"Saliki ! you know that life has been miserable for us since the death of your father, things are not desame anymore, everyday, we eat from hand to mouth, the villagers have mocked us and abandoned us, your uncles have seized our properties and the only asset your father has got, you know the condition we are in, I can't continue feeding you, you are of age to fend for me, I can't live to bury you, your mates are out there,go out there, do the needful and make life better for us..."

"Mom ! things wouldn't have resulted to this if only dad was alive, it's obvious that not even any of our own asks of our well being, countless times have we visited for help, but they rejected us and we remained dejected, grace was abounding for us when dad was alive but today,we are under the grass.Man's conscience became stagnant, they stiffened their neck against us, they seem to see the darkness in us.

... but mom ! Are we under a curse, was there any abomination that dad committed which follows us ? Is our fate to remain in the dungeon ? Mom,I don't understand, even when the innocent suffereth, why will the gods lay their punishment on us ?

"Saliki ! the Apple of my eyes,these are rhetorical questions I can't answer, do not stir the god's anger on us,let their will be done"

"Mom ! Did you say...let their will be done,let the will of the gods be done? By the way, what is it's duty ? His duty should be to deliver us from punishment and not to lead us into punishment, your so called gods are silently killing us,I don't believe in them and will never. Moreover, they are only carved woods "

Saliki angrily went out, slamming the door, leaving the mom in the room as she call out for him.

"Saliki ! Saliki ! Saliki my son, come back ! please come back !

Saliki's lives with his parents in the village, his father was one of the village elders always consulted when things goes wrong,Mr.Kinu has always been blamed by the villagers for standing out from the crowd and proving all seemed wrongs right and vice versa, this also made Mr.Kinu haters increase.Mr.Kinu has been faithful to the gods and believes that he is favoured because of the gods,he is carefree of what people says, he stands on what the gods says and no amount of conviction could sway him away.

Saliki has watched his father praying before the gods and enthusiastically requesting from it. Saliki doubts if these gods are animate, but nobody to believe him. He never wants to follow the pace of his father neither has he attempt to live by the rules of the gods. Mr.Kinu would always kneel before the gods to plead on behalf of his only son.

"I know he's just a child,my adamant son will someday understand the sacrifice I paid for him"....Mr.Tinu would always say.

Mother's education they say ends in the kitchen, and this was applicable to Saliki's mom, the village women are overlooked and their voices are not heard. So therefore,any opinion made by them is discarded according to the preference of the gods as they believed women are were only married to bear kids and heir for the husband. Saliki's mom who is restricted from her own opinions stays back to face any fate that befalls them.

Things were rolling well for the family except for Saliki, the whole gods' stuff seems like superstitious belief to him and he won't want to live by the rules,he has always lure the family into the pit, but the father, being a known elder draws them out.

Mr.Tinu never punish Saliki just because of the love he has for him,he Saliki to follow his own personal decision and hopes he will understand someday.Mr.Tinu was optimistic about the future but Saliki pessimistic attitude leaves the mom in worry of their safety and relationship with the gods.

Mr.Tinu's opposition to wrongs was for the betterment of his son's future, but everything was reverse of the case after Mr.Tinu's departure into the land of the dead.

Saliki's adamant attitude worsened, the villagers continued to point accusing finger at them,all was snatched from them, Saliki was denied of any work he tries engaging in and was threatened to be killed all because he is not in support of the gods.

Mr.Tinu's ancestral generation were loyal to the gods, why will Saliki differ even when he is born and raised in the village.Most people thinks that he is cursed or maybe he has been possessed by the spirits .

Saliki's mom pleaded with Saliki to do away with his belief of non-existence of the gods and follow his father's path, but all attempt failed. Saliki stays back at home because of his restriction by the gods, his mother goes out to fend for him and herself.

Saliki would sleep, wake up,pace round the compound and imagine how the village would be without god. Saliki's mom could no longer carry the burden all by herself.

"How can have a child and still feel childless !...Mrs.Tinu would always imagine.

... other sons like him are out there, catering for their family and I can't continue feeding him".

