Numen!

by Olatunde, Biola;

  He bowed very low, one fist raised high as he gave the cry, “Kaaabiyesi!!!!”

  The king’s own trumpeters went into a frenzied drumming and trumpeting as the crowd cheered and saluted the king.

  The rest of the day, and continuing as dawn finally peeped behind a golden sun, was spent in merriment. Princess Numen descended from the grove at dusk and went quietly into the grove. The marriage was now complete alongside the blessing and her giving the king his ASHE.

  Ife was touched and surprised to find Babatunde’s mother sitting quietly in the grove when she emerged into the main reception area. She had come with a basket of fruits and a simple dinner for Ife. There was no need for further talk. The two women embraced and Babatunde’s mother helped Ife to take her things into their home. She formally welcomed her daughter-in-law home as she washed Ife’s legs at the threshold.

  Just before midnight, in keeping with their own tradition, Babatunde with a full retinue of chiefs and staff, stood at the entrance to the palace, formally opened the gates for the Princess and guardian of the town to take up residence.

  ~~~

  Two weeks later Ife returned to work in the capital city.

  It was a full clinic session and Ife wondered if there was some reason why the whole female population seemed to have gotten pregnant and were attending ante-natal.

  She felt suddenly stressed as she listened to one woman after the other. Ife had to check her wandering thoughts knowing she was not concentrating. Officially she was now the Olori of her town and was required to be in the palace, but she had insisted she wanted to work at the hospital. Babatunde had simply nodded and asked her to take a few days rest, then she could resume.

  Ife assumed her distracting thoughts were the effects of all that she had just gone through and the constant interruption to her normal schedule. The pretty lady that kept coughing brought her to the present and she smiled an apology.

  She paid more attention and was soon immersed with work. Hours later, Ife sat back and sighed as she reviewed the case notes of the women in the maternity ward.

  Matron came into view and Ife had a genuine smile of welcome for the motherly lady. Matron had surprised her when she turned up at her wedding in the village. She stood up but Matron quickly prevented her from the curtsey she was about to give.

  “You are a queen now, my dear, and must uphold our tradition you know. I understand that you are a very respectful child but I have to concede your rights to you now.”

  “Yes Matron but I want to be simply Ife to you.”

  “That would not work, you know.” Matron smiled as she dragged in a chair and sat down.

  Ife said, “You could easily send for me if you wanted something.”

  “Yes, I know, I wanted an excuse to stretch my legs.”

  “Or a chance to catch the nurses slacking, right?” Ife teased.

  They both laughed.

  “So you are settling in properly in the palace?”

  Ife smiled. “I guess so since I am hardly there—in the palace proper—as most times I…

  (her voice trailed off as the form of Matron faded and she faced Raingirl)

  Ife blinked and Raingirl curtsied with a mischievous smile. “I have been permitted to come to you once in a while, Princess.”

  Ife stared at Raingirl. “I should have been suspicious as Matron never walks anywhere in the hospital if she can help it…interesting, do you have something for me?”

  Raingirl nodded. “My replacement should come into your service at the grove. She is now ready but there are some people who are thinking otherwise. She is to be admitted into the grove for a time before she goes to the secondary school they have arranged for her. You will find her interesting, Princess, and you should send for her.”

  “I see. How will I know who she is; does she have a name?”

  Of course she has a name,” Raingirl snapped, showing elements of her old life as Grandma, but she didn’t reply as there was a knock on the door and she faded away.

  It was Josephine at the door. Ife invited her in, hoping she had not seen anything, and waited. Josephine looked around with a puzzled expression on her face.

  Ife asked, “You have seen a ghost?”

  “Er…no but I thought I saw Chinedu walk towards the office and I was so shocked to see him here that I followed him.”

  Ife started laughing helplessly, and when she finally could control her mirth she asked Josephine how she was expected to recognize Chinedu if she had never met the man in question.

  Both were quiet and a tense Josephine sat in front of Ife with a very worried look in her eyes.

  “What would the fellow be doing here?” Ife asked after a while.

  “My mother sent me a message that Chinedu was planning something and might visit me here,” Josephine said quietly.

  “Hmm, and every male that crosses the lawn or hallway is a potential Chinedu. You are losing your mind this way,” Ife commented.

  “I think he is infecting my dreams and I think he has gone to a bad dibia man to torment me.”

  “Erg, Josephine, calm down and make sense will you?”

  “I am having bad dreams and hardly ever sleep these days.”

  Ife sighed. “Okay, do you feel guilty about him on anything?”

  Josephine shook her head slowly. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Okay, why will this fellow go to a medicine man to do bad juju—after all he has a wife and was just stringing you along. He is probably looking for protection from your anger,” Ife concluded, wrinkling her nose.

  “He is going to lose face that is the problem. He has spent money, he claims, and was looking forward to having a graduate for a wife,” Josephine said, and her voice broke. Ife saw she was very close to tears.

  “Look, you have to tell me everything from the start, you know. I am quite confused as it is. Did your parents make a deal with him? Are you in some way committed to this man?”

  Josephine took a deep breath. “As for me, I did not make any deal; I understood later from my father that he had gone to ask Chinedu for the odd favor and that was when the loose arrangement started. Papa said it was like some joke, you know, and it was not really serious but Chinedu got into the habit of calling him in law and…”

  Ife groaned. “I get the picture. One thing leads to another and your father always forgot to mention it to you that he had married you off so he could buy snuff.”

  Josephine broke down in tears and sobbed. Ife stood up and fetched water from the bathroom so she could bathe her swollen face. Josephine, between hiccups, explained she ran away from home and came to the South West so she could get away from the promise of a silly father, fell in love with Babatunde, and ran back to the East only to find her problems still waiting for her.

  There was silence for a while and Ife asked her friend that they should go to her apartment, have a shower, and have dinner.

  “You know, we need to be very calm about this. First thing though, take him out of your mind and stop imagining the man in every shadow. You will be a nervous wreck the way you are going on about this. For goodness sake he would not be the first man that will be left high and dry. It is disgusting that in this century a man will attempt such an underhanded way to get a wife. I don’t think your father is about to march you to the altar under a gun now, do you?”

  Josephine sighed as she stood up and joined Ife on the walk back to the apartment. Just as they were about to enter, they heard a car toot and Yomi climbed out of the car. Josephine gasped and ran into his arms just as a young man detached himself from the shadows. Josephine screamed and fainted.

