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My Village. Chapter 1.
Part One.
Jumoke looked out of the window in her room, with tears in her eyes. She dropped herself with reckless abandon on her bed covered with a bamboo mat and began to cry profusely. Is this how she was going to continue her life?, being forced like a tethered goat waiting for slaughter? Sometimes she wondered why she was born into royalty.
She closed her eyes and tried to sleep but she could not. The pain was too much to bear. The frustration was overwhelming. Tears continued to flow like a stream, forming a bitter river. What happened today was a turning point to a great rebellious daughter and princess. She stood up and beat her chest in affirmation to her desire.
Her sadness changed to anger when she spotted the guard assigned to monitor her looking closely at her. She glared angrily at him with distaste and retreated deeper inside her room. Expecting the day her lover would be punished like a thief who stole gold from its store. This returned her to her former state of sadness.
She was just coming from her father's court. Unfortunately for her, her father judgement agreed with that of the chief priest, so she had a lot to lose, but more doom to Joba her lover. Her father's tenure was tied to the customs and traditions of Yoruba land which was totally against her wish and will but there was nothing she could do about it.
She heard the gate open and Joba was dragged in by the palace guards. He was stripped to his shorts, looking hopeless and helpless. He had some bruises on his body as he was being dragged into prison but he followed meekly like a lamb for slaughter. He was ready to pay the price for their love if only Jumoke knew what he had in mind.
She began to feel guilty for not being punished alongside her lover. Because she was a princess? It was very unfair and callous. She continued wailing. Then she remembered what the chief priest of the land " oluawo" said:
" In order to cleanse the land and prevent the wrath of the gods, she would carry the " etutu"( sacrifice in Yoruba language) to the Jedge forest ( lonely forest) and drop it at the foot of the tallest tree, all alone by herself. What a fearful place to be. But it was the punishment for their love, and she was ready to take it.
End of part one. Thanks for reading. Suscribe, like, vote and comment. God bless you.
Part 2.
Joba was thrown before the king, king Ade (crown) and the chief priest. They both looked at him degoratoily with great disgust in their eyes, especially king Ade. He is the one capable of stripping him of his honour, dignity and respect even his kingship position. That would be a great reproach and shame to him.
The king ordered him to be thrown into the prison where an iron block has been prepared specially for him to carry. Before he was taken to the prison, his khaki trousers and faded shirt and rubbed his face with a native powdery substance, to await the day of his punishment. Joba was then thrown into the prison and the king and chief priest went into the palace to draw conclusions and have some agreements.
********
"So when would she obey the command of the gods? The chief priest asked the king expectantly.
The king looked on the ground for some five minutes, then he carried his face up and heaved a sigh and exclaimed "Olajumoke"
"It must be done before the Ife festival. As the Ooni of Ife ( a kingship position in Yoruba land) I recommend that your daughter does her part days before the festival so that she would have enough time to rest and prepare for the festival"
The king refused to say anything about what the chief priest said but he still persisted. The gods orders first.
"The Ife festival was in the next five days and Jumoke needs to have some days before the festival". He continued. He looked right into the king's eyes without turning away. The king looked down away from him and countined to heave sighs. After ten minutes, he looked at the chief priest.
"Oluawo,is there any way to remove my daughter from this? He asked pathetically with his face full of sadness. As the Ooni of Ife, his hands were tied tightly to the customs and traditions of the Yoruba race. This was his first year as king and he had such a rebellious daughter and a strong headed chief priest. Leadership was not easy.
"No,no,no. Exempted from what? remove your daughter out of what?. See oba Ade, you do not want to fight with your forefathers and the gods. No one has ever done that. Your daughter herself willingly trespassed against tradition and you expect her not to be punished? The gods would visit you in their anger and your reign would be filled with calamity and disasters. Don't dare the gods"
End of part two. Thanks for reading. Make sure you comment, like, comment and vote this book.
Part Three.
Raising his staff, he became more furious."your daughter must be punished and she would be punished two days before the festival. It is the verdict of the gods and it is final"
He walked out of the palace in anger with the shrine boys. The king continued to think. He swam front and back in the ocean of deep thought. Looking lost, he went to his room, where his wife, Ololade ( wealthy crown) was seated.
She too was worried about her daughter. She was her only child and her father's throne hanged on her.
" Kabiyesi ( king), what is happening? What did the chief priest say? She said worriedly and concernedly. Jumoke was so strong and self principled that no one could control her, not even her mother.
The king sat at the edge of the bed looking lost like before. On his face, one can see confusion and pain and touch it.
