Episode Twenty-Six: The Final Battle

One Week Later

If Adeyeri could carry Tade all the way to Iludoyin, he would have, but she refused to be pampered. He even begged her to go with Banji to Oyo so that she could rest and be safe from the dangers that returning to his fatherland could bring, but she vehemently refused. Brother Joseph’s revelation was a light bulb moment for her. The extreme tiredness, and the changes she was feeling in her body now made sense to her. A baby was growing in her, and the knowledge both excited and terrified her with equal intensity. 

Naturally, this should be good news, but in light of all that laid ahead of them, she didn’t know how to feel. Was her child going to be born in exile? Would she have a child who, like her, grew up outside his father’s land? Of all the questions on her mind, the one that grieved her the most was the effect that the knowledge that Adeyeri was about to become a father was going to have on him. Would he suddenly be so desperate, he would make the wrong decisions? With what she knew of her husband, the need to reunite his child to the land of his ancestors could override his good sense of judgement.

If Adeyeri hadn’t proclaimed that they were going back to Iludoyin before the announcement of the baby was made, she would have assumed that it was what spurred him on. Even with the danger ahead, he was determined they would return to Iludoyin. Something was definitely influencing him, and it wasn’t this child whose existence they just found out a week ago, but the news had changed Adeyeri. He was careful and extra caring, thinking twice about every decision before proclaiming it. Before now, he walked by Tade’s side as they went along on the journey, but since finding out about the baby, he was literally walking one foot from her, moving at a speed so slow, she wondered if they were ever going to get to Iludoyin.

“Adeyeri, I might have been declared pregnant, but it doesn’t mean I am an invalid. Let’s pick up the pace.”

Adeyeri clasped her hand, holding it gently in his. He then completely slowed down, so that Brother Joseph and Alani could walk past them, and they could talk privately.

“You are not even supposed to be on this walk. If I had my way, I would… I would… I would…” Adeyeri tried to make his point, but choked on the words as he became overwhelmed with emotions.

Tade rested her hands on his shoulders. “You are doing the best you can despite the circumstances. Don’t burden yourself with more pressure just because I happen to be pregnant. Let’s move faster. Don’t worry, I can take it.”

Adeyeri gazed at her intently for a few moments, spellbound by her beauty, then his eyes rested on her flat belly, carrying his child. “What are we moving faster for?” he asked, downcast, and she cradled his face in comfort. “When we were going to Oyo, we had a purpose. We were fuelled with energy from the possibilities of a rescue, but now, we are literally going to our…” 

Tade didn’t let him finish, her left index finger resting on his lips. “Don’t use negative words. Don’t lose faith. You were so sure about this move, and if you noticed, I did not question you. Do you know why?”

“Why?” he asked, gently caressing the hand she had previously used to cover his lips. He moved her away from the middle of the road so they could sit briefly under a tree. 

“I did not question you because you had conviction. I discerned that you were not speaking from your own wisdom, but that there is a superior power at play; the power of Yahweh. It was a struggle at first if I am being honest, but as soon as we turned back from Oyo, my spirit agreed with your spirit. We are on Yahweh’s schedule now. He has taken over, and it will end in praise.” Tade assured him.

“Who is Yahweh?” Adeyeri asked curiously, and Tade smiled, memories of the time when she too was clueless about who God was flooding back. She’d wondered why He had so many names, and this special one that sums up the power, and purpose of who He is. “What is Yahweh?” Adeyeri asked again, curious now because of the way Tade was smiling.

“God Almighty is Yahweh. That is His name.”

“I am confused. I thought God’s name was God.”

“That is the name you can understand and relate with as a man on this earth where several deities are raised up in our quest for a superior being, but Yahweh is the superior being, the Almighty who does not exist in time. He has no beginning, He has no end. He is the creator of the universe, the one and only ruler of the heavens and the earth.”

Tade was speaking very calmly, but Adeyeri was having goose pimples all over his body. The explanation was mysterious, but he found that he believed it, because beyond what she was saying, there was a witness in his spirit that she spoke the truth, and Adeyeri bowed and worshipped God, laying flat on the ground. This Yahweh, who had revealed Himself in the bush a week ago, and had said ‘I AM your strategy’, was going to change his life and help him win against his enemies. Yet in that moment, none of it mattered, because even if help did not come from anywhere, and he failed to avenge his father, or sit on the throne of Iludoyin, his place with the King of kings was what mattered more. He was thinking these thoughts when suddenly, he began to praise God for revealing Himself to him, and the privilege of meeting Tade, so that he could meet the One who truly mattered, Yahweh. 

