DIAMOND IN THE FOREST (episode 25)

DIAMOND IN THE FOREST. EPISODE 25
© Amah

The prince woke up amidst sweat and breathed heavily, this is the second time he was having the same dream, he wondered what the dream could mean, he try to sleep again but couldn’t, sleep has disappeared from his eyes, ,he stood up and walked to his chamber window, everywhere was dark outside, dawn was still far.
He stood there for sometime before returning to his bed again
He shut his eyes and tried to force himself to sleep again but his mind was occupied, all he could think off was just one person, the lady he has seen in his dream with a child, the prince started talking to himself just to ease off the burden that has weighed him down for long
“Remi…ohhh…the gods she is dead by now, hmmm…I pray the gods accept her soul, she was indeed a beautiful maiden, I have loved her and wanted her ever since she stepped into the palace, my feeling for her grew by the day, I loved that maiden I wasn’t going to deny that fact but she was in love with Leja, Leja was her man, I never knew and when I found out I felt stupid…yes…I really felt a punch on my face, loving Leja’s woman…I have tried to wave off this feeling but I don’t seem to be doing so well with that…I wished I have made love to her that night…I just wish I laid with her maybe in that way she will have my child…not Leja’s child, well…she was pregnant for Leja before being banished…how I also wish father has listened to me and send her faraway to another kingdom… not into an evil forest…not totally banishing her… sending her off to die was so cruel…why will she even try to poison father…I see her as somebody who is not capable of such…why will she want to do such evil and where did she even get the poison…oh…Remi…how I wish you have lived, how I wish you were mine…how I wish it was my child you carried, you tried to lie to me that the pregnancy was mine…I don’t know why you will do such…your lover…Leja was angry and said something that made me have doubt in you…why do you seem to fill my dream with a child in hand…nursing a child in your arm who’s body seem to be transformed like that of a diamond…it shown forth and covered the wh0le place with it’s light…I don’t understand…I wish I do…I wish I understand what this terrifying strange dream means…Remi is dead and all I want to do is to put all that behind me…Olorun sa nu mi (God have mercy on me) mo fe run re (I loved her) I really do but…she is gone…killed with baby in her womb…too cruel yet she brought it on herself…I couldn’t do anything…I wish I have the power to change her judgement…hmmm…why is she occupying my mind…I don’t have a hand in her death…so why do I see her even in my dream with a baby in her arm…who shown so bright like a diamond…what is wrong with me…why can’t I think straight and leave the dead alone….i feel she is alive yet I know that she can’t survive the forest…she is dead…what do I do to move past this feeling…
The following day it was hærd that the Oba fell ill and couldn’t get up from his bed, the native doctors and medicine men came to administer different kind of medicine to him but he did not get better.

Nike dressed so fine, she checked herself to make sure everything was in place, she pulled up her ankara skirt to her laps and wore a top that exposed some part of her br-ast as she walked to the Prince chamber that evening, she knew that the Queen mother was attending to the sick Oba, the princess has gone for a walk with her husband to be Tunde, the prince recline to his chamber more than before
Nike tapped on his door gently and she hærd when the prince asked whoever it is to come in
Nike went in and saw the prince resting on his bed, he look troubled
The prince looked at Nike from head to toe, she dressed as if she has come to sed-ce him, and such dressing was not allowed in the palace, how could she dress like this to his chamber
“Why are you dressed like this in the palace…do you understand where you are…this is not the normal uniforms you are given to wear…and what do you want?
“I’m sorry my prince…I was so busy I couldn’t wash all my maiden cloths on time…so I just washed them today… not quiet long and this was the only cloth left for me to wear…sorry about this…you looked troubled are you okay..
“don’t ask me unnecessary question…what do you want and please immediately you leave here go and look for the right cloth and wear, cloths like this are not allowed in the palace…you should have being told of all this..
Nike saw that the prince was not even move by her dressing which she has intend to use in sed-cing him, she rom-nced her laps and touched her br-ast stylishly while moving closer to him
The prince watch her as she move touching every part of her body, he waited to see what she was up to as she move closer, the Prince sat up from his bed with hand akimbo frowning as Nike came to stand beside his bedside, she bent to touch the prince shoulder with a tone to show that she cares about him and the prince hush her angrily which made Nike to run far from his bed side
“if you dare touch me with those wretched hands of yours I will cut them off and send the pieces to your mother….are you out of your mind, how dare you straight those filthy hands towards me…I asked you what are you doing here…Remi your sister was not so undisciplined like you are, Remi can not come into my chamber dressed like a village harlot…

