OMA

Long ago in a far away place in the eastern part of Nigeria, there lived a King and a Queen who was known around and within the kingdom to be madly and deeply In love, although their marriage started out as an arranged marriage it bloom into love but these king and queen were at the bridge of losing their throne due to their inability to conceive a child. The king was adviced by the elders in council and his friends to take another wife but he choose to stay with his queen through this difficult time. They both set out to find a solution for their misfortune, they called on all the priests and Dibias in and around the kingdom and non could profile a solution. Many years has passed and they still haven't found what they could do to conceive.. "Why don't you take another wife?, at least she can bare you children and you can keep the throne" said the queen to her king," I would rather lose the throne than to take another wife,and there is no proof that she would ever conceive either so I wouldn't do that, hold your peace we would find a solution together" said the king. Although the queen acted like she was ok when she is called out about her inability to conceive but she cry her self to sleep knowing that her husband whom she loves dearly is about to lose his throne for her sake. what can I do to conceive? why have the gods who I worship decided to fail me? she said as tears runs down her face.. On a faithful day, the queen decided to take a walk along the road leading to the stream that brings water into the Kingdom there she met and old woman who was on the brink of falling due to the heavy load she was carrying. " Help that old woman" she said loudly to one of the guard who protected her as she takes her stroll. the guards rushed to the side of the old woman and helped her to lift the load, they asked her where she would like it to be put and she led them away from the stream and into the bush to a hut, "lay them here" she said and the guards who had helped her dropped it on the ground, "Thank you" she said them and she walked zig zagly toward the queen, "Thank you" she said again but this time to the queen, "It doen't matter I just couldn't help seeing you struggle" the queen said,.. " I will reward you" said the old woman. at this point the queen could only wonder how an old woman with nothing but the strange load she was carrying could reward her with. " No, no you don't have to, I did it out of the kindness of my heart" said the queen, "then let the gods show you kindness as they have watched you for to long in suffering" said the old woman, the queen could not fathom what she meant by that and the old woman continued, "For the gods have been to unfair in their judgement against you, for they punish you with the sins of your parents,but out of the kindness of your heart a god have heard you and will reward you" the old lady walk back to the hut and to the load that have just been dropped and picked up a Calabash from inside walked back to the queen and continued "I will reward you heavily for no mortal have shown me such kindness in my state, your greatest desire I see it and I will make it come true,take this and go to the river of Idemili, drop this in it and your greatest wish will come true" the Queen who still couldn't understand our forth her hands and received the calabash and she turn to leave, "I am the goddess of fertility and on this day I promise you a child,take this and drop it in the river at Idemili and I will answer in my immortal form" at this point the queen knew exactly what was going on and she fell on her knees, the guard who had been at a safe distance came running to her but she could only cry, " My queen did this old woman do anything to you" the guards said but the queen couldn't respond instead she stood up and walk away, as they where going after a long distance they turn back and didn' see the hut again, the queen told the guards never to speak to anyone about what had happened . when the queen arrived the palace she immediately ran to her husband the king to tell him of her encounter, but at the mention of the Idemili river,the king happy face dropped, "the Idemili river? that far away at the other side, it would take over 7 days to make it there and 7 days to come back and no one ever go there and make it back" the king said "I know but I must try you can stay in the palace but I have to do this" she said, "you are not going alone, I'll come with you" he said. On the day when they are to leave for the trip to the Idemili river, the king and the queen did not tell anyone where they were going to instead they said a totally opposite about their trip outside the palace and outside the town, they took a small entourage of 5, which includes the king most trusted guard, they all went on the trip and after 14days they returned to the palace. "The queen is finally pregnant" the town crier announced as he hits on the gong in his hand, " oh people of this king rejoice for the gods have shown us favour and he has blessed us with an heir, the queen is finally pregnant, rejoice in the multitude of your house hold, for the gods have shown us favour" he continued as he hits the gong in his hand at every speech, he went around the whole kingdom and in the evening time a big feasts was held on behalf of the queen and the baby in her stomach, for all the people in the Kingdom were genuinely happy but they where some who could not help but question this..