Paranoia

 

Image by ArtTower, Pixabay

When she found out I was going to the east for a conference, she begged me to help deliver a message to her sister. Even though I wasn’t familiar with the region, I agreed. After all, growing up in Sabon Gari, Zaria has made me multi-lingual. I speak Ibo fluently, except you are told, you would think I am Ibo.

I couldn’t deliver it on getting to Onitsha as I had earlier planned, so I informed her but assured her I would deliver it before leaving Onitsha. The conference was hectic, I didn’t have time till it ended.
Because of the message, I couldn’t leave when everyone else left. I had to stay an extra day.
They felt I was foolish and trying real hard to be overly nice. They didn’t know I gave my word. I mean, my word is my bond. Why would I take the package back to Kano? That’s giving me extra work.

“My word my bond,” I said, to shut them up.
“Besides, it is my money and time, not yours, abi is it your time or money?”
They let be after then.
The next day after the conference I asked for detailed directions to my destination and embarked on the journey. It turned out to be a journey, after all, a short one. It took me almost two hours to get there.
I was trying to locate the house when I saw this woman, looked fiftyish or slightly older.

She looked like she was in distress. Her hands and her back was glued to the wall, her face turned to the left while she moved at intervals, like Jerry abi Tom in the popular cartoon “Tom & Jerry”. she would wait and then inch forward towards her right hand. I became concerned when everyone ignored her, I mean, why can’t they see that something is wrong?

So I forgot about my errand for a while and walked up to her.
“Nne, kedu (how are you ma)?” she didn’t answer me so I greeted her in English, “Good morning ma.” still no answer. Ba sai in tafi ba? (I should have proceeded abi?)
I still persisted, “are you, okay madam?”
It seems that was when she heard me because she looked at me for the first time.

Her response shocked me.
“I want to catch them red-handed.”
Huh! She saw my confusion and went further to explain.
“My co-wife. She is always talking about me. Once she has visitors, she takes them into her room and they talk about me till the visitors leave.”
Yesu Kristi!

I felt that was not a nice thing to do and was almost going to say that when I remembered her first statement to me, I want to catch them red-handed”, so I asked her an ‘off’ question, just to distract her.
“So your husband has two of you?”
“No!” she answered me in very good English.
“Her husband is my husband's younger brother.”
“Oh, I see. So you have never caught her red-handed?”
She shook her head.
“Then why do you feel she is always talking about you?”

She looked at me for a while without saying anything. Pressed her ears to the wall straining to hear what was being said behind the wall. Obviously, nothing was heard, yet she made gestures like she was about to break some bones.
Since no one was minding her, I had to help her. This woman is really in trouble.
What I initially thought was paranoia seems to be more. This woman needs help.

Before I could decide on what to do, she began to hit the wall and shout, “I have caught you today. Shebi you have been gossiping me abi? She went on and off. Off? Yes! she began to miss yan in between talks. She would carry something that happened in 1960 and link it with what will happen in 2028.

Can they see she needs help? I wondered. Her display made people gather. Some laughed, some mocked her, some were even throwing things at her. She began to fight with someone only she could see.
I looked around the crowd, when I saw the calmest person there, I walked up to him and asked for her family, even the ‘co-wife’ she seemed to beef.

“That her co-wife has been dead for five years!”
Oh my God, it's more serious than I thought.
“and her husband?”
“He has gone to his workshop.” “Okay, can someone get him, please? Is there anyone who can?”
So he called a young man in his twenties and asked him to go get her husband.

When he came, I spoke to him about taking her to a hospital. She obviously has a mental case. Urgent medical attention could help her. Don’t allow it to get worse than this.” I pleaded with him.
Apparently, he had been hearing but had never seen in that state. It was downplayed when being told to him.
He looked confused and helpless initially but, my talk gave him courage.

“As a medical practitioner, I can assure you it is not that bad. There is hope for your wife.”
He thanked me profusely and went to her.
Then I saw the power of love.
I was to learn they shared a love so great, most only dreamt of. He was able to calm her down, walked her to his car and drove her to the hospital. Thank God the psychiatric hospital was very close by.
I managed to get his number before they drove off.
The house I was looking for was next to theirs so, I delivered my message and left.

I will definitely call to check on her progress.
‘Such a lovely couple’, I thought as I left Owerri-EzukalaI will be heading back to Kano first thing tomorrow morning.