The Dancing Mermaid Episode 12 – Blessing-Enejo Abrahams Elleywrites
… I looked left and right, and then turned to her again.
…”What?! What did you say?!!” I questioned, my heart started to beat faster.
“Ojali, I know it’s you,” she said again and then I became so uncomfortable and started to tremble in fe@r.
“Do not hide yourself from me, I’m your mother” she added.
“Ermmm… It’s … It’s not Ojali” I said stuttering.
“I carried you in my womb for nine good months and I alone can tell if it’s you or not,” she said smiling.
I started shivering and contemplating whether to tell her the whole truth or not.
“No, it’s not necessary” I soliloquized
“Do not keep the truth away from me Ojali. Just tell me the truth, and I’ll understand” she repeated.
“Mama, I think you’re mistaking me for her. My… My name is Mona remember?” I said feigning a smile.
She shook her head.
“You are Ojali, you cannot hide yourself from me. If I’m telling a lie, take this mirror from me and look at it” she said pointing the mirror towards me.
I turned and looked away all of a sudden, and my fe@r increased.
“Look into my eyes and tell me you’re not Ojali,” she said.
“Mama… I… I must take my leave now” I stuttered.
“You want to leave me, to where?” she questioned with teary eyes.
“What happened to you? Is it that, you don’t even love me? Why are you hiding from me Ojali? This new body of yours, how and from where did you get it? Oh, you want to leave me alone to d!e childless? I’m alone here as you can see. If you go back to wherever you came from now I would be left alone here” she said while tears dropped down her cheeks.
“Take this mirror, proof to me that you’re not Ojali by looking at it”
My whole body began to tremble and then I started sweating profusely. I didn’t even know what else to do as tears made their way freely down my face. I stood there and for the first, I looked straight into her eyes.
“Mama” I called.
“I knew it. My instincts never lie. ” Mama said jumping up and then holding me in a very tight embrace.
” Tell me this last time that you’re not Ojali and I will believe you,” she said wiping a tear with the back of her hand.
“I am,” I said.
“But what happened to you, I need to know everything,” she said.
“Mama it’s a long story. ” I said amidst sobs.
” Come, let’s sit. Come tell me everything” she said pulling one of my arms.
I then sat on a stool before her.
“Mama, it all started when I was banished,” I said and then revealed everything to her.
“What?! The same Ruka?!!” She exclaimed
I nodded.
“You’re now a mermaid?” mama queried running her eyes through my body.
“Y… Yes” I said
“The gods forbid! You are not part of them and the earlier you let them know this, the better” she said with eyes popped open.
“Mama, you won’t understand. I cannot leave, it’s too late to do so” I said.
“Really? You cannot leave them? So you prefer them over me?”
“No mama, that’s not what I mean. I have made unbroken vows to them already”
“There’s no vow that can’t be broken. Get up, let us go to Achaya the spiritualist, I’m sure he knows exactly what to do when we reach” Mama let out standing on her feet immediately and retying her wrapper.
“Mama no, please. This is beyond me. The queen mermaid has been of help to me and I wouldn’t want to pay her back this way”
“Never!” mama exclaimed.
“I will never agree to that. What about me? What then happens to me” Mama questioned.
“Mama, I’m sorry. I’m … I’m already pregnant for the queen mermaid’s son” I said with my head bowed.
“What?!” mama exclaimed again this time with hands on her head.
“I’m finished! You’re pregnant for a ‘mami water?!!’ ( merman)” she exclaimed again and then started to pace around.
“Whom do I call upon? Whom do I tell?” she asked herself rhetorically and at that point my heart melted.
“Mama please calm down, try to understand me,” I said with a hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t tell me to calm down. This is all your fault. If you had told me about the wa!st bead the very day you were given, all these wouldn’t have happened.” mama r@ged in anger.
“Now Ruka is going about her activities with the wa!st bead as if nothing happened. Do you know she now goes about dancing at different occasions and gets paid handsomely? ” Mama let out and then turned to face me.
“Who would have known that Ruka could do this? To crown it all she even got married to the same Dogo? I’m so hurt Ojali. You didn’t even tell me when you witnessed and heard Dogo wishing Ocholi de@th. He just slept one night and refused to wake up. If not that Ocholi’s wife’s father is a very powerful spiritualist Dogo would have still kept his wife in his house”
“Wait!” I exclaimed raising my head.
