Spooked - Mother of Bunafu

Episode Date: October 11, 2024

David travels to the small village of Bunafu in Uganda to visit his family. One morning, he’s awakened by people celebrating a marriage. To his surprise, his mother is the new bride. And the groom? None other than the village spirit.Thank you, David, for sharing your story with Spooked!Produced by Erick Yáñez, original score by Sandra Lawson-Ndu, scouted by Lulu Jemimah, artwork by Teo Ducot.Spooked has a Youtube Channel! Subscribe now for a new scary story each week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hickory-dickory dog, I told that fool to stop when he said no. I let him go. Hickory and the spook at a true story, a family story to my bestie a while ago, about growing up in my crazy household, about witnessing an exorcism, about begging, screaming for them to stop to please, please stop. A story to begin an episode of spooked. When I finish, she says she really likes it. Really likes it.

Then she says, it feels wrong. People are going to hear this. Well, aren't your mother, your father? Are they going to have feelings about it? I'm all defensive. Look, this really happened. And it occurs to me what she's saying because she cares about me. She's asking if this story will cause me problems.

pain with my family. They'll never hear it. What do you mean never hear it? This is going on a national show. Over a million listeners. Not my family. Well, some of them will tell about it, right? No.

What? Look, I know it sounds strange, but in this world they live in, if it's not on Fox News or maybe the church bulletin, they're never going to know. like a if a tree falls in the woods kind of thing

what if they just turn on the radio my mama says my show doesn't come on the radio in Grand Rapids Michigan does it of course it does two or three times a week but not if you have the dial turn to the crazy

January 6 Patriots show I don't know she says feels like you're dodging something your people Your parents are getting older. You don't have much time. Would it be so terrible if they hear the stories you reveal about yourself, about your family, about what happened?

I think about this. For a moment, maybe I am dodging. Avoiding something. That is my emotional modus operandi. After all, you know, never get too close to the feeling. because that is where the hurt lives. I go quiet. Understand that she's waiting for me to say something.

No, I don't think you would be so horrible if they finally hear my stories. A horrible thing. For certain, the joy and the pain. We're traveling now. The time and through space to Uganda, a tiny village. It's 1985 and our storyteller Dave, but he's visiting his village because that's where his mom, Agnes, and his stepdad George live.

Of course, in this village, there's something else living there as well. Agnes means a lot to me. She had four children, but I was the darling. Wherever she was going, I would accompany her. When I was in primary school, she asked me to teach her to read. because she had not gone to school. She bought a book where I taught her to write her names first. Then slowly, I started reading her some storybooks.

I read, she repeats. Inspired by teaching his mom how to read and write, David chose to pursue a career in education. After graduating high school, he moved from Bonafu to the city of Jinja. for college, just about two hours away by train. But he would visit home often. This story takes place on one of those visits. In the morning, my mom calls me, David,

I'm going to work, you stay here. Maybe you can help us to do housework. So she left me behind, and I stayed in the bed. It is around 10. I'm in the bed sleeping and then I hear

a lot of noise I hear drumming it is a single drum following a certain bit then other people were shouting I was wondering

what's happening outside quickly I jump out of the bed even not putting on my shirt just pick the shirt, I came out. There was a lot of excitement around the hollow village.

People are running, shouting, drumming, making noise. That whole atmosphere was electric. Everyone was happy. There are two people who are drumming and these were small boys. I said, what's going on?

What's going on? They start saying, David, you're mommy, you are mommy. I said, what? What's wrong with my mom? Your mommy. Your mommy, agoness. What's wrong with the agonis? I was now nervous. But for them, it was the opposite. They are so happy. I couldn't tell whether it was good news or bad news. Come and see, let's go quickly. And they are running towards where my mom was. I'm holding the shirt in my hand. running down, following them, and the question lingering in my mind, if it was bad, why should they be happy?

I find my mother in the main road surrounding my mother, there's a big gathering. It's a group of around 60 people, encycling her. and she was walking slowly backwards while looking at us. Her eyes widely open. When I moved near her, I realized her eyes had turned white. She was not bleaking

and she was not talking to any of us. I had goosebumps. I'm shouting on top of my voice. Mommy, mommy, what is it? You need help. Can I come and help you? What is it? Can we go home?

I wanted to make my way to see what's wrong with her. But one of the old ladies who was nearby holds me back. Don't go. Please don't touch her. Don't go near. Leave her alone. What is it? What's happening with the agony?

My mother, what is happening? Then she says, come down. Let me tell you, Munooro has picked her to be his wife. Mnioro has picked her amongst all the women in this village. She's now a wife to Munooro. What? My mom married Muno. Who is Munooro?

Because I was hearing Munoo for the first time. Who is Munoi now? Tell me more. What is this? Munoiolo isn't the spirit. for the Baiseengobi He's the divine giver of the village

When the current wife has grown old and can no longer perform the duties which Munoz her to do, he picks any hardworking, beautiful lady he wants from amongst the ladies in the village. So this time

round he has picked on your mother. I lost words. I was wondering how a human being can get married to a spirit. And if so, why should Munono marry my mother, who is already married to George? And then this lady, she told me, David, respect whatever is taking place. It is a special day for the village. if you go and interfere, the consequences to you is death. Or you get deformed for the rest of your life.

And no one is going to help you. I'm thinking this can't be true. I was not believing her. This clan, the Ngobi clan, they have traditional beliefs. but the rest of us we are Christian but I was having emotions

much as I was feeling for my mom now I feared for my life but I had to do something I ran towards the group and now it was a magnitude of people but I don't see my mom all of a sudden

I see her she was on top of of a tree. It's a big, giant, ficus tree. I don't know how she climbed it.

She was in her 40s. She someone who doesn't not ride the bicycle. How can she climb a tree? Everyone was in a circle around her. And she was sitting on a branch of the tree up there.

Doing nothing but sitting holding onto their branch. There was smoke. They had now set a bonfire under that tree. Out of nowhere, it starts raining. Amidst all that chaos. They were saying that it's a blessing. Mnolo getting married, he has brought blessings in the village.

They are taken some days without rain. Now there's rain. And from nowhere, I can't tell you how my mom climbed down that tree. She started rolling on the ground, rolling several times. Rolling, rolling, rolling. And she became very dirty. She started throwing the hands here and there. She had red eyes.

I was feeling bad. You know, having a lot of goosebumps. I fell down. I started crying. I was not believing what was happening. I wanted to go and help her, but I couldn't go. All of a sudden, the sound of the drums went silent. People now all are quiet, and this gentleman, whom I didn't know, arrives.

This man is dressed in a canzu, which is a tonic, a white tonic. He has the arms with so many bangos. a crown this man now approaches my mom and she's just sitting on the ground spreading her feet this man

starts talking to sang my wife Monolo our spiritual leader Munoro Isu Kaiyo Okuyiga we will come back from the hunt

we are happy now that you have picked on your choice. My mom now started talking. The voice was of a manly voice, not her use of voice. My sons, my grandchildren, you're most welcome. Officially, I've got married and I picked on this lady is my wife. The drumming goes louder than it was. In that moment, I realized it is true. something has taken over her life and that was Munoro Munozano was now

was now owning her all the drums go silent again the man says what can we do right now what do you want us to do you know what to do first prepare the house where she's going to stay

also you have to to prepare a fist. Get my cows, you get to their guts, you even have to slaughter a sheep. And of course, you cannot hold that fist without... Afterwards, after the adult greed, with a spirit, he says,

You can now live. Go away to your daily activities. From nowhere, I saw my mom turning into a normal person. She raises the arms and she twists around. saying, why am I here? How did I come here? What has been going on? These are the elders, the ladies, go near to greet her. They tell her, Agnes, Munoz has brought you here. You are now a wife to Munoz.

She was quiet. She doesn't say anything. I walked slowly towards Sam. I greeted her and I told her, how are you feeling? She called me, my son, what you have seen, what you have had, it has happened. And I had to accept that it has happened. And even equally you, my son, accept. This is a blessing. I was having so many things in my mind. What is next after marrying her?

