Akata Witch (6 page)

She stood up, her shoulders back and her head held straight and high. When she touched her face, it was with gently held arms and softly curved hands and lightly parted fingers, like a ballet dancer.

“Look at her,” she heard Orlu sigh. “I’ve never seen that kind before.”

“Oh? And how many ‘kinds’ have you seen?” she heard Chichi snap. “Why don’t you have some decency and turn away?” When Sunny looked at them, she saw that Chichi, who was looking away, had pink sparks jumping off of her and Orlu was dripping with almost invisible blue water. She didn’t look at Anatov.

“Okay,” she whispered. “Enough. Can this stop now?” She felt whatever was holding her up shrink into her, like it was a genie and she was the bottle. She staggered and sat down heavily on the floor. When she looked down, she was wearing some kind of dress made of light brown raffia. She touched her neck and was relieved to find that at least her gold necklace was still there. Her sandals were still on her feet, too.

“You passed! I
knew
it,” Chichi said, throwing her arms around Sunny and pulling her up. “I
knew
I was right.”

“My clothes!” At least her voice was normal again. “Where—?”

“Forget your clothes,” Chichi said. “You passed!”

Anatov came toward them, a wicker chair following of its own volition, like a faithful dog. He sat down. “Orlu,” Anatov said, “put the
chittim
in her purse.”

She stared as Orlu took her purse and scooped the handfuls of fist-size horseshoe-shaped copper rods into it.

“Rare,” Anatov said, still looking at her. “Just as it’s rare for a pure Igbo girl to have skin and hair the color of washedout paper, so it is for one to be a free agent. Neither of your parents, I assume?”

“What?” she asked.

“Are Leopard People.”

“I—I guess not,” she said. “Not that I know of.”

“If you don’t know, then they aren’t. No mysterious aunts, uncles, grandparents?”

“Well,” she said. Her throat was sore and she wanted to get the taste of dirt out of her mouth. “My—my grandmother on my mother’s side was . . . a little strange, I think. Maybe she was mentally ill. My mother won’t talk about her much.”

“Ah,” he said. “And let me guess, she’s passed on.”

She nodded. “Some years ago.”

“She look like you?”

“No.”

“Do you know her name? Her true name, the name before she was married?”

She shook her head.

“Hmm,” he said. “In any case, you’re what we call a free agent Leopard Person. You’re in a Leopard spirit line . . . somehow. It’s not a blood thing. Leopard ability doesn’t travel in the physical. Though blood is familiar with spirit.

“It may have been through your grandmother or she may have just been crazy, who knows. It’s known to happen once in a while, but rarely. Most Leopard People are like your friends here, born to two sorcerer parents—strong ancestor connections. They are the most powerful, usually. Those born to one parent can’t do much of anything unless they have an especially expensive juju knife or something like that or if they come from an especially adept mother. It travels strongest from woman to child, since she’s the one who has the closest spiritual bond with the developing fetus.

“And to tell you what’s just happened—you’ve been initiated.” He paused. “Do you use computers?”

She blinked at the odd question. Then she nodded.

“Of course you do,” he said. “Imagine that you are a computer that came with programs and applications already installed. In order to use them, they have to be activated; you have to, in a sense, wake them up. That’s what initiation is. You were probably ready for initiation around when these two were, two years ago. You have anything odd happen to you recently?”

Sunny’s mouth went dry.

“What happened?” he asked more intently.

It was a relief to tell him about what she had seen in the candle flame. But when she finished, she didn’t like the look on Anatov’s face. “Are you sure this is what you saw?” he asked quietly. She nodded. “Hmm. That’s . . . interesting.”

“Why don’t you start from the beginning,
Oga
?” Orlu said. “All you’re doing is confusing her.”

“That’s your job,” Anatov said, annoyed. “Teach her the rules, too. I expect you all back here in four nights. Twelve midnight, sharp.”

“What?”
Sunny said. “I can’t—”

“You’re now a Leopard girl,” Anatov said, getting up. “Find a way.” Business completed, he turned to Orlu and grinned. “Guess who arrived today?”

Orlu groaned. “Already? Come
on
.”

“Your mother didn’t remind you?” Anatov said with a laugh. “She, his mother Keisha, and I have been talking about it for a week. Maybe your mother wanted to surprise you.”

“I hate surprises,” Orlu mumbled.

Chichi laughed. “If not for Sunny, we wouldn’t have come today.”

“Things have a way of working themselves out,” Anatov said. “It’s as I taught you: the world is bigger and more important than you.”

