Diamond In The Forest

Episode 29

“You sent for me my prince…
I’m sorry I was out on palace
patrol…I just returned…
“You are talking with the
maiden I sent out on
suspension, I was told so…
what business do you have
with her..
“Nothing my prince…she told
me that she was suspended
and i wanted to know why…
that was all…
“Leja…I trust you and I hate to
have doubt in anyone I trust
totally…you are close to me
and it was because of your
hard work and sincerity that
made you to become the chief
guard and the Oba has
rewarded you greatly for all
your labour and when you
saved me from drowning at
the river. you have serve well
and you know almost
everything that goes in and
out of this palace…why I’m
saying this is because I have
few question for you and I
need a truthful answer, you
have never lied to me so don’t
start now….Nike came to me
with the news of being
pregnant and the funny part is
that she said I’m responsible.
the night I woke up and saw
her naked in my chamber and
all my cloths were off…that
was the night she said it
happened….now tell me is this
true, did I send for Nike
because I don’t see any reason
why I will do that…I have no
interest in her at all and I won’t
even in my dream…why will I
specifically send for Nike and
then lay with her…because I
remember all that happened
that night, you kept on filling
my cup until I passed out and
the next thing is a naked
maiden in my chamber…and
she is claiming that I la!d with
her…and I’m certain…so certain
that I did not do such…so tell
me the truth…what happened
that night…
Leja breathed in, he wish he
can say everything without
covering anything up, but if he
has to that then the real truth
about Remi’s pregnancy and so
many other things will be
revealed and the prince will
never forgive him, he may end
up being punished or banished,
“may the gods forbids, being
banished and die in the evil
forest is not my portion and
the gods will not allow such
thing to befall me”, Leja prayed
in his mind.
Leja bent his head not knowing
how to start but he has to end
this evil seed that Nike has
started planting before
something else goes wrong, he
will leave Remi’s part out of it,
she is dead and long gone, so
she has become a history but
Nike was running with speed
with this her evil plans and he
can’t bear it any more, he has
to tell the prince everything
that happened that night
“Leja…soro…kilo sele…I asked a
question and I need a sincere
answer…why are you quiet…all
I want is the truth, if you have
lied before to me then say the
truth now before I start
digging, say the truth because
that is the only way to my
heart…you know that.
“my prince… i….i mean…I
uhmmm…imabinu…you are
right my prince…you never
sent for Nike that night neither
did you lay with her, the child
that Nike is carrying is not
yours…I don’t know how she
sneak into your chamber that
night and I was surprise to find
out when you asked her to
fetch me that night…she was
obsess with you and wanted
you, most maidens admires
you greatly my prince but Nike
took it too far and all I did was
to cover her up and not for her
to get into trouble with you, I
never knew she will come up
with this pregnancy thing…she
took it too far and I am deeply
sorry for not saying the truth
when you asked me and I did
not bother to come all this
while to clear what happened
that night…I know you trusted
me, I betrayed that trust and I
felt bad after lying to you that
night please for give me my
prince…e joo
Leja knelt down and the prince
asked him to stand up and he
quickly did.
“Is there any other thing you
aren’t telling me…Leja…I feel
there is more to this…tell me
more…. Everything I need to
know.
“That is all my prince, if
anything needs to be told you
will be the first to know…this is
all
“Leja…Leja…why will you agree
to such…she pulled off my cloth
because I woke up without my
cloths on, what an insult to my
person, she was standing right
here naked…real naked, Leja…
and she did not make any
attempt to cover up until I
asked her to…why will I see
such thing, you strongly lied to
me and said I sent for her
when I know fully well I never
did, you made me look like a
fool and I did not know what
to say except to ask two of you
to leave my chamber that
night…why will you agree to
such, your duty is to the palace
not to a maiden, why will you
even defend her unruly act…
who is responsible for her
pregnancy…
“..i…I don’t know my prince…
maybe is from outside the
palace…but…I uhmmm don’t
know…all I know is that she
was obsess with you and she
took it too far…i am so sorry…
deeply sorry, I plead for your
forgiveness my prince, please…
I’m pleading…such will never
happen again…I promise…I will
do my work as I’m trusted to
do…with all sincerity…I will…
“enough…when that maiden
returns from her suspension
she will be totally dismissed
from the palace, such people
should not be here…they have
no place in this palace…they
are desperate and dangerous
and before she will be finally
dismissed ask her to bring her
mother to the palace…in fact
go to their house tomorrow
and give her my message, tell
her while she is resuming back
from her suspension she
should bring her mother along,
I need to see the kind of
woman that gave birth to such
maiden, I will love to know if
the woman gives advice to her
daughter at all, that maiden is
wayward and unrestrained
that was why she has the gut
to do what she did, and as for
you Leja, my trust for you has
gone below my legs, I will
have to weigh everything you
tell me next time, until I’m
certain is the truth, it will be
hard for me to believe you…
you failed in your duty and you
deserve to be suspended too
but I will let you be for now,
leave my chamber at once..

