Episode Ten – The Final Revelation

Abike rolled her eyes at Toriola, wondering if the words that were coming out of her mouth were just a string of bad jokes.

“I am not in the mood for this kind of nonsense talk, so if you don’t have anything better to say to me, please leave.”

Toriola sighed sadly, attempting to look genuine. “I am serious. It happened when I went to work for his wife. One minute he was complaining that she didn’t have time for him, the next minute he was begging me to drop my wrapper. How could I have denied the King. No one has the right to do so. He’s king over all”. Abike stared deeper at Toriola, waiting for her to break into laughter about the bad joke. “I am telling you the truth. Kabiyesi forced me to sleep with him, and now I am pregnant.”

Abike rose slowly, dazed, but before she could say anything, Iyalode came into the room.

“You are a liar. What was that I heard you say?” she asked, a deep scowl on her face, and Toriola went on her knees.

“I am not lying, Iyalode. I am pregnant,” Toriola insisted, while Abike turned pale.

“Betrayer! Husband snatcher!” Abike screamed, but Iyalode hushed her with a firm look in her direction. “Keep quiet or get out!”

“She stole my King!” Abike insisted, tears streaming down her eyes.

“You need to tell me the truth, Toriola,” Iyalode cajoled, clearly disbelieving her.

“I am pregnant, Iyalode,” she said, dropping her head, and unable to catch Iyalode’s eye, but Iyalode lifted her palm to read the lines on it then raised her head to look deeply into her eyes.

“You are definitely pregnant.” she confirmed.

“Haaa! I have been cheated,” Abike cried more intensely.

“Get out of here,” Iyalode commanded, and Abike grudgingly left, making evil eyes at Toriola.

“Young lady, your claims are bold. Do you really expect anyone to believe that you are carrying the child of our King? You have never had any business with him.”

Toriola continued to feign sorrow. “We were both mourning my brother, Areo, and it just happened. I think he was lonely. His wife just gave birth,” she explained.

“Hmm… Can you face the King with this news?”

Toriola heaved a sigh of joy. Finally her goal would be achieved, but the sigh looked to Iyalode as fear.

“Are you afraid to face the King?”

“I don’t want trouble with the palace. I just wanted to tell my friend before I ran away. That is why I came here.”

Iyalode laughed in disbelief. “You conveniently came to tell Abike because you need to share the news to the right ears, don’t bother pretending. I may not be sure if Kabiyesi is the father of your unborn child, but I am certain that you are up to no good.”

“The King wanted me and I let him. I didn’t do anything wrong. To deny the King would have been wrong,” Toriola said, her tone changing to defiance.

Iyalode observed her for a moment, confused on what the right move should be. Finally, she pulled Toriola up.

“I can’t hear this alone. Rise up, we are going to the palace.”

—————————————————————————————————————————-

Shade put the twins to sleep then rose to join Tade by the wardrobe where she searched for the right dress to wear that afternoon.Adeyeri had invited her to join him as he broke the news of the school creation to the Chiefs.

“I don’t approve of this move, and I think you should advise the King not to do it,” she said to Tade, who only glanced briefly at her then went back to looking for clothes.

“I know you don’t respect me, neither do you value my opinion, but in the end, I am all the family you have, and if someone is protecting your best interest, it is me.”

“Aunty Shade, how is telling me to dissuade my husband from something I believe in, going to protect me?”

“You didn’t grow up here. You have no clue how the people around here think, but I do, and I can tell you this; they will not agree to a new god, and this school thing will be seen as instilling laziness into children. There is a thin line between love and hate, and if you are not careful, King Adeyeri the beloved can become the…”

Tade didn’t let her finish because her words were planting fear.

“Aunty, I appreciate you, and I must confess that even though I didn’t want you here when Adeyeri suggested it, you have provided the much needed support and help I need to raise my children. However, please let’s leave our relationship on that level only.

“Tade, you have still not forgiven me for betraying you.”

“I have.”

Shade put her hands on Tade’s shoulders. “You have to forgive me. I am sorry. You were going out of hand and I got scared.”

“Aunty don’t worry about it, I have truly forgiven you.”

Shade held out her arms and pulled Tade into it then moved her to sit on a small bench near the window.

“There is something I have been planning to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Shade sighed. “I don’t even know how to start.”

“You are scaring me, Aunty Shade.”

“I don’t know what the King has told you, but you can never be Queen. Your children will never be the heirs to the throne, and the King is set to marry another woman who can be crowned to rule by his side, and give him a Prince that can rule.”