Why my mother to marry a spirit? Why? Why her? Not all these are these, but why her? I just heard her. Okay, okay, okay. Are you staying here or we are going back home? She said, yes, we are going back. After a silent and uncomfortable walk home,

David's mom takes a bath while David cooks her favorite dish, Matoque, a stew made out of bananas and potatoes. We had our food, we ate, not speaking anything. I could see that she was not the usual child, Meggi Mother. Something changed completely. Soon after, David stepped at, George, arrives home from work. When he reaches his home, we pick his bicycle, push it in the house. Then he sits, mommy comes, he grits him.

And he was just sitting calmly. not talking to anyone. I was waiting for him to ask me what took place. But he did not ask me anything. Once David's mom finishes dinner and heads to bed, David finally works up the courage to tell George about his mom marrying Munoz. But... He simply told me, thank you so much.

I'm already aware what took place. I was told by... some of my brothers and the uncles, so I think, let's leave it out of that. He was just quiet, as if nothing had happened. Then I told,

how are we going to live without her? What are going to do? He told me, it is a blessing. It is a blessing to you. It will bring you riches, longer life. I asked why.

How can you participate? to help your wife to go away. He just told me, I don't have a wife. She's no longer my wife. That night, David and his stepfather helped move his mom's belongings to another bedroom. According to tradition,

she could no longer share a bed with George, as she's now married to a different man. Next morning, many people come to greet her. Even some of her relative from her, village came to greet her. The aunties, the sisters, the cousins, whoever was coming there

was not coming to find out the story, but was just coming to congratulate the family. They have got a special greeting, shaking hands. She's given a robes, officially, that she's married.

She's given the bongos. She's given the crown and she's given the pipe to start smoking. This is the first time that I saw my mom smoking a pipe.

She was not a smoker. And now she had even a new name from Agnes to Mrs. Munoro. Where is Mrs. Minolo? Where is Mrs. Minolo? Where are you? I'm here. She was also so answering happily. I'm here. How are you? How are you today? and then they start playing music.

They slaughter cows, goats, sheep, chicken. They take the local brew. It was a feast that Sunday. The village celebrates this new marriage for the next several days. On one of those nights, David's mom receives a visit from another family who has brought along a sick relative. And they told my mother that they have come to visit Muniolo. Manolo, being that is a spirit, they believe that he has got the healing powers.

David's mom and the family move to a nearby shrine. David follows and watches them at a distance so they can't see him. His mom puts on a rove while a helper starts a fire. Finally, they all sit in a circle around her. And from nowhere, I see her straight. her arms in the air with a lot of strength and I see her shaking hands, twists her head on either sides. I could even hear some sounds coming out of the bone.

It's cracking. I feel scared when I see my mom turning the eyes rolling and she's smoking a pipe. I can see a cloud of smoke around her, a heavy one. Inhealing. to my mom is a helper. He's putting herbs on the fire. And he's holding a shaker. They shake, they shake, they shake, they shake vigorously.

She's shaking also her self. And then all of a sudden, her body, the face changes, the voice changes, like a man. She talks with a lot of vigor. She's possessed. My people, sons, daughters, she throws shells on the ground. She tries to interpret the shells the way they are on the ground. Now, you start talking.

My son, you are sick. She talks, she talks, she talks, and directs how the disease is going to be worked on. This young man is listening to the instructions. and Mnioro instructed the helper to go and look for the medicine for the patient. And in turn, Mnior requested the patient to pay some money plus an animal, a goat for that matter. Then from nowhere she opens her eyes. She regals, she raises her arms and she twists around and comes back to her. no more senses. It was the first time witnessing my mother killed the other people. To me,

as her son, I was feeling bad, but it came to me that maybe this is good. They respect her because of Munjeru. After a week, the time has come for Agnes to move to her new home. I helped her in packing all of her belongings. We took the things, food, her clothes, she had a small citrus. I was feeling sad, lonely, but now I was feeling sorry for George. They were so happily married. They had a lot of things in common. Now is living in George.

