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SINS OF THE PAST

Silently, I took in a deep breath, gathering enough energy to tackle this issue once and for all. "Uncle Chimdi, I have been listening, way too many times, but I can't do what you're asking of me."

He stormed up to his feet. "Why!? Why not, Kasiemobi!? I, your uncle decided you will marry Kamalu and you have the boldness to refute my order! I see you've grown wings to challenge me."

"Uncle Chimdi, that's not what I'm trying to do..."

"See? I said we should tell her the truth but none of you listened to my words and now, she's doing whatever she likes without knowing the consequences of her actions."

I shifted my eyes to Junior, who just spoke. "W-what are you talking about?" I asked as I took a few steps closer to him.

"Enough!" Mum ordered, and we redirected our attention to her seated on one of the single sofas.

"I believe it's prime time we really talk as a family because right now, keeping you in the dark is no longer working... Jachi, Lota, Chidera and Kasie, it's time you all know the actual truth pioneering this family." She stated, not quite meeting our eyes, and that was enough for the three of us to calm down and find a seat on any of the sofas.

Staring at mum, she looked serious, like she was about to say something she didn't want to say and the strangest part, she won't look at my face or meet my eyes during her hesitation. Suddenly, she lifted her eyes to us, to me.

"The reason we've been so hard on you about marrying Kamalu is because if you don't... we all die."

Steadily, a frown appeared between my brows. "W-what?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, that'll be the end of our business, and every single member of Ejindu's lineage will die, no matter where he or she is in the world."

I lowered my eyes from mum, still in disbelief as I blinked a lot more than often. "I... I can't believe this." I started before lifting them back to her. "You... I can't believe you'd make up such a horrible lie just so I would marry this man."

"Kasie, it's not a lie." Aunt Ruby said, and when I looked at her, I've never seen a more serious expression on her face. In her eyes, there was also fear and worry. I felt confused.

"I know what we're telling you is hard to believe, but it's the truth and this truth has been with this family for generations." Mum added, and I couldn't look at her. Honestly, I didn't want to believe a word they were saying.

"Wait, let me get this straight... if Kasie doesn't accept Kamalu as her husband, we... I'm going to die?" Chidera's voice and the unevenness in it was the reason I lifted my eyes to her. She had the word panic was written across her face, which was also getting to me.

"But why? What did we do? Is this a curse?" Lota asked all at once, fear etched in her voice.

Uncle Chimdi's sigh was enough to turn our head in his direction. "It's not a curse. Originally, it was blessing... In the old times, this village wasn't as presentable as it is now. Then, most of its inhabitants were tall grasses, trees and a human population of about two hundred or fewer than that. It was unpopular and regarded as a weakling to its neighbouring villages or even enemies. Our ancestor, Ejindu, he... he wanted to make a change, so he travelled to a far land, met a powerful deity, made a deal that would change his future and brought the idol and its servant back home with him."

There was silence amongst us after he stopped and we waited, not sure if something was coming next in that story.

"What deal did he make?" Jachi asked, she not exempted from the enemy called fear.

"Yes, what was the deal about?" Chidera asked again, a little impatient with her father's delay in spitting the whole truth.

"Every first born of his descendant will readily sacrifice anything the deity asks of, and in return, we get abundant wealth, success and good health. Failure to keep our end of the deal, we will lose our wealth and we will all die, one after the other till neither of us is left on the surface of this earth."

By the time he finished, I'd looked away from him and my heart palpitating against my chest. I folded my hands in tight fists to control my emotion. How is this possible? How can such a thing exist? I know my family can be strange, but not this strange.

"I still don't understand why I have to marry Kamalu."

"Kamalu is a descendant of the deity's servant. He took over his father's place after he passed away." Mum responded, and it took everything in me to spare her a look.

Once again, silence made itself comfortable in our midst.

"So... what you're saying is, someone from this family always get married off to them?" I asked, directing the question and my gaze at uncle Chimdi.

"No, you're the first whose sacrifice is marriage."

I furrowed my brows at his words.

"Yes, generation upon generation sacrifice varies... your father... he sacrificed the ability to have male children."

What?

"Oh God, oh my God." Chidera panicked as she rested her elbows on her knees and rested her head in her palms. "I can't believe I might die without getting married, having kids, or even getting to see the world."

