Ademide Chapter Four

Book Four

Ayetoro, Ogun.

Saturday, March 17, 1979

Two p.m.

‘Take that bastard child out of my house,’ Mrs. Ajisafe picked up a stick and threw it at Ademide, ‘o ti loyun (You are pregnant), ah!’ She raised her hands to her chest.

Mide was in her second year in the university and she went home for holiday. Mr. Ajisafe woke up due to the noise he heard in the sitting room and he could not comprehend what was happening. He was a hunter and he slept in the morning so that he would make it to the forest in the afternoon. He stretched his body and recited some incantations; He was ready to have another fight with his wife because she did not get his favorite fish and he was not ready to know why his wife was scolding Ademide. 

‘Woman, why are you shouting?’ He questioned

‘Eh!’ she ignored her husband.

‘Anyways, the fish you got is it from Arijigbajo market?’ he moved closer to his wife. 

‘That is not the problem right now.’ Mrs. Ajisafe hissed.

Mr. Ajisafe felt disgusted with his wife’s attitude; he could not control his emotion so he pressed his palms against her throat.

‘Woman, mind the way you talk to me, I am the man of this house.’ Mr. Ajisafe fired back at her.

‘Let me go!’ Mrs. Ajisafe cried out, ‘Leave me.’ She pulled him back firmly by grabbing the scruff at the back of his neck.

‘What is life? What is life all about? I do not know my purpose on this earth. Ever since I was born, I have never experienced true love and I have lived in pain and hurt. I need to go. What is the essence of living? I am tired of living’. Ademide thought.

Ademide’s thought was interrupted by the noise she heard from her father.

‘Mama Mide! Ah! modaran (I am in trouble).’ Mr. Ajisafe cried out.

Ademide moved closer to her parents and she saw her unconscious or maybe lifeless mother on the floor. She did not know what to think of again, she was disturbed.

‘Baami, what is happening?’ Ademide limped out of the house and screamed, ‘Ara adugbo egbami o (neighbours, help me).’ 

‘Le pa se yi (What is happening?)?’ Iya alawo asked in egba dialect.

‘Maami ti daku (My mom is unconscious).’ Mide wept.

Few neighbors ran to her house and took Mrs. Ajisafe to an herbalist. The herbalist tried his best to revive her by preparing some concoctions. Mrs. Ajisafe responded to treatment but went straight into coma. 

‘Ah! Baba Mide, this is a critical situation.’ The herbalist hummed.

‘Baba, do not give up on my wife.’ Mr. Ajisafe pleaded.

‘I will consult the oracle and plead our ancestors, come back tomorrow.’ The herbalist picked up a black bowl and some fetish ingredients. ‘You might also need to do a sacrifice but before that, buy palm oil and mix this ingredient into this bowl and eat it by 12a.m. when our mothers are out there.’ He went straight into his hut.

Mr. Ajisafe went back to his house and met his daughter praying on the bench. He opened the door and heard his daughter echo “in Jesus name”; he was confused and he looked at his both sides to see if there was anyone with them.

‘Ademide, what did you just say?’ Mr. Ajisafe looked at her.

‘I am praying for my mother.’ She replied gently.

‘When did you adopt white man’s religion? Is that what they are teaching you in your university?’ His temper rose with his voice.

‘No, I did not say anything.’ She was frightened.

‘Better be careful; do not bring evil to my house.’ He stumped his feet.

‘Baami, don’t you think we need to take maami to the hospital?’ Ademide whispered.

“‘Is that what they are teaching you in your school? To adopt the white man’s way of life’ Mr. Ajisafe paused, ‘do not bring Christianity into this house, do you remember what happened to Mr. Ajifowora?’”

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Ademide was not able to visit her mother because she vowed not to step into an herbalist home again. Mr. Ajisafe was ready to go to the herbalist’s hut and he persuaded his daughter to follow him so that they could both perform the rituals.

‘Meet me in baba’s hut.’ Mr. Ajisafe walked out of the house

‘I am in a confused situation. Jesus, if you really exist, give me a sign.’ She waited for a sign but there was no sign. ‘Dotun told me that Jesus is the light of the world and he said if I accept him, he would help me in times of trouble. But, it seems this Jesus does not exist or he is not ready to help me. Where were you when Mr. Ajifowora needed help? Baba is powerful, I have seen him perform all sort of miracles. I don’t know this Jesus, I have been praying for him to save my mother and he is yet to respond. Let me follow my dad’s tradition, I am ready to perform any ritual.’ Ademide wore her slippers and left the house