The only path Saliki has followed after his father, was being brave and being a son of his own word. Friends that Saliki made were restricted by their parents to stay away from him. Saliki takes the risk of walking around the village even after the restricted warning but he escapes at the sight of his haters.Saliki has never think of any best option to help himself,he rot in anger and dies in silence.

Mrs.Tinu folds her arm,watch her son, she couldn't condone it,there must be a way to put an end to it all.She believes that any event that the only event that has no solution is death, therefore, it isn't the end of the tunnel.

She and her son lived like outcast,they remained the peep of the villagers.In all this,Mrs.Tinu never stopped believing in the gods, she never let the light carried by his late husband trip off.

Saliki has wondered also if the villagers are under the spell of believing the gods are real,he thinks they are bound by the chains of their so called gods.Most times, Saliki sneaks into the house of gods,stands before it, wagging his head at it, with no response from the gods,he feels like setting it ablaze.

Severally,Mrs.Tinu gets hold of Saliki after such manner in the house of the gods, she goes and kneel before the gods to appease it and prevent it's curse from befalling them.

"If mom goes to the appease the gods, how does she know that the gods hears her plea ? It's just a wooden image,no sight, no breath, it's just lifeless, doesn't eat and not even movement.

Saliki has gone ahead to question his mom on this matters, but the innocent woman would not want to speak against the gods according to their belief. She tells him that people don't know the value of what they've got until they loose it.

After Saliki's mom suggestion to him to go and do the needful,he slept over it and woke with an information for his mom.

"Mom ! I will be traveling to the city soon"

"Saliki ! Are you saying that you will be traveling to city ?Are out of your mind ? Do you still remember the outcome of anyone who travels out of this village to get city especially when the villagers are against him or her and without the gods consent.... Saliki ! think twice of what you just said, the gods forbid it and I forbid it, numerous times have you seen and heard of how youths like you were dragged round the village and burnt alive all because of their traveling to the city without his consent and yet, you want to the pain before realizing that it is painful..."

"Stop it mom ! come to think of it, how can a lifeless object utter some words,mom! the gods are not alive, someone is behind this so called gods of yours, your eyes are closed , you all continues living in darkness of ignorance and fear,why can't you let me prove it true to you...Why ?

" Will you shut up ! Shut your mouth ! I can see you are now growing wings and one day, it will be cut off. What an elderly person sits and see, even when a child climbs up,he can't see it. Saliki ! All that your father and I have done was for your safety,was to see and bring out the good in you,we wanted the best for you, but you have proven to me that you are ready to touch the Cub's tail.Be careful son ! listen to the voice of your ancestors and take heed "

"Mom ! you have said it all, thanks to you and dad, you have done so much for me and I can't tell it all, if I were in your shoe,I might have done the same to my child because I will be under the spell of a human who calls themselves gods just like everyone, but thanks to anyone who created me and place me in your womb and I am what I am today and will still be the best tomorrow without your gods"

"Saliki ! wake up from your sleep and be wise, your father went through that way and he succeeded..."

"No mom ! he went through that way and died, there's no good that comes out of it, it's all regret and I wish that before you realize that all these are false,it won't be too late"

Mrs.Tinu was speechless and remained stagnant watching the son angrily.

"Saliki ! Don't let me regret the day I gave birth to you, you want the gods to kill me before my time.... Saliki ! don't travel to the city I will plead the gods to forgive you and you will get your full right to walk freely, then, you can engage yourself in the village work "

" ....and I said no! You don't believe me, but you believe a lifeless object, allow me to travel to the city and come back to prove your gods wrong"

"Saliki ! All these words you are uttering are abomination to the gods, don't let the gods strike you..."

".... that's what I am waiting for,mom! my words will soon be adoration to the rightful owner who deserves our worship and not to a sculpture"

"Saliki ! I've no hand in your matter anymore,let the will of the gods be done, just remember that where the wise refuses to walk thru, the fools walks thru it and dies "

" Let the will of the gods be done and let the will of the creator be done mom !

Saliki goes out, slamming the door.