Love is an unexplainable feeling. Even though what people are saying is true, love will blind your eyes from seeing and even if you've seen it, love won't make you believe it.
I was once a king, a king of the Oyo empire and a powerful warrior. I ruled with power and served justice to my people. I loved the Bata drums and I played it every time. The gods were pleased by my rhythms and they blessed me with supernatural powers, abilities beyond human reach.
I continued playing the drums until one day, I summoned the Thunderstone, my true power. With these powers, I expanded my territory and defeated numerous enemies. I became invincible. Then I found love, I found it in Oya, my wife. It was a blissful marriage, Oyo now had a queen.
My enemies still didn't stop. They started causing trouble around. The news then was about my pride and arrogance. Even my own subordinates and deputies talked and gossiped about me. I was warned by several people – prophets, men, my enemies. The saying "Pride comes before a fall" became a ringtone to me. Just because I said I was invincible, and I am invincible.
The day came, my lovely wife told me that my deputies were planning against me. I was enraged. The people I trusted now wanted to betray me. I couldn't let that happen. I called for them, the two innocents. I stormed up to them with my axe and I destroyed them. As I destroyed them, my rage increased. The anger burned inside me. I felt it surmount to the will of my powers and that was the day I fell.
Afterwards, I became an Orisha, a deity, a god. And now, in this form, even my enemies still seek my downfall. They still lurk around. For this reason, I need someone to delegate my powers to. I need an Ómó of my own.
(Thunder rumbles)
I am Sango, the god of thunder and storms. And I am invincible.
– × – × – × – × –
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Haa!!" Loud laughter of some young boys could be heard at the front of a house in a compound. The six boys were right at the front of the house with some of them sitting on the twin flight of stairs at the front of it. Three amongst them were drinking from plastic cups and from the Heineken bottle with one of them. One could tell that they were drinking alcohol. The remaining three boys had no drinks on them but two amongst those three were chewing on Pringles. They had five of it on the bench opposite them, and they also sat on a bench adjacent the boys sitting on the flight of stairs.
"I dey tell Kunle say, Kunle move fast, carry the box, carry the box! He just stand dey fidget like who AC too blow."
"Haaa! Hahhaa!" More laughter engulfed the boys. Kunle, who was the boy seated on the bench chewing Pringles, frowned at their mockery.
"At least dem no catch me," he uttered in defence.
"Dem catch anybody before?" Another boy who was drinking from the plastic cup replied him, and it brought out more laughter from the boys around.
The last boy who had nothing with him—no Pringles or drink—was moved out of the bench because of laughter. The jokes they had been cracking since that morning were just too much, and they were always bombarding Kunle only. He was the stooge amongst them.
After the laughter had died down a bit, a boy in between the two boys who were on the stairs said, "But, Obafemi was also very good o."
"I swear, he just too sabi," the boy beside him agreed, and so did the others. The boy who left his seat because of laughter blushed.
"You just always have the right plans, you give us the right day and you know exactly how we can enter and come out of anywhere we target."
The one on the stairs added to his statement.
"Na talent, na talent," Obafemi replied.
"I swear!!!"
"Talent!!!"
The boys uttered loudly at almost the same time. Laughter engulfed them again.
"Guys, I wan dey go now o. My mama go don dey worry," Obafemi said.
"Okay na. Shebi your share dey, okay?" The boy drinking from the plastic cup asked.
"Sure as usual na, boss," Obafemi replied.
"Okay, but wait first. Afa with that other package na?"
"Which one, na boss?"
"The blacksmith guy, na, the Silver ehn… wetin dem dey call am sef."
"Axe?" Obafemi aided him.
"Eh – ehn, the axe. You know say the guy wey dey do the art works for there no dey gree dey sell that one o?"
"Shebi e dey always dey there?" The other boys said in agreement. Obafemi still wasn't sure. He didn't still understand why Odun (their boss) and the other boys are so interested in the axe.
"I don't still see the need of the axe. I mean who go wan buy that kind thing at this present age?"
"Na silver we dey talk about for here o!" Odun emphasized.
"Abi?" the boy beside Odun agreed.
"How sure are you people sef that it is even silver? Maybe the axe is just there for show," Obafemi argued.
"Mtcheew, see this small pikin. How sure are you people sef that it is even silver? We no get eye? We no dey see? How we no go know?" Odun fired back at him.
"There was even a time when one rich man come there come buy the axe, the blacksmith no gree! This one na wetin I see no be say person tell me," Kunle defended.