Tade stared blankly for a moment. “My husband is King! Of course, I am the Queen.”

“It doesn’t work that way. You have to be crowned too.” Tade stammered, unable to speak. “Calm down! I haven’t told you this to scare you, but because we need to come up with a plan. “

Tade rose! “I won’t plan anything with you. I am secure in my position beside my husband, and I am his Queen.”

“You may be the Queen of his heart, that much is true, and everyone can see that the King adores you, but the decision of who can be Queen is not his alone, and you have an origin that makes it impossible for him to insist.”

Tade raised her hands as though to stop Shade’s words.

“You need to stop saying all these. I won’t listen to you slander my husband and my King. We don’t keep secrets from each other. If he was having a challenge convincing the Chiefs to make me Queen, he would have told me so that we can pray about it.”

“He’s probably trying to protect you.”

“Aunty Shade, you need to stop!”

Shade’s shoulders dropped in resignation as she rose.“I only told you this because I feel responsible for you, and I would hate for you to find out that I have been aware but didn’t share the information with you.”

“Aware? Aware how? Who told you this?”

“Nobody in particular, but they are all in the know, and they say it mindlessly whenever it comes up.”

Tade sighed frustratedly. “I need to go and find Adeyeri!”

“Ah, no! Please Tade, do you want to put me in trouble with the King?”

“No I don’t, but that’s a serious allegation against my husband, and I need to confirm it,” she said then stormed off.

—————————————————————————————————————————-

“I brought her here because this is a great allegation against the King,” Iyalode said to the other Chiefs while Toriola knelt in between them.

“Watch your words, woman! This is no allegation, no one dares accuse a King. If he put a child in her, he has a reason,” the Chief Priest said.

“Maybe he is finally ready to take his Queen,” Balogun said with a mischievous smile.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. This girl  is not Queen material. The King will be here any minute, he told me he has news to share,” Osi said, and just as though his words summoned him, King Adeyeri walked into the palace with a big smile, his servant, Atoyebi, at his heels.

“Send word to my friend, Banji, I will need his help.” Adeyeri said to Atoyebi then took his seat on the throne. He did not see Toriola’s face because she bowed her head in reverence.

Kabiyesi oooo,” the Chiefs greeted, bowing until Adeyeri motioned to them that they could rise.

“Who is the lady? Why is she here? I want to discuss a serious matter with you all. Whatever we want with her can wait.” Adeyeri said, but the Chiefs were quiet. “Why is she here?”

“Tell the king why you are here!” Iyalode instructed Toriola, and she raised her head. 

As soon as Adeyeri saw her, he scowled. “What are you doing here? Did I not banish you from the palace?”

“No my King! I ran away when Ayaba saw us!”

“You are mad!” Adeyeri said, and Oluawo struggled to hide a smile.

“What did she see you doing?” he asked, but Osi interjected.

“Does that even matter? Let’s get to the root of the matter. Young lady, tell us what you told the King.”

“I am pregnant for our King.” Toriola said, bowing her head in trepidation, and Adeyeri burst into laughter.

“Is she lying?” Balogun asked.

“Of course she is lying.” Adeyeri replied.

“I am not lying. I am pregnant for the King. The Queen is my witness, she saw us!”

“We do not have a Queen yet in Iludoyin,” Oluawo said. He had seen Tade enter the palace almost immediately after the King came in and could have stopped the proceeding, but he wanted her to hear everything and know that her time had ended even before it began.

“Kabiyesi, what is going on here?” Tade asked, her voice shaking.

Oluawo rose immediately, “Iyalode please guide Ayaba out while we solve this matter. She shouldn’t be here.”

Adeyeri rose too. “Come, Tade. You can sit by my side. This woman has come with an accusation.”

“What accusation?” she asked, but no one answered, till Toriola lifted her head and spoke. “I am with child, and the King is the father,” she said.

“You are a liar. I have never laid with you, and I will not be fooled into accepting a child that is not mine,” Adeyeri said then faced Tade, “Everything I told you the day you saw her in my room is the truth. I woke up to find her leg over mine, but I didn’t do anything with her.”

“Kabiyesi!” Toriola exclaimed.

“Shut up!” Balogun scolded Toriola for talking back at the King.

“Interesting!” Tade said, then to the utmost shock of everyone, she smiled. 