The language of Adeyeri’s praises soon changed into words that were far from anything Tade had ever heard before in her life. As the presence and the beauty of the Holy Spirit at that moment became palpable, she raised her hands to the sky, welcoming the cool breeze and the calm that came with His presence. Her husband was getting baptised by the Holy Ghost, and it was the most beautiful experience she had ever witnessed as Adeyeri burst deeper into tongues, still saying words that she did not understand, but yet sounded so anointed. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit opened her ears to understand what Adeyeri was saying in tongues.

I am calling him home, but you are taking over. He is coming to rest, because he now has a replacement here. This place has been hard for him, yet he delivered my message, and gave me two of you. Now, it is up to you to save my people. You are my King.

As Tade said those words, confusion written all over her face, she wondered who was coming home to rest when Adeyeri rose from his position on the floor and pushed her behind a big tree, hiding her with his body, by standing behind her and folding her to himself. Matching towards them was a fierce looking group of men, armed with spears and arrows. One of them was holding Tadeyanju’s head up in the air for all to see. It was such a scary, gory sight that Brother Joseph ran away from the men, while Alani knelt in the middle of the road, his hands raised in the air as though he was surrendering.

“Why isn’t he trying to run away? Is he mad?” Adeyeri whispered, but Tade continued to pray in tongues. The Holy Spirit was here with them, they could not be defeated. He would cause confusion in the camp of the enemy, she thought as she prayed.

“Oh my God! Is that my father’s head?” she asked, shocked. Even if he was a murderer, seeing him dead broke her heart, especially because she didn’t get a chance to tell him about God, and the need for the salvation of his soul.

Brother Joseph kept running towards them, and Adeyeri was grateful that no one was actively pursuing him as the men were listening to what Alani was trying to tell them. Suddenly, one of them shot an arrow that landed straight into Brother Joseph’s back, and he fell, blood gushing out of his mouth. Tade screamed in shock and wanted to rush towards him, but Adeyeri put his hands over her mouth, and held her down.

“It was a deadly blow.”

“No!” Tade cried softly, the shock making her shake.

From his hiding place, Adeyeri saw that Alani was now leading the men forward, as though he was with them now.

“How come they didn’t kill him? What did he tell them? Is he trying to betray us to save himself?” Adeyeri’s heart began to beat faster.

In between sobs and hiccups, Tade said, “I think he betrayed us from the beginning.”

Adeyeri couldn’t process the reality of Alani’s betrayal just yet. “We need to escape!”

“Look around you, Adeyeri, we are surrounded. Any movement will alert them to us.”

Tade was right. Yet, to do nothing was to wait for death.

“God, we need you now. Yahweh, please do what only the most powerful God can do,” Adeyeri prayed, but Tade was too shaken by grief to join him. She kept looking at Brother Joseph’s lifeless body, wondering if that was truly the end for him, and thinking of how much more she wanted to learn from him.

Just as Alani pointed towards the tree, and the men began to run towards their direction, Adeyeri pushed Tade further into the bush, urging her to run. As they did, he saw a well ahead and without thinking, jumped into it. He would rather die from drowning than die by the arrows of his enemy. There was no way he would subject Tade to a torturous death, and that was what they would subject her to, then make him watch before they kill him too.

Closing their eyes and waiting for death, Adeyeri and Tade held on to each other, waiting for their feets to touch water, but instead, they fell on dry land. The well was not only dry, it was also not deep. 

“God is great!” Adeyeri said in relief, shocked that they could find a suitable place to hide as they heard feet running further into the bush in search of them. 

They waited long enough to be sure every single person had left before leaping out of the well, and rushing to meet Brother Joseph. Tade screamed his name, tears flowing freely from her eyes, but Adeyeri simply carried him to the opposite side of the bush.

“We need to bury him properly. He deserves better than being eaten by wild animals.” 

Tade nodded, wiping the tears that refused to stop. “It was a good thing you sent Banji away. He could have died too. I wish Brother Joseph had listened to you. He could have been saved,” she lamented as Adeyeri used his sword to dig a hole where he put Brother Joseph’s body. “I wish I got a chance to say goodbye. He has sacrificed so much, leaving his people and coming here to preach the good news. I feel so bad. He deserved a better death.”

“I know he meant a lot to you,” Adeyeri said after he was done with the burial. He pulled Tade into his arms to console her, “but I am sure he meant more to God. You told me that this earth is a temporary place, and when a believer dies, he lives on because even after the body perishes, the soul has gained eternal life.” 

A shocked Tade raised her tear-stained face from his chest to look him in the eye. “Adeyeri, you surprise me with the way you have really become transformed.” 

“It is not me, it is Him. We need to continue our journey before they come back. This is the best time to lose them.”

Tade nodded in understanding, and as Adeyeri clasped her hands and pulled her away from Brother Joseph’s grave site, the reality of what she translated from Adeyeri’s tongues earlier hit her like a brick.

