Chattering and laughing, they flocked along the red-dusted road, each with empty water-pot, all clad in nothing but tie-dye clothing around their breasts and waist regions. Dry leaves crunched beneath their bare feet. Far above, squirrels seen hopping from tree to tree, bush to bush; likewise birds, singing and tweeting. The sun appeared far away, beyond the furthest forest, sinking into the orange-stained clouds and spreading a blanket of twilight, an illumination of sepia lighting, on the earth.
“Have you heard the latest news?” asked one of the maidens after a fit of laughter.
“You and your news, parrot mouth, we’re all ears,” someone mocked eyeing the four others, as if to say ‘let’s hear another lie’
“I can’t just imagine this,” she clapped twice, “eh, eh, Akanbi proposed to Abeni of all people, when the princess is still struggling to have him.”
“Abeni,” said another, puzzled, “which Abeni are you talking about?”
“Stay there, the one that wanted to fight me at the stream on the last market day.”
“You mean that...that saucy thing?” somebody exclaimed.
“You can’t be serious, are you?” queried yet another, “When was that, when did Akanbi propose to her?”
“According to Fadekemi, her best friend, it was this same yesterday.”
“Strange things are really happening in this village.”
“But men are naturally blind, you know,” said the first speaker, “I’m going to deal with that Abeni.”
“Not only you.”
****
Cupping her palm around the palm-oil lamp, Abeni slammed the bamboo door. Her body shivered, as did the golden flame, as cold wind swept across the compound.
The darkness was eminent. Olodumare, the supreme god, seemed to have dethroned the moon from the sky tonight, the people thought, for in the afternoon the earth was drunk to stupor.
It was the first rain of the season—the fifth moon— so the children had gathered at the village square, singing merrily, frolicking, jumping excitedly like toads in a swamp, to welcome to the long-awaited bliss. When Osumare, the god of rainbow, had crowned the sky with his many adorable colours, some elders had saluted, “Homage to you, the god of my ancestors!”
The wind was now blowing ice-cold. Abeni lowered herself, gently, on a stone, leaned forward, still pampering the lamp, elbows on thighs.
“Oh, Akanbi mi...” she whispered to the heaven, shaking head, her emerald eyes glint in the dim light.
Akanbi was the young hunter who as a teenager had slain a tiger with magic and spear. And he had refined the wild-skin to a loincloth, the teeth a necklace, which he further made his hunting garb. He was revered by every hunter in Oloyade and far, far beyond. To his credit, he was charming and he was the dream of every maiden. Abeni on the other hand was the daughter of Ayandele, a popular drummer.
Four days back, Ayandele had been invited as a musician at the egungun festival hosted by Balogun, the royal warlord. Ayandele sang and drummed with his band of seven, while Abeni danced along with five other maidens. Akanbi was seated among his hunter comrades when he saw Abeni. He could not resist this beauty. He could not resist her pretty face and shapely figure—her skin was much as gleaming and coloured as a fresh palmwine gourd. Graceful as river ripples swayed her slim waist, her ample bums and her blossomed breasts, to the beat of the drums. Akanbi had sent for her immediately after the event.
Walking towards Akanbi, her heart rivalled the rumble of thunder, her body shaking in fear and reverence for this hero. Together they strolled towards a nearby cashew tree; she tilted her head, covered her face—as though Akanbi’s eyes were a sun. Tall as she was, she was a dwarf beside him. His masculinity was profound, from his well-built figure; mountains of chests, wide shoulders. At last, he expressed how beautiful she looked and how well she had danced. She smiled like a baby, like a girl of five seasons, covering her face again. And she was nearly twenty-three.
 |
| Walking towards Akanbi, her heart rivalled the rumble of thunder.... |
Akanbi had buried his intention, until three days ago. Abeni received a male visitor who presented a leaf to her, a folded banana leaf, stating Akanbi as the sender. She revealed the item only to clutch her chest, “A cock feather!” she had gasped, her eyes ablaze, lips trembling. It was aroko, an iconic sign, meaning, “I love/adore you.”
Abeni was now worried, utterly confused. Princess Ewatomi had come on the previous day, with three hunky warriors, to warn her, “If you ever accept his proposal, you will be severely dealt with. That, I promise you. If I want to share a man with someone—not even you, this wretched thing. A beggar's daughter!”
Abeni and her parents were no descendants of Oloyade village. Any attempt to disobey the princess might lead to their banishment.
She took a deep breath, eyes glistened, face tearful.
***
The smell of damp plants and soaked soil wafted in the air. Palpable enough that one could get intoxicated from it. Within the eight market days, Akanbi had decided to commit three days to farming since it was now a raining season. Most of the villagers had returned to farming with a fully-fledged zeal. Akanbi was planting the eighth tubers of yam when he heard footsteps. Taking a backward glance, he saw the princess and her three maids far behind.
He stood upright.
She ambled close to him, the maids standing far away, under a cocoa tree. As usual, she sucked lustful breaths around him.
She was glittering all over. From the attire, a blue aso-oke wrapper, tied from her full breasts to her kneecaps. From her complexion that seemed to match the sun. From her beaded earrings, beaded necklace, bracelet and shuku braid, graced by a pretty face—she was the wildest dream of every man.
Except Akanbi!
Akanbi's heart was a shrine and Abeni was the only idol worshiped inside it. Ever since their first meeting his eyes had retired a good slumber. Abeni hadn’t sent any sign of agreement all these while.
He stood still, arms crossed.
