Diamond In The Forest

Episode 27

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 la!d 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 whole 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 hard
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
b—-t 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 hard 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 s£duce 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
seducing him, she romanced
her laps and touched her
b—-t 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
lips…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 la!d 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, seductive 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
la!d 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 naked 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 naked, 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
inside, 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 sU-Ck it out from you later…
as Emmanuel is sU-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 hard and
Sipah joined in.
Diamond In The Forest