The Day I Died: 14th April, 2014

NOTE:
Do not copy or paste this write-up anywhere else
this is purely the work of Omotayo Taofiq Suleman

(unedited version)

5:45am

The alarm clock at my bed side had done it job perfectly by waking me from a horrible dream, horrible indeed……. A dream in which I saw myself locked-up in a coffin and was being lowered down six feet below. Within the coffin which I lay helplessly I could still hear wailing of friends and relatives. Indeed I was the cause for the sorrowful gathering. I felt I was dead but I knew I was still alive, I could not breath, I was suffocating. I could neither move nor shout like I had been spell bond within the horrible dark coffin. Suddenly, I felt a mysterious wind rush through my pores causing a great fright within my body system….. very strong, very sharp and very mischievous something whispered into my ears “IT IS TIME”

 I awoke with sweat and fear all over me, ‘it is time!….. it is time!….. but time for what’? I asked myself as I was still laying naked on my bed. Generally, I get scared after having nightmares ever since my grand-mom once told me that bad dreams are bad omen and are weapons of evil creatures to destroy man in the spiritual realm. The dream was so vivid as the events in it kept flash within my head just like a motion-picture ‘it felt so real’. A cold shelve rushed through my spine, Gauss-pimpuss popped out and my beat faster than usual as I gave an interpretation to the nightmare. ‘oh my God…..DEATH!!!’   

6:02 am

 I performed my daily morning prayer which was usually within a time frame of 5 minutes but this particular day I added 2 extra minutes in asking for God’s protection and forgiveness. I brushed my teeth, had my bath, wore my (oh gush, I almost forgot today is Monday, I needed to wear something cooperate) suit, had a quick breakfast of my regular tea and bread, switched off all electrical appliances, picked up my bag from corner I dropped it yesterday, stepped out of my apartment and locked the door behind me. I stood still for awhile trying to figure out if I had not forgotten do or carry anything, I did a quick brain scan of all the objects or activity which I had left undone ‘nothing’. As I turned to leave, my phone rang, it was my mum. I was surprised she called very early and besides she had called me a day before which was Sunday. I pressed the receive key.      

  “E ka ro ma” I greeted In a respectful tone

  “Karo, bawo lara e”? she enquired

  “Dada ni ma, a dupe lowo olorun”

  “olorun seun…ehm…shey ko de si wahala kakan”

  “Not at all Ma, Kilode?” I sounded confused trying to figure out the reason for her early morning call and inquisitive behavior.

  “Can’t I call my my son at my own will?”

  “You can Ma” I said laughing

  “So how is the weather over there in Abuja?”

  “it’s fine Ma, it’s just that the heat is much and as you know I don’t like hot weather…. I hardly sleep at night due to heat”

  “Eyaa… pele! Has the rain not started falling yet?

  “ehm…. Well…, it started fell briefly last week but caused more heat at night instead”

  “Well that is nature for you, always a time for everything. When it starts falling heavily you will complain of too much rain”

  “At least too much rain is better than too much heat”

  “I hope you still pray regularly as I discussed with you earlier” she chipped in suddenly

  “Yes Ma, in fact I dedicate every 20 minutes in prayer every morning”

  “20 minutes? That is too short for God, I am sure 40 to 45 minutes is not too much for yor creator!!” she said  almost screaming

  “Mummy, seriously why have you called me, ki le pe me fun?” I asked with a straight tone which betrayed my pretence for unnecessary humility. My mother, my sweet mother was silent for awhile. She must have being taken aback by my sudden change of tone. For a moment I regretted talking to her in such manner but it wasn’t my fault either, I had known this woman who had withnessed me grow from a foetus to the man I was, I knew her at her best and I knew her at her worst, I knew what makes her happy and I knew what makes her cry, I knew what makes her weak and I knew what makes her strong, I knew what her fear was and I know the sought of questions she asks to cover her fears. At last she spoke

  “My son, I had a very terrible nightmare……it’s about you”    

My knees began to trmble, my heart almost popped out of my chest, my fore-head gradually accumulated sweat, my palms were watery and my entire body system was close to collapsing which made me felt like I urgently needed to poo.

“are you there…. Shey n gbo mi…talk to me” her voice seems to echo within my ear-drum, at that moment my brain my brain could’nt translate what I was earing, my mind flashed through the nightmare I had the previous night. At last I found my voice.

