The Legend of Tafari

Chapter 13 Goodbye

The terrain began to change as Nyack and I traveled back towards my home. I did not realize how much I missed the forest of our great country until I found myself admiring how green it was. The roads weren’t paved out here their dirt got stuck in the hooves of Kairu and the brown mare Nyack always rode. It was a three day journey to Booue’. Our first night of travel Nyack spoke very little except to make sure I was safe and protected before he drifted to sleep. I sat up looking at the small fire he had made the sounds of the forest so quiet. How could Papa be gone? He would always say he was in his prime with a plastered smile that would always melt my heart with happiness. I wondered how my family took it, how they were, I had been so lost in the world of the palace, that it was rare when they came to my mind.
The crickets chirped and the moon glowed softly all the night as I laid there my eyes wide open sleep far from my mind. As the sun rose that morning I woke Nyack after having packed everything already. He looked up shocked but nodded as he rose brushing the dust off of himself as he climbed his mare.
“Yip yip Kairu,” I said as Kairu galloped quickly his instinct taking over as Nyack followed me. We passed several villages that wore King Haben’s red flag symbolizing that one of his right hand men had passed away or loss his life. I refused to allow myself to cry knowing Tafari had sent out the word. She must have been worried but knew that I would notice. It began to rain towards the end of the second day. This made it very hard to ride. We stopped in the village of Lara and got a room in the home of the King’s official’s home. During evening meal I admired how the official’s children adored him. He had 6 children all of them stair stepped. The oldest was eighteen. Within our room that evening Nyack finally broke his awkward silence.
“Deola, I am sorry to hear of the loss of your father. I cannot imagine how you feel,” he said his eyes sincere as I smiled at him nodding.
“Thank you,” I said softly as I closed my eyes and sleep actually came to visit me. The following morning Nyack woke me early in order to arrive in Booue’ by night fall. The ground was slightly muddy but the sun dried it as quickly as the rain brought moisture. I began to see the trees Papa would let us climb as children. He loved the coconut milk Mama would make so he took us to harvest them. It brought back the memory of when my younger sister Viha climbed too high and got so scared she would not move. Papa with his gentle spirit climbed up in the tree and helped her get out of it speaking so her eyes were on him and not the ground. It was one of the many memories I had of him being a great man.
We arrived that evening in my village, as Nyack tied up the horses. I stood outside my home preparing myself for the fact I would not see my father sitting in his normal spot at the table drinking that coconut milk in sips as he savored each drop.
“Deola! “ I heard a deep voice shout as I turned to see my brother, Essien, running towards me as he hugged me so tight tears already flowing out his eyes as I smiled the tears I had suppressed welling up as they flowed. I then heard my Mama’s voice as I wrapped my arms around her entire frame my face buried in her shoulder. I cried a long time as she grabbed my face looking at me as if she had not seen me in a thousand years. My entire family was there even both of my mémés (grandmothers) were there.
It made me feel whole, I thought as I was embraced by everyone. I forgot all about Nyack until my niece shouted that there was a big scary man outside. I chuckled standing up walking out of our clay made home.
“Nyack you can come inside,” I said smiling at him as he stood feet flat looking forward near the house.
“I do not want to intrude on your family,” he said making sure his eyes connected with mine taking me back. I shook my head in unbelief as I grabbed his hand pulling him inside as my family greeted him and joked about him being my admirer. I chuckled as he blushed from all the attention as I imagine what Papa would have said. It still felt like he was here though his body was not, I thought.
The next morning the entire village traveled to the edge of the green forest where they had placed my father’s body atop a wooden altar. My mother released a wail and everyone else followed her in unison. My brother held a torch throwing it on Papa’s body. My uncle began to sing the mourning song as everyone joined in. My sister and brother then did the dance of Jengi and Lesedi. The whole village sat weeping and sniffling as Papa’s body burned the smoke blowing into the jungle. And slowly but surely the jungle got louder with each movement of my brother and sisters dance. And then there was silence.  Such a silence that it was frightening. Each of our neighbors after that began to walk back to their homes.
