DIAMOND IN THE FOREST (episode 26)

DIAMOND IN THE FOREST. Episode 26
@ Amah

“Where do you get those oso..? (Oranges)
“From your backyard Iya…I climbed up the tree and got all this…
“I never thought there was still more fruits in it…the leave are too crowded…one won’t easily know there are still big oranges in there…peel and bring some here for me…
Dami quickly peel the oranges and gave it to his grandma. Who was throwing corn seed to a hen with its chicks…
“Here is the orange Iya…you will over fed that hen…and it will become so fat and lazy to go and find food for her children… if you keep feeding it all the time…she won’t have strength to even protect the little chicks from the yellow eye hawk…
“hahahaha…what do you even know…the hen reminds me of your sister…she is being taking care of, well fed, supported and loved by total strangers…and the seed of crown is growing in good hands…
“Iya…do you see all this things while sitting here or the gods reveal them to you while at asleep…because I don’t even understand most of them…Remi being cared for by a stranger…do the stranger live in the forest or is he a hunter who took her home…and allowed her to…
“shh shhh…don’t say a word…
Dami kept quiet, he continued with his orange as he watch his grandma shut her eyes and raise her face upward…a strange wind blew and suddenly stopped. Dami felt cold and the orange in his hand fell to the ground, everything suddenly became normal again, he felt his normal self and started peeling another orange, he was use to his grandma strange behavior, she sees and hear things from the gods. Dami wondered what she was seeing or hearing again this time
Grandma return back to her orange, after s-cking off the juice she started eating the in,side of the orange, Dami watched silently, he wanted to speak but doesn’t know if is okay for him to talk now, but he spoke out anyway
“Iya there are still more oranges here…just in case you want more…
“I know…I’m fine with this my child…hmmm…ose gan…
“So…what did you see or hear…that made you to hush me to be quiet…
“All I live for… is for you and your sister…my being alive is mostly because of your sister…she has a diamond…
“Really…is that what you saw…real diamonds…wow…if she sell it she will become wealthy…are the diamond much…do they grow in the forest…aaah…Remi is so lucky…but is unfortunate that she can’t sell them…nobody will go to the evil forest to go and buy a diamond…
“The Diamond I’m talking about is her child…I told you the day Remi gave birth…it was same day that the Oba fell ill and I doubt no medicine man can cure him…most of them know this, they are aware that the medicine they are administering to him does not have any effect on the king yet they keep on doing same thing all over because they don’t want to be the one to give the sad news but just to be around the Oba… the truth will be out soon because many will fall sick…not just the Oba, the Oba’s cabinet men will start falling sick one after the other and many other will follow, the kingdom will be torn apart and the prince will be heart broken and confuse, and they will come running…then he will remember…
“running to where and he will remember what exactly Iya?….will the Oba die…and why…why did the Oba become sick on same day that Remi put to birth…is strange Iya…and you said more people will follow in the illness…why is that…will the Oba die…
“Just ask one question at a time my child…The Oba will not die yet…not now…the diamond in the forest will come to him and he will see the seed of crown…
“I don’t understand Iya…
“you should understand because I am not speaking latin to you…I speak in a clear and a very understandable tongue…try to clear your mind so that it will be easy for you to understand certain riddles and few of my saying, you are growing into strong man with a strong mind but not so strong like your sister…you are smart, strong and has a good heart for mankind…Damilol
a, your future lies in the heart of the forest…
“Iya…if I say I don’t understand again you may start complaining but I serious don’t…I sometime get scared from this riddles…my future in the forest…how is that possible…my future is here…right here in this kingdom…I’m not going anywhere…I don’t want to go and live in the forest…no Iya, I’m not at strong as my sister…if I’m sent out like Remi I will just die even before I get to the forest…at the mention of forest I have great fear because I will remember egbo mi (elder sister) but you said that she is happy and she is well taken care off with her child and that alone is all that matters to me, just for her to be fine…but my own future is right here please…
“hmmm…nobody is sending you out of the kingdom…your sister was chosen by the gods and that is why she in the forest, you have no business going there but you still have business there… when the time comes my child you will love everything from the forest…
“I will love egbo mi and her child… then the bush meat and fruits that I have not tasted before…that is the only thing that will interest me there nothing else…I wish egbo mi will return back now with my nephew…so I will teach him how to climb tress and swim in the river, I will teach him how to make ridges and how to be a great farmer…
His grandma laugh before asking Dami to go and fetch firewood and he left immediately.
Nike did not see Leja, she was told he went out, but as she got to the gate she saw Leja coming in, she pushed Leja to one corner
“I have being suspended…so I’m going home right away…I will be away for one week…
“Suspended by who and what was your offence…what happened..
“Omooba…he gave me one week suspension…and he said you should report to his chamber immediately….i went to tell him about the news of being pregnant but it didn’t go down well because he calculated from the last time i was seen in his chamber to the present day, he added everything up and it did not make sense at all…I never thought he will have time to start calculating all that and I was surprise when he brought it up Leja…I don’t even know how to convince him, so you can try to do that because everything lies within this child I’m carrying…i will discuss with Iyami and know what to do next….the Oba is critically ill and can’t attend to anyone…I would have suggested that me and Iyami come down to speak with the Oba if he will listen to us but as the wh0le thing is now we have to think of another way to get the prince into this…is the future I’m carrying here, I know is your child but the prince has to believe is this otherwise we are doom…
