Naked Faces

Every New Year Eve, I follow my parents to church. This year’s was no different. We had left the house as early as 7pm and trekked the fairly long distance since we could not afford the fare of boarding a bus. The path was always a lonely one with thick mass of bushes on both side of the narrow road. My parents would let me and my sisters walk just in front of them and warn us not to stray too far or else we were liable to be spanked mercilessly.

“Chike, biko hold your sister very well oh and slow down.” My father would scold me when it seemed I was zooming further ahead.

The truth was I was always in a hurry to get to the church as early as possible so I could join my friends in lighting up the sky with fireworks and shoot all manner of explosives at each other. For Christ’s sake, it was almost the beginning of another year and we were drawling across a lonely path in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes I would feel like just running away, leaving everyone behind. But I knew the consequences of that rebel act: my father would have skinned me alive.

That night, as we walked along, a constant rumbling followed us. When we stopped, the rumbling stopped, when we moved, it continued. I stared into the eyes of my Father and I could see a yellowish shade of fear in his eyes. It seemed like we were being followed.

We walked faster. The rumbling behind the bushes also increased its pace. My little Sister, Adaobi, held my hands very tightly as we walked in front of our parents. I could hear my mother breathing heavily and whispering words into my father’s ears, words that I could not decipher.

We kept on walking despite the apparent danger that was just meters away from us.

After walking for quite some time, we bent the corner that led to the Church building and I could feel the air of my father’s exhale brush the nape of my neck. We had left the path of the bushes and for a moment, all seemed to be well.

On getting to the Church, I asked my Father, “Papa, what was that sound that was following us the other time?”

My father paused for a while, apparently trying to gather his thoughts. “Will you shut up? Nothing was following us. Have you heard me?” his face was twisted with anger and blank seriousness. I nodded in fear. “And do not let go of your sister’s hand! Have you heard me?” “Yes Sah,” I was as meek as a lamb. My father turned around to face my mother. She was watching the scolding scenario with a presence of disgust that I assumed she did not agree with my father’s bold theory that nothing had happened earlier on the deserted, lonely path.

“Let us go,” he grabbed her hand and they left for the adult congregation.

For a moment, I stood at the point where they left us, petrified and all the same confounded about the audacity of my father’s denial that nothing had followed us. Was papa lying? No, it could never be. Was it not the same Papa that flogs daylight out of me whenever I attempted to bury or just even disguise the truth? My father hated lies with abundant passion. So, it must have been my imagination that we were being followed. Maybe it was the rustling wind that appeared the magician that had just bamboozled my puerile senses; maybe I was going psychic. I had always imagined . . .

“Nwannem Nwoke, let us go,” My little sister broke my thought sequence. I held her little, small hands and dragged her with me to the Children auditorium where I was looking forward to catch up with my friends. Immediately, I sighted Emeka and Dennis, every thought of what happened at the deserted, lonely road flew through the window of my mind. I could already see their pockets bulging with various sizes of explosives.

In my innocent mind, it was going to be another cracking New Year transition

Emeka and Dennis were a set of twins. Though they were born on the same day, there was nothing similar between the two. Emeka was slim, energetic, and very handsome with a compassionate face that looked like that of an angel. However, Dennis was more robust in terms of physical statistics; he had a rough but gentle face and was the laziest person I knew during my childhood. The duo, despite their huge disparities, stuck to each other. They bonded well and since I was friends to both, I was always welcome in this brotherly circle of oneness.

“Hey! Ada my princess,” Dennis shouted as soon as he saw me walking towards them with my sister.

“Shut up joor,” Emeka playfully slapped Dennis on the cheek, and he stepped up to lift Adaobi on his shoulders. The young girl giggled and we all laughed.

We started scheming on how to utilize all the fireworks that the twin brothers had brought along with them when Dennis brought up an issue.

“Ha! I have even forgotten.” His face turned sour. “What is it?” I asked. “Mother told me that bangers are no more allowed in church vicinity.”

“What!” Emeka shot a dishonest look at his brother. “When did she tell you that one?”

“What do you mean by that question? You think I’m lying,” Dennis shot back. “I never said that. I just asked for proof.” “You are not serious. Go and shoot now and let the security catch you. Father would flog you very well.”

“I will shoot,” Emeka retorted, “and nothing will happen.”

“Emeka, just calm down,” I intervened. “Are you sure your mother said we cannot shoot?” I turned to face Dennis. “Yes,” He replied “Okay, but then why did she buy the bangers in the first place then?” I continued my probe. “Please help me ask him oh!” Emeka hissed. Dennis paused for a while before he answered. “She said that we will shoot them tomorrow.”

“What!” Emeka was staring unbelievably at his brother.

“Yes na!” Dennis continued, “was that not the reason I told you not to let Father see the bangers this evening.”

“That’s true ooooh!” Emeka put his hands on his head.

The noise in the auditorium shielded the reality of the silence that dawned on our conversation. For the first time in our lives, we were going to be crying Happy New Year without the accompanying vibrating sounds of fireworks that set our adrenaline at its highest level. “I have an idea,” Dennis broke the silence-ice. He shared it. We argued over it, strengthened it and then accepted to let execute it.

That night, two hours to the New Year, we set out on the deserted, lonely road.

Dennis’ idea was very simple. We had decided to travel into town and spend the first minutes of the New Year blowing our fireworks, then travel back to the Church, before we were missed by our parents.

So, we set out in the dark of the night, along the deserted, lonely road.

We had not walked more than a mile when the rumbling I thought my family experienced earlier resurfaced again. The bushes were shaking beside us as we moved, the air seemed to swivel at a more frantic pace and everything seemed so cold that I had to wrap my hands across my chest.

“What’s that?” Emeka’s voice was laced with fear.

“I don’t know.” I said, holding Adaobi close to my side. I had brought her with me for fear of her being seen by my parents alone, and questions being raised about my whereabouts.

“Wait,” Dennis spoke. The rumbling also waited. “Is this bush following us?”

Dennis stepped further into the middle of the road; he was already fidgeting from fright. “I think we should go back.”