Wale and the Little Moonlight

CHAPTER TWO

The sun had begun to retire, and the night falls were approaching. The evening was beautiful, and the night would be normal and bright again as the people expected that the moon would take its place back. The entire village soon appeared as though a spell had been cast on it as everything and everyone seemed to have gone into silence. Yes, somehow the silence could be explained by the fact that the people of the village, men and women, children and youth did not go out for their different engagements because the day was to be celebrated by everyone as to show appreciation to the gods for their mercy on the land. So, the usual movement and chatting of the people returning from the markets, farms, streams, and other places, were not there. And now the news of Folusho and her baby came.

On the other hand, the village went into silence because they had ceased celebrating the day. And the women had also stopped celebrating Folusho and her baby when they received the news that the baby was born as at the time of the commotion that happened the previous night. The same mouths that sang praises about Folusho and her baby in the morning were the same mouths that murmured about them. Some had even concluded that he was an evil child, a demon that was sent to their village through Folusho—whose birth almost cost the entire village. That evening, only the whispers of the murmurs could  break the silence in the air.

At the palace of the village head, the Oba, the elders were all seated to discuss the matters at hand. Kehinde was definitely missing.

“Segun, take some men to Kehinde house! Tell him that the Oba and the elders are waiting for him here at the palace”, the village head passed an order to his chief guard.

Segun took some of the palace guards with him and headed for Kehinde’s house. On their way they passed almost nothing by except for the few eyes that saw them from their own compound. It looked like the whole village had been pre-warned by the town crier not to walk the paths of the village during this hour. But the truth is no such thing happened; there was no warning from the town crier. The evening just took its shape by the happenings of the previous night and of the morning time. The few eyes that saw them knew they were heading for Kehinde’s house, and some who were very good friends to Kehinde’s household prayed in their minds that no harm should befall the Kehindes. Kolawale, Kehinde’s bosom friend had seen these men too, for his compound was just three compounds away from the Kehindes’.

The knock on the entrance door of Kehinde’s house wasn’t friendly at all. When he came out, he saw five able-bodied men with broad chest and muscle-invested arms, their veins stretching all out on their arms like pipes connected to their bodies which were bare, except for the covering around their waist up to the knee region. And their faces were just as mean as the two little felines that came arching between Kehinde’s feet. He recognised each of them; he knew the Oba had sent them.

“Get inside!” Kehinde threw his right leg as he ordered his baby cats inside to go and meet their mother at the backyard.

“You are welcome, the valour of Ogunta! What may have brought you to my humble dwelling?” Kehinde tendered greeting and pleasantry.

“You are summoned at the palace by the Oba and the elders. And you are to come right away”. Segun said sternly. And without another word, they all turned and left.

The palace guards and the warriors were not known with plenty words. They were men of few expressions but keen on actions. But this evening wasn’t for that extremity; no it wasn’t for action. Things had not gone to that extent. It wasn’t a war. So there was no need for action or force. Besides, Kehinde had not broken any of the laws and orders of the land. He had always been a good and law-abiding son of the land. At least, that alone had earned him good reputation and respect in the eyes of the people, and even the palace guards and warriors.

“I’m coming right away”, Kehinde yelled back at the palace guards in response, even as they had left and gone some distance out of his compound.

Kehinde had only been there thinking about many things his family had been through before their baby finally came into this world. He pondered on what would become the fate of his son who was now at the mercy of the Oba and the chief priest. He worried about what would befall his wife should something happened to the boy even before his eyes are opened to see his parents and grandmother. Then he wondered how his own mother would bear any bad news about his first and only grandchild who barely turned a day old. Then he realised the truth and decided to face it knowing that his new born baby was on trial, and he had to defend him with all that was within him and without. He left to dress for the palace.