Chapter 63

"It was such a hilarious moment to see the mother goat sneaking fearful glances up at Ebunoluwa as the kid hungrily sucked at her teats and drank to its satisfaction. Even if Ebunoluwa is away from the house, the cane magically lashed at the mother anytime it refused the kid some milk... but that was so many years ago..."

The priests exchanged confused glances and Vincent adjusted his glasses and tentatively asked, "Are you saying that your daughter can communicate with animals?"

"Yes, and even more. She can do a lot of things ordinary humans can't." Babatunde answered.

"Don't you think she's possessed?" Gideon asked now with a slight frown.

"Possessed?" Babatunde shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Ebun has always been an extraordinary child right from birth. She crawled and spoke on the first day she was born." Babatunde said and the priests exchanged surprised glances, their eyes, wide. "My wife believes that she's a gift from Osun."

"Osun? Who's Osun?" Paul curiously asked.

"You have never heard of her?" Babatunde glanced from one priest to the other in surprise and when they all shook their heads, he explained, "She's our river goddess. She's the goddess of love, fertility and beauty. She has blessed a lot of people with flourishing crops and children."

"Children come from only God." Gideon stated.

"I know that quite alright; I've read my Bible, but there's no denying that Osun has blessed some barren women with children even before Christianity came into the village."

"I think you should bring your daughter to the church for deliverance." Gideon said, still as convinced as Paul that Babatunde's daughter is surely possessed.

"So, let's just say that this daughter of yours is an ogbanje (children regarded to come from river goddesses); and judging from what I've heard about their kind and their unique beauty, is your daughter very beautiful?" Gideon asked.

"Ah, yes, she's is!" Babatunde said proudly. "I don't mean to brag, but Ebun is the most beautiful maiden in the four kingdoms. There's no maiden alive that can compete with her grace and beauty."

Gideon exchanged looks with the two priests and smiled but Vincent did not smile back, he was ruminating on Babatunde's words. "We should probably go to your house first and convert her to Christianity." He politely suggested.

"Like I said, father, you won't find her. She has been gone for four days and won't return until she feels that her mother needs some firewood or some bush meat. I forgot to add that she hunts too."

"Well, that's one kind of a maiden!" Paul muttered, a bit impressed.

"She is." Babatunde agreed.

Vincent who had looked out of the window of the old truck to take a picture of a big centipede on the bark of a tree, craned his neck and looked ahead of the truck. "It seems that we are almost at the village... I can hear voices." Then he asked the old man, "Where do we go first?"

"The king's palace. Tradition states that every stranger must first be taken to see the king before being allowed to mix with the people." Babatunde answered. "So do not worry, the Parish priest is already there waiting for you all."

"Alright." Vincent said

"After that, we are to walk on foot to the church...we have also made it a tradition that we take you through the busy market so that most of the villagers can see you. Luckily, today is the market day; so, be expecting a lot of doting and crop gifts from them... This village is also popular for its fish! You can find the biggest catfish in Nigeria, here."

"Well, I look forward to eating a lot of fish pepper soup then." Gideon said with a hopeful smile.

"My wife prepares one of the best that there is in the village." Babatunde glanced outside the window and announced, "We are almost at the palace now...thankfully, it has also stopped drizzling. The dark clouds are receding and the evening sun will appear soon when the coast is clear." 

A few minutes later, they reached the palace and the four of them got down from the truck to meet the Kabiyesi and the Parish priest who were already awaiting their arrival. Babatunde taught them how to prostrate and pay reverence to the king who welcomed them warmly. 

As the King and Queen asked them questions about their journey, Kikelomo who had grown very beautiful with an hourglass figure sauntered past the front of the throne-room and paused to look at the visitors and as if sensing her presence, the priests turned their heads to look at her, Gideon swallowed hard while Paul secretly wet his lips as they amorously stared at her. 

But her eyes were not on them, they were fixed on Vincent who was rather indifferent towards her. Before the Kabiyesi could make introductions, Kikelomo, without uttering a word, continued to where she was going and the eyes of the other priests followed her until she was out of view.

