WATER BOY
CHAPTER THREE
Altar Ego
"Welcome to my world my baby boy! The source of my wealth." Dad pressed a kiss on my tender cheeks as soon as he entered the room.
I was laid with my feet at the foot of my cot, so I wouldn't wriggle down under the bedding. He kept my head uncovered by tucking my bedding in no higher cot bumper.
"Oh! The diamond drawstring pouch. " Dad remembered the message of the chief priest. Then he walked through the bed side and picked up one of the pillow. The moment he lifted the pillow up ,he found the drawstring coin pouch right under the pillow. He loosened the drawstring to confirm the message and viola...! It was right on time.
"Thank you,father of ocean wealth!" My dad muttered.
Meanwhile,mum was asleep all this while due to tiredness.
That was the day my father's wealth began to surface. We relocated to the city a month later after my birth.
I was named Hermione by my father,but mum thought the name was not soothing enough for me,so she decided to call me Sophiyan.
My experience from my toddler phase was peaceful and serene,until I became a teenager of thirteen years old.
On that fateful afternoon,March 13 around 03:29PM. The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze.
I was out in our compound kicking a ball all by myself when I heard a knock on our gate.
"Uncle Musa! Uncle Musa!!" I called until he came out. Uncle Musa was our gatekeeper. "There's someone at the gate. " I said to him.
"Okay small oga(Okay,boss baby). "He opened the small gate,but didn't find anyone there. " No body dey here small oga(There's no one at the gate,boss baby).
I nodded to him and he returned to his house. A few moments later,the knocking started again. Inorder for me not to drag uncle Musa into my illusion,I decided to get the gate myself.
I left the ball and ran towards the gate. When I finally opened the gate,I saw three young men decently dressed in their own taste of fashion.
"Hello,good afternoon sirs." I greeted.
"Good afternoon Hermione,how are you feeling today?" One of the boys asked.
"I'm good," I was surprised he mentioned my name. That was the name only my dad called me," You called my name!"
"Can we come in?" One of them asked. So I left the way for them to get into the compound.
"Your father sent us to deliver these gifts to you for your birthday. "One that seemed like the leader among them spoke.
To each of them were different gifts. The three of them stretched their items towards me. One of the gift was a magnificent treasure chest filled of diamonds and gold stones,with the name 'Hermione' inscribed on it. The other was a drawstring coin pouch of beautiful and colourful ornaments of some sort that I couldn't comprehend what there were met for. And the third was a diamond crown.
"What are these things for? There don't look cheap to my teen knowledge. "I inquired.
"King father,the king of ocean wealth asked us to give these items to you for your thirteenth birthday. " One of the boys said.
"King father! Is it possible for a child to have two fathers? Because to the best of my knowledge,my dad and mom had gone out in preparation for my birthday. " I replied with a premium respect.
"This is not your world, Hermione. Your world is more bigger and beautiful than this." One of the boys described.
"Sorry,I don't know what you are talking about. You have to return these items back to whoever that gave them to you boys to deliver. Tell him or her that you didn't find me. " I queried and returned to the house.
"Hermione! Hey Hermione!! Hermio...!" One of them called but I didn't respond. "I guess we have to return. "
Then the three young men left the compound that day. They went into a bush pathway that led them to a serene flowing stream. They entered the water and shape shifted into a shoal of fish and they swam off.
However,uncle Musa had seen what happened. But he was surprised when he saw me talking and getting angry to myself. This happened because he couldn't see my visitors. I was the only one allowed to see them.
"Na who small oga follow dey talk now now?!(Who was baby boss talking with?!)" Uncle Musa stuttered. He shrugged his shoulders in disbelief as he turned to mind his business.
The shocking part of that day was when I entered my room and found the same gifts that I rejected from those strange boys,sitting on my bed. I had to hide them under my bed so that my parents wouldn't suspect anything.
That was my first encounter with the water boys. It kept on like that though.
