DIAMOND IN THE FOREST Episode 19 – 20 By Amah’s Heart

DIAMOND IN THE FOREST Episode 19

Written By Amah’s Heart

“…is either you did not mix the drink well with the powdered leaf or you did not give him enough to drink to stupor…

“I did, I gave him enough and he was really drunk before going to sleep but as for mixing…well…maybe I did not put enough quantity…I just don’t want to overdo it Nike…the quantity I mixed for him was enough to make him fall into a deep sleep to the following morning…how did he suddenly wake up…but he touched you right…he laid with you

“what are you even asking me…you are messing up with the plan…he didn’t even touch me, I tried…everything possible but he still did not…he was mumbling Remi’s name in his sleep and I got so angry and slapped his manhood and he just woke up, just like that…he was so angry and ask me to go and fetch you…I couldn’t even convince him that he laid with me because he knew that he didn’t his senses where intact Leja…so I wonder how he was able to forget touching Remi but remembers everything from last night, despite being drunk, he remembered falling asleep with his cloths on, he remembered everything Leja…you caused it…how could you not add enough portion of the mixture in his drink…now what are we going to do…because this will get serious if we can’t explain ourselves…how I got into his chamber…why he was undress and I was naked…everything…he may add it up and I seriously do not want our plans to fail…not now…never…

“Stop panicking…don’t worry I will handle it…I will try to convince him…relax…just follow behind…

When they got to the prince chamber he was all dressed up and sitting.

“Leja…what is going on…how did this maiden got into my chamber…why was she on my bed…my own bed Leja…naked and I was also half dress…just in my undies…the crazy part is when she said I sent for her and I laid with her…what in the gods name is the meaning of that…I never sent for her…why will I even send for her…and I feel certain that I did not touch her…Leja..

“please don’t be angry omooba…ejooo….after you got drunk yesterday evening, you asked me to send for Nike…you mentioned her name and I did…because I have never disobeyed you before…so I sent for her and when she came you asked me to…to leave and lock the chamber so I did…I don’t know what happened between two of you inside here until she came now sayin…

“hold on…do you mean that I…i asked you to get me a maiden…for what exactly…are you sure of what you are saying Leja…don’t make me to start doubting or suspecting you because this whole thing looks suspicious to me…I have always trusted you…don’t give me reason to think otherwise…I have no reason to send for her…she is Remi’s sister…why will I do that….i can’t even remember her name so how come I specifically mentioned her own name for you to send for her…Leja, are you very sure of what you just said….

“omooba…I’m very sure…I can’t joke or lie with such an expensive thing…please…is true.

“hmmm…this is really serious….please two of you should leave…

When Nike and Leja were out of hearing, Leja turned to Nike and said

“I told you I will convince him…he believed me…so you have nothing to worry about…

“He doesn’t look convinced anyway but he will have no choice than to believe at the end…next plan is with the Oba…the second powder that Iyami gave me, I will have to sneak into his eating room and put some in his food…that is only the way that the prince can become king and in the last two days you have laid with me… I will start counting till when I will get pregnant, we will keep doing it throughout this week and next week until I feel convince that I’m pregnant, and I will make the prince believe is his…but Oba is the next target…

“what are you talking about…Oba…a whole Oba…no…no Nike…you are only telling me about this plan now and I can’t allow that…you can’t hurt the kabiyesi of this kingdom…is never done and it won’t happen…the gods will not allow you and your plan will not hold on him because he was chosen by the gods…don’t you understand…this is going too far and I’m beginning to regret ever joining you in this…you are so evil to have gotten such ill plan…the Oba is a good king and the gods will not allow him to be hurt…don’t do that please…let’s just focus on Remi and the Prince but leave the Oba out of this…if not I will just wash my hands and legs out of this…

