At 28, Maina decided to shoot the page. She had piled up her whole life in an old bag covered in dust. Then she left Zomet without a look back. She didn’t think a second about his old living room where his boss treated her like less than nothing. She didn’t think about this boyfriend who had disappeared into the wild after 4 years of relationship and even less to his false friends who didn’t remember from her only when she wanted free highlights.
Zomet is not for me and I will never put them back on their feet, was she promised? swollen heart of hope and a head full of projects. This is how Maina arrived in a small community called Ekemaw, a peaceful and very affordable area. But this that we hadn’t told him is that this peace had a price, a heavy price and that the river hid a secret older than the village itself.
From weeks after her arrival, Maina starting to look for work to put aside and finally open its own living room. She did it all, saleswoman in a food and merchandise store of Akassa on the side of the road. A months later, she finally had enough to get started. But the rents of shops were overpriced. With to barely 5000 francs, she couldn’t even not cover half of a lease.
A day, his friend Tioma told him about a old abandoned building, just above waterside. It’s been 10 years since no one has set foot there, he she confided. Maina let out a cry of joy. Finally, God heard my prayers”, she exclaimed without hesitate. The next day, she arrived on site. As he entered, his heart was filled with hope.
It was old, rusty, with cobwebs on it every corner. But she didn’t care. She rolled up her sleeves and cleaning and repairing cracks. After several hours, everything was glowing. The next day she went to market to buy the bare necessities and in two weeks, the living room was ready. She named it Maina’s Paradise. But while she was settling in, the inhabitants looked at her with eyes filled with fear.
This building, it had always avoided him. But Maina didn’t care. For her, it was a blessing to be so close to river, so calm, so beautiful. The weeks passed, then months, not only one customer, not even a fly. Every day, Maina sat in front of her living room, smiled, greeted each passer-by. She hoped that one day someone would finally cross the threshold. But nothing.
What’s going on? I am cursed or what? Why is no one coming in my living room? Did she end up ask Toma. I believe it is because of the place, my sister”, she replied a little embarrassed. The place? But he is perfect. The view of the river is magnificent. Everything is peaceful here. That’s why I jumped on the opportunity when you told me about it.
I think I made a mistake in you speaking of this place, Tioma whispered. Maina, if you want my opinion, you would better to leave here. But Maina doesn’t didn’t give up. She thought she was tough as do to this river. She refused to see the heavy looks of reproach and did not listen to any advice. For her, everything was going to work out in the end.
She no longer had money to eat well. Some days she sweated an old cube of Maggie to satisfy her hunger. And in the worst times, she soaked a handful of gar in cold water. The villagers said that no business never stood near the river, that it brought bad luck, a river cursed according to them.
But Maina didn’t believe not to curses. She believed in second chances. She believed in herself, at least until that famous night of rain. It was almost midnight. The rain had just stopped. The air was still heavy with humidity when she heard knock on his door. A little light noise like fingers gliding gently over the wood. His heart raced.
No one ever came here time like this, not even the fishermen drunk. She listened. One more suddenly, she hesitated. His instinct said to ignore. But the blows have continued. So she blew a silent prayer then approached slowly from the door. She half-opened and there a woman stood before her soaked to the bone.
Water flowed from her hair as if she came all just got out of the river. She seemed human, but something in his presence was not normal. Without a word, the woman entered and sat calmly on one of the plastic chairs in the living room. Maina, frozen, looked at her terrified. “Good evening, What do you want?” did she manage to ask with a trembling voice.
The woman has gave a slight smile. My name is D and I came to make you rich. I have heard your worries, your prayers silent. They disturb my soul. I don’t understand. Where are you from? And that’s how you count me make you rich? You want to buy me my wigs? Abalbucier Maina still under the shock.
When the time comes, you will know who I am, the woman simply replied, fixed gaze. All I want, it’s because you’re selling my wigs. You will be able to keep the money from sales, but make sure you sell them. And on these words, Di got up and left the living room. Maina, in shock ran behind her, but the woman walked already straight towards the river, just in face.
The water welcomed him like a old friend and in a few seconds, she disappeared beneath the surface. The only one thing that Maina saw floating for a moment, these are the long locks of hair of the mysterious woman. The next day morning, Maina woke up with a funny feeling. When leaving in front of his living room, a black nylon bag was waiting for him.
