“By the way, we have to clear a space between the clearing and the entrance to the first grove. I want us to plant roses and I will bring the cuttings in my next trip.” Ife rose and patted Yeye on the shoulder. “Numen wants us to have roses, Yeye. Lots of roses. Every woman must learn about roses. It is times we have the Rose of Numen here too.”
Ife knew she ought to pay her father’s sister a visit and she was not looking forward to it. She was indifferent to her father’s sisters as she tended to see them as hawks who had taken after their mother in dark practices. The last time she visited she learned that Aunt Rachel had become an Ifa priestess. That was not a bad thing in itself but for her aunt, Ife did not expect any good to come of it.
“Every religion has quacks in it, Ife.” She smiled as she remembered that as one of the scoffing remarks of Tinu. Ife remembered she had intended to see her friend. Tinu had told her that her mother had come out of her strange coma saying little to anyone. Ife sensed that the woman had received a very bad fright.
On this visit you need to see your half- brother too, she reminded herself. With that Ife stood up and told Yeye she would be back for her dinner of green vegetables, oranges, garden eggs and boiled fish.
Chapter Twenty-One
Babatunde stared at the piles of files in front of him and wondered if he would be able to get through them today. He was listless and knew he really didn’t feel much like doing a mundane job. He stood up and walked to the window. He couldn’t see much traffic as his office was in the hospital grounds and all he could see were people moving from one part of the hospital to the other. He turned away.
The past three months had taken its toll on him emotionally. He had stress lines etched sharply across his brow and there was the coiled latent threat of a lion about to spring in his movements. His eyes stared out, calmly shrouded and not giving much away.
There was a brief knock on his door and Yomi walked in. Babatunde gave him a smile. They had become sincere friends and Yomi always visited now; besides, they had a client/lawyer relationship.
They both sat. Yomi dropped a file on the table, crossed his legs, and grinned.
“Adewunmi will like to talk now,” Yomi announced.
Babatunde frowned. “Why should I want to talk to him?”
“I asked him to drop sixty million naira in your account first while we consider his proposal.”
Babatunde growled.
Yomi laughed. “You know the first time you growled I was sure you were not human. Be a good fellow and don’t make such sounds again.”
Babatunde still frowned. “Why did you ask for such an amount? I don’t want a penny from him.”
“I know, but you can give it to charity. We sued him asking for damages remember? Wrongful accusation, attempt to—”
“Is he ready to confess to the police why he paid that money into my account?” Babatunde was angry again.
Yomi tried to placate his friend and looked around while Babatunde had time to regain composure. “You may hate him but a lot of people on planet Earth are like him and you may have to find ways to deal with such scum even if they come dressed in princely garments.”
“A scum is a scum no matter how he is clothed.”
“And a case is a case no matter the type of individual; slow down.”
Babatunde ran his hands through his hair and sighed. He drew the file that Yomi dropped on the table and started to read. He opened a drawer, brought out a letter and handed it over to Yomi. It was a letter from the State Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs asking him to proceed with a fresh nomination of the king elect. The letter instructed him that a representative of the ministry would be asked to attend the selection process this time to ensure fair hearing and adequate due process.
“Is this right?”
Babatunde shrugged. “It is no skin off my nose if the government intends to murder a few more individuals egged on by Adewunmi. I showed the letter to Babamogba, the head of the council. He is agitated.”
Yomi leaned back and gave Babatunde a skeptical look. “There is going to be danger?”
Babatunde nodded, and said, “The selection is severely a very private affair and no one is allowed into the meeting, but if the government insists, there will be dire consequences.”
“Hmmm but why do you have to submit the name of the chosen one to the government? That is the norm and I guess this may be the reason why the government wants to be represented.”
“Civilization will collide with tradition and there usually is a consequence. That is all I am stating.”
“So how are you going to reply?”
“Oh I replied and agreed. You don’t argue with the government and I have no intention of disobeying Ifa. I will simply inform Ifa that he is to receive a visitor he did not ask for. It is for Ifa to say yes or no. That clears me of all responsibility. I am telling you as my lawyer. In fact I am handing over the letter and a copy of my response to you for safe keeping.”
Yomi laughed. “You are being dramatic.”
“No I am not. I am tired of thinking what is best for everyone. I am asking what is best for me from now on.” Babatunde had a determined look on his face.
Yomi put back his head and laughed again. “You should see your face. I thought you said you gave all the princes a simple test.”
“Yes, but that failed. That instruction still stands, that was what Ifa said. The first king will hand over the stone himself. I am as mystified as everybody else.”
Yomi was puzzled. “The first king is dead or em, has joined his ancestors, how does he intend to come back and hand over a stone that represents the will of the people personally? Are you sure you guys got it right?”
“Will you like to join the council?” Babatunde asked. He got up from the table and walked around. Babatunde looked down on Yomi as he explained what was recognized as the will of the people. “You see, according to stories and legends, it is not an ordinary stone because in the right circumstance, the stone becomes reflective like a mirror and the face of the real king is seen in it. In fact, it is the first king himself who hands over the stone to the person he has chosen as the real king.”
