Things Are Changing

The end of a Dictator!

Episode Ten

Bashorun Adewale is preparing to celebrate his golden jubilee birthday anniversary, he’s to celebrate his 50th birthday in a grand style, his house was re decorated with new paint. His mother appeared to him in one of his dream and told him that it is high time he get a new wife whose child would be use against next year sacrifice. Bashorun married a young girl of about nineteen years, the girl who will bore the kingdom hope. In a pace of month, she is already turned two i.e. she is pregnant. On the eight month of of her pregnancy period, Adewale received the greatest shock of his life. He had something which we may term as dream-real life experience; he dreamt that when the baby was born as he was about to kill the child as it was the usual practice. The baby spirit, as it iwas the one that he do kill, appeared to him , clothed in a white robe.

 As he tried to strike his head, his hand was withheld by the baby! He woke up, panting like a dog. He rushed into his sacred room, ‘”my mother, what is going on? What is the meaning of this dream of mine? I really want to know right now.pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee”. Adewale shouted. Immediately, lightning shows, everything started shaking and he found his mother waving at him saying, “ Adewale, this is the end”. She disappeared forever and ever. Adewale was filled with tears. He begged his gods for forgiveness but it seems the gods are silent to him! All his supernatural power left him! He tried his best to stand up from where he was rooted in, but he couldn’t. his leg was stick to the ground. He cried and tried all his possible best but he couldn’t. The end has really come! Things are really changing for him! It’s really an intermission!

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The king, finding solution to the problem in his kingdom, sent for the chief priest. He was just looking at the floor not saying anything. The chiefs, already seated, were seen talking to one another. The chief priest arrives, he begged for coming late to the palace, “I am very sorry for delaying you. I have to finish with the treatment of a boy who has fever, before coming down here. I hope my apology is accepted?”. “ It’s accepted”. “ thank you vey much’. “ since you are already here, let us hear from you, help us ask the oracle for the cause of all these trouble facing this kingdom of ours. Inquire it from the gods”. The king said impatiently. The chief priest brings out his oracle and started with his incantation: 

“ifa, oracle, let me see everything

My god

Thee alone know what is hidden and what’s clear

I implore you this day

To please tell me the truth, nothing but the truth”

After making some other incantation, he looked at everyone’s eyes and talked, “ ah, Baba, Iyalode, the Chiefs, asipa…………..” “what happened? Please tell us whatever you see. We are ready to hear it”. The chiefs all chorused together. “hmmmmmmmm, My king, the oracle says that you did something very bad during your youth days. The oracle says that you should think very deeply, it was a terrible thing. My king, please take your time to think about it”. The chief priest said trembling. The king remained startled after much thought all he could remember was when he was around the age of eighteen years, he and his patner in crime or let’s say partner in progress, Bashorun Adewale, they were still friends that time. The king then, being the Aremo, the heir apparent to the throne of the kingdom and Bashorun Adewale being the heir apparent to the Bashorun title. They lived a classic life, on one of their days outing, they met a young girl of about their age. They quickly ambush her, fortunately and unfortunately for them, none of the palace guards were with them as at that moment. They succeeded in getting her r***d. She was r***d brutally by the two of them, they left her lying heplessly and they ran away. 

 Back to the present day, the king having related all what happened to the chief pries, told him that was the only thing he could remember he did that was bad. The chief priest looked at him and explained how this relates it with what is on ground. “My king, the mother of that poor girl that you r***d has cursed both you- Adewale and you. She cursed you that on getting to the throne of your father and Adewale being your Bashorun, will hate each other. You will just be a figure head ruler in the community. She cursed you that you will come down and be stepped upon by Adewale. To that of Adewale, his mother addition made him turn to a monster, she cursed him to be a cruel leader who will give his kingdom a lot of problem. She cursed you that you will never give birth to a male child to replace you as the next king of the land. She acclaimed that her grandson would be. She cursed you that people in your kingdom will not respect you for once! My king, the solution is here. I bet it with you, Adewale is in trouble right now!”. “HOW!” all thee chiefs chorused.