She remained frozen for a moment then brought him back inside. His fingers trembled as he opened it. to inside wigs, all kinds wigs. There were models soft, even good stret was. She remained speechless. Does this the wigs she was talking about? She whispered. But another thought immediately crossed it. And I will say what in Tioma? How am I doing explain to you that I had all that? God what have I gotten myself into ? While she was still lost in his thoughts, someone knocked on the door.
But it wasn’t that once it was a young woman with a phone in hand. Hello, it’s good where do we do our hair here? I saw your salon on Instagram. Maa blinked eyes dazed. Instagram, but I don’t have not even an account. She didn’t even have time to understand what is going on was passing. Two other women are arrivals, then three, then five.
At 9 morning hours, a queue had formed in front of her tiny living room. All unknowns. Some said they came from the neighboring village. Others explained that they had left their work earlier, pushed by a funny of intuition. The strangest thing is that most didn’t even know how they had heard about Maina. It was like something had them guided.
Maina was disoriented, nervous, but the end in her belly and the weight of his debts decided to place. She started braiding without wait. Before nightfall, she had done the hair of five women on the fortnight came that day. And among many of them bought their wigs. At 115,000 francs per unit, it sold enough to earn more than 900,000 francs in a single day.
When the last clients are left, Maina sat on the ground, mouth wide open. She didn’t know not even if she had to cry with joy or worry. Am I in dreaming or is it a trap? What exactly did I trigger? ? She even thought about taking the money and flee. But that night, Day was appeared in a dream. She warned her.
Never leave this building. Renovate it to your liking and open it every day when you wake up. Every morning, Maina found a black bag full of news wigs in front of her salon. She heaved a long sigh, brought him back to inside then resumed his work. And without really understanding how, the paradise of Maina has become a name that everyone knew in the village and even beyond.
We whispered that his living room was not like the others, that there, we were not content not to look beautiful. We found the joy. A shy young girl who never looked up came out in dancing and filming herself radiant. A another, after looking at herself in the mirror shouted. I feel beautiful and powerful. The dusty little living room had become the most popular place in the region, maybe even the entire state.
And However, Maina still did not understand not what was happening, but she liked that. She renovated the entire building, purchased modern equipment and hired staff. The same women from village he had previously ignored now came in numbers, some with their children or their friends. Maina ended up creating an Instagram account for his living room and very quickly wig orders started flock.
One day, intrigued by this dazzling transformation asked him how she had done it. Maina lied. It was my uncle from Canada who sent me money to get started. But little afterward, strange stories started to circulate. It all started with Aini, a single mother without job that has been applying for over a year to aid without any success.
She brought one of the wigs purchased at Maina’s at a wedding. The next day, a foreign company sent him a funding of 5000 dollars for relaunch an old restoration project abandoned. Then it was the turn of a another woman, AI, who was trying to have a child for 5 years. Two days later having bought her wig, she is got pregnant.
And then there was Bulma, a discreet student, always sitting at the back of the class. She has posted a short video with his news black wig purchased from Maina. The next morning she had a million views and a brand contacted her to a partnership. Nobody understood how their lives would change if abruptly. Everything she knew, it is that from the moment she wore one of her wigs, something thing was changing.
Maina doesn’t care wasn’t coming back. Every day she received customer testimonials, stories of miracles linked to his wigs. She said to himself that it was surely the luck, that perhaps God had it not forgotten after all this time. But some nights, in the apartment which she arranged at the back of the living room, lying on his bed, eyes open, a question kept coming up again and again.
Why do these wigs have this effect there? And who is really dei? This that Maina didn’t know was that someone had been observing him for some time. Every morning, Mama Alaké, a woman about sixty years old on the face round and with solid arms, installed donut table just a few steps from the living room.
Always accompanied by his Bible, she kept her eyes sharp. Her husband, from her living called her the prophetess of village. She laughed when we said that, but deep down, nothing escaped. It was she who noticed the first signs. First, all these women who arrived in droves like ants attracted to sugar. Then the wigs too beautiful, too perfect and almost irresistible.
And then one night, Mama Alaké had a dream. She saw Maina in braiding hair, but in the armchairs were not women, they were shadows. Their eyes were wide open and in the mirror from the living room, it wasn’t their face What we saw was water. The next morning, mamaqué went to see Maina. She approached calmly, looked her straight in the eye and said softly: “My daughter, I don’t know what spirit gave you this gift, but listen to me carefully.