Adeyeri removed his cap and ran a hand over his head. Tade put her hand on his arm to calm him, and he put his hand over hers. “Tade, I haven’t slept with this woman. There is no way she is pregnant with my child,” Adeyeri said to his wife’s hearing  only, his voice a whisper.

“I do not doubt you my love.”

Adeyeri heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Tade. Your faith means the world to me.”

Tade rolled her eyes. “I choose to trust you even if you haven’t accorded me the same courtesy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard I can’t be your Queen,” she said coldly, her expression unreadable, and Adeyeri sighed in frustration.

“You are the only woman I want by my side. You will be my Queen,” he assured her, still whispering, but the palace had become so quiet that everyone heard him.

Oluawo, the Chief Priest, cleared his throat. “Kabiyesi, please let Iyalode take Ayaba to her children while we solve this matter,” he said.

“Thank you for your concern but I have legs. If the King wants me to leave, I can take myself out,” Tade responded then faced Adeyeri, “Kabiyesi, do you want me to leave?”

Adeyeri shook his head. “Stay!”

The Chiefs shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

“What do we do with the girl and her pregnancy?” Oluawo asked impatiently, raising his voice.

“Watch your tone, you are speaking to the King!” Balogun cautioned Oluawo.

Adeyeri rose and faced Toriola, the scowl on his face, deepening. “You are a bold girl, and you had a good plan. If I fell for it, I could have easily become your victim, but I certainly did not. I was not drunk the night you sneaked into my room. I have not tasted wine in over a year. My senses are intact at all times. If I slept with you, I would be wide awake and aware of what I did. You are telling lies, and I will punish you to make an example.”

Toriola fell to the ground and wailed. “Kabiyesi, please don’t deny me. We had a good time, and now we are going to have a baby.”

Tade slapped her palms together. “I think Oluawo is right. I need to leave this place. This girl is getting on my nerves.”

Adeyeri held out his hands and Tade took it, “Stay by side. Today, we will put an end to this.”

Oluawo rose.“Kabiyesi, let us handle this situation delicately. Please, think deeply. Could it be that you forgot your interaction with this lady?”

“Oluawo, what is the point of this probing? Kabiyesi has said he had nothing to do with the girl,” Iyalode said, and the Chief Priest pinned her with a deadly glare.

“We don’t have a Queen, and the King needs heirs. Of course we need to be sure before we dismiss the girl,” Oluawo barked.

Balogun shook his head, “If we give every stray girl a chance to prove herself, we will have in our hands, a room filled with every unmarried woman in Iludoyin who wants to be Queen, and until we crown one, everyone of them will make a move.

“Then let’s solve this here and now. I want my wife to be my Queen, and I need your support to make it happen.” Adeyeri said, looking from one Chief to the other, but they avoided his gaze. “Every year, the King has the power to veto into law one thing that is against tradition so that it becomes tradition, I will use that power to make my wife Queen,” Adeyeri said and the Chiefs fell on their knees in one accord, gripped by fear.

“Please, ask us for any other thing and we will rejoice with you and do your bidding. Please Kabiyesi, do not do this. We beg you in the name of your father and forefathers, our great Kings of old.” Oluawo pleaded.

“They really do not want me.” Tade said sadly.

“We like you. I like you,” Iyalode said, “but this is not about you. Tradition has to be upheld.”

“Even if it hurts those that it is meant to protect?” Adeyeri bellowed.

“Please, calm down Kabiyesi, your wish is our command. Ask us for one thing, and we shall grant it instantly, but let’s not make an Abobaku Queen to avert the wrath of the gods. The consequences can be dire.” Balogun said, and Osi nodded.

“You can take your time to choose a Queen you can love if that matters to you Kabiyesi, we won’t try to interfere in the process. I had previously wanted my niece to become your Queen, but I won’t force that agenda. We will wait a while longer for you to choose who you want. Ask us for anything else, no matter how against tradition it is, and we will grant it instantly.”

Oluawo was going to add his speech when Banji, Yemi, and Abike walked into the palace.

“Kabiyesi oooo”, the three of them greeted and Adeyeri waved in acquiescence.

“Get out of here, we are in the middle of a serious meeting,” Oluawo barked, not wanting his son to see Toriola. The love charm may have been destroyed, but Yemi was Toriola’s boyfriend and the King must never know.

“Kabiyesi summoned me, that’s why I came. I brought Abike and Yemi  because I heard them arguing about a grave matter,” Banji explained.

“Get out! We will address you later,” Oluawo instructed, but Adeyeri held up his hand to tell them to stay.