Orlu grunted.

“So,” Chichi asked, looking around, “where is he?”

“Who?” Sunny asked, rubbing her forehead. She had a headache.

“Sasha!” Anatov called. A voice responded from somewhere outside. Anatov sucked his teeth, irritated. “What are you doing? Get over here,” he said in his American-accented English.

“Sasha?” Chichi whispered to Sunny in Igbo. “What kind of name is that for a boy?”

Sunny was tired and confused, but she couldn’t help but giggle. It
was
a girly name. Still, the boy who entered the hut wasn’t girly at all.

“What took you so long?” Anatov asked sternly in English.

“I was taking a nap,” Sasha said, blinking and rubbing his eyes. He, too, spoke with a strong American accent. “Still got jetlag, man.” He wiped his face with his hand.

“Sasha, meet Orlu, Sunny, and Chichi,” Anatov said formally.

“Hey,” Sasha said coolly, thrusting his hands in his pockets. “’S up?”

Everything about him said “America.” His baggy jeans, his white T-shirt with a logo on the chest, and his super white Nike sneakers. He was tall and lanky like Sunny and he had tightly cornrowed hair that extended into long braids that went past his neck, and a gold nose ring like Anatov’s.

“Good afternoon,” the three friends said together in English.

His eyes fell on Sunny.

“Sasha’s from Chicago,” Anatov said. “He’s been sent here to . . . cool down. In the meantime, he’ll also be taught by and going through
Mbawkwa
with me.”

“Did you just get here?” Chichi asked.

“Yeah, three days ago,” Sasha said. “My first time on a plane. Can’t wait till I pass
Ndibu
, so I’ll never have to use a goddamn plane again.”

“What makes you so sure you’ll pass
Ndibu
?” Chichi asked.

“Watch me,” he said.

Chichi seemed to like this response. “How do you like it here?”

He shrugged and smiled. “It’s cool.” He laughed to himself. “No, it’s hot, damn hot. But it’s cool. I dig Leopard Knocks. Wish we had a community central space like that in Chicago. Most of us are in what I consider hiding.”

“Oh, we hide here, too,” Chichi said. “But we get by.”

“Orlu, Sasha’s things are already on their way to your parents’. You’re all free to go,” he said, shooing them out. “I’ve got things to do. I’ll see y’all in four nights.” He paused and looked at Sunny. Then he smirked. “And take care of her.”

“We will,” Orlu said.

“Of course,” Chichi added.

Before Sunny knew it, Anatov had pushed them out through the IN door.

“What’s wrong with that guy?” She went to lean against a nearby tree, feeling nauseous, tired, and irritable. Not a good combination. “And why does he have those ‘in’ and ‘out’ signs if no one uses them?”

“To him, his hut is
outside
the average rubbish-filled world,” Orlu said, looking back. “Only with reluctance does he leave.”

“Here,” Sasha said, reaching into his pocket and bringing out what looked like a fresh chewing stick. “Gnaw on this for a while. You’ll feel better.”

It was minty. She did feel better. “Thanks,” she said.

“Yeah,” Sasha said. “Man, I wish I’d have known. I’ve never seen an
Ekpiri
initiation on a free agent. I was half asleep outside when I heard your return. Splat!” He laughed.

“It was loud like that?”

“Yep,” Sasha said. “Like a load of rotten entrails dropping on the floor.”

“How come I’m dry now?”

“That’s the way it works.”

Chichi looked at Orlu as if waiting for him to say something. When he didn’t, she turned to Sasha and asked, “Are you ready to go?”

Sasha cocked his head. “Why doesn’t
he
ask me?” he said, looking at Orlu. “He’s the one I’ll be living with.”

“Because I don’t speak to dangerous people,” Orlu grumbled in Igbo.

“Yo, what is your problem?”

Orlu turned to Sasha. “I know about
you
,” he said in English, scowling at Sasha. “My parents told me
everything
. Why would I want to live with someone like you?”

“Orlu!” Chichi said.

Sunny leaned back against the tree, chewing the mint stick.

Orlu scoffed. “Why don’t you tell them why you’re here? Give them some details.”

Sasha thrust his hands deeper into his pockets. “Selfrighteous African,” he mumbled.

“Troublemaking black
American
,” Orlu spat. “
Akata
criminal.”

“Hey!” Sunny said.

“As if I don’t know what
that
means,” Sasha said, looking mildly annoyed.

“As if I care,” Orlu said.

