Carol didn’t get her peace after her son’s birth. It even became worse. He was always falling sick, and Aunty Carol’s son became a regular patient at the hospital. The relationship with her husband continued to go sour, up to the point where he became abusive to her. Unable to handle the trials anymore, Aunty Carol gave up on the marriage and left.

But that wasn’t even the end for her.

Her father-in-law continued to torment her and seek her life. She became so frustrated that she had to confront him and begged him to leave her alone. After all, she had left their son alone. Of course, he denied having anything to do with her problems. After that, they demanded for her child.

The same child that he wanted to eliminate right from the womb.

Aunty Carol agreed for joint parental custody at first, but she noticed that when her son returned from one of his visits to them, his attitude towards her changed. A once clingy son started to keep his distance. A once respectful son began to talk back at her. A once loving son no longer wanted to live with her. It became so tough for Aunty Carol, as she was the only one fighting the battle that she had to give up the child.

After handing over her son, she still had to confront him about leaving her alone. At least, she had left their son and given them the grandchild they had been asking for.

The moment she left, Aunty Carol felt as though a weight had been lifted from her. She felt free and at peace, but as a mother who went through hell and back for her son, she couldn’t just stay away forever even though a lot of people advised her to never look back.

Every once in a while, she would call her son to check up on him, but his attitude towards her remained the same. She later discovered that his name was changed to something else. Aunty Carol almost went into depression when her son openly told her to stop calling to check up on him.

Aunty Carol met someone else and has other children now; boys and girls, but this part of her life will never leave her memory, especially as she had a child she was forced to abandon completely.