Age of Sango(Naija Demigods Chronicles #1)

Mami Wata is Real

Kola snuck into the forest just before the crow of the first rooster. He desired to see some of his old friends back on the streets for a few hours in view of the fact that he was going to face death soon enough and wasn’t sure he’d survive the encounter. He planned to return just after mid-morning and fib to the others saying that he just took a long walk to clear his and none would be the wiser. His pet leopard trailed him to the iroko.

He appeared at Iya Bisi’s bukka. He noticed the smoke rising up from behind the local restaurant and went to the back. He found his friend and object of attraction bent over fire woods arranged around a tripod stand blowing on the embers with her mouth; a huge steaming cooking pot by her side. She noticed kola shortly after his arrival.

Teniola stood up and hailed him over. Her hair was hidden in a scarf and we wore a very large T shirt that smelled of smoke with an iro tied around her waist but Kola still thought she was beautiful.

“Kola what are you doing here?” She asked.

“Huh?” He thought that she would have been happy to see him. Just about then, Bisi came out of back through the kitchens exit and spied him.

When he saw her he had a quick flash back and realized two things, one, she was one of the maidens who stood by Ife on the day of his first battle with Ogun. Two, the fact that she was with Ife who is Osun patron of Ajes meant she was a witch.

“Oba Sango” She said paying her respect.

Kola was dumbfounded. He felt like he was just seeing the world as it truly was for the first time.

“So it’s true” Teniola said.

He realized she must be an Aje too.

“No, No, NO!” Kola held his head disbelievingly. Pointing an accusing finger at Bisi he said “You are an aje, Bisi. Even you too Teniola.”

“Shhhhhh” Teniola uttered “Not so loud Kola. Do you want the neighbours to hear you?”

“We will come and meet you later at the baba’s place. We have food to cook; I don’t want iya mi to come and start shouting” Bisi dismissed him.

Kola was so used to being revered recently that the dismissal came as a huge shock.

The turn and sauntered away.

He decided he didn’t feel like socializing anymore so he located the nearest iroko tree. His destination was Sangosakin’s compound.

First thing he noticed was the cold. Ice cold water filled his lungs when he inhaled and he panicked. Kola opened his mouth in shock and salt water rushed in. He was under the ocean.

In all directions he was surrounded by millions of gallons of water. Kola tried to swam upwards but could only manage about forty feet before every muscle in his body ached with protest as he struggled and he began to sink. He felt like he was trapped in another word where he could not breathe nor escape. He knew he’d only survived this long because of his Orisha physiology.

Kola gave into the water and let the water take him. He was really starting to loathe water bodies. After nearly drowning a few times he still ended up in a watery grave. His panic faded and was replaced by numbness, his heartbeat slowed down increasingly. He was beginning to lose hold on his consciousness as he drifted in the vast menacing liquid.

Kola was dying.

A minute part of his consciousness made him aware of a touch on his chest. Almost immediately, his chest swelled and he could somehow respire. He opened his eyes and saw a woman whose beauty almost equalled Osun’s. Her long braided hair flowed with the waves of the water like seaweed, her dark brown skin glistening under the motion of the ocean.

The woman looked about middle aged. What was peculiar about her apart from the fact that she was miles under the sea was her body. She was nude from the waist upward— a chain of periwinkle and cowrie shell’s and red corals around her neck— and had a shimmering fish tail from waist down.

“Mami wata” Kola said but it was bubbles that came out of his mouth.

She nodded “I am commonly called Mami wata but my name is Yemoja.” Kola heard her voice clearly in his head. Her voice was warm and comforting like a mother’s. He instantly felt at ease.

“Thank you for saving me” He said pushing his thoughts to her.

“What did you do to Iroko that made him send you here?”

“Iroko” Kola fumed remembering Ogun’s warning “I destroyed one of his trees by mistake and threw an axe in another also accidentally but I apologized”

“I’m never travelling with an iroko again plus I’m going to kill him”

“The Orisha has had his revenge. I’m sure he would not send you elsewhere again.” She said, “I’m not very adept with teleporting but I can attempt to send you to your destination.

“Thank you, Ma” Kola said gratefully “I appreciate your effort.”

“It was nice to meet you Kola” She said as her body slowly dissolved into the surrounding.

“How did you know my name?”

“Words get around fast Oba Koso, even at the bottom of the Atlantic.”