“Both of you, shut up,” Chichi said. “Ugh, this won’t do! Sasha, what’s your story? Just tell us.”

“Why should I?” Sasha said.

“Because we asked,” Sunny said quietly, sitting down at the foot of the tree.

Sasha paused, then sighed.

“So you know,” she continued, “I was born in the States, too. I came back with my parents when I was nine. That’s only three years ago.” She paused and looked meaningfully at Orlu. “I may not talk about it much, but most days I feel very much like an . . .
akata
.”

Orlu looked at his feet, obviously ashamed.
Serves him right for being so thoughtless
, Sunny thought.

Sasha seemed a little calmer. “Fine. Okay. Like it matters.” He ran his hand over his cornrows. “I got into one too many fights at school. My parents were stupid enough to move into a neighborhood that was not only all white but all Lambs.”

“Lambs?” she asked.

“Folks with no juju,” he said. “There wasn’t a sorcerer, healer, or seer, for miles and miles. Anyway, so yeah, because of all that and because I don’t take crap from anybody, I got into a lot of fights. And,” he added quickly, “maybe I worked some stuff on some kids who were giving me problems.”

Orlu laughed scornfully. “He set a masquerade on three boys in his class!”

“What?”
Chichi exclaimed.

“They talked smack about my parents and were harassing my sisters!” Sasha shouted.

“You can
do
that?” Chichi asked, impressed. “That’s
Ndibu
level juju!”

“Who cares what level?” Orlu said. “He’s
Ekpiri
like we are.”

“Man, there are books and I read them,” Sasha said. “Plus, it was only a minor masquerade.”

“So?”
Orlu cried. “There are
rules
! And two of those boys are mentally messed up because of what
you
did. I heard my father on the phone talking to your father just after it happened.”

“Oh, well,” Sasha said with a shrug. “Shouldn’t have disrespected my parents or
touched
my sisters.”

“Sasha hasn’t mentioned that he also switched the minds of two police officers,” Orlu added.

“They were harassing me and my friends,” Sasha said. “They were pushing around this girl I know. And they were just . . . they were abusing the power they were given! Y’all don’t know what it’s like for a black man in the U.S. And y’all certainly don’t know Chicago cops on the South Side. Here everyone’s black, so you don’t have—”

“Oh, don’t give me that!” Orlu said. “You rationalize everything. That’s why your parents sent you here.”

“Enough,” Sunny said. “How are you two supposed to live together? Sasha, turn over a new leaf or something. It’ll be easier if you and Orlu try and be friends.”

Sasha and Orlu looked at each other and then away.

“You’ll feel better if you walk around some,” Chichi said, helping Sunny up. “Let’s take her to Leopard Knocks.”

“What?” Sunny said, nearly sinking down again.

“Relax,” Chichi said. “You’ll be fine.”

Orlu chuckled.

“I checked it out yesterday,” Sasha said, brightening up. “My parents would love that place.”

Chichi smiled. “Let’s go, then. While we get lunch, we can explain more things to Sunny.”

Sunny tried to stand up straight and stumbled to the side. “No way! I’m not crossing that—”

“Here,” Chichi quickly said, pushing it into her hands. “Take your purse.”

“Aha!” Sunny exclaimed. “It’s heavy, o!”

“You’ve got at least a hundred
chittim
in there, I’d say. Maybe more,” Orlu said.

“What’s
chittim
?” she asked.

“Currency,” Orlu said. “You earn it when you learn something. The bigger the knowledge, the more
chittim
. I didn’t receive half as many
chittim
when I went through
Ekpiri
!”

“
Ekpiri
is level one,” Chichi explained. She turned to Orlu. “That’s because you
always
knew what you were. Sunny’s a free agent. She didn’t know anything.”

Even Sunny couldn’t argue with that.

What Are Masquerades?

Up to now you’ve known masquerades to be mere symbolic manifestations of the ancestors or spirits. Men and boys dress up in elaborate cloth and raffia costumes and dance, jeer, or joke, depending on whom they are manifesting. Up to now, you’ve believed masquerades to be nothing more than myth, folklore, theater, and tradition. Now that you are a Leopard Person, know that your world has just become more real. Creatures are real. Ghosts, witches, demons, shape-shifters, and masquerades, all real. Masquerades are always dangerous. They can kill, steal your soul, take your mind, take your past, rewrite your future, bring the end of the world, even. As a free agent you will have nothing to do with the real thing, otherwise you face certain death. If you are smart you will leave true masquerades up to those who know what to do with juju.