“ye..ye…yes…yes ma, I am still here with you”

“please be very careful, I have a very bad feeling about….”

“ko ni si wahala ma, olorun a fi isho re sho wa… nothing will happen by God’s grace” I interceded as I spoke with all the available courage that still lingers in my body.

“I am very sure God will……” she could not complete her statement when her line went off. I tried using my phone to call her back but it was either “the number is not available….” Or “…. not reachable”. I was late for my work place, I ought to have been on my. I made a mental note to call my mother later on as I was stepping out of the compound into a mini-road which is mainly routed by motorcyclist ‘okada’.

6:36 am

 “okada!” I called out to one of the motorcyclist rider, I made sure it was a neatly dressed rider, some okada riders can be very annoying some times especially the young looking hausa boys who see nothing good in proper hygiene and the most annoying part is that some of this boys who claims to know the area you mentioned will end up asking you for direction after taking you through the wrong part.

“na kwana” a typical hausa looking man greeted as he stopped his ‘okada’ in front of me.

“lafia” I replied, that was one of the hausa words I had learnt since my arrival to Abuja some months ago, words which I can us for greeting, negotiating prices and insulting some of my non-hausa speaking colleagues in the office.

“I dey go Nyanya” I said as I was mounting the back of his ‘bajaj’ motocycle

“where for nyanya”

“bus-stop”

“150”

“kilode? Lai lai, I no fit pay 150” I protested as I climbed down

“oga au mach I fit pay? Ha asked

“70 naira na the only money wey dey my pocket” I lied

“oga pay 100 naira, bazan iya rege kudi ba!” prom yea to Nyanya is pa” he protested with hausa intonation.

“Ba zaka rege mani kudi ba?” I asked

“wallahi, oga wallaihi!”

 Its not that I do not have that money but its just that I don’t like to pay the exact amount for a goods or service without showing some bargaining skills otherwise I will feel cheated throughout that day, that is why I don’t like buying things from the so-called supermarkets (call it stinginess, na you sabi).

I hesitated for awhile trying to form strong-head but after noticing the unavailability of other ‘okada riders and considering how late I was……(I’m sure you know what’s next).

From ‘Karu’ to ‘federal housing estates’ to ‘corner shops’ through ‘Eco-bank junction’ to ‘military quarters’ to ‘over-head bridge’ at last to nyanya bus-stop.

“Aboki, I swear na you suppose represent ‘Bajaj motorcycle’ for the next ‘formula one’ race” I indirectly commended him for the speedy and stylish way he drove. It was obvious he never understood what I meant because he just kept a straight face which read “boy I don’t have that luxurious time for jokes, just give me my money and lets part ways”. Without words I got his message and quickly drew out the only available note in my trouser pocket and gave to the motorcyclist, he stretched out the note and frowned at me like I had just made him swallow a menstral-pad

“oga why u I no talk before? He asked with he tone filled with anger

“sey wetin?” I aked pretending not to know what he was talking about

“wallaihi I no get am po change!” he grumbled

“wetin you want make I do now? Me sef no get change and na the only 1000 naira note wey dey my hand be dat” I pretentiously sounded considerate. I had to wait for almost 15 minutes before the motorcyclist had to show up with my change after going from one shop to another. Without any word of fairwell from him the angry motorcyclist zoomed off. (I sure must have pissed him off).

7:22 am

I was welcomed to the open-pack with a sight of various people from various tribes, religion, works of life, beliefs and intensions. I wasn’t surprise, what do u expected on a Monday morning? Nobody seems to notice me as I walked through the crowd, everyone seems to mind his or her own business….. yes, we all minded our own business, the drivers, the traders, the passengers, the passer-bys, and in fact the mere on-lookers who are aimless. I went straight to one of the ‘ticket sellers’ and bought the transport ticket before I joined the queue of passengers who are yet to board the bus. The queue was long and everyone seems to look in haste. Some people who could not be civil enough to wait on the queue had to use the Naija style ‘shunt’.

“Mister man, what is ur problem, can’t u see that ur mates and ealders are on the queue?” an elderly man barked out to a toung man who was trying hard to squeeze himself into the front of the queue.