“hahahahaha…see who is talking…you are scared now…the heat is just getting started and you are already getting scared…you can’t back out now Leja…is too late…we are all in this together…I have enough things to nail you so if the fire will burn it will burn all of us and if the rain will fall we will all get drained together…no turning back now Leja…I told you Oba is the only hindrance for the prince to get into the throne and ones that happens…either he becomes critical ill or he dies…whichever but the prince must get to the throne in other for me to be his queen, even if he doesn’t have any feeling for me but because of the pregnancy that we will make him believe that is his…he has no choice…he wouldn’t want the kingdom to know that he lay with a maiden and got her with a child…he will do everything to cover his sins…by marrying me…

“is okay…enough…I’m out of here…I don’t care what you have to do but do not hurt the Oba…he has the ear of the gods and you may end up being hurt…I don’t know if you understand the consequences for all this your action…

“You mean “our” action…you are so into this Leja as I am… no hiding place for you…

Iya Nike saw Iya Remi coming back from the market, she has waited for so long for this, and the time has come, she quickly covered the food she put inside the plate and nodded to herself, she waited for some time for her to relax a little before she carried the plate of food to Iya Remi’s house and knocked on the door, Iya Remi came out with a smile as she saw Iya Nike smiling from ear to ear

“My senior wife…welcome back from the market…how was the market today…?

“aaah, Iya Nike…fine oo…I thank the gods as usual…the market was fine…

“the gods be praise…I brought you a little something…is food, I made it this afternoon and just want to share…please don’t say no…is a peace offering and it taste great…here…take it…

“aaah, for me…the gods will bless you, I was about entering the kitchen to cook what me and Dami will eat, I sent Dami to go and buy me ata orodo (pepper) that I forgot to buy in the market…thank you…this is really so kind of you Iya Nike…ese pupo…I’m grateful

Iya Nike handed the plate of food over to her and Iya Remi thanked her even more.
Iya Nike smile and nodded before returning to her house.

Iya Remi was so happy that Iya Nike has really changed to the extent of bringing food for her, she was happy that for sometimes now Iya Nike has being so nice and today she even surprise her, she and Dami will eat the food tonight and she will cook tomorrow when she comes back from the market and she will make sure that she returns the favor to Iya Nike. Or she will buy something tangible for her but she will make sure she return the favor in that way their friendship will wax stronger.
After changing for the night she relax to eat and that was when Dami came back with the things he was sent to go and buy.
Dami was surprise to see food and his mother was already eating and was filled with smile

“maami, why are you smiling, the food must be so delicious, you have cooked already…that was so fast…i thought you sent me to go and buy things for cooking tonight…so how come the food…

“go and wash your hand and come and join me, I will cook tomorrow, the gods sent somebody to give us this and I will return the favour tomorrow

Dami smiled and wash his hands, he sat with his mother and immediately he put the third ball of fufu in his mouth he had his mother say

“Iya Nike just surprised me…she was the one that brought the food for us…I told you that people change…now, you can see that she has truly change…I told you never to say words that are bigger than your mouth…when you were saying Iya Nike was upto something evil but it was actually something good…now see it for yourself…

Dami breathed down and threw away the remaining ball in his hand, he stood up from the food and went to wash his hand

“what happen…are you not eating again, you better come and eat because this is your night food…am not cooking this night again…I don’t know what is wrong with you children…

“maami, if you have told me on time before I start eating… that the food was from Iya Nike I wouldn’t have even bother to eat I would have run to iya’s place to eat night food and I’m going to Iya’ place now, Iya Nike is probably up to something, this her sudden change is suspicious, I saw her that night maami, and I knew she was not just trying to spark friendship with you, she must have a plan…Iya said so too…she said the fowl does not run in the night in vain…that Iya Nike is upto no good…me I’m not eating again, since Iya Nike’s food is the only food in this house and you won’t cook again because of that…I will just rush to grandma’s place and eat to my satisfaction…

“what do your grandmother know…she suspects everything and everybody, she is not here to understand that Iya Nike has really change, isn’t it what we are all praying for to be in peace in this family now Iya Nike has shown remorse and repented, she calls me her senior wife, she acknowledges me and we even talk and laugh most time…that is the kind of friendship I want…she made food and brought it for us and you don’t want to eat…go and eat at your Iya’s place but I’m not cooking anything this night again, this Iya Nike’s food is enough for two of us…you should be grateful when somebody kindly gives you something…

