Diamond In The Forest

Episode 15

The following morning, Remi’s
mother woke Remi up and
started speaking to her.

“so Remi you are no more a
virgin… One of the proud
virgins of this kingdom…so you
are truly pregnant..aah…you
sold it in a platter of plessure
with the prince…I have being
breathing with ease with iya
Nike… especially when her
daughter came announcing
that the Queen came to her
and personally asked her to be
her honorable personal
maiden… she said the Queen
had taken a special interest in
her and that was why she gave
her the post…she did not even
ask to be appointed…the Queen
just did… almost everyone is
this kingdom hard of it…it was
a good thing and that is what
every mother expect from
there daughter.. good
news…not a news of you being
pregnant…is a shame Remi…

and why I can’t agree with iya
Nike in hurting that innocent
child in your womb is because I
know what it took me to have
you…me and your father had
difficulty in conceiving after
getting married for years and
that was why he had to marry
iya Nike, it was after then I
gave birth to you so I cherish
every child because some
women are still praying to the
gods to have one…Remi…
there’s no pride in getting
pregnant this way, no
particular man to call yours,
you said even the prince is not
aware, i know how shameful it
is but I will stand by you Remi
and we will carry the shame
together, I will never ask you
to hurt that child… the mistake
has already being made…I
don’t care who is responsible…
the guard, the prince.. even if is
Oba himself…I do not care all
that matters is that you will
have that child and he or she
will become part of us…I don’t
understand why Iya Nike is
fighting us…we are not
dragging anything with her…I
seriously don’t understand her
problem but I know the gods
will save us from her claws…all
you need to do is to resign
from the palace before the
pregnancy becomes obvious…
“Ese maami…(thank you
mother)

Remi sensed something was
wrong that morning as she set
to leave for her grandmother’s
place, normally she will open
the door and step out without
any care but this time as she
opened the door she did not
go out immediately she was
careful with her every move
until she could see what the
problem was and when she
saw it she stood in shock.
Somebody poured a slippery
substance in form of powder
right in front of their door and
put sharp objects like a broken
bottles and nails all around, so
that who ever that will be
slipped down from the
substance will fall into the
pieces of broken bottles and
nails which may likely
penetrate into the victim’s
body.

Remi stood looking at the set
traps and knew who was
behind it, she began to thank
the gods that she sense the
danger on time and was the
first to come, if her mother or
brother had opened the door
first they would have being
badly injured or even worst
Remi called her mother’s
attention to it and the woman
was in shock to see what iya
Nike did right in front of the
house
Dami, Remi’s brother wanted
to pack sand from the backyard
to pour in the place before
sweeping it away.
But Remi asked him to leave it
first
She knew that iya Nike has just
stepped on her toe by setting a
deadly trap on their front yard
Iya Remi wanted to go and
meet iya Nike just to ask her
why she will be so heartless to
do such a thing but Remi
stopped her from going
because she knew her mother
is not strong enough to
withstand iya Nike,
So she decided to go instead,
they went back inside and
passed through the back yard.
Remi went to knock on iya
Nike’s door.

At the second knock Nike came
out

“What is it this early morning
witch… why are you Knocking
on our door or is the b—–d
pregnancy that you are
carrying affecting your brain…
“I’m not here to batter words
with you Nike… where’s your
mother and I really do want to
know who set such a
dangerous trap right in front of
our door…

“Do you see us setting any
trap… why are you asking
useless question and even if
we did and so what… what can
you do…it was meant to help
you abort that b——s and
disfigure that your face that
make you feel you are more
beautiful than me…if your
mother has gotten into the
trap then is also good…if she
dies then is a very good thing
because she is so useless to this
kingdom and also your
brother…

Remi gave Nike a double slap
on her cheek, Nike felt dizzy
and have to hold onto
something from falling down,
Iya Nike rushed out and saw
her daughter trying to catch
her breath, Remi’s finger print
was on her cheek
Iya Nike charger towards Remi
but Remi who was already
boiling in anger slapped the
woman and she also fell to the
ground, Iya Remi who was
watching from a distance.

she started calling her
daughter that it was enough
but Remi wasn’t done with
them yet
She dragged Nike and her
mother to the exact place
where they poured the slippery
substance with the sharp
objects, Remi ordered Nike and
her mother to start packing
and sweeping the whole place
and make sure that there was
no pin left, as they tried to
argue she gave both of them
another slap and they quickly
went to work
They felt dizzy from Remi’s
beaten but had to clean up the
place as she ordered them
They kept quiet, silently
whimpering and sniffing there
noses as they clean up Remi
their front door
Remi’s mother and brother
watch in shock, iya Remi has
always baffles at the great
strength her daughter posses,
she knew is not from her
because she doesn’t even have
a enough strength of her own
it must have been gifted to her
by her “iyaiya” or by the gods
She watch as iya Remi and her
daughter obediently staggered
and clean up the mess just as
Remi asked them to.
After they were done they
wanted to go but Remi ask
them to wait for one last
warning and despite iya Nike
was rolling her eyes up and
down at Remi and hissing
uncontrollably she still stood
with her daughter and wait
“Leave my family alone… leave
us alone for the gods sake iya
Nike, warn your daughter and
harken to the same warning,
we have tolerated too much
from you and your daughter…
this is little compare to what i
will do to anybody that will
hurt maami and my brother…
both of them and my grandma
are all I have on this earth…if
you hurt them in anyway you
will be receive double for their
trouble…I promise you… stay
very far away from us and let
us be in peace…

