The Atmosphere raged violently on Amadi, the struggle to get home grew worse as his throat was hot and in need of water. Alone in shakaza bush with nothing to eat or drink, he journeyed with no direction and no help.
The grasses grew thicker as the bush looked so deep, he pushed down tree branches, stepped upon insects. He was feasted upon by mosquitoes and the serpent whisper was close like day to night.
Nothing seemed to make sense and surely there were no logical explanation on how he got to this very thick bush.
As someone with a very tender skin, the leaves did him no good as he quickly reacted to it with swollen faces and scratches. However his confusion and state of mind was the greater pain for him.
He couldn't see any of his friends most especially Uzo who was with him.
••••••••
It was a fun night at Chukwa graduation party, everyone had eat and drank. Those who made out did it without thinking. Chukwa just graduated from the University and he invited his friends including Amadi. Amadi was always known to be a church boy and it shocked everyone that he came for such a party. He drank so much that he got hailed that he would one day be a drunker.
The party lasted through out the night that it felt like days had gone by.
"Amadi won't you go home" Uzo commented as he saw his friend drowning himself in more and more bottles. "Uzo leave me alone, don't I deserve to enjoy myself" Amadi replied with a staggering voice and it felt as though he was already drunk. "Uzo leave him alone, my brother enjoy yourself" Chukwa joined ithe conversation. "But he has drank too much" Uzo cut him short. They were about to argue when Amadi asked for more bottles.
It was clear he had a lot on his mind and even Uzo could see it, he however refused to say anything. He kept on drinking and as usual ladies got to meet him that he remembered not his once son of a pastor title.
Everything felt like heaven on Earth for Amadi, however the question remained how did he get to this Bush.
•••••••
The Alcohol in his system began to clear as he struggled to dragged his feet. The bush looked like it was alive and wanted him dead by the minute. He knew he needed to rest his head, but he wasn't sure were was safe. The concept of day and night felt impossible to differentiate, as tall trees with large branches covered the sky and all that was found beneath it, either was dead or struggled to survive. With no light, water and direction, sanity became insane.
Nothing look alright and all that mattered to him was getting out. From the brushes of the leaves by no wind or the sounds of birds he couldn't see or was it the movement of something through the grasses yet he saw nothing. All he knew was the bush was nothing like the once his father spoke about. Shakaza bush was dreaded by the brave and the hopeful, no one enters it for the sake of safety. It was both scary and lonely with no idea of what lies in those leaves.
Yet the question remained how he got to this dreaded place?
••••••••••
Safety is so underrated.
••••••••
"Daddy today's service was powerful" Amadi spoke while running to Pastor Timothy(His father). "It's all God my son" Pastor Timothy replied smiling. They walked to the entrance of the church and Amadi kept smiling. His church has always been a place of wonders, he sees people speaking in tongues, people falling down and sometimes prophesy. The move of God always so mighty in his church, as the son of a pastor it ought to be his right. He desire that feeling so much and crave for an in feeling of the holy ghost.
From marathon prayers to non stop fasting, the desire for power was always on his mind. Leading him or devouring him, who knows?
•••••••••
Like the audible sounds of thousands cricket, he could hear walking. He felt as though it was one of his friends, so he kept calling out their names, "Uzo, Chukwa, Mary!" He kept calling out hoping the footsteps was for one of them. Yet no reply, just more deafen silence. Suddenly, if like the footsteps got more intense, like someone running and panting towards him. In that moment he became cold, like electric surging through his inside. He knew something was coming but didn't know what to do. If he ran, where does he go? If he stays, is he safe? At that point his adrenaline won the argument and he took his heels. He ran so fast into the bush that he cared not what he was running to. The bush had no ending, he just kept on running deeper into it. The chase continued as the person behind didn't relent, it was a matching pace and he knew he was in for it.
He just couldn't stop running…
••••••••••
"Amadi don't kill yourself na" his brother emeka replied him on getting home from church. "Emeka keep quiet, you look at papa; a man we know so well at home. What is special about him, yet he does so many miracles in church" he turned back. "That's because he has a personal relationship with God na" Emeka replied him "Don't tell me that, we both know I fast and pray more than daddy. I stayed longer in the secret place. How many portals has daddy open. I have ascended dimensions in God" Emeka bursted laugh "After all this things, you can't still heal the sick yet daddy that eats starch and Banga, sleep well. Does it everytime, don't that tell you something is wrong with your equation?" "They sent you annoy him abi, but you see this thing daddy is enjoying, I will know the secret and when I do the whole world would know Apostle Dr Amadi.
•••••••••
Give and take man must survive, Amadi knew not where he went. However first instinct was safety. The more he went the more he got more lost with lesser chances of remembering how he came. The trees looked alike, everything felt the same. It felt as though he was where he started from, yet he knew moved from there.
Looking around, he was more confused as to what next to do.