Babatunde had told the crusading prophet that he would be arrested next time he tried destroying the heritage of the town. He was so deadly soft in contrast to the bluster of the prophet that the followers gradually calmed down and disappeared. Babatunde asked the prophet to bring him one witch who would state that they held meetings in the tree, and what the meeting was about. He told him bluntly that he was not in the mood to accept anyone who had hysteria about the religion of others. As the crowd watched, Babatunde faced them and announced that the Nigerian constitution has given every person the freedom of religion. He invited anyone who had been in anyway harmed by the traditional religion of the town to come forward and state his grievances or otherwise he would appreciate a peaceful co-existence of all religious groups. He contended that the chiefs had a right and responsibility to defend their own conviction too.
When the crowd dispersed, Babatunde invited the prophet into a smaller room and bluntly told him he was a rabble-rouser and he was not going to accept the antics of the prophet making trouble under the pretext of seeing visions. He shocked the prophet when he mentioned that he was aware of the seven pregnant women in his church at different stages of pregnancy while he was still living openly with a woman who came to the prophet for spiritual healing. The prophet was shocked and he apologized to Babatunde.
“Next time you fancy seeing visions why don’t you try positive ones that will benefit the town. Creating morbid imaginings within the people is keeping your followers in bondage and reaping from their ignorance.”
The prophet gave his Kabiyesi a keen look and prostrated flat asking for forgiveness. Babatunde was tired of the antics of religious bigots each claiming to holding the key to paradise. Each year there would be one more scandal or the other. The traditional worshippers tended to hold the practitioners of the imported faith in some contempt as these ‘leaders’ invariably came to them asking for one medicine or the other to bring seekers to their various places of worship. Babatunde knew there were some genuine ones but the larger lot were for the most part charlatans.
Ife smiled at him as he finished his story and wished him the strength to deal with an even hand all the mixed pot of humanity he had to deal with. He returned her smile and said he didn’t have much fear of doing well because she was there with him.
They had dinner and were thinking of retiring when they heard a soft knock and a guard came to say that Prince Adewunmi has come to see the Kabiyesi. Babatunde frowned but Ife put a gentle hand on his arm and he nodded that he would see the prince in the anteroom.
Prince Adewunmi rose respectfully as Babatunde walked in. He was no longer the arrogant Adewunmi of old and Babatunde felt he should really give him the chance to regain his inner sense of confidence.
“Kabiyesi, I am sorry to impose my presence like this. I was prepared to wait for another day if this was not going to be comfortable for you.”
Babatunde looked at him for some brief seconds then a friendly smile came across his features as he gestured for Prince Adewunmi to be served a drink.
While that was being done he chatted amiably with the prince about the state of the town and wondered what could be done to attract tourists into there. Prince Adewunmi laughed and suggested that the baobab tree could be one of the tourist attractions of the town as it was estimated to be over seven hundred years old. That gave Babatunde an idea and he asked if Adewunmi could get his facts together.
When the drinks had been served and the room was now deemed private, Adewunmi suddenly prostrated in front of Babatunde. This obviously shocked Babatunde who told him to stand up immediately and forbade him from ever doing that again.
"You are a prince no matter what has been said and you must portray yourself as that,” Babatunde told him. “I think I know why you want to see me, but say it with your own lips.”
“I want the blessing of Numen on my quest to be the next Governor of the state, Kabiyesi,” Adewunmi announced quietly. Babatunde was surprised because he was not expecting that—his blessing as Kabiyesi maybe ‘yes’ but to ask for ‘ASHE’ from Numen was something else.
Adewunmi said, “As a freeborn son of the town, I am regarded as a prince as you have told us countless times. I would like to apply for her blessing with your permission.”
Babatunde felt compassion rise within him as he recognized the need. “You know what you have to do; will you be willing to do it? You are asking for the guardian of the town to bless a venture that you will have to swear will be on behalf of the town. You are asking to be sent on a mission by the town that will commit the town to voting for you alone. Can you in all truth ask that of the town? Numen is not political and her answer may disappoint you.”
Adewunmi smiled. “I know the consequences of all that, Kabiyesi. I only ask for the formal blessing of Numen.”
Babatunde saw the bid, the trap and the cunning, but he still wanted to help and said nothing for a while. He studied Adewunmi, then a smile came into his eyes. “Every human being has the right and responsibility to reach for a luminous goal. Very well, you will present yourself to the grove at dawn tomorrow. Yeye will tell you how long you may have to remain at the grove. There will be no calls to the outside in whatever form whatsoever. If Numen recognizes your petition, you will be informed at the grove. In the meantime, I will inform Babamogba of your request and he will see you this night. Are you ready?”
Adewunmi blinked, but nodded an enthusiastic yes.
Babatunde spoke in a soft voice, “We are children of the morning sun and have been here for a long time; in our growth we gradually learned of Numen. In the Yoruba understanding, Numen is seen as ‘ASHE’, authority of the will of Olodumare.
