Palingenesis – Episode 2

LIST OF COMPLETED STORIES

DONATE TO US

Palingenesis – Episode 2

By Akpede Isaac Olutosin
**Present Day***
“Na lie na lie, e no get how Leicester fit carry league, e no fit happen.”
“E fit happen, in football anything can happen, shey dem Aston villa, Everton and co never carry league before?”
“Blah blah blah, noise all over the house!” Ben who was trying to sleep muttered bitterly as he got up angrily and walked out of the room.
It’s not like he is not a fan of football or arguments but he is not just in the best of moods. On getting outside he saw a group of girls also arguing about how Kim kardashian has drained Kanye west of his Fame and glory.
“Chaii nawa to this student villa oo see argument everywhere, make I kuma just stroll commot Jaare.” He said to himself and kept on walking to anywhere his mind directed, he kept walking and walking and just when he realized that he has been walking for a long time and not having any particular place he is going to, he decided to go back but something caught his attention. He just saw a beautiful figure approaching him.
“O boy eeh! I didn’t walk in vain oo” he whispered to himself. As he kept walking slowly towards the girl, he was surprised to see the girl smiling on seeing him, he was still wondering why the girl was smiling when his brain did some matrix calculations and concluded that he knows the girl, he smiled back when he realized it was beautiful Ejiro.
“Ejiro” he shouted with surprise. “What are you doing in Passo knowing that most girls are always scared of coming to this place?”
“Albert Einstein how can you conclude that most girls are scared of coming here?” she asked smiling then added. “If that’s your theory then I am glad to tell you I am not among the circle of your most girls” she replied as they made to hug each other.
The hug lasted for a while, you would have thought that they’ve known each other for years.
“Okay on a serious note what are you doing here?” Ben managed to ask after the intense hug.
“I just came to see a friend and don’t probe further about that, you ask too many questions.” as soon as she said that sentence they both had a deja vu feeling, like they have had that conversation before and simultaneously they both snapped out of the feeling.
“You stay around here?” Ejiro asked.
“ Yeah. Just around the corner.” Ben replied.
“I would have loved to go to your place so you can cook that ogbono soup you told me you cook very well but I have to go and see my friend right now.”
Ben was glad she had other plans and wouldn’t be following him to his place because the noise of argument will just chase her away and moreover he doesn’t know how to cook noodles let alone ogbono soup. He just lied to her so he could copy her work the other day.
“Oops but it’s not a problem. We still have all the time in the world.” Ben responded as though he was pained that she wouldn’t be able to visit him right away.
“Okay let me take this bike.” Ejiro said as she signaled for the bike to stop.
Ben pulled her back. “Not until you give me your digits.”
She smiled. “080*********” and then got on the bike.
“Kai baban mutu, kada kada du Allah. (chairman, small small o abeg.)” Ben said to the bike man who just smiled and nodded.
As soon as the bike disappeared out of view, he returned home with joy all over his face.
***Unknown time ***
“Anybody here? Hello, is anybody in here?” Ajadi kept on shouting as he was knocking on the door of a little hut that looks shattered and abandoned. The location of the hut is more like a desolated place. Ajadi kept wondering why everything about this girl was so weird and strange.
Can it be that she is truly a spirit girl? No it can’t be, all those things are just superstitions, there is nothing like emere, witch, wizard or any other spiritual being.
He was brought out of his imagination by the shrieking of the door and standing in front of him is who Ajadi regarded has the most beautiful girl in the wh0le of the village and even the neighboring village.
For a moment they were both surprised and mute but the girl broke the silence.
“Who are you and what do you want?”
“I am sorry to have disturbed you, I just want us to talk.” Ajadi replied.
“ We have nothing to talk about, please leave!” the girl said.
As she was about to close the door, Ajadi held the door by putting his foot by the door. “Please
Omolabake I just want to ask you some questions, please I won’t take much of your time.”
“ And I said I don’t have anything to talk about with you.” she said as she slammed the door.
Ajadi knocked for a while but she didn’t respond so he left for the palm wine tapper’s place.
“Palmwine is very nice oo especially when you are taking it with bush meat” said by one of the men sitting on the palm wine table alongside Ajadi, Adisa and a few of their friends.
“It is one of the best things of life, there is nothing like sitting under this tree and drinking your palm wine you know.” Adisa said, feeling refreshed. He noticed the worried look on Ajadi’s face.
