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Remi the writer, Lagos (2026)

20/08/2026

in this village, every year the river goddess takes three young men as her grooms and rewards their families with unimaginable wealth

10

Ibe stays hidden behind the broken wall of the old shrine, listening carefully as footsteps move closer through the forest. He wants to run, but his legs feel heavy after everything that has happened, and when he tries to move, he can barely take another step. He looks toward the small pool one more time, hoping the strange voice will speak again, but the water is now completely still. Suddenly, several men appear between the trees, and Ibe quickly lowers himself behind the broken wall. The men are strangers to him, and each of them has long white paint across his chest, arms, and face in wide strips that make them easy to recognize. They carry wooden staffs and walk slowly around the shrine as if they already know that someone is hiding there. Ibe holds his bag close and waits for them to pass, but one of the men suddenly turns toward the broken wall. "Come out," the man says, and Ibe realizes that they already know where he is.

Ibe stays silent because he hopes the men may eventually leave, but another man walks around the shrine and blocks the only way out. The first man raises his staff and tells Ibe that he has nowhere to run. Ibe steps out slowly and asks who they are, but none of them answers his question. Instead, one of the men looks at his face and says that Elder Obasi will be pleased to see him. Ibe immediately understands that these men are connected to the village, and he turns around and tries to run through the trees. He takes only a few steps before another man catches him by the arm. Ibe struggles and tells them to let him go, but two more men quickly surround him. He pulls away and tries to escape again, but one of the men grabs his bag and throws it onto the ground. Ibe realizes that he cannot fight all of them, so he stops struggling for a moment and asks why they are taking him.

The men tell him that he has been ordered to return to the village, but Ibe refuses to go with them. He tells them that he has done nothing wrong and that he only wants to leave Akwada. One of the men laughs and says that nobody leaves before the elders finish what they have started. Ibe asks what that means, but the man refuses to explain. They t!e his hands together with a strong rope and lead him through the forest while he keeps looking for a chance to es-cape. As they walk, Ibe sees the village becoming visible in the distance, and his fear grows because he knows exactly what is waiting for him there. People begin noticing the men as they enter the village, and soon several villagers follow behind them. Some people point at Ibe while others whisper among themselves, and Ibe realizes that everyone already knows about his escape. He keeps asking them to stop, but the men continue taking him toward the center of the village.

By the time they reach the village square, a large crowd had gathered. The square is usually a busy place where people sell food and talk with their friends, but now everyone has stopped what they are doing to watch Ibe. Elder Nduka stands near the elders, and when he sees Ibe, his face becomes serious. Mma Uzo is also there, and the moment she sees Ibe with his hands t!ed, she covers her mouth in shock. Elder Obasi steps forward and tells the crowd that Ibe tries to escape before the yearly ceremony. He says that the boy has disrespected the elders and broken the rules of Akwada. Ibe immediately tells everyone that he has a right to leave because he is a human being and not property. Some villagers begin murmuring, while others tell him that he should accept his duty.

Elder Obasi orders the men to take Ibe toward the old wooden platform beside the square. Ibe becomes frightened when he sees several villagers carrying r0pes and woo-den sticks, and he asks what they plan to do to him. The priest tells him that the elders must teach him a lesson before the ceremony, but he gives no details about what that lesson will involve. Ibe looks toward Nduka and begs him to stop everything, reminding him that he once gives him food and shelter when he has nowhere to go. Nduka looks away instead of answering. Mma Uzo finally steps forward and tells her husband that this has gone too far, but Elder Obasi orders her to remain silent. The crowd becomes restless as the men lead Ibe closer to the platform, and Ibe begins to understand that his escape has made the elders even more determined to keep him under their control.

Ibe is forced to sit on the platform while the white-painted men stand around him. Elder Obasi tells the villagers that fear must never make anyone reject the will of the river goddess. He says that Ibe must learn that the yearly ceremony is more important than one person's wishes. Ibe looks around the square and sees people he has spoken to during his time in Akwada, but many of them now refuse to meet his eyes. He sees Chima among the children at the back of the crowd, and the little boy looks frightened by what is happening. Ibe calls out to Mma Uzo, asking if all the kindness she had show weeks ago was genuine, but she stands frozen because she is caught between fear of the elders and guilt over what is happening to him. Elder Obasi raises his staff and tells the men to begin the pun!shment.

