Tanwa

   I sat on a stool in the kitchen, the only noise was the one from the pot of Yam... The water was bubbling and the sound was soothing I guess.

I sat down waiting for the Yam to boil as the rest of the family had their bath and prepared for breakfast... It's not just a Saturday, this Saturday was different.

We were parking to our new apartment and the whole family was excited... Well not me, there's no difference and I just want to go back to my Grandma.

I want to go back to my old school, my old friends I've missed making our village hair, and swimming in the river like a mermaid.

I've missed dancing to village drums, the one that makes my waist tremble... My butt praises the Lord and I dance with joy singing along to the beat.

My barefoot leg drumming along and my waist beads dancing too, leg chain jumping and the smile proving I'm happy.

Well then I used to be happy, then in my village I had gone to many festivals, and partook in a lot... The virgin festival, the new queen festival, new harvest festival and I watched royal families ride proudly on beautiful horses.

Yes!, I had seen the handsome prince, the proud princess and the majestic queen... The king was fierce and I dare not look into his eyes as we want to bow down.

I often wished I was part of the royal family too...

I remembered my younger days, I would trot round and round in the hot afternoon sun, laughing non stop, I would run to the garden on windy days to pick a few fallen mango fruits which I always sank my teeth into with relish.

I was very playful indeed, a mischievous toddler. My friends and I would gather round the low village hill to ponder over the mystery of thunder claps, and the flashes of lightening threatening to tear the heaven into pieces.
I would spend long periods of time gazing in wonder at the enigmatic rainbow arc in the sky, and singing loud songs to the white cranes perching in the reeds.

I played games boju boju the hide and seek game, I imitated the walking steps of dwarfs with my friends and we tip-toed raising our heads up to find the giant of the village — ta lo ga ju laba!

Then we naughty village children took our parents broom stick, placing it between our legs as imaginery horses "My horse will win the village horse ride this year." We mimicked horse riders.

Who needs dolls or teddy bears when we are able to fold our clothes into imaginary babies, stealing my grandma's wrapper to back a folded piece of cloth as we act along, we acted many ancient drama's the Osun sengese of the Osun river was not and exception.

We also acted like city wives, we only tried to mimic them, not exactly getting it right... Breaking toilets brooms into old clay pots as we pretended to cook pasta.

Naughty happy kids!
Village head's warned our parents about our mischief, and once my grandma sold her best wrapper to pay for an expensive flower pot I broke, in a chief's balcony.

And whenever one of us got a new bicycle from the city, my other friends and I would sit and watch the owner ride with jealousy in our eyes, or we would push behind till the owner learns how to ride it, then we might get a turn.
I would rant "Grandma I want a bicycle, so I can ride round the village to the Aku stream and to the highest hills, not too far from the guava and mango tree that produces the sweetest  fruits."

My Grandma would hiss or shout at me to be contented with what I have for a mere village orphan cannot ask for much in this life.

She would tell me so many stories, I would chant panegyrics.
I learnt how to praise the god of thunder Sango and many other gods, I learnt how to dance to entertain the Royal family, I was also a fine singer but before these days where my days with no worries.

Clothes were my enemies, I only wore pants with half of my butt revealed, playing with sand and plucking different fruits, playing games... I never wanted to have my bath, but I loved to swim though, especially in the rain. Taking my bath was always a problem, I would reluctantly strip myself naked and pour the cold water on my small protuberant belly, shivering while grating my teeth after letting out a frightened yelp.
But when It was time to eat... Oh Lord!

I would tear the meat with relish and munch morsels noisily. I would crack soft bones with alacrity and suck marrows with advertised enjoyment— an all round glutton!

I would lick the thick catarrh that laid under my nostrils, an ignorant rascal I was as I picked the dried elements I found in my nostrils, I would also eat evening meals with my two hands dirty, a lazy lad I was but my grandma taught me to be hardworking.

I hawked orange and I treated every costumer with respect... All because I want my goods to be patronized, besides that I was a rude brat... No one could scold me at some point and that's one of the reasons my grandma asked my aunt to bring me here to the city.

Elders complained about me and would bring their brows together, expecting that I would read their intense disapproval and stop the 'nonsense'. But no! What was 'nonsense' to the elders was 'sense', hilarious fun,  and amusement to me and my carefree friends for we feared nothing, Nothing I say!

I never feared the forbidden forest or the Esu river— the one that was said to grant three wishes.

I remember then I was only eleven, I paid a visit to the Esu river, no one drank from it and no villager swam there, no one used the water even though it was sparkling clean.