" Oluawo said she must be punished According to the decree of the gods two days before the festival. She would carry the etutu sacrifice from the stream at 12 pm in the middle of the night to Jedge forest"
"What! My daughter,ah my only child,my only daughter. What do I do? Kabiyesi, Jedge forest is full of witches and wizards and demons. She would go there by herself? No,no. Kabiyesi, look for a way to avert this punishment. Please, please."
"I have already tried everything in my power to persuade the chief priest but he is adamant that traditions and customs must be obeyed. I don't know what else to do about this."
"No, no, no. Not my daughter. She would not go to that evil forest by herself in the middle of the night. No, no. Kabiyesi,do something about this" and she continued to wail.
*******
"My love, I promise to give you my whole life and to protect you"
"Joba, are you sure of what you are saying?
"Yes. I am sure with my whole life"
"Darling,you know we are not supposed to be seen together as it is against traditions. We cannot get married, it is against the law. A princess cannot marry a social outcast and a commoner without royal blood. We cannot marry each other"
"I know, but I would do everything in my power to get you. We will get married. I'm assuring you that"
Jumoke and Joba were inside his hut in his village. Joba was a lumberer who cuts wood and sells. He was a social outcast of the village, but Jumoke still loved him.
As Jumoke was leaving his hut, two shrine boys and the chief priest approached them.
"Hmm. I sensed it. You have committed an abomination. Follow me. The two followed naively and they got to the palace where the chief priest reported the matter to the king.
"Kabiyesi, your daughter has despised customs and disobeyed the laws of the land"
The king was perplexed."what did she do?
"First of all, she was in a man's house, whom she is not married to. Secondly, she was associating with an outcast and thirdly, which is the worst of them all, she plans to marry him".
"The gods forbid, exclaimed the king.
"She must be punished. She would be isolated in her room for five days until the day of the Ife festival. She would also carry the etutu sacrifice to the Jedge forest in the middle of the night to appease the gods.
" And as for Joba, he would be put in prison until the Ife festival where he would be brought out and flogged mercilessly.
Hitting his staff of office on the ground, he exclaimed with a loud voice: "This is the verdict of the gods and it must be obeyed."
Thanks for reading. Make sure you comment and vote this book. Endeavor to read the next chapter.
© All Rights Reserved
Majaro Toluwani Christiana.
Jumoke looked out of the window in her room, with tears in her eyes. She dropped herself with reckless abandon on her bed covered with a bamboo mat and began to cry profusely. Is this how she was going to continue her life?, being forced like a tethered goat waiting for slaughter? Sometimes she wondered why she was born into royalty.
She closed her eyes and tried to sleep but she could not. The pain was too much to bear. The frustration was overwhelming. Tears continued to flow like a stream, forming a bitter river. What happened today was a turning point to a great rebellious daughter and princess. She stood up and beat her chest in affirmation to her desire.
Her sadness changed to anger when she spotted the guard assigned to monitor her looking closely at her. She glared angrily at him with distaste and retreated deeper inside her room. Expecting the day her lover would be punished like a thief who stole gold from its store. This returned her to her former state of sadness.
She was just coming from her father's court. Unfortunately for her, her father judgement agreed with that of the chief priest, so she had a lot to lose, but more doom to Joba her lover. Her father's tenure was tied to the customs and traditions of Yoruba land which was totally against her wish and will but there was nothing she could do about it.
She heard the gate open and Joba was dragged in by the palace guards. He was stripped to his shorts, looking hopeless and helpless. He had some bruises on his body as he was being dragged into prison but he followed meekly like a lamb for slaughter. He was ready to pay the price for their love if only Jumoke knew what he had in mind.
She began to feel guilty for not being punished alongside her lover. Because she was a princess? It was very unfair and callous. She continued wailing. Then she remembered what the chief priest of the land " oluawo" said:
" In order to cleanse the land and prevent the wrath of the gods, she would carry the " etutu"( sacrifice in Yoruba language) to the Jedge forest ( lonely forest) and drop it at the foot of the tallest tree, all alone by herself. What a fearful place to be. But it was the punishment for their love, and she was ready to take it.
End of part one. Thanks for reading. Suscribe, like, vote and comment. God bless you.
Part 2.
Joba was thrown before the king, king Ade (crown) and the chief priest. They both looked at him degoratoily with great disgust in their eyes, especially king Ade. He is the one capable of stripping him of his honour, dignity and respect even his kingship position. That would be a great reproach and shame to him.
