It had been two weeks since her father died. She had run out of the forest to the road where Papa's friend Mr Douglas had been waiting to take them to the village. He had left with only her, barely comprehending the gibberish she spoke as she tried to explain that papa was dead.
The village was a small one with plenty of rivers. She and Mr Douglas kept to themselves. They were staying with Papa's mother in the bungalow he had built for her.
Angela had never been to the village. She had never met her grandmother either. Now she knew why. Her grandma had taken one look at her and realised that papa was dead. Grandma had said not to tell anybody of Papa's death, that it wasn't yet time for that. Instead, she had set about been a comfort to her granddaughter. She always took Angela to fetch firewood and water with her, telling everyone who cared to listen that she was her grand daughter. The villagers welcomed her, some had brought gifts of wrappers and decorated pottery on her first day. She asked grand mother why they did that. She had simply replied "You're a Kondra."
She knew Maadam would come for her. She wasn't afraid. She was ready. She didn't wait long. Maadam came with thunders and lightnings, thick clouds that covered the sky and darkened the village, making the villagers scream in terror and run to their houses for safety. Everyone knew this was not an ordinary storm.
She went outside and stood, waiting to face Maadam. The rain drenched her, causing goosebumps to break out all over her skin.
"Go to the Agbaka river. Our family goddess will protect you there." grandma said to her, a knowing look in her eyes.
She nodded and broke into a jog, heading to the river. The sight of the gold-brown long serpent stopped her in her tracks. It stared straight at her, it's head bent regally and tail curled as it poised to strike. Bending down while keeping her eyes on the snake, she scooped some sand in her palm, whispered some words into it and threw it into the air. The snake didn't budge. She narrowed her eyes. This required more.
She picked up a stone nearby, whispered some words and flung it at the snake. It missed. The snake hissed and started gliding towards her. She ran into the bush, picked up a palm leaf and began whispering quickly, the snake getting closer to her. She went behind a tall tree, poured spit into the leaf and leaped out, throwing the leaf at the snake.
She didn't miss this time, the leaf bounced on the snake. She smiled and went back to the road, walking towards the stream. She knew if she looked back, the leaf and the snake would not be seen.
Maadam was standing at the bank of the river, dressed in her white gown and holding a golden scepter. A crown of gold with a diamond on the centre adorned her head. Maria stood by her right, her small frame encased in a white gown. She held no staff.
Angela stood in surprise. She had watched Maria die.
"How are you alive? My father killed you..." she stammered out.
They smiled, a look of triumph on their face.
"It's not so easy to kill me Angela, I've been around a long time." Maria replied. She turned to Maadam and said imploringly " Let me kill her for you Maadam. I offer myself to you my queen!" she bowed low to Maadam.
"No Maria. You are a faithful servant. You have always carried out all your tasks, no matter how difficult. I....will teach her obedience." Maadam turned to Angela.
A lightning bolt hit the spot she was standing. She dived and landed on the sand. She picked up a stone and hurled it towards Maadam. Maadam raised her arms, the stone stopped in mid air, then went straight back to Angela and hit her forehead. She fell back from the force, blood pouring from a gash on her head.
Maadam came to her, holding the scepter in her right hand. "Stay down Angela, you don't want this to go farther."
Angela spit out blood, anger in her eyes "You killed my mother and my father. This ends now." she grabbed a stick beside her and raised her arm to strike. Maadam held her arm, squeezing it till the stick fell. She picked it up and threw it away. Then with her scepter, she began to hit Angela's head.
The pain was blinding and relentless. The wound on her head was streaming blood into her eyes. She raised her hand to block the blows while her left hand searched blindly for a weapon. Her hand touched nothing. She blindly raised up her left hand and held the scepter, taking Maadam by surprise and dragging it away. She hit her once in the stomach with the scepter, using it as a support to stand up. Maadam was bent over in pain.
"Give me that back Angela" she screamed, reaching to take it. Angela whacked her hands with the scepter, taking a step back. Maadam screamed again in pain.
"Give it back to me Angela" she shouted.
"You keep saying that like am actually going to give it back. Are you scared now? You're weak and helpless right? Now watch me take away your power."
Angela brought out a tiny bottle of oil from the side pocket of her shorts and smashed it on the sceptre.
Maadam screamed again in agonising pain, shrinking before Angela's eyes until there was nothing left. She wiped off the blood covering her left eye, looking down at her bloody red shirt.
"Wait!"
She turned to see Maria, coming towards her and immediately held up the now useless sceptre to threaten her.
"Am not here to fight you Angela. I want to pay my respect to you, Maadam." She bowed low in respect to Angela
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