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19/08/2026

In this village, every year the river goddess takes three young men as her grooms and rewards their families with unimaginable wealth.

9

Ibe waits until the house becomes quiet before he finally decides that he cannot stay there another night. The words Elder Nduka tells him keep returning to his mind, especially the part about nobody coming to look for him if he disappears. He looks around the small room where he sleeps and remembers how safe he feels when he first arrives, but now every corner reminds him of the secret that has been hidden from him. He knows that if he waits until morning, the elders may discover that he knows their plan, and he does not want to give them that chance. Before dawn, while everyone in the house is still asleep, Ibe quietly gathers the few things he owns and places them inside his old bag. He opens the door carefully and steps outside, stopping when he hears a sound from inside the house. For a moment, he thinks someone has woken up, but the house remains quiet. Ibe looks toward the river and then toward the forest beyond the village, and he chooses the forest because he believes it will take him far away from Akwada.

Ibe walks quickly through the empty village, keeping close to the houses so nobody notices him. The roads are still quiet, and the first light of morning has not yet reached the sky when he reaches the road leading into the forest. He looks back once and sees the roofs of Akwada behind him, then turns away and continues walking. His legs hurt from the long night, but fear gives him enough strength to keep moving. He didn't know where the forest will take him, and he does not have a clear idea of where he will sleep or what he will eat, but he knows one thing for certain: he cannot allow the villagers to take him to the river. He pushes through bushes and follows a narrow path that seems to lead away from the village. Birds fly from the trees as he passes, and small animals disappear into the grass when they hear his footsteps. Ibe keeps moving until he hears a strange sound ahead of him. He stops and looks around, and then he sees a large snàke lying across the path.

Ibe jumps back in fear when the snàke lifts its head and moves toward him. He didn't wait to see whether it will att@ck, because he immediately turns and runs in the opposite direction. His bag swings against his side as he races through the forest, and branches catch against his clothes while he tries to move faster. Behind him, the snake moves through the grass, and Ibe keeps looking back because he is afraid it may still be following him. He reaches a narrow part of the forest where the path divides into three smaller paths, and he quickly chooses one without knowing where it leads. His foot catches on a root, and he falls forward, but he quickly gets up and continues running. The sound of the snake moving through the grass finally disappears, but Ibe didn't stop because he is still frightened that it may be close. After running for several more minutes, he notices an old stone structure hidden among the trees. The place looks as if nobody has used it for many years, and Ibe decides to hide there until he is sure the snake is gone.

The old structure is a small abandoned shrine with broken wooden posts and faded marks on the walls. Ibe steps inside and finds a dry corner where he can sit without being seen from the forest. He places his bag beside him and tries to catch his breath while listening for any sound outside. For several minutes, there is nothing except the sound of leaves moving and distant birds calling to one another. Ibe slowly begins to relax, but then he notices something strange near the center of the shrine. There is a small pool of water inside the old structure, even though there is no clear source feeding it. He moves closer and looks down at the surface, wondering how water can remain there when the shrine has been abandoned for so long. The water is perfectly clear, and he can see the bottom of the small pool. Ibe reaches out but stops before touching it because something about the place makes him uncomfortable. He decides to move away, but before he can turn around, the water begins moving on its own.

Ibe freezes and watches the small pool ripple even though there is no wind inside the shrine. The ripples grow larger until the water begins moving in circles, and then a voice comes from somewhere around him. Ibe looks toward the entrance, expecting to see someone standing outside, but nobody is there. He checks behind the broken wooden posts and looks through the trees, yet the forest remains empty. The voice comes again, and this time Ibe realizes that it seems to be coming from the water. He steps backward and asks who is there, but the voice does not answer his question. Instead, it calls his name. "Ibe." He stands completely still because he has never told anyone in the forest who he is. He looks down at the pool and asks how the person knows his name, but the water only continues moving. Then the voice calls his name again, and Ibe realizes that whatever is speaking to him knows exactly who he is.

