Shango And His Battleaxe, Oshe - Season 1 - Episode 2

6 years ago

Shango And His Battleaxe, Oshe - Season 1 - Episode 2

Sullen and sulking the other dancers returned to take over the dance arena, some of the warriors were not pleased, for I have ruined their chance to excel and turned most of the town beauties away from their attention began to plot against me. The Baale (Town chieftain) last wife was among the women that fell to my charms, joined me at my merry making as we flirted and consumed gourds of palm wine till night fall, filled with food and drink, I carried her off to my lodge as she laughed seductively and whispered promises to my ear after which we danced to a new tune.

At day break; the warriors rose against me and carried the news of adultery to the Baale’s ears, in blind rage he rashly ordered for my head, forgetting the said head belonged to a prince of Oyo and a child of Oranmiyan, but some of his Chiefs knowing such action would bring disastrous repercussions on Ipetu, as a son of the Alaafin even if my offence was sleeping with the Baale’s mother, for Oranmiyan’s rages was legendary, such that he would raze Ipetu to the ground and stamp her inhabitants flat, even if it was for a wayward son, still a prince was a prince no matter his offence so the chiefs sent a runner to warn me, in anger I drew my cutlass and dared them to come face me but my band argued caution for I would surely lose the favor of the Orishas if I stayed to fight what they called a fight of blame, and risking the innocents of Ipetu, in reluctance I led my band away, scaled the town wall and fled into the forest.

In the forest, we agreed to lay low until the storm had passed and then continue on our journey, Alas for we knew not that we had unknowingly entered Elegbara’s grove to which only the foolhardy and those tired of life ventures into from which none has ever returned, for so the people of Ipetu and the surrounding hamlets feared the terrible god they offered human sacrifices every full moon to appease him, the poor victims were led into the forest and were never seen again ,for lo that night; Elegbara strolled through his grove seeking an unwary wanderer, came upon us as we slept.

The next day, we woke up to witness a sizable decrease in our number, six of us were nowhere to be found, after searching for them in vain we concluded that they had left for the town to face the townsfolk’s wrath rather than the forest’s, the next day another six was missing from our number and amidst them Obembe my drummer, Obembe had been my bard and friend since childhood, the son of a woodcutter and loyal to me than would my own mother, he would not desert me for we had been through worse situations together, sensing foul play I seized my cutlass and decided to search for him, the rest of my band implored me in vain but I refused, swearing to bring back Obembe or the head of whoever meant him harm; they agreed to follow me, I refused, no more lives will be forfeit on my behalf; on saying this I bid my friends farewell and embraced the dark forest.

I spent the better part of the day searching for a trail but found none, it was as if the missing members of my band had disappeared into thin air, but still I followed my instinct as I burrowed deeper into the forest, on the second day of my search. I made my first encounter, an old woman so wizened, death mistook her for dead and so she lived on.

“Come to me young warrior’’ she croaked as i drew close; lend me your strength and youth.

“Stand back old one’’, she stopped as I drew my cutlass, “my strength is mine for I earned it, my youth is mine for it is my time, why borrow mine when you spent yours to the fullest even though I find it hard to believe you were once supple and young’’, I grinned mischievously.

“A trade then”, the old woman crooned, a sliver of youth for a glimpse of your future, or a chance at what you most desire.’’

“No thank you old mother, I answered polite but firm, I am young and full of zest, why burden my mind with a glimpse of the future’’, and for my heart desire’’ I am a prince; what more can I ask for.’’

I made to move on but the old soot bent on dying, grabbed my arm as I passed, hissed and released her hold like she was burnt.
“Your life force burns with so much thirst it drains other close to you, you’ll have nothing but a life of misery and ruin ahead she sneered.”

Chilled with fear at her evil prophesy, I cursed her in rage.

“Depart from my sight old witch;’’ you want death so bad offer yourself to Elegbara for I shall not soil my cutlass with your foul blood’’ as much as I want to, a slap from me is enough to end your horrid existence.”

On saying this, I brushed past her and moved on, the old woman’s voice followed me as I hastened to distance myself from her.

“A brisk life of regret, she wailed, “As fleeting as the fog of dawn. Thirty children you shall bury and countless souls you shall send to the beyond and none shall know your grave, master of chaos.”

Her evil cackle chased me as I ran on like the daemons were after me. It took me another full day to get over the old witch’s ominous prophesy and by then I had ventured deep into the forest god’s grove then I met another encounter.