Gate Keeper: Unlocked

In the west of Africa lives a great and industrious tribe called the Igbos.

Long before the spread of Christianity in Africa, the Igbos worshipped the Supreme God, Chukwu, through their deities.

These deities were just and compassionate, uplifting the good and punishing the wicked. The Igbos enjoyed a beneficial relationship with these deities and went out of their way to please them.

Like all good things, the relationship didn't last forever. One of the more powerful deities, Dike Igwe, who was known to envisage the future, saw the people deserting them for foreign gods. He raised the alarm to his fellow gods, advising them to abandon the people for the treachery they were inevitably going to commit.

The other gods did not listen to him. Instead, they explained to Dike Igwe that abandoning the people would do nothing but encourage the people to run to the foreign gods.

But Dike Igwe would not listen. He sought to punish the people for a crime they were yet to commit.

He surreptitiously cast a plague and pestilence upon the people, killing off their crops, drying up their rivers and streams, and causing the death of thousands through hunger and sickness.

The people, unaware of what sins they had committed, sent up burnt offerings to the gods, asking for their forgiveness and aid.

When the gods realized Dike Igwe was behind the havoc that had been wreaked upon the people, they unanimously decided to strip him of his god status and banish him from the heavens.

Dike Igwe fought the gods, but he was no match for them. Amadioha, the god of thunder, struck him with lightning, effectively evicting him from the heavens.

Dike Igwe descended to earth and became a man. Even as one of them, he still felt distaste for human beings. He continued killing and poisoning them, fueled by the humans who ignorantly worshipped him thinking he still had their best interests at heart.

When the gods learned that Dike Igwe was still committing his atrocious acts, they cast a sleeping spell on the populace, and while everyone slept, they descended to earth and fought him again.

This time, Ala, the earth goddess, opened up the ground and buried him in Ala Mmuo, the underworld, where demons and spirits were imprisoned. The gods also destroyed the shrines dedicated to him so that none would ever pray to him.

The people learned of Dike Igwe's wickedness and began to call him Dike Aru, an abominable entity.

Down in the underworld, Dike Aru became the king of its residents, who deferred to his immense power.

He vowed revenge on the gods and the people and rallied his subjects to wage war on earth.

The demons escaped the underworld, and once on earth, they began to possess humans, making them commit all sorts of heinous and horrendous acts. People began to kill and butcher others for no reason, children were beaten to death, and the elderly were killed for sport.

Ala decided that she'd had enough of Dike Aru and his never-ending schemes for revenge. She instructed her chief priestess to form a group of strong and enduring women whose divine mandate would be to do whatever was necessary to drive the demons back into the underworld and prevent them from escaping again. They were called Ndi Nche, the Gate Keepers.

The Gate Keepers excelled at their duty, and soon the earth was free of the demons.

Dike Aru was finally vanquished, and peace returned to earth.

As time passed and colonialism brought Christianity to the land, the people were convinced by the missionaries that their gods were false. Most of them converted to the new religion and stopped worshipping their old gods. They burnt their shrines and stopped offering sacrifices.

Dike Aru's vision had come to pass.

Even now, it is said that Dike Aru is the king of the underworld and is looking for a chance to get his revenge.

* * *

Thousands of years later, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.

Ejike Uwakwe looked at himself in the mirror and grinned, “I look dapper if I do say so myself.”

And that he did in his designer suit. His shoes were made of patent leather and shone in the light, and a real Rolex sat on his left wrist.

“Demon chaser, the car is waiting,” came a voice from outside the room.

Ejike spared his reflection one last look before he sauntered out of the room.

Just beside the door, his loyal assistant, Julius Eke, waited with a bottle of water.

Ejike took the bottle but then tossed it back to him. “This isn't even cold! What do I pay you for if not to get me a cold bottle of water? Must you be so incompetent?” he asked Julius harshly.

Julius cowered as he apologized profusely. Not that it was his fault that the water wasn't cold. He had been holding the bottle of water, waiting for Ejike to step out of the room, for almost thirty minutes.

“I'll get you another one,” he said fearfully.

“Don't bother,” Ejike waved it off, “Let's go.”

They walked out of Ejike's stately mansion and into the waiting SUV.

The driver drove off as soon as the duo had settled in the back.

“Who's our client?” Ejike asked, checking his cufflinks.

“Thomas Okwudili,” Julius replied immediately.

“Good. Good. Ekere did well,” Ejike said, satisfied.

“Yes, he did,” Julius echoed, looking at his boss with eyes full of hero worship. He'd always admired his boss, ever since the time he'd seen the man on television.

Ejike had been an actor at the time, famous for the Demon Chaser franchise, in which he played an exorcist.

After the series ended, Ejike had tried some other acting gigs, but all the new movies he appeared in underperformed at the box office. After that, directors and studios alike began to avoid Ejike, labeling him bad luck.