“So, why go through all the ceremony you guys did if all along it was just a simple case of inviting the first king to choose his successor?”
“I think it was just to discount people like the wretch who is giving so much hassle right now.”
“Why did you reject his fifteen million?” Yomi asked.
Babatunde smiled thinly. “Looked like I would have to contend with fifteen million problems as it is.”
“Yeah.”
Yomi cocked his head suddenly, then walked to find Tinu at the door staring at them. Babatunde frowned as Tinu came inside the room. “Hello Tinu, hope all is well.” he said very politely
Tinu smiled. “I wanted to be sure I caught you before you went to court as I missed you the other time.” Tinu gave a friendly wave to Yomi and asked him if he was representing Babatunde. It was clear that she had come to see Babatunde for a very different reason.
The men gave each other a glance and Yomi murmured that he needed to pick something from his office and would be back in a ten minutes. Tinu nodded in reply accepting that she had ten minutes to talk to Babatunde.
As soon as Yomi left she went straight into her reason for coming. It stunned Babatunde. Tinu said she wanted a job as his apprentice.
“I am a pharmacist, Tinu, and you know that.”
“Yes but you are also the Lion of the village and you make good medicine.”
“What ails you Tinu? Why do you need my kind of medicine?”
“I want a potion that will make me forget Adejare. He is to be king and I would have to abide by the laws, besides, I am the one with the ailment, and he does not feel like I do.” Tinu was stark in her comment and she stared at Babatunde as if she was discussing the next market day.
Babatunde gave her a look of deep compassion. “I will not even ask about Lucas.”
Tinu moved towards the window. “One of these days I might do something really silly to myself and that would not do, you know. I can’t imagine why I kept hoping for something. Somehow I wanted to feel what it would be like to have a man look at you with love and longing in his eyes and feel transported into a realm where everything will glow because you can see love in the eyes of the man you have always held as your particular star. Come back from the farm tired, dispirited and the moon is out and peeping through the trees at the back of the house, the children are telling their endless tales and in the soft firefly glow just before the hunters’ gong sounds the end of the evening. You feel the moon is telling you something and the air feels soft on your tired soul. You know the hour is past but you remember a look of love and you anticipate a touch. Then I remember I am unfaithful, and I don’t feel sorry or guilty, just happy. Now even that has to stop because he belongs to another and I sully him with such thoughts.”
Babatunde raised his head when she had finished speaking. There was gentleness in his eyes and he spoke softly, “I don’t have such a potion to give you, Tinu, but I wish to share with you the understanding that love can be held in respect and joy on behalf of the loved one. You could always be happy that he shares the same air with you. You could, with yourself, learn how to clothe him in a dignity that will finally permeate through his immediate surroundings and offer him comfort and strength so he learns how to be a man. Your love even at a distance should serve, uphold and uplift him. When you seek to attract his personal attention knowing he has made vows of service and may not ever be truly yours in this incarnation, you could help him walk through it in clear understanding holding your inner-self high and ensuring that the love is not soiled by base emotions.”
“I know.”
“You are a very strong woman, Tinu. You can convert what you feel to something you will like later. It is going to be hard but I think you can do it.”
“I know. I had better start heading back. Thanks Babatunde.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The ante-natal clinic was busier than usual and Ife had almost wilted by the end of the day. Ife noticed there was a man sitting with his back turned to the women. She had assumed that it was a husband visiting ante-natal with his wife so she walked up curious, but was surprised to find it was Adejare. She wondered why he was there. Adejare gave her a grin, said he was not visiting with a wife pregnant or otherwise but needed to see Ife. He stood up and started walking towards the carpark but Ife stood where she was.
Adejare turned back and was clearly bewildered. Then his brow cleared and he came back to where she stood. He smiled. “I am sorry if I sounded imperious. Truth is I am nervous of so many women staring at me. It was agonizing while that session was on back there.”
Ife understood and laughed. “It must be really important if you were willing to sit through our clinic.”
Adejare grinned but soon become serious. “I was impressed just now by the level of things a woman had to learn to bring forth a child, so, how did our grandmothers cope?”
“Good question, Jare. ‘How did the goats cope?’ a man asked me recently, and he dodged my punches by six inches.”
Adejare threw back his head and laughed. Ife suddenly understood Tinu’s problem. Adejare didn’t have all the airs that Adewunmi professed and Ife knew he would be a lovable king but only if the Oracle chooses him a second time. She put that question to him now and he shocked her by denying that he had been chosen. He gave Ife a close look. “Didn’t Tinu tell you?
Ife shook her head slowly. “She said you had been announced and you took the opportunity to mention your engagement…”
“I am not that loud am I?” He sounded offended.
“So what really happened?”
It was Adejare’s turn to be puzzled. “Didn’t your husband tell you?
“My what?”
Adejare laughed again. “You are still playing with Babatunde? Women.”
Ife thinned her lips and threatened to box Adejare’s ears, prince or not.
Still chuckling, Adejare explained that all the princes had been called into the inner room and told that Ifa had insisted that there was a missing prince.
Ife was stunned. “A missing what?”
