SON OF MAN: Baba Agba Final Part 3 – Tosin Ezekiel
I thought I spent just a day in the forbidden forest, I was wrong, you will know soon.
As I stood away from my compound, the town crier rang his bell, I heard him say, “Ko, Ko, kokoko…Kere ooooo.”
Everyone was instructed to report to the shrine before the sun rose because there would be a sacrifice to purify the land.
I knew it was a lie, there was nothing like cleansing the land, they must have caught either three virgins or three pregnant women to use for a ritual to appease the gods.
If I didn’t tell you this, you wouldn’t believe some of these practices still exist. They call them different names but it is all bloodshed and wickedness.
I ran towards my compound; the first person who saw me shouted and fled because she thought I was a ghost; the entire compound fell into commotion and all the dogs started barking.
The last time they saw me, I was given an empty calabash and asked to bring water from the shrine, but instead, I threw away the calabash and fled. But I missed the way and wandered into the forbidden forest.
Nobody had entered the forest and returned before. They had seen the broken calabash on the way to the forests they concluded I was gone forever.
One of my uncles came out, bent down and pull up a handful of sand, threw it on me. I remained standing. When they saw that I was still human, they changed their mind and said I didn’t enter the forest and that it was the gods that put spell on me to return home so I could be used for sacrifice.
When my mother heard my voice, she shouted my name, “Akin, Akin! Otipami” (You have killed me), why did you come back?”
Some of the uncles heard what she said, especially, Uncle Ogunbo. Uncle Ogunbo told everybody and they arrested my mother.
Uncle Ogunbo, according to people, Uncle Ogunbo was above 100 years but he looked like he was 60. There was a rumour that he used to eat placentas.
Uncle Ogunbo accused my mother of betraying the family trust and promise to use her for cleansing the land too. They arrested me and my mother and pushed us to the room.
Two young ladies screamed in terror as we entered the room, and a pregnant woman moaned in agony.
That’s when I realized I’d been gone three days. They were able to catch two virgin ladies and a pregnant woman after they didn’t see me. All of the virgins and the pregnant woman were strangers. The pregnant woman wasn’t even from our tribe.
Our hands and legs were tied like animals, they tied my mother too, they tied me, the two young ladies and the pregnant woman.
After about an hour, we could sounds of ancient drums, then they came and took us out. The whole village was outside dancing that they have caught those to be used for cleansing. They danced all the way to the shrine while they dragged us.
The shrine was a large tree with a large pot beneath it; this was the pot from which I was supposed to fetch water. The shrine and the forbidden forest were separated by a red cloth.
They made us kneel and asked everyone to extend their hands to us and ask what they want from the gods.
Then they asked everyone to say their final words, and no one spoke except for me.
I spoke, “All thees are lies, they are lies, I said in tears. A few days ago while I was given the last calabash, I threw it away and ran, unfortunately, I entered the forbidden forest.”
The crowd roared while some laughed, a laughter of unbelieve.
“Yes, I was there for days and I saw different thing, I saw our ancestors including my father, your former Baba agba. They wanted to kill me but I called on the Son Of Man. Son of Man delivered me. If he did that day, he would do it today.”
Some of the elders there laughed hysterically, “Who is the Son of Man before Baba agba?”
The crowd yelled.
Soon, they took us behind the red veil. I thought we would be sent to the forest, but suddenly I saw a man with a long sword, there were two men behind him carrying pots in their hands. There was fire in each of the pots.
The man had veil on his face, but I could recognise him, he was my uncle, uncle Ogunbo.
People were dancing on other side thinking they would merely send us to the forest, but we were face to face with a man ready to pierce us.
We were four: myself, my mum, two ladies and the pregnant woman.
The man with the sword, or let me called him is name, uncle Ogunbo. He raised it up, we all screamed. He laughed.
The pregnant woman went into premature labour immediately. The labour was so fast that the baby was born within some minutes.
While the baby was in the pool of blood, the woman was still in pain. Then there was another baby. She had twins.
We all watched it, we could do nothing but cried. Uncle Ogunbo had no compassion, he was still ready to pierce the woman.
I thought of calling the Son Of Man, but I felt it was too late. Before i know it, uncle Ogunbo had raised one of the babies up, he pierced him. Blood splashed all of my face, we tried to cry but our mouths have been tied.
I saw him lick his lips, then he licked part of his sword and breathed in like he was satisfied. He raised the second baby up, when I saw it, I said within me,”I know it’s too late to call you, I am sorry, I could have called you before, if you can do anything, please help, Son of Man! Son of man!”
Then we heard a humming sound, we all looked up including uncle Ogunbo.
A swarm of bees came from the left side and bombarded us, the funniest thing was that they didn’t sting anybody but they were so many that uncle Ogunbo was busy using his hands chasing them.
After some minutes, the bees went away. I was surprised when Uncle Ogunbo picked the sword again, he wanted to pierce the second baby.
I said in my heart, “Oh Son of Man, I thought you were real.”
Then from the other side, we heard everybody running, I thought it was the swarm of bees chasing them,but uncle Ogunbo didn’t bother, he held the second baby up still and raised his sword.
Then I heard in English,”Stop!”
I was surprised, nobody could speak English in my village. Hearing “stop”surprised me.
“Stop right there,” the voice boomed again. Then I heard the adjustment of gun.
We were all scared but uncle didn’t drop the baby. Then we saw them, there were about ten mobile policemen, they surrounded us. Uncle still didn’t drop the sword, but he dropped the baby, the baby cried in pain.
He started hitting his left leg on the floor. He wanted to vanish, but somehow it didn’t work. One of the policemen shot his left leg then they grabbed him.
What came to mind was who called on the police? How did they get to our town?
Our our town was not motorable, you had to trek from the another town where the road stopped. One of the policemen spoke, “The whole world lies in wickedness. “
The police set everybody free, some of my uncles were arrested. But the mystery I didn’t understand till today was, if those men were policemen, they could have taken them to the police station in town, but they bound them and sent them to the forest.
About four of them. We didn’t see the uncles again and we didn’t know the way the policemen went.
We returned home with my mother while the local .idwives took care of the pregnant woman.
I felt sorry for the dead baby.
Towards the evening, we gathered to bury the stinking corpse of my late father. After we lowered the body to the grave, I told them my story. I told them my experience in the forbidden forest and how I met the Son of Man. I felt sorry that I didn’t called the Son of Man on time, but when I finally did, He answered.
They all wanted to see the Son of Man. I told them He was always there for them if they called. I told them to call him. I saw some of them crying while they call the son of man.
I returned to school after some day. I thought I had missed the exam but I was told the school went on a national strike the next day I left.
That was the end of Baba agba in my family. We called the Son Of Man, ‘Baba Agba to’ju awon baba agba lo’. meaning the Great Father that is more than many great fathers.
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What name will you call the Son Of Man?
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