When it is God who give it, it’s slow. But when it is the water, it drowns you in your blessing. She gives you first and then she tear your feet off. That’s what Mama Alak said softly. Maina has smile politely. Mom, it’s just that business is finally going well. But at inside, his stomach was knotted because that she couldn’t explain why his hands trembled every time she touched a new one Di’s wig. One evening, around 9 p.m.
, the rain began to fall violently, hammering the tin roof like angry points. The thunder rumbled above the community and lightning shattered the white sky and blinding. Maina was alone in her living room, hands clenched around a steaming cup of tea. She was trying to calm down. The nightmares had returned. Water in the mirrors, voices whispering in his ears, strands of hair that moved on its own.
She tried to ignore but deep inside, she felt something was wrong seriously. And suddenly there was a knock on the door. His heart abounds. Nobody should be outside in this weather she whispered with a lump in her throat. She opened the door with hands trembling and there in front of her I’m soaked to the bone like the first time.
Do you like what you have become? ? she asked in a calm voice. Maina stared at her for a moment then smiled weakly. Yes, yes, I like it. D entered without saying anything and placed a large box golden on the table. These wigs are special, she said. They are made for those who want changes suddenly in their lives.
Maina knelt down by the box and opened it slowly. Inside, the wigs shone slightly as if each wick contained a light prisoner. Maina’s hands were trembling. I don’t know if I should continue all this,” she whispered. D tilted his head annoyed. “So reject the gift,” she said. “But if you do, the river will take more than that.
” Then, without another word, she disappeared. Maina stood there, paralyzed with fear. She knew it now. She had made a pact with something much darker than she had imagined. But she couldn’t go back. not now, not with the wealth and notoriety that she had finally had. It was all that mattered.
The next day, she posted the new wigs on Instagram at exorbitant catches. In the caption, she clearly wrote: “For those who want to shine.” Orders flowed in immediately. But 3 days later, Nancy Blue, a famous influencer and recent customer of Maina, was found dead in her apartment. The shiny wig that she had bought from Maina was still on his head.
The report said that there was no trace of injury, no break-in, nothing. But what froze everyone was that these lungs were filled with water like if she had drowned. The most disturbing, there was no bathtub, no water spilled, nothing at all. Meanwhile, Maina’s phone kept ringing. Some they called him crying. Others asked for exactly the same wig that Nancy had worn.
Sitting in her living room, hands trembling, short breathing, Maina no longer knew what to think. That evening, in the rain beat, she grabbed the golden box, ran outside into the dark night and all her strength threw her into the river. Take back your property and leave me quiet. She screamed in fear that night, with all his strength.
But the next morning, when she opened her living room, the golden box was there, placed very quietly in the middle of table, as if nothing had happened. To that moment, Maina understood that there was no had no return possible. From the outside, she had everything she had always desired, wealth, notoriety, a goal in life.
His living room was sold out for months. Of people even crossed the regions nothing than to sit in his chair. Of brands offered him contracts. The newspapers wanted to interview him and on the networks, the influencers nicknamed the queen of hair. But at inside, Maina was collapse. His hands were trembling every time she touched a new wig and her dreams, it was the worst.
Every night she saw faceless women doing hair their long wet hair with combs made of bone. She sang in a language she didn’t understand. But when I woke up, the words resonated still in his head. Sometimes she dreamed that the river swallowed up his lounge slowly and everything was pulled towards the bottom. In all this, she didn’t even know what to feel anymore.
Sometimes she told herself that she had finally succeeded. Other times she bitterly regretted having opened that door that evening. Then one morning calm, D came back. But this time, she was holding a silver box smaller. Inside, only one wig. On this wig, a small folded word. This wig is for you alone. Only you can carry it.
Maina has fixed the wig for long minutes, then slowly she put it down on his head. As soon as the strands have touched his scalp, his whole body froze. His eyes rolled over backwards. His mind split like a window in a storm. And there, she had a vision. She saw screaming being pulled towards the river by the inhabitants of the village.
Then she saw the Ekemawata community who lived in total peace ago very long, almost harmony supernatural. But this peace was not not free. It was purchased at high price. In this region, a pact old had been concluded. Nobody spoke in public, but everyone respected in silence. Every year, the river required 12 virgins, 12 girls to offer in exchange for prosperity, tranquility and richness of the common.
At that time it was said that poverty did not exist in Ekema. Either we were average, or we were very rich. There were no poor people. And so every year, mothers prepare their daughters for the ritual, even when their hearts were broken. It was never an easy choice, but fear made to obey. Some tried to hide their daughters, others sent to distant villages, hoping that the river would forget them.