She paused, rubbing her left palm on his upper-arm. To him, the touch was nothing.
“I don’t like the way you’re treating me,” she whimpered, head down, “You went ahead to propose that useless thing called Abeni. That beggar. You are disgracing me. And I don’t like it,” She revealed her face, frustrated, voice tearful, “Am I not beautiful enough? For days, I have not been able to feed nor sleep. Can you, for once, just pay me an attention?”
He kept silent, unruffled.
“Princess Ewa,” He said, stone-voiced, “I learnt you stormed Abeni’s compound two days ago, to insult her parents. You warned Abeni never to accept me....What have I done to deserve such? Don’t I have a free will in my own fatherland?”
Noticing the fierceness in his voice, the redness in his eyes, she said, “Please, forgive me."
His eyes fixating on the cocoa plantation far ahead.
She went down on her knees, and just in time Akanbi reached for her, his hands around her waist.
She seized the opportunity to savor some sensations that travelled around her spines, wishing the hands could abide there forever. Or move to her ample bosoms. To squeeze those two mounds of hers. To stroke those peaked nuts and mouth them and splay her thighs...
Her body shivered from this wanton imagination.
Akanbi swiftly released her when she was upright because a princess should not kneel before any man, especially without wedlock. Nonetheless, Akanbi was never rated as “any” man. His royal majesty, King Adepitu, held Akanbi in high esteem for his heroic deed.
“Are you still angry with me?” she said, staring at his absent countenance.
Face upturned, he shook his head slowly, his mind wandering away.
Ewatomi, being the only princess, was equally an Idol to her father, even before his enthronement. And he would indulge her with anything. A male child was, however, rated higher than the female in the royal family. Ewatomi had wanted Akanbi before his fame had cast far and wide like the radiance of the moon, but started showing it ever since he became a hero.
Seven moons ago the King had summoned Akanbi to the palace, that Ewatomi had been feverish since Akanbi said he wasn’t interested in her. Led by the king, Akanbi reached where she was lying, as a matter of fact. There and then he was obliged to say: “My Princess, I’m ready to become your man,” even though he begrudged the word he uttered.
No sooner had he said it than Ewatomi asked for food. She’d been vomiting and rejecting meals for four days. That Same day, Adepitu beseeched Akanbi by the gods of his ancestors during a private chat. That he didn’t care if Ewatomi would be the second wife in Akanbi's household after his desired woman.
"So many royal men have come to ask for her hand in marriage,” Adepitu had said, mournfully, “including the son of my best friend, Prince Adewuye of Ajakaye village. Sometimes, she would insult her suitors. You’re the only song she sings like a lonely canary. If not for your timely intervention, I doubt if she would ever survive the sickness.”
Akanbi bent his head before the king who was on his throne. After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, “Who am I to refuse your words, my lord? I never meant to say I wasn’t interested. It was because of her insolence.”
He had lied, for he couldn’t declare to a king that he rejected his princess. If betrothing Ewatomi would be the antidote of her existence, Akanbi had thought. Then he must oblige the royal highness.
King Adepitu chuckled, “You should be the blacksmith, my son. A man and woman are like smiting rods to each other. You see, women can change their men for better, and vice versa.”
Meanwhile, King Adepitu knew Akanbi was not really interested in Ewatomi. And he was not happy to impose his daughter on any man. Like a dead tree after a long term rain, he thought, perhaps Akanbi's barren heart would bloom after a long association with Ewatomi. But to date, Akanbi didn’t find himself feeling anything for Ewatomi. Should he now betray the royal highness? What sort of dilemma had he brought upon himself?
“You haven’t said anything,” She broke into his thought.
“I have condoned that,” He said in a hard voice, “But never should you intimidate Abeni again!”
“Alright, I promise,” she said.
Abeni and her friend, Fadekemi, meanwhile, were on their way to Akanbi's farm. Both were pacing along the narrow path leading to Akanbi’s farmland. Abeni had sent Fadekemi to him on the previous day, that she could not grant his request because of Ewatomi. But earlier in this morning, Akanbi had sent for her— to meet him on his farmland, with an assurance that nothing would ever befall her.
She knew Akanbi with his magical power. Some villagers said his father, the late chief priest, had buried seven demonic gourds in his belly. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have slaughtered the sacred animal which, to them, was regarded as the mightiest god of the wilderness. Since the foundation of the land, there were many Ode Aperin or the elephant hunters, but Akanbi had broken the record as the first Ode Apekun. The tiger hunter.
Nonetheless, Abeni was afraid that the princess had spies for her. What if she was murdered silently and buried in the bush? Oh, how she would leave her blind mother, her two female siblings, her father.
She held her chest tightly. Like her heart was being pounded in mortar. Her body was streaming with sweats, even with the tender breeze and how much the sun had calmed her glare on earth. She and her friend were dressed in the casual breast and waist region batik wrapper. purple and yellow respectively.
She sighed.
Unlike her, Fadekemi was moving in a relaxed pace. Since it was a secret visit they decided not to say a word to each other.
In a while, they started approaching the farmland. On Seeing the royal maids, Abeni froze in fear. Fadekemi had started retreating
Abeni could see the princess standing arms akimbo, while Akanbi crossed his arms.
One, two, three, she took backward steps through the shrubs. She turned sharply, breaking into a race. She had taken five steps further when her foot was shot with thunderous blow.
It was her right foot, bitten by an iron trap with serrated teeth.
She screamed.
Click here for Episode 2
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