Chapter 7

Oyan is a small town in Osun State, Nigeria. It is a picturesque town in the middle of three hills-the agba,otadu and Otasuku hills.It is situated some kilometers north of Ire town,in Odo-Otin local government. It has a long spindy river-the Otin river where the local government derives its name.This river has served as a source of water for the people of my village for centuries.It is even said that while it doesn't drown indigenes,it doesn't allow strangers bath or swim in it.The hills was home to a lot of animals,which were mostly hunted for meat by local hunters.I remember when I was about eight years old,a popular hunter known as uncle George to the children of the village went up to the hills to hunt and fell into a depression at the side of the hill.He never made it back out.This was my village and I knew every nook and cranny of this beloved place.

I had this great-uncle,pa Ezekiel who was a drummer, he used to take me everywhere he went. He was of a line of traditional drummers and it was believed that no matter what profession he did,he had to also drum or else he would die.Uncle Ezekiel was a big cocoa farmer and drummer.I loved to accompany him round the village to drum at different occasions such as traditional festivals, weddings or burials. He did everything to teach me this skill but I never learnt it.Pa Ezekiel died before I left the village for Lagos and was buried on a very rainy day.

As I walked through the town,I couldn't stop the memories from flooding me,I kept trying to spot changes everywhere. I was happy to see my hometown once again. I couldn't help reminiscing all the moments I spent there. How I and my friends used to walk long kilometers from home to school and back again.All the times my grandma would cook me a meal and I'd cried for something else. So much memories about the town. I was walking as fast as I could without getting noticed by anyone who might recognize me, that was because my grandmother had instructed me to avoid people who knew me and will want to question me.

I got to town and went straight to Simon's house. I knocked and it was Simon that opened the door. He was so surprised to see me, he jumped on me to hug me, there was no doubt he was truly surprised that I showed up at his house on that morning. Sadly, he had lost his mother to cancer two weeks before I came. I met his dad and elder brother seating in their living room mourning.

Simon's father Mr. Patrick was a member of the staff at the Oyan grammar school.His house was were the village kids used to gather to watch television on weekends.He greeted me warmly and left the room .I wasted no time telling my friend the reason for my visit . We hugged and cried together,because he understood my pains,having just lost his own mother.We made our way to my old family house which had been demolished because it was old and decrepit.

Simon pointed at my father's grave and I burst into tears because all along I couldn't accept the fact that he was gone,but here I was standing next to his grave. I thought of my mother and I wondered if she knew her ex-husband was dead. Then a thought came to me,I wondered if she had died too. I didn't know any of her relatives,and there was no way for me to find out about her. Simon comforted me as best as he could. He led me away from the grave to the field where we used to play . My friends were surprised but very happy to see me. They hugged me and told me how much they missed me. I was happy to be with them once again, and I wished I didn't have to go back to the city.

We played for about an hour before I left them.They took the moment to share with me, the events that had taken place while I was gone. I felt freed, it was as if I had been in a cage and now I was breathing the air of freedom. I wished it would be like this forever, but as wishes were not horses. They asked me when I will be back again, and I told them that I didn't know when someone would bring me back again. We told each other goodbye and they told me they would be looking forward to having me around again.

I walked back home, met my grandmother and Uncle waiting for me at the door. They thought I would return home sad, but I didn't. Fred,you must have had a good time with your friends? My grandmother said, with a smile. Yes I did,I replied, smiling back at her. Deacon, dressed in brown jacket and a brown pants, held his bag, standing next grandma was also smiling. How did it go? He asked. It was fine, I responded. We should be on our way now, so that we won't have to travel late, he said again looking at my Grandma. You're right James she said, but I would like to have a minute with Fred. Sure! He answered.

We moved aside for privacy, then she said to me, you're my child, don't forget the son of whom you her. You know how much I love you, no matter what, don't forget, there's someone here, who will always love you. Continue to be a good child my son, I know you will do well over there but don't forget home. Your grandfather and his brothers, left hundreds of acres of land for this family, therefore when you grow up to be a man that I want you to be, don't forget to come back to build yourself a home. Goodbye my child, until we meet again.We hugged each other tightly and said goodbye.

Deacon and I walked to the motor park, this time, the fare was higher because there was fuel scarcity. Pump price had been increased from 65 Naira to 95 Naira per litre.The labour union had begun a strike action against the government which led to a hike in transportation prices. Deacon didn't have a choice but to pay because there was no way we could have returned to Lagos if we didn't pay. While we were waiting for the bus to get filled up, Deacon was engaged in a conversation with the other passengers and members of the national union of road and transport workers ( NURTW ) about the scarcity. I wasn't interested because I kept looking around and thinking of when I would see my hometown and grand-mother again. But I had hope, that someday, I will be back. That that time, it won't be as a child, I would have become a grown man. And I will build mansions right on one of those hills. My family and friends would have a lot to eat and drink and everyday would be a feast.