THE LEGENDARY MAN
In the heart of a properous town called Aiyétẹ there was a peculiar estate surrounded by Oríjí trees; forming a wall round the estate. The land was about two acres. The property was well designed with deferent types of trees and plants. They were not ordinary plants; some of the plants were unique and magical. There was a large well designed building at the center of land and several bamboo huts and sheds scattered about.
Under one of the bamboo shed, surrounded by local apple, pawpaw, orange and mango trees, sat an elderly man at a corner, on a cushioned bamboo chair. Two adults men sat adjacently to him on both sides.
"Arẹmu, war is imminent. what did I said?" The elderly man asked. "You said war is imminent" I answered him. "The scale had tilted too much to the evil side and when this happened, usually there will be war to balance it up. You had only being seeing small skirmishes and fracas, later there will be real War. Mind you, don't be delusioned that it has nothing to do with you. It involves you and me. The war will not therefore be limited to fracas between one country and the other; it involves relationship between all creatures and systems of the Universes. Do you now understand?" Elder Alárúgbóiṣu asked us. It was then that we understood what Bàbá had being telling us today. However, the complexity of his wisdom still left me confused.
"I can see that what I've being saying was not clear enough to you all.
"When I said War I mean WAR." He went silent for a while before continuing. "There are many ways that the war would be coming up. Some will be physically bloody; some will bother on moral values struggles and conquests; some will be economy warfare; some will be biological and technological; while some will be spiritual.
"You see, everyone have his or her own portions of it. Overall, there were some beings who were very much advanced than us, they have advantage over us in that some of their Ancestors are still living till today; partly because of their longevity, and partly as a result of their victory over us in the last war.... Humnm...." he sighed.
"We, human being lost too much Origin Ancestors at the time. Some of us were traitorous. They worked with the enemies against their kins. The enemies also use a kind of poisonous biological and chemical weapons which had greatly affected our Universe till today, reducing our longitivity. "Part of the reasons we lost the war was because we fought individually on deferent fronts. This time around, if we don't want the alien to have upper hands we must team up and fight as one single entity.
"I will be having visitors from time to time, during this period Arẹmu ..., and you Ayinde, must not be distanced to me ....."
As baba was speaking with us we heard footsteps from afar. Later a man in hunter's outfits appeared.
This was the first time that someone would visit baba, to the best of my knowledge. After the demise of my father and mother, Baba lives a solitary life.
According to the history of Aiyétẹ Kingdom, Bàbá was one of the children and the last son of the Ancestor who migrated from Òtútù Dynasty to establish this Kingdom. He was the youngest amongst those who migrated to the place then. It was stated that he was the one that carried the Ritual items used to establish the land. Bàbá should be over 100 years old. However, looking at him could be deceptive because he didn't looked his age at all. He looked like a 60 years old man at the prime of his life.
All of his contemporaries were no more in this world. Those that we called Elders in the land now called him Bàbá and usually prostrated to him, even the oldest among them. Those I'm talking about were over 80 years old!
As we watched the new visitor approached, the man stopped few metres away and started chanting praising incantations in honour of Bàbá, as hunters used to do in our traditional set-up. After completing his homages of sorts, he raised his gun up and fired one shot into the sky before proceeding forward to where we were sitting.
Bàbá was in a rare smiling and happy mood. He stood up to welcome the stranger in a strange cultist way, like a close acquittance whom one had not seen for a long time.
"Arẹmu, go inside and bring the local Palm Wine that your friend sent to me. We have an august visitor today." I quickly ran out of the shed to fetch the wine. But before I went out, I prostrated in greetings to the visitor as our traditional rites.
"Ológbojò ...!! To what did I, this old thing owed you this honorable visit? I thought you should be at Olokun's conference by now."
"Bàbá, Alárúgbóiṣu, without cassava there could not be láfún. Without yam, there could not be pounded yam. Without you Elders who is going to open the Gates?"
"Hahahaha... " They both laughed as I brought the local Palm Wine (Ògùrọ̀). I proceeded to serve everyone around after the usual rites of tasting it myself.
Ayinde and I then stylishly moved to excused them. "Hahahaha.... Arẹmu, where do you think you are going? Both of you sit down. His visit concerned you too." I looked at Ayinde in surprise. He too was surprised at the turn of event. We both went back to our seats and waited for what will come thereafter.