But the daughters of the Kemas could not not be hidden. Wherever they are, river always ended with the find. On the day of the ceremony, the young girls had their heads shaved head. They dressed in white coats, wore trays on their heads filled with their cut hair and walked in silence to the edge of water.
Around midnight, a scary woman came out of the river, a creature demonic look and dragged the girls with her. She cried, she begged, but their fate was already decided. We don’t never saw them again. Nobody knew if they were dead or alive. Silence and forgetting engulfed. Their mother was watching them leave crying in silence. Some prayed that the gods would not never give girls so much pain was unbearable.
While the women cried for their children, men rejoiced. Because this sacrifice promised them more wealth, more foreign contracts, more abundance for the community. The community continued to obey this cruel tradition year after year until one day a church came settle in their village. Everything has started with a few mothers courageous.
They forcefully refused to deliver their daughters. Thanks to the evangelization campaigns, these mothers graces had faith and fought to deliver the village from this cult obscure. On the day of sacrifice, these women took their daughters to church, a place in which they had faith for protect them. And thanks to many prayers, they managed to take the on it.
Little by little, the girls were no longer driven to the riverside, but at school to learn, to dream, to become useful to community. Over time, men also joined the revolt against this bloody ritual. And so, the pact between the river and the village of Équema was broken. no one dared anymore approach the water. It was said that this who went there never came back.
Two years after the rupture of the pact, a 8 year old girl, little Inéa, has disappeared. The entire village was mobilized. We searched everywhere, but she was never found. All this that we found, they are these tiny sandals, one buried in the mud, the other floating gently at the edge of the river.
Some said she had drowned, others thought of a kidnapping, but no one knew that the river had started to prepare its revenge. Suddenly Maina came to her senses, always in his hair salon. The wig on his head was gone and all the vision she had just had came back to his memory. What is it in that I got into? Why did I come to settle here without asking any questions? And what is my role in this whole story? But there was no no one to answer him.
So she pretended nothing. She continued her work as if she had never seen nothing. Business was good for a time, no incident. These wigs no longer claimed victims. Maina’s paradise remained the living room busiest in EMA and even beyond. But a few weeks later, something weird has started. These old loyal customers did not return more.
At first it was just one or two. Then it increased. Maina doesn’t care is not too worried. She said to herself that they had perhaps moved or that they were too busy but every time she tried to call them, their number was unreachable. Yet the lounge remained busy but it were just new customers who only wanted one thing: to buy a wig.
And after their purchase, she never came back. One afternoon, then it was hot and heavy, a woman burst into the living room. Piedén naked, Spain poorly tied around the teardrop cut. She caught Maina by the arm and shouted “My daughter carried your wig and it’s gone.” The woman collapsed to her knees in tears. “I begged him not to release this that night,” she sobbed.
She told me that she felt something strange after wearing the wig. Then she added that she felt a call from the river. Maina remained frozen, her mouth hanging open open, unable to react, but she finally gathered some courage and replied: “But in what way does my wig would be responsible for his disappearance? You want to destroy my work and my reputation?” “Please go away.
from here”, she shouted, more nervous than really angry. But deep down about her, she knew that something wasn’t going. That evening, in his room, she couldn’t find sleep. She thought without stop. “Should I stop everything and run away?” she wondered. “But if I do it, Di will destroy me. I’m going become again the one who pissed me off for eat.
” She got lost in her thoughts and without realizing it, she fell asleep and in her sleep she dreamed. She saw her old customers, wearing magnificent wigs walked in slow motion direction of the river. They had looking calm, peaceful, almost happy. Maina woke up with a start, shortness of breath, the feeling of having swallowed water.
But his bed was perfectly dry. The next morning, after finishing braiding hair from a customer, she went out to throw away waste, but she barely had crossed the threshold when she heard a voice. Maina Maina, it’s me, Mrs. Ojie. She stopped abruptly, she turned her head and there before her eyes, Mrs. Oji, a of its most loyal customers, was in the river. Mrs.
Ojie, but what are you there at this time? Madam Oji smiled softly. I am in mission. I’m coming to welcome the others. They’re coming soon. I just wanted greet you as you pass. A mission. What mission? What are you talking about? Maina asked confused. But she didn’t have no time to finish his sentence. In front her, 10 of her former clients from village were advancing towards the river like controlled by an invisible force.