I could see my chubby figure in it, very clearly indeed!, I was so thirsty after my usual rough play, the ignorant me took two hands scoop, I drank from it quenching my thirst.
That day felt like a dream and now I still ask myself, why did I ever go there?
It was the first and the last time I did though, the river was speaking with no mouth, it saw me with no eyes and heard me with no ears... God is indeed wonderful!

It knew my name, but not my surname... Never had one, my mother was a prostitute and then she had me, sad right? Then she saw her child before resting in peace... Very sad indeed!

That day I was born, my mother's household cried even though that night the whole village celebrated the new rain festival after several months of drought.

They rain was a sign of the departure of one of the most beautiful women in our village... My mom!

Or maybe the arrival of a special breed?
I was told I did not cry when I was born and only a special child had this gift according to tradition, only children of the royal families or children of rich and preeminent people had this gift, although I was not born with anything close to a wooden spoon, I had no spoon.
I smiled at my mom, she smiled back and then the calabash broke.

Weird right... The moment I was born it became soo windy and the moment she died the rain began.
Mud walls broke, thatched roofs of old houses took off ... The wind played it's flute and trees danced along.
Weak trees broke their spine for it was one of the windiest nights.

Loud thunder claps that made toddlers shudder, gripping onto their mothers wrappers as father's searched the house for bowls to hold the leaking roof water.

That same night... A new king was crowned since the old one could smell death, the old king was about to cross the bar so he had to crown his son King. His son, King Adeoluwakishi, a fierce handsome man.

I believed in tradition ever since that river spoke to me, or maybe not
I asked to see my biological father, but the wish never came through instead I bumped into the king... I was only eleven then when he stood in front of me, I stood there admiring his attire and the fierce body guards behind him... Two hefty men with swords that village people feared.

King Adeoluwakishi, the son of the late king and father of the proud princess Aderewa and the handsome prince Adesola.

I bumped into him not long after I made the wish, expecting to see someone I can call my father.
He stared at me for a while like there was something irritating on my head, I bowed down to greet  "kabiyesi oo", but he did not reply and he walked away as fast as he could looking terrified like he just saw a fully grown lion, his body guards immediately followed behind almost pushing me into a nearby bush.

Maybe they were on a mission to see the oracle I assumed.

I made only two wishes, the second to be like my mother, I heard she lived a peaceful and happy life in the village.
Being a prostitute... Every man wanted her and she was every woman's enemy!, even her own sister!
But the river doesn't work I guess, if I was to live like my mother I would still be in the village right? The river is a counterfeit! I assumed.

So long before I realised I had gone down memory lane, I stood up to check the food on the fire, the yam was as soft as ever and it made me remember my Grandmother's pounded yam, her pottage and porridge, those chili morning I sat on the mat to enjoy lashing pepper soup, fried lobsters and crabs deeped in a red oil garment inside a black cooking pot.

And I enjoyed the tasty Amala and Ebolo vegetable soup also the appetite- whetting chicken stew for dry and hot afternoons.

Boiled beans or fried plantain inside a flat griddle, with bush meat, snakes and snails all dancing a sweet- aroma dance inside the hot fry pan.
Those days are gone, gone down memory lane.

I began to serve the food on the dinning table and they were all ready except Lucifer's mother and Mr Martin.

They were all looking gorgeous and Gloria even applied makeup, making her to look a bit awkward, who needs makeup to be fine... The ugly people are the city ones, eating unhealthy foods like Pizza when we eat fruits and proteinous fishes fresh from the river, our vegetables fresh from farms and fruits fresh from the sweetest fruit tree.

Girls maintained their skin colour and glowed naturally, accidents were rare and death rates were never high.

"This one is not enough." Gabriel complained, I immediately added a piece of yam to his plate, I heard him hiss furiously.

Soon they were all downstairs, I served Mr Martin noticing the winking and licking of his tongue but I just ignored him.

I walked back to the sit that was beside Mr Martin, he faced his wife and Gabriel sat beside me on the other side.

We began to have breakfast after Gabriel said the prayers while this was going on Mr Martin placed his hand on my laps and I suddenly lost my appetite, I opened my eyes to see him winking as he placed his hand there again this time moving it upward.

I decided that after breakfast I'm going to change into trousers, I so much hate his face, he irritated me... May the Sango thunder strike him.

Then we began to eat and I just ate a piece of Yam since I already lost my appetite, I focused on my food and did not raise my head because Mr Martin always used that opportunity to touch me or wink and other irritating things.