 “The poor girl that was r***d the other day by the two gave birth to a female child, the female child now gave birth to another female child and she is the new wife that Bashorun Adewale take in some months ago. The child in her is a powerful being who is the next hope of the kingdom. He is the heir apparent to the throne of the kingdom! You are not gifted a male child by our gods Can you see now, her great grandson now, is going to be the next king of this kingdom after you are gone! The next thing for us to do now is to cleanse the land by taking you to the Ayilara River, where you committed the mistake you made the other day. There, we will wash away all the sins and the mother of the poor girl and the girl too, who died when given birth, their ghost will appear and they will all bless you”. The chief priest explains in detail. The king was shocked with what the chief priest said, he almost cried. The chief, all rushed to him and consoled him, telling him all his over for now. The chief priest lists out all the materials needed for the sacrifice and the king should be ready for the sacrifice in the next three days. The chief priest asked for excuse to go back to his place as he’s got a lot of people waiting for him to be treated. He left for his house. The chiefs all get the materials ready bore the end of the day. 

 The whole household noticed that the Bashorun didn’t come out of his room for the whole day, unknown to them that the Bashorun Adewale is struggling in his sacred room. The new wife is already in child pain, the midwife was ordered to come straight to the Bashorun abode. She gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, the new hope. The Bashorun, yet to come out of his room, left everybody to a puzzle. They were all worried especially his guards, they stormed into his room and couldn’t find him inside. After much deliberation, they decided to enter his sacred room, two guards were ordered to go in, they entered and all shouted “iku o” they slumped to the ground and died. Two other guys also entered, the same thing happened to them , remaining only Salake and Sapengo, no one want to die. As they were deliberating on who’s next to go inside, the Bashorun crawled out of the room. They were all surprised, they tried to touch im, but they got shocked. They leave him alone to his predicament. As he was crawling, he crawled to where the newborn baby was and the new born baby looked at him with a red eye. Everyone were surprised, Adewale, crawled as fast as he could outside the house, but he was held down by the guards. It was really a mixture of joy and happiness. He was tied to a tree beside the house. The once, GREAT BASHORUN ADEWALE!

 The next day witnessed the king already dressed in a white robe, he carried the sacrifice and off he went with the kingdom’s Great chief priest beside him. They got to the Ayilara river and made some incantation. He was washed from head to toe by the priest! The old woman and her daughter appeared as promise, the two of them were happy with the king and they placed their hands on his head. They prayed for him and they disappeared. They later departed for their various houses. It was indeed a relief to the king after so many years of guilty conscience! As soon as he got to the palace he sent his messenger to Adekunle’s house to inform him that he should report to the palace tomorrow’s morning with his father new wife and child. 

The next day, Adekunle reported to his father house, he was surprised to see his father in this way. Everything was explained to him in detail. He shakes his head and sighed inside. He looked at the new born child and smiled and the baby too smiled at him! He carried the boy to himself. He looked at the new mother and held her tight to himself, he take her with him and off they leave for the palace. The Bashorun, crawling, also followed them! As he got to the palace the king explained to Adekunle for the reason why he told him to bring with him the new mother and her child to the palace. He explained what happened to him. When they got outside, they find out the Bashorun has kicked the bucket! He is dead. He died with his face swollen, filled with various kind of disease; chicken pox, fever cholera etc. the king looked at him bitterly saying, “no one is an island of power. You failed to realize that, Adewale”. His body was packed to one corner of the palace! 

 “We’re tired of this polluted land

We’re going away

We’re tire tired of this land

We’re going away”. 

