GODLINGS : ASCENSION (African Lore Book 1)

CHAPTER 2

AFRICA,
WESTERN HEMISPHERE,
NIGERIA,
LAGOS CITY...

The boy in a slim shirt and Jean trousers wove his way through the streets of yaba, his bag on one hand and Android phone in the other. Entering the gates to the University of Lagos, headphones plugged in as he passed the faculty of education.

At 20, Ade had just gotten to three hundred level, a year remaining for him to finish. Studying arts and crafts at the prestigious University. He moved faster to the DLI part of the school, joining the line of youths that aligned there, boarding buses that was going to the National museum for the arts expo. A soft hand on his shoulder got his attention, turning to see a girl of his same complexion, straight, dark hair that dragged down to her waist, two tiny tribal marks on her cheeks, and a very charming smile. He grinned back at her,

"hi Bola, it's been long" he said,

"one can say the same to you also ade" she replied hugging him,

The two of them had been friends from 100 level, the last of their trio Being danjuma, a true born and bred Hausa boy who was currently away at home due to a flu that was easily contained at the school.

They separated as he stared at her, from the time he met her, he knew there was something strange about her, the way she always knew where he was, her addiction to the pool the sport students used for training and relaxation, her always cool behavior, but when she got angry, it was like a tidal wave. They got shuffled into the bus, the sounds and voices of the others floating as most boys held their girlfriends along for the ride, he removed his headphones as Mrs Toke Ariyibi entered the bus, her glasses at the rim of her nose. The whole bus became quiet, she cleared her throat, smiling in quiet satisfaction.

"as you know" she started,

"we are going to the halls of notable personalities of the lost era's, the statues of people like oya, the supposed wife of the thunder god sango" she continued,

"it's true" Bola murmured,

"ehn?," Ade asked,

"what she said, it's true, about oya been the bride of sango, unfortunately" she replied ad thunder boomed in the horizon,

Ade laughed, his smile, a smug look on his face,

"careful Bola, you don't want to annoy him do you?" he said jokingly,

She stared at him curiously, he raised an eyebrow at her, checking his face in his phone reflection,

"what is there anything on my face?" he asked,

"where are you from again?" she asked,

"Ibadan," he replied,

Her eyes widened in a flash and returned back to normal, muttering to herself indignantly, he touched her shoulder,

"are you alright?" he asked,

She gave a convincing smile, though not to him, nodding as sighing and another clap of thunder rolled across the sky with flashes of lightning. The rest of the girls screamed, the boys laughing it off, trying to prove manly even though under they quivered in their boots from the sounds,

"i don't know why, but I'm always calm during storms" he said,

She gave him a glance, a look of pure understanding,

"it must be in your blood" she replied,

His eyes went to the necklace she wore, beads that shone in the sun,

"nice beads" he said,

. "yeah, sure you aren't jealous of it?" she replied,

He scrunched his face up as she laughed, the bus driving off towards the National museum.

96 years ago,

coast of the Benin empire,

1920....

The father entered the city, ashes covered the desolated ground, the British contingent at his back. He moved with purpose, going towards the shrine that loomed in front, kegs of gasoline with the black stewards at his back, to the men and women of the great empire, these black men that worked for the white man were known as (odale), not worthy of been buried in their father land, still the black workers never cared, if they did, what the white father was planning to do to the sacred Grove would had been stopped. He got to the shrine, a British soldier leveling his gun at the priest who stood outside of the shrine, a female to be exact, her hair braided as she wore a white top and white wrapper made of wool,

"e ma se o!, ewu wa ni be o!" she said,

Meaning don't do it, there's a side effect, but the father didn't know that, and neither did the black workers who sniggered at her decide to tell the father the meaning of the sentence. She spread her hands wide, muttering incantations as the stream at the end of the shrine began to flow faster,

"devilish magic!, witch!, kill her!" he shouted,

The sound of the gun firing was the last thing she heard as the bullet pierced through her skull, the priest did the sign of the cross, moving to the shrine when a blur passed through them. He whirled to see a small girl running away, a set of beads in her hands, the priest's eyes widened, that was what he came there for,

The beads!,

Made of an exotic material as they glittered in the sun,

"get her!, don't let her go!" he shouted,

But alas she was gone, through the thick bushes the entered the forest where mosquitoes had their Annual party. He watched her go, growling as he set the shrine of oya the goddess of fertility and rivers ablaze,

Soon, very soon, the beads would be his....

Glossary

Oya- goddess of fertility and rivers,

Odale- a traitor,

Ehn?- exclamation, same like "what?" or "excuse me?"