Chapter 3: Mama Ozioma and the Talking Cat

2.

Hello, na me be your guide for this adventure. Open the gift pack......read the handbook...... Good, now carry your machete and start your training.

(Equipped: Twisted Machete)

Ehen, you do well—better pass the last one wey too dey make noise. No mind me.

As you hold the machete, your wrist feel light. Na old tool but e still get power. The blade shine small for sun like crayfish eye for ogbono soup. You steady yourself like how young boys dey do before street fight for playground.

Basic points: One-handed machete dey fast, you fit swing am quick. Two-handed big cutlass slow, but e dey hit pass. If you sabi skills and magic, you fit combo anyhow. If you sabi use am well, you go win fight. You dey learn fast o. You fit become legend sef. Now, make we do real fight. Ready yourself—one slime don sneak enter town. This kind jelly thing dey weak if na only one. But if dem plenty, dem fit wahala you. Go kill am now.

(Swing machete) (Swing machete) (Swing machete)

The ground for your leg dey muddy, you hear the soft squish as the slime dey wobble come your side. For your mind, you dey reason say, "Wetin be this kind thing?" But street boys no dey fear unknown, you brace yourself—one swing, two swing, slime just dey burst like akamu for hot sun.

#System prompt: Entering battle

#System prompt: 【Slime dey shout】【Slime dey run scatter】

#System prompt: You don kill the slime, get 【Bloodshot Eyeball*2】

#System prompt: Achievement unlocked 【The Beginning of Adventure】

Heh heh heh, you try—the slime no fit stand you at all. You be like...pfft...hero. Ahem, congrats, you don sabi how to fight small. But only power no reach for real adventurer. You suppose dey help people and collect jobs too. Now, follow the guidance go meet the town chief.

(Walking) (Open door)

You waka pass women dey fry puff-puff, small boys dey chase tyre with stick. Every face dey new to you, but hope dey shine for your eyes like torchlight during NEPA blackout. You fit feel say the journey just dey start.

See am? The one wey yellow exclamation mark dey on top him head na the quest giver. Talk to am, collect your first job.

(Talk to the old woman)

Town Chief:

Hello, stranger. My name na Mama Ozioma. No too dey see outsiders for here, but no worry about that. My cat don lost, I dey worry well well. You fit help me find am? You go help? God bless you, my pikin. Where... I remember say she dey always play for the big mango tree side.

You go notice her wrapper tie tight for waist, hair gray, eyes sharp like person wey never gree old. For this town, na elders wey dey carry wisdom. She get that look wey fit make small pikin behave. She fit give you groundnut or slap—depending on your behavior.

#System prompt: Quest accepted 【Find Little Nneka】

Good, you don collect your first errand quest. No forget, to help people na better thing—and e dey help you level up quick. If you dey nice to the people for town, you fit get plenty hidden rewards. E fit look boring, but na so adventure life be. Abeg, follow my guidance go the big mango tree behind the old house.

(Walking)

The big mango tree dey stand tall for corner, branches dey shade sand like umbrella during dry season. You fit hear goats dey bleat and children dey sing skipping rhyme. The place get one kind old time magic, the kind wey dey make elders fear.

See am, the cat dey on top branch. Carry am gently, go show Mama Ozioma. Na small thing, experience points dey easy like this.

(Catch the cat)

#System prompt: You don get 【Frightened Cat】

#System prompt: 【Cat dey shout】【Cat dey struggle】

Nneka: Wake up... you never... clear... save... me

Nneka: Free me... ah... ow... meow, meow meow meow.

This one strange o, how cat go dey talk like human? Even for our side, if cat begin talk, elders go pour salt and call pastor. But abeg, make I remind you: E clear say something don enter her body—na monster dey inside. For everybody sake, you no fit allow am waka go. Raise your machete, finish am—Mama Ozioma go understand.

The cat eye dey red, the voice no pure. The way the cat dey cry, e go touch your mind, but street no dey forgive soft heart. Your hand shake, sweat dey your palm, you remember how Mama Ozioma smile when she talk about Nneka.

(Stand still)

I know say e hard—nobody like to harm pet wey dey cute. But that one no be Nneka again, na monster dey use her body. No mind wetin monsters talk—dem sabi lie. As you dey grow for this work, you go dey face choices like this. You suppose sabi decide quick. Raise your machete, finish am. Why you dey talk say something dey off? If you follow guidance, nothing go spoil. She dey talk because monster dey inside—I don explain before.

......Another mumu, na wa o.

Even for family, sometimes you go dey forced do wetin heart no like. In this journey, e be like say you go get that taste of sorrow early. You fit see Mama Ozioma face for your mind, her hope dey your hand.

——

Narrator:

The adventurer no fit harm Mama Ozioma cat. E just get one kind feeling say wahala dey ground. He try pet am, carry the white cat for him chest gently. He come dey like person wey craze, dey ask cat question. But na only meow meow na him he dey get as reply. But as he hold am, e be like say the cat dey hear him heart beat, and e come dey hungry to get am. Last last, the cat no gree again, she wan play with the heart as if na ball. Her claw sharp like razor blade from barbershop, tear your chest open. The adventurer shock as big hole appear for him chest. He shout as blood dey rush. The cat, fear catch am, scratch the adventurer face scatter. Him fine face turn red mist, nobody fit recognize am again. When she finally pull out the hot heart, E beat small before e stop. The cat lose interest, shake tail, waka go.

The small children for back of the house hear noise, dem run come see, but only see blood and feathers for ground. The mango tree leaves no even shake; harmattan breeze just carry the story away. For village, dem go say, "Abeg, make nobody near that place till we do cleansing."

Advice: Curiosity dey kill cat. Abeg, follow the guidance.

For Umuola, your story fit end before e even start—if you no hear word.