AMARA [An African Mini story]

19. Switched

Nnanna pointed his gun at me. "You are the cause of everything, you daughter of a witch".

"My mother is not a witch". I argued back. I felt Anyanwu hold my hand and begging me to not argue but I ignored her.

He laughed at me, "You must still be under the stupid impression that that woman in there is your mother, when the woman who gave birth to you is right beside you. It doesn't matter, because you both can continue your mother-daughter relationship in the after life. He brought the gun close to my head. I could see his finger go to the trigger, I closed my eyes and braced myself.

"Don't, Nnanna" Ordered Mr. Atkinson or Sir Peter as the men called him a moment ago. "We still need these two, Ivan, Nigel, take them inside and treat the sun witch, she still has some magic to perform for us. He guffawed. The two men did as he ordered and took Anyanwu and me back to the room where my mama was— the woman I thought was my mother.

I sat there with mama and watched the men treat Anyanwu. When Nnanna shot her, the bullet only brazed her skin, so it was not a deep wound. When they were done, they left us and locked the door.

I was busy wiping the sweat off of mama's forehead when Anyanwu spoke from beside her on the bed. "Won't you take care of me too?"

"No. You are a murderer". I retorted.

"But I am your real mother, doesn't that count for something?"

"You are not my mother! You accused me falsely of being a witch and humiliated me in front of the villagers, you almost made me shed human blood all in the name of your deity, and you have the effrontery to expect my affection?" I comtinued taking care of the woman I know as my mother.

"Dinta." When Anyanwu said this name, Mama jerked up and started looking around. I calmed her down. Anyanwu continued. "Dinta is your mother's child, you are mine"

"And why didn't I grow up knowing him?"

"Because your father and I took him from her bosom on the day he was born. He refused her from carry her child or knowing it's gender right after she birthed. He kept the child in my hut under the pretense of receiving treatment. I gave birth to you two days later, and you were the baby your father took to her. Dinta on the other hand was sent to the next village to grow up as a nobody. And when the time was right, just like you, he was accused of being a source of bad luck and offered to the forest, that was when our men got a hold of him and brought him here."

"Why did you exchange him with me?"

"Because the plan was to make my child his successor, a child conceived by two powerful blood would take lead... but we were wrong, you are weak. This woman here brought you up to be just like her" She said this with much disdain. Her expression softened when she noticed the hurt look in my eyes. "I-I just, I am telling you all this because I do not know what my fate will be, I need you to know that I always sent gifts to you. I observed you from a distance and it broke my heart when those stupid stepmothers of your hurt you. But this was necessary, I hope you understand"