Ejike had been forced to pursue another occupation. Not knowing how to do anything except act, Ejike had started his own church, thrilling people with his theatrical preaching, but there were already many established churches, so he didn't attract many members.

Ejike sought a way to get people to flock to his church. He noticed that the more miracles a pastor performed, the more people attended his services.

He searched far and wide and acquired the power to exorcise demons. After that, his church began to flood with people looking for deliverance from various demons, both real and imagined, but it still was not enough for Ejike.

He wanted more. More fame. More money.

He learned how to conjure demons from the underworld and drive them into people. He struck bargains with the demons, allowing them to inhabit the body of a human for a short time. In return, they'd leave when he commanded them to.

Ejike smiled as the car stopped at the house where the governor of the state resided. Ejike had perfected his game. He sent the demons to possess the relatives of influential people, knowing it would garner more fame and goodwill.

Their car was thoroughly checked by unsmiling and heavily armed policemen. After the search, they were allowed to go in.

The governor's mansion was the tallest and the largest in the state. A fleet of vintage cars was parked around the house to reinforce its opulence.

When Ejike climbed out of his car, he pulled out his phone and took a few selfies.

“For the gram,” he said to Julius.

The governor and his wife were on hand to welcome them.

They looked haunted and haggard.

“Thank you for making time to see us, Mr. Uwakwe,” the governor's wife said with heartfelt gratitude.

“You're our only hope. We've taken him to various places, but it's only gotten worse,” The governor added.

Ejike nodded. “Don't worry, I'll banish that demon far away! But first, let's take a picture.”

He wedged himself in between the bewildered couple and gave a toothy grin as Julius clicked away on his smart phone.

“Now that we've gotten that out of the way, please lead me to him,” Ejike said, smoothing a non-existent wrinkle from his suit.

The couple led the duo to a room that looked more like a pigsty. Books and clothes had been ripped apart and littered on the floor, stuffing from pillows was everywhere, and the bed was a mess.

Sitting patiently on the bed was Thomas Okwudili, the governor's only child. He was in his twenties and was known as a womanizer who lived off his parents' wealth.

Thomas had a huge bruise on his forehead and scratches on his cheek. They were self-inflicted, which was probably why his hands and feet were bound.

When Thomas saw Ejike and Julius, he began to laugh maniacally.

“Cease, demon!” Ejike commanded, and Thomas instantly froze.

The Okwudilis looked on, convinced they'd made the right choice in contacting Ejike.

“Demon, you've had your fun!” Ejike said, “It's time to go and let the boy have his body back!”

Thomas opened his mouth and roared, “No! This body is mine!”

Ejike moved closer to Thomas, sitting beside him on the stinking bed. From the acrid scent emanating from it, Ejike deduced that Thomas must have peed on it. He sighed in disgust. He'd have to burn the suit he was wearing.

“Listen to me, you ungainly demon! You've had your fun! You don't belong here! Don't test my temper!” Ejike said fiercely before leaning in to whisper into Thomas' ear, “Ekere, it's time to go. Remember our bargain.”

Thomas laughed and shoved Ejike roughly with his shoulder. “You fool! You thought to bargain with me? Don't you know who I am? I am Ekere, head servant of Dike Aru, sovereign ruler of the underworld!”

“What does he mean by that?” asked a confused Mr. Okwudili.

“Uh...Ejike is trying to bargain with the demon to leave,” Julius said, covering up for Ejike.

Mrs. Okwudili frowned. “Is he supposed to be doing that? I thought his powerful presence alone would scare them.”

“Yes, madam,” Julius answered quickly, “but this is not just any demon we're talking about. Ekere is one of the strongest demons there is.”

The couple nodded in understanding and looked on with apprehension as Ejike pulled himself up and whispered to Thomas again.

“Please, Ekere, you have to go. If you don't, I'll lose everything,” he cajoled, sweating at the possibility.

Thomas shifted away from him and shouted loudly, “You put me in this body! I love this body! You can't tell me to give it up!”

Mr. Okwudili became enraged. “You put this demon in my boy?!”

“No, sir,” Ejike stammered uncomfortably, “It's lying, sir. It's a demon; that's what they do best!”

Suddenly, Thomas gritted his teeth and strained against his bonds, tearing them with the effort he exerted.

Before anyone could think to stop him, he vaulted from his bed and out the window.

His mother screamed as they heard a sickening crash and the sound of glass shattering.

The four of them rushed to the window and stared down on the gruesome sight: Thomas' bleeding and broken body lying on Ejike's SUV.

That was just the first thing of his to be ruined.

Ogadimma Uzo, known to all as Ogadi, whistled as she went through her Instagram feed. She couldn't believe she was stuck at home with nothing to do while Ms. Banks was performing in a concert in Lagos.