I am calling him home, but you are taking over. He is coming to rest because he now has a replacement here. This place has been hard for him, yet he delivered my message, and gave me two of you. Now, it is up to you to save my people. You are my King.

Three Days Later

Adeloye had gone mad, and Shade found that she could no longer stand him. Being with him was a chance for her to be secure and never want for anything again, but she soon realised that he was not normal. Adeloye did not only order Tadeyanju’s head cut off, his body was nailed on the tree in front of the palace as a sign to everyone passing by that to offend him was to die a shameful death. Seeing Tadeyanju ridiculed like that had been too much for her, and so she could never go back to the palace again, but to stay in Iludoyin and avoid Adeloye was impossible. It was time to move on and move out. She had to find another village that needed a palm wine seller; a place where she could start over with her son. Today was a good day to go because all the villagers were rushing off to the village square to answer the summons of the Chiefs to fight for Adeyeri’s throne. No one would notice that she was gone.

To show her solidarity for Tadeyanju and make it easy for those who wanted to fight for his son-in-law, Shade had gifted a poisoned drum of palm wine to Adeloye and his men, who had a feast tonight. It wouldn’t kill them, but it would weaken them for several days. Killing so many people seared her conscience, but they would be dead by the sword of others soon if the Chiefs knew what they were doing. The sound of footsteps alerted her to danger.

“Maami, some people are coming!” Dele said, and she quickly made a sign to hush him as they quickly stood behind a tree, hoping that the people would pass. It was probably those coming to join the gathering army at the village square, she thought, but was in for a surprise. A tired looking Tade was walking behind Adeyeri, and they walked like they were on a mission.

“Are they mad? They can’t be here!” she whispered, the sight of Tade overwhelming her with fear.

Tadeyanju’s child.

It would have been easier to let them keep going, but she couldn’t. Even if the villagers won the war, the possibility of either of them dying was high. They needed to be alive for today’s win to make sense.

“Is that not Aunty Tade?” Dele said, and Shade put her hands over his mouth, but it was too late because Adeyeri’s eyes darted to the forest.

Shade sighed. There was no point hiding anymore. The least she could do for Tade was alert them of what was going on in the village so that they could decide on what to do to take their chances.

There was a time when only men went to war, but not today. Every single citizen of Iludoyin that was strong enough to hold a cutlass came out to fight for Iludoyin, and Adeyeri’s throne. 

Iyalode had sent a secret message through the village town crier that all able bodied men from every household, who were in support of Adeyeri, should come out to join their allies to remove his enemies. She had expected a decent turn-out, but the whole village had shown up. Those who could not fight had brought food and water for the soldiers and were spreading good cheer.

Osi looked around him and was astonished at the number of people who came out to fight. Iyalode had been right, and he felt ashamed that the strategy that could deliver them came from the wisdom of a woman.  It had not taken as long as they thought to convince the Kings of the neighbouring villages to support Iludoyin and help them chase out Adeloye. They had all agreed that leaving him to reign on the throne of Iludoyin was not only bad for its villagers, but the neighbouring villages as well. They could not guarantee their safety where Adeloye was concerned. He could wake up tomorrow to wage war, and he would win because he had his own army of assassins who didn’t fight with mercy, but were trained to kill. The good thing was that those assassins, or at least the best of them, were now on their way to go and kill Adeyeri, and were not available to protect Adeloye, so they all gathered at the village square, ready to march to the palace for Adeyeri, and for Iludoyin. What they did not expect was for Adeyeri himself to show up, but he did, beaming with excitement at the size of the large army that had gathered for him.

Adeyeri had begged Tade to stay back with her Aunty. She was so tired, he had wanted to camp outside Iludoyin just so that she could rest before they entered the village, but she had refused. He had also wanted to pray about how God wanted him to take back the Kingdom, because at that point, he still did not know. He was simply following His lead, and hoping for more revelations as he went along. Tade had been stubborn about staying behind, but her Aunty Shade had taken one look at her and knew what Adeyeri knew too. If she followed him to the battle, she wouldn’t make it out alive. Her feet were shaking, she could barely remain standing.

“I have a secret hut in Ajiu. You should go there with your Aunty,” Adeyeri pleaded.

“My Aunty seems to be running away, let her go her way. I will be fine by your side,” Tade said, not sure she could trust Shade.

“When all this is over, I want you by my side. This is why you must go away now and be safe. Remember your condition.”

“You are pregnant?” Shade asked, already knowing it was true from the look in Adeyeri’s eyes. “Please, let me help you. It’s the least I can do to pay you back for my selfishness,” she pleaded, and it worked. 

