Ini

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕰𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙

Ope watched as his father whispered incantations into kolanuts before placing them inside the small Calabash bowl. Baba Ade spat into it three times before throwing it into the small fire he had created. The flames sizzled, causing Ope to flinch a little. He was still on edge and couldn't help thinking about meeting Orisa Ife. He was a coward and he knew that.

Baba Ade placed the roasted meat– which was the sacrifice to appease Orisa Ife– inside the sprawled clothing. He tied all the edges into one which now turned it into a small bag. Ope collected it from his father and Baba Ade stood up. He put a hand on Ope's shoulder and squeezed it. Despite his strict warning and advice for Ope to man up, he was inwardly scared for his son. One wrong move with Orisa Ife and that was it. He would have gone, but he knew he wouldn't be able to make the journey when arthritis was slowly eating up his legs.

Ope averted his father's gaze as he took in deep breaths. Baba Ade glanced at his son's hands and realised that he was shaking.

"Ope." He whispered and his son looked him in the eye. "Maṣe bẹru. Emi yoo wa pẹlu rẹ jakejado, o dara?" He said and his son sighed before nodding. (T= Don't be afraid. I will be with you throughout, okay?)

"Bayi, lọ. Akoko nlọ." He said, trying to hurry his son before it would be too late to meet with Orisa Ife. (T=Now, go. Time is going)

Ope looked at his father before turning around and walking out of the small shrine. He hoped that this wouldn't be the last time he'd see his father because the tales that were associated with Orisa Ife were more than terrifying.

⁕⁕⁕

"No!" Folashade exclaimed beside Inioluwa as one of the main characters in the movie they were watching died. Inioluwa rolled her eyes at her sister before eating the Wafers biscuit. It was almost 12am and Inioluwa was exhausted but Folashade insisted that they both watched the movie together.

Inioluwa stretched her limbs and shifted her weight as she tried to get comfortable. Her eyebrows furrowed as she watched her sister sulk over the character. What was so interesting about him? Inioluwa asked herself.

Her mind drifted to Ayo and she recalled promising to call him back earlier that afternoon. She cursed at herself before getting up. Her relationship was gradually crumbling and she was the sole cause of that.

She yawned and kicked out her almost numb legs. She was about to leave when Folashade asked, "where are you going? I thought you promised that we would finish watching this film. You're ditching, abi?"

She narrowed her eyes at Folashade before sighing and shaking her head. "No, I need to pee. I'll be back." She said but she knew that was a total lie. After that encounter with the mysterious woman in the bathroom, Inioluwa abstained from using the restroom when it was 11pm or later.

She pushed the curtains in the hallway as she made her way to her room to call Ayo. She heard her sister yell, "should I pause it?" Inioluwa yelled back a no before making her way to her room.

She heard her phone ringing from the room and something told her that it was Ayo. He probably thought she was ignoring him but that wasn't the case. She had just been...busy. She hastened her steps towards her room but the fervent coughs her mother let out stopped her.

She turned and looked at the door that led to her mother's room. For some reason, she pondered on the thoughts of checking on her mother or answering a call that may or may not be from Ayo.

With a heavy sigh, she twisted the handle of her mother's room's door and pushed it open. Abike was sitting at the edge of her bed with nothing on but a wrapper. She cupped her hand over her mouth as she coughed out her lungs, oblivious to the fact that Inioluwa was standing by her door, watching her.