As a frequent traveller to Okanowach, due to the nature of my work, I want to share what I’ve learned so far. To be able to visit Okanowach, you must lure it into existence, for this elusive place only makes its presence known to those who can reach it should they try.
To get to Okanowach, several things have to happen at once. One, it has to be on a moonless night. Two, there has to be an overcast sky. Third, you have to get there by midnight sharp. Fourth and most important of all, you must know how to haul the voices that whisper beneath whistling winds, for Okanowach is fluid, and the voices alone know how to get there. Five, you must use an ostrich’s feather to trap the specific voices that will guide you to Okanowach; if you use any other feather, you might trap some maleficent resonance.
When you get to the point where you see the thick rust-hued fog brush against the ground like a rapid river of mist, leave behind any means you used to get to that point, be it a car, a motorbike, or even a bicycle. Do not try to cross the threshold with any electronic device of sorts; not only do they work abnormally within the mist, but they may also cause long-lasting interferences. The terrain beyond the mist will allow for nothing else but your flesh.
You will be disoriented when you venture through. At first, it will feel like you are underwater and don’t know which way is up or down. Make sure you have a firm grip on your ostrich feather, for the mist will be the most crucial to navigate. Any aimless meandering in there, and it will keep you within its perennial folds.
You will know you are near when you hear the faint bustling of a busy market. As you walk towards the dissonant flurry, the sounds will cease to come from one direction. They will whirl around like you are trapped in the eye of a cyclone. At this point, lift the feather over your head with your right hand and shake it three times to release the voices. The voices belong to the mist, and if you don’t release them, they will never reveal Okanowach to you.
The first glimpse of Okanowach as the mist clears will be the illusion of an ordinary market – an ensemble of dishevelled shacks with wooden signage planks hanging crookedly. Do not step into the labyrinth of narrow dirt paths without covering every inch of exposed skin. It is not apparent for the untrained eye to tell the difference between who is of the spirit and who is of the flesh. Wait for your eyes to adjust and be keen to the subtle ash tint and void-flooded eyes that distinguish those of the spirit from those of the flesh. Should your bare skin brush against a spirit, at the very least, you’ll catch a nasty cold; at worst, you’ll end up in the hospital with severe pneumonia.
When you plunge into Okanowach, you won’t know where to go or what you’re supposed to be looking for. Don’t worry; just roam around and play it by ear. Let your innermost desires guide you to the voice that resonates.
The booming voices belong to the stalls that offer Accidental Death Services, and all of them will claim to have a hundred per cent success rate. However, most of them are so sloppy they will end up linking you to the accidental death, if not by law for manslaughter, then by public opinion. You will be so closely tied to the “natural” death that even your pragmatic family, friends, and neighbours will call you an omen behind your back. You might as well walk around wearing one of their wooden plank signs like a yoke around your neck. If you want the best of their services, insist on a claim of innocence as a part of the deal. Their stalls are identifiable by the raucous music playing, and they love to give visual demonstrations, so be weary if you have a queasy stomach. Their prices tend to be on their heftier side with hidden consequences. Make sure you read and understand the fine print, or you could lose up to two years of your life span.
The Cursesmiths are the most common stalls in Okanowach. You will hear their hypnotic voices singing in unison high above the grunge of The Accidental Deaths Services. Their attention-seeking stalls are embellished with neon art. You will be overwhelmed by their array of options: jewellery, potions, recipes, ornaments, artwork, imitations, etc. It will make you indecisive, and when you are indecisive, you will become impatient. However, if you rush to pick the first curse closest to what you are looking for, you will end up with an ineffective curse. You have to be patient. Take your sweet time and listen intently; eventually, you will hear exactly what you need. Curses are uniquely crafted for the person they are intended for; do not purchase ready-made curses unless your target is a group of people and not an individual. Do not opt to carry the curse (or curses) with you; chances are high that you will lose it, misplace it, use it on the wrong person by mistake, or if you’re travelling a long distance, it could lessen the potency. Have it delivered directly to the intended(s). That way, you will also avoid dealing with their long, jargon-heavy instructions, which you definitely will mess up. Their prices vary depending on how long and strong you want the curse. It will generally be nothing more than an allowance to possess for a negotiable time. The Cursesmiths are devilishly charming with their silver tongues. Do not be led astray and accept anything other than what you have purchased, no matter how tempting their “throw in something extra for the customer” may be. Absolutely nothing is free in Okanowach, not even the time you spend there.
