How 2020 Began
The waking was not abrupt. It took me days to know that I could stand and after I realized my ability, it took me weeks to be able to perfect it. You see, things move differently in the spirit world. Comprehension of my situation took so little time. In minutes I remembered who I was, why I had died, and the reason why I was able to function in the para verse as a ghost.
Things that are easy for the physical body to do seem so difficult and in contrast, difficult things for humans become easy for us ghosts. Things like walking through walls, snacking on bugs, floating on water, and riding waves without a surfboard are so easy for me to do. Yet if I develop an interest in a thing or someone, it is so difficult to pull away from it that efforts seem almost physically dangerous.
My name is Angela, I was twenty-two when I died from ovarian cancer. It was a surprise death, my parents and I were not expecting but one day it popped into the room and said surprise! & I fell sick, surprise! and I landed in the hospital. Surprise! and I lost all my hair. Surprise! and I lost my life.
Minutes after I woke, an old man appeared at my side. He was carrying a large book and he proceeded to read from it. He began by telling me that these were the rules I had to follow from now on. My eyes almost boggled out of my head because of how huge the book was.
Luckily, it was only a tiny part of a page that was reserved for me. The first rule was that I couldn’t visit my family for any reason. The last was that I shouldn’t attempt to possess a human body or I would become a demonic ghost rider. That was all I heard before he disappeared.
When he left, I took stock of my surroundings. I was inside an underground garden full of lush flowers. All of them were roses. My mind flashed back to a scene in my past life where I was sitting on my bedroom window and singing the song “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry.
Image Source: Unsplash.com
Brushing the painful memory away, I made my way through the garden, dodging boxes and smelling the flowers closest to my nose. I kept my hand to myself, trying to avoid touching them because I knew the experience of my body passing through an object would make me want to puke on the fancy garden floor. The trap door to the outsides gaped open and I gently climbed out.
The air outside teased the tip of my nose as I lifted my face. The air smelled fresh and salty, as though the sea was nearby. I came completely out of the garden and spread out my arms. There was a sprawling mansion to my left and a very green forest to my right. I spread my arms out, England! I squealed.
Ever wanted to travel around the world, no expense? Then wait till you’re a ghost! Somehow, I was in the country I had always dreamed of traveling to. Too bad I was too poor then but now I could experience the grandeur of streets in Scotland and all the sights in London. I spent my first day as a ghost staring at everything. I posed at water fountains, took pictures with tourists, and took food from the food vendor stands for free.
By midnight, the streets were thinning out and the cold was starting to get unbearable. I walked down the street, my head bowed and my arms wrapped around myself. No one could see or hear me, so I kicked loose stones as I walked. I suddenly felt very young and very lonely. I knew I was twenty years older than when I died but that night, I felt like a fifteen-year-old, scared, and lonely. I also missed my mom.
Walking to the water fountain, I began to sing see you once again by West life. The streets echoed with my voice and the tap-tap of my slippers on the ground.
“Hey,” someone called behind me and I turned. At first, I saw no one but when I looked closer, the silhouette of a man hiding behind the pillar in front of a house was visible. I stumbled backward in fear.
“No. Don’t be afraid milady,” he said, stepping out into the light. He was dressed in the uniform of an old English butler, looking comical as he bowed to me.
“Good evening,” I greeted. He smiled at me. His white mustache teasing his cheeks.
“I would be delighted if you could grace me with your presence. Besides, the outsides are no place for a lady at night,” he said. I considered telling him, no but I changed my mind. In life, I had to be a very careful female, afraid to do everything until death presented itself and there was no longer enough time. I moved one foot forward, and another before he could rescind his offer.
***
Image Source: giphy.com
“You say you are from Nigeria?” Dominic said. We were making small talk on a large bottle of wine he had produced from the cellar. The part of the house we were in had been walled off because the occupants were always complaining of damages to their properties and its infrastructure. Dominic was responsible for that of course.
“Yes, I am,” I replied. My brain was working fast. I could create a new identity for myself. Become a princess or something. Ghosting was just another chance at life for me, perhaps the only chance.
“I never got to meet many Black people in my lifetime,” he said. “I was always stuck here” he indicated the house by waving his hand. “Worked my ass off for so many years. Don’t know what was wrong with me. I know you all are interesting people. Nice culture and drive. Beautiful skin too” he said, toasting to my skin.
“Well, thank you,” I said, laughing gaily. The mills and boon novels I used to read as a girl was paying off. I tried comporting myself like a lady and it was working.
“I assume you would like to change out of your dress,” He said, getting up from his seat when the bottle was empty. We were both not drunk in the least. Perks of being a ghost. I sipped the last nectar from my glass and stood with a flourish. He led me into the house and showed me a room at the edge of the fresh wall. The bed was beautiful, princess style, and the wardrobe was full of dresses in different beautiful fabrics and colors. There was no jewelry however but I was not to be deterred! The dresses were more than enough.
“Thank you, sir,” I said, turning back to face him.
“Oh, no no” he blushed. “Call me Dominic, always ready to serve,” then he bowed and left.