The joy that we had in this home is over. Later that night, some relatives and local clubs, Lanceman show up to help Agnes move to her new home, which is about half a mile away. It was late evening. There was moonlight. I'm working within a group. I'm carrying the suturcus. It was a moment of disappointment. She was going to start a new life. She's married to a ghost. It pains me. But I have not. nothing to do. There were a few neighbors who

are there to welcome her. She was laughing with those people around. They were talking. She was happy. As a family, we gathered. There were some short speeches. Some were saying, agonis. As we move into this home,

please, we should remain together as a family. We told me, Mommy, have a good night. And she went to sleep. I walked. back home. I had a lot of questions. Am I going to meet her again? How often was she going to be possessed? Will Munuro be kind to my mother? Like George was to her, it was a hard moment for me to accept that mommy is now in another world. It was so hard. It was as if she had died.

David leaves the village the next morning and returns to school. Eventually, David becomes a teacher and moves to Entebe, a city near Campala, Uganda's capital. Despite being away from his family, he calls his mom every week and tries to visit often. From that time up to today, I'm talking of 36 years. My mom has been married to Munjolo. She's now 86. People come to my mom from all walks of life for different reasons. There are those who are sick, there are those who come for counseling,

there are those who want to get blessings. Even for harvest, those are going to plant the good weather. My mom cannot do anything without instructions from Munoz. So her life changed completely. She can't eat fish. she can't eat pork she can't eat chicken she drinks

alcohol she smokes a pipe I even fear that she's going to develop a lung cancer because she smokes a pipe heavily but she has never regreted being a wife to Muniro

she's respected in that village and even the clani people take care of her they bring food people ever bring in money, her essentials are catered for. I feel proud that people respect her. I'm proud of that. But deeply, I'm against.

They snitch her from me, but I couldn't tell her don't. She's my mom. She had accepted. So, let her take that path. I take her mind. At the end of the day, we all believe in. God, but we have different avenues to reach God. This year, I visited my mom.

We are talking. Casually, she tells me, David, I'm living this place. I've grown old. There are certain things that I can no longer perform for Munoz. And it has come to my notice is that Mnioro seems to be looking for another wife.

I want to live this place by January. worry. Can you prepare where I can live after here? I was happy. I felt so good and even I called my siblings and I announced it to them that, do you know what? Mammy's living in Munoz. So I bought a piece of land recently. I'm going to construct a house for her where she's going to stay. And hopefully she lives a new life. That day when she will be out of that place, we shall go for a fist. I'll call all my children, my sisters, to endo come to her back to the normal life. I'm looking forward to that day that we shall be living together. Thank you, David, for sharing your story with Spook. We are so glad you'll be reunited with your mom

very soon. The story was scouted by Lulu Jemima. The original score was by Sandra Losson-U-N-Doo. by Eric Yanez. Now then, I have a query for you, because we've heard tales of families that have a gift passed down from generation to generation. Foresight, dreamwalking, even telekinesis. We're exploring family histories here at the underground layer where the same power runs through particular bloodlines.

Then we're sometimes skipping a generation, but eventually reasserting itself, if you have such a legacy or if you know someone who does we'd love I'd love to know all about it let me know spout at stampjudgment.org because there is nothing better and a spook listener with a spout story

spooks are brought to you by the team that would never impose their own belief system or anyone else except for Mark Ristich just because he's lactose intolerant He won't tolerate your lactose or anyone else's lactose either. There's Davy Kim, Zoe Frigno, Ann Ford, Eric Yanyas, Tailed Decat, Merceda Dodge, Miles Lassie, Doug Stewart, Paulina Creaky, Elizabeth Z. Pardue, Aditya Matu, Lulu, Jemima, the Spook Beam Song. It's by Pat Massini Miller.

The name was in Washington, and whether you liked them or not, whether you knew them or not, whether you knew them, or you. Or not, your parents gave you a legacy. They set you on a quest and so often that journey is to fill holes that they had. The things they couldn't bequeathed to us are the things we set in search of. Money, stability, love, respect, often they leave us other questions as well. Mysteries. See, the needs of the shadow follow from mother to daughter, father to son, how many times have we heard from people discovering, shocked that they are treading

the same path as grandparents, great grandparents, generations previous, the shadow remembers even when we have forgotten. But their legacy is never your destiny. The best way to ensure that you follow paths of your own choosing to never, never. Never, ever. Never, never, never, never, ever, ever, ever, never.