“He is no longer with Uncle Ocholi’s wife?” I questioned.
“He hypnotized her and kept her in his house for days after Ocholi d!ed. He was going to lay with her one night in his room when the woman’s father suddenly appeared and then dis@ppeared with her”
“What?!” I exclaimed.
“A lot has happened in this village since I left”
“A whole lot. But you see that wa!st bead with Ruka, I am going to expose her to the world. I will tell the king, the elders, and all the villagers that she boosted her dance skills using magic powers” Mama thundered.
“No! Let me handle this myself, please. I know exactly what to do” I said with my gaze fixed to that of Mama.
“Allow me, please. The king’s son would be returning from the white man’s land in a few days and Ruka will go there to showcase herself being the best dancer in this village now. You want me to keep mute so she would be recognized and then rewarded after she must have danced? No way!
“Really? Never mind mama, I know exactly what to do” I said.
“Let me hear what it is you want to do. Do not keep important information to yourself henceforth. Pass it across to whoever must hear it. But this pregnancy, I’m afraid you can’t keep it” Mama said.
And then, Baba returned with hands on his back and walked slowly toward us.
“What’s going on here? What’s the argument about and why are you both standing like that and keeping such facial expressions?” he questioned and then looked at Mama.
“I hope you are not owing your new friend cos, I don’t have any money to pay for any debt and I’m sure you don’t too,” he said and then turned.
We paused and waited till he went into his room.
“Mama it’s getting late, I must go now but I will be back,” I assured.
“Ok my child, you will go. But at least wait for just an hour let me prepare your favorite meal, specially for you” she said.
“Mama I’ll be …” I was going to refuse but she cut in.
“Don’t say no”
“Ok but can you? Let me help you “
“No please, I’m strong now. You just stay here let me quickly prepare it”
I nodded.
After like an hour Mama was done and we had already eaten but something happened.
I don’t know what Mama added to my meal and I woke up past midnight…
The Dancing Mermaid Episode 13 – Blessing-Enejo Abrahams Elleywrites
…In Siraf’s hands, he was already swimming deep into the river.
My head started b@nging so hard, and then I managed to open my eyes.
“Where am I? ” I managed to say while rubbing my forehead.
“Silence, please” Siraf let out.
My eyes popped open as soon as I heard Siraf’s voice. Then I looked directly into his face to be sure I had heard right.
“Siraf, how did you find me?” I exclaimed.
“Silence I repeat, we are almost home” he said keeping a straight face.”
I turned my head and looked around me all of a sudden.
“Oh my! I hope it’s not past midnight already? What in the world happened to me? How did you find me?” I questioned still looking around.
“Shhh” Siraf snapped in.
As soon as we arrived my room he dropped me on the floor.
“What in the world happened to me? I just can’t … I can’t believe what happened. How did you even find me? Did Mama add anything to my meal? ” I questioned with my face aside trying to recall all that happened.
“I don’t want to say that I am disappointed in you. What if I hadn’t intervene? Do you know the implications of breaking any rule of this kingdom?” Siraf r@ged.
“I… I’m sorry but, it wasn’t my plan to stay out this late, I swear I don’t even know what happened to me. I would have returned earlier but my mother insisted I eat something before I leave. After having the meal I don’t even know how I managed to sleep off.”
“Just pray the Queen mermaid doesn’t find out cos, not even my plea can avert the punishment” Siraf fumed and then dashed out of my room.
“But, how could Mama do this to me? What if Siraf hadn’t come to my rescue and I was still there when it was past midnight? How would I have been able to bear the punishment that follows? I just hope that the Queen mermaid doesn’t find out” I soliloquized.
I couldn’t even close my eyes, I was lying down and thinking of what excuse to give to the Queen mermaid if she asks me why I arrived late.
As soon as it was dawn the Queen mother sent for me.
“Good day to you” I said with my head bowed as soon as I arrived her chamber.
“Good day. I sent one of the mermaids to call you last night but I was told you weren’t in your room ” she said.
Then Siraf walked in on us.
“She was in my chamber till midnight ” He said.
The Queen smiled and then shook her head. I became so nervous that I couldn’t even look up cos of the lie that Siraf had told, and my heart started to pound real hard.
“Very well then, just be very very careful” She said looking at me.
I nodded sporadically.
Later that day I was with Siraf when he brought it up again.
