ALIMA

ALIMA'S VICTORY

ALIMA'S VICTORY.

With the help of Ajanle and Egunleti, I arrived at Osoosi and found the two rivers at the break of dawn. I stood before the two rivers, pondering about which would be river Oba. While one river was still and silent, the other was wavy and moving, but they both crashed into each other at the centre.

“I pick the still water,” Egunleti opted, interrupting my thoughts.

“No, no,” Ajanle disagreed. “Oba is unhappy and enraged, she can’t possibly stay so unbothered.”

“Hmmm. But Oba was the first wife of Sango and she was known to be very peaceful.”

I listened to their bickering and reasoned with them, they each had a point. I couldn’t afford to pick the wrong river, or I wouldn’t live to tell the tale as Osanyin had stated.

An idea popped into my head and I hoped it would work. I was going to summon Oba the traditional way. I learnt that the dead deities didn’t like to be awoken from their sleep, but I had no other option.

“Ajanle, Egunleti,” I called, and they both turned to me. “I’m going to summon Oba, It will make this much easier.”

They nodded their heads in solemnity and I set out to work.

I sat on the seashore and crossed my legs over, as I closed my eyes and began to chant:

“Oba, mother of the salty waters

“Let your coursing waters move to higher and safer grounds, my spirit move with you.

“Oba, flow and forget your sorrows.

“Dry your tears.

“Pour, pour, pour…restore, and let your waters be still.

“Mother of loyalty and honour, you appeased your betrothed and now—be appeased.

“Oh, mother of motherhood, show forth yourself. Show forth your power.

“Worthy to be the Queen mother of all.

A loud feminine voice rumbled in the air as soon as I finished chanting the Oriki. The voice pierced through the air like a banshee’s scream and I held my hands to my ears as my eyes caught Ajanle and Egunleti scurrying off in fear.

The once still water began to crash violently and I knew that it was river Oba. I hurled to my feet as the earth began to shake, a large tsunami began to erupt from the centre of the river—rolling and tumbling over to the land in which I stood.

I waited for Oba, determined to collect the herb for my father. The violent wave crashed before me, sending splashes of water to my body.

“How dare you?” Oba’s shrill voice echoed in the air as the moving waters aided her enraged outburst. A woman jolted out of the waves and lunged at me, but her hands stopped midway to my face as the water tossed her back in, so that she was now soaring above the violent twirling waves that were almost reaching the sky.

Her lower body was hidden beneath the water, she wore beaded pearls around her stomach area, the pearls also accessorized her wrist, her neck and her head. She was naked, save for the two seashells that clad her breasts. A large mass of hair enveloped her head and tears continued to uncontrollably pour down from her eyes and into the river. She looked sad and at the same time, angered.

I bowed my head in deference and started. “Forgive me, Oba. I didn’t wish to summon you this way.”

“What do you want?” Her voice rumbled with the crashing tides.