Dami left for his grandmother’s place, he knew his grandmother’s food taste great, he started running until he got there, he had a little stomach ach, he thought it was because of the way he ran, when Dami got there he told his grandmother that he felt like something was hurting him inside the stomach, it maybe from the way he ran, the older woman ask him to come close and looked at his eye balls, she went inside and brought (epo pupa) red oil, she mixed it with something and gave it to Dami who was already setting fire to make eba, That he was going to eat

The older woman gave the oil to Dami to drink and he just drank it up as he wait for the water on the fire to boil so that he can make the food for only himself since his grandmother said that she wasn’t hungry.

Dami noticed that his grandmother looks sad and did not talk much unlike her, he wonder what was troubling her.

The princess sent a message to the Queen mother through Remi, that she was going to visit the stream first thing in the morning of the following day, as Remi was going, she saw Nike, who did not see her looking everywhere to know if somebody was coming, Remi hide, she knew that Nike is probably upto something, she was going towards the Oba’s eating room, so Remi followed her and watched as she entered the room with speed.
Nike was in a hurry, as she uncovers the pot of food and poured the content inside and while she was doing it Remi was shock and open her eyes in terror as she watch Nike, she screamed Nike’s name, the content in Nike’s hand fell off and she stood looking at Remi.

The Oba was coming with his guards and hard the scream, he wondered who could be screaming close to his eating room.
When he got there he saw two maiden they were both standing with shock in their faces, they seem dumb founded, his pot of food was open and there was a powder substance on the ground, close to his eating table.

DIAMOND IN THE FOREST Episode 20.

“Kilo se le by..(what is going on here)

Remi and Nike knelt down in greetings to the Oba

“Kabiyesi..ooo

They both chorused in unison, they remained on their knees as the Oba quietly moved close to his eating table, he saw the powder substance scattered on his table to the floor where it lay carelessly.
He called one of the guards to pick up the substance but as the man was about picking it up he asked him not to touch it he turned to Remi and Nike who where still kneeling

“Which one of you drop this here…who have this… whoever it belongs to should come and pick it up…

Nike raised her head and looked at Remi, Remi looked up at Nike

“I asked a question… first, what are you two maidens doing in my eating room, you are not among the maiden that prepares my food or serves me…so who sent you and what is this powder thing… what is this…

Remi was still thinking of what to say, she didn’t want to implicate her sister yet she has no choice than to tell the Oba the truth, Remi wondered what Nike was putting in the Oba’s food, when she saw her sneaking into the Oba’s scared eating room like a thief she just knew that Nike has a secret agenda, “could It be that she planned to poison the Oba, a whole oba of the entire kingdom, why will she even think of doing such, how on earth Will Nike ever think of such, for what purpose, how did she even get the poison, if it happened to be poison then where did she get it from, Nike is in serious trouble, she should better think of an explanation because a sin against the Oba is a sin against the whole land, is unfortunate she has used her own hand to destroy herself and that of her mother, Nike has finally brought a mighty trouble to herself, who knows what the Oba will do to her.
Remi thought within herself as she began to pity Nike, she still has to tell Oba the truth but she wondered how to go about it

“Kabiyesi… the powder is from this maiden, I just caught her with it, she sneaked into your eating room and as I saw her I decided to follow quietly only to see her in your eating room and dropping something in your food…I was in shock which made me to scream and she quickly drop whatever that is on the floor…I guess is poison Kabiyesi… make her to taste it…ask her to eat the food… she is my step sister but she has being so dangerous from birth..

