CHAPTER TEN
"Ahhh!! O WA NIBI "( You are here) ", The ALUFAA (the Chief priest)exclaimed when he saw the king.
" I can see you came without your guards", he observed.
" E KAARO OLOGBON ( good morning wise one) " Adejuwon bowed in respect before sitting on the mat opposite the Chief priest.
Adejuwon looked around the Chief priests home, it was filled with various items , probably used to communicate with the gods he thought.
" OBA MI , O SE AIBALE"( my king , you are worried) The Chief priest stated.
Adejuwon sighed , why wouldn't he be worried, his people were being murdered with traces leading to the Easterners, thorough search had been carried out by the general and his men yet no easterner had been found.
" OLOGBON, MO NI ISORO" ( Wise one, I am worried) he confirmed.
" OBA MI, ( My king)...
" Please drop the title it is just the both of us" Adejuwon interrupted.
" Adejuwon , but I told you not to bother yourself " SIJUWOLA continued
" Baba( father) two more people went missing , this time around no bodies were found we are yet to find a suitable explanation, my people are starting to suspect that this situation is not ordinary, Adejuwon complained.
" Adejuwon, I have been the ALUFAA ( Chief priest) since the time of your late father and I have not seen anything like this before"
" What did you see?" Adejuwon asked.
" When you came here the last time after the meeting with the council , I told you to come back in 30 days , at first I thought the gods were angry with us or maybe the land needed cleansing but what is going on in the Land has nothing to do with the gods. The Chief priest informed.
" I don't understand, the gods have nothing to do with this" Adejuwon scratched his head in confusion.
" I sense a strange presence in the Land"
" Then it must be the easterners"
" No it is not the Easterners"
" Then who?" Adejuwon asked he was getting impatient.
" That the gods the did not specify" Sijuwola replied
Adejuwon rubbed his head, he was getting frustrated what would he tell the people ? he thought.
Sijuwola stared at the king for some time , he was obviously disturbed , he couldn't blame him as as the leader the people were his responsibility, he had watched the King grow from a child and mature into a man ,Sijuwola smiled, his father will be proud.
" OLOGBON ( wise man), why are you smiling" the king asked a bit annoyed.
" You have grown" Sijuwola complimented.
" There is a crucial matter on ground and you are telling me I have grown?" He frowned.
" I am an old man Adejuwon, too old to even still be in this world" he smiled.
" What does that have to do with whatever is going on?" Adejuwon asked with confusion written all over his face.
" You are no longer the boy, who accompanied his father, you are now a man , a father, a king , surely you will figure something out". Sijuwola answered.
" Figure... I will figure something out, BABA I have never been more confused in my life" Adejuwon slammed his fist on the ground.
" Calm down and think , you will find a way out of this" Sijuwola assured him.
Adejuwon sighed , he did not expect this at all he had come hoping the gods will give a definite answer but they had left him more confused.
" I shall take my leave" Adejuwon announced and stood up.
" Very well " Sijuwola stood up with the support of this stick and led him out of his room.
As they stood outside Adejuwon glanced at the Chief priest , he was right he was indeed too old to still be in this world , he now used a stick to support himself and was almost fully bent with his head fully covered with white hair.
" Why are you staring?" Sijuwola asked without looking at him.
" I was not" Adejuwon denied.
" You know that nobody can lie to me" Sijuwola reminded him.
" I am sorry" the king apologized.
"OGBONO ( wise one ),I will send the messangers to inform you of my final decision" Adejuwon promised and turned to leave.
Sijuwola smiled as he watched him leave he prayed in his heart the gods help Adejuwon make the right decision.