Chapter 13

EYARE'S MOTHER -- QUEEN MOTHER.

It was time to find out what she was hiding.

I motioned for Osagiede to follow me. She came down from the car hesitantly, looking around her. I walked to the door of the cottage and knocked, but there was no answer. After knocking a few more times, I still didn't get a response.

I spied an outhouse not far from the cottage, so l told Osagiede to follow me. As we got close, I clapped my hands and a young girl came out. I told her I was looking for the edede (old woman), and she motioned for us to follow her.

Once inside, my eyes widened to adjust to the dimness. We were told to sit on a long bench near the door and the girl bowed and left through another door leading inside.

As my eyes continued adjusting to the dimness, I noticed there were calabashes cluttering the floor and various herbs lying around. I didn't have to wait for long, as the girl came out holding the arm of the old woman.

She was bent over at the waist and held a crude long cane for support. A white wrapper was tied around her chest and a white gele (head wrap) was wrapped around her head. White beads adorned her neck and there were white chalk marks on her forehead, around her eyes, the side of her face and also her bare shoulders. A straw muffler was tied round her mouth.

She hobbled forward, her hands shaking with the exertion of leaning on the cane. The girl guided her to a low stool directly in front of us and left through the same way she came.

I greeted her in the local dialect, stooping with one knee on the floor. She didn't respond, then suddenly, she began cackling.

She cackled and cackled, until she began coughing. I rushed to her side with the intention of gently patting her back, but she held up one hand and I retreated to my seat.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Osagiede frowning at me.

Soon, I will know the truth, young lady.

The wise old woman cleared her throat then began speaking. "So you have come." It was more of a statement than a question. "I've been expecting you."

Her voice sounded like gravel falling on marble floor. She spoke slowly, almost painfully.

The young girl came out again, gently raised the straw muffler from around the old woman's mouth, and put a pipe in between her lips. She lit it with the matches in her hand.

The old woman smokes?

She inhaled the smoke deeply into her lungs and started coughing. She hit her chest repeatedly and I became scared she would injure herself. When the coughing petered off, she settled into a comfortable silence, occasionally intercepted with more coughing and spluttering.

The young girl hovered around in the background, maybe waiting for some instruction from the old woman.

"Why are you here?" She suddenly asked, startling me out of my reverie.

"Wise one!" I started, "I've brought my daughter-in-law here to visit you." I didn't know what else to say. I hoped she would take the lead and say something about Osagiede's secrets. I felt her squirming beside me.

The wide woman motioned for Osagiede to come forward and I turned to her. She shook her head and I whispered to her to get up and go meet the old woman. She did so grudgingly, moving hesitantly amd stopping every few seconds to look back at me. When she got in front of the woman, she stood a short distance away from her.

"Come closer!" The old woman ordered, in her raspy voice.

Osagiede looked back at me and I nodded at her. She took tentative steps forward until she was right in front of the old woman. "Bend down."

Osagiede slowly bent down to the old woman's eye level and she reached out a gnarled-looking hand and gently touched the face of Osagiede, tracing her eyes, her nose, her mouth, even her chin.

Suddenly the old woman's face contorted and she snatched her hand back from Osagiede's face, her pipe clattering to the ground in the process. Tobacco stains littered her white wrapper. The rest of it was strewn across the floor, at her feet. "I see disgrace and evil manipulation." She began, shaking her head gravely.
"I see treachery in the palace." She paused, unseeing eyes flickering beneath shut eye lids. "I see the halo of death."
Her voice rose. "You can not change destiny."

She shook her head sadly at this last statement. She started coughing once more. With one hand, she motioned to the young girl who was still hovering in the background. She immediately came and helped the old woman up.

We had been dismissed.

It was not until we were on our way back home, that I realised the wise old woman was blind.

A WEEK LATER

I woke up early enough and said my prayers. I thanked God for the blessings he had given me and those that were still on its way. After my prayers, I got up and took a bath.

Eyare and Osagiede had left the night before, taking my granddaughter with them so I was all alone, again. As I sat in front of the mirror combing my short hair, I talked to my husband. I always felt his presence strongly when I did.

Today was no exception. In fact, it was stronger than usual.

Goose pimples broke out on my hands as I slowly put the comb down and turned round. Of course, no one was standing there. "Orose, are you trying to tell me something?" I rubbed my arms. I was suddenly cold.

I stood up and walked out of the room. I really didn't know where I was going to. I just felt I was being led. I passed many rooms like I was in a trance, still I continued walking. My feet took me downstairs, past the kitchen, towards the visitor's sitting room. I walked through the corridor, passing many more doors, but stopping at none.

My feet began to ache me, still I walked on.

Finally, I stopped in front of a door. I didn't want to go in, but I felt the pull to, so I took hold of the door nub, shaped as a lion's head, and pulled.

It opened silently.

I stood on the threshold, looking, but not really seeing anything. I walked further into the room and stopped. Suddenly, my eyes seemed to clear, and I stood looking around in a daze.

I was in the throne room, standing directly in front of the throne.

My pupils widened.

I looked around, wondering why I had come here. As I made to leave, something caught my attention on the throne.

I drew closer to it and slowly climbed up the marble stairs that led to the throne. I bent down to peer at it. It was a neck bead. I frowned as I picked it up.

I didn't recognise it. It didn't look like any of the beads my husband had used. I knew because I was the one who chose his beads for any occasion, whether it was for day time or receiving guests in the throne room or even attending functions. He always wore beads, especially his royal beads, the symbol of his leadership. And at the end of the day, I would put them away in the safe, as they were worth a lot. I was the only one who knew the combination numbers, not even my late husband knew them.

The bead I was looking at now, didn't seem expensive. I looked at it, frowning.

Who could have put it here?

Who had the effrontery to come in here in the first place?

That was when I noticed something was off.

I looked around and slowly turned back to look at the throne.

The staff of office was gone!

What!!!

It always sat on the chair, as is customary when the king wasn't seated.

I looked around, upturning chairs and checking underneath them. I even checked behind the painting supposing by a stroke of luck, one of the maids had put it there.

But no such luck.

It had mysteriously disappeared.

I was in serious shock.

I held my hair and pulled. The pain made me realise this was real. It was truly happening, it wasn't a dream.

Someone had stolen it?

No one was allowed in here, except myself or Eyare.

The maids cleaned this place, with me always in attendance.

There were no guards. After my husband's death, the palace guards had been paid off and told to go.

When Eyare ascended the throne, a new batch of guards would be hired. This was a safety measure that had been put in place, years ago to protect the king.

Where could the staff be?

The staff of office had disappeared into thin air.

Disaster!!!

Without that staff, the next heir could not be crowned as the next oba --- the king.

Eyare could never ascend the throne without it.

This is treachery!!!

I covered my mouth with my hand, stifling a scream as I ran out of the throne room at top speed, the foreign bead still in my hand.

It wasn't until I was outside, about to alert the policemen, that I remembered the throne room had been opened on my arrival.

But I always kept it locked. I still had the key kept away in the safe.

That was when I let out a blood curdling scream.