Ibe slowly moves closer to the pool because he wants to understand what is happening, even though every part of him tells him to leave. He asks whether the voice belongs to a person hiding beneath the water, but there is no answer. Instead, the surface becomes still for a moment, and Ibe sees a faint reflection that does not look like his own face. He quickly steps away, almost falling over the broken stones behind him. The voice calls his name once more, and this time it sounds as if it is coming from the entire shrine rather than from one place. Ibe covers his ears, but he can still hear it. He asks what the voice wants from him, and the answer finally comes through the water. "Ibe, you should not be here." His heart beats faster as he stares at the pool. He asks how the voice knows his name, but the water begins moving again before the answer comes. Then the voice says something that frightens him even more: "I have been waiting for you."

Ibe backs away from the pool and reaches for his bag, but before he can pick it up, he hears a sound outside the shrine. He turns toward the entrance and sees several branches moving as if someone is walking through the forest. He immediately becomes afraid that the villagers have found him. He moves behind one of the broken walls and waits without making a sound. The footsteps come closer, but then they stop. Ibe looks toward the entrance and sees nobody. He waits for several seconds before slowly looking back at the pool. The water is now completely still, and the strange reflection has disappeared. Ibe wonders whether fear is making him imagine things, but then the voice comes one final time. It calls him by his name again, and Ibe realizes that the voice is not coming from the forest. It is coming from the water beneath the abandoned shrine. Ibe stands frozen in place, staring at the pool.

Pardon my late posting my love, I have been trying to put words together! It's not easy writing, shàre this story 😘😘😘 I remain Remi the writer

18/08/2026

The Girl I Trained In School Dumped Me On Her Graduation Day After I Proposed To Her So I Came Up With A Revenge Plan...

Here's my Story...

My name is John Chima. I am 30 years old.

I am an electrician and I earn enough to satisfy my needs and wants and still save.

I even have enough to send to my only sibling, my elder sister Amara, who is married. Our parents were dead.

But everything changed the day I met Helen.

I met her as a struggling year-one student of UNIZIK.

Fair skinned, she was 19 then and very beautiful and well behaved.

Her parents died early like mine, and she was depending on her uncle and some menial jobs to help herself, though it clearly wasn't enough.

So she was coming back from the night club where she worked as a part-time cleaner one evening when I met her.

I was testing the vehicle I repaired earlier and happened to be going her way when I saw her.

She looked so tired that I stopped and offered to give her a lift.

She accepted it with quiet gratitude, and I drove away.

I started a conversation with her, and she revealed her age and the school she was in. She was studying Banking and Finance.

By the end of our ride, she had revealed almost everything about herself.

I pitied her condition and collected her number, promising to chat her up and see the little way I might help her, then I dropped her.

We chatted in the night, and by afternoon she passed by my shop on her way to the club house.

She always stopped by while returning, and we would discuss the day's events.
Sometimes she would eat with me as I usually bought food from the nearby mama put.

Then, when she was going home, I sometimes helped her with some cash, which she really appreciated, though she didn't ask.

Gradually, we started a very serious relationship.

We always talked to each other every day, and she would visit me in the house on Sundays and cook and help me with house chores, but she never stayed till nightfall.

She still went to her cleaning job.

I promised her that I would marry her once she graduated, and she agreed happily.

She was the quiet type who always minded her business, so she had few friends.

I had a friend called Chidi who owned and sold provisions in a shop opposite mine.

He was a bit older than me but very jovial, so we got along very well.

He was always teasing me about my single status, so when he noticed Helen's regular visits to my shop, he asked me who it was.

I told him she was the girl I wanted to marry.

When he learnt that she was in the university, he advised me to leave university girls, as they would leave me once they saw someone better, but I refused to listen to his advice.

I told him Helen was different from other girls and we loved each other.

But in her third year, something happened.

She came to my shop one day with her......

