It’s raining again today, like it did yesterday and the day before. Rainy days are signature of June, my birth-month and the month I finally walked away.
Childhood in the Beluah temple cast some indelible marks in my life. Shadows that followed me where ever I went. The temple where father was a priest was situated along the Benin-Lagos road; rapid industrialization had fished it out from hiding, I was told. There I was born, and many more some who never saw the light of the day.
Ose and I were home-schooled. Mum taught us all she knew, it didn’t matter that she barely passed WASSCE. We were special, she always reminded us, and should not mix with other children. But I soon found it was the reverse. Often the children from the street threw stones into the compound. They pointed fingers and giggled at me when they felt I wasn’t looking.
I always sat at the balcony, daydreaming about setting foot on the dusty ground of the streets just beyond the gates. I longed for a time I will be allowed that freedom and maybe even extend it to visit distant lands. I sat at the balcony by 7am and 2pm, every day, as pupils went to and fro school hoping that one day I will be allowed to join them. But father would never hear it. No one ever leaves Beluah, he would say in measured tones, we are custodians of the mystical order. The farthest we were allowed to go was the gate where we doubled as gate-keepers to throw open the gates for throngs of Beluah worshipers.
I hated home-schooling and I made my displeasure known. Ose did not seem to mind though, he was the perfect Esomo Beluah. Father might have admired my defiance (he never admitted it though), but it was clear that he loved Ose’s loyalty more.
The year I turned 11, I knew I could take no more so I rebelled. Father threatened fire and brimstone while Mum wept in the corner but nothing was going to change my resolve. Not the first lash of the whip on my bare back which shot needles of pain into the deepest parts of me, nor the thirtieth lash which drew blood from my skin, already numbed with pain. I didn’t shed a single tear as he finally let me go; we both knew I had won the day. A month later, on a rainy day in June, I was sent off to Government College, Owerri. Freedom had come at last and I never looked back.
The college swallowed me up the first week. There were questions to be answered, friends to be made and adventures to be embarked on. With respect to the latter, it was intriguing for me learning the skilful art of dodging notorious senior students. Every day I spent in the school was worth the 30 lashes I had endured – the price of freedom.
One day, Uche, the class prefect asked which church I attended at home. I was confused; all I knew was Beulah and I told them as much. That was my undoing. Overnight, I became a plague among my mates for no one would associate with the child of a temple priest. And so if at night I stared at the stars, I was accused of magic and when I became thirsty at night, it was blood I drank. The beautiful free life I had found in Government College ended before it even began.
My days became lonely with no one to talk to and my nights, long and teary. It was on one such night that I remembered Ose. I had been so caught up in the euphoria of my freedom that I had forgotten all about him. I thought of his puffy eyes as he waved me goodbye the day I left home. Going back home was not even an option for me, so I faced the ‘giant’ in school with all the bravery I could muster. I was after all the daughter of Ehiosu, fifth in the lineage of priests for the great Beluah. I graduated with the best result ever recorded in the college and the university college admitted me to study Economics with full funding from the Commonwealth fund.
It’s my birthday today, another rainy day in June, and I still love to sit on balconies. I had just read the pages of my diary and a wave of sadness courses over me. But over that sadness, I feel a comforting satisfaction in knowing I made the right choices. Life has no place for the man who waits for things to happen to him but rather the one who goes out and makes things happen for him.
I do not know what became of Ose. I hear he replaced my Father, after he passed on, as the priest and caretaker of Beluah. I suppose he would have a loyal family – wife and children who would be home-schooled by their mother, without any complaints. I wonder if he ever thinks of me, the rebellious one. The one who got away, on a rainy day in June.
By Chizzy Odilinye
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Words Are Work … and fun too!
I always thought there’s something different about you. I guess this answers it a bit. happy birthday Chizzy.
Exactly Nnamdi. Glad you finally figured it out..
Very nice piece which kept me looking forward to what the next line beneath had in store with its subtle suspense.
