"But I don't even understand, sef," Obinna's voice echoed with worry in the dimly lit room.
Eze's mind struggled to grasp where he was and what had transpired. How long had it been? Why did the room feel suffocatingly hot? As his eyes slowly flickered open, he felt the sight of Obinna pacing by the makeshift hospital bed.
"He's up! Eze, Mr Man, what happened?" Obinna inquired.
But Eze's anger simmered just beneath the surface.
"What do you mean, what happened?" he shouted. "Are you not the one who abandoned me there? For what?"
"Abandoned you? That's a weird word choice Eze," Obinna responded, his confusion evident. "Why would I ever abandon you behind in a situation like that?"
Obinna would then shortly recall his own version of the bizarre events in the cave.
"You followed us, remember?" His words hung in the stifling air. "We were investigating why there was no light in the weird cave, no matter what you tried."
Eze was skeptical, to say the least, "Mm mm. I remember that part sha. What if the one after that? Is Chinwe here?"
As if summoned by the conversation, Chinwe made her entrance through the doorless door. "You called?"
"Begrudgingly," Eze muttered, crossing his arms.
"Well, since it seems like you're is still waking up, would you like me to recount what happened?" Chinwe offered.
Eze sighed, resigned to his situation. He could barely move any part of him that wasn't his wildly gesticulating arms after all. "Well, it's not like I have much of a choice, do I?"
"After we told you that you didn't want to leave, you followed us, alright," said Chinwe.
"I'm telling you, I didn't," he argued.
"You did follow us. But silently. You didn't say a single thing as you followed us. Then suddenly, you just jerked towards the left of us and collapsed randomly. What actually happened, Eze?" Chinwe's eyes searched his face for answers.
"Well, it's simple. I..." Eze began, attempting to explain himself, but his words were abruptly cut off.
Then, he seemed to seize in place, as if his heart had stopped, his body freezing mid-sentence.
"NO, ADI!" A strange, echoing voice shouted, echoing through his mind.
"HUH?" Eze shouted back, his voice cracking with confusion.
"ADI, I SAID NO!" The voice insisted, its tone growing more urgent, more insistent.
"What are you saying, Eze? What's going on? Are you really alright?" Chinwe's words came out in a rush, her eyes wide with alarm. It was as if the room seemed to close in on him, the air becoming 3 times thicker.
"Guy, guy!" Obinna's voice sliced through the tense air.
"Jesus Christ, Obinna, what did we do? Do you think he's..." Chinwe's voice wavered, grabbing Obinna's shoulders to shake.
"No, no, no. Of course not! We won't overreact here. Maybe he's just having a hard time... um... putting together a sentence, maybe," Obinna said, attempting to sound confident.
"He hasn't moved for like a hundred seconds, Obinna!" Chinwe's words rushed out, her hands nervously fidgeting.
"Too few seconds for you to be worrying. Maybe just wait a bit. Give him some time," he said, trying to reason his way out of the situation.
The room fell into an oppressive silence. Not a single sound dared to disturb the heavy quietude as Obinna and Chinwe stared, their eyes fixed on Eze's motionless body. Obinna's gaze wandered, desperately seeking distraction in the rough texture of the walls and the sparse light filtering through the open windows, only serving to intensify the stifling heat in the room. Chinwe, however, couldn't tear her eyes away from the main topic at hand: Eze, who remained as still as a statue.
As the silence stretched on, it soon became unbearable for both of them. Chinwe's voice broke through the hush. "Obinna, I don't think we can ignore this anymore! We have to do something, get help, anything!"
Obinna stole a quick glance at his friend. Then he looked at the scared Chinwe, who he knew wasn't good in these situations. He couldn't deny it any longer.
"This isn't normal. Let's go quickly."
Time hung suspended in the room. The remnants of activity seemed to dissolve into the air, leaving behind an uncanny silence reminiscent of a historic event recreated in a museum display.
Then, as if thawing out from an icy slumber, Eze stirred, his breaths echoing through the room like a man surfacing from the depths of a submerged ship. He was left in that familiar loneliness again.
"Why does everything always go wrong for Eze Adi?" he murmured, shaking his head.
He investigates his hand, turning it over as if searching for answers in his skin.
"What is even happening to me?"