After exchanging pleasantries with the villagers, the king ordered Babatunde to take the priest through the market and he obeyed, bowing his head to the king after removing his cap. He got up and took the priests with them. By the time they started walking, children began to curiously follow them, admiring their cassocks. 

When they got to the marriage, the traders began to sing a welcome song for them in Yoruba language, clapping their hands. Most women took their hands and pulled them towards their stalls, begging them to taste their garri and other items which was indigenous to them. 

As the crowd thickened around them, a tall lady whose head was concealed with a white veil maneuvered her way through the crowd and the tip of her fingers brushed with Vincent's. Immediately, he shuddered as a wave of something he could decipher jolted up his arm to his chest. Immediately, he turned, looking around and wondering who had touched him. 

"What is wrong?" Paul asked when he noticed him looking around as if searching for someone.

"Someone peculiar touched me?" Vincent answered.

Paul scoffed. "Seriously? You are surrounded by a thick crowd, what do you expect? These people are all over us."

"No, I know what I felt... Somebody very different touched me." Vincent insisted and just then, he looked ahead and saw the figure in white still moving further away. 

He glanced down when a child tugged down at his sleeve and stretched his arms up at him, silently asking to be carried. When Vincent picked up the child and placed him on his hip, he looked towards the direction he had seen the white-veiled figure, but she was gone.

                                                                                      ★★★

Ewatomi sat on a branch of a tree, peeling tangerines when Oyediran approached and stared up at her.

"Were you at the market today?" He asked.

She stared down at him. "Why do you ask?"

"Didn't you hear about the new people who just arrived in the village?"

"Why should I bother myself about strangers? I've got better things to do, grandfather."

"They are missionary priests who have come to convert more of the villagers to follow the sky God like your father."

"Well, I won't have any problem with them if they don't commit any evil in the village or try to oppress the people." She answered as she threw the peels of the tangerine down the tree.

"Something seems to amaze me, Ewatomi. I notice that you do not use your powers just like before. I even saw you climb this tree instead of vanishing and appearing on it like you always do. What changed?" Oyediran asked.

"I'm getting weaker, grandfather. I was exiled to land with twenty percent of my powers, but now, I only have less than five percent. If I exhaust what is left, then I'll be stuck here forever as a human." Ewatomi explained.

"Hmmm...this is not good..." Oyediran held his chin and pensively shook his head. "This is when you need your powers the more. Did you notice that the serpent now fears you less? It keeps coming around, looking for every chance to bite you and you know what will happen if it does. Thoug, I've planted some plants which will repel snakes away but I don't know for how long the viper will stay away but we have to stay alert."

Ewatomi sighed. "I really need to grandmother... If only she'll give me another twenty percent of my powers. At least, twenty-four years on land has taught me to contain my anger. I can handle myself better than before, thanks to you, but I'm almost powerless. Kikelomo and her friends keep wreaking havoc in the community but I can hardly stop them. Her friends still fear me, but the princess grows bolder and bolder by the day. I saw her spiritually strangle a man in the bush who turned down her advances but there was nothing I could do to stop her. I'll be honest with you, Oyediran; there's a great cause to worry, I don't think that I'm still a worthy match for her."

"Do not let her sense your doubt nor smell your uncertainty or she shall become bolder." Oyediran advised. "Nevertheless, I'll teach you what I can, and let's hope that Osun becomes understanding and generous enough to let you have an additional twenty percent."

A short silence ensued now as Ewatomi thought for a moment. Finally, she broke the silence and spoke, "Grandfather?"

"Yes?"

"Is there a god stronger than Osun is?"

Oyediran chuckled. "Yes, there is."

"Which of the gods."

"After careful observation, I think I can boldly say that the god in the sky is."

"You mean my father's god?"

"Of course, child."

"Why do you say so?"