The next morning, I was out in the streets again, trailing people and eating free food. Breakfast was leftover coffee and three fresh sandwiches. I belched from an overfull belly as I walked away from the eatery. I was standing by the road when I saw a group of students walking out of the restaurant opposite mine.
They looked intelligent and serious about their lives. So I followed them. When one desires to make a lifestyle change, it is wise to touch every faulty aspect of the personality. Before I died, I was never a serious student so I was hoping to tap from the energies of these passionate young men and women. They took me on a long ride, talking about everything from politics to music and then fashion. Nothing they said interested me enough and I dozed off in my seat.
I was woken up by a heated argument. Two of the men were taking sides against three of the men and one lady, the other lady looked detached and uninterested as she stared out the window. We had left the busy urban area by this time and were driving through clean almost empty roads flanked by gigantic mansions. I was in awe. This was the rich neighborhood! I just knew I wasn’t going to be spending the night with Dominic.
“I said what I said,” one of the men repeated.
“What you said is silly and illogical,” the blonde hair woman said. She took off her spectacles and cleaned them.
“You cannot argue that there are various forms of knowledge and intuition cannot be completely ruled out.”
“A prophecy is not intuitive. It is just an empty proposition of lies.”
“Well, perhaps if you read enough…” the first man trailed off.
“Maybe you should start reading the right things?” The blonde said.
“Maybe he is right,” Miss unconcerned suddenly said. We all looked at her. “Listen to him, he said a virus will come and wreck the world. Are there chances that this might happen? Yes. Are there chances that there is a president in the world who wants to create an empire on the dead bodies of people of all races? Yes.”
“Hailey. Don’t tell me you believe this load of codswallop!” the blonde woman asked.
“You are reading too many books. You all have stopped believing,” Hailey said. She never looked away from the view outside the car but her words were felt so deeply that no one said a word until we reached our destination.
Image Source: giphy.com
That night, I visited the only club in the neighborhood. The place was small and private. More people were drinking and idling than they were dancing on the dance floor. Everyone so reserved and cold, I almost wanted to return to the streets. I walked to the bar, around the bar, and took a bottle of champagne for myself. Cradling it close to my chest, I walked around people and found a nice corner to sit.
The champagne sat like shivers on my tongue and I giggled. Feeling eyes on me, I looked up and there he was, sitting among a group of men and staring right at me! I choked on the champagne in my mouth and began to cough. Raising my head, I saw him walking towards me. He was tall, built, and handsome. When he got to where I was sitting, he whipped out his handkerchief.
“I am sorry I made you cough. I only want to make you smile.” He said, offering it to me.
I took it and wiped my mouth with it “You can see me?” I said.
“As you can see, we are both dead!” he said, doing his best to fake an African accent but I was lost. Why was he doing that? Was it supposed to mean something?
“Well…” I began.
“Where are my manners?” He asked bowing. “My name is Kim Putre, and what is yours, Lovely lady?”
“Angelina. Angie for short,” I said.
“Lovely name. Lovely woman.” He said. “Walk with me?” he offered. I got up and took his arm. “You know, I have always found Black women fascinating. You resonate with a certain power. It is palpable. Perhaps that is what makes your hair stand up this way?”
Hehe, I laughed. “That is hilarious,” I said. He looked pleased.
“But it is imaginable. Anything imaginable can happen. Never forget that”
We walked out of the club into the grassy lawn opposite it. The stars were out and shiny and we both sat down on the grass to watch them twinkle.
“Newly dead?” He asked after a moment of silence. I shook my head.
“No. Twenty years now,” I said.
“Oh. I’m sorry. Tell me about your life,” he replied.
“What can I say?” I began “I was a princess in Africa. The only female child of my parents, the king, and queen. Severely dotted on, I decided I didn’t need to do much with my life, little did I know that cancer would come for me.”
“Ouch!” He said, “That’s horrible.”
“Yeah, I know. What about you?” I asked.
“I am a treasure hunter. I died from a drug overdose,” he said. It was my turn to say ouch!
“Did you live a fulfilled life?”
“No. For example,” his voice and eyes turned misty as he looked at me. “I should have had more sex when I was alive but now all I can do is give you a kiss,” he kissed me and it was a light brush of air on my lips.
“Oh,” was all I could say. I was drunk on his smell and the almost-there feel of him
“You know what?” He asked.
“What?”
“I want you to come with me. Let us go on an adventure together,” he said. He was still so close to me. I couldn’t think. Besides, there was nothing to be scared of. He was a strange man Yes, but I was dead already. I spent all night tracing my fingers on his frighteningly smooth skin and the golden-brown curls of his hair.
“Where are we going?” I asked. I was sitting in Putre’s car with my legs on the seat and my chin on my knees. I was still half-awake. Even in death, I had never slept as comfortably as I had slept last night on the large span of this man’s chest. My whole body was still tingling.
“The Dia Vi Isles. It is at the edge of the world,” he said. He smiled at me and cupped my cheek in his hand, the other one on the steering wheel. His driving was reckless, and sometimes, part of our car entered into other cars, causing them to rage at other road users.
“How do we get there?” I asked. I was genuinely curious. Thinking that the edge of the world must be very far away.
