High in the woods that morning there was stillness, as if life itself had been suspended.
Neither bird nor animal spoke; and the only sound was the sporadic soft thud of snow from over laden boughs.
It was my second time in America.
The first time was with my late husband Ejike, we came to America for our honeymoon.
After I lost Ejike in a ghastly car accident, I had to go on a vacation to let out some hurts and bitterness.
***
When I first arrived Raleigh, there was snow. It was the first fall of winter and my body didn't seem to be friendly as catarrh and cold encompassed me.
"You have to double your sweater Yvonne ." My cousin Kambili said soothingly as She saw me shivered.
"I want tea Nne." I said, my voice shaking like I was soaked into a well of snow.
"Let's get home first. I have coffee at home." She said, her hands trembling on the steering.
"If I had known earlier about this virus spreading everywhere, I wouldn't have advised you to come yet."
"What virus?" I asked, almost whispering.
"People are turning to strange beings here cousin, scary things that I can't really say." She sounded British now, letting go the Igbo accent a bit.
"My daughter's school teacher in north Carolina got bitten by one of those things, and then turned into one.
It's terrible. My daughter managed to escape." She said, her voice quivered as tears ran down her cheeks.
"This must be really bad. I noticed everywhere was empty when I walked into the airport. I thought the cold contributed to it."
"No." Kambili whispered strangely.
As we got to her house that day, I squinted as I looked towards the bright lights illuminating the house.
"Aunty Yvonne!" Kelechi, Kambili's first daughter screamed as she hugged me tightly and excitedly.
"Aunty what did you bring from Nigeria?" She asked as she began to search my bags.
"Lots of o'ha leaves, oil, crayfish and egusi" I said, beaming In a wide smile.
She was in a crimson coloured dress with a black stiletto heel.
" where are you dressed to?" Kambili asked in high pitched tone.
"I want to see a friend at Wesley city."
"In this time of scary stories happening in this country. You are going nowhere! Go remove those things." Kambili ordered.
But kelechi sneaked out through the back door without us knowing.
Then we began to hear strange voices on the radio singing the carol.
Source..VickyBon
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