Why not àdd up Chuks Chidera Creatives for the continuation 👈👈👈👈

17/08/2026

in this village, every year the river goddess takes three young men as her grooms and rewards their families with unimaginable wealth

8

Ibe tries to keep himself calm after hearing the two elders talk, but the thought refuses to leave his mind even after the village becomes quiet for the night. He lies on his sleeping mat and stares at the ceiling while remembering everything that has happened since the day Elder Nduka finds him, He remembers the food Mma Uzo gives him, the clean clothes she offers, the work he does around the house, and the way Adaeze begins treating him like a brother. For a while, those memories make him feel grateful, but now they make him wonder whether every kindness has another reason behind it. He turns from one side to another, trying to convince himself that he may have misunderstood what the elders are saying. Perhaps they are talking about another boy, or perhaps the words "three grooms" have nothing to do with him. But then he remembers hearing his own name clearly, and he knows he cannot continue pretending that nothing is wrong. When the house becomes completely quiet, Ibe gets up from his mat and walks toward the room where Nduka was sleeping. He stops outside the door for a moment, takes a deep breath, and knocks.

Nduka wakes up and asks who is there, and Ibe tells him that he needs to speak with him. The older man opens the door and looks surprised to see Ibe standing there at that hour. He asks whether something has happened, but Ibe didn't answer immediately because he was trying to find the right words. He finally asks Nduka whether the yearly river ceremony has anything to do with him. Nduka's face changes for only a moment before he asks why Ibe would think that. Ibe tells him that he hears two elders discussing his name earlier that evening, and he asks whether they are planning to make him one of the three grooms. Nduka remains silent, and that silence gives Ibe the answer he fears most. Ibe looks at him and asks again, this time with a trembling voice, whether the elders have chosen him. Nduka closes the door behind Ibe and tells him to sit down because there are things he needs to explain. Ibe sits, but he keeps looking at the older man's face, waiting for him to deny everything.

Instead of denying it, Nduka finally admits that the village expects Ibe to become one of the three young men presented to the river goddess during the coming ceremony. Ibe stares at him without speaking because he cannot believe the words coming from the man he trusts. He asks whether Nduka is saying that he is going to be taken into the river, and Nduka tells him that this is what the tradition requires. Ibe stands up quickly and asks why nobody tells him this when he first arrives in the village. Nduka says that there is no reason to frighten him before the proper time, but Ibe becomes angry and asks how he can call it a proper time when his life is being decided without his permission. Nduka tells him that the ceremony has happened for generations and that the village cannot simply stop because one person is afraid. Ibe asks what happens to the boys after they enter the river, and Nduka says that they become husbands of the goddess and remain in her kingdom. Ibe shakes his head because he has heard enough stories to know that none of those boys ever comes back.

"Why me?" Ibe asks, as he looks at Nduka. He reminds the old man that he comes to Akwada as a stranger and that he does not understand why the elders suddenly decide that he should be one of the three grooms. Nduka tells him that the village needs the blessing of the river goddess and that three young men must be given every year. Ibe asks why the elders cannot choose someone else, but Nduka says that the choice belongs to the goddess and that nobody can argue with it. Ibe then asks whether the goddess truly chooses him or whether the elders choose him themselves. Nduka avoids the question and tells him that he should be grateful because his sacrifice will bring great blessings to the people around him. Ibe looks at him in disbelief and asks whether he really expects him to feel grateful for losing his lífe. Nduka becomes irritated and says that Ibe should understand that the village has rules that must be respected. Ibe asks what kind of rule takes a young man's lífe and calls it a blessing, but Nduka has no answer that can satisfy him.

Ibe begins walking around the small room because he feels as if he cannot breathe properly, and every memory of the past few weeks now looks different to him. At the time, those questions sound like concern, but now they sound like questions from someone trying to find out whether anyone will come looking for him. Ibe turns toward Nduka and asks whether the villagers know that he has no relative in Akwada who can protect him, and Nduka becomes silent again. Ibe watches his face and suddenly understands why the elders choose him so easily.

Nduka finally tells him that nobody in the village knows where Ibe's family is and that no one is likely to come searching for him if he disappears after the ceremony. Ibe looks at him in shock because he now understands that his loneliness is the very thing that makes him useful to them. He asks whether that is why Nduka brings him into his home, but the older man tells him that he should not think of it that way. Ibe asks how else he is supposed to think about it when the people who welcome him are now preparing to hand him over to the river. Nduka tells him that he has treated him well and that he has given him food, shelter, and work when he has nowhere else to go. Ibe answers that he is grateful for those things, but kindness should not come with a evíl price. Nduka tells him that he has already become part of the village and that the ceremony is now his responsibility. Ibe looks at the man for a long moment and realizes that Nduka is not speaking to him like a father or a friend anymore. He is speaking to him like someone who has already decided what should happen to him.

