Dance Of The Flames

Mercy eyes were filled with dismay at the state of the sitting room she had tidied up just a few minutes ago. It was now in disarray, everything out of position. The centre table was upturned, the cushions were on the floor and to worsen everything, the contents of a cereal box was lavishly scattered on the centre rug. And the culprits, two little boys, George and Mickey were standing in the middle of the room, grinning sheepishly. They were covered in cereal.

"Which kain tin be dis na? Wetin I do una wey make una hate me like dis? Why una dey make my work hard like dis na ehn?" She lamented, her arms flailing wildly.

Mickey ran to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He was four years old and adorable.

"I love you Aunty Mercy" he grinned adoringly at her.

"Me too, Aunty Mercy." George called from where he pulled at the strands on the centre rug.

Mercy looked at them and sighed in exasperation. She loved them too but they drove her crazy with their antics. They made her work difficult by messing up the entire house, especially immediately after clean up.

Ben 10! That superhero nonsense they watch on TV. That boy that changes to different animals. Georgy and Mickey always imitate that boy! They had all the Ben 10 gadgets so would mimic all his stunts.

"Ehen, shebi na Ben 10 dey cause my problem for dis house?" She asked them.

"Ben 10 is the best! He can change into different..." Georgy started.

"I don hear. Me sef go change too. If una scatter where I arrange again, me go change to animal" she threatened.

"Really? What kind of animal?" George's eyes were wide.

"Which animal una dey fear?" Her eyes were narrowed.

"We don't like snakes" the two boys chorused.

"Okay. If una spoil my work again, I go change to snake!" She threatened again.

They gasped, their eyes wide with fear.

"Please, don't change to a snake, Aunty Mercy. We won't be stubborn again. We won't mess up the house again" they pleaded.

"Problem no dey there. If una no scatter my work, I no go change to snake but if una scatter am, I go change to biiiiiiiiig snake and chop una."

"We promise, Aunty Mercy!" They screamed.

"Okay. Good!" Mercy smiled with to herself.

Kids. She knew that promise would be broken in the next few minutes but she loved it when they owned up and tried to make amends. It showed they had some humanity in them.

Unlike their parents, the pompous duo. They never allowed her into the sitting room unless they needed her to bring them something. They called her with a bell, like an animal. They had no idea how she fared especially as she had just lost her mother. They were not concerned about her hopes and aspirations.  They didn't care when she was ill. She was expected to carry out her duties as usual, so she always took two tablets of panadol every night before she went to bed. She just couldn't afford to be sick.

She had no idea how they had managed to produce such lovely boys. The boys were so kind and generous even though they drove her crazy sometimes. They always shared their food and other delicious tidbits with her. They were wise enough to do this secretly as they knew their parents would throw a fit if they ever found out.

They protected her and she did same too. Their parents didn't know how mischievous they were because she made sure the house and the little imps were clean and dandy before Oga and Madam returned from work each night.

"Oya, make una go to una room make I clean this parlour. No scatter the room o!" She said as she ushered them out of the living room.


*******

Later that evening, the little boys' parents, Mr and Mrs Johnson were in the sitting room watching the news when Mickey threw a cushion at the television.

"Stop it, Mickey! Do you want Aunty Mercy to change into a big snake and eat us?" Georgy admonished.

"What?" Their mother screamed, a shocked look on her face. Their father looked up sharply from the newspaper he had been reading, reached for the remote control and switched off the TV.

"Mommy, Aunty Mercy will change into a big snake and eat us all if we mess up this place" Georgy looked worried.

"What? She changes into a snake?  Jesus my Lord! Honey, can you hear what I'm hearing? Hey, my own is finished! I am dead! Hey, my children oooo! Lord, help me" Mrs Johnson was frantic.

"MERCY!" The man, Mr Johnson bellowed and in a few seconds, Mercy was standing by the door.

"So, you change into a snake and terrorize my children? Ehn, Mercy?" Mrs Johnson yelled fearfully.

"No, Madam, na play..." Mercy started

"Shut up! Oya, get out!" Mercy backed into the kitchen and the man started after her, his tearful wife in hot pursuit.

They got hold of her and dragged her out through the back door to the back of the house. The woman started calling their neighbours and before long, a little crowd had gathered around.

"What is going on, Mama Georgy?" They asked.

"It's this witch that I picked up from the gutter and decided to help her life. Whenever we are at work, she would change into a snake and chase my children around the house!" Mrs Johnson spat with hate.

There were shocking gasps and murmurs from the crowd.

"God help us"

"These housemaids are witches o"

"They are all witches. They have dealt with me severally so I don't even have again.

"I am shocked to hear this. I thought she was a good girl."

By this time, Mercy was in tears.

"Madam, na play, ma. I no dey change to anything. Abeg, believe me. Georgy! Mickey! Tell una mama say na play na, abeg!"

The little boys just looked on with confusion. They didn't really understand what was going on.

"Shut up your dirty mouth! Witch. Gutter like you!" Mrs Johnson started to rain blows on her. Her husband joined in and so did their neighbours.

Mercy begged for mercy as they continued to beat her.

"You must change to snake today. Change o because we will burn you here today!" Mrs Johnson had gone berserk.

"Yes, go and bring fuel and matches. You must roast here today so that when you get to hell, they won't waste fire on you. Witch oooo" one of the neighbours clapped her hands in Mercy's swollen face.

"I am a innocent o. I no be snake o! Nene ehhhhh, Nene mhe ehhhhh" Mercy wailed through her bloodied mouth.

"Call her very well. She is the one that gave you the witchcraft to eat before.  It's the same witchcraft that killed her. Call her to come and save you now!"

"Maybe we should take her to the police station..." One neighbour ventured.

"Police station ke?" Another neighbour interrupted. "See, I am a pastor and my bible says that God has given me power to trample on snakes and scorpions, and it also says that we should suffer not a witch to live. She is a snake and a witch, so she must die! Give me the fuel!"

"Yes o! My God is alive and He has exposed the works of the wicked in my life. She thinks she can kill my children? She must die!"

And they dragged Mercy to the middle of the compound and pushed her to the ground. Deafened to her pleas, Pastor poured the fuel on her and struck a match.

From a wide berth, they watched as her burning body broke into a dance. She danced, arms flailing wildly until the fire consumed all of her strength and she stumbled into a wall and dropped to the ground.

The burnt form twitched and jerked as life slowly seeped out of her.

Georgy, with pain in his chest pressed desperately on the Omnitrix around his wrist. The tears flowed fast as he realised it was just plastic and that he was no superhero. That he was just an ordinary, six year old boy.

And years later, he would retch violently whenever he smelt burning flesh.


The End.