Ṣaaju ṣiṣe awọn maili miliọnu kan, gbe ni igbesẹ nipasẹ igbese, ni imurasilẹ bi o ti ṣee - ki o ma ba yọkuro ki o ṣubu si ọna. (Before running a million miles, take it step by step, as steady as possible- so as not to slip and fall on the way.)
" Keji" a soft distant voice called me back to the world of reality, "kaaro oko mi (Good morning)"
I used the back of my hands to wipe the remaining sleep from my eyes while I knelt to reciprocate the greeting, " E kaaro ma ( Good morning ma)"
A light pat on my head, "Ṣe ireti pe o sun daradara, olufẹ mi? ( Hope you slept well, my dear?)"
Spreading my arms wide, like a spoilt child, signaling for her to pick me up, " Beeni ma (Yes ma)"
As soon as she picked from the ground into her warm hands, my stomach sang a monstrous song, its voice was loud as a bata drum and very ugly to listen to.
My mom let out a small chuckle with that look that says ' What a song ' and burst into a melodic singsong laugh thereafter, which made my cheeks warm, " Jẹ ki a sọ ọ di mimọ ṣaaju ifunni jeli ti ebi npa. (Let's make you clean before feeding hungry griot.)"
My mom prepared my warm water and made me clean. Very very clean.
My mom served me a mountainous ofada rice and ayamase stew that I could not see the other-side of the mountain.
I prayed over the meal and started digging in like an Elede. It was delicious and satisfying.
My mom taught me how to prepare ayamase stew with her special recipe.
How to prepare ayamase stew:
Two tablespoons of ground crayfish
600g Green Peppers
3 scotch bonnet peppers
500g Tatashe or shombo peppers
Assorted meat – 800g
2 cups of palm oil
Dadawa
Ginger and garlic ( optional)
Pomo -900g( has been soaked inside water before several hours to soften before washing)
7 large bell peppers
4 large red onions
2 lbs braised goat meat (braised with 1 red onion, 1 scotch bonnet pepper, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp of powdered/ grinded ginger or garlic)
80 grams cleaned smoked dried fish (about 0.17lbs)
20 grams smoked dried shrimp about (0.04 lbs)
2 tsps bouillon
salt to taste
6 hard-boiled eggs
Iru (Locusts beans)
salt to taste.
How to prepare Ayemese stew:
Start by preparing the meats you want to use. If using beef, boil with salt, garlic or ginger( but my mom usually use grinded ginger)and black pepper for 30-40 minutes till it is tender. You can even fry the meat to give it a more authentic taste. You can do this if you want to, but it's optional.
Prepare the washed pomo the same way as the meat. The only difference is that the seasoning used will be lessened because as soon as the pomo is done, the pomo brothe will be useless unlike the meat broth.
Bleach the palm oil till it turns blue . While waiting, coarsely blend the habanero peppers, the green, and red bell peppers together, ginger and dried shawa (we use our grinding stone and grinding pallet that my mom keeps behind her seasoning basket. Warn you, if using the local grinding method, make sure you tie both hands with nylon, as to not to get that hot sensation after dealing with pepper)
Add as little water as possible when grinding it If the blended mix looks a bit watery, pour in a pot and let it boil till some of the water evaporates.
Chop the onions and set them aside. Add the onions to the palm oil and when translucent, pour in the blended peppers and add the iru (fermented locust beans). Cover and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
Make sure it's on medium heat and keep an eye on it so it does not burn. Add your choice of meat and the remaining spices. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.
Cook for another 10 minutes on medium heat or until the oil begins to float to the top.
Your ofada stew is ready to serve!
You can use it to eat ofada rice, cauliflower rice or
Shiratiki noodles.
After getting pregnant with the food, that my stomach looked like that of a nine month old pregnant woman.
My mom was just laughing at the me, rubbing my pregnant stomach with satisfaction. At once onced wish if my mom could allow me to drink palm wine tapped by the bestest palmwine tapper in my village. It would have complimented my sated state.
"Keji, oni ni ojo Aiku. Kini iwọ yoo fẹ lati ṣe loni? (Keji, today is Sunday. What will you like to do today?)"My mom's beautiful face was beaming like the sun in the harmattan afternoon.
A thought that I, Morenikeji, would never have, occurred to me as my mouth bleated like a goat, that I tried all means to tame, " Emi yoo lọ si ile Sonya fun ẹkọ mi, Emi yoo lọ si aaye Baba Alawo (I will go to Sonya's house for my lesson and I'll go to Baba Alawo's place)"
My gave me a little nod of permission and prepared me for the day. As usual.
My mom forced me to wear a gown sewn with tie-dye material that my she herself did. My sweet mom usually beat taffeta and dye materials during her leisure time and sometimes for business. and told me to come back before curfew or I might spend the night with the mosquitoes and worst, those scary creatures of the night.
My mom escorted me to Sonya's house , since the road is to difficult for me to remember. And hold on, how come my mom knows the way to his and I can't, she didn't come with us then??
After reaching his house, Sonya was busy sweeping the compound not even noticing us and that my blood to boil.
' We're standing right opposite him and he didn't even see us? Is he a bat?'