The oba and the guards cursed in shock, Remi opened her mouth in terror as Nike turned everything on her, she was still thinking of how to tell Oba that it was from Nike but Nike suddenly started speaking,, without fear or guilt,
Remi was swallowing hard, she tried to talk but the guards hush her to keep quiet, as Nike kept talking, lies flow from her mouth so freely, everyone listened attentive to her.
Remi couldn’t take it anymore she shouted, hushing Nike to be quiet

“Kabiyesi…she is lying… is a lie, she was actually the one with the content…I caught her with it and I was the one that screamed not her.. she is my step sister kabiyesi and everything she said is a lie..

A guard stuck Remi across the face to be quiet and not make noise in front of the oba, Remi held her hurting face as she looked at everything happening around in terror, but she did not keep quiet, she kept shouting that it was all lies, Nike continued to speak, the guard struck Remi again to be quiet, the Oba cautioned the guard hitting Remi not to hit her again.

The oba sent for the Queen mother to come, and messages started traveling out of the palace that a maiden tried to poison the oba
Nike and Remi where still on their knees as the Queen mother came running as the urgent message got to her

“Kabiyesi…kilo sele (king, what is happening)

They asked Nike to narrate what happened again and she did with Joy in her heart, Remi rushed towards Nike in anger, not minding the Oba and the Queen were there, she angrily slapped her hard
Nike fell down and a guard struck Remi before dragging her to kneel down again, the guard hit her on her eyes and she screamed in pain as another slap was coming towards her face Remi angrily grabbed the guards arm and threw him to the floor to everyone surprise, she did it with ease and punch the man severally who tried to get up from the ground but couldn’t
Remi was so angry, it took three guards to put her in a place
They took her with Nike to the Oba’s meeting room where
The Oba sat and the Queen mother sat beside him, the cabinet men started arriving at the Oba’s palace on hearing about a maiden wanting to poison their king
The prince and the princess came in and was surprise to see Remi kneeling in the center of the Oba’s meeting.
Leja came down and stood at a distance, he knew that Nike was the guilty one not Remi who might have caught her and she turned the table around
Leja wish he can say the truth and save Remi but he will end up implicating himself.
The princess looked at Remi she was not crying, she just looked straight at nothing, her mind was far as she knelt down in the center of the people present.
the guards where station on each side of her as if she was a criminal
The princess knew that Remi was innocent, she has being with her long enough for her to know the kind of maiden she was,
She started blaming herself for sending Remi to the Queen mother which landed her into a serious trouble.

The princess couldn’t understand how Remi got involved with such a dangerous implication, she knew that Remi is a good maiden and was not capable of such evil, Remi was not dragging anything with anyone, even after her brother, the prince denied the pregnancy that she is carrying, Remi has made it known that she can take care of her unborn child, she and her mother are capable of taking care of the baby.
Remi was not after the prince so why will she want to hurt the oba, the prince could have being her main target but Remi was not that type of maiden.

Omooba sat next to his mother as he stared at Remi, he has really loved her before untill Leja came with the news of being in a relationship with her which made him to wave off his feeling but despite that he still watch her through his chamber’s window sometime and wish she was his and the pregnancy was truly his and not for Leja her lover, despite she has denied ever having anything to do with Leja but he believed Leja because Leja can’t lie to him with such
He had felt a spark of anger when she boldly told him that he defiled her and she wasn’t afraid of the Oba or anybody “what a dangerous boldness” he has thought within himself that day.

He had tried not to ever get drunk again until he eventually failed and he woke up to Nike in his chamber, naked and Leja confirmed that he sent for her and laid with her which he doubt, something wasn’t right but he wondered since Remi couldn’t get to him with her planned pregnancy maybe she then decided to send the sister to seduce him.
But whichever way he knows that he did not touch any of the maiden, he can’t remember doing anything with Remi that night because he was drunk and wake up to a blood stain on his trouser which Remi has said came from the injury she sustained on her thigh.
He remembered Nike and everything that went on and without mixing words he can’t remember asking Leja to send for her except if the gods are messing with his mind
“Maybe Remi was really what Leja and her sister said that she was now the gods has exposed her. Which means most of the palace workers are dangerous”the prince thought within himself.