My family and Nyack were the only ones to stay until Papa’s body was nothing but ash. We walked back home in silence as one by one each family within our village brought a dish of their specialty for us to eat. We ate and laughed for the remainder of the evening our memories of Papa still within the house. Everyone went to sleep that night except Mama and me. We were so alike yet still I had parts of Papa that she never stopped commenting on even now.
“Deola, since your father is gone now,” she said sucking in a deep breath as not to bust out in tears, “you should be able to come back home from the palace,” she ended. I knew she was hurting, but I could not just leave Tafari. Though my mother was in my heart and soul, Tafari was my world that I had only just found.
“I am sorry Mama, but Papa made me promise that I stay in order to keep King Haben’s wrath a bay about his debt and I will continue to do so,” I finished not looking her in the face in order to keep my composure.
“Okay sweetheart,” was her only response as she kissed my forehead before going to sleep.
I walked around our village as everyone slept, as the moon lit the way. All my memories of Papa playing over and over in my head.
“I miss you Papa,” I whispered into the night as I headed back to my home. The next morning I packed all my belongings and strapped them to Kairu’s back as he neighed at me.
“Are you ready to head back so you can get those sweet apples Kairu?” I asked laughing lightly as Mama, Essien, and Viha along with my extended family came and group hugged me. I heard prayers whispered and got firm hand grips as I mounted Kairu. Nyack began riding off, as I waved at them as Kairu shot off with speed following the mare catching up with no effort.
“I’ll keep my promise Papa,” I whispered as we rode back. The journey was peaceful and it seemed the prayers worked until we arrived outside the palace walls as we rode to the entrance that led to the stables. It was still an immaculate place I thought as I brought Kairu to his stall filled with new hay for his return.
“Nyack, thank you for assisting me with my journey home,” I said as I walked past the stall he put my mare.
“Anything for you sweet Deola,” he said gazing at me with those eyes of his as I made sure not to let him trap me. I continued to walk to the servants’ courters as I knocked on Yohance’s door as she opened it her hair hanging past her shoulders in a beautifully colored dress.
“Deola, welcome back. What can I do for you?” she asked agitation in her voice slightly.
“I just wanted to know if you could help me bathe before I see my queen,” I said with a smile. She smiled back at me as she turned saying something to her husband.
“Follow me,” she said walking quickly through the palace, as I struggled to keep up with her though she was an inch shorter than me. We arrived at the bathing pool as I removed my clothes the male servants backs turned as the flower pedal toppers collected my traveling clothes. Yohance put on bathing attire as she scrubbed me roughly. My skin having a tint of red as she dumped small bottles of oil within my hair massaging it in my scalp.
“I am sorry for your loss Deola. I too lost my father at a young age, so I feel your pain.” she said as she grabbed my hand pulling me towards the steps within the pool. She grabbed a towel from the maidens as I walked out and she wrapped it around me. We walked to the fabric room as she dressed me quicker than normal.
“Thank you Yohance, for being so kind,” I said as she smiled brushing off the thanks as she told me to hurry to go see Tafari within the queen’s courtyard. I quickly did as she said to find Tafari there alone sitting on her throne. Her crown glistened in the sunlight and the light breeze blew her raiment so that her perfumed skin’s scent blew with it.
“Are you going to just stand there and not say hello Deola?” she asked as I jumped forgetting that she was an oracle.  I walked closer to her till I was directly to her ear.
“Hello Tafari,” I said my voice having a seductive tone. She pulled me so quickly within her lap as she searched my face.
“How was it back home?” she asked looking at me with such urgency that it startled me.
“It was good to see my family. I forgot what home felt like,” I said staring in her eyes.“ Mama asked me to come back home,” I blurted out.
“I can imagine that she misses you dearly,” Tafari said holding me as she looked off into the distance.
“ But I told her I had to do what Papa asked of me, but the real reason was I could not just leave you,” I said as I looked up at her smiling.
She smiled and I melted there, as she looked down at me.
“You are so sweet Deola. Komba and Jengi cannot even take credit for the creation of you,” she whispered placing her forehead against mine.
“I don’t think I could bear to lose you, even to sweet Lewa,” she said as she kissed me. This felt like home I thought there within her arms. Unable to think any other thought but that I was happy to be back with my queen. My immaculate Tafari.