“Omooba is not foolish Nike…if he can remember what happened the night he caught you in his chamber then there is nothing I will say or do that can convince him…
“Don’t say that Leja, the prince trust and believes everything you tells him, you are the chief guard here too also the Prince right hand man….only you can convince him, make him believe that this child is his…I don’t know how you will do it but do it anyway you like…all that matters is for him to believe you…Omooba has no doubt in you…he trust you…
“yes, he trust me and I have betrayed him severally already, I took his trust for gra
nted…I wish I can get off this, I wish I never even get involve with this wh0le mess….the fact is he will not believe me and I don’t want him to start suspecting me in anyway…I will try to clear my head and…
“clear which head…your head…hahahaha…you are a joker Leja, mind whatever you say to the prince before it backfires…clear your head and also clear mine because I am carrying your child, you can’t get away with this…the pregnancy did not enter when it was suppose to, and you contributed to it…I will make a solid plan you will scatter it…what is wrong with you…if you have laid with me continuously like I asked and wanted you to… the pregnancy wouldn’t be this late, I have to force and kept on disturbing you just for us to get here finally now the ball fall back to you…play it well Leja…play it well and don’t try to be smart with me…remember we are in this together…we have gone deep and can’t get out until the purpose is all achieve…think of what to tell Omooba so that he can believe you…
Ope saw Leja and Nike whispering something to their selves close to the palace gate as she tries to spread the princess wear, she wonder what they were always talking about in a whisper, she watched them for sometime and felt anger building up as Nike talked with Leja, Ope frown as she stood at a distance watching them, Nike looked like she was pregnant and Leja is responsible no doubt, maybe the queen mother found out and sent her home because she looked like she was going home, Ope thought within her as she turned and walked away with some of the princess dry cloths
She breathed deeply as she thought of Remi, she really missed her and it saddens her that she is no more, Remi has a warm presence, beautiful and hærdworking but Nike was always jealous of her and she succeeded in making the Oba to banish her.
The princess was suppose to be getting married soon but since her father is ill they have to postpone the wedding until the Oba gets better.
Ope has become the princess personal maiden, the princess chosed her and asked her to be her personal maiden in place of Remi, and she has tried to serve with all her heart just as Remi had done, she is taking Remi’s step to serve the princess wh0leheartedly.
Ope knew that she will never be able to fill the gap or the emptiness that Remi left in everyone’s heart.
The prince walked along the corridor and Ope who was carrying some of the princess dry cloths ran into the prince unknowingly and quickly knelt down to apologise
“ejoo…I mabinu omooba…(I’m sorry my prince)
“kosi wahala… (No problem) you serve my sister now?
“ben ni, (yes, I do)
“Good, and hope you serve well just as Re…Remi when she was here. Be sincere in your dealing and also be trustworthy and you will win the princess heart…by the way have you seen Leja around…
“Yes, my prince…he is at the palace gate side…talking with Nike…
“Nike, the maiden I sent for one week suspension?, what are they talking about…go and call Leja immediately…and tell that Maiden to leave the palace at once…
Ope dropped everything in her hands and ran off to the gate, she wondered what Nike did wrong for the prince to send her home on suspension, she was glad that Nike was sent home.
on getting there, Nike pause from what she was saying to Leja to face Ope…
“Witch…what do you want here…what are you looking for…
Ope decided to drop few insult for Nike first
“Getting pregnant for Leja is that the way you intend to become the next queen, you told me that I should watch out and you will become the queen of this kingdom…and I am still watching and all I can see is that you are pregnant for Leja and the prince sent you home on suspension…what a pity,…
“You are an idiot Ope, who told you I’m pregnant for Leja, I’m proudly carrying the Prince son in my womb, and I am not going on suspension but to visit my mother as the prince asked me to…deal with it jealous fool, because I will become the Queen of this great kingdom and people like you will become my footstool, I will banish you from this kingdom when the time comes, just like Remi was banished…enemies like you are threat to this great kingdom, you are meant to become food for the wild animals in the forest…that is where you will belong…is a matter of little time and it will happen…
“hahahaha…may the gods curse that your lying mouth for saying you are carrying the prince child, the prince said it himself that you are on suspension and I should tell you to leave the palace at once. Leja, he asked you to report to him immediately…so Nike, go home and serve your punishment and all your evil deed will catch up with you one day, Remi deserve to be a Queen, she was truly carrying the prince child just as the princess has even testified but you feigned her up and got her banished with a child in her womb…you are so heartless, and mind you…the gods maybe crazy but they are wise and they will bring judgement to you and to the womb that bore you…Leja the prince is watching and he wants you to report to him at once and he said you should push Nike out of the palace, push her so hærd or better still drag her out of this gate before going to omooba…Leja do it…the prince is watching you now…
Leja got scared as he hærd that the prince was watching him which wasn’t true. He turned to Nike and asked her to leave, Nike slapped his hand off her shoulder
“so you want to push me out…you are crazy…can’t you see I’m pregnant with the prince son and this evil witch is so bitter because of that fact…she will die of jealousy…don’t touch me before the gods strike you down…
“Nike, just cooperate and leave…the prince is watching us…don’t make this more complicated than it is already, just leave at once as the prince commanded….please.
Nike quietly started walking towards the gate as Leja followed her to make sure she was out, Nike pause at the gate to look at Ope angrily from head to toe, she gave a heavy hiss before walking out.
Ope started laughing at her as she walked away.
Leja went to see the prince while Ope went back to the princess chamber.

To be continued…

⬅️ PREVIOUS Episode