With Tade safely hiding with Shade, Adeyeri picked up pace to join the army she’d said was about to go to battle for his throne, and as soon as they saw him, the whole crowd of hundreds of men and women bowed low, shouting, ‘Kabiyesi’, while Iyalode and Osi rushed to his side to pat him on the back and hug him.

“I knew you would come back for us,” Iyalode said, tears filling her eyes, and Adeyeri hugged her tight. What she had done for him by raising this army was the greatest thing anyone had ever done for him in his whole life.

When Shade had mentioned that this was happening, and that Iyalode spearheaded it, Adeyeri had been shocked. It was almost unbelievable, but then he remembered the words of God to him in the bush.

I am. 

I am your strategy!

Leaving Iyalode behind, Adeyeri stood on a big stone, and chanted cries of war!

“For Iludoyin!”

When Wuraola saw the crowd outside the palace, she knew that the end had come, and there was no way she could escape this. Adeloye had failed her! She had chosen the wrong son. Blinded with tears, she picked up a dagger and walked into the palace where Adeloye and his remaining men lay on the floor, drunk and almost lifeless.

“What are you doing here, woman?” he asked, his words slurred. 

“You are my punishment for every single evil I have ever committed,” Wuraola stated, tears flowing freely from her eyes. “You should have died in the evil forest,” she said, as she approached Adeloye, who was seated on the throne.

“One more step towards me with that dagger and I will crush you with a spear,” he said, then faced the direction of the window as war chants grew louder. “Who are those people outside?” 

Wuraola moved closer to him. “They are coming to destroy you! To take the throne back because you do not deserve it” 

For a brief moment, she saw stars, reeling from the sting of Adeloye’s palm on her face. The stupid bastard had slapped her, and she’d had enough of his disdain and disregard. Even though she had only toyed with the idea of using the dagger on him, she drove it into his chest now, blinded with rage. “You are a bastard son of no one. King Adeyanju could never have birthed a useless person like you, and I curse the day I met your father. Now, go and meet him too.”

Adeloye tried to utter a few words, surprise evident in his face, but Wuraola simply drove in the dagger deeper till he choked on his last breath. Done, she stood by the throne and waited for Adeyeri and his men to break into the palace. They looked shocked and surprised to see Adeloye dead on the throne, and his men weak on the floor.

“You won before you came. The throne is yours,” Wuraola said as she rested her eyes on Adeyeri, wishing she had chosen to be a better mother to him. The men who came with Adeyeri began to take prisoners of the weakened men around them, while Wuraola stared sadly at Adeyeri. “I chose the wrong son, and you deserved a better mother, but I took her from you. I am sorry for everything.” As Adeyeri approached her, she stabbed herself with the dagger she had killed her son with. 

“Mother!” Adeyeri screamed and rushed to catch her in his arms. “I forgive you.” he cried, and a tear escaped her eyes before she closed it, and breathed her last.

Chants of victory were echoing from left to right, and screams of ‘Kabiyesi’ as well as royal songs were bursting forth, but Adeyeri couldn’t revel in the victory. Not yet. It still felt surreal. He had not shed a single drop of blood because the battle had been over even before it began. He knew that the room was soon going to get busy, and he would need to address the people, but first he needed time alone to catch his breath, and process what just happened. He found his way to his room, expecting that it would have become a storage room of some sort, or assigned to one of Adeloye’s trusted men. He was wrong. The room was the same. No one had inhabited it, it was only dusty.

“Thank you Lord,” Adeyeri said as he prayed on his knees, grateful for what the Lord had done. “Jesus, this was all you and none of me. I am so grateful.”  A knock from the window alerted him to rise up. “Who could be trying to come in from the back?” he asked himself then opened the window to see his favourite window guest, Tade. Without thinking twice, he jumped out of the window to meet her, and she rushed into his arms. “What are you doing here? Where is your Aunty?” he asked, cradling her face.

“Do you honestly believe that I would let you go to battle alone after all we have been through together?’ she asked, smiling at him.

Adeyeri smiled too, but he quickly scanned the area to be sure that no evil person was lurking in a corner to wreak havoc. “You are carrying our baby! We can’t take any risks. I want you safe. Where is your Aunty?”

Tade smiled, hugging him tighter.

“You worry too much. Look around you, the battle is over. This is a time of celebration, and I will rather be by your side instead of hiding in the bush.”

“My Queen!” Adeyeri said, then planted a soft kiss on her lips.

Yahweh had come through for them.

I am.

I am your strategy!

Special Note: Thank you for reading all 26 episodes of Abobaku: To Die With The King. Please look forward to our mails, as we discuss salient lessons from Abobaku.

Today is a good day to drop a comment and review about the story. We can’t wait to read from you too.

Abobaku, Will Return! Watch Out for – To Live With The King