Images of my family flashed through my mind; Kemi, Dotan, and Mama. I was sure they would support me to volunteer. I remembered the bird with a human face and the afternoon turning dark. There was only one way the common man without an army can survive. We must restore magic. I knew what to do.
Chapter Seven
People were restless, discussing among themselves and trying to manage the heat from the sun, which was becoming unbearable. We were literally baking in the sun.
The distraction came in the form of the camels we had seen earlier. Envoys made their way to the front of the platform with the camels laden with gifts from Qtari close to where we stood. Sculptures, colorful fabrics, jewels, ostrich feathers, spices, exotic animals, and a lot more were offloaded from the camels.
King Kenzi got up and thanked the emissaries for the gifts and for taking care of the princess over the years. Once the last camel was driven away, King Kenzi became solemn again. He raised his hand, and the murmurings died down. “The gods have spoken. Prince Segun acting on Princess Bonetta’s behalf, with volunteers, will search the kingdom to retrieve the stones. The life of the prince depends on this.” He turned around and walked into the palace.
A woman dressed in black with a black veil over her head walked over to the princess, put her hands over her shoulder, and led the distraught princess away. I watched them disappear into the palace through the main entrance.
Soldiers formed a wall around us, and we marched towards the right side of the palace. As we moved with the soldiers, the crowd dispersed, some looking at us with sorrow.
The palace was massive. They said it housed the royal family, the military offices, and the sleeping quarters for soldiers. The place they put us in looked like the military section, with soldiers everywhere.
They put us in a large room that looked like a classroom, with a chalkboard in front and desks with chairs.
“Sit down,” said an older soldier with gray hair, a bushy white mustache, and an eyeglass over one eye. His broad chest boasted different colors of ribbons and medals. He waved us towards the desks.
We all grabbed a chair. Every village had produced two people, it seemed, except Nuso. I counted twenty-three children, including myself. There was no incident like we had at Nuso where the two kids came from the same family.
“As you heard a few minutes ago,” continued the soldier, “your lives depend on finding the twelve Eternity stones. The bad news is nobody knows where to start.”
He paused and looked at us, maybe expecting somebody to say something, but nobody did.
“We’ll need volunteers. Anybody under fifteen years of age cannot volunteer and will go to the temple to work with the priest and pray for us all.”
“No,” said Kamara in a shaky voice.
“What was that?” asked the old soldier, looking up from a paper in his hand.
Nobody said a word. He grunted and continued, and I looked around and tried to guess who amongst us were fifteen and above.
The door to the room opened, and Prince Segun strutted in with Bayo, an air of importance around him. The vulnerable scared look he had on the platform was gone. His eyes swept through us.
I wanted to say thank you for volunteering to help his sister and us. But, before I could muster the courage, he addressed us.
“We all know why we are here,” said Prince Segun. “We don’t know what the outcome will be. But, to have a fighting chance, everyone going on this expedition must get military training. Yes, it is an expedition. I’ve also tracked animals in faraway places like the Serengeti, where patience is the difference between life and death. In one instance, we had to wait for two hours for a herd of wildebeest to pass a pathway we would take.”
There was total silence. Nobody moved.
Segun continued. “I’ve traveled all around the continent creating maps and have the skill to survive outdoors and manage a group of people. We need people mature enough to follow orders and physically developed to handle heavy lifting and long treks.”
Prince Segun nodded at the soldier that had been speaking to us earlier.
“You, you-you…” The soldier pointed at a few of us. “Please stand over by that corner.”
It was obvious what he was doing, removing kids that looked small. I thought it was a good idea. If Kemi were here, I would be happier if she was excluded. The soldier pointed at Kamara; she got up and joined the new group. By the time he finished, fourteen of us looked old enough.
“I need volunteers,” said Prince Segun. “But, before you volunteer, I want you to know you will not be victimized in any way if you do not volunteer. The task might be dangerous, you might get injured, we might be unsuccessful, or you just might not make it back—”
I jumped to my feet. All around me chairs scraped on the floor. I saw a few people get up.
Prince Segun smiled. “Ten volunteers; more than I expected. Thank you very much. We are all in this together.”
I turned and looked. There were two other girls and seven boys. The ones who remained sitting were all looking down at their feet.
“For those who are not coming,” continued Prince Segun, “we’ll need prayers; lots to succeed. Pray for us while you are at the temple.”
Prince Segun and Bayo walked away. The only time he looked at me was when I got up. He didn’t look at me again. It was like we’d never met. I said goodbye to Kamara.
“Promise me you’ll bring back the stones and restore magic,” said Kamara.
I smiled. “You remind me of my younger sister Kemi, she’s about your age. You both want the same thing. I promise I’ll do my best.”
“Time to go,” said a guard.
Kamara hugged me. “Bye, Nuju, and take care of yourself. You saved my life. Thank you.”
“You take care, too.” I watched her leave the room with the rest of the under-aged kids and those who didn’t volunteer.
