Silence came between the two of us as we waited for the gate to be opened. I was apprehensive about what was to happen next. When no one responded, my uncle pressed the horn button once more. This time, I saw my mother come out of the kitchen and directed her gaze towards the gate. My younger sister stood there too, amazed by the presence of the car. From how they appeared, they did not know my uncle's car.
"Will they not open for us?" Uncle Jack asked me
"I don't know." I replied, "I don't know, let's wait." I saw my mother talking to my younger sister while pointing at the gate. My younger sister then came towards the gate where we were and opened it. My uncle drove the car inside slowly, capturing everyone's attention as the sleek blue car pulled into the compound. I saw our neighbors gazing with their mouths wide agape. They had never seen a car getting into our compound. My younger sister was also amazed as she stared at the car fixedly as we moved further and further into the compound. The house was now a few meters away. My uncle shut the engine off and took his phone. His hands were on the steering wheel while he dialed a certain number that was written on a piece of paper he removed from his pocket.
"I've arrived." He said and went silent as the person on the other end of the line spoke. "I will do my best to inform them. After all, they must be involved in this matter. It's very important you know…." He added cheerfully. I wondered what it was. Had he accomplished something in the occult that needed to involve the whole family? I became apprehensive. He looked at me smiling and then pushed a button and the doors of the car opened. Both of us were hesitant to come out.
"Come on, the boot is open. Go and remove the water containers as I prepare on how to address your parents." He told me while closing his door and mine after I got out of the car. When everyone saw me coming out of the car, they were amazed. My young sister looked at me with admiration. I knew she longed to be carried by car one day, something that we had always argued about who would be the first one among the three of us. I shook my shoulders proudly for her, and we both smiled at each other. My perplexed mother could not hide the smile when she saw how I shook my shoulders. I removed the six containers from the car and placed them before the two women who had not spoken anything since I came out.
"These contain fresh water," I said pointing to the four water containers which my uncle had bought. "These are the containers I went with although they also contain fresh water. They've been washed thoroughly, so the water is safe for drinking." I explained. My mother was amazed. My uncle had not yet come out of the car. Perhaps he was wondering about the situation changing when he would come out. So he reversed the car as if to go out of the homestead. Everyone looked at the car in admiration as I went towards the gate.
"They have become rich. They ordered fresh water from town which was brought by a car." I heard one neighbor say past the home fence. I glanced at her corrosively and she shyly stopped talking and went on with her business.
"Who is that? Why is the car leaving?" My mother asked. I looked at my mother trying to feign the smile so that she doesn't pour the water and sent me back to the river after hearing me out. She returned the smile to me, and I encouraged myself that that was the appropriate time to tell her the whole thing. My elder brother then came loaded with a tied bundle of firewood on his head. He dropped it just outside the kitchen near where my mother was standing. He looked at the gate and saw the car, glanced at the new water containers, and looked at me.
"What's going on? Where have these come from and whose car is that?" He asked inquisitively. "Have you brought your uncle here to come and destroy us?"
"God forbid!" My younger sister and my mother shouted simultaneously. I then realized the seriousness of the situation. Everyone became apprehensive about what I was about to say next.
"Tell us!" My mother pleaded, "Is it him?"
"I… I… actually…" I stammered trying to speak. At that time, my father came out of the house straight from sleep. Everyone turned to face him. He rubbed his face in disbelief as he saw the stationary car just outside the gate. He then looked at the new water containers and became curious to know about them.
"Where has this come from and who is that at the gate? Is whoever that is our visitor?" He asked, looking at everyone and lastly fixing his glance at my mother.
"Don't look at me, ask him," my mother told him pointing at me. My father directed his glance at me.
"Well," I began pointing in the gate's direction, "the car is…"
"Is mine!" A loud deep voice came in the direction of the gate. The wind blew hurriedly towards my side, bringing with it his voice in a thunderous way to my ears. The stout slow man walked slowly inside the gate. Everyone was shocked at his sight. My younger sister ran and hid behind my mother's skirt. My father stood still, angry and apprehensive at the same time. His mouth opened to speak but no words came. My mother was still standing in her position, her hand holding my younger sister providing a sense of comfort to her. She was shocked and could not speak anything unless my father had spoken first.
"What! You mean you bought us this water?" My father asked, pointing at the man. There was tension as everyone waited for answers. "Mike? Did he?" He asked me. I wanted to answer him, but the look on the man's face, who was my uncle, stopped me. So I just nodded at him.
"Yes, I bought it." Uncle Jack answered.
"Jesus!" My mother exclaimed, "Why did you accept anything from him?" I was silent. "You are the one who told us everything just this morning. Now, you have accepted his help! Who even told him that we wanted fresh water? If we would like, we would go to the market and buy some! We are not poor!" She said ironically. I exchanged smiles with my uncle. "You're laughing?" My mother asked, surprised. I wondered what force made me be on my uncle's side.
"Well, he is." My uncle said, I seemed to have been changed by the few days I had stayed at my uncle's place. I seemed absorbed by his good lifestyle, riches, and the happiness I wished he had.
"I mean, he does not go to the river to fetch water, he does not have to collect firewood from the forest and he does not have to walk, he drives…. All sorts of pleasure." I thought. There was some silence. I decided to sit on the fence so that I didn't appear to be spendthrift before my parents.
"I've not done anything here," I replied to my mother, "this is all involuntary."
"What do you mean involuntary?" My father asked, "Pour this water and go back to the river. Who told him we wanted his water?" He raised his voice. Neighbors were already gathering around our homestead to witness the heated argument that threatened to arise. I could hear them murmuring about my uncle. I hesitated in opening the containers to pour the water. "Pour it now, and go with our two containers back to the river. We will burn these new containers. We can't use anything associated with the occult in my house." He said and immediately went inside the house.
I stood just before the containers and slowly bent down to open one container. Slowly by slowly, I opened it, stood up, and glanced at my mother and then at my uncle. My uncle remained expressionless.
"Do as Father has said! Why are you hesitating?" My mother advised me. "Should I come and do the work myself?"
"No!" I replied quickly. "I will do it, don't worry. But it pains me when I pour this water. Well, let's drink it, after all, we will not die. I ate his food and I'm still alive. What's the issue?" I said angrily, hoping to escape from the agony of going back to the river. My father came out of the house when he heard me.
"Do you want me to whip you? You have not done as I said?" He said pointing to me with a stick he picked from the firewood. "And you, we don't need your help," he said pointing to my uncle. "In fact, leave my premises now." Everyone became alert. More neighbors gathered around our homestead. I regretted accepting his help.
"Come on brother, there is no point in raising our voices here." My uncle said,
"What!" My father asked him.
"I've not come here to fight." My uncle replied, "I came here to bring you some news. This news is important to me and the whole family. Afterward, I'm going to spread the news to the other members of the family. Take this paper, it contains everything." He handed the paper to my father. When he was hesitant to pick it, I picked it and began unfolding it slowly to read its contents. I picked it up when I remembered the phone call while still in the car, where he had talked of a small matter that everyone needed to know.
"What has Uncle achieved in his secret missions this time?" I wondered, opening my eyes wide to see. My uncle went inside the car and drove off past the amazed neighbors. My father went inside the house and my siblings came toward me to see what was written in the paper.