When he finally noticed us, he dropped his igbale and came prostrating , with his chest touching the ground, before my mom. My mom, with her usual welcoming smile, brought him to his feet and blessed him.
"Oko mi, nireti pe a kan ko yọ ọ lẹnu? (My dear, hope we just didn't disturb you?)" My mom gave me the signature' Behave yourself ' look, that can make someone almost wish to be swallowed by the earth. Before returning to give her real 'dear' a smile.
Sonya, " Rara ma ( No ma)"
" Iyẹn dara (That's good )" She looked around as if she was looking for something, " Awon obi re nko, oko mi? (What about your parents, My dear)
That little frown that appeared on his face didn't go unnoticed by me, "Won lo si oko (They went to the farm )" all through, he spoke with great difficulty.
'I wonder why.'
" Ok then, greet them for me " turning to face me talking to me with her eyes, which definitely interpreted as: 'Mind yourself and don't cause trouble or else...'
I felt chills run through my spine as I shakily gave her a small 'mn'
There and then, she left me alone with Sonya. That human that I hate the most.
For good fifteen minutes,we both stood where were and stared at each other. No. Actually, it was staring and glaring. And I was the one doing the latter.
He rubbed his palms together as he stammered, " Duro nibi. (Wait here.)" and he ran like an Ehoro only to appear with a bench and placed at a corner under the large orange tree. " O le joko nihin, Emi yoo yara pari awọn iṣẹ mi. (You can sit here, I'll quickly finish my chores.)"
I went to take my sit while he resumed his chores. Under the tree was cooler than I thought, it shielded me from the wrath of angry Aare-ona kakafo of the sky.
Some dangling oranges of different colors, sumptuously dancing to the oriki of the gentle breeze. Their brown fingers falled to the ground like kite in Osun river. some dried and turning to dust and some freshly fallen.
My mouth watered at the sight and the thought of how those oranges will taste.
' I don't know if Sonya could let me pluck some to take home?' Unconsciously, my eyes went to the owner, who was busy grinding whatever in his elo. So energetically as a monkey and strong as Erin Alafijan for a young boy of his
' When did he finish sweeping?'
Several minutes has gone, he wasn't done with his chores and I was tired of sitting doing nothing and waiting for him. I decided to get my idle hands on something. On someone.
' Where did he go?' A certain someone didn't say a word before leaving me, all by myself, who was busy counting dancing oranges.
I went searching for him, first at the front of his house, Then the sides, where Tolo-tolo, Edihe, igbin, and Ehoro were kept.Their surroundings and cages were perfectly clean. I felt pleased with the cleanliness of the area. No foul stench or nauseous filth.
Finally I found what. No, who I was looking for. He was harvesting some okra seed into a plate in his hands. He didn't know I was standing beside him, checking him out ..... No, the little farm out.
It has little home crops like pepper, ewedu, tomati, okra,ewuro and efirin.
Each plants had their space on the little farm so as not to disturb their fellow neighbours from growing. The weeds were separated from them. It was neat.
" Ahem "
He stopped what he was doing to briefly look at the person, who just called for his attention.
I felt a little angry for the little attention i received.
I asked through calmed-gritting teeth, " Kini o n ṣe? (What are you doing?)"I know, I can see what he was doing. Just wanted to ask.
He didn't even look back. Just putting all of his attention on what he was doing "Oh, mo n bọ. Mo ti fẹrẹ pari (Oh, i am coming. I'm almost done) "
My whole body was trembling with forcefully controlled anger as my mom warning gently swarm in my head like a fish in the sea, " Ok" I had two options to choose from: Go back to the pit of boredom or cool down and help him so that we could start the lesson early and finished early.
Well, I had no choice but to choose the latter. Or I might end up doing something my mom warned me against.
In total silence, I went to where he was and got my hands..... with my mind busy. So busy and concentrate to avoid his stares. My hands were fast and my mind were faster, when a little song entered my head, which goes thus:
''Mo wa ni alaafia
Mo de pelu orin alafia
ti a wọ ni awọn aṣọ wiwu ti a so ni agbegbe àyà mi ati awọn ilẹkẹ iyun lori ọrun, ẹgbẹ-ikun, ọwọ-ọwọ ati awọn irugbin funfun kokosẹ ṣe ọṣọ ara ọra mi
Awọn igbesẹ mi ni iṣọkan pẹlu ẹgbẹ onijagidijagan kan lu
Awọn ẹsẹ mi ti wa ni gbigbe ni aṣa tcnu lakoko ti wọn njó.
Mo ti samisi 'arapa-re-gangan'
Lori ilẹ isokuso
Nibi gbogbo alawọ ewe pẹlu ẹru)
(I come in peace
I come here with the song of peace
dressed in wrappers tied around my chest region and coral beads on the neck, waist, wrist and ankle white seeds adorned my creamy body
My steps in unison with the gang an beats
My limbs are moved in an emphatic fashion while they dance.
I am tagged 'arapa-re-gangan '
On the slippery floor
Everywhere green with awe)"
A gentle sing-song voice snapped me back to life. It was gentle and it hummed the afternoon anthem. It was beautiful.
But.....
It's Sonya's.