Two nights after I had had the encounter with the three water boys,I was asleep in my bedroom when I heard the snoozy sea lapping gently.
I slowly opened my eyes to a howling sound of a minty air and thudding sounds of water. The sea air smelled of chlorine.
"The beach? Am I at the beach?" I remembered sleeping in my room few hours ago. But waking up at the beach at that hour of the night was what I couldn't comprehend. "How did I get here?" I quivered.
The quavering sea harnessed its majesty as I gulped around in my bed.
"How did my bed get out of my bedroom and land here at the beach?" I thought to myself.
Slumbering in its blue robe, the sea greeted me and the half-moon of the beach softly. The sand was floury underfoot and a feathery, sugar-white of hue. A single yacht bobbed and lolled in the incoming tide, like a toy in a bath. Its lights winked saucily as the wave-crests rose gently. Looking around the secluded beach, I didn't see any of the normal sights; tourists with Day-Glo tans, tacky stands or chattering hawkers.
It was not long,I started to see some group of young men springing from the troubled waves as they took a parting position. Four men at the right hand and four men at the left hand side.
Suddenly,the echo of a raspy rumbling from the enraged sea came to me, a tremulousness to fear. The waves were really sloshing, slurping and slobbering with their salty lips,when a well built huge and dark skinned man emerged from the water. He had sheen curly black long hair dangling on his broad shoulders and a serpent curled on his neck. Then the eight young men knelt in the water to greet him as he gently approached towards me.
I quivered at the sight of this strange man as he walked towards me," Dad?! Mum!!!" I screamed aloud as he proceeded. But there was no response.
He increased his pace as a diamond crown sparkled on his head under the serene moonlit glow. It was just the hissing sound of the snake that was in my head. And the faint voice screeching and screaming my name,'Hermione.
"If this is a dream I want to wake up from it! " I screamed for the last time and jolted off, sweating profusely. It was a dream but was realistic.
I scanned the room round,but there was no sign of what I saw in my dream.
The following week was hectic. I was withdrawn from my old school into a new high school,where I was later registered as a boarder.
That Monday morning,I had my strap bag on my back,with my luggages packed in dad's car by uncle Musa. I waited in the car for twenty minutes until the three boys returned.
"You boys again?" I quizzed.
"You should activate your spiritual powers, Hermione. " One of the boys said. "Without activating them you're a normal human being on earth. All you need is go to a nearby stream,river or beach and make the rituals. Set up your altar ego. "
They smiled," There's a lake at the back of your new school. If you need to see us,you can come to the lake. Throw one of the precious stones you have in the chest into the water. We will come to shore the moment we recognize the splash. " One of them said.
"I am not a herbalist. Why do I have to start making rituals like one to one water god? "I replied.
"You do not have to dress like a herbalist to prove your point as a water boy. The rituals reveals your potentials inorder for the water god to protect you by himself. " One of them proved.
"You are going to a dangerous school. Some of the students and teachers are bad people. You have to be careful once you get there. " One said.
"There are bad people everywhere. Besides,evil cannot be completely eradicated. So it's common to have both good and bad people around you. " I replied.
"Congratulations Hermione,the king father visited you some times ago in what seemed like a dream but wasn't a dream. It was reality. " One brought to note. "He actually came to greet you that night,but you were too scared to stand him. "
"How do you mean? What visitation are you talking about?" I asked.
"A dark skinned man with a snake curled up on his neck. He had a diamond crown on his head. " One spotted.
"That was my dream. Is he the king father?!" I inquired.
"Yes!" They chorused. "It's very rare for him to visit someone on the earth, except you are special to him. "
"Meaning?!" I asked.
A few moments later,my parents walked out of the door. The boys disappeared the moment they saw my parents.
"Let's go honey!" Mum said grinning at me.
"Did we keep you waiting?" Dad asked.
"Not really dad. " I calmly replied.
So,he started the car," Very well then. Let's go!" We drove off shortly.
... To Be Continued.
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Story Credit as ©️ Written By Rihanne Maya.
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