That was the song that echoed the four corners of the palace. All the people in the whole kingdom, with their loads on their heads, are ready to leave the Isokan kingdom. The youth leader, who lead the team, seems ranting. They all marched from their various houses to the Bashorun’s house and they found no one at his house, they move to each chief’s house and found none of them at home, before they finally arrive at the king’s palace. The king moves out with his chiefs and Adekunle with his late father’s wives. Titilayo and Amope who were married with force, their eyes is opened and they realize that they have indeed suffered at the hand of the Bashorun’s feet. The people were shocked to see all these people that they demanded for the Bashorun. The king pointed to the spot where he was with the two wicked guards of his: Salake and Sapengo. All the people rushed to the spot and stoned the guards to death! The king looked at them and said. “ Isokan kingdom, BASHORUN ADEWALE is dead!”. They were all happy. “and I have decided to make his son, Adekunle, the next bashorun of the kingdom”. The king said trembling. The whole kingdom shouted in joy. The chief priest moves forward carrying the new born baby in his hands, “ This is the new hope of our great kingdom, here’s our next king!!!!!!!!! All hail the heir apparent to the throne of the Isokan kingdom!!” The chief priest placed the new born on the ground and he prostrated before him, the new boy touches the chief priest’s head and it suprises everyone. They all bow before the new born baby who sit like a man. This is weird indeed. It reaches the c****x! The new boy finally speaks! “ I am your next king in some years to come, I will rule over you, justice will prevail in our kingdom and as our name implies we all will be in togetherness. Peace on me the day I was born and peace on me the day that I will die! Till I am A year plus I will start talking!”. Everyone looked at one another with their mouth opened in surprise. The king looked at all his people, “ I know you are all shocked to see all this that happened. It is a great omen. Do not panic, this is just the beginning! Adewale deserves to die, if not, what are we going to be preaching to the younger ones to come? Tell them to do evil and they will not die in evil? No! things are changing!”. All the people hailed him, “ KAbiyesi oooo” Adekunle moves a little bit forward and prostrated before the people, “ I’m deeply sorry for whatever my father had done to any of your family. I promise to make it up to you.”. al the people told him to get up and they inturn prostrated to him. Adekunle, boldly talk as the Bashorun, “ I, the new Bashorun of the Isokan kingdom, will be with you and abide with you forever. That is my word!”. The Iyalode looked at him and sees a future hope in him, he held him tight and hugged him as a son. The whole kingdom was in happy mode. There was party in the palace and everyone ate to the fullest. 

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It’s a new dawn in the Isokan kingdom as the new Bashorun who also assume the post of the commander in chief of the Isokan armed forces is seen and potrayed as a god by his people. Matters are brought to his house and he finds solutions to it. It was indeed a glorious moment in the kingdom. Adekunle went to his father house and brings out the magic box, he took it to the chief priest house, who in turn made some incantation on it. The charm needs no sacrifice, it was the devil that is just lieing to Adewale to kill his first child to appease it! The king built a special place for it beside his palace where he kept the magic box. The magic box serves as a guard for the whole people in the kingdom. 

 Adekunle fought many wars for his kingdom, he was said to be the first man in the kingdom to fight a war in which no bloodshed. The kingdom they fought with surrendered peacefully immediately they se Adekunle. Adedire, as that was the name given to the new born baby, who is now ten years of age, is also practicing how to use the sword. He is seen settling issues between people of his age and those who are older than him. Everyone believes in him, he do give the advice at all time. He doesn’t like blood shed that is why he decided in himself not to train again in sword to avoid being termed as a warrior. He likes being a leader than to be a warrior. 

 As times goes on the king died, Adedire was just eighteen years of age, he was the heir apparent to the throne. He was installed as the aged chief priest who was about one hundred and fifty years old! The coronation witnessed a lot of people from far and near. The coronation also witnessed another colour of people, THE WHITE MEN; they greeted the young king, they also told him that they’ve heard a lot about him and the kingdom for the past years and they have planned to visit. Fortunately for them they arrived on the coronation day. They were shown the magic box and they too promised that when they go back to their land, they will make something as such. Something that would look into the future like the magic box, something that will survey each part of the land simultaneously (I guessed they did it by having surveillance camera that can view all areas in a town). They were really happy to meet a great king like Adedire. Although , they were sad for not seeing the once GREAT BASHORUN ADEWALE who terrorized the land for twenty solid years!

 Adekunle was on guard that day just in case of any misunderstanding. It was during this coronation that a statue was unveiled which was that of BASHORUN ADEKUNLE, it looked more like him. He was very surprised because he never knew such present would be given to him. Unknown to him, it was Adedire who made it for him. Adedire looked at him and said “you really deserve to be crowned as the king but fate as it as me, you are our hero”. The white men presented a gift to him. He looked at it all over and it was a book he could hardly understand what’s in it. It’s one of the famous writer of all time’s poem, Shakespeare “sonnet”. He thanked them and moved to where the statue was. He unveiled it!!!!! The statue was tagged with a writing underneath it “THE HERO OF OUR TIME”

Things came back to the normal way as it was meant to be and the whole community really enjoyed the reign of the new king. In the year 1888, the Europeans already settled in the community brought in a new government to help in the steering of the will of the community working hand in hand with the king and the chiefs. They believe in the development of the community. Years roll in and out, the great Isokan kingdom became the center of excellence for all traders from far and near. Adekunle is already about a hundred year old, the king also is getting older. On his death bed in 1930, he called his son, Adebola, and told him to be of good behaviour and strive hard to become someone in life. He died that same night. He was given a befitting burial. Such was the life lived by the Great Bashorun Adekunle