Ibe's eyes fill with tears as he asks whether Mma Uzo knows about the plan. Nduka tells him that she knows, and that answer hurts Ibe more than he expects. He remembers all the times Mma Uzo calls him her son, gives him food, checks whether he is tired, and tells him that he has a home with them. He asks Nduka whether all of that is part of the plan too, but the older man refuses to answer directly. Instead, he tells Ibe that Mma Uzo cares about him but also understands that the family needs the goddess's blessing. Ibe shakes his head and says that someone who truly cares about him would never allow this to happen. Nduka tells him that he is thinking only about himself, while Ibe replies that he has every right to think about his own lífe.

Don't forget to shàre this chapter, have a blissful day my cupcakes, Remi the writer Loves you all 😘

16/08/2026

Do you think Ibe will eventually run away? What do you think? 🥲🥲🥲

16/08/2026

in this village, every year the river goddess takes three young men as her grooms and rewards their families with unimaginable wealth

7

Two months pass quickly in Akwada Village, and the signs of the yearly river festival begin appearing everywhere as the elders start preparing for the great ceremony. Men carry long wooden poles through the streets while women wash colorful cloth and hang it across the paths, and children run from one house to another carrying small baskets of leaves and flowers. The market becomes busier because traders arrive from nearby villages to sell food, clothes, and other things for the celebration. Ibe enjoys watching everyone prepare, and because nobody has told him the real reason for the festival, he believes it is simply an important marriage celebration for the village. Nduka often reminds him that the festival is a special day for Akwada, but whenever Ibe asks for more details, he tells him that he will understand everything when the elders make their announcement. Mma Uzo becomes quieter as the days pass, and Ibe notices that she sometimes watches him with a worried look before quickly looking away. He does not understand why she seems unhappy whenever people mention the festival, but he assumes she is simply tired from helping with the preparations. For now, he continues helping around the house, completely unaware that the festival is being prepared with him in mind.

One afternoon, Ibe walks through the village with Adaeze when they see a group of children decorating the road with leaves and flowers. The children are laughing and arguing about who can make the best decorations, and Ibe joins them for a moment before asking what exactly they are preparing for. A little boy named Chima looks at him as if the answer is obvious and says that the river goddess is coming for her three husbands again. Ibe laughs because he thinks the boy is telling him a funny story. He asks whether the river goddess is truly getting married every year, and Chima nods seriously. Another child quickly joins the conversation and tells Ibe that three young men are chosen every year to become the goddess's husbands. Ibe laughs again and tells them that they should stop trying to frighten him because everyone knows that a human male can't marry a river spirit. The children stare at him with confused faces, and Chima tells him that it is not a joke because his older brother once watches three boys being taken to the river. Ibe's smile slowly disappears when he realizes that the children are not playing around.

Ibe asks the children what happens to the boys after they become the goddess's husbands, and Chima says that they enter the river and never return. Another child quickly adds that their families become rich afterward, and the children begin arguing about which family receives the most gifts. Ibe listens carefully because something about the story does not make sense to him. He asks why anyone would allow their sons to disappear, but the children simply repeat what they hear from their parents, saying that the goddess gives wealth to the families of the chosen boys. Ibe looks around and notices several older boys standing nearby, but unlike the children, they are not laughing or talking about the ceremony. One boy looks away as soon as Ibe looks at him, while another quickly walks into a nearby house. Ibe asks Chima why the older boys seem afraid, but the child only shrugs and says that they are probably scared that the goddess will choose them. Ibe stops smiling completely , the festival does not seem like an ordinary celebration anymore.

When Ibe returns home, he finds Mma Uzo preparing food and immediately asks her about the three young men who are chosen every year. She becomes still for a moment before turning back to the food. Ibe tells her that the children in the village say the river goddess takes three husbands every year, and he asks whether the story is true. Mma Uzo tells him that children often make stories sound more frightening than they really are, but Ibe says that the older boys also seem afraid of the ceremony. He asks whether the boys chosen during the previous year ever return to their families, and Mma Uzo does not answer immediately. Ibe watches her carefully and notices that she is avoiding his eyes. He asks the question again, but this time she tells him not to worry about things that do not concern him. Ibe becomes confused because he is only asking about a village tradition, yet her answer makes the subject seem much more serious. He asks why she is worried, but she tells him that everything will be fine and that he should continue helping with the preparations. Ibe nods, but something inside him tells him that Mma Uzo is hiding something.

