Diamond In The Forest

Episode 33

The guards who were sent into
the forest to search and bring
back Remi and her son
returned back empty handed in
the evening with the news of
they searched everywhere for
Remi but did not find her or
any sign of her.

The Prince was furious,he
selected five stronger guards
and send them into the forest,
he told them not to return to
the kingdom without Remi, he
warned them seriously that
they should not return back
without her and his son.
The five guards gathered
enough food and water and
every necessary weapon and
entered the forest again in a
heavy search for Remi and son.
Remi was with Mikai that
evening teaching her Yoruba
dialect, before Sipah came out
from his room to join them,
Mikai left to make fire for the
evening food. Remi continued
with Sipah, Ademide, who has
already started taking a step
was playing with the toy Sipah
made for him, Ore was beside
him keeping an eye on him as
he plays around.

Remi began to teach Sipah
who avoided making eye
contact with her, Remi wanted
him to look at her but he was
looking at somewhere else
“One is Okan, Two is eji, three is
eta four is erin five arun, six is
efa, seven is eje….are you
listening Pah, is there a
problem…you are not looking
at me…it makes me doubt if
you are really listening to me…
“I am listening, not looking at
you doesn’t mean I’m not
listening to you, you have my
ears, please continue, is hard to
remember all of this numbers,
they seem to sound familiar,
eta, erin, efa, eje eji…you can
see that I’m actually listening,
please, teach me another thing
aside the numbers…maybe
wild animals…

“Okay, I’m glad you are paying
attention to me, just keep
looking at me as you are doing
right now so that I will know
that you are listening…Animal
means Eranko. Birds is eiye.
Elephant is erin. Lion means
kiniun. Tiger is ekun. Pig is
elede. Monkey means obo.

Come is wa. Go is malo. Family
means ebi. Son is omokunrin.
Daughter is omobinrin. Mother
is iya and father is baba.
Grandmother is iya-iya,
husband is oko and wife is
iyawo. Hunter means ede.
House is ile, kitchen is ile idana.
Bathroom is ile iwe. Toilet is ile
igbonse. Backyard is ehinkuule.
Key is kokoro. Fire is ina o,
good morning is eka aro.

Afternoon is ekasun and night
is eka ale. Welcome is ekabo.

King is Oba and a prince is
Omooba. Queen is Olori. God is
Oluwa and thank God is Oluwa
ese n. thank you means ese or
ose depending on the person.
Oremi means my friend. Please
is ejoo, love is ife. Give me is
fumi. Stop is duro nbe. Ligh…..
“ejoo…duro nbe…I have learnt
enough for today…let me think
of the few I can still
remember…is sound so
interesting and I’m so eager to
learn more…let me check up on
Mikai and how the evening
food is going…ese Remi…Ore
mi…your humble student is
grateful…
“hahahaha..your welcome
Pah…I will be happy to teach
you anytime… any day.
Pah wanted to stand up but
Remi stopped him
“you seem to be avoiding me
and only stays around me
when Mikai is around…I
noticed that…what exactly is
my offence…did I do anything
wrong…
“Not all…i have never pick a
fault in you Remi, is not
because you are perfect but I
refuse to see any spot in you. I
am not avoiding you…I have
no reason to do that…
“you are, Pah. you keep far
distance from me…you recline
more to your room, you stay
far in the forest cutting wood
or doing one thing or the
other, during your free time
you carry Ade and play with
him, whenever you are talking
with me and Mikai you try to
avoid looking at me…why is
that..i can’t help but voice out…
Sipah was quiet and Remi
gently took is strong palm and
watch him look up at her and
then pull away his hand from
Remi’s touch.
“You are a good man… Pah, I
don’t need to talk or say much
on that because deep down
you know that yourself, we
have being through a lot in the
hands of people who tried to
break us but never knew that
we got a strong shell, we can’t
be easily broken, people who
can not turn one hair white or
black took it upon their selves
to take a life they never
create…but we all here are
survivals, you told me that God
have plan and reason for
everything and everyone,
nothing ever takes him
unaware, he knows the
number of our hairs and every
soul on this earth. You said God
is love and want us to love one
another and I believe you,
everything you said I took it to
heart…you preach more with
your actions to me than with
your words…so what then
happen when it comes to
expressing your feeling, the
way you feel about me…
because I feel it too and God
must have brought us together
for such a time as this…to love
and care for each other and to
be together as a lovely family…
“Remi…God is God, don’t add or
remove from his word, the
feeling is mutual but it doesn’t
makes it right, I try to help you
and also to help myself by not
being too close to you so that
we don’t fall into temptation…

“Nobody is tempting us, is not
a temptation is the right thing
to do, why can’t you see that,
you want me don’t you, why
do you hide your feeling, we
are the only one living in this
forest and is just right to be
together and let out all our
feeling without hiding it…Pah,
do you love me…
Sipah tried to get up but Remi
held him, begging him to
remain seated, Mikai looked at
them stylishly as she walked
past with a plate in hand. Sipah
swallowed hard and sat down
again

