Two Worlds

Chapter 2

Adigun returned to the hut after fetching the herbs. With a few twigs, he was able to start a fire to keep himself warm for the night but he presumed that Enitan didn't really need any warmth. After grinding the herbs and making it into a paste, he applied it to the cut on Enitan's temple. When he was done, he sat away from her with his back against the wall while she remained on the woven bed and listlessly stared at the fire which kept making cackling and bursting sounds as it burned. Soon, she fell asleep and Adigun had enough time to scrutinize her now that he was sure that he could do that without seeming too forward.

Every detail of her body was marveling and he didn't fail to notice just how beautiful she was. In fact, if he was to be just, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was rather sensual with long black hair, long eyelashes, a small nose, high bony cheeks and perfect lips that seemed pale. Her slender neck was obvious and her breasts which he could not fully see were so full and perky. Though, he couldn't tell if she had any nipples because her hair covered where her nipples ought to be. When he let his eyes descend lower, It was as if her ribs were lined with several gill-like flesh, that anytime she breathed in, her chest and the gills at her side expanded then narrowed again and closed when she breathed out. Her belly was flat but she had no visible navel. She had wide hips with dorsal fins at the side, and he noticed that just where a human woman vagina was meant to be, there was a small slit shaped like a vulva, only narrower, with folded flesh lining the opening, and he instantly knew that was her womanhood.

The rest of his eyes moved down towards her tail which narrowed then spread into big double thin-flapping ends. Despite himself, Adigun felt heat rising in his groin. Yes, he was a Yoruba man and during this era, he was entitled to more than one wife but he was so poor that he couldn't marry a second wife. In shame, he grabbed his groin in a squeeze and rushed out of the hut, breathing hard as he tried to control his lust. How could he even nurse the thought of sleeping with such a creature? Was he insane? She might be a beautiful woman but she was not human at all. Besides, what if she could read his mind and find out that he was lusting after her? What if she got upset and cast a spell on him? He was sure that even the village Chief priest would never be able to break the curse of such a powerful being.

Just then, the distant crow of a cock startled him and he looked up to the sky and found out that it was almost dawn. Going into the small hut to fetch his lamp, he quickly hurried home. When he reached the house, he began to look around for the fish which Enitan had promised that she'd transport on his behalf, and much to his amazement, he found fourteen large baskets filled with fish at the back of his house. Adigun was amazed and this made him more convinced that the mermaid was indeed powerful. He went into the house to wake up his wife and asked her to follow him to the back of the house. At first, she was groggy and reluctant, but immediately her eyes fell on the fish, the sleep instantly cleared and she gaped at the baskets in awe.

"Oko mi, (my husband) how is this possible? You mean you caught all this in one night?!" She asked in amazement, finding it hard to believe.

Adigun nodded. "Osun was really generous to me."

"Of course she is." His wife concurred. Immediately, the excited couple began to speculate how much cowries so much fish would fetch them. Adigun quickly put his wife to the task of selling them as he told her that he had another business to tend to. By daybreak, most of the villagers had gotten wind of the news of Adigun's catch and had immediately flooded his compound to confirm the claims for themselves, and indeed, they realised that not only was the catch bountiful, the fish were as big as a man's forearm. When they asked where he had gotten so many big fish, Adigun's wife proudly told them how the river goddess had decided to bestow good fortune on her husband.

Placing two baskets of fish in a cart pulled by a donkey, Adigun rode to the palace. The Kabiyesi who had long heard of his fortune immediately honoured and blessed him, telling him that since he had been so lucky to win the affection of the river goddess, Adigun was welcomed to the palace anytime. People from neighbouring villages also heard of what had happened and they began to troop in, in their numbers to buy the fish. Adigun was so thrilled by the instant fame and wealth he had gotten that before noon, he and his wife were done selling the remaining twelve baskets of fish. Fellow fishermen began to query Adigun on how he had won the favour of the goddess. There were questions and statements like: