NIYI

Teniola's mother arrived in the company of Sesan King.

Unsurprisingly, the resemblance between him and Jagunlabi was mind blowing. Afi bi igba ti a la Jagunlabi si meji. As if Jagunlabi had been divided into two.

Being versed in spiritual matters as a result of being a seventh generation babalawo, it was not difficult for me to keep a straight face despite my suspicions. I did not trust him as far as I could throw him. He was fortunate that the unseen elders had warned me to keep calm when I met him.

"Niyi! Omo mi da? Ye! Kini mo n duro se ti mi o ba ri omo mi? Niyi! Where is my daughter? What am I waiting for in this life if I don't find my daughter?" Teniola's mother wailed. She lay on the ground and refused to sit on a chair or lay on a bed.

"Mum, I cannot explain how much I love your daughter, but I can assure you that I'm doing everything I can to find her," I replied as I clutched her hands.

My father sat beside her on the ground and attempted to pacify her. "Lagbara Olorun, a ma ri. By the grace of God, we will find her."

Sesan sat on her other side with his arm over her shoulder. "Jowo, ma su'kun mo. Please, don't cry anymore. Teniola will be back home safe and sound," he whispered.

"Mo so fun. I told her."she cried. "I told her not to stay in Nigeria!" She ran her hands through her hair which was now a tangled mess. "No one is safe here, any day could be your last."

My uncle, the editor in chief of The African Financier and a fierce patriot, shifted in his seat. His lips parted and my father glared at him in warning. My uncle kept silent, folded his arms and joined the general chorus of sympathizers. Now was not the time to tell her what we all knew. Nigeria certainly had its issues, but crime, especially mass shootings were at an all time high in the United States. Safety was not guaranteed over there either.

My mother brought out a tray of food from the kitchen and insisted we all eat. She set the tray on the table and knelt in front of Teniola's mother. I could not eat, sleep or drink without being forced to, neither could my future mother in law.

My mother held her feet. "Iya wa, e dakun. E gbiyanyu lati je ounje. Nigbati Teniola ba pada wa, se inu e ma dun lati ri pe e ru? Our mother, please. Try to eat. When Teniola returns, will she be pleased to see you frail?"

"E seun, ma. E ba mi fi sinu abo kan. Ma je. Thank you, ma'am. Put it in a plate. I will eat it," she replied.

Sesan expressed his gratitude, and took the tray. "Don't worry, I'll make sure she eats something."

I smiled while harboring my indignation. Sesan was here playing Captain America, while one way or another he was linked to Teniola's disappearance. Be it directly or indirectly, we would all discover soon enough.

My father rose to his feet, and gave me a discrete eye signal. He excused himself from the sitting room and went upstairs. In order not to draw attention to us, I sat with Teniola's mum for about ten minutes afterwards. When Sesan started spoon feeding her rice and stew and coaxing her to have a sip of water, I seized the opportunity to follow my father.

***

The air was tense and no breeze blew through the window. My father beckoned to me from where he stood beside it. I walked towards him and sighed. Every part of my body ached with fatigue, and each step aggravated my headache.

"Baba mi, ki le fe ri mi fun? My father, what do you want to see me for?" I enquired.

He faced me and put his hands on my shoulders. "Niyi, se o mo pe nigbati ogun ba fe se, ni oju ogun maa n le ni? Niyi, don't you know that war is most fierce at the point before victory?"

My eyes searched his, but in my heart his message was clear. I should be courageous in this difficult time, because there would be a breakthrough. Deep down, I was convinced Teniola would be fine, but the anxiety about when or where was crippling.

"Yes, sir."

"Be a man."

"I'll try my best."

He clapped my cheeks the way he used to when I was a difficult teenager. I chuckled for a brief moment. His subtle move to get me relaxed worked for a fraction of a second.

"Nigbati a se iwadi lori oro yii, ki ni won so? When we conducted an investigation on this matter, what did they say?"

My mind flashed to the deep voices that boomed from the depth of the Iroko trees two days ago. It happened after my father, a team of seers and I had spent an hour before sunrise praying for the return of Teniola. The rite was conducted at Obashola, our land of origin, at a lakeside in the heart of the forest.

"Teniola omo Oyeyinka ko ku! Teniola the child of Oyeyinka is not dead! She will return to you victorious," they shouted.

With all our backs turned to the source of the voices, I responded. "Ki ni a ma se bayii? What are we going to do now?"

There was deafening silence for what appeared to be an eternity. Then the sun burst forth from the horizon and the voices responded. "Bi oorun se ma n tan si ori gbogbo aye, bee ni ogo iwo ati iyawo re se ma ri ni ile alaye. As the sun shines over all the living, likewise the glory of you and your wife shall be in this world."

The team of seers and I waved our ceremonial instruments. An array of jeweled beads and white, horse hair wands "Ase, so shall it be," we replied.

"O ku igbese kan ti e ma gbe. There is one more step for you to take," the voices added. "Ojo ti oju yin ba ti Sesan, e da omi inu odo yii si lara. On the day you see Sesan, pour some of the water from this lake on him."

"My son," my father said jolting me out of my thoughts.

"Sir?"

He took a glass jug from my cupboard. It was filled with water from the lake. He handed it to me, and I poured the contents into a smaller glass jug.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "It is time."

"Yes, my son. You know what to do."

A new surge of determination charged me from within me. "Imoran ota mi a pada sori won. The plans my enemies have for me will backfire upon them."

"It is settled, my son. You shall live and flourish. Those who wish you dead shall perish."

With the glass jug in my hand, I stormed out of the room. It was time for Sesan to receive a water bath and an exorcism, and I was the man to do it.