“Is just a simple question…do
you love me Pah…
“yes, with God kind of Love, I
think God may have another
plans for us, I was going ahead
of myself as your thought fill
my head everyday so I decided
to pause and know what God
think about all of this and after
praying that night and woke
up the next morning I have
some heavy emotion of you
crowding my mind lifted, my
mind still wonder far when I’m
close to you and it sends a
negative message to my body
but I try not to dwell on such, I
don’t think God wants us to be
together he probably has a
better plan for you and I, trust
me one more time…Remi, let
God’s will be done over us, if
eventually we are meant to be
then I will be so glad to have
you close to my heart but if not
we will be running ahead of
ourselves, if we decided to do
things without God’s consent it
will be disastrous…do you still
trust me?
“hmmm…yeah…I do but
nothing will make me change
my mind…how will you know
how long will that take Pah,
every woman deserve a fine,
hardworking, strong and God
fearing man like you and I will
be so bless if God approves of
this… I will pray and beg God
to make it happen quick…
“hahahaha…God doesn’t work
with your time…he works
according to his plans and
purpose for us all… and every
man deserve a good, kind,
beautiful, funny, strong woman
like you beside him…
“Please don’t make me blush,
I’m trying not to do that most
especially Mikai may see me
doing that…do you have a
dream of leaving this forest
someday…or you like it here…
“I like it here…and I don’t want
to leave to anywhere…this is
my own world, a world of
peace and tranquility. Outside
here is chaos, revelry, anger,
jealousy, backstabber, killing
and so many evil, I don’t want
such world I want a world of
my own and I have everything
that I will ever need…
“Mikai said she will like to
leave here someday, she want
to mix up with other human,
interact with them, and visit
places…

“every child has a dream that is
her dream and if God wills it
then it will come to past…but
for now this is my home, our
home…I have enough acres of
land to farm, the forest is big
enough to hunt and we have
spring…I’m grateful for all of
this…how about you…do you
have a plan to leave…
“I want to be close to you…I
don’t want to leave without
you…if I ever leave this forest
then you are coming with me…
but for now this Is our home
and I also likes it here…
Sipah sense something and
quickly stood up, Remi was
surprise the way he rushed up.
he went inside and grabbed a
machete, he called Remi to
carry Ade, Sipah called Mikai to
leave the kitchen area and go
inside with Remi.
Remi asked him what is going
on but he didn’t say anything
as he moved towards his
compound exit gate but pause
as he got closer, Mikai stood
with Remi who was carrying
her son, and Ore was up the
tree and was making strange
noise which they understood
that a stranger or something
was close by. Remi hard the
noise coming deep down from
the forest and wonder what
was happening
Sipah whistled loud and got a
respond which was a scream of
Remi’s name.
The men from the palace who
have spent two days
ransacking the bush for Remi,
they have ran out off food and
water and was almost giving
up when they saw a human
track they followed and
continue to shouting Remi’s
name.

As they got closer they
discovered a big mold building
in the heart of the forest,
highly fenced with tall trees
and big wood all around it and
secured with all kinds of sharp
spin which was like a weapon,
the compound looks so big and
wide, the guards where afraid
wondering the kind of men
that live inside there to have
being able to do such a heavy
job and it was located in a
deadly place, an abode of the
wild, whoever is living here
must be greatly feared and he
might has sense their presence.
They decided to stay far for
there own good and kept
shouting Remi’s name
When Remi hard her name she
was shock, she began to think
within herself
“is probably guards from the
kingdom, they have come to
take me and my son but i will
not go with them, never, not
after everything they did to me
and took my loving mother
away, what if I was dead too…
maybe the truth was out as Iya
has predicted and they want
me home but there’s no place
like home here..if i ever have to
leave here is will be because of
Iya and Dami…but i’m sure they
will understand if i stay back
with Sipah.
Remi went to Sipah who was
trying to walk out to meet
whoever it was.
“Pah, don’t go… stay here…
they maybe evil spirit calling
my name…or trap….
“hahahaha…you make me
laugh…evil spirits are afraid to
cross my lane…aside what your
ordinary eye can see here…. the
angels are also safeguarding
us, don’t be afraid because no
evil person can cross this lane…
they are men, shouting your
name and they sound like tired
men…from your kingdom I
guess…let’s invite them in,
because if they get closer to
the fence they may not see the
traps I set for the animals and
may fall into it… maybe you
leaving this place is closer than
we thought…
Sipah went out and called the
men who were scared and
raise their weapon up in
surrender
“ ejooo…We came in peace not
for war…we journeyed from a
far away kingdom and has
spent two days already in the
forest, this is a very deadly
place to stay and we were
almost giving up when we
discovered the track…we are
searching for a maiden, a
young woman with a son…her
name is Remi, the prince of our
kingdom sent us to tear down
the forest in search of her and
we should not return without
her…ejoo sanu fun wa (have
mercy on us)

“hahaha… sirnu fun what? I
just started my Yoruba class…I
have not gotten to that stage
yet…please you are welcome
to my world…follow me in…
don’t be afraid, you all needs
something to eat and drink,
you will finish a whole zebra
for your strength to be
restored…please come….
Sipah smile and nodded at
them making them to feel safe
and at peace, some of them
laugh at Sipah’s last word,
despite he was right about
them needing something to
eat and drink, but they were
afraid.
The strange man has an
obvious scar on his forehead,
and with the way he looks,
with a heavy body built, he can
beat them all up if they
decided to gang up against
him. They silently prayed that
the man should truly be a
godsend to them or they will
all be doomed.
They were so famished, tired
and tasty, all the food and
water they left with is all gone,
no sign of water in the forest.
It was a good invitation and
they silently thanked the gods.
They followed the tall, strong
looking man into his big
compound.