The sudden, strange news of a prowling big cat changed the atmosphere in the village for the following days. Mornings were unusually quiet and peaceful, except for the constant noise of insects, birds, and noisy groups of monkeys living in the trees near the forests on the outskirts of the village. Noontime was warmer, but no one ever dared to visit the farms or even the streams for a cool bath. This is because the streams are tucked away into the hinterland, and the surrounding forests follow the water flow far into the distance. So if someone walks to the stream, they must walk through the dense foliage of the forest, and no one dared to do so. The evening was nearly the same as before the big cat’s appearance. Mothers and daughters prepared dinner, and fathers and sons kept watch over the house, the little ones, and the livestock. The moonlight was bright, the fireflies fluttered quietly, and the mosquitoes buzzed their songs as usual.

“Chikerere mgba, achikerere mgba,

Kụya mgba, kụya mgba…”

I heard Nene sing softly as her dog watched her play and wagged its tail. Nothing ever bothered Nene, not even the thought of a wild big cat prowling the village. She kept playing with chalk and small stones. Mama had shushed her before, but she looked up and then went back to what she was doing. The smooth clicking of stones together was like a sleep aid. I’ve found myself yawning too, wondering if Dada would need me awake or not. I hoped not.

Dada always walked around the house toward the chicken and goat pen to check on them now and then, carrying his gun, muscles glistening in the moonlight. He held his lamp in one hand and the gun in the other. Tonight, he went alone; usually, it would have been me holding the lamp and him walking behind with his gun tucked away easily under his arms. Although the lamp could provide immediate light for our path, I remember jumping in the pitch darkness when I saw two pairs of steady, shining lights just behind the fence. The lights eventually flickered and moved, showing they were fireflies. Since then, he has decided I was useless with the lamp and that it was best for him to go alone.

“The only thing you are good at is eating fufu and sleeping,” he always says, flatly, whenever I don’t get things right. It’s moments like these that he forgets I was a straight-A student and always came first in primary school. Anyway, who doesn’t like fufu, and who doesn’t like to sleep? I’m sure he does too.

Like every other kid in the village, I felt sad and angry that the moonlight night tales season had ended because of this big cat. It also meant I missed the chance to hang out with Fata, who had become a good reason to attend the moonlit night tales. However, I do remember some of the stories from this season, and one of my favorites was about the tortoise who pranked everyone, especially the big animals like elephants, hippos, buffaloes, and giraffes in Idu n’Oba. In this imaginary animal kingdom, everything was timeless, and the land was everybody’s friend…

To be continued…