Adejare was amused. “Obviously Baba didn’t tell you, that is what made Adewunmi act crazy. He felt there was a fishy story somewhere and offered to tell the story of why he was the missing prince. The Elders all listened to him quietly and asked Babatunde as the Lion to disclose who the prince that was missing could be, but he seemed as mystified as everybody else. A time was given to check more ancient records and Babamogba requested we should be patient. However he said we must all swear allegiance to whoever emerges as elected, or rather chosen. Adewunmi walked out and we all went home. Next morning you knew what happened.”
Ife considered what Adejare just told her but it didn’t explain his visit.
“Why did you want to see me?” she asked.
Adejare told her he wanted to have his name removed from the prince list asking to be king.
Ife was surprised. She asked him why and he said he needed to take his girl to the hospital abroad and was not sure he was going to be available for all the summons. “Besides, Ireti is not into all this and she is already scared and sick of what is expected of her. She was so terrified when the women of the palace came to visit me, by the time I got to the bedroom she was literally a nervous wreck. You know she is not a native, she had lived all her life in the North and I had a hard time calming her down. She needs eye surgery and we just came back from Kano, else I would have seen you before now.” Adejare gave a soft smile as he finished, “She is my princess for always—I don’t want all this stress for her.”
Ife was very touched and gave him a smile. “But you can always tell the Lion all this yourself.”
“I wanted to let you know for a particular reason so if you tell Tinu she would accept that from you and I wanted to help her keep face,” Adejare said, with a steady look. “I did not give Tinu any reason to think I would think of her than just one of my best friends, you know. I always knew how she felt that was why I kept very cool.”
Ife laughed. “Don’t worry much, Tinu is a practical person and she will soon see the advantages of Lucas who adores her.”
Adejare grinned, relieved he had sorted that out. He offered to take her to lunch to show his gratitude. Ife teased him that he was a softie and on that light-teasing note she followed him into his car and out of the hospital.
~~~
A few days later Ife was coming out of the ante-natal clinic when she met her aunty coming into the hospital. She scowled inwardly feeling like a young girl again but stuck a genial smile on her face as Aunty Yetunde walked up. This aunty had an unpleasant look and never seemed happy about anything. Ife never liked her persistent complaints. Aunty Yetunde always seemed to feel everybody in the world was against her. She had flunked her school exams while in Form Three and while the parents and her father where wondering what to do with her, she had announced that she wanted to be a dressmaker.
She had been apprenticed to a distant relative within the same town but that soon became a problem when she got pregnant by the relative’s husband. While the family was still thinking about what to do, she announced she did not know who really made her pregnant and mentioned Jimoh the carpenter. Her father in disgust had agreed with his mother that she should be married off to the carpenter. Aunty Yetunde gave birth to twins and six months after their birth, disappeared to Lagos with the local photographer.
Ife did not bother pretending to a pleasure both of them knew was false as she greeted her aunty politely. Her eyebrows questioned if she was ill.
Aunty Yetune sniffed and asked if that would not be a relief in the circumstance as nobody seemed to care whether she lived or died. Ife did not bother to assure her about her longevity and just kept quiet and waited. The woman proceeded to make a long complaint about her belief that w
itches were after her as she had been dreaming of coffins lately. She also complained that her son Michael has abandoned her and she had had a fight with her younger sister.
Ife was irritated and wondered what she was expected to do about all that. She quietly explained that it was a very busy time for her at the moment at the hospital and could not possibly drop everything and come home to sort a fight that looked silly even from her rendition.
“I know you don’t like me. You probably have a good reason not to like me but I think you should visit home once in a while. I may be older but you are the head of the family and we need your input before we make decisions. I don’t want to add to my misery if I should meet your father and I can’t tell him anything about you.”
Ife was surprised and tried to sense the sincerity of her Aunty’s words.
Can a leopard change its spots? Ife wondered.
“I told your father that you were likely to get pregnant before your second year in secondary so you made me eat my words. You are a doctor now and a pride to the family.”
“You also told Papa that I was likely to return to my spiritual mates before my twenty-first birthday. I am still alive…unmarried,” Ife returned sharply, as the old hurt flashed through her mind. She was instantly sorry she said it and apologized for the comment.
Aunty Yetunde went into a long winding conversation of why she had believed that and said she now wanted bygones to be bygones. She dipped her hand into her pocket and offered the local black soap to Ife who backed away in horror.
“It is just harmless black soap. I wanted to bring you something to show I meant well. You live in a city now and you need protection from all kinds of patients, who may very well be witches or some such trying to wash their ailments on an unsuspecting person.”
Ife swallowed trying to bring a calmness to her voice and was mortified when she could only croak a, ‘No’. She physically stepped away from her aunt and looked everywhere for escape. Just then Josephine appeared in the horizon and she waved frantically for her to come over. A very surprised Josephine nodded when Ife mentioned she was sorry she was late for the appointment. Ife took her aunt to a building far away from her living quarters and asked the woman to wait. Ife was trembling and Josephine held her close in an attempt to offer protection. Josephine gave the woman a curious look, said they really were late for the appointment but that they would soon be back. Ife let Josephine lead her away.
Rose of Numen Page 16