"Because I've seen those men in white say some words to him and a dead villager came back to life. None of the other gods have been able to perform such miracles. The most they do is reincarnation." Oyediran explained. "When a child dies, they bring him or her back as an abiku."

"So does that make the god in the sky more powerful?" She asked.

"I think all other gods pay reverence to him, even though they won't admit it. I also think that the god in the sky is a giant."

Ewatomi smiled shyly now. "Something unusual happened in the market today."

"What?"

"My fingers touched someone."

"It could have been anybody in the crowdy market." Oyediran stated.

"No, grandfather, I felt a connection that I've never felt before. It was magical and I think that it is one of the men in white dresses."

"Did you see his face?" Oyediran asked.

"No... I didn't dare look back but I have a feeling that his eyes followed me."

"Hmmm..." Oyediran thought for a moment then asked. "Do you still have that bead bracelet you found at the stream twelve years ago?"

Ewatomi lifted her arm and shook her wrist. "I never took it off."

"Remember that I told you that whoever had cast that shall come to this village someday?" He asked.

"Yes, you said so."

"I think he's here." Oyediran smiled.

Ewatomi frowned. "Then I should find him and give him back his bracelet. He should count himself lucky that I've kept it all these years."

"I'm sure that he'll be pleased to have it back." Said Oyediran with a sly smile. "He probably now regrets ever getting rid of it in the first place."

"But how do I know which of the men in white is he if I don't know his face?"

"Your instincts will guide you, trust it." Oyediran assured her.

"I hope it's still as sharp as before... I'm losing most of my unique abilities."

"I thought you to be a huntress, use that knowledge of tracking. It will pay off." Said the old man. As he turned to leave, he remembered something and paused. "The New Yam Festival is in two weeks' time, will you attend?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know how much I hate gatherings. I get nervous in the midst of people, besides, that festival pulls a lot of crowds from the four kingdoms."

"More reason why you should be there. You need to make some friends. I'm beginning to worry about your habit of solitude. You are spending too much time in the forest, that you are beginning to act like the animals. I worry for your mental health, Tomi." Oyediran said in concern.

"Worry not... At least, I can't properly shapeshift into animals like I used to. I derive serenity from spending time in the forest. Besides, animals tend to be better companions than humans. Each time I go home, I can't stand my parents. My mother wants me to get married while my father is on my neck about getting the foreign education and also serving the god in the sky. I'd rather stay here where men won't amorously stare at me. Their open lusts repulse me. Animals don't disrespect me that way."

Oyediran laughed, nodding his head in understanding. "Let's hope that you'll continue to prefer the company of animals when your heart starts yearning for the attention you can't have."

"What do you mean?" Ewatomi lifted a brow, asking in confusion.

"Until then, child. Until then..." Oyediran said evasively then gently stroked his long beard. "I need to go dye my hair and beard again before the villagers notice that a man who should look like he's in his late seventies is rather looking like in his early forties. I'm getting weary of keeping this disguise by the way. If only I could make a spell to make me appear physically old." He murmured as he moved away from the tree.

"Do you want some tangerines?" Ewatomi yelled after him.

"No, I'll prefer you go ask your father to spare me some cocoa." Oyediran yelled over his shoulder.

"He might tie me down and force me to church; not going!" Ewatomi answered with a childish pout.

Oyediran laughed. "You will have to still go to see them sooner or later whether you like it or not, Tomi." He said as he entered his hut and Ewatomi heaved a sigh and began to stare down at the bracelet on her wrist as she replayed in her head what had happened in the market with the strange man. 

She began to wonder what he looked like. Is he handsome? Does he have a beard? What is his complexion? Does he have full lips? Does he have thick eyebrows? She loved bushy eyebrows. Is he tall and muscular like the warriors and wrestlers in the village? Can he speak Yoruba language? Can he dance? Does he smell nice like the other men in white and is he gentle like the Parish priest? 

So many questions about the priest’s physical appearance and character that she had no answers to, continued to play in her head and she concluded that the best way to figure the answers to her questions out was to see him first.