6 Chapter Six

After the successful attempt of the herbalist to revive Farida, a high fever set which the herbalist diagnosed to be iba, a word which could mean anything from malaria and the angry mark all over her arms and legs left on her skin from mosquito bite proves the herbalist's diagnosis to be true. She tried to lower Farida's body temperature, wrapping wet clothes on her legs and forehead but it was to no avail as the wet clothes got warm within a minute of placing it on her. She keeps shivering violently, thrashing about and calling monsters in her fever-induced haze.

She rushed back to her hut to bring some herbs to decoct but not before asking one of her apprentices to stay with the sick maiden and change the wet clothes whenever it got warm and instructed the other to make a fire and ask around for a clean earthen pot with water. 

The herbalist wasted no time walking back to the chieftain's compound as fast as her not too young legs could carry her after getting the herbs, she went straight to where her apprentice stood by the fire. She added African black pepper, ginger and garlic, with pounded onion, cloves, scent leaf, pawpaw leaves and bunch of lemon grass into the earthen pot, allowing the herbs to boil. She went to the hut the sick maiden was lying quietly, no longer thrashing but slightly shivering.

'Go stay with Kalaje outside but come back and inform me when the herb is boiling,' she told her young apprentice. She undressed Farida, cleaned her and rubbed palm kernel oil all over her body to help lower the body temperature before dressing her in clean clothes.

Rising Farida's head from the lying position, she gave her the warm herbal decoction and her head back down gently after cleaning the corner of her mouth where some of the medicine trickled down.

Turning to her apprentices she instructed, 'Kalaje, you'll stay with the maiden, make sure when it is noon, you give her the medicine and send for me, if you observe any sudden change.' Pointing to the young woman, she said in a bit of a hurry, 'And you come with me. I need to go see how Okaze is faring.' She went out of the hut, not sparing a backward glance to know if the apprentice was coming with her.

To her utter dismay, she saw the chieftain striding across the compound to meet her. 'Good morning Adayi.'

'Morning, your Highness.'

'Today seems brighter than the day before, am I correct Adayi?'

'Absolutely, your Highness. The sun is at its peak and it isn't yet noon.'

Raising his head to the sky as if to verify what the herbalist said. 'That's absolutely correct Adayi,' he said nodding his head.

'If you don't mind your Highness, I'll like to go attend to my patients.'

'Talking about patients, come with me for a minute,' not wanting anyone to notice his overly concerned for his recent servant's health, he motioned for her to follow him to one of the huts in the compound.

Making himself comfortable on a wooden bench, he looked up at the older woman, 'how is your new patient?' He enquired calmly.

'She was conscious but I'm afraid to say she's having a fever presently my chief,' the herbalist replied.

'I want her to start working by tomorrow and you're telling me she's having a fever? You better do anything you can to make her well before sunrise.'

'Ah, sounding his real self' the herbalist thought before responding to what he said cautiously, 'I cannot promise that to my chief but I assure you that I am doing my best.'

His eyes narrowed into slits, 'pray, tell, what is it that you cannot promise?'

'Making her w-w-well before tomorrow my chief,' feeling a little stupid for stammering because she's slightly frightened by the moody man she can equally call her son if she's married by now, she looked everywhere but him.

'What are you insinuating Adayi?'

'The fever is caused by iba and it is only the gods doing that the fever will break before morning and this should not have been the case if only those who brought her had asked her to rub mud on her body because that could have helped…'

'Enough!' His voice dropped an octave, stopping her in mid sentence. 'You can leave Adayi,' he dismissed her abruptly.

On reaching the entrance, she turned to the chieftain and asked, 'your Highness, would you be kind enough to grant my patient a day to fully recover after her fever breaks?'

'Adayi, please leave.' He said through clenched teeth. With a nod, she took leave of the moody man not wanting to test his patience.

******

'Fight the fever and wake up please. I'm sure my mistress will be in trouble by tomorrow if you do not open your eyes and you will be in bigger trouble because he will definitely consider you as a weak person.'

'Come on, I believe you can fight this, you can do it. Open your eyes please, you are better compared to this morning.'

'I know you're still in there. Show him you are strong.'

'Okay, just do it because of me, I have been sitting by your side all day and night. It is not easy O!'

What on earth is this annoying voice going on about, why won't it allow me to sleep in peace? Oh! May the gods have mercy on me.

'Wake up! It is evening already and the sunset is beautiful this evening.'

Farida thought to do as the voice said, maybe it will allow her to rest.

'You are awake!' The annoying voice shrieked with delight.

Farida opened her eyes but everything was blurry at first. She blinked several times to try to see clearly. She tried sitting upright but her head throb as if the gods of thunder struck their stave on it, so she lay back down.

'I'm coming, I'll go call my mistress for you,' the annoying voice declared, making Farida move her eyes upward in the direction of the voice and a young maiden her age stood staring down at her with a wide smile.

The young maiden went out of the hut leaving Farida. She searched the dimly lit room with her eyes, trying to make sense of where she was but her memory seems clouded and everything looks unfamiliar. Sighing, she turned her back to the door, trying to put together her jumbled thoughts.

She heard voices and footsteps coming from outside the room. 'Are you sure her fever broke and she's awake?' A slightly weak voice asked.

'I'm very sure mistress,'

'Let me take a look at her. Then I shall have my conscience salved when I hand her to him tomorrow.' Adayi said to her apprentice before stepping into the hut.

'Ah, you are truly awake my dear.' Adayi said when she approached Farida to have a better look.

