"Michael, come with that lamp at once. I felt something cold climbing down the bed through my legs."
Angelo has called from the bedroom. There was a power outage and the only source of light was in the living room where Michael had slept that night.
Everyone had been excited to cross over to 2017. It promises to be a great church service but Angelo and Michael were waiting for their dad who was returning from Enugu that night, so they could attend the cross-over service together.
He reluctantly took the lamp, heading towards the bedroom when he spotted a rope-like creature crawling under the bed.
Dead legs. He couldn't take the next step. His legs froze at the sight of the creature.
At the top of his voice, Michael screamed and Angelo stood on the bed asking what it was.
Snake! Snake!! Snake!!!
She jumped from the bed and fell on Michael as they scamper into the living room, heading for the door that lead outside into the garden.
Each of them gasped for breath, like someone who had just completed a marathon. Angelo held her knees, looking at Michael as he was sitting on the dead log lying across the yam stake.
The lamp lay at the doorpost between the bedroom and living room, burning heavily with smoke, having fallen when Angelo jumped from the bed in a bid to escape from the snake.
As they reflected on the next move, power was restored. The halogen lamp on their fence flashed on all the walls. Michael, being very observant, watched every nook and cranny for movement of any sort.
"Are you sure that was a snake you saw?"
Angelo asked Michael.
"I only saw a rope-like thing, moving under the bed"
Michael responded. He wasn't sure but it looked like a snake.
The two siblings would dare not go into that house. Maybe the snake had been there for a while who knows.
The horn of their father's 1952 Benz from two streets away made them revive hope that all will be well. Michael went to the gate, waiting for their father's car to appear. Suddenly, it appeared.
After he had parked in the garage, Mr. Okolo hugged each is the children tight. Their mother had traveled to the village to take care of her sick mother, leaving the kids in the care of their father.
"Why aren't you both prepared for the cross-over service?"
Mr. Okolo queried.
"Dad, we have been outside in the garden for close to an hour."
As their father took a step towards the main building, Angelo just stood there, immovable.
She tried explaining what had transpired and how they had to scamper for their life.
He summoned courage, took the lead, and walked into the living room but with much care and he watched every corner if he could find any strange thing.
The first thing that greeted him was Big Joe, their old male cat. He laid just there at the door post between the bedroom and living room with a rope by his side. Michael was matching from behind his father too.
Big Joe with the rope, Michael called out on his father.
"Dad, Big Joe has it. That's the rope I saw. But it ain't moving"
Mr. Okolo could not hide his disappointment.
"How on earth can you not differentiate between a rope and a snake?"
He took his briefcase and walked into his room and straight to the bath.
"Get ready, we are getting late for the cross-over service."
Hurriedly, Angelo and Michael wore their clothes and waited for their father in the living room. The cross-over service was scheduled for 10:30 pm.
Ding Dong!!
The doorbell rang. As Michael went to get it, Napoleon, their next-door neighbor rushed in demanding Mr. Okolo's presence. He found a snake in his kitchen.
From the bathroom, Mr. Okolo could hear him. Quickly, he cleaned up, wore his boxers, and came to the living room where Napoleon was panting like a bear.
"Please, I need your machete. I saw a huge python in my kitchen sink."
Napoleon said demanding to get a cutlass to kill the snake.
"I just hope this isn't another rope like we had about an hour ago."
Michael whispered to himself.
Mr. Okolo followed him and they got to his kitchen. The snake had a mouse in its mouth. It appears powerless now. With just a strike, it would be dead but Mr. Okolo would rather bag the snake and take it to the zoo where he works.
He tried until he succeeded. He tied the snake in the bag and drove it to the zoo before returning to take his children to the cross-over service.
It's 2018
There were fireworks everywhere welcoming the new year. The other year had ended with the snake chase. One that Michael won't forget in a jiffy for taking a rope for a snake.