That evening, Ibe walks through the compound carrying firewood when he notices two elderly men standing near the back of the house. He didn't pay much attention to them at first because they seem to be discussing the festival, but then he hears one of them mention his name. Ibe slows down without making any noise and listens from a short distance. One of the men asks whether Elder Nduka has already spoken with Elder Obasi about him, and the other replies that everything is ready. Ibe's heart begins beating faster when he hears the words "three grooms." He wonders why his name is being mentioned in the same conversation as the three young men chosen for the river goddess. He moves a little closer, but the men suddenly lower their voices, making it difficult for him to hear the rest of their conversation. One of them says that the boy must not become suspicious before the festival, and the other tells him that Nduka will take care of everything. Ibe stands behind the corner of the house, unable to move for several seconds because he now understands that they are talking about him.

The two elders eventually walk away without noticing him, and Ibe remains where he was while trying to make sense of what he has heard. He thinks about the day Nduka finds the kindness Mma Uzo shows him, and all the times Nduka asks questions about his family. He remembers how Nduka changes the subject whenever he asks about the missing grooms and how Mma Uzo tells him not to worry whenever the river ceremony is mentioned. He also remembers the children saying that the three chosen boys never return. For the first time since arriving in Akwada, Ibe wonders whether he is truly safe in Nduka's home. He looks toward the house and sees Mma Uzo standing in the doorway, but she does not notice him because she is watching Adaeze inside. Ibe wants to walk up to her and ask what is happening, but the words refuse to come. Instead, he quietly steps away from the house and looks toward the river in the distance. The festival was getting closer, while the village is preparing for three grooms.

Don't forget to shàre this chapter, have a blissful Sunday my cupcakes, Remi the writer Loves you all 😘

15/08/2026

in this village, every year the river goddess takes three young men as her grooms and rewards their families with unimaginable wealth

6

The next morning, Elder Nduka leaves home early and tells Mma Uzo that he needs to speak with someone in the village, but he didn't tell her where he was going. He walks along a road that leads away from the houses and toward an old building beside the river, where Elder Obasi, the village priest, lives. Almost a year has passed since Kelechi, Obinna, and Somto were taken during the last marriage ceremony, and the village is already preparing for the next one, which will take place in about two months. Nduka knows that if he wants his plan to work, he must speak with the priest before the elders begin choosing the next three grooms. He reaches Elder Obasi's compound and finds the old priest sitting under a tree while sorting several small objects used during the yearly ceremony. Obasi looks up when Nduka approaches and asks why he has come so early. Nduka sits down beside him and says that he has something important to discuss, but before he continues, he looks around to make sure nobody is listening.

"I have found a young man," Nduka says quietly, and Elder Obasi immediately stops what he is doing. Nduka tells him about Ibe, explaining that the boy is nineteen years old, healthy, strong, and has been living in his home for several weeks. Obasi asks where Ibe comes from, and Nduka gives the lie he has prepared. He says that Ibe is connected to his family through a distant cousin who leaves the village many years ago, and that the cousin has a son named Ibe. Nduka claims that he only remembers hearing about the family long ago and never expects to meet the boy, but Ibe somehow ends up in Akwada after getting lost during his journey. Elder Obasi listens carefully and asks whether Ibe has relatives in the village who may come looking for him. Nduka quickly says no, adding that Ibe himself does not seem to know where the rest of his family is. The priest leans closer and asks whether the boy has already become accepted by the villagers. Nduka smiles and tells him that Ibe works on his farm, eats in his home, helps around the village, and is now treated almost like a member of the family.

