Chapter One

Let us not engage the world hurriedly

Let us not grasp at the rope of wealth impatiently.

That which should be treated with mature judgment

Let us not deal with in a state of uncontrolled passion.

-Ifa.

Chapter One

Twenty years later

The sky is clear and the day is bright, the chirping of the birds as they sing beautifully can be heard also accompanied by other sounds coming from different animals in the forest. The atmosphere would have been peaceful but instead, the cries of agony from Omoye filled everywhere.

Her mother, Adetoun has been sick for days now and even though she is trying all she can to treat her, her condition keeps on deteriorating. Omoye has been living in the forest for years and according to her mother, she was given birth in the forest. Her mother is a very skilled hunter who learned how to hunt from her father and she, in turn, thought her how to hunt, now she is a greater hunter than her mother. They survive by taking the bush meats they kill in the forest to a village every market day. The journey from the forest to the village and vice versa is just two days, after selling the bush meats, they use the proceeds to buy what they need and keep the rest. Omoye has tried on several occasions to find out the reason why they both have to live in the forest, secluded from others but Adetoun, her mother never gives her a valid answer and at times she doesn't bother to answer at all so Omoye has resigned to her fate.

She picked up her calabash and ran to the nearest stream to fetch some water, after fetching the water she ran back to the hut but on her way to the hut, she stopped to pluck the eyinolobe leaf which she had been using to make herbs for her mother.

On getting to the hut, she washed the leaves, put them inside one of the few isasun (clay plate) they have, and pour hot water in it. She carried the herbs with her and enter the hut, where she met her mother shivering on the small bamboo bed.

She takes a seat beside her mother and checks her temperature with the back of her hand. "Ma'ami (mother)!" She gasps at how hot she is. "You're burning up."

"Omoyeni." Her mother always calls her by her full name. "I already told you that I will be fine."

She tries to seat up and Omoye quickly helps her up.

"Drink this before it gets cold, it will make you feel better." Omoye stretches the isasun towards her.

"What is that?" She asks refusing to take it from her.

"It's your herbs, drink it before it gets cold so that you can have the strength to at least eat something."

"Set that aside first, I have something to discuss with you." She tells her with all seriousness.

Omoye drops the isasun on the floor and turns to her mother to give her full attention. "What is it ma'ami?"

"What I'm about to tell you now is something I should have told you a long time ago, it is about who we are, who your father is, and how we needed up living in this forest."

"I had to stop asking when you wouldn't answer me."

"I'm now ready to tell you everything, toba ti ya kan kin tun pemo (procrastinating is not necessary)."

"I'm all ears ma'ami." She adjusts her wrapper and sits up properly.

"My father's name was Adedigba, he was the 5th king of Irepodun village..."

"Y-you are a princess!" Omoye squeals in surprise.

"Were." Adetoun corrected.

"What happened?"

"Our village chief priest, Erujeje betrayed the trust of everyone, he killed my father with the help of a strange but powerful deity and forcefully made himself the king.  By then, I—" Her voice quivers and she suddenly starts to cough.

Omoye was at her side in seconds and she stretches the now cold herb to her. "Drink this and rest, for now, we can continue this story later." She said even though this is something she has been waiting to hear for years.

"No, I must tell you everything now." Adetoun insists. "Time is no longer on my side."

"What do you mean?"

"Omoyeni, just listen to all I have to say." She urges.

Omoye nods and drops the isasun at her feet while her mother continues her story. "By that time, I was already heavily pregnant. The evil deity Erujeje brought into the village is called Odara, he enslaved the people and took their farmlands. He also has demon guards who sometimes kidnap the villagers for sacrifices to him. Just a few days to your birth, Erujeje got to know about a prophecy that you shall destroy Odara."

"Me?" Omoye gaps at her mother in disbelief.

"Yes, you. They were planning to kill you after you're born, I found out and I had to run as far as my legs could carry me. I ended up in this forest at the outskirt of Irepodun village."

"This forest is at the outside of Irepodun village?"

"Yes." She nods at her head in affirmation.

"There is a path here that leads to the village, it is that path I ordered you not to ever pass through."

"Why didn't you leave this forest after you escaped?" Omoye queries.

"I tried to months after giving birth to you, but it is a risk I'm not willing to take for fear that we may be discovered."

Omoye tries to process all that her mother told her before she finally asks what she had always wanted to know for years. "What was the name of my father and what happened to him?"

"His name was Adeoye, I don't really know what happened after Erujeje waged that war against the king. Bo ku ni o abi o nu ni, o mo (whether he is dead or missing, I don't know)." Her mother's voice is now very weak and her coughs haven't ceased. "But I tried to look for him—I really did." Tears filled her eyes but she tried to appear strong in front of her daughter.

Omoye couldn't hold back her tears, she broke down and sobbed in front of her mother.

"Here, have this." She looked up just to see her mother holding a necklace in front of her face, it is the necklace she has always seen around her neck. "This was given to me by your father after we got married, he told me it has always been in their family and passed from generation to generation for years. This is the only piece of him I have left."

Omoye took the necklace made of cowries and diamonds from her mom but as she was about to wear it around her neck, her mother snatched it from her.

"Ma'ami?" She calls questioningly.

"Let me wear it for you." She smiles at her weakly.

Omoye returns her sad smile, moves closer to her and lets her wear the necklace for her.

"It's beautiful." She is entranced admiring the necklace. "Isn't it?" Omoye asks but had to snap her head up to look at her mother when she didn't give a reply. She saw that her eyes are now closed. "Won't you take your herbs before sleeping?"

She gives her a nudge on her shoulder to wake her up but she isn't responding. "Ma'ami?" She calls in alarm, her heartbeat accelerated, and with her body now trembling, she placed her head on her chest to check she is still breathing but she isn't.

The shocking realization that her mother has joined her ancestors dawned on her. "Ma'ami! You can't leave me now, please wake up." She screamed, cried, and wailed until she could no longer continue.