Iya Nike gave a loud hiss
before taking her daughter
inside, she was mumbling
something but Remi ignored
her and left for her
grandmother’s house
She Saw her grandmother
cooking something in her
kitchen

“Iya…iya… ekaro…I’m happy to
see you… what are you
cooking…it smells nice…

“I’m preparing chicken pepper
soup…I killed one of those fowl
scattering my ridge and eating
up my crops… and I’m making
a strong soup which will be
good for your condition…

“,My condition… what condition
is that iya…do you know
that…how?

“Remilekun… what an elder see
sitting down the young can’t
see even while standing up…
the seed of crown has being
planted my child… disaster will
soon struck… before the gods
will take you away… how I
wish they won’t take you far
but I can see that your journey
will be a long one…my
confidence is that you are
strong enough to withstand it
all… the gods chose right when
they chose you… they chose
wisely…

“Iya, I was even wondering
how to tell you that I was
pregnant…I feel so ashamed to
break such news to you and i
don’t know how you will feel
about it…I thought you will be
disappointed but here you are
making me feel at ease… you
are even making a chicken
soup for me..aah Iya…I know
you speak in riddles and I
haven’t understand a single
thing but I’m not worried like I
was before…
Remi’s grandmother put
enough soup into a plate
before bringing it to Remi who
was sitting outside the kitchen
“Becarefull with it…is hot but is
better eaten hot than cold…
drink the soup and eat all the
meat…is very good for you and
the child…

“Ese iya… you kept on saying
disaster will struck is it the
disaster that iya Nike almost
caused this morning… she set
traps right in front of our door
and if maami have being the
first to stepped outside this
morning… I just can’t imagine
what will happen… they set a
deadly trap but I made sure
that they cleaned it all up…I
guess is time to give them a
seat that they both
deserve…alot has being
happening iya…I can’t even tell
you half of it…
“Igbagbo re ti poju…(you trust
too much) I told you there are
enemies in a friendly
clothing…I told you anger
labels you a fool…I gave you an
illustration of it…my saliva in
your palm…rubbed together
with earth dust before I asked
you to wash it…
“I know iya…I remember but
hmmm…I can’t withstand them
attacking us everytime, is too
much to bear Iya…

“I know…I know my child…the
strength you posses is
uncommon and the gods
blessed you with that because
of the journey you will embark
on.. they didn’t give you so
much strength to go fighting
physical battle… listen, your
every part of life has being
preordained but if you keep
trying to fight physical battle
or telling the wrong people
what they don’t deserve to
know…it will make your
journey more difficult and spoil
a whole lot of things…

“I understand iya but Nike and
her mother needs to be dealt
with, do you know I thought
Nike has truly changed…I
thought she was for real with
all the show she displayed back
at the palace…I was happy to
call her my sister..I never knew
it was just as usual..

“Unfriendly people care only
about themselves, they lash
out at common sense, fools has
no interest in understanding,
they only want to air their
opinion… we may throw the
dice but the gods determines
how it falls…so gbo mi
Remilekun (are you listening to
me) a hot tempered person
start fights a cool tempered
person stops them….only a fool
despise a parent’s discipline…
whoever learns from correction
is wise… Gbo kan le Olorun maa
gbo kan le eniyan (trust no one
except the gods) do you
understand all that I have
said…
” Not everything but in general
you want me to be wise and
control my anger because it
only makes me a fool…I should
becareful in trusting humans…
they are proverbs iya and
sounds so deep…my worries
now is what will happen to
me… what is next step for me…
you make me feel there is
danger ahead…what should i
do iya?
“Ole se nkan Kan (you can not
do anything) fire of strife has
being set which will not only
affect you but will consume
those you holds dearly… is a
blazing fire…I cry now so that I
can be strong when it comes…
There is nothing you will be
able to do about it.. Olorun yoo
mu e lo si ibi ri o dara….awon
ota re o ni Simi digba to wo ba
baeje (your enemies will not
rest until you are destroyed)
maa beru (do not be afraid)
Olorun a maa so e (the gods
will protect you)
And with that Remi drank the
remaining soup in the plate
before going to wash and
return it back to her
grandmother’s kitchen.

She felt satisfied with what she
did to iya Nike and her
daughter even though her
grandmother did not totally
agree with her actions she was
happy that iya Nike will leave
her mother alone maybe for
the main time.