Folktails✔️

Sneak Peek

UGEGBE
The smell of grasses caused Ugegbe's heart to ache a little as she remembered home with great fondness. She did miss it with all of her being; the chickens, dogs and even the stubborn goats that never failed to give anyone and everyone a headache.

Home.

Papa.

She couldn't help but worry every chance she got about his frail health. The old man was always down with one ailment or the other which meant a life of debts for him and one of slavery for his beloved daughter.

"I know you'll get me out of here someday Papa." Ugegbe whispered as she adorned her body with the white chalk that she had managed to buy with the money she saved up.

"Gegbe my sweet love." A voice called out through the passage leading to the servants' quarters and Ugegbe stiffened in response.

"Not again." She muttered under her breath, wondering what the issue at hand was this time.

Straightening, she leaned forward to let go of the white crumbs that had stuck to her dejected and overly depressed day dress.

The two-piece wrappers had frayed beyond all definitions of the word so that its semblance to any other wraps owned by maidens Ugegbe's age had gotten lost along with its old edges. But Ugegbe loved it as it was one of the last gifts her mother had left her before her death.

"Ugegbe!" The voice was overly loud now.

1, 2, 3. She counted till the very second she knew it was imperative for her to answer in such a way that did not betray her impertinence.

"Yes my Lord!" She hurried past her calabash of water, abandoning her clay chalk on the pedestal of stones she had made and forgetfully past the only waist bead she possessed. "My Lord I am here."

"Uge–" he had started to call, but held his peace as soon as his eyes settled on her. "Ugegbe where have you been?"

"I was in the backyard your Lordship and so did not hear you on time. I apologise deeply and will be ready to carry on whatever punishment you may have for me." She atoned, knowing fully well that she could never be punished by the man standing in front of her.

"You know I can never do anything of such to you my dearest." A smile wrinkled his otherwise smooth skin. She rolled her eyes internally, wondering if there was any a time he was not beaming at someone or something.

"I do not know anything of the sort my Lord. But I do know you are a fair man who shows mercy when he needs to."

"And you are right." He stepped a bit too close to her with his arms reached out and she fell back, out of the way of his touch. "I just wonder why you won't love me Ugegbe." His hands dropped to his sides balled in fists.

"My Lord..."

"Who is that man?" His voice trembled in anger. "Who is that wretched fool that you love so much?"

"I have no lover my Lord. Please do not speculate on issues that have no true hold or basis. Please. It hurts my heart to think you would doubt me this way." She assumed the role of 'the victim' like she often did with him, hoping to gain sympathy and be eased of the misery of the conversation being forced on her.

"You promised me a walk today, so come with me to the stream my love. Hopefully we will not encounter any of those pale demons." he ignored her plea and ambled forward in slow strides so she could keep up with him.

"I thought they left to another area already."

"Only a few did." The young prince gritted his teeth in apparent anger. Ugegbe felt the cold hatred emanating off of him and couldn't help but wonder why he disliked the ghostly creatures as such. "I want all of them out of Osisi. They do not belong here and their beliefs most certainly do not." He added spitefully.