She'd begged her grandmother to let her go, but she'd vehemently refused. Lagos was too far and too dangerous.

Yeah, right.

Ogadi looked at all the Ms. Banks posters on her wall. She'd been a fan ever since the Ze Ze freestyle, and now that her idol had come to Nigeria to perform, she was going to miss it.

What sort of fan did that make her? She thought desolately.

She was watching a live stream of someone who was at the concert when an idea hit her.

“I could actually get to Lagos quickly,” Ogadi mused, running her fingers through her afro.

She quickly dismissed the idea. Her grandmother would definitely have her head.

She looked at her phone again and saw comments saying all sorts of good things about the concert. Ogadi caved. Her love for Ms. Banks was greater than her fear of her grandmother.

She lay on her bed, put her legs together, and placed her hands by her sides. She began to inhale and exhale deeply as she waited for her death.

A quarter of an hour later, her spirit left her body and was transported to the huge event center, where Ms. Banks was rapping one of her latest bops to thousands of gyrating fans, who all sang along raucously.

Ogadi shouted at the top of her lungs. She couldn't believe she was seeing Ms. Banks in the flesh. “Ms. Banks!” she screamed, jumping up and fanning herself lest she stop breathing due to all the excitement.

Ogadi hung back from most of the crowd as she sang along with Ms. Banks. This was everything she'd thought it'd be and more. Thank heavens she hadn't listened to the cowardly side of her that had been scared of her grandmother's ire.

That thought died when a group of inebriated young men noticed her and began to gesture towards her.

Ogadi wondered what they were on about, until she noticed her outfit. She'd come to the concert in her pjs, which consisted of a loose crop top and a pair of briefs.

“Okaaaay,” she said to herself, “I probably should have changed clothes before I astral projected.”

What are the odds that those men will leave me be? she thought.

Not good, she decided when one of them walked up to her, stumbling slightly as he came to a stop before her.

Ogadi ignored him, silently praying to Ala that he'd go away.

“Hey, baby,” the man said, flashing his teeth, “why are you in such a skimpy outfit?”

Ogadi looked around. Nobody was paying them any mind. The people had paid to see Ms. Banks, and they wanted to get their money's worth.

“It's none of your business!” Ogadi hissed, stepping back from him.

“My name is Oxygen. My friends and I want to get to know you. Join us,” the man replied, undaunted.

“I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in meeting Hydrogen, Helium, and the rest. Just leave me alone,” Ogadi snapped.

The man swayed a little before he replied, “You wore this outfit to get attention, right? You'll get that attention from me and my friends.”

Oxygen reached out toward Ogadi, but she deftly moved back.

“Playing hard to get?” Oxygen asked right before lunging forward to capture her in an embrace.

His hands went round her, but when he closed them around her form, they slipped right through.

Shit! Ogadi thought, it's time to get out of here.

Just then Oxygen shouted, “Jesus! She's a ghost! She's a spirit!”

He and the other members of the periodic table dispersed, shoving people out of their way.

Soon, pandemonium broke out in the venue. While most people were still focused on Ms. Banks, the rest ran for their lives, not wanting to risk an encounter with a ghost.

“It's time to go,” Ogadi said as she concentrated real hard. Her form disappeared from the concert and shot back into her body, which had been lying where she left it on her bed.

She woke up with a start and began to pant.

A glass of water was offered to her, and she took it without thinking.

She'd already gulped down the contents of the glass when it hit her that someone else was in her room.

She turned and saw a woman in her late sixties peering at her disapprovingly over her glasses.

“Hello, Grandmother,” Ogadi said innocently.

* * *

Ezinne Alama struggled to contain her fury. She loved her granddaughter and let her indulge in some youthful shenanigans, but this time, the girl had gone too far.

“What did I tell you about going to that concert?” Ezinne asked angrily.

Ogadi wringed her hands. She hated disappointing her grandmother, but in this case, it had been inevitable.

“I obeyed you, didn't I?” Ogadi replied.

“Don't try to play smart, young lady. We both know you astral projected,” Ezinne retorted, “You broke the rules!”

Ogadi sensed the disappointment in her tone and went on the offensive, “Whose rules? Yours or Ala's? I just went to a concert. Stop acting like I killed somebody.”

“You know these rules are not of my making. They were handed down to me by mother, your great-grandmother. These rules were given by Ala. She doesn't ask much, only that you use the powers she bestowed on you wisely. Yet you use them to frighten people,” Ezinne chided, standing up.

“What do you mean?” Ogadi asked defensively.

“Check your phone,” Ezinne ordered.

Ogadi checked her phone's notifications and saw the heading:

GHOST REPORTEDLY SEEN AT MS. BANKS CONCERT IN LAGOS.

“Oh!” Ogadi exclaimed foolishly.