“Don’t you dare hit her again…

The princess shouted at a guard who hit Remi but Remi sheild her stomach with her hand,
the princess surprised everyone and the meeting room became quiet, the Oba spoke looking at his daughter

“She is your personal maiden…we understand that quiet alright…but she almost killed me, your father for reason that I don’t even understand… why will she plan such evil knowing well that she was going to fail… that means is only the gods that has being protecting you all this while she has being your personal maiden… the gods be praise…never you trust anyone my daughter…

“Father, she is innocent..I can bet with my life that Remi is innocent… she is not capable of such evil and please tell the guards to stop hurting her… she is pregnant and hitting her is dangerous for her condition…

The Queen, the oba and others were surprised to know that Remi was pregnant the Queen quickly asked

“The last time I saw her… she looks bigger…i suspected it, if she was pregnant why didn’t you send her out of the palace back to her house or inform me… why is there a pregnant maiden working here… why did you fail to send her out…

“Remi is a good girl I’m afraid I will never get a maiden like her and the child she is carrying is for the prince…

There was a serious noise as the prince shouted at his sister to keep quiet, he told everyone that he doesn’t have a hand in Remi’s pregnancy and he said Leja was responsible but Remi tried to make him claim what he knows nothing about just because she wanted to be his…

There was another uproar as the oba asked everyone to be quiet, he asked them to bring the content and place it right before Remi and they did.
The Oba’s cabinet men asked Remi to put the substance in her mouth and swallow it but she refuse, the guards try to force her but she strike the two of them and as more guards came the Oba ordered them to leave her alone and they quickly obeyed.

The cabinet men started throwing questions asking Remi why she tried to poison the Oba, Remi did not answer any of the questions thrown at her, since she has tried to explain severally but got slapped for trying to defend herself
Remi kept quiet and did not answer anybody even The oba and the Queen mother, she decides not to waste her strength in defending herself in the presence of people who wants her head in a platter, but rather to keep her strength for whatever fate lies ahead of her.

Dami kept on vomiting the following day, he vomited some black things that morning
he couldn’t go home immediately and he doesn’t feel like going until his grandma who couldn’t sleep through out the night asked him to go, that his mother will be needing him
The older woman mixed something and gave to Dami to rush back home and give it to his mother that morning
Dami left, but he thought his mother might have gone to the market, he stopped by the river side and had his bath before going home
The house was quiet and he thought his mother must be in the market.

Iya Nike came early the following morning to iya Remi’s house and collected her plate which she used in serving food to iya Remi, she collected the plate so that she won’t be suspected
She knew that what she added in the food will be hurting iya Remi gradually that night to the following afternoon

That afternoon will be the time it will fully take effect.
Iya Nike has thought it was iya Remi and Dami, her son that ate the good
She thought that Dami was also going to go like his mother but was surprised when she saw Dami from her window and wondered why he was looking so healthy

Dami called his mother’s name that mid afternoon but no response, he concluded that the mother was in the market
He found out that the door was half closed which means somebody was inside, he went inside with the content his grandma gave him only to see his mother’s lifeless body on the ground.

Fear of terror covered his body as he moved close to his mother and touched her
She was so cold and blood particles was on her mouth and on the ground
She vomited blood before dying
Dami scream and kept screaming non stop.

Remi was judged as different charges was placed on her head
The cabinet men with the king did not only banished her from the palace but also from the kingdom within three days.

As she was being excorted out she was allowed to pick her things and she pack her few things with the prince wrapper, that got stain which she never returned.

She was sent home to stay for two days on the third day she will be sent out of the kingdom into the forest
She will either become food for the animals or die of hunger because no one survives in the forest.

Remi knew this was the part the gods chose for her just as grandmother has said
She will use the two days to spend with her grandmother, her mother and brother

Remi did not know yet that her mother was gone.
Remi knew that whatever that is hidden will not be hidden forever, the gods has seen the injustice done to her, they will vindicate her at the very right time.

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