“Did you by any chance tell your mother who you really are? ” he questioned.
“No! I mean … Erm…not at all. ” I said with my face turned.
“I hope so” he said.
I refused to visit Mama for days. I was sc@red to so she wouldn’t end up doing even the worse now that she knows my secrets. I was relaxing very close to Siraf’s chamber one day when I suddenly started hearing faint sounds coming from above the water.
“What’s going on? ” I questioned rhetorically and then I swam from where I was to go find out what was going on.
I was still on my way when I met this mermaid swimming in from above the water.
“Hello” I said.
She paused.
“Hi. You’re new here I guess? You look so beautiful” she let out beaming with smiles.
“Oh yes, thank you so much. My name is Mona”
“I’m Lemi ” she said.
“Please, what’s going on up there? I can hear sounds of music” I asked.
“Oh, that! It’s actually coming from the village. I heard their king’s son is back from the white man’s land”
“Oh, the prince!” I exclaimed.
She nodded.
“Well, excuse me please, I have to be on my way”
“Ok then, see you some other time” I said grinning.
As soon as she left I swam hurriedly offshore and then changed form. I never bothered to tell Siraf about my mission cos he might not consent to it. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me straight to the king’s palace, stopped by the entrance and then trekked in. I started to look around for mama and saying my prayers at the same time so Mama doesn’t end up busting my bubbles. I prayed fervently so she could cooperate in case she would see me but I didn’t see anyone that looked like her.
Maidens were already standing by ready to dance, I then walked in and stood with them. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on me inmediately like one who fell directly from the sky.
But, the prince came out of the palace wearing a whitish robe and carrying a can of water in his right hand and started to sprinkle it on the ground. Everyone started to stare at him again like he was a ghost.
“Did he travel all the way to the white man’s to become a spiritualist?” one of the maidens standing behind whispered to the next person.
“I wonder. What’s up with all these? Is he trying to cleanse the land or something?” she asked.
I expected to see the prince wearing very expensive clothes and shoes with a hat on his head like most people who return from the abroad do but it was the otherwise. The only thing that was right about his looks was the pair of shoes he had on. But wearing a white robe and carrying a can of water all the way from the abroad?
I was still there thinking to myself when one of the maidens whispered to my ear.
“Good day, I’m the head of the maidens here and we do not recognise you as a member so you can not dance with us, we do not know you and you are not one of us”
I turned swiftly to see whose voice it was cos it was quite familiar, it was that of Iko my little cousin sister, late uncle Ocholi’s daughter. I looked at her and then I smiled.
“So, you may leave now” she lashed.
I didn’t want to create any scene so I obeyed. As soon as I took the fourth step the prince called on me and I looked back.
“Hey!” he exclaimed and then stood on his feet.
“Please forgive me for wasting your precious time. I know you guys would have been done dancing by now if I hadn’t say those long opening prayers.” he said
“I said it, he’s a spiritualist” I muttered to myself.
“Please, be the one to dance first before you leave if you’re in such a hurry” he said.
“What?!” the maidens exclaimed in chorus.
“But, she’s not one of us, she’s not from here” Iko screamed.
“What difference does it make? Let her dance” he said taking his seat.
I danced so beautifully, didn’t even know I could dance so well. The maidens then danced after I had danced including Ruka. She walked past me to perform hers waving at me with smiles and I waved back without smiles. I sighted my beautiful wa!st, it was sitted round her wa!st and as shiny as ever.
“You don’t know what’s coming to you Ruka” I soliloquized still staring at her.
After everyone had danced the prince called on me being the best dancer and gave me the gift of a hat, an umbrella and a silver colored round little thing with a cover that I tried opening there to see what it was but couldn’t, never knew it was a mirror.
All the maidens started to whisper in each others ears looking confused including Ruka and then I smiled.
Well, after the occasion I left there with my things and headed straight for the river. I thought of going to see Mama but from what she did last, I refused to go to her house and then I postponed the visit.
I arrived the river and then changed form into a mermaid still carrying my gifts including the silver colored round thing I never knew was a mirror so I could go show it to Siraf and tell him how beautifully I danced before the villagers.
“I’m sure he’ll be proud of me” I muttered grinning when I heard a scream all of a sudden.
“Help! I said it!! She’s a mermaid!!!” and then took to her heels.
Lo and behold, the voice was that of Iko my little cousin, she had spied on me…
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To be continued.
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