  ~~~

  Hours later, a calmer Josephine was tucked into the couch in Ife’s quarters, a cup of tea in her hands, Yomi was watching her closely as well as Ife.

  “Do you feel better now?” Ife asked

  Josephine nodded but kept her eyes away from Yomi.

  “I am sure you will like to know that we are talking to Chine
du and he has promised not to look for you again but he requests to have a chat with you. I have offered to be at the discussion. From what he has said, he meant you no harm; just wanted some answers from you. I think that is fair. He wanted to marry you because your father offered you in lieu of money your father borrowed. You didn’t know about that, did you?”

  Tears formed in Josephine’s eyes again. “I learnt about it from my father when I finished school. He had borrowed heavily and did not have the stomach to let me know.” Josephine finished in a very bitter voice.

  Yomi, who had been watching her silently, leant forward giving her an intense look. “I want to have an honest answer: do you want to marry this fellow?”

  Josephine turned her eyes away as she muttered that no one should feel obligated to help her out of her predicament. “In fact I will like to thank you for all your concern but I think you can allow me to make my own decisions from now on.”

  Yomi was angry and there was a determined set to his jaw. “I am sorry young lady, but you are not about to dispose of me like that. First thing we are going to your village tomorrow and I am having a talk with your father. I want a full account of whatever he has committed you to.”

  Josephine flew off the couch and stared at him just as angry. “I don’t think you have any right to order me around, you know.”

  Yomi dragged her into his arms and held her tightly as he ground out the words, “I am not letting you go, Joe, and I am going to marry you. I am not sure if I should drag you to the registry first and tell your father about the marriage later. I understand I am expected to ask your father for your hand in marriage but I am not sure I can wait that long.”

  Josephine stared at him, nonplussed by his words. “You idiot, a man proposes to his bride in private.”

  Ife dissolved into laughter while Josephine made ineffectual attempts to throw punches at Yomi, who dodged the blows and finally grinned.

  “I suppose I should congratulate you both,” Ife said, still chuckling.

  “He is cheating me out of a romantic dinner and candles,” Josephine complained, but she smiled at him.

  “Will you need the dinner or the engagement ring now; we can sort out the traditional details later. I want Chinedu or whoever to know you are not available, okay? I will do my best to make you happy.”

  Ife asked in surprise, “You mean you have the engagement ring right here?”

  For an answer, Yomi dropped on one knee, fished in his pocket, and brought out a beautiful ring, which he presented to Josephine. In wonderment, Josephine took the ring and stared at it and burst into tears as Yomi slipped it onto her finger. Ife clapped in amusement. Ife rushed into her bedroom emerging with glasses and a bottle of water. Amidst laughter, she claimed she didn’t have wine but they should make do with nature’s wine and all three laughed and drank. However, Yomi still had one trick up his sleeve as he dashed to his car outside and came in minutes later with a bottle of wine. The rest of the evening passed in a less dramatic manner. Ife shooed them out and told Josephine to be back before midnight.

  Chapter Five

  Babatunde watched his chiefs and waited for all of them to be seated. He welcomed them and asked for the security guards to vacate the room before he spoke. He had placed a file by each of the chiefs. There was a small television set in the far side of the reception room facing them—he asked the chiefs to please face it as he needed to show them something.

  It was a new concept to the chiefs and they wondered aloud if he was going to give them a film show. Babatunde smiled but said nothing just simply flicked the switches on and proceeded to show them a documentary. It was a small film about the ancestors of the races and what each of them had achieved since they became kings. The hall was very silent while the short film was on.

  At the end of the film he signaled to the traditional public relations officer who went out and came back with ladies bearing trays laden with food.

