Marked ( Nigerian) #4

Chapter 36

'I am just here to send a message, Goke. It's nothing personal' Ophelia said recalling his failed marriage proposal to grandfather which Tobi had encouraged grandfather to decline. Tobi wanted her to have a choice.

'As minded as you are Goke, you don't have enough to attack Tobi that obviously'

'I was only following instructions' he replied firmly

'Exactly, we all follow instructions' she said before shooting him in the middle of his head. Ophelia tried not to dwell in the satisfaction for too long. She had always found him irritating.

Evelyn squirmed in her seat as she stared at his lifeless body.

'Evelyn' Ophelia said firmly 'The family let you live despite so much wrong Evelyn, this....' ophelia said before shaking her head slowly from side to side

'I am so sorry, I promise to never, I will leave, I will stay far away, I will...' she said defensively as her eyes filled with tears.

'Okay...Evelyn, I believe you' Ophelia said with a smile on her face before walking away towards the door. She listened to Evelyn's breathe settle slightly before stopping at the door 'but you know how we feel about loose ends'

Evelyn's eyes widened at the statement, she turned to see Ophelia pulling the trigger. The last thing Evelyn felt was resentment towards herself.

-----------------------------------------------------

The next day Remi found herself doing a lot of firsts as it started with her holding a calabash for the first time in her life.

They arrived on the island on separate helicopters.
Tobi told her he couldn't come home with her. He had led her to the car and promised to have a proper conversation with her once everything was settled.

The next day, she was flown in an helicopter to the palace where Tobi's paternal grandfather lived in.

She was led to a room and several women in white traditional clothing and a white fur cloth that hung over their shoulder wrapped her in white and handed a covered calabash to her.

A lady walked in and applied honey from another calabash all over the exposed skin of her body with a smile on her face.

She led remi out of the house as the women started to chant. Drummers started to drum as they approached them and more people joined in behind her and the chanting became louder.

The lady behind Remi told her to stop as she approached all the male kings and elders from across the country that stood or sat to the sides.

The lady uncovered the calabash and Remi looked down at the calabash filled with water and looked up at the long line of people surrounding her.

'Step into the mud and do not spill the water' she stated

Remi took a deep breathe, she lifted her left leg into the mud and it sank deeper than she thought.

The chief priest started to chant in a sing song manner and the women chorused as she walked further down the path alone. She wasn't allowed to look back.

She was able to translate some of the chants that focused on how a woman leaves her family to create one, how life blooms from within her, how she never forgets who she is and reminds her husband of who he could be, a woman who takes a step back not because she can't overpower her husband but to be humble, the queen of kings, the channel to the heart of the God and the gods.

The further she went the deeper she sank. By the time it got to her kneel, she saw him.

He stood in the water with a white wrap around his waist and white fur draped over his back and white beads armoured over his broad chest.