The king ordered him to be thrown into the prison where an iron block has been prepared specially for him to carry. Before he was taken to the prison, his khaki trousers and faded shirt and rubbed his face with a native powdery substance, to await the day of his punishment. Joba was then thrown into the prison and the king and chief priest went into the palace to draw conclusions and have some agreements.
********
"So when would she obey the command of the gods? The chief priest asked the king expectantly.
The king looked on the ground for some five minutes, then he carried his face up and heaved a sigh and exclaimed "Olajumoke"
"It must be done before the Ife festival. As the Ooni of Ife ( a kingship position in Yoruba land) I recommend that your daughter does her part days before the festival so that she would have enough time to rest and prepare for the festival"
The king refused to say anything about what the chief priest said but he still persisted. The gods orders first.
"The Ife festival was in the next five days and Jumoke needs to have some days before the festival". He continued. He looked right into the king's eyes without turning away. The king looked down away from him and countined to heave sighs. After ten minutes, he looked at the chief priest.
"Oluawo,is there any way to remove my daughter from this? He asked pathetically with his face full of sadness. As the Ooni of Ife, his hands were tied tightly to the customs and traditions of the Yoruba race. This was his first year as king and he had such a rebellious daughter and a strong headed chief priest. Leadership was not easy.
"No,no,no. Exempted from what? remove your daughter out of what?. See oba Ade, you do not want to fight with your forefathers and the gods. No one has ever done that. Your daughter herself willingly trespassed against tradition and you expect her not to be punished? The gods would visit you in their anger and your reign would be filled with calamity and disasters. Don't dare the gods"
End of part two. Thanks for reading. Make sure you comment, like, comment and vote this book.
Part Three.
Raising his staff, he became more furious."your daughter must be punished and she would be punished two days before the festival. It is the verdict of the gods and it is final"
He walked out of the palace in anger with the shrine boys. The king continued to think. He swam front and back in the ocean of deep thought. Looking lost, he went to his room, where his wife, Ololade ( wealthy crown) was seated.
She too was worried about her daughter. She was her only child and her father's throne hanged on her.
" Kabiyesi ( king), what is happening? What did the chief priest say? She said worriedly and concernedly. Jumoke was so strong and self principled that no one could control her, not even her mother.
The king sat at the edge of the bed looking lost like before. On his face, one can see confusion and pain and touch it.
" Oluawo said she must be punished According to the decree of the gods two days before the festival. She would carry the etutu sacrifice from the stream at 12 pm in the middle of the night to Jedge forest"
"What! My daughter,ah my only child,my only daughter. What do I do? Kabiyesi, Jedge forest is full of witches and wizards and demons. She would go there by herself? No,no. Kabiyesi, look for a way to avert this punishment. Please, please."
"I have already tried everything in my power to persuade the chief priest but he is adamant that traditions and customs must be obeyed. I don't know what else to do about this."
"No, no, no. Not my daughter. She would not go to that evil forest by herself in the middle of the night. No, no. Kabiyesi,do something about this" and she continued to wail.
*******
"My love, I promise to give you my whole life and to protect you"
"Joba, are you sure of what you are saying?
"Yes. I am sure with my whole life"
"Darling,you know we are not supposed to be seen together as it is against traditions. We cannot get married, it is against the law. A princess cannot marry a social outcast and a commoner without royal blood. We cannot marry each other"
"I know, but I would do everything in my power to get you. We will get married. I'm assuring you that"
Jumoke and Joba were inside his hut in his village. Joba was a lumberer who cuts wood and sells. He was a social outcast of the village, but Jumoke still loved him.
As Jumoke was leaving his hut, two shrine boys and the chief priest approached them.
"Hmm. I sensed it. You have committed an abomination. Follow me. The two followed naively and they got to the palace where the chief priest reported the matter to the king.
"Kabiyesi, your daughter has despised customs and disobeyed the laws of the land"
The king was perplexed."what did she do?
"First of all, she was in a man's house, whom she is not married to. Secondly, she was associating with an outcast and thirdly, which is the worst of them all, she plans to marry him".
"The gods forbid, exclaimed the king.
"She must be punished. She would be isolated in her room for five days until the day of the Ife festival. She would also carry the etutu sacrifice to the Jedge forest in the middle of the night to appease the gods.
" And as for Joba, he would be put in prison until the Ife festival where he would be brought out and flogged mercilessly.
Hitting his staff of office on the ground, he exclaimed with a loud voice: "This is the verdict of the gods and it must be obeyed."
Thanks for reading. Make sure you comment and vote this book. Endeavor to read the next chapter.
© All Rights Reserved
Majaro Toluwani Christiana.
