– By Obinna Ejide
‘Who’s that shouting?’
‘Mama Bisi! Oh my God, Blacky!’
‘Jehovah! Blacky!
‘Blacky stop! Blacky!!!’
The black beast had already sprung upon the woman.
I released my grip on the bars behind the window in the parlour where mother and I were standing and dashed towards the exit, galloping down the staircase that led to the ground floor. I could still hear mother’s screams at the black beast from upstairs as I tore along our compound towards the main gate where Blacky held Mama Bisi hostage on the ground. Mama Bisi’s cast was trembling painted in the dust. Her head tie became Blacky’s socks as the beast dragged its feet away from Mama Bisi, the end of her waist wrapper in its mouth and its head beating in the air sideways as its tail waggled along in consonance.
‘Blacky stop it!’ I barked and raised my hand to smack him. The beast cringed, whimpering as it walked away, into its cage with its tail-suspended between its hind legs.
‘Are you alright, ma?’ I offered my hand to lift her from the ground, but her hands were cupped on her breasts. The nipples poked at my face as she readjusted the left side of her brazier. I looked away with a prudish face into the vegetable garden nearby.
‘I dey fine,’ Mama Bisi’s voice was the sound of a broken flute. She picked herself up from the ground, wiped the dust off her body using her head tie, and walked away like nothing had happened.
Mother was already downstairs by the time I reached Blacky’s cage. The black beast had sat upright and quiet on the floor like a figurine, its ears fell like the countenance on its face. It drew an arc gently on the dusty floor with its tail, its eyes pleading. My face reeled with a smile.
‘That’s my girl!’ I said, patting the dog’s head. The beast approved with a bark, its tongue revealing dots of tomato seeds, and dangled its tail. It was that period of the day when men were labouring for daily bread, and Mama Bisi had come into our compound to steal from our garden.
‘She wan steal pepper, Blacky come show am pepper!’ Mother laughed.
************
Objects appeared grotesque in the darkness; some resembled idols, even our garden looked like a shrine. Home sweet home. I had been away in school for nine months, and when I returned nobody was home; I had been informed accordingly, though. But the atmosphere was dead. I trudged along the compound, the heaviness of my backpack drawing sweat from my face and armpits. Two distinct blue eyes in the distance, like periwinkles in a black soup, caused me to halt.
‘Blacky?’
No sound. Just eyes.
I moved one step forward, the creature moved another backward. I made to draw my phone from my pocket to reach for its light, the creature disappeared.
‘Bla-ckyyyyy,’ I whistled. The beast barked from its cage. I walked towards the cage; power was immediately restored and I could see Blacky pressing itself against the wall inside the cage, shaking. I took out a biscuit from my pocket and inside the cage. The beast initially recoiled, but the lust of the flesh triumphed at the end. I fed it another crunch in my palm; the beast smelt me and came out, licking my body as it danced around me in excitement. It lay its back on the ground and spread open its hind legs, like a cheap prostitute. That very moment, I wished I had a pistol.
‘Bitch, you’re a goat
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