Excerpt from Dazzling by Chikodili Emelumadu, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

Chapter Thirty-Six
Treasure: Then

The goat is doing "mkpaaa-mkpaaa" in the boot. Ever since we left it have been making noise, even though driver tight its leg and hand and opened the boot so that it can hang its head outside and be getting breeze. Goat is not cow; they are always making noise. There is go-slow all the way from Onitsha to Agulu upon it have not yet reached ten o'clock in the morning, and Mummy is fanning herself because Driver can only be putting on AC small-small so that battery will not die.

"I don't know why you had to get dibia from Agulu, are there no longer people in Onitsha, eh?" Mummy is asking Driver again upon she have already asked him plenty time and Driver is telling her that he knows the man because he is his brother from his mother's side, and his gift is pure from God; he is not a wayo man. This time as she is asking Driver is not saying anything again, only minding his driving business, because after all, is not as if Mummy is looking for answer, she just wants to bite somebody, because going to dibia house is paining her.

Is paining me too. Dibia said Mummy should bring goat, he did not call my name, why is Mummy forcing me to follow her and go as if me I did not see what I will be using my time for? I have to finish my revision. And this dibia man that put his hand inside my breast? Shame is catching me, I am just vexed completely. Am totally vexed and fed up, but nobody asked me my mind so I didin talk.

And too, who knows? The dibia man have strong medicine because I sleep well, baff well, no spirit coming excepting when he sent Ifeanyi message for example. If Mummy did not bring goat for him, who knows what the dibia will do? Is better that we do as he says so that the people we are owing will be lesser and lesser. As I am here now inside the car, there are whole two seeds inside my wardroom where I hide it, waiting for who will collect.

The go-slow is much, but Driver knows how to drive, how to put tyre inside small space until the body of the car enters finish. Sometimes he will cut hand, cut hand, Mummy will now use the China handfan she is using to be fanning herself to beat him as if he is a small boy, that he should stop dragging her new car; after all, he cannot buy it. Driver has full-stop his mouth. He is vexing.

As we are nearing Agulu, Driver is relaxing because it is his hometown, and talking small to himself. Mummy is fanning herself more-more.

"Treasure, we need to go in, give him his goat and get out fast. We don't want anybody to see us going to dibia before it will look as if we are fetish people. We are going up in the world," says Mummy. She puts on her sunshades. Driver starts to be singing and I know he heard what Mummy said. Next thing, we drive into the small road and Driver stops the car in front of one old, falling-down house and says he is coming, that has to go and collect number.

"Number for what?" Mummy is winding her window and shouting him.

"Everybody coming must pick number. Please Madam, I am coming." He enters the door of the falling-down house. It is quiet, as if main road is not in our back. Even the goat that was disturbing is now closing its mouth. Mummy fans her China fan fast.

"I need to do my hair today, this foolish man should not waste my time. If I sweat too much, relaxer will pepper me." She looks inside the steering wheel. "And he took the keys. Imagine!"

Driver comes out, holding one yellow paper. He enters car, gives the paper to Mummy. They wrote "52" on it with black marker. On the back in pen, they wrote "N20." Mummy opens her purse and counts the money, five-five naira and one ten naira, and gives him. He goes back inside, comes out, enters car again and starts it.

"He is not collecting the goat again?" asks Mummy.

"No, Ma. This is where we get ticket, not where we see him." I jus' said let me close my mouth and be looking. As we are driving, see Agulu Lake moving like cloth that someone is holding on one side and shaking. Driver corners again and this road, even though it don' have kolo tar, is big and wide. On one side is compound wall, high but no broken glass on it; on the other side is a tree, which I am thinking is mango but it don' look like mango, and the smell is like ugili. My body is cold as I am remembering the spirit and his ugili. There is bush on the ugili tree side, cleared and pushed for all the plenty-plenty cars parked there to be parking. Small cars, big cars, pick-up. Driver finds space under another tree so Mummy will not be hot and offs the engine. He opens the boot, carries the goat and tights the rope holding the neck to one iron hook in the grass. There are plenty other hooks there, like people are bringing goat always.

Excerpted from Dazzling by Chikodili Emelumadu. Copyright © 2023 by Chikodili Emelumadu. Excerpted by permission of The Overlook Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.