After breakfast, they all prepared to leave for the new house, I started parking the plates, pots and other cooking utensils and in an hours time the house was empty, also a truck was helping with the parking of the furnitures, although they had moved some yesterday evening.

I already parked my bags so I took it to the truck men who helped me load them into the truck. Gloria and her siblings were so excited.

"So Tanwa and I would follow the truck men, then you drive the car." Mr Martin said, I felt irritated when he said I have to follow him and the truck men.
Who the hell is he?
My aunt's husband!

"Okay dear." Mr Martin said placing a kiss on his wife's cheek,  making Lucifer's mother to giggle like some damsel in distress.

She opened the car door and sat down after whispering some things to her husband... Whatever it is, I really don't care.

And after their little chit chat session she started the car, scolding Gabriel to stop fighting with his sisters.

I've known Gabriel to be the Mom's pet and she never scolds him which was unusual but now i guess she does sometimes.

The four of them were ready to go as they drove out of the gate, just then the landlady arrived bowing to greet Lucifer's mother since they are of the same age.

I've known my aunty to be proud, she showed no respect to the landlady as she pressed the horn in reply to her greeting.
The Landlady felt insulted, she could not scream at aunty again, after all she's no longer a tenant and we are now moving to an estate.
Not just any estate, the Owolabi Estate!

That's the main reason Gloria is so excited, although I still don't know what is special about an estate, but I hope it is not farther  from my Village.

"Good morning Miss Sheldon." Mr Martin greeted when he saw the landlady, a smirk crawled on his face and I noticed Miss Sheldon smiled back.

"Good Morning Eric." She replied, but that was a shocker, she actually called him by his name and I just stood there watching as the two of them went along.

They moved farther away from me and the truck man like they wanted to discuss something that's confidential.
There's nothing between them, I mean they are not business partners so what could they be talking about? My brows were laced with curiosity and I'm glad the truck man was too busy to notice this.

The truck man asked me to help him by carrying some heavy bags  so I had no choice but to help, we started on a discussion and later on I figured out that the truck man was from my village.

It was hard to find someone living in Lagos that actually came from my village, we talked about the new king's performance also mocking city life and the Lagosians life style.
We were almost done parking the loads into the truck when the truck man noticed that Mr Martin and the Landlady had left.

But to where?
I wondered looking a bit puzzled did they quickly go to get something or what?

"Where is your Oga now?, we should leave on time I'm still heading to the village today." The truck man uttered and I promised to only help him look for Mr Martin if he dropped a letter for my grandma.

He agreed to help me give my grandma the letter which I quickly wrote down in Yoruba— my native language.

I brought out a blue pen and I started writing of how I miss the village, how aunty and her husband were treating me and how I have not been sent to school... How I have become a slave, I wrote every damn thing!
I gave him the address to my house in the village, my name and my mother's name, all so he could easily locate my grandma.

He placed the letter in his pocket and smiled at me, I could almost give him a hug for doing me this great favour. I reluctantly went to look for Mr Martin, I knew he would not have gone far.

I wondered where they could have gone to, after all it only took us one to two hours to pack all the loads into the truck... And why would he leave without saying where he is going to?

I stepped out of the compound as I looked left and right across the street... We lived in a quiet street and there was no one walking around.

The street had sixteen houses and four shops, an hotel and an underdeveloped school although it was still as quiet as a grave yard.

I walked down the street hoping Mr Martin will hop out of somewhere, then the thought hit me, what if they abandoned me here?, was it their small whisper plan all along?
Did the truck man trick me to go out in search for Mr Martin so that he could leave without me?

I became scared and confused as I stood in the middle of the road facing a provision shop... I turned around to face an hotel painted green as I thought of it from another perspective.

What If Mr Martin left to do something quickly?, the truck man and I could run away to the village with their remaining furniture.

I would be free from this bondage then.

A devilish smile crawled unto my face, as I stood there thinking about my decision... Maybe it's time!, time to run away! I hope I don't regret it.

Thanks for reading... I really do appreciate it.

What do you think about Olatanwa's village?

And who can guess where Mr Martin went to?

What's up with Miss Sheldon?

And who knows what's special about the Owolabi Estate?

Next chapter's gonna blow your mind... Sorry for the late update guys
I have exams and I'm using my free periods to drop an update.

Please appreciate by voting... Your comments are encouraging guys.

To the girls out there, who are left in a situation where they don't know where to turn to, and who to trust... God be with you for he is and will always be your shepherd, guiding and protecting you from all evils.
  May you overcome all challenges, cure all problems with great solutions, and colour your own world the way you want it, shinning brighter than you ever imagined... I love y'all

Zainab 🍭🍭