“help my mother with whatever u have! No amount is too small, my mother is blind, and God will bless you as you help my mother!!” a very young boy of about 10-12 years of age cried out, he kept rubbing his palms as he pleaded for alms. Beside him was a woman he called ‘mother’, her eyes was covered with black shade, she had  a baby strapped to her back and another standing beside her. ‘why do poor people procreate in the midst of poverty?” my curious mind asked no one in particular.

“oga come and buy ur ticket here” a very pretty young lady shouted to a random person admits the crowd trouping into the park, I wonder what could have made a very beautiful damsel sell ticket. I could see in her eyes the determination to survive and succeed through the decent means of livelihood and not prostitution.

“broad, shey make I bring egg-roll….i swear e hot well-well” a woman asked a guy on the queue who seems tempted by snacks.

“wuse berger! Area one!! Shouted one of the ‘abgeros’ calling for travelers near the park.

Slowly, the queue ahead of me became shorter till it reached my turn, the bus attendant collected my ticket, tour it into half and gave me the other half. As I entered the bus, I saw a paragon of beauty sitting  close to the window at the back ‘my o my!, I had better rush to sit beside her before another guy kon spoil show for me’            

I rushed to seat near this ‘beauty’, she sure didn’t know I had sat beside her coz’ she had an ear-phone stuck to her ears and her eyes fixed on ‘Black-Berry phone, she giggled as she pressed the keypads.

I thought of how to start a ‘decent-boy’ conversation with her, after doing some quick toasting rehearsals within me and was sure she was gonna fall for it. I readjusted myself, cleared my throat and opened my mouth to say something like this for a start:

 “Good morning pretty, my name is Omotayo but you can just call me Tayo and I was hoping to know and be a friend to a decent looking girl like you…..hope you don’t mind if I keep you company for now?”

  You would think she had read my mind when she suddenly turned towards me and looked at me in a manner that screams:

 ‘Ashawooo, abeg comot for my side!!!!’

Immdiatly, I almost began to sweat, I was tempted to ask her if she heard all that I had thought. I decided I won’t give-up on my mission that easy. As I was busy re-strategizing another mode of ‘toast attack’, a young man who had just walked into the bus stood still beside me holding two ‘gala’ and two ‘lacasera’ drinks.

“wetin be dis guy problem, why e kon dey form bouncer beside me?” I thought

He gestured something with his hands which I understood it to be:

“this lady and I are lovers and we are both deaf and dumb, I went outside to get something for…….”

I didn’t even wait for him to finish before I rush-off from the hot seat.

By the time I stood up, the only available seat for me was beside a very old looking woman looking very helpless and fragile, her body smells of old age, her clothes are visibly dirty and tattered. I wondered how she helped herself get into the bus and how she hopes to get down.

   All these while, People kept rushing into the bus, the old, the young, the corporately dressed and those in casuals, the literates and the illiterates. The seats where filled-up and people were now standing and holding the bus-pole. One of the passengers who was standing called on everyone’s attention and he began to introduce a health drug “if you use just one tablet, i swear all the sickness wey dey una body go vamuzz kiakia….. weda na malaria o, abi na taiford, abi na sifilis, abi na goloria, everytin join go vamuzz comot una body”

‘Good morning Ma’ I said as I bowed down my head as sign of respect for the old woman sitting next to me.

This old woman turned her face towards me, she had deep and fresh scars all over her face, she looked straight into my eye-balls with confidence and all I felt that moment was fear, that same fear which I had in my dream when I was trapped in the coffin. Her face was so scary that I wondered how anyone in the bus would not notice it but me.

“maybe no one seems to care” so I thought

“yes my son, no one cares anymore and that is what had made me what I am” said the old woman with her eyes turning away from mine and looking through the open window beside her.

“are you talking to me Ma?” I asked nervously trying to be certain on what I just heard.

“Omotayo, this world you see is so full of wickedness, a place of all man for himself, a place where immorality is now legal, and a place where indiscipline is praised.”

She turned to look at me and widen her eyes to buttress her point as she continued.

“Death lurks in the corner, within a short while from now every living soul around this vicinity shall be deceased”.

“I am sure I will soon wake-up, this is just one of those bad dreams” I thought as I tried pinching myself to reality.

“you forgot to call your mother like you hoped, she is presently thinking of you. Such a sweet mother you got, she does not deserve to lose you at your prime”

She paused for awhile to bring out a huge kola-nut from within her wrapper.