"You will not die if Kasie marries Kamalu." Junior stated. His gaze fixated on me and that was enough for the rest to fixate their gaze on me. I stared back at them, unable to say what they would like to hear.

"Did anyone actually sacrifice a human life?" Lota suddenly asked and when the elders spared her a look and didn't give a reply but wore a shameful look on their faces, she gasped, covering her mouth with both her hands.

"Kasie, look... we understand and we know doing this is going to be hard for you, but... our lives are on the line. It's not just another union. This will save us all." Uncle Chimdi's voice softened.

"Then, what next? My first child in the future will also have to meet its demand and if it wants a human head? Should he do it?" The strength I had to reply resurrected from somewhere or something I wasn't sure of. My feelings were all over the place. I didn't know if I felt upset, frustrated, or disappointed.

"Kasie." Mum called, and I shifted my gaze to her. "As your mother, don't you think it breaks my heart that I have to give you away for these reasons but... I've made peace with it and my sacrifice is to let you go. Please... accept your fate and say yes to his proposal."

With my heart palpitating against my ribcage, my breathing became a little louder. I gulped down hard and blinked a lot more than usual. I was feeling it, the pressure I desperately didn't want. Why me? Why this? I would give anything to make this a nightmare so I could wake up and realise it all wasn't true.

Then, I watched each of their faces, their eyes held plea and finally, unable to take it, I stood to my feet. "I'm sorry but... I can't do this right now." Quick, I turned away and hurried my steps out of the living room before anyone else can say something.

My steps up the stairs were fast, likewise down the corridor and finally into my room. I shut the door and couldn't help pacing forth and back in front of the bed as I rubbed my hands together.

This is insane. This makes little sense. My life literally cannot be of some Nollywood plot. Suddenly, I stood. Does this mean all of this, the wealth is not real? We've been rolling in ritual money all this time?

Urgh. I took my seat on the bed, rested my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. I shook my head. "This isn't happening. Oh, this isn't happening."

A knock came through the door. I lifted my head to spare the door a look, my sight falling on the lock, and I recalled I didn't lock it.

"Kasiemobi." Mum called as she opened the door and walked in without waiting to hear a reply from me. I looked away from her and stood on my feet.

She stood, staring at me. I didn't have a word to say either, so I looked anywhere else but at her.

"I tried... I tried to make this easier for you by not telling you the entire truth." Mum said, and I looked at her. "So, we've been living off evil money for generations?"

"It's okay if you see it that way, but... it's not. Our surname to the world leads them to this village. We're developed and soon, there'll be availability of electricity. The schools, markets, and even the king's palace were built with our help. We trained so many of them in school... It's not all bad because your ancestor brought a change."

"By sacrificing his family? Mum, we can all drop dead if that deity says so... This is bad. God, I should have seen the signs. We rarely go to church and yet, we've been abundantly wealthy for generations."

"That's not how it works, Kasie."

For a moment, I looked away from her, still unable to grasp all I've heard so far. My gaze was back on her. "And dad... did he or anyone from this family try to change things? Or was he okay with what we had?" I had to ask, to know if I even knew my father at all, and the thought of finding out he could be okay with this scared me.

"Yes, your father tried. When Kamalu's father informed us of your sacrifice, you were still in my womb."

I furrowed my brows.

"He might not have said it, but he hated this secret and the deal our family had to keep. The thought of letting you marry into that family..." I watched her shake her head. "... he couldn't, so he tried to look for ways to get us out of this deal but, it wasn't just an idol... it's a powerful and ancient deity. He was interfering, so they killed him."

I raised my brows. "I thought you said he..."

"That was a lie." She was quick to interrupt. Quietly, I drew in a deep breath as I looked away. This is big. I belong not only to a lineage of ritualists, and now I find out someone or rather a spirit that can't be convicted, murdered my father.

I felt her arms around me. "If I could take this burden off your shoulders, trust me, I would do it within a blink of an eye but I can't... I'm hoping you'll put everyone's welfare ahead of yours and do what's right."

I looked into her eyes and it was clear she meant what she said. The only question left was, can I do what they're asking of me? Can I ignore the fact that my future will be nothing like I want if I indeed accept this proposal? Really, who am I?