  “My chiefs, I invite you to eat, and I hope we can have some more serious discussions after the meal. After all it was you, as fathers that have said, there can be no serious discussion on an empty stomach. I will rejoin you shortly.”

  The chiefs rose as he left, and if they were mystified they didn’t let on as each chief inspected the tray and washed their hands preparing to doing justice to the meal they had been served.

  An hour later the place was cleared and Oba Adeolu returned to his seat. Happy genial faces paid attention to him as he proceeded to explain something new and novel to the chiefs. They listened raptly as he invited each chief to take financial charge of his quarter and create avenues that will make each resident in his respective quarter have a sense of belonging. He invited the chiefs to search for professionals who had been reluctant to come home to invest. He said each quarter should think of donating pieces of land and he announced that there was going to be community projects with committee members taking responsibility for whatever project was to be sited in their area. It was a long speech and no one interrupted nor said anything until he had finished.

  In the silence that followed, they heard the song of a very old chief who gave thanks to the gods for being permitted to experience such a speech. There were tears in his rheumy eyes as he stood up and saluted. He trembled and had to try several times before he could control his voice. He started off with a prayer to the gods and said he would be happy to join his ancestors now.

  “When Babamogba came to me and told me that the oracle had dropped a bombshell about a missing prince, I wondered if he had taken more than the regular palm wine at apata gangan. I kept my peace because a long time ago the world was turned on its head so I simply asked the ancestors to hurry up and invite me over. I had been promised that these eyes of mine will not see the rotten behind of a dog. Yeye Agba, before she left, told me that I will use these eyes of mine to experience and see great things but then we all know the type of person she is and I simply shrugged and told her that Sango knows why he uses an adze and not an axe. It is to make the suffering intense. I have eaten your oil, your salt, and smelt your sweat, but today it can’t be poison because you have put salt on my lips that I shall lick slowly. Thank you very much. Oshin my son has been living in a white man’s country for the last twenty five years because the witches here eat our children for breakfast and our good intentions for lunch; we have been under their reign, they even ate the last occupant of your seat. My flesh was too bitter so they tasted it, in disgust gave me a bad leg and in fear my son has not come home to warm my bones. I thank you Kabiyesi. I thank you indeed. I am donating my cocoa farm now and I guess my bones if they will serve any purpose for you.”

  Babatunde was very moved, stood up as the other chiefs, and gave the old man the one fist salute.

  The event moved pretty fast along that line but Babatunde, while thanking them, said he would prefer they move into committees. He announced he would be declaring a special launch date so the rest of the town could be informed of the new direction. Meanwhile he requested that he wanted each quarter chief to give him the names of any unemployed youth in their area.

  Babatunde smiled as everyone thanked him. Babamogba beamed toward all looking on the chiefs with a paternal air. The natural court came into session thereafter so he was kept busy for the rest of the day.

  He was reading a report when one of the guards hunched before him wondering if Kabiyesi was willing to receive a visitor from out of town. Babatunde looked up and his eyebrows rose in surprise because he did not expect to see Prince Adejare. Since the coronation, he had been made to understand that Adejare was out of the country.

  Prince Adejare smiled at him as he came into the reception hall. Babatunde stood up and they embraced at the center of the hall. They shared pleasantries as the guard went to fetch an attendant. Prince Adejare was first given water from a white calabash and the palace wives came in to say hello with many songs and dances. Some untied their headgear and placed it on the floor for him to drop coins. It was clear that t
his particular prince was beloved of the palace. Babatunde sat back and watched all the fawning. Prince Adejare dropped a few currency notes on the spread head gear and sat back in a chair facing Babatunde. It was the signal for privacy and the women retired.

  “Kabiyesi, I am here in respect of your summons.” Adejare smiled.

  “I am not aware I summoned you.”

  “My mother told me that you have issued a general invitation that all sons, princes and citizens of this village…er town, are to come home for ‘t’omode-t’agba’. I happened to be in the country so I decided to come over early in case there might be something we could do in preparation for that town hall meeting.”

  Babatunde chuckled as he thanked him for heeding the call. “Actually I am thinking of forming something that I call loosely the Princes’ League.”

  “Hmmm…sounds heavy, some kind of tax from us who happen to come from that side of the blanket?”

  “You could say that.”

  “Shoot, I am all ears.”

  They both laughed as Babatunde outlined what he had in mind and Adejare listened attentively. They were absorbed as Babatunde brought out papers and they both looked at maps and other documentation. It was pretty dark when Adejare stretched and asked to be excused. He said he needed to see his mother, because he was returning to the state capital that night.

  They shook hands and Adejare left, just as Ife walked in.

  Babatunde had a tired smile but he still embraced his wife, holding her close in his arms and nuzzling her neck. She stepped away laughing. “Had a good day, Lion?”

  “Yes Princess, but now I am hungry for you, not food, my love.”

  Ife dropped her bag beside the nearest seat, plunked herself in it, and surveyed him critically. “I guess my talk can wait until you have eaten food properly. May I have a shower before I join you at the table? I will go see what has been prepared for you.”