“What grave matter?” Adeyeri asked and Yemi knelt down as he responded.

“Abike came to me because she assumed that Toriola is my woman, and wondered why she was carrying the King’s child,” Yemi explained.

“You will stop this nonsense now and get out!” Oluawo said to his son, trying to catch his eyes in warning, but Yemi’s eyes were fixed on the King.

“Oluawo, if you keep giving orders, you are the one that will be sent out of my palace instantly,” Adeyeri said, then motioned to Yemi to continue.

“She may no longer be my woman, but if she is pregnant, the child could equally be mine because…”

“Shut up, Yemi!” Toriola cried out, but Yemi didn’t even look at her. He simply continued his explanations.

“Because I have been with her recently. I also don’t see how she and the King, who she hates for allowing her brother to die, suddenly became lovers,” Yemi said bitterly.

“You are just jealous,” Toriola continued.

Adeyeri smiled in irritation, “I have not been with your woman, Yemi, and I should punish her for these allegations by banishing her from Iludoyin. However, because of you, I will forgive her. If I hear any of these nonsense rumours in town, I’ll truly banish her.”

“You can still banish her, Kabiyesi. I don’t want a woman that doesn’t want me, or that will boldly give my child to another man,” Yemi said, and Toriola began to roll on the ground.

“Ha! Oluawo has ruined me,” she cried.

Others looked from her to the Chief Priest expecting an explanation, but he simply removed his royal beads and dropped them on the ground.

“If this village has chosen to reject the gods and stand with the god of our King’s wife, then I can’t be here anymore,” he said, and walked out.

“What does this have to do with the gods?” Balogun asked no one in particular, but he looked confused himself.

“Yemi, please leave with your woman, I need to discuss with my Chiefs,” Adeyeri said, and waited till they left before turning to Tade, who leaned closer to whisper into his ears. He moved her aside so that even if others in the room eavesdropped, they wouldn’t  hear them. 

“Take advantage of your veto rights. Use this chance to enforce your will,” she said.

“Yes, Tade. Today, you will become my Queen,” Adeyeri said, smiling into her eyes, but she shook her head.

“When we get opportunities like this, we can’t waste it on our selfish desires. I am already your Queen, I don’t need a coronation to confirm it. Between you and I, we know this, and sooner or later, the people of Iludoyin will come to terms with it. Right now, there is a bigger opportunity, and we need to seize it.”

“Are you referring to the Christian school?”

“Yes! The Chiefs told you to ask for anything, and they will support your veto decree. This is our chance to plant the seed of Christianity.”

Adeyeri nodded in agreement. “The will of Yahweh will be done. I am so blessed to have a woman like you, and I am sorry to have kept the issues against your coronation from you. I thought I was protecting you.”

Tade smiled, “Apology accepted. No more secrets though, you have to promise me that!”

“I promise,” he said, and not minding who was watching, planted a quick kiss on Tade’s lips before going to meet the Chiefs who were waiting patiently to be addressed, and reeling from the shock of Oluawo’s abandonment.

“For now, I will wait for my Queen’s coronation to give you time to get used to the idea of changing that tradition. In the meantime, there is something I want to share with you, which is why I invited Banji because he will oversee the project.”

“What is it, Kabiyesi?” Chief Osi asked, taking the words out of Iyalode’s mouth.

Adeyeri held Tade’s hand. “I have invited the white woman, Deborah, to start a school to train our children in Iludoyin, and expose them to modern civilization.” he said, and they all dropped their jaws in shock. He knew they weren’t expecting it, and from the look of  trepidation on their faces, they would have probably chosen Tade to be Queen if they had to pick between the two choices.

Yahweh was indeed the great master planner. Through the children, He would plant messages of hope in the minds of his people, and they didn’t even see it coming.

“Can I say something, Kabiyesi?” Balogun asked and Adeyeri smiled.

“Of course, as long as it involves pledging your loyalty.”

“Hmm…” Balogun muttered, and so did the other Chiefs.

“Don’t worry my great Chiefs, just trust me. I have your best interest in mind,” Adeyeri promised, then stretched his hands to hold Tade again. He was getting scared, but he knew that together, they would surmount all odds.

This was only just the beginning for them.

________________________________________________________________________

What a sweet way to end a season.

I learnt so many lessons reading this story. From an adamant faith in God, trust in relationships, the reward of coveteousness, and more. The lessons are endless.

Over to you. What did you learn from Abobaku: To Live With The King?