Chapter Eight
The rest of the volunteers and I marched towards the section of the palace earmarked for dignitaries and guests. The soldier that took us said that Prince Segun had requested that we were housed and cared for as guests of the king. I didn’t know what that meant, but all I wanted to do was collapse on a bed and get a well-deserved rest.
We were each assigned an apartment in the palace.
“Where are the rest of the people living here?” I asked the servant that brought me up.
“It’s for you alone, the rest of the participants have their own apartments.” I marveled at the size of the bed. The bed alone would have filled up our hut.
I’d never slept alone in a room, unless you count when I’m out hunting and it gets late and I spend the night up in a tree. I remembered those nights with a lot of trepidation. But, here I was, with a room to myself and no panthers, army ants, or boa constrictors as potential roommates.
Beside the bed was a dining table with four chairs. The walls had portraits of the royal family members and tapestries with images of gardens and awesome sunsets. A door led into a bathroom with a bath and toilet. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and for a second I thought I was looking at someone else.
“Now you have a new lease on life,” I whispered to my reflection. “Use it well.” A chill ran down my spine as I remembered how close I’d come to having my head in a basket.
Suddenly the events of the whole day came crashing down on my head and I felt tired. I moved towards the bed and climbed onto it. My body sank in. The clean sheets smelled of lemon and lavender, and I closed my eyes.
I’d hoped to fall asleep and lose myself in a dream world, but sleep wouldn’t come. I tossed and turned and tried to find a suitable position. The room was a welcome relief to the heat while we were outside. I was exhausted, yet I couldn’t sleep. Maybe I should step out and run around so I would be physically exhausted as well as mentally and emotionally exhausted. I opened the door, and to my surprise two guards stood outside my door. Was I still a prisoner? I shut the door and locked it.
Something else so simple occurred to me that I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it before. I put that new plan in motion, and within minutes I felt the tug of sleep on my eyelids.
Chapter Nine
My body rocked from side to side, followed by several taps on my shoulder. This journey is taking too long. Wait a minute, we were already at Ode. My eyes flew open, and a girl with eyebrows narrowed loomed over me. I shoved her hard and jumped to my feet. How did she get in? I was sure I’d locked the door the night before.
Pulse racing and two fists in the air, I asked the questions. “How did you get in?”
Eyes wide, the girl stared at me. “I… I have a key.” She dug into the pocket of a white apron worn over a black dashiki and held something up.
“See!” said the girl. Her hands shook so much that I barely made out what she held up.
“Who are you?”
“I’m… I’m Enitan, your maid–in-waiting. Princess Bonetta sent me.”
“Maid?” I chuckled. This must be a joke. “I don’t need a maid.” I looked at her, still on the floor, supporting herself on her palms. She’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail, showing her spotless and well made-up face. She was beautiful. She didn’t look like a maid. “I’m so sorry.” I extended my hand. She grabbed it, and I pulled her up.
Enitan adjusted her outfit and stood straight. She was taller than I was. “It’s alright. My fault. I came in unannounced. You must be Lady Nuju—”
“Please, I’m no lady, just Nuju.”
“Okay, La… Nuju, why were you sleeping on the floor?”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I looked at her and looked away. I ran my hands through my braids as I thought of what to say. If I will survive, I’d better learn how they do things here. The best way would be to gain someone’s confidence by telling the truth and not burdening myself with maintaining a lie.
“The mattress… didn't work for my back,” I said.
Enitan looked at me and tapped a finger on her lips. “Comfort comes first. But, you must adjust; you’re in the Ode now. It’s my duty to bathe you, make sure you’re well-groomed and dressed daily.”
“But I can bath and dress myself,” I protested. “In fact, I’ve been doing it for a long time without any assistance.”
“That’s fine, but I have my orders.”
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” said Enitan.
The door opened, and two girls walked in. Both had plaited hair, their complexion a lighter shade of brown than mine. They were probably about my age or slightly older. They wore bubas with an apron in front.
Enitan waved them in and turned to me. “You’ll be attending the royal court; anything can happen. Like I said, it’s my duty to make sure you appear your best.”
“What else could happen?” I asked as the two girls walked in, each with a jug of water with steam rising from the top.
“Well, there are always noble men around in the king’s palace,” said Enitan. “You could get snagged.”
I frowned. “Snagged? Like, getting caught in a trap?”
The two new arrivals giggled.
“No!” said Ronke exasperated. “Well, you might find a husband among the Oloyes.”
My mouth dropped open. What in the Nuso and Ode is she talking about? Didn’t she see the commotion outside yesterday when we arrived? I could have been dead by now; the last thing on my mind was thinking about a husband. Unless there’s something new I would learn from going to the court to help me survive, it made little sense to go.
Enitan placed her hand on my shoulder. “Come on, let's prepare you. Into the bathroom, please.”
“But I’m not looking for a husband,” I said.
The two girls giggled again, and Ronke introduced them as Bisi and Ronke. They looked alike, but Bisi was the taller one. As long as I saw them together, I could tell who was who.
“Bisi and Ronke will scrub you down in the tub,” said Ronke.
“No way, I can bath myself, thank you.”
