The importance of Animation as a teaching aid can not be underestimated.

Magbo the seer (Episode Four)

Mr. Muyi woke up very early in the morning and got himself dressed for work. He had to preside over a meeting at the office. He rushed into the dining room, grabbed the cup of hot coffee prepared by Mrs. Muyi and quickly gulped it down his throat. Just as he was about heading out of the living room, Granny stopped him at the door. She had been waiting for him to get up all morning.

“Oh! Mama, you are up so early, hope you slept well?” asked Mr. Muyi. Granny replied eagerly “I didn’t sleep well oh, as a matter of fact, I have been awake since 3:00am”. “What is the matter, are you falling sick again” Mr. Muyi asked feeling concerned. Granny stood up and faced his son, the expression on her face could reveal that she didn’t sleep well and was deeply stressed out. “Muyi, I had a terrible dream last night and in that dream, you had an accident in your car while going to work” Granny explained. Mr Muyi stood still and looked at Granny as though he was seeing her for the first time. Just then Mrs Muyi came into the living room and broke the silence. “Honey what is the matter?” she asked. Mr. Muyi didn’t say anything, it was Granny who narrated her dream to her. Mrs. Muyi's countenance changed as she now was feeling very concerned for her husband considering the fact that Magbo had also warned about that same issue earlier. Before Mrs. Muyi could say anything, Mr. Muyi's phone rang, it was a call from his office. The secretary called to inform him that his client has already arrived and is waiting for him. Mrs Muyi tried without success to make him see reasons why he shouldn’t go anywhere. Nothing the folks said could make Mr Muyi change his mind, instead he picked his phone to inform his secretary that he will be at the office in thirty minutes time.

Mr. Muyi burst out of the room and walked gigantically to his car, Mrs. Muyi ran after him shouting behind him, “Honey, don’t go, you just have to listen to them.” Mr. Muyi was already in his car, he punched his key into the hole and ignited the engine but it did not start, he tried again and again without success. He shoved Mrs. Muyi who was standing in his way aside and went to open the bonnet. It was then Mr. Muyi realised what was wrong with his car. He shouted; “What is the meaning of this? Who touched my engine” No one could speak. He rushed back and forth and tried all he could to start the engine but Granny seemed to be an expert car engine deactivator. The situation with the car was so bad that Mr. Muyi had to make a phone call to his car mechanic. He instructed the mechanic to come quickly but later realised he was running late for work, he gave his mechanic instruction to drive the car to his office when he is done with the repair. Mr Muyi being unable to use his car, hired a cab to his office.

Everyone in the house was worried about Mr. Muyi’s insistence to go to work even without his car. They were unsure if the dream would come to pass even without him driving his car. Everyone was worried except Muyi, he knew he has succeeded at least for the moment. However, he wasn’t sure what will happen after the mechanic has repaired the car. What could happen to his father on his way back from work he was unsure of.

It was time for Magbo to go to school. He had to join his school bus. He could not do anything again to stop his father, all he could do was what Granny always advised him to do, pray. On his way to school, he got to a junction and peeped out through the window. What he saw made him shiver in fear. He saw the same witch woman who threatened his Dad yesterday. She was looking directly at him. Her face full of evil, anger and death.

The car mechanic soon arrived and fixed the car as quickly as possible before driving it to Mr. Muyi’s office. At exactly 12:00noon when Mr. Muyi called home to ask about his car, Mrs. Muyi was surprised because the mechanic drove his car out of the house over two hours ago. “Honey he drove the car to your office at exactly 9:30, he should be at your office by now” said Mrs Muyi. “…But I havn’t seen him!” Mr Muyi complained. “Well, he should be there any moment, it’s probably stuck in the traffic. Try calling his phone lines”

After speaking to his wife, Mr. Muyi tried the mechanic’s phone lines but it was not responding. Mr. Muyi was so worried that he could not concentrate on his work. He wondered what might have gone wrong. It was already 2;45pm and his car was still not at his office. Mr. Muyi kept dialling his mechanic’s phone until it was finally picked. The Lady who picked the phone introduced herself as a nurse at Onikan General Hospital, she informed Mr. Muyi that the owner of the phone (which is the mechanic) had a fatal accident along the Carter Bridge and was rushed to the nearby general hospital, he is presently unconscious and receiving medical attention. Mr. Muyi was so alarmed to receive the news that he screamed, all his colleagues at work barged into his office to ask him what the matter was but he could hardly speak up to any of them.

Everyone was surprised when Mr. Muyi returned home earlier than expected. Usually they would have heard him horn at the gate. Mr. Muyi looked at everyone, hot tears ran down his face like a little baby. He sat on the floor and declared; “I would have died today, because of my stubbornness”. Mrs. Muyi was the first to ask him where he parked his car before he broke the news to them. Dewale, his mechanic was still lying unconscious in the hospital and his chance of survival was very slim. The whole house was thrown into a sorrowful mood. No one had dinner that evening. The whole issue was too much to bear. Mr Muyi also learnt after futher investigation that his car was gutted by unknow fire shortly after the accident. No one could give him a clear picture of how it all happened.

Magbo felt angry at himself over the whole incident. He was angry that he could not prevent the witches from hurting those around him. He was angry because all his effort to protect his father had only made the innocent mechanic suffer for no reason. He was angry that if he doesn’t act fast,

the witches would do worse. He reasoned that if he could see the witches, hear them and know their plans, then he should be able to do something to stop them. He suddenly stood up rushed into his room and banged the door behind him loudly.
He needed to re-strategize.

(To be continued)