At the mention of Remi Nike became angry
“My Prince Remi is dead you still have her name on your l-ips…she is long gone and forgotten, she was my late sister and it saddens me to remember how she died with her unborn child, she tried to kill your father, the Oba of this great kingdom…that is unforgiven crime…and she got what she deserve…please don’t mistake my statement in thinking I don’t love my sister…I do…but her sin was not only to the Oba but also to all…the entire land and anyone calling her name is just like inviting the wrath of the gods to their selves, she is dead and we all have move pass that…she has different crime pointing right at her, she did not only lie that she was pregnant with your child she also tried to blackmail you into settling with her because she wanted to be the Queen by all means…I warned her severally but she didn’t listen…I told her to change her evil ways but Remi has always being an evil stubborn child right from birth, she never listen to anyone and she got exactly what she deserve…
“Why are you here…I did not ask you to give me details of what Remi did…I asked you what you came for…what do you want?
“I’m pregnant…yes…I am…and you are responsible my Prince…the night you were drunk and ask Leja to bring me into your chamber and he did and you laid with me…that was the night I took in for you
“hmmm…something is definitely wrong with you…you are a crazy maiden…this reminds me of Remi…yes Remi….she came here not so disgustedly dressed like you are, but she came anyway calming that I’m responsible for her pregnancy and the truth was that Leja was her Lover who got her pregnant…does this lies run in your family….lying, manipulating, tricky, sed-ctive and dangerous does it run in your family… I
’m beginning to wonder how you got to work in this palace, how did they chose you without a proper check up….you don’t deserve to work in the palace…you in particular…
“I’m sorry my prince, I don’t mean to offend you and I am never like Remi, she was a liar all through her stay here but I’m real, I did not plan for this to happen but when Leja came to wake me up that you are asking for me and I obeyed…who am I not to anyway. I came here and you make out with me and I was shock when you wake up in the middle of night surprise to see me, you can’t remember what happened between us again…but it truly happen…I am not lying…I can swear it…please believe me..i am carrying your child…a son and a true heir for you…I can’t lie with such heavy thing…I understand the implications of such so I can’t do that…believe me, Remi lied to you and try to get you with those lies but she is long dead…I am carrying your child my prince…
“hahahaha…you are carrying my child…very funny, I remember everything that happened that night, right from when Leja kept on filling my cups until I couldn’t take anymore drink, I fell asleep with my cloths on and woke up without them, I remember everything that happened, what do you take me for …a fool, I may not have remember what that transpired between me and Remi the night with her…during those party days, it was as if my memory of that night was wiped off but I remembered everything on the night with you, I know and I am very certain that I did not touch you… alright…you said I laid with you right…that is fine…how long is your pregnancy…how long have you gone…
“I am thirteen weeks gone my prince….thank you for believing me…this means a lot to me…I am carrying the future heir to the throne…thanks the gods that you believed me I was almost afraid of your tone, now I’m relieved…I am thirteen weeks gone my prince…

“yea, you are thirteen weeks, you are carrying the future heir indeed, fantastic…that is like three months and one week, the last time I caught you in my chamber unclad was over five months now, you should be smart enough to know this… you are three months and a week, how possible….you must be out of your mind to come here with such blunder…is being over five months and you are just three months gone…you are really crazy…go and find who is responsible for your pregnancy…just as Remi found out hers…from now onward you have being suspended from this palace for one week, if you ever come back here with such news I will finally throw you out of the palace for good…and on your way out ask Leja to see me immediately…leave right now, tell the Queen mother that I sent you home for one week suspension and if she ask you what your offence are then you should have a better answer for her, pick up your things today, this evening and leave the palace immediately…next time you want to lie… try and be calculative and smart with it…but if you are caught doing such then you will have a lot to answer…get out…out of here now and out of the palace too.

