A NIGHT'S ENCOUNTER

                                                                     PART ONE

It was a breezy night, the moonlight showed brightly in the sky just like the stars. The chirping of the crickets could be heard all over. And the cats jumped from here and there after the family had their supper, perhaps they were arguing about who was supposed to take the bone that was taken by another. My grandma had done her singing and storytelling and everyone went to bed just like we do every night. 

My mum came out of her room after putting my baby sister to sleep to pack some things before sleeping. She turned the lights off and went to have a night's rest. I believed my daddy, who had been the watchman of the house, had done his checks to know if everyone was in bed and their mosquito nets respectively in all the rooms including my grandmothers'. 

I also went to sleep just like I always do in my room. I had no light in my room then though there were lights in all other rooms except that one. It was a room for one of the "oldies' till she passed on and no one uses it except my aunts in the city who visit once in a Blue Moon. It was a cool night and the wind was making it a lovely light. 

I've always had a hobby of waking up at night to pass out water since I detest the idea of using a chamber pot. I never liked it and still don't know what will make me do it since what happened that night couldn't. 

I woke up that very night, opened my door, and just when I was about to turn the light in the hall on, I saw someone standing at the small entrance to our compound. 

I was startled, and my heart started racing immediately, I stepped back slowly and entered my room. "Eeeeeiiii!!!God" I said, panting. Hmmm, the pee kuraaa left my body. I'm very sure if they had checked my BP that very moment the machine would have been distorted and destroyed.

I was shaking, slowly crawled onto the bed, and started calling my daddy. No, I wasn't calling him on the phone, I was just 9 years old and didn't even qualify to use a phone by then since I was in the village. My dad and I shared a wall so he could hear my voice if I called him and I could hear his too.

I started saying Daaaa, Daaaa, PaaPaaa undertone just so the intruder wouldn't hear.

 He said "Mavis, nke w)m"? To wit, "Mavis, what's wrong with you?"

I said, "Daaa, medeku amaede le m)nu" To wit, Daaa please there is someone at our entrance.

He didn't say anything again till after some minutes he told me not to step out...

.......................................................................................................................................Watch this space for the continuation.