'Yes I am and why all the fuss?' Farida asked while she changed position to look at the newcomer.

'I see, you really got a mouth on you,' said Adayi smiling, 'you gave us a scare young lady.'

'Really, how is that?'

Ignoring Farida's question, Adayi touched her forehead. 'The temperature has dropped compared to this morning,' she said to herself.

'How are you feeling little one?'

'My head hurt and I'm feeling weak and disoriented,' Farida replied quietly.

'That is sure to happen, rest for now and I promise you'll feel better in the morning.' Adayi said reassuringly, 'but before that you have to please take this,' she passed Farida a cup.

'Ugh! What is this Grandma?' Farida asked, keeping the cup beside her.

'Why are you pulling a face? It is your medicine. So, drink up little one.'

'Medicine? Farida looked at the old woman suspiciously.

'Yes, the chieftain will be pleased to see you up and about by tomorrow.'

She stood up very fast, a look of terror flashed across her face as the reality finally set in.

She was in Odinya.

'Grandma, since when have I been here?'

'Three days. Come sit my dear,' Adayi gestured for her to sit down.

Her blood ran cold, remembering what the young woman with the annoying voice said earlier. 'What will he think of me?'

'He will think nothing of you.'

'He will surely think I am weak, that I don't deserve to be here, he will think....'

'Sit down young lady,' Adayi said sternly, giving no room for further talk. 'You're going to get yourself all worked up for nothing my dear. Kalaje go get her something edible from the kitchen, I am sure she is hungry.'

Seeing the young maiden in the room, Farida sat down beside the old woman quietly not to embarrass herself further with her sudden outburst.

'What is the name of my beautiful patient, please?' Adayi asked.

'Farida' Farida replied quietly. 

'Ah, it sounds like a name merchantmen from the Sahara would call their daughters with.'

'I'm from Ogidi.'

'Oh! But it is hard to believe, you look like a Sahara princess.'

'Will he punish me?'

'I see my attempt to take your mind off him is definitely in vain.' Adayi said, raising her hands up dramatically.

'Please answer me I want to prepare myself for the worst.'

'Worst you say?' Adayi looked the young woman before her up and down in a manner that suggested she was thinking of what to say to her.

'Please grandma.'

'First of all, I'm no grandma. My name is Adayi, the village herbalist.' She smiled at her patient sweetly, showing her healthy teeth. 'So, refrain from calling me grandma, it makes me feel older than I am presently. Secondly, I don't think a man with a heart stone will punish a fellow human like himself because the fellow is sick and lastly, eat the food Kalaje my apprentice will bring to you, take your medicine, sleep and allow tomorrow to come and see what it brings with the rising of the sun.'

'Okay Adayi.'

'Good girl. You learn very fast and if you stick to it, you won't get into much trouble,' Adayi said, giving Farida a pat on the back before she stood up saying her good night and reminding Farida to take her medicine after eating.

'Good night. Have no worry Adayi I'll drink it,' Farida said smiling for the first time since she became conscious. She thought of what she would start doing tomorrow morning. 'Maybe I should start by fetching water, sweeping, washing plates or maybe I should just wait, he may send someone to give me directives,' She thought.

'Here is your food.' Kalaje said placing two bowls, one containing water and the other filled with roasted cocoyam, two-piece of roasted meat and palm oil. 

Farida's mouth watered and her stomach grumbled, letting anyone close by know she was hungry, 'thank you.' she said as she brought the bowls closer to her.

'Don't mention, my name is Kalaje and I'm one of Adayi's apprentices.'

'Okay' Farida said, washing her hand in a bowl Kalaje brought with her.

'What's your name?' Kalaje asked, trying to make polite conversation with the sick maiden eating in front of her.

'Farida'

'The name sounds nice but strange.'

'Many have said that too,' replied Farida between mouthfuls of cocoyam.

'Tomorrow you'll meet my friend Aladeje- she's also an apprentice to Adayi.'

'Okay'

'Aren't you happy seeing new faces?'

Farida gave a garbled reply that could be yes or no, the kind of reply she gives when she was not certain of what to say. 'Can't the lady keep quiet for ones?' she thought savoring the taste of the roasted meat.

Desperate to keep the conversation going Kalaje asked again smiling like a child who was given a new wooden toy, 'aren't you excited to make new friends?'

'That's not what brought me to Odinya.'

'I and my friend Aladeje will take you to the lake in the forest, it is very beautiful and only few of the village folks know about it. It's hidden deep in the dangerous part of the forest and nobody dare venture there for fear of snakes.'

A smile lit up Farida's face as she heard that. 'Really?' She felt a little giddy.

'Yes, it's very beautiful. Feeling scared and jumpy but excited all the way to the lake is fun.'

'Sounds like an adventurous trip.'

'Of course it is and we may bring a snake back home to roast if we're able to kill it.' Kalaje said excited about having a new girl, who is not afraid to come with them to the lake.

Farida's face fell as she remembered she might not venture out of the house until the day she stopped serving and that made her decline the offer politely. 'I'll like to go but I'm going to pass on that. I do not think I've time to go to such places.' 

The smile on Kalaje's lips flattered, 'okay but whenever you're less busy please promise to tell me. My parent house is just five houses away from this compound.'

'I can't promise you that Kalaje but if there is any chance of me coming I'll let you know.' She finished the rest of her meal in total silence, thanked Kalaje who waited for her to finish up the mouth watering food, drank the medicine and said her good night to the apprentice before falling fast asleep, leaving the maiden to do the dishes.