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Anaesthesia
In the beginning, when there was no time, our land was in
total ruin and desolated for full disobedience and
condemnation. The line between the living and the spirit was
thin and transparent. But soon enmity emerged, and the contest
was bent on destroying man - the most visible, the most
articulate.
Then we needed the wise one to heal our land, that has
refused to yield seeds, and our flat-breasted women, with no
milk for the new-borns, and our lazy warriors, with blunt
daggers. But who will go and bring the wise one?
The priest cast his beads across the polished ivory board.
He pointed to me, "Go and bring the wise one! You’ve been ordained!"
All eyes turned to me. All worshipers pointed their
withered fingers at me and in unison they thundered, "Go and bring the wise one!"
I fell on my knees before the divine oracle.
“These are seven cowries,“ the priest said, then gave
them to me, "meaning seven lives to cross the mountains."
Then bid me to swallow them.
He again plucked three strands of hair from his beard and,
with three nuts from the skin bag, he said, "One is the
voice of wisdom; one the voice of courage; and the last, voice
of beauty.
"As you go into the world it will remind you of one thing
… your legacy. For through one man death came into the world
and, through another, life is given."
Immediately I swallowed the seeds of life, the kettledrum
thundered a calculated rhythm and threw me into an ecstasy.
It was a reversal of human, into the world of spirit.
My head swirls, my eyes are shut in the darkness of
eternity, as echoes from the abyss of the earth shoot across
the sky in a flash of lightening.
I am lifted off the ground, still holding my head that
was tossed by a raging storm.
I am transformed to shadow king of the labyrinth, with
braided hair smelling of myrrh and frankincense. My head is ornamented with gold chignon, bangles, earrings
and nose clips, all shimmering in the moonlight.
Necklace, with strings of jewels, studded with
carnelian and sardonic, adorned my ebony neck.
A voice thundered from the breast of the sea saying,
"This is anaesthesia, the scientific cycle of death
and birth."
I could feel the shadow dancers, all stripped to their
waists, kicking the desert dust, sweating from rigorous dance.
They danced to bid me farewell and search for the wise
one.
I nodded in hypnotism. Then a strange delicate tune caught
my ears. Delicate
musical notes and complex harmony drew me closer to the
dancers that were born from the mirage into a weird climax.
I refused to open my eyes. I didn’t want to see weird things around me.
My teeth gnashed hysterically under a power beyond my
control. Then I
grew the third eye. It
emerged from my temple. The
desert cracked and three genies emerged from the crevice.
One legged genie with hazel eyes, two legged genie with
eyes made of chrysanthemum, and three legged with sapphire
eyes.
They wanted to touch me.
I screamed …
… I woke up sweating.
I wasn’t sure of myself.
It was a dream. It
was too real. There was a soft snore beside me.
I turned, and saw James Crawford, a patient from Las
Vegas, lying on a surgical stretcher.
I was still in New York Hospital.
With a splitting headache, I rose to my feet and
staggered to the ward’s window. The snow settled peacefully
outside.
"I must go home," I whispered.
"They want me at home," I concluded.
Sunset in Kenya
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Reviews
(applause received) 
Folusho
Coker Nigeria
"Beautiful literary work, Gbemi this is very good, fill of suspense and highly imaginative. Keep it up."
oyin adekunle
United Kingdom
"anaestesia is an interesting piece with such suspence that is thrilling. good work bright light multimedia you are doing great for writers and artistes."
nike ogunfowora
South Africa
"anaestesia is really very haunting. i mean one of such work that writer like gbemi wouldnt waste words
on. each word is pregnant in meaning and such is a rare talent."
aby forever
India
"gbemi writes like a sage, typical of african
griots. he knows how to forge his
words, carve the words and make them jump at the readers face. good work
gbemi! more of such short story."
katherine cole
Canada
"gbemi did
justice to the spiritual atmosphere of african politics and yearnings for freedom."
segun akinlolu
Canada
"i am impressed. such a rare
talent. i wish there are more africans on bright light multimedia cafe,
but gbemi truly represent africa."
Bob
Leon United States
"Short,
precise and descriptive. nice show case."
adepoju
taiwo Nigeria
"it
was really creative very interesting and full of life. i look forward to
more of such on your site."
tope
okunlola Nigeria
"it's
a very good creative, inspiring, talented work. To whom more is given
much is expected!"
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