“bite, chew and swallow. Unlike other around you at this moment, you’ve been granted a second chance”.

‘Booooom!’ an explosion when off, causing an earthquake effect and destroying both living and non-living things that crossed it path.

14^th April, 2014.

8:04am

“pim pim!, pim-pim!!, pim-pim!!!”

The buzzing and vibration of my bed-side alarm clock had taken it effect on me. As I opened my eyes to witness day-break, I was shocked to the bone.

‘what just happened….i thought I was….was that a dream or…..?’ I soliloquized as I reflected on the dream. “Wow! That was so vivid……felt so real” I concluded.

I was taken aback after noticing how late I was for work and realizing how deep I had slept, I had set the alarm for 5:45am and now it is 8:05am

 “so the alarm had being buzzing and vibrating for more than three hours and I couldn’t wake-up” I thought

 “chai, I don late die……,Tayo e be like sey winch done dey follow you o!!!” I grumbled as I rushed into the bathroom.

I was in a hurry. I didn’t use tooth-brush, I only licked the tooth-paste to prevent mouth odour. Likewise, I didn’t use bath soap, I only watered my body. I cleaned up, wore a ‘oh today is Monday’ cooperate-wear, wore my shoes, ate slices of bread to go with a cup of water, picked up my office bag, switched-off all electrical appliances, picked up my phone….. “ahhh! 26 missed calls. Kilode!!” I exclaimed as I noticed my phone had been on vibration all along.    

.  14 missed calls from my mum, 5 from my younger sister, 7 from my best friend and co-worker. 

 I knew there was fire on the mountain, something bad must have happened to someone somewhere. I dialed my mum’s number first to know what was happening but the network service was so bad. Suddenly the name ‘kayode’ appeared to be an incoming call on phone screen.

“Hello, Bawo ni?” I asked

“Thank God I’m hearing from you” kayode said as he signed with relief

“kilode, wetin happen?” I asked with anxiety in my tone

“where you dey……shey u neva hear breaking news this morning?”

“sey wetin happen?…..abeg talk jare, coz I dey rush come office naw-naw”

“it’s a bomb-blast around your area, for dat place wey u dey always enter bus come office, infact i don fear sey u go dey inside that motor-park at dat time…..abeg I no get much credit, but I swear to God sey you get luck….anyhow shaa oga go understand if you no come office today” he said in a hurry and hang-up.

Hearing this, I rushed to switch on the television and the DSTV decoder, I had to wait for about 6 minute which seems like hours for the decoder to finish  booting,

“breaking news, it has just being confirmed that a bomb-blast has just exploded at the nyanya-maraba  motor park Abuja, where many have been confirmed dead. Eye-witnesses said that an unknown car which was parked near………..” a correspondent from channels television reported. The video that followed was more surprising than shocking. In the video was the wreckage of the buses in my dream, the dead bodies of those I thought I had seen that morning (in my dream), the most shocking of it all was the interview by two of the eye-witnesses which I could swear I had seen that very morning (in my dream). One of the eye-witnesses was in front of me on the queue before taking permission to go buy something.

“I was on the queue when I took permission from a fair looking guy in a suit to go buy drug for my stomach pain, God I thank you for keeping me alive” the first eye-witness said

Everything became very strange when the second eye-witness was interviewed

“chai!!, see as life take be, na as I waka komot for dis park as people no gree buy my egg-roll, na so I hear d bomb sound” the second eye-witness said with tears flowing freely from her eyes

“This is unbelievable” I thought, the whole events that just unveiled seems so strange, how was surprise at how the event in my dream was so inter-woven and connected to the real life. ‘Was it a revelation or vision or a mere coincident’. Suddenly, I remembered the old woman had given me ‘kola-nut’ to chew if I want to know her and I had collected from her and put in my pocket. “It would be very silly of you to check your pocket for the kola-nut” I thought to myself as I was tempted to really see if the dream had any physical connection to the real life. Right about that moment, my mother called saying how scared she was when she had about the bomb-blast that morning and tried to call to confirm if ‘the worst hadn’t happen’ to her beloveth son.

“I am fine and super-healthy, nothing……..” as I was in the process of talking, I unconsciously slipped me hand into my pocket and felt something hard and a bit heavy in it, I tried to squeeze it with my fingers but couldn’t, I tried to imagine what it could be.

