Chapter 66
"I really haven't given it much thought yet." Vincent managed to say. "I could be busy at the church."
"Well, as Princess of this land, I order you to drop every other activity on that day and be there with me. You are handsome and I'll like to show you off a bit to the visitors from the other villages.
"Urm... I don't think that will be necessary. It might only send off a wrong idea to the folks."
"Let me the judge of what's wrong and what's right, priest. Be there." Kikelomo insisted, refusing to take no for an answer.
"Very well then..." Vincent slowly backed away from her, acknowledged her with a nod and walked away to join his colleagues who had already walked a great distance from the spot the princess was sitting. As Kikelomo watched the priest go, her friends returned to surround her with their eyes also fixed on Vincent.
"You seem to fancy this one." Ifede said.
"Yes, you stare at him the way you have never stared at any man before..." Said Abisola, "What's so special about him?"
Kikelomo smiled sweetly but with a partial slyness. "That's the man that is going to sit on my father's throne."
"What!" Ronke gasped. "A total stranger on the throne? Your father would never allow that."
Kikelomo turned a mean look on Ronke. "Don't forget that even though my father still sits on that throne, he doesn't run the kingdom anymore! He does my bidding and that means he will grant me my heart desires!"
"What about the chiefs? They won't allow it!" Fisayo stated.
"I'm less concerned about those old perverts; I trust that you four can handle everyone who tries to stop me!" Then she stopped talking and turned to look behind her in the bush and just then, the viper crawled out from the bush, around the rock and wrapped itself around her left leg until it had crawled up her legs and then settled down on her lap in thick coils, it's scale glimmering in the sun. "It has grown bigger than I remember." Kikelomo said, slowly stroking the snake's head with her fingers.
"The time to renew your powers is almost due, Kike." Ronke reminded her.
"I know..." Kike replied, blankly staring at the bush across from where she sat as her gaze turned sinister. "I still can't find Ige whenever I want and I've only used my powers so far on great men in high positions. Ige hides like the coward she is so that we don't get the chance to duel. Besides being my only rival in beauty, my grandmother has commanded that I annihilate her...but I still can't find her whenever I want."
"Do you think she'll come to the festival?" Ifede asked. "She ought to be there."
"She has never attended any before, I don't think that she'll want to now." Fisayo said to Ifede.
"I do hope she does..." Kikelomo said with a sinister smile. "And if she does, we'll be waiting to ambush her and put her end to her miserable life..." Then she stared down at the viper and said to it, "Go to Grandma and tell her that I need to renew my powers. And after doing that, I want you to keep an eye on the two other priests... I feel that they might pose a problem between I and the man I fancy and I will not tolerate hindrances of any sort... Go...instill fear in them..." Hissing and flickering its forked tongue, the snake uncoiled, slithered up her arm and went around her shoulder, took a small curve, slithered down her back, down the rock and then disappeared into the bush.
★★★
"Father, you sent for us." Paul said as they approached the parish priest who was sitting in the church with his Bible open on his laps.
"Yes, please, sit down." The Parish priest gestured down at the front pew and the priests sat down. "I believe you all are already enjoying your stay here." He asked, glancing from one face to the other.
"Besides the language barrier, I'm good. Most of them do not speak nor understand English." Gideon answered.
"Well, my own problem is the lack of network coverage, electricity and pipe-borne water. I have been drinking untreated water from a calabash which was obviously gotten from the stream." Paul said. "...though, it tastes nice and it's cold..." He smiled. "As long as I don't get typhoid."
"What about you, Father Vincent?" The Parish priest asked.
"I think I'm already adapting." Vincent answered. "Apart from the fact that it's a very remote place, I'm pretty okay."
"Yes, I've been here for twenty-two years and I've mingled with the people well enough as well as adapting to this place. Now, to the reason why I called you here; I have had very disturbing dreams about you three. Although, the message was not clear but it was not pleasant neither. I've decided that it's best to simply give you some tips which you'll need during your service here besides living a very prayerful life...
Well, there's no denying that the women in this village are very beautiful, but I implore you to stay away from them as best as you can, especially the princess and her friends. I don't know if any of you have noticed anything peculiar about them. That group has caused the deaths and misfortune of a lot of men and it will be very wise not to fall victims to whatever temptation they might bring your way. Avoid them every chance you get for your own safety. We have had to bury a few priests who came here and forgot their purpose; we will not want you to lose any of you too."
"But how do we win these maidens to Christ if you want us to avoid them?" Gideon asked. "Christ never made any exemptions."
The parish priest smiled knowingly. "I understand what you mean father Gideon, but trust me when I say that these exact thoughts were the purpose of the unfortunate priests before they were lured into sexual immorality and met their untimely demise. I understand that our ultimate goal in this village is to convert people from Idol-worshipping to Christ, but believe me when I say that it's advisable not to play the hero in this case. I don't know what kind of demon those particular maidens have sold their souls to but they radiate nothing but evil. If you truly love your lives, you had best stay away from them."
"What about me?" Vincent asked. "What do I do when the princess herself has invited me to sit next to her at the New Yam Festival? How can I turn her down without seeming rude, because from what I've gathered, she seemed to be determined to get whatever she wants."
The Parish priest nodded. "Yes, the princess doesn't take no for an answer. I'll advise that you do as she has requested, but do not for any reason follow her to a secluded place or drink or eat anything from her. Be watchful."
Paul sighed now. "Well, we have heard all you have to say, father and we assure you that we will try our possible best to adhere to your advice. Thank you, father." They all rose.
The parish priest rose with them too. "May the good Lord be with you all." He did the sign of the cross in the air and they followed suit before taking their leave while the priest sat down again to continue reading the bible.