“You're supposed to use your powers to stop Dike Aru's minions, not terrify innocent concertgoers. I'm very disappointed in you,” Ezinne said quietly, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Ogadi winced. It hurt her the most when her grandmother took that resigned tone, as if she was at her wit's end.

“Well, you can't blame me,” Ogadi said, getting off her bed, “There are no demons to chase to the underworld. If there were, I wouldn't have gone to the concert.”

“That's a stupid excuse to give, and you know it. I really wish you'd start acting your age. You're twenty-two already; it's time you start taking this job seriously,” Ezinne remarked.

“Yes, I'm twenty-two, which means that I'm an adult and need no input from you whatsoever on how to live my life,” Ogadi said with her back turned to Ezinne.

Ezinne sighed. “I can see it's no use talking to you. Goodnight, Ogadi. Don't make me regret making you a Gate Keeper,” she said and left.

* * *

Ezinne rushed out of the house to the shrine in their backyard. Whenever she felt annoyed or agitated, she always sought sanctuary there as she told her problems to Ala.

Although Ala never replied, Ezinne always felt better.

Tonight, as she entered the mud hut, whose walls were filled with sacred inscriptions, she sat on the floor as she gazed upon the idol of Ala that stood regally on a dais carrying an infant.

“Ala, my goddess. Have I made a mistake? Is Ogadi not worthy to be your priestess?” Ezinne asked. She was greeted with silence.

“What can I do to show her how important this job is?” Ezinne asked again, feeling frustrated.

She stared at the idol, and a sense of peace surrounded her. After a few minutes, she fell into a dream.

She dreamt of Ogadi's initiation, which had taken place four years ago, on her eighteenth birthday. The dream was as clear as reality:

Ogadi stood in their backyard with a long white wrapper tied above her breasts and her face decorated with white chalk. A crescent moon was drawn on her forehead, for that was the symbol of Ala. A bonfire burned, casting an eerie light onto her and Ezinne.

Ezinne could tell that Ogadi was nervous; her hands had begun to shake. Ogadi hid them behind her back, furious at herself for not being in total control of her emotions.

“Do not hide yourself from Ala. I was also nervous on the night of my initiation,” Ezinne advised. She was wearing the same outfit as Ogadi, with the addition of beads around her neck.

Ogadi felt a little relieved, but her nerves refused to calm down. What if Ala found her unsuitable? Ezinne had told her many stories of maidens Ala had found unfit to join the Ndi Nche. During their initiation, the bonfire had raged out of control, which was interpreted as a not-so-subtle sign from Ala that they had failed to meet her expectations. They would then be heckled by the villagers who had gathered to witness the occasion.

Thankfully, Ogadi thought, no one will be around to witness it if Ala rejects her. These days, nobody wanted to associate with the Igbo religion. It was considered pagan and evil. According to Ezinne, back in the old days, no less than sixteen maidens were put forth to Ala, but today, there was only her.

Which means that Ala probably can't be that choosy, she thought, consoling herself.

Ezinne faced the idol of Ala on the dais and began to hail her:

“Ala, goddess of the earth and all that dwells in it, Enforcer of the laws of the earth, Mother who births and nurtures us all, I greet you.

I have come before you today with one of your daughters, Ogadimma Agbomma Uzo.

I hope you find her suitable to become an Onye Nche, a gate keeper to prevent Dike Aru from ever attacking the earth.”

Ogadi's heart began to thud noisily as she waited for the bonfire to rage wildly.

After a while, when nothing had happened, Ezinne turned to her and gave her smile of sublime happiness. “Ala has chosen you. Now, repeat after me.”

Ogadi felt so happy she wanted to jump up and down, but she knew better than to act without decorum during her initiation ceremony. She willed her heart to stop thudding in her ears as she repeated after her grandmother in a loud voice. “I, Ogadimma Agbomma Uzo, am grateful that you deigned to choose me to serve you, oh great goddess. I vow to do everything within my power to prevent a second rise of Dike Aru and his army of demons.”

When she completed her oath, she felt proud of herself for keeping the debilitating fear she was feeling out of her voice. What if she botched her duty?

After the oath, Ezinne began to sing a song about Ala's righteousness and benevolence. She began to dance, and Ogadi followed suit. They danced until the balls of Ogadi's bare feet began to hurt.

Then, Ezinne put a halt to the dancing, and they progressed to the last part of the initiation, which involved eating in the presence of Ala.

Ezinne brought out plates containing boiled yams and palm oil, which they ate with their hands, sitting on the ground.

* * *

Ezinne awoke from the dream with a start. When she regained her composure, she smiled up to the idol and said with heartfelt thanks, “Thank you, Ala, for clearing things up for me.”

She left with a smile on her face. Ala had showed her that dream to reassure her that Ogadi wasn't unfit to be a Gate Keeper. Now, if only Ogadi would stop squandering the powers the goddess had bestowed upon her.