Elder Obasi's face changes when he hears this, and he asks Nduka why he is telling him all these things. Nduka lowers his voice and says that he believes Ibe can become one of the three grooms during the next ceremony. For several seconds, Obasi says nothing, and then a pleased smile appears on his face. He tells Nduka that the goddess does not demand that all three grooms must be born in Akwada. According to the old rules, she only requires young men who are healthy, strong, and properly accepted into the village before the ceremony begins. Nduka asks whether Ibe's short time in Akwada will be enough, and Obasi says that the boy has already eaten with the villagers, worked among them, and lived under a family's roof, so there is no reason for the elders to reject him. The priest reminds Nduka that the next ceremony is only two months away, since almost a full year has passed since the last three boys were chosen. Nduka nods because this is exactly what he wants to hear. He asks whether the goddess will accept a stranger as one of her husbands, and Obasi tells him that the river goddess cares nothing about where a groom is born.

Nduka then asks what will happen if someone questions Ibe's name or family. Elder Obasi tells him not to worry because most villagers do not ask too many questions when the elders approve something. He advises Nduka to keep calling Ibe a distant family member who has come to Akwada after losing his way. Nduka asks whether he should tell Ibe about the ceremony now, but Obasi shakes his head. He says that the boy must not become suspicious before the proper time. Instead, Nduka should make Ibe believe that the village is preparing for an important celebration and that he has been chosen for a special honor. Obasi explains that if Ibe becomes frightened and tries to leave, the plan could fail, especially because the village cannot force someone who has already escaped before the ceremony begins. Nduka listens carefully and repeats the priest's words in his mind. He understands that the next two months will be important because Ibe must continue trusting him until the day of the ceremony arrives. Obasi finally tells him that if everything goes according to plan, Nduka's family may receive the kind of wealth they have dreamed about for years.

Nduka leaves the priest's compound feeling lighter than he has felt in a long time. He walks back through the village while thinking about his small house, his poor farm, and the life he could have if the goddess rewards him. He imagines a new house with a strong roof, more land for farming, healthy animals in his compound, and enough money for Adaeze to have a comfortable future. Each thought makes him more confident that what he is doing is worth it. When he reaches the house, he sees Ibe repairing the handle of a farming tool while Adaeze watches him. Ibe looks up and smiles when he sees Nduka, then asks whether everything is fine. Nduka smiles back and tells him that everything is perfectly fine. Ibe returns to his work without suspecting anything, and Nduka watches him for a few seconds before walking inside. He knows that Ibe trusts him completely, and instead of feeling guilty, he tells himself that the boy will soon bring a better life to everyone in the family.

Mma Uzo notices immediately that something has changed in her husband. She waits until Ibe and Adaeze leave the compound to carry out another task before asking Nduka where he has been. Nduka tells her that he has spoken with Elder Obasi and that the priest agrees that Ibe can be presented during the next ceremony. Mma Uzo's face becomes pale, and she asks whether he truly plans to go through with it. Nduka tells her that everything is already possible and that they only need to make Ibe believe that the village has chosen him for an important honor. Mma Uzo looks toward the doorway and remembers how Ibe first arrives at their home, tired and frightened, believing that they are helping him because they care about him. She wants to tell Nduka that they must stop before it becomes too late, but she knows that arguing with him may only make him suspicious and cause him to hide the plan from her. She lowers her eyes and remains silent, even though she feels guilty for knowing what her husband is preparing to do. Nduka mistakes her silence for agreement and begins explaining how they will slowly prepare Ibe for the ceremony.

That evening, Ibe sits with the family while they eat, completely unaware of the secret conversation taking place between Nduka and the priest earlier that day. He tells them that he is beginning to feel at home in Akwada and that he may want to remain there even after he finds out what happened to his family. Mma Uzo looks at him and forces herself to smile, but the food in front of her suddenly becomes difficult to eat. Nduka listens quietly and realizes that Ibe is already comfortable enough to believe almost anything they tell him. He tells Ibe that the village will soon hold a very important celebration and that everyone will be involved. Ibe becomes interested and asks what kind of celebration it is, but Nduka only smiles and tells him that he will explain everything when the time is right. Ibe laughs and says that he hopes the celebration includes plenty of food, making Adaeze laugh too. Mma Uzo looks at Ibe's happy face and feels a deep sadness because she knows that the celebration Nduka is talking about is not what Ibe thinks it is.
I managed to type this chapter really longer, it will be fair enough to compensate my efforts with a shàre!!!

I remain Remi the writer

Remi the writer

20/08/2026

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