“Ajadi you look worried, what’s the problem?” Adisa asked.
“I am just worried about that Omolabake girl. There is something drawing me to her, I need to
get to know her and find out what it is.” Ajadi replied.
“Wait oo! Which of the Omolabakes oo? I hope it’s not the one i am thinking.” one of their friends inquired.
“Yes it’s the one you are thinking, the very same Omolabake emere.” Adisa confirmed.
“Ki laa de, se Edi o ma di e bi (what is wrong, I hope you are not under a spell)” another friend of theirs shouted.
“Beeni edi n dimi, edi Ife si ni edi to n di mi( Yes I am under a spell and it is a love spell)”
Ajadi shouted back.
“ Ajadi if you don’t come to your senses right now, okun ore to sowapo ma ja nisinsinyi (the bond of our friendsh¡p will break right now)” the guy said now standing up in front of Ajadi.
“Ko ni dafun okun ore, ti okun ore ba fe jaa, ko ja danu (to hell with friendsh¡p bond, if it wants to break, let it break right now)” Ajadi replied, standing up to the guy also.
“So be it then.” the guy said and left, followed by the 2 other friends leaving only Ajadi and Adisa.
“And are you not following them?” Ajadi now facing Adisa.
“For me I wouldn’t say our friendsh¡p is broken but I will have to stay away from you till you come back to your senses.” Adisa replied and walked away.
The nights has fallen, most people are settling to sleep but Ajadi was still outside sitting and
thinking about Omolabake, imagining a lot of things, like going to the stream with her, running after her in her compound, it was such an interesting imagination but was cut short by his Father’s voice….
“Young man, what is this rumor that I hear about you going after the spirit girl?”
“Father she is not a spirit girl…”
“Shut your mouth!” his father cuts in. “I am not here to exchange words with you. I just want you to know that you cannot drag this family into disgrace and danger. By tomorrow I want you to reach a conclusion on who you want to choose. Your family or the spirit girl!”
Immediately the man finished talking he turned back and went in,side.
++++
After much deliberation on the condition his father gave him, Ajadi sneaked in,side while everyone were asleep, packed few of his clothes and headed for Omolabake’s hut. It was in the darkest part of the night but being a warrior that he is, he wasn’t scared; he kept walking as fast as he could and when he got to Labakes’s hut, he heaved a sigh of relief and prayed to the gods that Labake wouldn’t send him away.
He knocked about 3 times.
“Who is that?” Labake asked behind the closed door. She seemed terrified, from the sound of her voice, and I thought they said she is a spirit girl.
“ It’s me!” he said trying to conceal his identity. Chances were that she probably might not give him audience if she knows it was him.
She opened the door a little and saw his face.
“ Ajadi what are you doing here at this time of the night?”
“ You know my name?” he asked looking as surprised as he can be.
“That doesn’t answer my question. What are you doing here at this time? Please leave this place and go home it’s late!”
“ Omolabake I don’t have a home anymore. I have lost it all! I don’t have any friends or family. I chose you over all of them! They all left me because of you, and I left them for you. I chose you over the wh0le world and I will do it all over again!” Ajadi.
Labake’s eyes are now very w-t. She has never felt loved before, not even her parents loved her. The reason being that when she was born everything turned around for them. They lost their produce, they lost their farm, they lost all their kids which happened to be her elder sisters and brothers . When she was 3 years old her mother died from an unknown sickness, her father hated her so much, he believed she was the cause of their misfortunes.
He abused and insulted her at any given opportunity, he later died when she was 15 years Old. Since he was a chronic drunk, people concluded he was killed because of too much alcohols.
“You can sleep on that place.” she said pointing to a piece of plank by the corner of the room.
He obeyed and dropped his load on the floor and was about to sleep off when Labake called him.
“Ajadi do you know who I am……?”
“Yes I do! You are Omolabake, the maiden that has stolen my heart away, the maiden I chose over every other thing, the maiden I want to marry and make babies with, the most beautiful girl in all the villages, the one with the purest heart and sweetest smile, that is who you are Omolabake.” Ajadi flirted with her.
Labake couldn’t stop giggling and blushing.
“Okay then Ajadi good night, may the day break.”
Ajadi was so happy that finally he has found a place to call home, he has found a woman to call His wife and soon he will start make a family with her. The only thing left is for him to work towards building a bigger hut and getting his inheritance from his father and that settles it.
Little did he know that man proposes……………

… To be continued

⬅️ PREVIOUS episode