They were well dressed, wearing long shiny wigs. Maina shouted their name, asked them to stop. None responded. They continued to advance silently until reach the water. And there she followed Mrs. Oji who had just revealed a fish tail instead of legs. Maina, terrified, gave up, ran to inside, grabbed his keys and took the escape without looking back.
That night, she did not return home. She took refuge in a hotel outside the village, but it was only the beginning of its descent. With time, strange events began to shake up the Kéma community. Of parents mourned the disappearance of their daughters. Men said that their wives had gone out and never came back. Nobody understood. But the fear grew.
The entire village has entered an era of terror. From 6 p.m., more no woman dared to go out. But in the shadow, Mama Alake observed. She Maina had warned. She understood what was happening and she was waiting for good time to act. It made now a month since Maina had reopened his salon. Since his last vision, she had sworn never to see it put your feet back.
But that day, she had to collect some things. She went back there. Around 6 p.m., while she was preparing to close the store, the The sky suddenly darkens and she felt a presence. But what she saw made the saliva dry in his mouth. This wasn’t she was the queen of the waters themselves. Half woman, half mermaid, her skin shone like wet glass and its eyes were the depth of an ocean.
Without saying a word, the creature grabbed her by the hand and led him towards the river. When Mainar opened his eyes, she was underwater and she had no no longer looks normal. She had become half human, half mermaid. Around of her, women with shaved heads were seated in a circle. Some him were familiar and D was there too.
Before she understands what is happening passed, the queen mother of the waters appeared in front of her. Well done my daughter, you well served. You have been faithful to me and for for this you will be rewarded. The queen mother handed him a large bag nylon and added: “Here are wigs special ones made with my hair subjects.
” “You’re going to go back there and distribute these wigs to all women of the Kéma”, declared the queen mother, his icy voice resonating in the water depths. “Once this task accomplished, all the women of this community will be mine. They will become my servants forever. As for men, they will suffer until they crawl for me beg.
I have blessed this people with wealth that even humans cannot imagine and they turned their backs on me. I will not know rest until I would not have regained control of this earth. Now go and obey. Maina, with trembling hands, took the bag in nylon filled cursed wigs and rose to the surface. His tail fish has disappeared.
The next day, then that she was preparing to distribute them, Lacquered Mama blocked his way. My child, why did you decide to become the devil’s instrument? What are you going to really gain from sacrificing all women of this community? Maina la looked shocked. But how do you know what I was planning to do? I see beyond the visible, mom replied to lacquered.
Since your salon started attract crowds, I’m watching you. Give me those wigs. Today, we’re going to end it. Follow me. They went to Mama’s house. She took out the wigs, tried to burn, but nothing happened. To every time she lit a match, the flame went out immediately. She understood. She went seek anointing oil, versa on the wigs and began to pray with force.
She prayed for more than ten minutes until suddenly the wigs catch fire by themselves. “This is just the beginning! “The battle is not not finished yet,” she declared. “And you, Maina, never dare to return to this living room. And once this is all over, you will have to leave this community to good.” That night, Maina and Mama Alaké slept at the church.
Meanwhile, under the river, the queen mother screamed of rage. The wigs she had entrusted to Maina were the most powerful that she possessed and now they had been destroyed. So she decided to take charge herself. of revenge. The next morning, the Rumor spread throughout the country. Of strange beings had been seen near the river, very close to the old salon of Maina.
Half the village came running, but when they arrived, they fled immediately terrified. Mamaaké, she knew it was time to act. With Maina and some mighty men of God, she headed straight for the river and there, the queen mother emerges from depths. This time she was more scary as ever, with a long dark tail, black eyes and a distorted face. The fight began.
Mama Alaké and the pastors prayed with fervor while the Queen Mother and her aquatic slaves retaliated with violence. The fight lasted more than 10 minutes. Then mama came in herself in the water. She faced the queen mother and began to read Bible verses out loud. More she read, the more the body of the creature writhing as if burning from the inside.
And suddenly the queen mother turned into a little fish. Mama picked it up, got out water, poured anointing oil on the fish, lit it, then buried the ashes behind the church. At this moment precise, the women captured by the river return to normal. Even who reality was none other than the small Inéya, reappeared in her true form.
And while everyone was crying joy, Maina’s living room caught fire alone. Everything was finally returning to normal in the Kema community. The families were reunited, spirits were calmed down. As for Maina, she left and Kema moved in with the kid to start his life again. Thank you for having looked.
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