Always proud of my sister and twin! U keep amazing me! Hbd beautiful
Twinnie of life, thanks dearie. love you
Another masterpiece from Chizzy as usual… Birthday girl 😉
This is indeed a very nice and captivating piece, keep it going dear…I see the next best writer in you
A good writer just knows how to work that balance between fiction and reality. I just sat glued to my laptop trying to reconcile Chizzy and Beluah. Lool. Good stuff. Happy birthday!
Like my good friend Deborah will say, “when fiction is believed to be true, that is fiction”
thank you Bonasera
Chizzy, This is awesome. I so much love this piece. As I read, I began to imagine things and I almost forgot this piece is fiction. You’re really a good writer, Keep it up.
Much love my dear and Happy Birthday to you!!!
thanks dearie. I am blushing from ear to ear. cheers
Nice one . Happy birthday Chizzy
Classic! Such mastery @ Chizzy. Tnx 4 ur birthday gift 2 us.
Amazing!
Great piece dear
Lovely piece, happy birthday dear, Jesus loves you
Chizzy has come again. Beautiful piece!!
Perfect use of words and coherency. Keep it up and HBD.
interesting and captivating. but Chizzy is it just a fiction?
you can decide what it is..
so tell me, what do you think?
Chizzy. Beluah. Ose. Government College Owerri. June. Ehiosu. Rainy days. Uche. Esomo Beluah. WASSCE. Benin-Lagos road. Commonwealth. Happy birthday…
Hmmmmm
Nice piece dear. God enlarge ur dream, Happy birthday
Great write up. Happy birthday dear
Nice piece. Quite captivating. Happy birthday swty
U really don’t need anyone to be happy. Happiness lies within you. I’m happy u’re happy, on dis special day. The piece was masterclass, but I’m not surprised. My #EditorInChief
Collinzo, thank you
wooow wooow i was lost in thought n reality. thats awesomly awesome chizzy
Chizzy hun… U know how i admire your writings.. If only i could write as awesome as u do… Cool stuff hun… Proud of ya.
Thanks Zay.
Chisom will always say that there is a story in everyone.. so just maybe..
Happy birthday Chizzy
slowly and steadily u getting there. Always refreshingly different. Tanks for de excellent birthday gift. You are de best.
Your encouragement keeps me going. Thank you so much Kunle
Nice one! Happy Birthday Chizzy…. dont know how u ended as a engineer but this is awesome.
Richard, I am still asking myself that o
This piece is awesome… I was standing while reading it, though a little disappointed it had to end.
Great piece… Happy birthday!!! Chizzy
Obi dear, everything that has a beginning will have an end.
Thank you for reading.
Chisom, where are thou?
My dear, I’m just here, thoroughly overwhelmed by all the love pouring out on you. Well-deserved love, I must add. You are a beautiful writer, Chizzy, you know it. I know it more. Happy birthday again, sweetie
You know I could never have done it without you. Bear hug for you
Happy Birthday Chizzy….
Nice write up…
So Ose is a Full time Jazzman???
Heheheheheheh
Thank you AVTOMAT.
Ose chose the path he wanted. We all have choices to make.
OK, I got it late! Still am glad I read through it. Is fiction yes but is what you can do in life. Thumps up strawberry, you get better by the day. Happy rainy birthday. Heaven is your limit my friend my sister!
Thanks Vanilla,
Indeed you can be all you want to be. We are of they that break barriers
Nice write up…thumps up for u…chizzy
Nice dear
You write so well. I am inspired by your excellence. Keep it up! By the way, I can relate to this childhood. I think the farthest place we went was the gate. That’s why i value freedom.
Couldn’t take my eyes of it from the beginning to the end. A time well spent for me on a Sunday in another town on a rainy day.
“Life has no place for the man who waits for things to happen to him but rather the one who goes out and makes things happen for him”. I’m yet to recover from this and I may never. Good one dear. U’r great