“I never noticed there was anything in my trouser-pocket when wearing it” I thought to myself as I was still calling my mum. I carefully brought it out to know what it was, and behold……it was what it was…..i saw the unbelievable, I saw what made my world stood still, I saw that which the old woman had handed to me, I saw the exact KOLA-NUT.

“mu..mu…mum…mummy, please let me call you back. Something just happened” I spoke with fear and shock in my tone. I instantly pressed the ‘red button’ on my key pad without letting for her further response. It was now obvious that my doubt had being confirmed. My hand trembled as I held to stare at the ‘super kola-nut’ that lay on my palm. I hardly belief in miracles or magic but I swear this one is mind-blowing and freaking scary. 

How do I explain this occurrence to people without being looked upon as a fool or worst still as insane, even though it beyond explanation, I felt I needed to tell someone…..surely, I must tell someone. I kept staring at this strange object on my palm. Many thoughts filled my mind simultaneously, thoughts like

“How did this thing get into my pocket?”

“Should I run outside and shout for help?”

“Has someone being watching me?”

“Is this a sign of death to come?”

“Is it true that I had just escaped death”

Or

“Is all these happening a mere co-incidence?”

After a long scary moment of self questioning, I settled for the conclusion that all these happening must be a very strong coincidence because I couldn’t come to a logical and rational conclusion of a possible physical  link between a dream world and the real world, its impossible. I decided to satisfy my curiousity by having a bite from the kola-nut, “its not a bad idea” I thought as I slowly bite, chew and swallow down my throat a very small portion of the kola-nut. I waited for about 15 minutes which seems like hours expecting the ‘witch-like looking old woman’ to buff-out from the thin air into the room (like in magical movies) and help solve the puzzle in my head but I was greatly disappointed because I saw no one. So I concluded I needed to take all the stupid illusions and magical fantasies off my head. I decided to focus on the rest of the news, by this time all the broadcast stations such as AIT, LTV, Channels, Silverbird, CNN, AJEEZERA et.c. made ‘NYANYA BOMB-BLAST’ their breaking news. I was listening to the news in one of the stations when all of a sudden I felt everything around me go quiet, it was so quiet that I could no longer hear what was been said on the T.V and noises around my compound. All I could hear was the sound of my heart-beat which was going faster than it usual and the ticking seconds of the wall clock which was 10:39am, my eyes began rolling and the room seems to be spinning, I felt dizzy and weak.

“yeeee….i think I am going to die, so I will finally die of a poisonous kola-nut, ahhhhaaaaa!!!!” I screamed aloud as I tried regaining my balance from falling.  

1814 (unknown location)

“I never doubted for a second about your coming, I had always trusted you” I heard someone said. The voice was familiar.

I tried opening my eyes to see who own that voice but the ray of the sun disallowed at first, so I tried opening slowly to see a figure standing right above my head with a smile. I felt too weak to stand up so I tried  to figure the face which turned up-side down looking down at me. I sprang up immediately Like an Antelope after realizing who owns that face.

“you!...wha…wha…what are you doing in my……” I paused as I realized where I was.

“how did I get here? What have you done to me?.... am I dead already?” I sprayed out questions with a tone filled with great fear.

The figure in front of me just kept mute and looked marveled like a child in front of an ice-cream. I saw clearly the figure that horrified my sight and senses, it was unbelievable!

“Yes it is I again, the mysterious old woman” she said with a calm but cracking voice

“Is this how heaven looks like?” I thought amidst of fear as I looked around to see tall thick grasses and trees around me.

“Ma, please am I dead or is this another strange dream?” I asked

“Both!” she answered sharply.

“Both…… How? Yeee!!! So I don die be dat” I unconsciously shouted as I placed both arms on my head in horror.

The ‘mysterious old woman’ in front of me suddenly turned her back on me and ordered “follow me!”. 

We walked across bushes and large surface of farm, for about ten minutes I followed my ‘captor’ sheepishly, I tried figuring out what exactly was happening to me, the atmosphere smells of fresh soil and herbs. I thought of asking questions or better still running away but something within me just couldn’t. Suddenly she stopped in front of a huge tree.

“erutayo, do you remember this tree?” she asked, while her eyes still fixed upon the tree.

“sorry Ma, my name is Omotayo and not erutayo……and how do you expect me to know this tree when I have no idea of where we are?” I corrected as I tried sounding confident.