Nike walked out in shame, her plans has failed her, she bite her fingers in anger, she never thought that the prince will have time to start calculating the period she was in his chamber unclad, she has not thought of that and the truth is that, the pregnancy did not enter on time as she kept on pressuring Leja to lay with her even after the night in the prince chamber, she and Leja has being on it and even when Leja do not want to do it she will force him or threaten him and when she confirm she was carrying a child she waited for another month to be very sure before going to the prince with the news, and now the prince knows the truth and she doesn’t know how to convince him again, she will go home just as the prince as suspended her for a week and she will tell her mother, she would have asked her mother to come and see the Oba so that the Oba will make the prince take responsible of her pregnancy, Leja will bear a witness to them confirming everything but now the Oba is so ill and will not be able to see anybody
Nike was sad as she picked up her things, she will think of another way to get the prince to claim the pregnancy, she will certainly become the future Queen, she will talk with her mother and they will come up with a better idea.
Remi sat with Sipah close to the fire place, while Mikia carried the baby, Ore was with Mikai and the baby, as they play around, Remi watched them and smile as the monkey kept on jumping to touch the baby but Mikai held the baby so high preventing Ore from touching the baby, which made Ore to cry out in frustration, Remi laughed out before turning to Sipah who was fanning the coal…

“you should have allowed me do the cooking today…you are spoiling me too much Pah, you and Mikai, I can’t even do anything…maybe tomorrow I will do the cooking while you watch…
Sipah turned and looked at Remi, he looked out at Ore who seem to be complaining of something but in a funny way, he looked at Mikai as she cuddled the baby in her arm, he muttered something to himself
“Emmanuel…God is with us…
“What…you said something…I did not hear you Pah…
“a name for the baby…aside the one you gave him…I called him Emmanuel…and it means God is with us…
“uhmmm…that is a strange name but is fine…the name I gave him is just the first name that came to my mind when I thought of a name for him “Ademide” which means my crown has come.
“that’s good…your dialect sound so sweet to the ear…you will get to teach me some of it…I know Ore means friend…and Ore mi means my friend and few others…but I will like to learn more…will you teach me?
Remi looked at Sipah with a smile on her face, and he was also looking at her with a smile, she blushed and looked away
“what is it…is there a problem…the way you looked away…I totally understand if you can’t teach me your fine dialect…Yoruba dialect…as much as I would love to learn but I can’t push it…don’t feel bad about that…
“no…no I am not feeling bad…I will teach you…our class will start anytime you are free in the evening or any day you are home…I will love to teach you and Mikai…

“thank you…and as for spoiling you too much…you deserve it…pushing out that cute baby without any complication, I know is not by your power but from the power above… being strong enough to carry him in your womb even after being banished…you deserve to be loved and cared for…and don’t worry I will let you cook tomorrow so that I will sit and watch you…I will love to watch you cook…
Remi looked at him again as Sipah looked at her eye balls which was filled with happiness, Remi breathed deeply before looking away.
She don’t know why she feel this way with Sipah, he looks at her and she feel like melting in,side, Sipah has being great both to her and everyone here, he cares deeply and always so protective of them. She thanked the gods for him everyday.
Sipah put some hot soup in the plate with lots of bush meat and vegetable and gave Remi
“eat everything in there, the baby is eating from you remember, so eat up so that he will s-ck it out from you later…as Emmanuel is s-cking out from you I will be here making sure you don’t lack vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrate which the plants and herbs gives us, I will be filling you in with enough quantity…
Remi laughed out so hærd and Sipah joined in.

To be continued… 

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