My husband was taken to a herbalist in Egi-Oyo Ipo, a very
small hamlet in Kwara state. The herbalist made some incantations, gave him
some concoctions to drink and for the first time his eyes came down. The smiles
on our faces were aborted when the herbalist came to announce to us “I see
death on his forehead”. We can only remove this death if only he can confess
the secret in his belly. Secret? I shouted.
Kassim why have you hid the secret for this long even to the
point of death? The same secret baba pastor wanted you to confess that you
refused. Now that you are face to face with death, will you speak up and save
your life or keep your secret and die? Even at this Kassim, was not willing to
say anything.
His dad was the first to break the silence. He pleaded with
the herbalist to let him talk on behalf of his son. Fifteen years ago, Kassim
was caught raping his mother while I was away at the farm. He was arrested by
the youth of our village and taken to Kabiyesi. The Ifa priest was invited to
seek the face of the gods and to pronounce judgement on him. We were asked to
bring two live cows, twenty one black fowls, seven kegs of palm wine and some
monies for sacrifice.
We did everything we were asked to do and he was banished
from the village for three years. My body went cold on hearing all Kassim’s
father had said. So my husband had done this terrible abomination without
telling me? No wonder my womb could not conceive even for one day after I
married him. I wept as if my eye balls will fall off from its socket. The
herbalist checked through his calabash again, “The death sentence is still
hanging”, he said.
There are still many atrocities he is yet to confess. He has
just seven days to confess or he will join his ancestors in the land beyond,
the herbalist warned. I grabbed Kassim and shook him hard, why do you want to
die untimely? Look at death starring at you, yet you are still hiding secrets,
please confess and set yourself free. There is nothing that will be more
shocking than what daddy had already confessed on your behalf. I went on my
kneels begging my husband to say something but he was adamant. How can a man be
this hardened even at the face of death? I didn’t know this is the type of man
I married, my thoughts were almost louder than words.
Three days has passed but my husband refused to confess and
his condition got worsen by the day.Death was all written all over him but he
was indifferent. On the fifth day his hands and legs stopped moving. His
condition graduated to partial stroke. Toyin wasn’t happy with me because of my
romance with the diabolical arena because of my unyielding husband. Sincerely,
I had forgotten I was a born again Christian until Toyin began to ask me if I
followed them to the herbalist. But what could I have done? To sit back while
they carry my husband to places I don’t know? I knew I had compromised my faith
but there wasn’t any option left for me. We wouldn’t have been here if Kassim
had confessed to baba.
More shocking revelations to come…..
