Wale and the Little Moonlight

CHAPTER EIGHT

Akin had reigned in Ogunta as the best wrestler and warrior for about six years. He had become a prince in Ogunta by having won the prize of the Oba’s oldest daughter as his wife. His name and glory had gone beyond the frontiers of Ogunta and the harvest feast had grown so big that neighbouring communities and kingdoms had been represented by their own finest and strongest warriors but Akin had defeated them all. His strength and victories had succeeded in increasing the wealth of Ogunta and expanding their power and influences. His story and that of Ogunta were heard and trembled at in the lands beyond. Who could conquer Akin? Who could break Ogunta? These were the questions in the minds and mouths of all the kingdoms and communities within the Oduduwaland. He had almost assumed the place of a deity among his people and other people of the neighbouring kingdoms and communities, the little Wale and his strange aura had become a thing more like of a distant past.

Wale on his own was happy for what his village had turned to be because of Akin. His heart was sincerely celebrating Akin, and he knew no envy for him. Ogunta had so much expanded into a big kingdom and other communities and kingdoms annexed under it were loyal and paid their tributes to the Oba of Ogunta accordingly. They had all been participating in the annual harvest feast and the wrestling competition. The rains had also been steady in their seasons—but the night rain never came again—and farming, fishing, and other agricultural activities had experienced great boom during this period. What else could Wale have asked the gods for?

Somehow, the people of Ogunta seemed to have dumped the thought of Ojola in total oblivion. But somewhere within the Oduduwaland, Ojola was still a very big kingdom, the biggest of them all—growing and gradually expending into an empire. Ojola had conquered and annexed many kingdoms and chiefdoms under its control. The name Ojola was dreaded by every small kingdom or community before their conquest, but Ogunta had proven too tough and highly strategically locoted for Ojola, and the Great Oba of Ojola was not pleased with this development and would do anything to subvert and conquer Ogunta.

“How could the name of Akin and Ogunta be sung by the mouths of the people of Oduduwaland even more than the name of the mighty Ojola?” The Great Oba of Ojola would often query. “Ojola must reign supreme; Akin and Ogunta must submit”.

It was that period of the year for harvest and the harvest feast was fast approaching again. And this time Ojola would humble itself and participate in the harvest feast in Ogunta just to contest in the wrestling competition. The adventure was worth the effort. It wasn’t just an adventure for pleasure for Ojola, it was a political move for them—an imperial campaign. The fight was worth the prize, the prize was worth the fight and for the Ojola, the contest was worth their participation. Yes, it was the only way to defeat and conquer Ogunta by defeating Akin. The prize for any warrior outside Ogunta who could defeat Akin in the wrestling competition was that their Oba would be paid tribute to by the people of Ogunta, and the warrior would marry one of the Oba’s daughter or any woman from Ogunta, and would also be crowned a prince in Ogunta. But if Akin won, this same fate was to befall them and their people and kingdoms or communities. This indeed was how Ogunta rose to prominence among other communities and kingdoms in Oduduwaland through Akin’s many victories over foreign contenders. Many kingdoms and communities were paying tributes to Ogunta as a result of this, and through this arrangement, the different kingdoms and communities eventually fell under Ogunta influence and administration. They all later became Ogunta. This, of course, was a threat to Ojola; The Great Oba of Ojola would not accept this new development. No, it must not be for him. Every other kingdom and community must come under the shadow of Ojola in Oduduwaland, otherwise, the Great Oba would not rest and Oduduwaland would not know peace. And peace must come either by yielding or by warring.

Ojola had many strong and mighty warriors who could put Akin’s back to the ground and bring the whole of Ogunta kindom under Ojola. The Great Oba always believed this. This time he must defeat Akin and Ogunta. One of his warriors must contest in the wrestling.

Wale had also decided that this time he would go to the harvest feast only to watch Akin bring more warriors from other kingdoms to the ground, especially when he heard that the strongest and finest warrior and wrestler of Ojola was coming down to Ogunta to contend with Akin, he couldn’t and wouldn’t miss this great match for anything in the world—he would sacrifice his long hair to watch the match if that would be the cost.

Wale had grown into a handsome young man. At eighteen he was already as strong as other young men who were five or six years older than he was. His dreadlocks and complexion still attracted some attention to him even though the people had ceased seeing him as a special person. Young maidens of Ogunta couldn’t resist temptation of turning their neck to have a second look at this handsome package of their land. The gods, indeed, moulded him well; they would always say each time he passed by them. But Wale was not interested in any woman. A few of them had come to help Wale’s mother in domestic works just to attract his attention, and possibly, win his heart. Yet, Wale, as he was, had a blind eye on women.

And one thing Wale never told anybody, not even his father or loving mother was why he always preferred the night, why he always like sitting out all alone at mid night engaging in deep thoughts or talks. “Certainly, it was for meditation”, people always believed this. “Perhaps, it is the best time for him to get inspiration for his sculpting work”, his parents always thought.

Wale never told anyone about his relationship with the moon. He never told the people that at night, during full moon, he became unusually strong—stronger than he always was during the day. He never told them that the energy and strength he had during the day were made possible by the previous nights’ moonlight. He never told anyone that the moon, no matter how faint it appeared, warmed his body and opened up his mind and spirit. He never told them that his long hair grew that long and fine by the making of the moonlight. And he never told anyone that he could almost literarily hear from the moon and he could talk back to the little white moon since childhood. But by now he had known how great the moon was, and how little he himself was before the moon. The moon was the god of the night, and of infinite powers. He always knew and believed this.

So Wale had so much grown in body, wisdom, and strength. He had let go of childhood rancor and was waiting earnestly for this particular harvest feast and wrestling contest. He was expecting so much from Akin, and so much more from Ojola. But he believed in Akin, Ogunta, and the gods that victory would be theirs. So as The Great Oba and Ojola were preparing, Akin and Ogunta were preparing, and Wale was also preparing for the great day.