ADEDAYO
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Epe Kábiyèsí Aláàfin
Epe iku baba yèyè, iku ti yo pa Olossi
Kìnìún Katunga eni apeere ñpongbé é
Eni tín Jin Ogundele níí ikunku lái miira
Eni Ade gbe, Ení òtè Olossi o pa
Omo Ajaka Odede, eni yòó muwá borí
( Translation)
Hail the Aláàfin, whom nobody
dares question
Hail the king destined to slay
the Olossi
Lion of Katunga, one who the
throne longs for
One who dances the rhythm of
fists with Ogundele and still
stands
The One the crown favours, the
one who the malice of the Olossi
couldn't kill
Son of Ajaka Odede, he will lead us
to victory.
With myself and the orator surrounded by Gangàn drummers, the young woman bathed me with notes of appraisals in rhythm with the tones of the Gangàn. With my uncle leaving me in the square and insisted I stay behind, he sent back Dada to stay with me. With him outside the circle of the Gangàn drummers around me, he stood while the orator finished the last of her words. I applauded her as she left the circle with Dada compensating her and the drummers with cowries as they left me be.
I then heard the soft whistles and cheers from behind me. I turned to face my most persistent disturbance, behind me.....the "Arewa Babes". A band of immature women that spend their times flaunting beauty, teasing young men of the capital and also stalking my every movement when I leave the palace. Despite my uncle always pressuring me into giving in to their flirtations, I always avoided them. He always criticized me for not giving in for as despite my position, he also implied I had good looks and should be promiscuous at my youth. I'm close to 6 foot , dark skinned, brown eyed, a narrow jawline with a protruding Adam's apple and a bushy haircut. I am not as muscular as my uncle and the generic huge men of the capital but my body was sustainable enough to be termed fit. I waved as them as they all knelt and greeted me with a certain pretty one among them winking at me. With loud gasps and greetings drawing my attention to my right, I noticed two figures in white heading towards my side of the square from the entrance with people greeting them. Illuminated by the light of the bonfire, their appearance came into light with it being an old man, lean with a half bald bushy haircut in white shrouds accompanied by a boy, slender, fair skinned and seems to beat the rare "Eyes of Orummila"...The Olu Awo!.
Probably the most eccentric person in the whole of the capital, despite him being the chief priest, he's secluded himself at the outskirts of OYO-ILE and doesn't show up for mass worship rites, festivals and every gathering required of his position's services and my uncle for some reason decides to ignore despite frequent complaints by the Igbimọ. With the arrogant vice chief priest,Olabode, leading the worship rites in every ceremony or activity required of the Olu Awo services in OYO-ILE, he excused himself from interaction with people of the capital. Only memory I had of him was when he requested an audience with my uncle, never was he present in rituals or ceremonies. He was supposedly dumb but rumors has it that he took on a vow of silence since the time the Olossi attacked the capital.
Nearing me, he and the boy bowed before me with me also reciprocating the act towards the Olu Awo. With his bright yellow eyes, an evidence of his gift as a possessor of the "Eyes of Orummila", he commuted his greetings,
" Eku irole my prince, congratulations on your coronation tomorrow".
I nodded in approval while stealing a curious glance at the old man's face. With him noticing, he takes a long look at the boy and then they both turn to face me with the boy saying,
" My prince, the priest apologizes for depriving you of his presence so far, for his absence in gatherings are of necessity".
I asked looking at the priest,
" How do you understand what he wishes to say?"
with the boy replying " I can listen to what his mind speaks".
I nodded my head empathetically thinking he was referring to understanding due to some sort of understanding birthed by closeness. Then I hear the boy's voice in my head,
" Not so my prince, I very much listen to what his mind actually says and communicate to him that way as well".
With me all startled by the experience, he implies
" Because I'm blessed with the Eyes of Orummila, unlike the other wielders of the Orunmila's Ashe that dwell only in psychic divination, I can listen and talk to minds".
Fascinated by his ability, I asked gesturing at the expressionless priest,
" Does he plan on performing his duty as the one who crowns me tomorrow?, no offense towards priest Olabode but I don't find him doing so to be very pleasant".
The boy faces the chief priest, turns back after a long gaze with a curious look and says,
" The very day you ascend the throne, the Olu Awo himself would definitely perform the crowning rites, but he says he doesn't walk the earth on the morrow for that purpose as it is still distant".
I proceeded to thank him but halted mid sentence after hearing the last line " distant?, I become Aláàfin on the morrow, how is that....." but my thoughts were interrupted by the Olu Awo making his first motion since we met that wasn't a head turn. He handed me a wooden jug filled with black liquid. With myself collecting it reluctantly, the boy explains,
" He says it's agbo, something he concocted for the pain you face in the Red Sand tomorrow".
Taking a whiff at it with it's gingery smell slapping me in the nostrils, I inquired
"Why?, I have seen my cousin take on Ashe of Eshu in the Red Sand, I don't think it to be something I need a pain killer for".
"He insists you take it, for the Ashe mark you would bear wouldn't be the trait of just an Orisha".
Conflicted by his statement, I tired to question but then the boy bowed along with the priest and insisted the Olu Awo wanted to leave. While they left, I tried reasoning a sensible meaning to the two weird statements he made but then concluded it to be a misuse of words on the boy's side or probably the old man has grown senile in the mind as well. Handing the agbo to Dada, we left the square for i wished to avoid the Arewa Babes and for tomorrow, which was Ojó Áikú was no day to wake up late to.