OYA

Celebrations

"Speak woman!" shouted the King as he made his way down the throne towards the shivering woman with his chest shaking violently as a sign of his dangerous anger. "Or do you prefer I feed you to the hyenas in my garden ,woman!"

"No 'your highness." she whispered whilst shivering.

"Then speak"

" Queen Adeshola had being delivered of a baby girl" she said feeling conscious of her blood Staind clothes,gathering them into her hands like a ball, as she look down Afraid to look the king in the eye.

"oooooh, may the gods be praised." he said raising his hands to the celling of his Palace ,standing infront of the midwife that came to give him the news he hard being dying to hear for so many years. A girl child from Adeshola ,a child that would look like her mother .A beauty he can never get use to and this time around it would be from his blood line .A child from his own waist , strength and sweat. An image of a little Adeshola runing around the palace is something he hard been secretly praying for.

And now it has became a reality, a reality that is too good to be true.

He moved his body to the sound of the flute from his flutist as, his servants shower appellations and praises on him . He moved his body systematically to the music from the flute with his eyes closed , as he make quick steps forward and then backward and to the sides.

He did the dance of the the Kings and fearless worriors,

moving in all directions of the throne room like a tiger ready to devour it's prey. The midwife was long gone from his way kneeling and resting in the left corner of the throne room as the king continued to make his happy dance, looking possessed .

"Call my brother and the elders of council. Tell them that there is a celebration in the palace .The gods have decided to put a smile on my face by giving me a female child from my youngest wife. We shall celebrate the gods for smiling upon my household ,until there is another miracle. he said giving orders to his chief warrior .

" Call all my six wives and 67 children, tell them to prepare for the celebration". he said to another.

" where is the midwife" he asked looking to his left and right in search of the midwife like a child searching for his missing coin in the sand .

"Am here your majesty" came a small voice from the corner of the room.

''Take me to my wife and child, for my arms are itching to hold my child and to behold the only woman whom I have ever loved''. he said with so much emotion in his eyes.

B.. u..t m..y King she stammered.

"But what woman!, don't tell me, my child or her mother is dead".

Because I would feed you to the hyenas in my gardens".he said clearly irritated .

"No my king". she whispered still an able to look him in the eyes for he was a dangerous King always undefeated.

"Then what!", he said clearly loosing his patcience .

My king is the child , she .... her eyes... is g..r..e..e..n like that of the river goddess.she said through sobs ,constantly wiping her face with the herm of her dress.

"so you are saying that my child has the eyes of Oshun?" he asked as he paced the room.

"Yes, your highness"she answered still sobbing

"Is she disabled?" he asked

"No , your highness"

"So , in who's care did you leave my family as we speak?" he asked with his voice slightly rising.

"A few maids , your highness"

"And you ,he pointed to her, are you not supposed to be there making sure they recover quickly?"

"yes " , your highness.she "answered fearing for her life.

"I would forgive you for abandoning my wife and child. Because the news you bring brought great joy to me. So you are permitted to leave.he said calmly as if he wasn't tempted to feed her to the hyenas for neglecting her duties to his wife and Child."

.....

"you shall be called Oya because you hard being long awaited and you shall bring great joy to this household and to this kingdom." said the king as he raised the naked child to the sky as he named her.

He lowered the child, when he heard the chants of the chief priest.

Igwe ! , Igwe he shout as he approach the King and the thousands of people present at the naming ceremony of princess Oya

" The moon is jealousy of the beauty of the little one. So , she had set a fire in the mountains far away, A fire that would separate a mother from her child and a father from his joy. She must be sent away before she fully turns into a woman, to a far away land where her destiny lyes. Hurry up for Olapa( the goddess of the moon) and her husband Ngai ( the god of the sun) . Are in war with Shango the great ." said the chief priest as he walked backwards towards the iron gates of the palace.

"Rejoice and make merry " said the king raising his glasses to the sky . Holding OYA possessively in his hands refusing to let anyone touch her.