when strength meets love

chapter 12: ikoka village

The night air was cool as Eki and Oduwa walked side by side, their steps in rhythm with the whispering breeze. The moon hung low, casting a gentle glow on the dirt road, but neither of them seemed to notice the beauty of the night. Oduwa glanced at Eki, his eyes studying her, waiting patiently. He knew she had something to say, but he also knew she wasn’t ready to speak yet.

Eki could feel his gaze, the weight of it on her, but she didn’t know where to start. Her mind felt like a jumble of thoughts—anger, confusion, hurt—but nothing made sense. She could feel him beside her, his presence steady, but the walls she’d built around her heart seemed too high to scale.

"Oduwa," she said softly, but the words felt foreign on her tongue.

He looked at her, his expression soft. "Eki, please... let me in."

For a moment, Eki didn’t respond. She just kept walking, her gaze fixed ahead, her thoughts scattered. But then, without warning, tears began to fall. She wiped at her face, but they kept coming.

"I'm so tired," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I’m so tired of being strong. I hate my life, Oduwa. I hate this village, and I hate the men in it. They're all the same."

Oduwa’s heart clenched at her words. He had known she was carrying a heavy burden, but hearing her say it out loud made him ache for her in a way he couldn’t describe.

"Eki..." he began gently, his voice filled with concern. "But Eki, I’m different. You know I am."

Eki stopped walking, turning to face him. Her eyes were red, her face wet with tears. Anger flickered in her gaze as she spoke again, this time with an edge in her voice. "Oh, you’re different, are you? I know how different you are, Oduwa. You left me, remember?"

The words hit him harder than he expected. He had hoped she would understand, but he knew it wasn’t that simple.

"Eki, please..." He took a step closer, his voice pleading. "You have to understand. It wasn’t the right moment for me. I had to leave. I had to get away from here... from the curse. I wanted to become a strong man, to stand on my own. I knew telling you would break me. Seeing you cry for me... I couldn’t bear it."

His words hung in the air, heavy and filled with the weight of his regret. Eki’s heart pounded in her chest. She could hear the sincerity in his voice, but the scars of his absence still ran deep.

Oduwa moved closer to her, his face coming into her view, the distance between them closing slowly. Eki’s heart raced, but she stepped back, her eyes wide with uncertainty. "Oduwa, please..."

"I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice soft. "I hate fighting with you. It hurts."

Eki stood there, quiet for a long moment, her heart in turmoil. She had spent so long pushing him away, so long holding onto the bitterness of his departure, but now—now she didn’t want to fight anymore.

She took a deep breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "Okay... I forgive you."

Oduwa froze, his eyes widening in shock. "What?" he asked, his voice cracking with disbelief. "Really? You mean it?"

Eki nodded slowly, a small, hesitant smile pulling at her lips. "But we’ll take baby steps. I need to know you, Oduwa. I need to understand. Everything  And What you did in the city?"

Oduwa’s face broke into a smile, a mixture of relief and joy. He laughed, his voice full of warmth. "My love, you know me. Innocent me, what could I have possibly done in the city?"

Eki couldn’t help but laugh with him. The tension between them began to ease, the walls slowly coming down as they talked, reminiscing about old times and sharing stories from the city. Oduwa told her about the small things he had done, the moments he had missed, and the lessons he had learned while away.

As they laughed together, the weight of the past seemed to lift, and for the first time in a long while, Eki felt a sense of peace settle in her heart.