“Maybe you can, but that’s my job,” said Enitan. “If you don’t let us take care of you, that means we’re not doing our jobs.”
“What about the other nine volunteers; do they all have someone at their beck and call?”
Enitan nodded and jerked her head towards the bathroom. The girls went in, and I heard water as they filled the tub. I’d refused to take off my clothes in front of them without a screen. I wasn’t used to that. They told me they would get punished if I did not seem well prepared when I showed up at court. I wasn’t going to let anyone get punished on my behalf.
I knew I had to comply to survive. Alienating people here to help me wouldn’t earn me any points. I swallowed what was left of my dignity and complied.
Enitan spread out a dashiki dress and pants on the bed. “This should fit. We’ll measure you so the next ones will be perfect.”
The embroidery was a vibrant and colorful combination of yellow, blue, and red that complimented the purple of the glossy material. It looked too sophisticated for me. I would wear it just to appease Enitan and not get the girls punished.
“We will apply some lotion on you,” said Ronke.
She had a deep voice, which surprised me each time she spoke.
“Can I smell it?” I said and reached for the jar.
Enitan and Bisi watched as Ronke handed me the jar. I removed the lid and took one whiff. “What is that?” I screwed up my nose. It was pungent.
“It’s a skin lightening lotion,” said Ronke. “You’re too dark. This will lighten you up and make you more… more acceptable.”
“People here in Ode judge others, especially the women, by the color of their skin,” said Enitan. “If you are copper-skinned like the princess, people won’t prejudge you. They’ll accept you as one of them.”
“No! Keep that away from me.” I tried to control the rage boiling inside me and not lash out at them. I looked at the girls and noticed the telltale signs of lightening cream use; dark elbows, knuckles, toes, and knees.
Enitan rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air again. “Must everything be a challenge with you? So, what are you going to use?” She pointed at the bag with a collection of jars. “Pick something. Anything.”
I knew she was angry, but I wasn’t going to change my looks for anybody. I didn’t know which cream was what because I never paid attention. Mama always provided a lotion the whole family used. But I wasn’t going to be dragged into changing my skin color. I rummaged through the bag, poking, prodding, and rubbing until I found something familiar. “Here.” I pushed it at Enitan.
“Shea butter?”
I nodded.
“Alright, we’ll use it, if that’s what you want,” said Bisi.
On hunting trips with Baba, sometimes he would say things I didn’t understand. It would seem like he was trying to tell me something in riddles. One of them came to mind now. People can enslave you by force and intimidation, but when you try to transform to be accepted, you lose your identity and your dignity and are still rejected.
“You look gorgeous,” said Enitan after they’d applied the lotion on me, made up my face, and helped me into the new outfit.
“Thank you,” I said. It was the right thing to do. But, deep down, I wasn’t happy. Was it a wise thing to refuse the cream? Perhaps I should have just let them put it on me, then bathed again later. But that would be a pretense.
Bisi and Ronke left the room after they dressed me. At Nuso, I took minutes to get dressed, but this morning, it took almost an hour. I wondered if someone had dressed the other volunteers. I stepped out of the door, and the guards gaped.
“Where are we going?” I asked. I would very much have preferred to get out of this and into my old clothes.
“To see the king. Didn’t I tell you that before?”
My breath caught. “I thought you were joking.”
Chapter Ten
Enitan and I walked up and down a dizzying
number of stairs. The number of footsteps we’d walked inside the building would have gotten me from my house to the market in Nuso.
We continued walking in the palace and up a flight of stairs to a hallway that looked different from the others. Sunlight streaming in through the many high windows on the wall kept it well lit. Our shoes made soft tapping sounds on the polished marble floor. It was just beautiful.
Enitan looked at me and smiled a knowing smile. “We’re now in the palace's section that houses the royal family. Gorgeous, isn’t it?”
It was beautiful, better than anything I’d ever seen or imagined. We walked down a long hallway and passed armed guards standing at intervals. We approached a large door with the crossed spears and shield crest of the king covering the door handle. Six soldiers, three on each side, stood guard at the door.
“We will enter the king’s presence,” said Enitan in a whisper. Her eyes swept over me. She brushed something off my shoulder. “Do not speak unless spoken to. Answer only direct questions. Do not volunteer information.”
I nodded. I wanted to ask Enitan why I was meeting with the king, but my mouth was dry, my heart hammering in my chest like the drums from yesterday.
“Stop nodding your head like a lizard. Act natural, do what I do, and you’ll be fine.”
Easy for her to say; she lives here. This was the man that had a hand in my father’s death. My pulse raced. What does he want from me?
“Let’s go,” said Enitan. She raised her chin, took three deep breaths, and her nervousness disappeared. Her face became calm, like an invisible shield had descended from the top of her head and made everything relax. Before I could imitate her, she nodded at the guards, and they yanked the door open.
We walked straight to where the king sat on his throne. Enitan curtsied, and I did the same. I almost didn’t get up, my legs still stiff from the journey, all the standing while being dressed, and the marathon walk.
Betrayed Page 3
