After thirteen years, Araromi Olamide returns to his hometown in Ibudun with his father, Biyi, and twin sister, Olamipo, to spend Christmas.
The experience takes a dramatic turn when he meets a beautiful new girl. Like most things, it starts out w...
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She sat on the stony ground and leaned her body backward on one of the trees closest to her. The back of her head reclined on the tree, with her jaw raised and her eyes shut. She was probably sleeping.
I slightly raised the back of my foot above the ground as I tipped my toes past where she sat. I hadn't taken two steps away from her when my foot rustled some of the dried leaves on the ground. It was loud. I stopped for a second with my back heels still raised above the ground. I slowly turned my head to peep if I had not woken her with the noise. When I rotated my head to the angle where she sat, her body was no longer resting on the tree. She was awake and her eyes were fixed on me.
“My son, please help me. I'm lost. Take me to the king's palace. Help me, ” she said twice with her shaky voice.
I turned my whole body towards her after I relieved my feet and drooped my heels back on the ground. Although I was scared, I didn't let it show. I could have run but what if the old woman began to chase. Different thoughts ran through my mind as I looked at her.
“Help me please. Take me to the king's palace,” she said again.
There was no way I was going to take her to the king's palace at the expense of missing my chance with Aderera. More so, I had taken too much time already and she must be tired of waiting.
“Mama, I have to meet with someone quickly. Let me catch up with the person and we'd return to the king's palace together, ” I said.
She wasn't satisfied with my response as she went on her knees, stretched her opened palms forward, and continued to beg.
“Please my son. Please. I need to get there now.”
I checked the time on my phone again and it was 8:50 pm. That was twenty minutes later than the time Aderera had told me to meet her in the woods. She must have been thinking I was not going to show up.
This woman just wants to waste my time here. Abeg, Aderera is waiting.
“Mama, don't worry, I'll take you when I'm coming back. I won't be long,” I said as I hurried down the path.
I had taken a few steps ahead before I was hit by a strong feeling that it was not fair that I left the old woman alone in the cold. I paused to look at her again but when I turned, she was gone...again.
How is she always doing this? Walking so fast in little seconds. Perhaps, she runs. No, she can't run. She is too old. Or, disappear?... Wait, disappear?
Before I could even think for the second time, my legs moved me faster ahead than I would while walking as I dashed farther into the woods without looking back.
After my aimless run, I stopped when I reached a spacious spot. It looked like a good meeting point. The ground was not as stony as the parts I had left behind rather it was full of sand and dried leaves. The trees were shaped like a canopy around the area but still allowed little spaces for the moon's illumination.