“ASHE is the life force or energy that flows through the chakras. It is neutral and can be used for good or bad. It is contained in everything including the elements and natural things so anyone who has understood how to use ASHE can be good or bad. Generally it is symbolized by six cowries and seven seashells. If you receive the symbol of Numen, you are bound by the laws and though your choices are free—you cannot escape the consequence of flouting the laws and it is visited on you and your children for generations. Are you prepared for this?”
Adewunmi grew silent, and Babatunde saw his confusion.
“You need to know this, that is why I decided to stress what you are about to ask for. It is a step I did not dare to take nor ask for, in respect of myself but for the whole town. A single person has never asked before, but the possibility is always there and the opportunity as well.”
Adewunmi further hesitated and thunder crashed very close to both of them and they both saw the flash of lightning illuminate the room—suddenly a string of white cowrie appeared in front of Adewunmi.
Babatunde was still speaking softly as he asked him to pick up the cowrie string as that would be indication to Babamogba that very night of a supplicant.
Adewunmi sighed and sat back in his chair with a very defeated look on his face. Babatunde was sympathetic and he explained, “Obeying the will of Edumare is not as simple as we all think, my friend. We have our individual egos to contend with. Numen, which in reality is a Latin word for divinity, is in our understanding the divine presence of the representative of the authority of Edumare. By that very definition of the word Olodumare, we mean the being that carries the justice and owns the justice. Princess Numen symbolizes it for us in the way we learn to seek the will of Edumare. Will you really want to involve Olodumare in the politics of mortal man who is yet to understand the meaning of love let alone a concept of justice?”
Adewunmi gave a very heavy sigh. “I guess I needed to hear and learn this, Kabiyesi. May I however ask for your blessing?”
“And my vote as well,” Babatunde assured him.
By the time Adewunmi looked around the cowrie string had disappeared. Adewunmi looked relieved and Babatunde laughed.
“Saved by the bell,” Adewunmi murmured.
“You have shown bravery and honesty, maybe that wi
ll work well for you in politics. We need honest men, Prince. I will be counting on you.”
Kabiyesi rose and Adewunmi took that as a signal that the meeting was at an end. He gave the one fist salute and Babatunde grasped the fist firmly.
Chapter Eighteen
When Ife got to the State House there was a note waiting for her requesting she should report to the office for the Commissioner for Health. Ife grimaced wondering what was up with Dolapo Peters now. She went over to the clinic to see if there were any patients she needed to attend. There was a particular woman, Mrs. Giwa, who she was hoping to see so she could give her some final instructions. Mrs. Giwa had what you might call phantom pregnancy and she had agonized for days on the best way to break the news.
The lady was sitting there eagerly waiting to have her pregnancy confirmed. Ife smiled and asked the woman to be comfortable. Then she brought out the scan reports and looked up at Mrs. Giwa who was staring at her with very hopeful eyes and Ife hesitated.
“My baby moved this morning just as I was coming here, Doctor.”
Ife paused and spoke slowly after taking a deep breath, “I would love to agree with you on that score, but madam, what moved or actually shifted is not a baby.”
Mrs. Giwa gasped and gave Ife a sad glance. “What do you mean?”
“I am so sorry, I would dearly wish to be able to tell you that you are expecting a baby, but what you have are a collection of very large fibroids that give a semblance of pregnancy. You see—”
Mrs. Giwa fled the room in tears.
Ife covered her face in sadness because she knew how much the woman wanted a child. She remained in that sad state for a while but then she remembered she was required to see her Commissioner for Health and she left a message about her summoning with the personal secretary of the First Lady.
There were quite a lot of visitors waiting to see the Commissioner when she got there and Ife sighed, wondering if she should just leave a note and come back. The door opened and a secretary called her to say that Madam Commissioner had been waiting for her and had left instructions for her to go right in as soon as she arrived. Ife thanked the secretary and walked right in, and stopped in surprise.
Dolapo Peters was dressed most inappropriately in a sheer blouse and pants and was sitting in an easy chair varnishing her nails. Ife was even more puzzled as she recollected the crowd sitting patiently in the reception waiting to see the lady.
Ife knew she was in the dark side of a different level of this world, and talking to Dolapo in her real nature. The atmosphere was heavy, sensual and dense, and Ife held her breath. Dolapo wanted her to be seen as she truly was.
Dolapo gave a laugh and asked Ife to sit on the couch beside her. She invited Ife to name her drink. Ife held her disgust in check and answered frigidly that she was on duty.
“Even if you were off duty, I learned that you don’t drink. Someone I put in charge of monitoring you explained that you fellows from Blue Island are a nuisance at the best of times. This is not one of my best days. Acting like a human being can be a bore sometimes.”
“Why did you send for me?”
“You are being proper here, right? Why did you turn off the request of Adewunmi? He would have served you well. He does not know me, you know, but one nice prophetess told him he could receive the blessing of Numen.”
“Why did you send for me?”
“You have not answered my question, have you?”
“Haven’t you done enough harm? You have ensnared a man, made him impotent with his wife and turned him into a plaything for your pleasure. He hardly touches his wife and you want to make Adewunmi a sacrificial goat for your dark temple. No can do, Petra. I recognized you from the first day. I am on duty for that town and her inhabitants, which includes Adewunmi.”
“So why were you not minding your own darn business? Adewunmi came to us and we were willing to help him.”
“You mean you were willing to use him to embarrass the Lion and put the Lion in a precarious situation. He rejected you before as Kike, what makes you think he wouldn’t recognize your new disguise now? If I did so can he.”
Dolapo hissed in anger and stretched out her nails towards Ife who stood calmly watching her.
“You know I was turned down when I offered to be allowed on Blue island. You know what happened?”
“You are twisting the story, you were given an assignment and you turned it into your own ends, Petra, and quite a lot of people perished in that storm. You picked only what your wanted and did not even return to the Island.”
Dolapo whined, “You got the wrong end of the story.”
“I did, a helper from Blue Island goes to earth to help humanity and tried to make them slaves? Slaves of their greed, their sexuality when you know that was the exact opposite of the errand you were sent to do. You failed, Petra, and did not even have the remorse to offer to make it right. You have picked on another and making your return harder to Blue Island.”
Dolapo gave Ife a keen look and from under her eyelashes winked. “You can help me make it back. I want to make your Lion famous. We will punish Adewunmi for daring to want to compete with him and give him lots of wealth beyond his imagination. Just say whatever you want.”
Ife was tired, her inner struggle with Petra was always like that. She never intended to harm the poor spirit, just try to find ways to be helpful. Sometimes she lost patience but today she just wanted to be helpful
“I can help you only when you are willing to drink the water of humility. Last time I looked there were bitter leaves sprinkled in it by you. Until you make a choice, you are bound here.”
“Is that what you think? I called you here to explain to you what has happened—to give you my own side of the story.”
“I do not have the competence to be a judge over you, I am asked to be a protector under guidance and you carry that same ability because you are permitted to be a woman,” Ife replied softly, wishing just for once Petra would open her soul. “Oh Petra, you had so much, why are you doing this to yourself?”
Someone knocked on the door and both of them reverted to their earth bodies. Ife blinked, shocked, while Dolapo had a smug look on her face.
“He can’t do without me every night you know, no matter how many women he has. He returns to my bed every night while that witch he calls wife moans waiting for him,” Dolapo said with vicious relish, as the secretary came through the door inquiring if the Commissioner wanted anything.
Dolapo was amused and smiled sweetly at the secretary that she was almost through with the adorable doctor, so the first visitor could then come in. She turned and gave Ife a baleful glare, “Think about what I have offered you, I can make things happen for you and him here—ease things…but it is your choice.”
“No matter how good the apple, I would not accept one from a serpent. You seem to have forgotten something, one small detail…I am Numen!”
Ife walked out.
~~~
Ife returned to her office still sickened by the experience. She was still wondering how she could help the First Lady when she was paged that Mrs. Omolayo was at the gate and they would like to know if she had permission to come up to the state clinic. Ife thanked the security officers and said it was okay for Mrs. Omolayo to come.
Ten minutes later Mrs. Omolayo was sitting in the small consulting room. Ife wondered if she was a simple mother or it was Leila again. Mrs. Omolayo was respectful, and did not indicate that she had left abruptly the other time. They chatted about the change of job and Ife asked after Iwapele and the girl’s studies. Mrs. Omolayo replied that her daughter was doing quite well.
“You could call me Bolanle, it is a bit formal after all you have done for me to have you referring to me as Mrs. Omolayo.”
Ife smiled and explained that since the lady was older, it would be impossible for her to go against the tradition and call the lady by her first name. There was a small pause and Ife wondered if there was anything special that she ought t
o know, if Iwapele was really doing well.
Mrs. Omolayo hesitated for a moment then mentioned that she had a reason for coming to see Ife. “Iwapele has been having strange dreams lately and she is beginning to worry about her safety. I am worried too. I am wondering if it will be okay for her to come over to your town and visit a lady she said she met there. She keeps talking of seeing herself in a stream there. It sounds foolish and very un-medical to say that but Iwapele still needs some treatment.”
“I see Ma’am, if it will not disturb her studies, by all means she is free to come to my town. Good thing you came here for I will not be here for much longer. I have resigned, you see, so I can pay more attention to my other duties.”
“That will be very kind of you and I guess that will put Iwapele’s mind at rest. She has insisted that we should call her by that name now. She says the name speaks more to her than the first name we all call her by.”
“Interesting, does she have other siblings?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“No special reason except the thought that she has other young persons she grew up with maybe.”
Mrs. Omolayo laughed and the next sentence was a surprise for Ife. She mentioned casually that she has a cousin Yomi who had recently married but had a son from a previous relationship and that Kunle had for a time lived with them.
Ife stared as she listened and then started laughing helplessly. Mrs. Omolayo watched her wondering what was so amusing and Ife spluttered that she knows Yomi, explained about Kunle the son, and commented that it was indeed a small world.
Mrs. Omolayo laughed with Ife, agreeing that it was a small world indeed. Ife, still curious, asked Mrs. Omolayo if her first name was Leila.
There was silence.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you, Numen, when I gave you that warning.”
“You have been gone for such a long time, Lije looked everywhere for you, and so did Jasmine after a time.”
Numen! Page 16