Ruth woke up early morning as usual. She checked her neighbours and saw a new BMW parked outside the yard. She wanted to know the owner and what that car was doing there. She was irritated and took the broom. She started to sweep her yard.

The hut was her bedroom and the other hut was her kitchen. A four-room home was built in the middle of the huts. The four-room house had a lounge and bedrooms. Her sons slept in it, but she preferred the hut as her bedroom.

Ruth was a heartless woman full of grudges. She hated her neighbours and didn’t like people who show off. She would make sure she got revenge. Every night she went to the grave yard but she wasn’t alone, some people joined her. They would make plans for their next moves or eat the flesh of the dead. Those people stayed in the same village.

Her parents were also witches. Her sibling and she were joined in the witches’ group. She had enjoyed it since she was young. No one knew she was a witch except her friends who she witched with.

“Morning Ma,” a voice said.

She looked back and saw it was Anna, her neighbour.

“Morning my child,” she answered sweetly.

“On the weekend, we are celebrating Rumbi’s new job,” Anna said holding the fence that separated their yard with Ruth’s.

Ruth liked hearing what was happening in Anna’s family.

“Oh OK, I will come,” she said jealously and bent her lips and cursed under her breath.

Anna went away and Ruth kept staring at Anna as she walked. She hated people who had wealth or bought anything new. She bent down and saw Anna’s footprint. She put her hand through the fence and took the mud which wrote the Anna’s footprint. She went inside her hut.

“Maaaaaaaa raaaaa make Anna not walk again,” she said as she threw the mud on a plate. She started to clap her hands continuously and hummed. She smiled wickedly. She laughed and went back to sweep the yard. Within a few minutes, she heard screams and watched Anna’s house. Her plan had worked.

“Go, go, please help, Ma collapsed,” Rumbi said, panicking.

“I am coming,” she rushed to Anna’s gate. Ruth was always a pretender.

She reached to where Anna had collapsed in pain.

“Are you OK?” she asked.

“My leg hurts,” Anna answered.

Ruth stared at Rumbi and told them to take her to the hospital. She took hold of Anna and helped her stand. She and Rumbi helped Anna get in the car.

“Mavis, we will be back, give me Ma’s shawl, please,” Rumbi called loudly.

In a minute, Mavis brought the shawl and they drove off.

Ruth stared at them pitifully with more sympathy. She went back and entered her hut. She stood by the plate with the mud and she threw in ashes and needles. She laughed loudly. Ruth made herself tea and drank happily.

They think they can show off that stupid car, they will see if it survives here, she thought with menace in her eyes. Who does she think she is? I will show Anna who I am.

Anna didn’t get better. She was admitted but they saw nothing wrong with her leg. A doctor asked Rumbi to take her mother home. The other uncles of Rumbi advised them to see a sangoma. Because of Anna’s sickness, the party didn’t happen.

Rumbi took her mother to the town, away from the village. They might have known that Ruth was a witch. Ruth liked that her plan worked, and didn’t care if they knew she was a witch. She knew they would never do anything about it, and there was no proof.

***

Tell us what you think: Do you think Ruth will be found out when Anna goes to the sangoma?