EJIMA

CHAPTER 72

Another east wind drifted through the trees and rested upon him, easing out the discomfort of the last twelve years. He shifted to the side and smiled when the golden rays that tubes from the trees' leaves, seemed to knock on the door of his eyes. Only one word came to his mind. Peace. Indeed, one does not know the value of what they have until they lose it. But it is also true that one does not know the value of what they have been missing until it arrives. Before now it was wars, killing, revenge, and anger. There have been several sacrifices to different deities and for different purposes. But now, everything has changed. It was the introduction of the divine, the coming of the king of kings that has blotted away the darkness which plagued the land for a very long time.

"Still enjoying the view or should I say the peace?"

Jide's smile broaden as he took the cup of palm wine. It was obvious, the peace. Everyone was enjoying it. From the far side of Ame to the other side of the village. Peace reigned. It was one thing the land has suffered so long to have.

"I thought you departed with the others?"

Adaku rolled her eyes and sat down beside him.

"Father and the rest have gone"

Jide felt his heart lifting as a delightful sensation swelled in his stomach, "why didn't you go with them?"

Adaku frowned, "stop acting like a child. If you are bored of my company, then I guess I would return to my father's land."

"Sorry princess, I still value my head. Your father would kill me for sending you home."

"We are not married yet," Her frown broke into a smile as she nudged his stomach. "Plus, those days of killing are gone. Even though I still find myself dying for your love every day."

"Dying?" Jide shrugged, "that's a bad thing. I would rather you remain here with me and not die. The dead enjoys no pleasure."

"Well," Adaku took the palm wine he had filled for himself, "it's not a literal death, silly. It's the type of death that is not actually death, you get it?"

"I think I do, Ada, and I am pleased you accepted the engagement. This would strengthen our kingdom."

Adaku laughed. "You sound like my father. This is how he does it." She sipped from the cup before raising her shoulders, trying to mimic her father's pose, "Ada, you are the child of the king. And to bring honor to the land, you must marry a prince"

Jide laughed so hard that he almost crawled on the floor. From her accent and poise, he could almost picture her father in his mind's eyes. 

"Well, guess I am a prince now. And not just any prince, but the heir to the throne of the greatest dynasty the world has ever seen. Isn't that great?"

"Sure is. And lucky me to have found this prince that was once my maid" 

"Ha, it was an act, a pretense, don't forget."

"Pretense or no," Ada laughed again, "you were my maid for three days."

"And that saved my life," Jide turned his attention to her, "I would rather be your maid than serve at the table of kings."

Adaku smiled and looked away. Her cheeks were red, even though she had tried so hard to hide the blush. Jide did not know when he had said that too and sheepishly, he looked away, hoping the sudden silence would fill the void. 

They were in the garden at the back of the palace, but from that spot, they could see half of the world, stretching out until they were almost touching the sky. 

"How does it feel?" Adaku said after a while.

"Being a prince?" Jide picked a pebble and threw it to the far-off distance, "awkward. And becoming a man, you know, different"

"You will get used to it," Adaku added, "but I was actually talking about how you feel, with your Grandmother and your father's twin brother"

"Oh, that," Jide's shoulder's eased as the peace engrossed him again. He took a long deep breath before responding. "It's so amazing that everyone in the village had surrendered to my grandmother and had agreed to rename the village, Umuejima, a name that stands as a reminder of her bravery and motherly love. As for my uncle. He is a living miracle, a testimony of the many things which Jesus Christ can do. It's still strange too, and I feel as if it is a dream that I hadn't dreamt of. The whole thing is just too good to be true."

"Too good to be true is the truth," Ada chuckled.

"Yeah, you are right. And thank God for Mary and her crew, half of the village has been converted to Christ and baptized. It's a thing of joy."

"A thing of joy indeed. A miracle for your people." Silence passed again before Ada added, "do you have any regrets"

"Yeah," Jide nodded, "I regret not meeting Christ Jesus early enough. Things would have been different."

"Me too. But a wise man once said that our past makes us who we are. Remember that you got here because you were there in the past."

Jide nodded and took Ada's hand in his. 

"The marriage ceremony is two days away. Two days and you will be my queen."

"And you, my king." 

Jide's heart skipped when his forehead met those of the Princess. The past years had been difficult for both of them. They had witnessed killing, trouble, and misery. Still, they were able to remain on their feet, pushing through the tempest and hoping to keep their boat afloat. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he remembered his father and mother who had been murdered in cold blood. The stories of his grandmother also left him in awe. They had all gone through hell, yet here they were, standing film and pushing through.

"There is no place I would rather be, Ada. You are my world. The better piece."

Adaku nodded. She was sobbing too, like Jide, the scar of yesterday was heavy on her soul. It would take time for the wound to heal, even though the scar would remain.

Jide planted a kiss on her forehead before wrapping his hands around her. There were many things he wanted to say, but oddly, the serenity was peaceful and seemed to converse in a great measure, words he couldn't express.

"I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.

-Psalm 2:7

THE END