''What do you mean Samuel brought in another woman?'' the woman who had been chanting and making spells demanded from Tina.

They say walls have ears and the woman knew better than to tempt fate, hence she had dragged her daughter from the house to talk under the mango tree that was at the end of the street, at the bus station.

The cold and chilly weather pierced through the flimsy cotton clothing they wore, numbing their skin but because they were high on their anger, neither of the two ladies paid much attention to the cold.

''Just that ma,'' Tina whined. Her arms crossed over her chest as she tapped her foot restlessly.

''Eeh, Samuel has become big-headed huh?"

''You have to help me ma'; I am the one who should be in that house and not Quincy or Megan. We should be raising our daughter together.''

The woman nodded in agreement at each word that came out of the younger woman's mouth.

"How much are you willing to sacrifice to have him all for yourself?"

"Ma, my love for Samuel has no price. I will sell my soul to the devil if I have to, just to have him."

"Are you sure?"

"Ma, I love Samuel. No woman can love him more than I do."

''Don't worry. I know exactly what we have to do, come." She grabbed her by the hand and led her back to their house, a vicious look in her eyes.

Early the next morning, Tina and the woman went out of town on the pretext of visiting one of their relatives.

Even though it was past six in the morning, the sun had not yet risen. Of late, as expected of winter, the sunrise was not expected until almost half-past six.

After many hours of driving, they branched off the road and took a gravel road that led them to a dilapidated shack in the depth of the forest.

Here, the sun barely seeped through the trees. Mist rose from the ground to their knees.

It was eerily quiet save for the strange animal sounds that had the hairs on Tina's neck stand.

A dozen plus black cawing crows were perched on the roof of the shack, while others were in the trees. A black cat was sleeping on the doorstep.

Turning to look at her mother, she was surprised to find her very calm.

"Ma…"

The woman turned and fixed her stern look on her.

"Mom, what is this place?" The place gave her the creeps.

"Didn't you say you are willing to do anything to have Samuel all for yourself?"

"Yes but..." She trailed off as she looked around her hesitantly. She had not expected her mother to bring her to a witch doctor.

"It's your only chance to snatch him away from that wretched woman, Quincy."

"Will it work?"

"Well, you won't know until you have tried right?"

"Guess," she mumbled hesitantly.

The woman reached out and caught the younger woman's upper arm in a tight grip. Her eyes narrowed as she pinned her with a hard look.

"Ma…" Tina winced trying to free herself from her mother's vice-like grip.

"I didn't raise a weakling. It is not in your blood to cower before trash like Quincy," the woman hissed.

"I know ma'."

At her daughter's reply, she smiled maliciously and let go of her arm. "Good."

Tina heaved a sigh of relief as her arm was freed and rubbed her sore flesh.

She stole fearful glances at her mother who had yet to retract the malicious look on her face.

"If you fail to make Samuel yours this time around, don't blame me for being cruel."

A chill went up Tina's spine at her words.

"Ma, what…what do you mean?"

The woman smiled mirthlessly." I would rather see Samuel six feet under than see him happy with that wretched woman Quincy."

Tina paled and shook her head vehemently.

"No…no…no…!"

A sinister glint flashed in the elderly woman's eyes, weakening Tina's knees.

Tina knew that look all too well. It was not an empty threat but a promise.

Just thinking of how complacent Quincy had become after marrying Samuel, the woman felt her blood shoot through the roof. She had tried everything she could to secretly destroy her marriage and failed miserably.

It's time to put an end to this ten-year-old farce, she thought with a smirk tugging the corner of her mouth.

"Ma, no. You can't do that. I love Samuel. He's been my whole life. I would die without him!"

"Well, then, it looks like you will have to keep him company in the afterlife - if you fail to snatch him from those two wretched women."

"Ma…"

Ignoring her daughter's pitiful plea, she walked past her and approached the house.

Tina stood rooted to the spot staring blankly at the spot where her mother stood earlier.

As her mother's footsteps rescinded behind her, Tina snapped out of her trance, turned, and hurried after her mother.

In this world, she could lose everything but Samuel's love and her mother's support.

Just as they neared the house, the already chilly weather dropped a few degrees, and the mist became thicker. It was impossible to see anything past their noses.

The weird, creepy sounds of wild animals and the feeling of being watched intensified.

"Who goes there?" An eerily hoarse voice sounded in their ears, sending chills down their spines.

Tina's knees knocked against each other. Her thumping heart was as loud as a drum and her body broke out in cold sweat.

The woman grabbed her daughter's hand and pulled her to the ground with her.

"Baba. It's me, your daughter Maureen," the woman replied from her kneeling position, her head bowed subserviently.

Tina tried to talk but words failed to slip past her throat.

A sudden shout of incantations filled the air for almost ninety seconds till they were inaudible.

"Maureen, my most faithful daughter, welcome…" the eerily hoarse voice said at the tail end of the incantations.

"Thank you, Baba," Maureen replied, clapping her hands with cupped palms.