★★★
Four Nights Later...
Vincent made up his mind that after he prayed, instead of sleeping off, he was just going to pretend to be asleep. He needed to know if his dreams were real or he was only hallucinating about someone sneaking into his room. He had woken up to always find the wet footprints on his floor and it was beginning to bother him very much, even though he was yet to really tell anyone about it.
Earlier that day, he had taken a walk through the bush at the back of the house to the stream and had had the feeling that he was being watched and followed. But anytime he had turned, he had seen no one but that feeling remained with him until he returned home.
Now, that it was night, he had a feeling that whoever came into his room in the dead of the night, would surely come again. Laying down on his bed, he pulled his blanket up to his stomach since the night was a bit cold. After staring at the bright moon for several minutes, he slowly closed his eyes and waited, breathing evenly as if he was sleeping, and it didn't take long before Ewatomi appeared in sight.
She quietly climbed into the room through the open window and looked around to be sure that he was alone. She stared at Vincent for a moment and when she was certain that he was asleep, she stealthily approached his bed, bent down and peered into Vincent's face; somehow, she was sniffing him and taking in his scent so that it would be useful to her later.
As she continued sniffing him, Vincent suddenly flung his eyes open and locked gazes with her, and Ewatomi suddenly gasped, startled. Immediately, she tore away from him and fell on her buttocks after being caught unawares of the fact that he was not asleep.
As she scrambled to her feet and turned in a bid to flee, Vincent was also quick; he sprang into a sitting position and caught her by the wrist, stopping her as she made for the door, but she pulled her arm with all her might and he lost his grip on her.
Determined not to easily let this intruding nightcrawler get away, he threw himself on the floor, slid forward and slammed the door shut with his shoulder. Realizing that the visible escape route had been blocked, Ewatomi took a sharp turn towards the window and Vincent sprang to his feet and went after her.
He knocked her to the floor and landed on her, trying to pin her down and see her face but her mass of black hair, obstructed the full view of her face. Just then, she swung her head upward, butting him on the face with her forehead and he instantly rolled away from her, letting her go as he grimaced in pain, his hand on his face.
Seizing the opportunity, Ewatomi jumped to her feet and ran to the window. As she sprang through the window, Vincent rushed towards it and shot out his hand to catch her, scared that she might fall to her death but he only succeeded in pulling off her bracelet off her wrist before she leaped down the building and he fell backward from the tug.
By the time he rushed to the window to look out, she was gone. Wondering how she had not broken her legs from jumping from such a height, he stared out towards the bush, knowing that, that was the only route she would have taken. He stared down at the object in his hand which had come off her wrist and his eyes widened in shock- it was his bracelet!
How was this possible and how had his bracelet gotten all the way from the East to the West? He wondered. Much to his dismay, he realized that despite all his efforts, he had also not seen this creeper's face because her long mass of hair had obscured it, but one thing was obvious about her, she was clothed in white and he was going to find her, as long as she remained in the village.
★★★
New Yam Festival Day...
As the day of the New Yam Festival arrived, Babatunde and the other two priests sauntered towards Vincent's house and found him locking the front door.
"Father!" Babatunde called and Vincent turned to look at him over his shoulder as he finished locking the door. The distant beatings of drums could be heard from the village square and the atmosphere seemed to be filled with joy and celebration. Babatunde was traditionally dressed in one of his best outfits and he adjusted his dog-ears cap as he drew closer to the priest who turned to look at him now.
"Good morning, Babatunde!" Vincent cheerfully greeted the man. "Good morning, fathers." He acknowledged his fellow priests who returned his greeting.
"Are you set?" Paul asked. Like Vincent, they were dressed in their new cassocks.
"Yes, I'm." Vincent answered, slipping his key into his pocket.
"Trust me, you all shall enjoy this festival..." Babatunde promised. "A lot of wonderful activities will take place. People from neighboring villages will be in attendance. This is just one of the festivals many people look forward to. I assure you that it will be a wonderful experience for you and the others."
"Is your daughter going to be there?" Gideon asked. "We should at least get to see her for once."
"I know not. She has never attended." He replied. "This year might not be an exception."
"Well, we will just fill our eyes with the other maidens then. They are surely a sight for sore eyes." Paul said.
"Erm... Has any of you experienced any maiden sneaking into your apartments at night?" Vincent asked Gideon and Paul.
"No." Paul replied. "Maybe I'd have felt better if it were so. It's way better than what has been happening to both of us lately."
"What?" Vincent and Babatunde asked in unison.
"We have been seeing this particular snake crawling outside our apartments lately. It appears to occasionally lurk around the environment. One day, I got so fed up with such a venomous creature being so comfortable in the environment that I had to tell a youth to kill it, but he blatantly refused. He claimed that the princess had declared that no snake was to be killed in the village anymore?"
"Why?" Vincent asked, surprised.
Babatunde cleared his throat now and said, "On several occasions, I've seen her conversing with that reptile as if it were human... The people are of the belief that she has sold her soul to the snake goddess in exchange for powers. Her great-great-grandmother was an infamous witch too who served the same goddess. Rumor has it that she's still alive somewhere." Babatunde explained.
"Well, fathers, do not let what's happening in this village scare you. With time you'll get used to them. Just go about your businesses and pretend that you do not notice all these happenings, but please, remain prayerful. So far, it repels the evil forces in this village..." He adjusted the cap on his head and checked his outfit again. "That said, let's be on our way. We don't want to miss all the fun." He turned to lead the way and the two priests followed him. Vincent paused, pulled the bracelet which he had taken from Ewatomi, out of his pocket, stared at it for a few seconds then returned it into his pocket and followed the others.