He clenched his fist, striking his chest. Thud. Once more, a resounding echo resounded. Thud. And then, with a final, desperate swing, he struck himself, as if seeking to awaken from a perpetual nightmare.
At that moment, the room crackled with otherworldly energy.
For the first time since rainy season, a gust of wind swept through the room, carrying an electric charge that seemed to infuse the very air. Eze's heart, the epicentre of this strange occurrence, began to emit a strong, blue glow.
"Blue? What's happening oh?" Eze whispered. The wind howled for a brief eternity before leaving completely. There was now that familiar tranquillity again.
"Mary, mother of Jesus," Eze gasped, collapsing onto his bed, his pulse racing. It was a bizarre mix of awe and terror. But more importantly, EXHAUSTION.
"Mary? I am not Mary," a voice replied, cutting through the silence like a hot knife through butter.
With a shiver of dread, Eze turned his head slowly, beads of sweat clinging to his forehead. There, on the other side of the room, stood the same accursed black, blue-veined spider that had entangled him in this mess in the first place.
"JESUS!" he exclaimed, catapulting out of the bed with a speed that defied reason.
"I'm not Him either, you know. I'll give you a few more guesses," the spider said calmly.
Eze's mind whirred like gears in a rusty clock as he stammered, "B-Buddha?"
"Are you stupid?" the spider responded coolly.
"Mother Nature?" Eze ventured weakly.
"Yeah, right."
"Z-ZEUS?" he tried again, genuine confusion edging his voice.
The spider scoffed. "That fool? Please."
"Then what... why... and who are you?" Eze stammered, attempting to maintain a cautious distance between them.
The Spider shook its head in dismay. "You really do not know, abi? Does Anansi ring a bell?"
A burst of realization erupted in Eze's mind. "Anansi? Anansi? The trickster god? That Anansi?"
"There we go," the Spider confirmed.
"Please, PLEASE, abeg, don't kill me!" Eze pleaded, his voice quivering with fear.
"WHY SHOULD I NOT?" the spider suddenly thundered, its voice echoing with a depth that shook the very room. Simultaneously, it grew in size, looming menacingly over Eze. The room would start to fill up with complete and utter darkness, only illuminated by blue veins.
"PLEASE!" Eze begged, his terror now palpable.
"Abeg e, calm down," the spider said, its tone softening as it gradually shrank back to its original size.
"Why are you here? Here in Lagos, Nigeria of all places?" Eze questioned, his voice finally steadying, albeit still laced with apprehension.
"Trust me, I would've preferred to go to Ghana as well. But I'm here because of reasons beyond your understanding. I deem you as a worthy host for me, Eze Adi," the spider explained cryptically.
"Host? Host for what?" Eze pressed, his curiosity mingling with his fear.
"I am a weaver of tales, a spinner of destinies, and the keeper of all stories. I require a vessel in this world to carry out my divine duties. You, Eze, you shall become a conduit for my stories, the one who will protect this cluster with me, like my own mini adventurer. You are my chosen one," Anansi explained, his voice resonating with a strange mixture of authority and amusement.
"Chosen... One," Eze repeated, the weight of the words sinking in. This was all moving too fast for him, the reality of his situation unfathomable. "Me?"
Anansi tilted his head, the blue veins on his jet-black body pulsating with an otherworldly glow. "Yes, chosen one. If that's what you want to call it."
"But what about my dreams? My ambitions? Everything I set out to do with my life? I don't want to just throw everything away!" Eze protested,.
The spider perked up, almost baffled at Eze's words. Eze hesitated, his mind caught between fear and fascination. The prospect of being part of something grander than himself was both alluring and terrifying. "What if I refuse?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Anansi's eyes softened, and for a moment, he seemed almost paternal. "Look at you. A pathetic and worthless specimen. No life, passable academics, and no real family to speak of," the spider's words dripped with a peculiar mix of contempt and pity, emphasizing Eze's perceived shortcomings.
"You are the first useless mortal to even consider rejection for a normal life. WHAT NORMAL LIFE? YOU HAVE NO NORMAL LIFE TO FALL BACK ON, YOU FATHERLESS, MOTHERLESS MORSEL!" Anansi's voice rose, his words cutting deep, finding their mark in the softest parts of Eze's heart.
