"O kí mi ní páárápongbá; mo jé o ní páárápongbá.
O kí mi ní pààràpongbà; Mo jé o ní pààràpongbà ( You greet me in an open place; I answer you in an open place.
you greet me in an open place, I answer you in an open place)"
"Mama, ọpọlọpọ awọn nkan ṣẹlẹ loni (mommy, several things happened today)"
"Eti ti obo kii kuru to lati gbọ, nitorinaa sọrọ (The ears of a monkey is not so short to hear, so talk)"
Two people sitting on a wooden bench enjoying the cool breeze while one is being so loquacious, and that person was me.
I explained everything to her with her nodding her head and complimenting when needed.
There was an eerie silence between us by the time I was done talking; Neither of spoke, my mom, with her arms folded on her breast and her eyes looking sharply at me while I, was shivering like a wet chicken.
"Se ọpọtọ yi? Ṣe iwọ ni o pe e? (The figurine? Were you the one that summoned it?)"
I didn't answer immediately " Rara ma ( No ma)"
The sharp stare my mom gave me softened a bit " ṣe ebi n pa Ẹ (are you hungry)" an heavy sigh was followed.
I tried denying that I wasn't so hungry but, nothing can go against the rule of nature, my stomach gave me away with an almighty thundering rumble " umm-"
My mom gave me this her ' Are you sure?' look: a crooked eyebrow and a lopsided smirk. And that was all to make surrender.
" IEbi n pa mi pupọ pe MO le jẹ awọn ifun mẹfa ti fufu ni bayi (i'm sooooooo hungry that I can eat six wraps of fufu right now)" I said dreamingly rubbing my stomach, slightly hoping it would calm down.
My mom shook her head with a chuckle "àmò̩té̩kùn beere fun awọn aaye ati pe o gba (The cheetah asked for spots and he got it)" She said taking me to her loving arms and led me back inside where I saw what she meant by that.
You can take a quick guess of what she prepared for me.
Fufu and Assorted vegetable soup.
My stomach began to rumble again because it knew the scent of sweet aromatic food specially for me by my loving mom.
My mom put me down so I could start climbing the mountain, and I was about to.
" Keji, maṣe jẹ ọmọbirin idọti! wẹ iwe akọkọ ati pe o le tẹsiwaju (Keji, don't be a dirty girl! take a shower first and you can continue)" A special person said without considering thinking twice.
' Nooooooo' " maami...?(Mummy...?)" I was sure my eyes were glistening and bulging "Mo.... (I....)" a small sigh escaped my lips in surrender.
And that woman.... she was sure happy and I was happy she was.
She took me by the hand and led me to where 'I won't be a dirty girl.'
After several rounds of playing around, splashing of water, begging and laughing , I was sitting where my food were set like an offering, already digging in like a glutton and almost forgetting to pray. Almost! Almost!!
My mom sat beside me, watching me with every swallow, not saying anything. Probably, waiting for me to get to the peak.
The mountain was as tall as Mount Everest, and I, could of course climbed up, with my bear hands. I couldn't give up though it was a great difficulty, since I had no instruments for mountain climbing, just my hands.
That was a great task.
The first couple steps was quite easy for me till I reached a sloppy area, where my serious attention was needed; I was steady with stealth steps, mindful of the difficult curves so I won't fall.
After several careful climbing, I successfully reached the peak, but just as I was about to stabilize my center of gravity, a huge snowball fell from the sky down to me, throwing me off the peak down to the valley.
And I might not be able to recover and start all over again. never will! never!!
" Keji, kini idahun rẹ? (Keji, what's your answer?)"
"Idahun? Si kini? (Answer? To what?)" confusion was clear on my face.
My mom stared at me in silence, like I know what she was talking about but feigning ignorance.
"Idahun rẹ si adojuru, (Your answer to the puzzle,)" she let out a resignation sigh " Kini idahun rẹ? (What is your answer?)"
My face still had this confusion facade, but, God bless my soul, it dawned on me that I don't know the answer to that question and if my mom knows about it; I will be far from being dead!!
I felt uncomfortable with where I sitting, though, it was mainly because of my mother's questioning stare.
The delicious food I'd just finished eating, became acidic inside my stomach, making me feel choked up.
I just wanted to puke everything out.
" Mo n duro de idahun oo !! (I'm waiting for an answer oo!!)"
"Umm...," I rubbed my sweaty palms together looking at the licked-clean plate that formally held delicious delicacy a while ago " Mama, Ibeere .... Rara ... idahun ... (Mommy, The question.... No...the answer...)" i kept on stammering incoherent words till my mom patience ran out.
" Morenikeji!!"
" Maaa"I shrunk in fear. I wished the ground could just split open and swallow me.
She used a hand to support her cheek and gave me a cold silent stare "Emi kii yoo fi agbara mu e. (I won't force you.)" she got up from where she sat and cleared where I ate leaving me a state of an almost heart attack.
I sat there for a long time. A very long time. Thinking about the puzzle and the meaning behind it.
I flashed back to the events of today: The hunting, the quest of baba, the evil creature, the figurine and.... Wait a minute, i think I know the answer.
A little dubious smile appeared on my face.