Adaugo strolled through the bustling streets, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. She had plans to meet her friends, Chiamaka and Tokunbo, at the mall later, but for now, she was content to window shop and enjoy the atmosphere. The warm sun on her skin and the cool breeze in her hair made her feel alive.
As she turned a corner, the aroma of Nigerian jollof wafted through the air, enticing her senses. Her stomach growled in response, and she followed the scent to a nearby hotel restaurant. She pushed open the door and was immediately enveloped in the sounds and smells of her childhood. The restaurant was decorated with vibrant colors and traditional Nigerian patterns, making her feel like she was back home.
Adaugo ordered a plate of jollof rice with chicken and plantains to go, eager to satisfy her cravings. As she waited for her food, she took a seat at the bar and struck up a conversation with the bartender, a friendly Nigerian woman named Mrs. Okoro.
"Ah, you're from Nigeria?" Mrs. Okoro asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
"Yes, I am," Adaugo replied, smiling. "I'm from Lagos."
"Ah, Lagos! My hometown," Mrs. Okoro exclaimed. "What brings you to America?"
Adaugo chatted with Mrs. Okoro for a few minutes, enjoying the warm and friendly conversation. When her food was ready, she thanked Mrs. Okoro and left the restaurant, feeling happy and content.
As she walked out of the hotel, she collided with a black American girl around her age. The girl's designer clothing and heavy makeup made her look like a doll, but her expression was far from sweet.
"What the hell! Are you blind !" the girl snapped, her voice dripping with venom.
"Just let it slide Tiffany! You can't afford to get into your uncles' bad books now..." one of her friends adviced
"But my designers..."
"You can buy a store once you've passed the test. Just go and get cleaned up we'll deal with her." Kenzie Lee promised as they all turned their attention back to Adaugo.
Adaugo apologized profusely trying to clean her up, but the girl just rolled her eyes and slapped her hand off.
"Whatever, just clean up your trash and get out of my hotel!" she muttered, turning to walk away.
Adaugo's food had been sent flying, and she groaned in frustration. She bent down to pick up the scattered rice and chicken, but Tiffany's friends, a group of heavily made-up and skimpily dressed young ladies, began to snicker and laugh.
"Look at her, she's so clumsy!" Quinn sneered.
"Yeah, and she's got that weird African accent," Jennifer chimed in.
Adaugo felt a surge of anger, but she tried to ignore them and focus on picking up her food. However, the girl, whose name was Tiffany, wasn't finished yet as she catwalked to her immediately she was done from the restroom.
"Hey, ugly, or whatever your name is," Tiffany sneered, "What's with the funny-looking clothes? You look like you just stepped out of your village."
Adaugo's eyes flashed with anger, but she tried to keep her cool. "My name is Adaugo, and I'm proud of my heritage," she replied, her voice steady.
Tiffany snorted. "Heritage? You mean like, living in a mud hut and eating bugs?"
"It's medicinal you should try it sometime!" Adaugo gritted as she grabbed her stuff from the doormen, heading towards the exit with a waitress from the Nigerian restaurant.
Tiffany sneered at Adaugo, her voice dripping with venom. "You're so pathetic, Adaugo. I bet your mother was a savage, living in the jungle, swinging from trees. I mean, it's obvious you didn't get much civilization from her, did you?"
"That's why I am not desperate for a job at the circus." Adaugo gritted loudly as she walked towards the exit.
Tiffany's eyes narrowed as Quinn continued "I bet your mother was nothing but a poor, uneducated village girl, who didn't even know how to take care of herself, let alone you."
Tiffany sneered. "No Quinn. I bet her mother was just a baby factory, popping out kids left and right without even knowing who the fathers were. She's probably just another one of her illegitimate kids, aren't you?"
Adaugo felt a stinging sensation in her eyes as tears began to well up. She tried to hold them back, but it was too late. A single tear rolled down her cheek, and Tiffany's friends burst out laughing.
"Look, she's crying!" Quinn exclaimed.
Tiffany sneered. "What's wrong, Adaugo? Can't handle a little joke?"
Adaugo's anger boiled over, and she felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins. She removed her earrings and heels, handing them to the female worker who had been escorting her out.
"Here, hold these for me," Adaugo said, her voice low and menacing.
The worker looked at her in surprise but took the earrings and shoes without a word.
Tiffany, still sneering, didn't notice the change in Adaugo's demeanor. "What's wrong, Adaugo? You think you're tough? You think you can handle me?"
Adaugo smiled, a fierce glint in her eye. "I don't think I can handle you, Tiffany," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I know I can handle you."
