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Dust, mint;
sweat, they breath.
Relishing
the respite the cold breeze served.
Bodies
moving, loosened hair swaying, to the drums.
The
trees dancing to the whistle of the wind
while
the sky sniggers.
The
children laughing as the sky leaked,
depicting
its imminent labour.
Men and
women tittering at jokes and riddles.
The
aroma of ole overwhelming all.
The
raconteurs enjoin the children to welcome
the Full
moon's presence.
Chattering;
gossiping, envelope the atmosphere.
Suddenly,
the sky robes itself in red,
With
traces of green peering through.
Horses'
cacophonous whines puncturing the inflated excitement.
"Ogun
de,Ogun de"* was the frightful chant that engulfed
the
choking air and at the repulsive music of the guns,
"gboh,gboh"**
people drop dead.
Pandemonium!
"A
wa gba esan" was the chorus of these invaders.***
Women
frightened, breasts flapping,
Children
scampering and crying,
lost in
the dilemma of choicelessness,
Men
feigned bravery in the face of terror.
Wrappers
discarded, bodies desecrated.
Skins
ripped kindling the insatiable thirst
of the
steaming earth.
Deeds of
Instruments of Ogun.****
"Sugbon
igba yi laro, ti arugbo sunkun oge".#
Innocence
faced the purge as the sky wailed red
matter,
with sweet salt.
"Ko
si ona mo" surrenders the living ones. ##
"Everyone
has to pay" says Okunade the
handsome warrior,
Smiling
after sending innocent ones on exile to Olodumare.###.
Surviving
heads lifted off their bodies,
Houses,
trading beauty with fire for ashes, in compulsion.
The
earth vague in lamentation, spewing fire
as thuds
of footsteps marched out, evacuating In plunder.
Deserted,
the land, of life and light.
The
breeze oozed oxide,
Choking,
strangling, murderous,
as the
birds held a concert with chirps of
adversity
and tragedy.
Okunade’s
wife the cause.
THE END.
Glossary
Abamo –
Had we known
Okunade –
A Yoruba name
*_war
has come²
**_
gunshots
***_ We
have come to revenge
****_ A
Yoruba god.
#-- It
is too late
##-- No
way out
###---
The Almighty God
Asifat
Faizat Oladunni hails from Iwo town in Osun state. She takes delight in hanging
out, singing, reading and also found love in writing. She’s currently in her
first year studying Theatre Arts in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
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