Chapter 39

Ewatomi burst into laughter now. Serves them all right for being so mean to her. She thought. Just as she was still enjoying her victory, she suddenly froze when she felt a presence. 

Snapping her fingers in the air, the ants suddenly regrouped, changed their direction, and in thick lines of three, they marched into the nearby bush and soon, a man jumped out of the bush, scratching his body and hopping around to avoid the black ants. When he succeeded in getting all the ants off his legs, he turned to look at Ewatomi.

"What did you do that for?" He asked.

"Why do you keep stalking me?" Ewatomi retorted. "Are you not ashamed of yourself?! What is it you want that you keep following a little girl around?! Don't you have better things to do?!"

"You and I know that you are no little girl. You are the heiress of Osun and I know it! I saw you six years ago when you emerged from the river, remember?" Oyediran stated.

"What does it matter?! I forbid you to divulge my secret to anyone! Only my earthly mother truly knows my identity so keep your mouth shut and go your way!" Ewatomi snapped.

"I've no intention of divulging your secret to anyone."

"Then what do you want? Why do you keep following me around?! If you keep at it, I'll send bees after you!" She warned.

"The right question is who am I." Oyediran said, undaunted by the little girl's threat.

"Why should I concern myself with who you are?" Ewatomi asked with a sneer. "You are bothering me! If there were a coconut tree here, I'd have dropped a large coconut on your head. Go and mingle with your mates!"

"Unfortunately, I do not enjoy the company of men. I'm a lone man. Anyway, I can see that you are still very feisty like the time we met but I'll still introduce myself to you since you didn't give me the chance to do it seven years ago. My name is Oyediran and I'm a hunter."

"A hunter who obviously has a death wish." Ewatomi said.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Why were you at the river on a sacred day?" Ewatomi asked. "You broke the law of the land. That day was reserved for the spirits and gods alone, yet you were with your stupid dog at the river bank."

"Well, I'll do well to inform you that I'm no ordinary man, myself. I'm a seer. I had a vision that day that I would meet a water child and that was while I was at the river that day. Though I didn't exactly know which part of the bank you would emerge and that was why I went with my hunting dog and it sniffed you out and led me to you." He explained.

"So? What do you want? Gold? You want me to bless you or what?"

"I don't need any of those, Ewatomi. I've seen most parts of your future but some parts are still obscured. But one thing I know for sure is that you tread dangerous grounds. There's an old unsettled feud between your grandmother and her stepsister. Perhaps, that's why the little princess despises you so much?"

"And do I look bothered?" Ewatomi asked nonchalantly. "Let the older women settle their dispute. I on the other hand just can't wait to get out of this realm...twenty-five years is taking too long to come!" She hissed in frustration.

"But have you considered that your weakness might be your own folly?" He asked.

Ewatomi scoffed. "After Osun, I'm the strongest in my realm, so you're mistaken, I don't have a weakness, Oyediran!"

"That's what you think. You only need eighteen more years to discover that you do actually have a weakness and that's why I'm volunteering myself to be your mentor, guardian and chaperon." He said.

"Now, enough talk, baba! You are bothering me. All I need is some peace and quiet and I'm not going to get it with you around...off with you or I shall summon the ants and set them on you again!"

"But you know that you can't keep tormenting the children forever if they continue to refuse to play with you." Oyediran stated. "I think you should just accept the fact that you are different and almost all the villagers fear you. Why not find something else to keep you busy? I could teach you a lot of things. I have scoured the forest for years that I know every plant and tree by name and their uses. I could teach you to read mother nature and read the weather too. I could also teach you to hunt if your interest heightens. When you become so busy with all this, playing with the other children will be the least thing on your mind." He assured her.

"Isn't all that too much for a six-year-old?" She asked with a pout.

Oyediran smiled. "Like you said, you are not a child...you are just trapped in this body."

"I'm not promising anything but I'll think about it, but STOP STALKING ME!" She stated, turned into a butterfly and fluttered her wings.

"Amazing! You also shapeshift!" Oyediran said in awe, then added aloud as she started to fly away towards her house. "Beware of the lizards and birds or they'll make lunch out of you!"

                                                                                     ★★★

Monday came and after Oluchi dressed up her son, she also dressed up, tied her scarf, grabbed her bible, rosary and purse then together, hand in hand, they walked to the church. When they reached the church, they saw Father Thomas discussing with an older couple. Oluchi pulled her son into a pew and sat down to wait for the priest to finish. After father Thomas was done with the couple and they left, he approached the pew, smiling at the Oluchi with mischief in his eyes.

"Good morning, father." Oluchi greeted solemnly, keeping a straight face.

"You are late." Father Thomas said then glanced at his wristwatch. "In fact, more than an hour late."

"I had some chores to do." Oluchi grumbled.

"Anyway, you are forgiven." Father Thomas said with a sigh. "What matters is that you are here now." Then he glanced down at Vincent. "Why is he here? You are supposed to come alone."

"He's just nine, father." Oluchi stated. "I can't leave him all by himself at home. My husband has gone out."

Father Thomas sighed again then said, "Anyway, no problem...we will do it in my office. Your son can wait here while we pray together, he'll be safe."

Oluchi frowned now. "Why can't he come with us?"

"Because he might distract us...besides, deliverance is not something children should be present at."

"He won't distract us. My son is very quiet and obedient." Oluchi stated.

"I still insist that he stays here, sister Oluchi. Besides, we wouldn't want the spirit moving from you into him... performing deliverance on a child is very difficult."

"And I'll say it again, I do not have a spirit husband!" Oluchi gritted.

Father Thomas smiled. "You are quite stubborn, aren't you? Now I understand why your husband flogs you like a child."

Oluchi glared at him but said nothing.

"Make up your mind, I'll be waiting in the office." Father Thomas said, turned and left.

Oluchi turned to her son now and asked. "Can you be all by yourself?"

Vincent nodded. He hardly ever spoke.

"Don't go anywhere with anyone, okay? I'll be back soon." Oluchi told him. Vincent nodded again and Oluchi got up and left. When she got to father Thomas, she knocked on the door and entered the office after she heard him admit her in. She found him sitting on the sofa away from his desk.

"Lock the door behind you." He told her.

She gave him a confused frown, glanced at the door and then back at the priest. "Lock the door?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Her frown deepened.

"I don't want anyone walking in on us."

"Can't we just do this deliverance in the open? Must we do it in your office?" Oluchi complained now.

"And are you the one to decide where the deliverance should take place?" Father Thomas asked in slight irritation, got up, walked past her and turned the key in the lock.

She turned to face him now. "Can we just start so that I can go home? I've to go prepare lunch for my husband before he returns."

"Why the hurry?" He asked with a sly smile as he pulled closer to her. "Now, that we finally have all the privacy we have, you want to run back home? Besides, your husband can handle an empty stomach since he knows who you are with. He practically worships the ground I walk on." He said cockily.

Oluchi began to slowly edge backward away from him till the desk blocked her from going any further. "I don't like this look on your face, father Thomas."

"You don't?" He asked with a leer as he cornered her against the desk. "I'm more concerned about the look I intend to put on your face very soon."

Oluchi stared at him in disgust. "Do you realize that I'm a married woman?!" She spat.