“ohhh this tree!!....this ‘iroko’ tree that witnessed the beginning of our love and also saw how it was snatched from us” she caressed the tree as the spoke with tones filled with emotion.

“from us?” I asked looking confused

“yes, from the both of us!”

“honestly Ma, I don’t understand the…..” I paused and quickly hide behind a tall grass as I heard the sound of someone giggling from a distance.

 The old woman was still on her feet, she was looking straight at the direction from which the sound was coming from, I couldn’t help but notice she seem expectant of what was about to appear.

The giggling sound was accompanied with laughter by someone else, the sounds and footsteps were getting louder and closer like they were coming exactly towards me. I peeped from within the grasses where I hide to see what was going on; I saw a young woman and a man walking hand-in-hand beside each other, they looked so happy and cheerful together as they walked towards where I was hiding. When these two people reached the ‘iroko’ tree, they stopped and stood facing one another, the two 'love birds' looked into each others eyes so passionately, it was obvious they are in love with one another.  To my surprise, the old woman was standing beside them and it seems her presence was not noticed the lovers.

"be out from hiding, we are invisible to anyone and anything in this present era" said the old woman

"so you mean no body can see.....as in invisible to the eye?" i asked curiously 

"yes my dear, nobody can see us" she concluded.

Then I concluded "I was truly dead"

“But why can’t they see us?” I asked curiously

“Because we are presently In a different epoch of life

“Different what?” I was confused

“I will like you to look and listen closely at this man and woman…..surely you will find the answer you seek”

I looked at the ‘love-birds’ who now wrap themselves on each other’s arms so emotionally. The man was wearing a sack material for trouser, he had no shirt on and he had a big rusted chain strapped around his neck, he was bear footed and was so dirty-looking with bushy hair all over his body. The man looks so strong with huge muscles all over his arms and tights. Without further observation, I could tell he was either a slave or a prisoner….. or even a warrior. On the other hand was the lady with him who looked beautiful and was dressed in ancient beautiful attire, her plaited hair was designed with cowries and her neck was covered with colourful beads; She appeared more of a royalty to me.

“But Ma, I still don’t understa…….” I tried complaining but was cut short

“Shuuuu!!!....” the old woman placed a finger across her lips as her eyes were still on the two ‘lovers’



“Erutayo, nothing can ever come between us…..not even the gods” the royal lady said

“Asake, bu…but what about your father? I am his slave, which means he owns my life, he decides whatever he wishes with it. He is so powerful and very strong…I fear him more than the gods” the slave man said with worries on his face

“I swear by the gods of this land that if he tries to take you away from me, I will kill myself”

“no! no!!....don’t do anything evil upon yourself”

“yes I will, because I can’t imagine myself living a life without you in it and that is why I came to give you this” she paused for a while and brought out something from her wrapper and stretched it towards the man in front of her who took his time to observe what it was

“Is this not kola-nut”

“yes, but it is more powerful than what it looks like…very powerful”

“what does it do”

“what we need to do is to first profess our love to one another and then we would both agree on the number of years we wish to live together then we finally eat, chew and swallow it.

“wait!!...who told you all these things”

“Iya Akokaa…..”

“That witch?.....she is not to be trusted, I swear!!”

“but she alone understands what I feel for you after I had explained the situation to her, she promised to help us and that was why she gave me this and gave the instructions on it usage”

“did she tell of you it repercussions”

“she said there is non she is aware of….all she told me was that it is a powerful charm that binds love for as long as we both want it to last. So I Asake the daughter of Ariyike and Fijabi swear by the gods of our land to love you Erutayo the slave of Fijabi Ajijogun for eternity” she said and immediately ate a small portion of the Kola-nut in her hand and pointed the remains at Erutayo who was shock as he heard the word ‘eternity’.

“Don’t you think eternity is too……”

“Shuuuuu….no my love, eternity is the perfect time frame for us to be together”

“okay, so shall it be….. I Erutayo the slave of Fijabi Ajijogun swear by the gods of this land to love you Asake Ajijogun for hmmm!…hmmm!!..mm!..two-hundred years!!” he ended with a tone of uncertainty and looked like he was expecting Asake to complain; he slowly ate part of the Kola-nut in Asake’s fingers

“May the gods forever bear us witness as I am today your wife and you My husband!!” Asake shouted cheerfully.
to be continued.......