The Place Beyond Her Dreams by Oby Aligwekwe (100 best novels of all time .txt) 📕

go with that nonentity,” he concluded, hissing and walking out the door.

I waited till the sound of his footsteps faded before I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My nose was still bleeding, and one side of my face was swollen. As I ran the tap and wondered how pathetic I had become, my mind ran to Okem. He was in danger. I had to get to him.

Okem

Right after Ona left my room at the Palisir hotel, I pondered for long everything that was going on. Unable to think properly indoors, I decided to take a walk around the hotel grounds to clear my head. An hour later, I came back upstairs to take a nap as I hadn’t slept the night before. I lay down on the sofa and thought about all the things I’d discussed with Ona since my return. They had thrown me off course. I couldn’t help but think that if I hadn’t been so hot-headed, I would have waited to hear everything she had to say the day I left. Even now, Ona’s grandfather’s words come back to me. “Okem, you need to calm down sometimes and listen,” he’d always say. They are almost prophetic, and I wished I listened then. But there’s no need crying over spilled milk. I remember when I used to sit down with him and eat akara and akamu. Oh, how I’ve missed him. Almost as much as I’ve missed Ona. I wish everything could go back to the way it was. If only I could turn back the hands of time and make things right. But how can I make things better? God please, make this pain go away. That snake Albert is ruining her life. The mere fact that he’s in it is interrupting her whole existence. He’s always been wrong for her, and because of him, she’s just roaming the earth without a purpose.

Just as those last thoughts crossed my mind, my heart sank, and I lost touch with my surroundings. Before I knew it, I found myself walking down a narrow path, bordered by trees on both sides and streams of water flowing beneath. Confused as to how I got there, I turned around to retrace my steps. All I saw were images of wild creatures in varying shapes and sizes, representing doom and gloom. I continued on my path, with longer strides this time, praying the creatures behind me would disappear. As I began to calm down and appreciate the tranquility offered by the trail in front of me, I reached its tail end and floated into another reality.

“I told Ona the same thing.” I heard a deep voice say.

The moment my eyes collided with the striking figure before me, I realized I was looking at Ona’s grandfather. He’d changed a bit, but I was certain it was him.

“I made it clear to Ona,” he continued, “that the person she marries will either propel or thwart her purpose on earth.”

“Where am I?” I asked, confused. I thought I’d died and woken up in heaven. I marveled at the beautiful surroundings, the mountains, the rivers, the lush vegetation, and the life forms. Everything seemed so familiar and yet so strange.

“You’ve finally made it,” Ona’s grandfather declared.

“This is Luenah?” I stuttered, still aghast.

“That’s right.”

“I’ve been dreaming of this place for years. No wonder the times Ona described it to me, it felt like somewhere I’d been before. Now I understand why. I have been here. I am so sure now. This must be how you found me, Sir.”

“We’ve been waiting a long time for you,” Ona’s grandfather said.

A carriage pulled up right in front of us, and he took my hand to lead me in.

“My son,” he said. “This is a great feat. Congratulations. Only a select few make it to Luenah. You’re one of the chosen ones. You’re one of the few in the long line of Eris.”

* * *

We rode for what seemed like a whole day to the shrine. It was a marvelous ride. I don’t believe Ona did it justice when she described it to me many years ago. On entering the shrine, the whole court sat quietly as though they had been anticipating my visit. The throne room was filled to the brim, and there seemed to be some sort of celebration going on. A feast was spread out. The man I assumed to be the supreme ruler of Luenah was on the throne. He was resplendent in a long gilded robe that swept the floor beneath him. The late King—the Ideme, my father— was there too. He held a heavy object in his hand. I bowed before him.

“Father?” I said, sighing deeply.

“My son.”

“Father.”

“Son, I am so sorry that I wasn’t able to protect you on earth. Please forgive me. I was only human. My only consolation is that the infinite being was there for you.”

“I’m sorry too, Father. What they did to you was evil. They deprived you of your offspring.”

“Don’t worry, my son. Everything happens for a reason. The most important thing is that the wrongs will be made right, and the truth will be revealed soon.”

“How? There’s been so much damage. And who will believe me?”

“They will have no choice but to believe you after you leave here today. You will have the blessing and the anointing you need.”

He stretched out his hand to further reveal the object he was holding.

“With this,” he said, “no one can come between you and your destiny.”

I froze to the spot as I stared at the twenty-inch-long wooden structure, detailed with brass tacks. The top part depicted a man’s head with elaborate headgear and scarification marks on the face. The handle was twisted, had a separate ring at the top, with pyro-engraved details.

“The staff,” I finally muttered and shifted my gaze to my father and then back to the precious gift he held in his hand.

“Take it, my son. It is yours.”

I stretched out both hands and took