The two covered the rest of the distance to the shack on their knees. Maureen chanted an incantation and cup clapped her hands every few steps.

Inside the shack was a wrinkly, small framed hunchbacked old man. He wore a red loin cloth around his waist. A necklet of human teeth hung around his neck. His face, scarred with deep markings, was painted white on one side. On his head, he wore a hyena hide headband.

A strong herbal scent from the bottles of different sizes and shapes, filled with an assortment of powders and liquids that hung low from the ceiling as well as the ones that lined the walls of the shack, filled the air.

Seated near the sunken hearth of fire that burned steadily in the middle of the room, the man stroked the feathers of the owl on his shoulders.

Though the man seemed not to care so much for the presence and movements, the same couldn't be said for the owl.

It followed their every movement, never missing a beat. Its piercing stare sent shivers down Tina's spine, she dared not look at the bird any longer. Its probing stare made her feel like he was staring straight at her soul.

Tina felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and a chill coursed through her body. She quickly averted her eyes and kept them glued to the floor.

The old man poked into the fire using the poker stick in his hand.

Beside him stood two female dwarfs. Their bodies were covered in white paint, dressed similarly to the old man. Cowrie necklets dangled from their necks. Around their waists, they wore multi-coloured waist beads.

They were like statues. They didn't fidget or blink.

"Maureen, you bring me a guest." He stated rather than asked in a low raspy voice.

"Yes, baba." Maureen cup-clapped, her head bowed.

"Hmm."

"She seems to be afraid of this place."

" It's her first time here Baba, forgive her," Maureen said and pinched the younger woman discreetly.

Tina gasped from the pain.

Under normal circumstances, Tina would have thrown a fit but now, she could only obediently swallow down her dissatisfaction.

The old man said nothing and merely nodded his head. The dwarf on his right reached for the reed winnower and placed it before them.

The woman whispered to Tina something. Tina nodded her head then reached into her bag and pulled out stacks of crisp hundred kwacha notes.

Though it was a large amount of money, she placed the money inside the winnower without any hesitation.

As long as she got the desired results, she could always make more money.

The dwarf on the right who had long left the old man's side returned with a half-moon-shaped wooden board carved with geometrical and motif images and handed it to the old man.

The witch doctor began chanting, the midgets by his side joining in. He reached for the board and covered it with white chalk.

The midget on the left handed him some palm nuts which he threw in the air chanting. The midgets chant with him.

His chants got louder as the palm nuts fell on the board.

"Your heart desires the heart of a man who belongs to another," he stated.

"Impossible." Forgetting her fear of the eerie-looking man, she snapped her head up. "Samuel only belongs to me."

For the first time since they had walked through the door, the seer looked up at her.

Tina drew a sharp intake of breath when her eyes met with the witch doctor. His eyes bore an uncanny resemblance to the owl on his shoulders.

"No?"

" Baba, forgive my daughter. What she meant to say was that Samuel has always been hers but that wretched witch Quincy bewitched him and took him away from him," the woman explained in a subservient voice.

"Is that so?"

The woman pitched her daughter's waist. Tina bore with the pain and lowered her head. While she seemed to be in silent acquiescence with the woman's actions, she was dissatisfied and internally grumbled.

"Yes, baba. Forgive my outburst."

"Baba, Quincy is such a wicked woman. I don't know which wicked medicine man she visited but she's caused nothing but havoc in my daughter's life."

The seer sneered."The medicine man who is yet to challenge my powers on this side of the equator is yet to be born."

Baba Chamanga covered the board with white chalk, all the while chanting. His two dwarf assistants joined in the chants. He threw palm nuts in the air. The nuts fell on the chalk-covered board.

"Baba?"

The woman who had kept a keen eye on the procedure asked when she saw the frown on the seer's face.

The seer looked at the mother and daughter pair, shaking his head.

"Baba?" Maureen could hardly hide her uneasiness.

The seer repeated the process.

"Baba?" Though she knew better than to interrupt him, Maureen couldn't help herself.

"The spirits have spoken…"

The women raised their heads and waited with bated breaths.

"Though your paths are fated to cross he can never be truly yours."

"Nonsense!" Maureen exclaimed.

" Ma' how can that be? You promised me he's the best."

Though she had heard what her daughter had said, Maureen couldn't be bothered with her.

Baba Chamanga had never failed her before. How could his readings be so wrong? She frowned, casting a sceptical look at the old seer.

Years have passed since I came here, could he already have lost his powers?

"Ma' could he be a fraud? I wasted so much money…" Tina grumbled.

"Baba, let's try one more time, mmm?"

Baba Chamanga collected the palm nuts. " It will change nothing."

"Baba, could you have interpreted the reading wrongly? After all, you are getting on in age…"

"Tragedy. That is what awaits you at the end of this journey," Baba Chamanga spoke up, looking up to cast a piercing stare at Tina.

"I refuse to accept that. He can only be mine."

"And he will." Baba Chamanga stated.

" Well, that is all I need to know," Tina said," so what do I need to do to make him all mine."