Obafemi scoffed. There was no need arguing anymore; he just gave in.
"I even studied the plate number on the car he drove. I traced him to his house so if we can sell the axe to him, he go buy am!" Kunle added.
All eyes now turned to Obafemi in anticipation for his reply.
"Fine, I'm in. You guys should just call me and give me the details." Obafemi said and walked out of the compound. He had already planned the whole thing before because they had gone there a few times to check it, so, this one should be easy.
– × – × – × – × –
Indistinct chatters of people could be heard, some of which were sellers and others just people having conversations.
Bip! Obatemi's phone beeped as he was walking on the side of the road. He took the phone out of his pocket and checked.
A message from "Lil' bro":
"Where are you? Mum is worried sick and she's getting angry."
"Hfff," Obafemi sighed and looked at the time: 5:15 p.m.
"Hfff," he sighed again and turned the screen of the phone off and put it back into his pocket.
– × – × – × – × –
He got to his compound, a red-painted four-storey building. His house was the one on the third floor.
"Where have you been?!" His mother's scream rattled in his ears, the worst thing he hated—shouting. He had just opened the door and the "Welcome" was an annoying scream.
"Where have you been?! Am I not asking you a question?!"
"I went out," he replied calmly, with a not again expression on his face. He walked to behind the couch which was opposite the door. His mother was still at the door.
"Since morning?! Obafemi, I'm talking to you?"
He sighed and stopped, then turned to face his mother with his head bowed down. His brother just walked into the living room.
"You left this house since morning without telling anybody and you are just coming back at 5:30 p.m. to six, Obafemi! To six!"
Obatemi bit his lip; her shout was overwhelming.
"You did not even care to think about your sick brother!" She pointed at Oluremi, who was behind him.
'Sick?'
He said in his thoughts and turned to look at him. He looked really healthy. 'Wasn't he the same person that texted me a while ago?' He turned back to his mother.
"I know about that. I even bought some drugs for him yester–"
"Shut up!" His mother interrupted him. "You still have the mouth to talk. How would he learn from you? What example are you teaching him, ehn?! You will leave this house almost every day for hours and come back in the evening. See, let me tell you now, if I am called upon say 'Mama Oluremi, your pikin dem catch am, he go thief or dem wan burn am or this and that,' I will be the one to bring the kerosene that they will use to burn you! Bet me. Just let it happen first then you will see me, you will see me!"
She concluded and hastily walked to her room.
"Hfff! Omo, na wa o," Obafemi said and walked to his room, leaving the sad-faced Oluremi in the living room.
– × – × – × – × –
Obafemi looked down from the balcony of the house. He blushed as he saw her—the girl he has been crushing on from a distance. She usually passed his street between 5:10 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., and every day, Obafemi never missed her show; he was always there and at the right time.
"You still don't know her name yet, right?" Oluremi startled him.
"What are you doing here? And who are you talking about?" Obafemi set up a defence immediately.
"Ah ah, egbon (big brother), I'm not stupid o. You think I don't know that you like watching her every day? I know these things na. I'm not a baby, it seems you've forgotten that."
Obafemi smiled and slapped his head. "Idiot" he said playfully. They both laughed and rested with their arms on the balcony.
"So what's her name?" Obafemi asked Oluremi.
"Well, according to what I know, she isn't known by anyone from around here."
"You went around asking?"
"No o! I just listened from a distance. She helped a woman who was hawking oranges to pick up her oranges when they were knocked down by some boys, and the woman, in gratitude, asked for her name and she said…" He smiled at Obafemi teasingly, making him curious and anxious.
"She said what?" Obafemi asked anxiously. Oluremi's plan was working.
"She said 'Morewa'."
" 'Morewa.' Wow, that's a nice name," Obatemi said as he looked to the sky and blushed.
"Ehn! It's a nice name. Don't start dreaming about her o."
Obafemi looked at him and laughed.
"Remi!" Their mother called out.
"Ma!" Oluremi answered.
"Come and help me in the kitchen!"
Oluremi rushed out immediately.
Obafemi was still thinking of her when
Ring!
He was disturbed by his ringtone. He answered the call.
Odun: Afa na?
Obafemi: I dey, boss.
Odun: We dey go the blacksmith place this night, 10 o'clock. Don't be late.
Obafemi: Okay, I will be there.
Odun went off the phone.
Now, it was time for another robbery. This morning, the items they stole from their last target, a supermarket, was what he went out for. He didn't bring it back home for "Mummy reasons." And now, it is a bigger job—the Silver Axe.