"That..."
Tear began to well in hs eyes. No one had ever spoken to him like this before.
"Refusal, my dear Eze Adi, is a luxury you no longer possess. A luxury that I no longer possess. Fate has woven our threads together, and now, we embark on a journey that transcends mortal comprehension. Embrace the power of stories, for they are the essence of existence," Anansi declared, his voice now resonating with somber, ancient wisdom as if ignoring the fact that he had just berated this poor orphan.
"Think of it this way, Eze, you are like a superhero now," the spider said, scurrying closer towards him. "And everyone likes to be a hero... right?"
But rather than feeling excited, He was saddened by the spider's words. Even a literal god found his position hilarious. He had slumped down, sitting with his hands around his knees, and his head buried deep inside them, consumed by a profound sense of hopelessness.
As the spider stamped the bed, veins travelled from it towards Eze, snaking upwards to his eyes, forcing his head up and drying the tears almost instantly.
"Was what I said truly that impactful to you? Humans these days and their lack of emotional resolve. Come on, be excited or something," Anansi urged.
"If you're really going to be stuck with me for eternity or something, this is not a good first impression, Anansi," Eze retorted
"Eh heh! So, should I wipe your brain and start over?" Anansi teased, a mischievous glint in its eyes.
"W- What?!? NO!" Eze exclaimed, his fear returning in full force, his heart pounding in his chest. His body tensed up, and he involuntarily shuddered at the thought of losing his memories.
"Then STOP THE INSOLENCE!" Anansi's voice boomed, its echo bouncing off the walls of the makeshift cave.
"F-fine, fine, I will,"
"Now finally, Eze Adi, are you ready?"
"For...what?"
"Eze Adi," Anansi said "As my chosen vessel, your existence will be interwoven with purpose and pain. Even with its grandeur, your divine vocation has a price. You will carry the weight of folktales from long ago, the anguish of unrealized dreams, and the tragedies of lost souls. The cries of the oppressed will resound in your heart, and the tragedies of the world will haunt your dreams. You will bear the weight of all of humanity's stories together, a thick shroud of grief over your shoulders. You will experience the entire range of human emotion in its most unadulterated form, seeing the heights of happiness and the depths of despair. Your own being will become infused with other people's pain, transforming you into a sympathetic and perceptive being. Trials will plague your path, and sacrifices necessary to achieve your mission will be made. But through it all, you will shine like a lighthouse of hope, shedding light on the shadows with the knowledge of old folktales, and you will find strength in your pain."
"Huh?"
"Shall I repeat myself?"
"Oh no, please, it's not necessary!"
"I see. Any questions then?"
"Ok... so what is this divine duty that you spoke about?"
"Is it because I calmed down that you want to ask me silly questions suddenly?"
"Why do I suddenly feel better? Like I don't know, I feel a whole lot more confident suddenly,"
"Hmph, aren't you an inquisitive one? Well, here's a twist you didn't expect," the spider said with a mischievous glint in its eyes. "The duty is simple. There is no duty! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"What? So what was the long speech for?" Eze asked.
"It's not too late for me to recreate your memories, you know," Anansi teased, his laughter echoing eerily in the room.
"Sorry," Eze stammered, realizing he had been played. Although, his question hadn't exactly been answered.
He continued to laugh at his not-so-funny joke until suddenly, the door creaked open slightly. Anansi vanished, taking the black and blue illumination with him, leaving the room in its ordinary, dim hospital light.
In walked Obinna, then Chinwe.
"See? I told you!" Obinna said, his chest puffed out with confidence.
"EZE!" Chinwe exclaimed with a wondrous, childlike scream, almost knee sliding to the floor to give him a comforting hug around his neck.
"I thought you were dying!" she said, her eyes misty with tears.
"Seems like a thought you would think, Chinwe," Eze quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
"Could you skip the sass for just a few seconds, Eze?" Obinna said, his arms crossed, a mix of worry and annoyance on his face.
Eze smiled finally. "I'll consider it."
"So what was that about being a vessel for Anansi?" Obinna said, his curiosity piqued.
"H-huh?" Eze stammered, his surprise evident.
"Don't worry, Eze." Obinna reassured him with a knowing smile.
"I heard everything."