MAIDENS

MAIDENS 12

I am sorry if you are reading this, Wura. I have decided I cannot make that decision to give up Akin to be a part of the Royal Procession because he is all I have and love. We have decided to run away together to the opposite kingdom where he said we will not be judged by our actions. Please do not look for me and don't hate me. Your Friend, Wura.

Wura walked faster. What friend? If they were truly friends she would have asked for her input before taking such serious action and with what she had learned about deceptive creatures creeping around Chosen Maidens, no one was safe. Time was of the essence here. Why Lola? She had promised to fix it, had she not? Just a day of waiting too and she already disregarded her voice. Lola should have given her a chance at least.

This was also proof that Lola had been more affected by the new maidens' testimony than she had let out. But what made her feel this condemned and powerless to think she could not let go? Wura somehow knew the answer to that inside. She had been of the same notion as Lola until the maidens brought enlightenment. Without this same understanding, she might lose her friend forever.

Wura stopped to look back and continued walking after confirming that her father was close by. Lola lived close to the school so immediately Wura saw the school's tall white building she started running until she got to the Fashola household. They had similar buildings with many in the village, a small clean brick house though, theirs was painted yellow. A robust woman wearing a nylon blouse with an ankara wrapper around her breasts and reaching her feet was pacing outside the building. As soon as she saw Wura she ran to meet her halfway.

"Wura o!"

Wura took every doubt from her voice to talk before she got drowned in the rivers of distress flowing from the elderly woman. "Mummy, don't worry. We will find her. Please just wait for us here"

"Ah! Egba mi o! What is this Wura?" She turned to Father who had arrived, "Father, please what is this? Why would she run away? I did not notice any strange signs before today. Why is it when this great honour has come into our household that disaster chooses to strike?" She turned to Wura again holding her hand tightly, "Ehn, Wura? Did you notice anything strange with your friend? Who is this Akin? I never knew about him before the note..."

"Mummy, be calm and let us think. All the worrying in our kingdom cannot help this situation. Answer me as accurately as you can. When was the last time you saw her?" Father was comforting her and taking over at the same time.

Adelola's mother visibly tried her best to stop her anxious movements, she ran her hands over the head of her little boy worriedly as she spoke. It was like watching an older and bigger Adelola in action. "I saw her when she returned from school but I have been in the backyard. I sent Femi here, to ask her to bring the materials for my aso-òkè business for us to sort together but he returned saying she had gone out. It was just some minutes ago when I found the time that I went to her room to look for the materials myself that I saw this letter on her bed. Ha! What do I do? What will the king say about this? What about her father? He is always looking for an opportunity to blame me for every problem in this house and..."

"Calm down, mama Adelola! We will look for her." When her father turned to her, Wura who was already anticipating the questions replied immediately. "Lola met Akin around last year's end and they love each other very much. They also plan to make it official after our graduation next year."

"HA," Adelola's mother shouted, then remembered her promise and kept quiet again.

Wura continued analyzing; "One problem here is that Akin's behaviour and decision to run away with Adelola taking her far from this kingdom into another is not similar from the attitudes of the people of our kingdom..."

"Eku-Emó." stated father.

"Ah, Eku-Emó ke? Egba mi o! Where, when? Who..."

"Please be calm, ma. Allow us to think."

"Okay. Hmm." The woman put her hand over her mouth to hold back any other word while her legs started dancing.

"If Akin is an Eku-Emó then Wura is in trouble! But how do we find them, Father? What way would they have gone?"

"Mama Adelola, we will be going now. Wura, let us go. I know the way," Father said as he turned.

"Noooo! HA! I will come with you! Femi go inside and wait for me." Mummy Adelola was already retying her wrapper.

"No." Wura and her father answered at the same time but Father continued. "Only trained vassals can go this way. You will slow us down because it has been a long time since you practised or attended any meetings. What we must use now is speed if we want to be successful. We will bring back your daughter soon."

"Okay, I will wait," said the shaking woman who proceeded to sit on the stool in front of the house that the children use to watch drying foods to keep birds and stray animals from eating them. She carried Femi on her lap as her hand kept clenching and unclenching. Father turned again and Wura followed him.

Femi looked at his mother from where she had tucked his head under her chin to ask, "Mother, who is Eku-Emó?"

Wura shook her head at this as she tried her best to keep up with her father's long strides. The people in her region had not taken this matter seriously. They were so relaxed and protected in their ways that the children were not trained to identify enemies lurking right in front of them! Even her father had fallen short of this. She had not known about the great dangers until today. Their elders had not done a very good job in training the next generation. Look at it now – we are reaping the fruits. If we survive all this, I will have a little talk with Teacher Alakola about this. Just a little one... Please, Lola no matter what, just be safe.