CHAPTER 33: Awọn igbesẹ mi si titobi (My steps to greatness) 13

"Emi ni oju fadaka ti o nilo idiyele kikun ti lulú,

Ọbọ dudu ti o ju ara rẹ silẹ bi ẹnipe lati kànkan

Mo fi ito mi ka igbó naa,

Asiwaju igbo igbo, Mo ran Asiwaju igbo ninu egan sinu iyara odo ti o ni eru ninu pelu igi dudu mi,

Mo lu ilu ọba atijọ ti o jẹ awọ àyà Lanjinbu fun arole ti o ku ti Oba ti Ogbomosho ti ẹmi rẹ nrìn kiri titi di akoko ti o darapọ mọ awọn baba rẹ.

Ẹniti o ni agbọn-apo kan ti o kun fun owo, ti o tobi bi oke, paapaa ni ipo itẹmọlẹ yoo jo si mi pẹlu iwo ti o tẹ,

Emi kii se obo

Emi ni Amotekun kan

Emi kii se Oloju-Arede

Emi ni ijapa atijọ ti o fi ara pamọ ninu arabinrin rẹ titi di igba ti a ba ṣeto awọn ẹgẹ mi

Emi kii ṣe igbin, lati rin irin-ajo ti ọjọ meji, o gba to ẹgbẹrun meji ọdun

Emi ni Ehoro ti agbara re dabi Esin

(I am silver face who needs a full charge of powder,

Black monkey who throws himself as if from a sling

I encircle the thicket with my urine,

Champion of the wild forest, I send the wildest Champion of the bush into haste up the fearsome river in with my black stick,

I beat the old royal drum which is made of Lanjinbu chest skin for the heir apparent of the dead Oba of Ogbomosho whose spirit wanders around till the time he joins his ancestors

The possessor of a savings-basket full of money, huge as a hill, even in a crouching position will dance towards me with its tusk bowed,

I am not a monkey

I am a tiger

I am not Oloju-Arede

I am the old ijapa that hides in his she'll till my traps are set

I am not a snail, to travel a journey of two days, it takes him two thousand years

I am the Hare whose stamina is like the Horse)"

"Ehhhhhh" We chorused

The group of one elderly man who uses his cutlass to clear the way, twelve boys and a little young girl journeyed into the woods for games.

Each of Them, except the elder, they all held slingshot in their hands and a little bag made from hide hung around their chest, following the elderly man loyally but like a monkey.

You must be thinking what this little girl is doing here? Among twelve boys and a fully grown man? While not among her pairs?

She's one of a kind.

Well, my answer is; I would rather be with the Twelve.... no Thirteen men than being naked in the river and being made fun off for having undergrowth breasts or bottom by my said pairs. It is embarrassing and it is a waste of time.

After reaching the innermost depth of the forest, Baba Olọdẹ told us to lay still under the green grass like a serpent Laying ambush for its prey.

We were arranged accordingly....I don't know how but I ended up lying beside that human. He gave me a smile and whispered softly " Ka ro"

As if he didn't see me before! Nonsense!!

I just ignored him and concentrated on the prey for today.

It was a beautiful antelope whose skin is said to give a pregnant woman a very beautiful child if she lies on it during pregnancy.

It is so beautiful behold comprehension.

It was busy drinking water from the river, letting it's guard down not knowing what is yet to come for it.

Baba Olọdẹ brought out his local gun heavily loaded with gun powder and signalled us to stay low and be quiet.

Then he brought out a charm that looked like a horn and blowed it's tip which made no sound..... just a silent sound evoking Ase. Immediately, the antelope fell down to the ground with it's legs shaking as it cooed.

With that, Baba Olọdẹ aimed his gun at it and shot twice without missing leaving his children speechless with mouth hanging and wide eyes.

"Awọn ọmọ mi o ri iyẹn? ( My children did you see that?)" He asked us with his gun carefully Hung across his chest and a little smile on his serious face.

" Beeni ati ri" We all replied simultaneously.

"Lẹhinna o jẹ akoko rẹ lati sode ( Then its your turn to hunt)" The smile expanded to every corner of his face.

" A ti ṣetan (We are prepared)"

"O dara (Good)" He began to group us in two and what each group should hunt.

And then it came:

" Sonya ati Ekun nla yoo dọdẹ ògá meji fun mi (Sonya ati Ekun nla will hunt two ògá for me)"

that Ekun nla is me...Why me....

I gave Baba Olọdẹ a puppy look to group me with another person but.... Baba Olọdẹ did something...he just pat my head and gave me an heads up before going to pack the dead antelope inside his sack.

Why me???