Clients of the Soul Tethers are exclusively those of the spirit. Although a few do offer consultations to those of the flesh if they seek a way to undo a tethering, these are rare occasions as most people who a dead soul has tethered spend the rest of their lives unaware. Tethering is for those of the spirit, those who wish to be one day reunited with their lovers so that death will not do them part. There is even a legend of a bride and groom of the flesh who made their way to Okanowach so they could make their vows to be together beyond death. There was a time when those of the spirit could tether an unrequited love that was of the flesh. But when those of the flesh became those of the spirit, and they found themselves attached to souls against their will, they caused a lot of problems. Now, they require those of the spirit to provide proof of union as well as consent from those of the flesh by visiting them in their dreams. You can still find some scattered Soul Tethers who are not rigid with rules for a hefty price. When you become a dead soul and desire to use the services of Soul Tethers, be mindful of the Pepos that like to latch on to the tethering. They are a parasitical menace to those of the flesh and difficult to exorcise. All in all, those of the flesh are wise to avoid the Soul Tethers as much as possible. You will know them by their angelic voices and any stall by the Oshun or Cupid imagery in its signage.
Okanowach Health Insurers are the most popular and busiest of stalls. Their orotund voices can be heard lauding their services all over the market. Their stalls are riddled with mosaic artwork depicting human anatomy. Even though Health Insurers are the most regulated stalls with the most influential union, they are crafty and will always find sneaky ways to be ambiguous with their terms and conditions of services. You are bound to make a hasty decision with the health insurers. Their fast talk will induce an urgency that will curdle your blood. They will tell you, in graphic detail, how you will die. They are so eloquently descriptive that you will almost feel their words. Do not let yourself be carried away by their fearmongering. Health Insurers do not trade in life spans like most of the other stalls; they deal with labour. If you are distracted you will end up signing a contract for those of the spirit. Time does not work the same for those of the spirit as it does for those of the flesh. If you sign this contract, you will work for centuries as an examiner for Health Insurers when you become those of the spirit. Examiners are mediums that transfer the health force from the casualties to the clients. Imagine experiencing pain and disease over and over again for centuries. When you sign the contract, verify that it is for those of the flesh. Be warned that there are Health Insurers who are in cahoots with Accidental Deaths Services. Before you purchase a health force from them, ask them to tell you your life span. You’ll likely find that though your health is poorer, your life span is longer than the health force they’re attempting to sell you.
The brittle voices belong to the gang of Vengeful Vigilantes. They don’t have stalls, but you’ll hear them “ks-ks-ks-ks” at you from the shadows where they lurk in the alleyways. You will be tempted when they offer their services free of charge, but I told you once before nothing is free in Okanowach. They may not deal with life spans, but they are sadists who get off on sheer terror and pain. It’s like a drug to them, an addiction. Most of their clients are those of the spirit who desire to quench their excruciating thirst. When those of the flesh pass on to become those of spirit with a lingering desire for justice or revenge, their dead souls feel desperately starved, akin to being deprived of air. They do not care if the whole world burns to ashes as long as their immense rage is pacified. But those of the flesh who are adamant about dealing with the Vengeful Vigilantes will regret it. It’s rare to come across a Vengeful Vigilante that has self-control and is motivated by justice. Almost all of them take it way too far, further than justice or eye for an eye. They don’t care about your grudge; they just want to use it as an excuse to feed.
Stay away from The Visionaries. They are tricksters, every single one of them. The future has too many variables. Their accuracy rate is below one per cent. You’ll end up wasting your life span for no reason. It’s a scam so well known in Okanowach that it’s alarming yet impressive they can still get clients. Those of flesh will even dismiss the “Beware of the Visionary Scammers” signboards spread all over the market and seek them out. Hope is a dangerous emotion to harbour in Okanowach.
The Dream Weavers are the most revered and respected stalls in Okanowach. Unlike the other stalls who have to learn and hone their skills, Dream Weavers are gifted. You won’t find them if you look, but when you desire them, their feathery voices will hook you like a fishing line and draw you to their stalls. Those who the Dream Weavers have called describe the experience simply as ethereal. No one has ever given a more detailed recount of what happens once they enter their stalls. The little information there is to know is that they move knowledge from one person to another, and their stalls are covered in murals of exotic feathers. There’s a theory that they are the real owners of Okanowach, that they are the ones who send the voices in the wind to guide the travellers.
Once you have been to Okanowach, there are no restrictions on how many times you can go as long as you have what is needed to trade, but no one has been there more than thrice. The journey to and fro is taxing on the body. You can take months to recover fully and replenish your energy. So, before you plan your visit to Okanowach, be sure you must go. Remember, nothing is free in Okanowach, not even the time you spend there.
Florence Onyango
Florence Onyango is a Kenyan writer based in Nairobi. She has a background in Film, Media, and Communications. Her short stories have been published in the 2015 Short Story Day Water Anthology, Kikwetu Journal, and Omenana.