“With this car. It is not very far,” he said. As though he had read my mind.
“What will we do when we get there?” I asked.
“We will search for the cup. The golden trophy to crown all my wins. They call it the Covid-19. Weird name right?” he asked.
I was silent for some time, trying to understand. The road blurred past us. Our car seemed to be moving at an unimaginable speed.
“What’s the use of this trophy when you are dead?” I asked. His face twisted into something that was between a frown of distaste and a smile.
“There is life after death Mi Corazon. There is a reason Dia Vi is called the Isle of Destiny. I am going to put my hands into the melting pot of the universe and that is what I need you for.” He cupped my cheek again.
“Me?” I asked.
“Yes. You powerful Black woman. You are cackling with energy!” He gave an excited laugh. I concluded that he was weird and reclined so I could enjoy the ride.
***
“We are here,” he said and I looked out into a field of tall brown grasses. They looked like maize left to dry out but they were just grasses. We came out of the car and he held my hand as we walked deeper into the field. In the distance, the crest of a rock teased our eyes.
“There is a cave in it,” he said.
“Is the treasure there?” I asked. He pressed my hand to his lips, more to comfort himself than to comfort me.
“I hope so.” He said. Looking at him, he seemed to be vibrating with anticipation and it made me smile to see him, another ghost, so invested in life. He was indirectly teaching me something – there is life after death. I was still staring at him when my feet hit something and I fell. The only thing that stopped me from kissing the dirt was his strong arms holding mine.
“Careful, Princess,” he crooned and cradled me to his chest. “Are you hurt?” He asked.
“No. I’m fine,” I said.
“Why did you trip?” He asked. “Apart from your beautiful femininity, I mean,”
I didn’t want to but I glared at him (I was no “fragile” female) “There is something in the ground.”
He let go of me so fast I almost fell. He began to dig the floor with his fingers and then with a small pocket knife. Gradually, he dug until a small ceramic pot was unearthed. It was round and colorless. I stared at it as he tried to pry it open with his knife.
“Don’t you want to try?” He asked.
“Uh…” I was not done talking before he thrust it into my arms. Its falling was inevitable. I tried to catch it and failed. It cracked open as soon as it hit the ground with a sound I would liken to the tearing of the curtains of the temple in the bible.
“I’m so sorry” I began to say. I couldn’t believe I had destroyed his treasure. His head was bowed as he looked at the remains of the pot. Then he began to sob. I knelt before him and lifted his head so he could look at me. He was laughing. What I had thought were sobs was wicked laughter. He kissed me and hugged me tightly.
“Priceless.” He said. “Priceless.”
***
The car ride back was smooth. Putre kept whistling as we traveled faster than any normal car could hope to travel. He gave me his house address and took me home. Dominic was glad to see me, we shared another drink and I told him all about my trip to Dia Vi Isles.
That night I dreamt of graves and mass burials. People clutching their chests and falling dead on the streets. I woke up screaming. Dominic barged in with a pistol, ready to defend me. At first light, I took the subway to the address Putre gave me. I found myself in a palatial mansion in the rich folks’ neighborhood. When I knocked, the door opened and let me in. I found him having breakfast in the living room.
“My Angie!” He exclaimed when he saw me. “You are just in time.”
“For what?” I asked, after collecting my morning dose of hugs and kisses.
“I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye,” he said.
“Goodbye?” I asked. I was stunned.
“Yes, follow me,” he said, walking briskly into the house. His attitude was no longer that of a lover. I walked with him into one of the inner rooms. There was someone on the bed when we got in. It took me a moment to realize that it was another man. My first thought was that he was gay or bisexual and what he had with me had been just a fling.
What had I expected from a treasure hunter? Then I realized the man on the bed was him!
“Yes, I am not dead yet. I will be going back to the land of the living now” he said with a sad smile on his face.
“So what we had was…?” I asked.
“I was just searching for some treasure Angie. Please exit the house five minutes after I disappear because it will disappear with me and you do not want to be lost in the magic of it,” he said. Then he was gone.
I stood there, hurt and heartbroken for as long as I could, then I too left. It was when I saw his face on the news later that day that I knew something was wrong. I walked closer to the television to confirm and true enough it was him. Kim Putre, the man I had fallen in love with. They were calling him Mr. President. Everything clicked like a puzzle in my head and I tore out of the restaurant into the streets, I had to talk to Dominic.
“You have made a grave mistake,” he said when I told him everything.
“I didn’t know,” I cried.
“Covid-19! You have released death into the world, girl!”
“How could I have known that was a silly prophecy?” I began
“It is not a silly prophecy!” Dominic snapped. “Most of us on this side knew about it,” I gulped.
“Well, how would I have known that the prophecy would be connected to me? My awakening?” I asked, begged. Dominic finally looked at me.
“There was no way you would have known,” he said tiredly.
“How do I change what I have done?” I asked. Some part of me was scared that I would have to die again but I knew I couldn’t watch millions die instead.
“You need to go to heaven. Perhaps God will listen to you,” he said.
Well, we all know how that ended.
.
What's Your Reaction?