Leja bowed and left
immediately, he wish he has
not allowed his jealousy to get
the best of him, he wanted
Remi but when the Prince
started showing interest and
Remi never gave him a second
look, it prompted him to get
involve with Nike and the
result so far has being
disastrous, innocent lives has
being lost and now the prince
has doubt in him, he wish
there was a remedy to
everything he has done, he
wish he can totally confess
everything but that will be
dangerous, the prince is angry
with him for just this, that
means if he has told the prince
everything, the truth about
Remi and all that he has gotten
involve in, the prince will want
to have his head in a platter, he
will do worst things to him.
And Nike may want to get back
at him if she finds out that he
have spoilt the whole plan, she
and her mother will not take it
lightly with him, but she will
also be getting herself into a
bigger mess if she decided to
tell the prince what happened,
Leja knew Nike can not tell the
whole truth. But whatever that
may happens he silently
prayed it will not get worst
than it seems already.
Remi held Ademide as he feed
in her arm, she watch him with
a smile and suddenly hard
Sipah’s voice who was
watching her from the door,
she startled
“Sorry…I scared you….i just
wanted to know how he is
doing, I was out the whole day
and didn’t get a chance to play
with him…
“He is asleep now, he looks so
beautiful Pah, and just
watching him alone gladdens
my heart…

“Sure, he is, you are beautiful
Remi…so is only normal to
breed your kind…you have a
warm heart, when I say you
are beautiful I mean every
word of it…inside and out.
Remi looked up at him and
they locked eyes for sometime,
the native handmade lamp
burn at one corner, Mikai sleep
soundly, Ore was out, he
sometimes sleeps on the tree
or in the house that Sipah built
for him, Sipah also built a
house for Mikai’s birds, rabbits,
squirrels and other pet animals
that Sipah caught for Mikai
Sipah looked away, as he felt
the heat of his emotions
“I just wanted to check up…i
will wash up and go to bed,
good night Remi…good night
Emmanuel…I pray the almighty
God, keeps us all safe through
out the night as always and
may morning bring the
blessing of the new day to us…
“Amen…thank you…
goodnight…
Sipah turned to leave and Remi
spoke again making him to
pause.
“Pah, you are also handsome,
even your scar can not hide the
fine man that you are, you are
a good man with a large heart,
sometimes I mistake you for an
angel in human. Thank you
Pah….i love…I mean I love the
environment you created for us
here…
Sipah smiled, he nodded before
walking away, he washed up
and return to his room, he lay
down in his bed and watch the
fire from the clay pot in his
room, burn quietly.
Remi has occupied his mind
and he forgot to pray, he sat
up from his bed and silently
started praying
“heavenly father, I thank you
for your numerous blessing
everyday, I can’t tell it all, even
if my body is filled with mouth
is never enough to say thank
you father, thank you for Remi
and Emmanuel, thank you for
Mikai, Ore our monkey friend,
the beauty and quietness of
this place, where people
dreaded most you created a
beautiful home out of it for us.
Night has come and I ask for
your protection over us, send
your angels to surround us, no
evil is allowed close here
because we are under your
wing of protection. Thank you
so much for your love and
kindness so far, I tell you
everything because you are a
good listener and a loving
father, today I decided to talk
to you about Remi, my
emotions and the way I feel for
her, I don’t know if this is right
or not but I don’t want to do
things you won’t approve off,
keep me in check and don’t let
me run wild with this, it may
seem normal to be together
but I am not counting on what
seem normal in my eyes but
what you think about it all.
Have your way in our lives and
perfect that which concerns
us….may we find our purpose
in life and live as you want us
to live…this and many more I
pray in Jesus name…. Amen.
Sipah returned to bed and slept
with peace in his heart
Remi lay with Ademide in her
own room, she wish she can
express how she feel about
Sipah, he looks at her the way
she love, she melt at his gaze
and love having him around,
he makes her have this warm
feeling that she can’t explain,
she wonder if Sipah feels the
same way too, she wish Sipah
could just tell her the way he
feels about her, she almost said
that she loves him earlier
which was what she had
wanted to say but caught
herself, Sipah maybe feeling
different from that.
Remi breathed deeply as she
tried to think of something
else, she thought of the prince
and frowned, she has had same
feeling for the prince, same
feeling that she was having for
Sipah, the Prince has joined
many other to hurt her, only
the princess and Ope stood by
her in the palace.
Remi wondered what life was
like for them, they all probably
thought she was dead.
Remi thought of her late
mother and wiped a tiny tear
off her eyes, she wondered
how her grandma and Dami
are doing.
Her grandma’s riddle has never
left her heart “two will want
you, only one will have you,
then disaster will struck and
the gods will take you far away
with the seed of crown…which
will become a Diamond in
forest…sorted after….

She understand her grandma’s
riddles but not fully, the only
part she is yet to understand
now is “diamond in the forest
that will be sorted after…by
who, Remi asked her self
silently, she looked down on
her son and covered him up
properly. “the only good thing
I got from the palace is
Ademide, the prince broke me
up even without knowing, and
when I thought the world has
come to an end for me I found
a new home here and another
beginning… I’m glad the gods
kept me safe until I brought
my Ade forth. This is my
present, Sipah, Mikai, Ore and
everything here is my present
and I find peace here, no
trouble, just us living in our
own world. All I wish is that
Sipah will open up to me on
how he feels or maybe I should
tell him…no I can’t, I will rather
remain quiet and allow
whatever will be to be…but I
feel something strong for him…
same as I have felt for the
prince.
Remi breathed again before
shutting her eyes, as she
allowed sleep to take over her.