With that, Adaugo landed a brain-resetting slap on Tiffany's face. The sound echoed through the hotel lobby, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.
Tiffany stumbled backward, her eyes wide with shock. "I'll sue you for hitting me on my father's property!" she spat.
Adaugo smiled, her eyes flashing with anger. "Your father's property?" she repeated. "You mean the hotel your father owns? The one where I just bought a plate of jollof rice?"
Tiffany's face turned red with rage. "How dare you!" she exclaimed.
Adaugo dragged Tiffany out of the hotel, the girl's friends scrambling to follow. As they emerged into the bright sunlight, Adaugo produced a ...a long, flexible guava branch from her pocket. The branch seemed to glow with an otherworldly energy, and Tiffany's eyes widened in fear as Adaugo began to wield it.
"What the...?" Tiffany's friend, a girl named Morgan, trailed off, her eyes fixed on the guava branch.
Adaugo began to chant in a low, husky voice, the words unintelligible to the American girls. The air around them seemed to vibrate with energy, and Tiffany's friends took a step back, their eyes wide with fear.
Tiffany, however, seemed frozen in place, her eyes fixed on Adaugo with a mixture of fear and fascination. Adaugo's eyes locked onto hers, and she could feel the girl's energy responding to the guava branch.
As Adaugo continued to chant, the energy around them grew stronger. Tiffany's friends began to back away, their eyes fixed on Adaugo with fear.
Suddenly, Tiffany let out a loud scream, her body convulsing as if possessed. Adaugo's eyes flashed with power, and she raised the guava branch, bringing it down in a swift motion upon the backs of the four spoilt brats over and over again, while onlookers began to livestream the outrageous spectacle.
The hotel staff and guests watched in awe. Some snapped photos, while others recorded videos. Even the female worker, who had been escorting Adaugo out, looked on with a mixture of shock and admiration. And as they watched on, a sleek black SUV pulled up beside them. The door slid open, revealing a tall, imposing dark maan with greying haur, a few wrinkles, and a stern expression on his face.
"Young lady, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice low and commanding.
Adaugo turned to face him, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Just casting out some demons, sir. " she replied.
The man's expression turned from stern to surprised. "Demons, you say? Well, in that case, carry on."
"Uncle, why..."
"You need to learn that not everyone is a push over, Tiffy. A few lashes won't kill you."
"Uncle, please save me."
"Save us!"
"Miss, please carry on with the exorcism and don't stop until the demons are out." he ordered Adaugo before turning to leave.
Oppressed and degraded staffs silently egged her on as Adaugo continued to wield the guava branch, while Tiffany and her friends writhed in agony. They fell to the ground, rolling around in pain as the demons of pride and vanity were being casted out of their bodies.
Tiffany's eyes rolled back in her head, and she let out a blood-curdling scream. "Ahhhh! Make it stop!" she wailed.
Her friends were equally affected, their bodies contorting in ways that seemed impossible. They screamed and wailed, their voices echoing through the hotel lobby.
The female worker who had been escorting Adaugo out of the hotel stood frozen in shock, her eyes wide with fear. But as she watched Adaugo wield the guava branch, a look of empathy lit up her face.
"Adaugo, stop!" she cried, rushing forward. "You're going to hurt them!"
Adaugo turned to face her, the guava branch still clutched in her hand. "I'm not hurting them, Nneka." she replied. "I'm freeing them."
Nneka's eyes widened in surprise. "You know my name?" she asked.
Adaugo smiled. "Of course, I do. You're Mrs. Okoro's daughter, aren't you?"
Nneka's face lit up with surprise. "How did you know?" she asked.
Adaugo shrugged. "I met your mother in the restaurant earlier. She's a lovely woman."
Nneka's expression softened, and she looked at Adaugo with newfound respect. "I see," she said. "Well, in that case, please be careful. My mother would never forgive me if anything happened to you."
Adaugo smiled, her eyes warm with gratitude. "Thank you, Nneka. I appreciate your concern."
Just as it seemed like the ritual was reaching its climax, Adaugo's friends arrived on the scene. They took in the sight of Tiffany and her friends rolling around on the ground, their faces contorted in agony.
"Adaugo!" Aisha and Tokumbo screamed in unison, their voices piercing the air.
Adaugo's eyes snapped towards her friends, and she froze, the guava branch still clutched in her hand. The ritual seemed to pause, the energy in the air hanging suspended.
Tiffany and her friends continued to writhe in agony, their screams and wails filling the air. But Adaugo's attention was focused on her friends, her eyes locked on theirs.
The scene seemed to hang in suspended animation, the only sound the screams and wails of Tiffany and her friends. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, everything went black.