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55 THE NEGOTIATION FOR A BETTER FUTURE 2
Last Updated:
2022-07-26 19:30:10
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Rayuwa 56 THE RETURN OF BAMALI PRIEST OF THE DEITY
MALAM BAMALIThe journey back from the forbidden forest wasn't as quick as I anticipated. I was eager to return to Buchum and show my new powers. I knew my wife would be thrilled that I had succeeded. My daughter's life was going to be spared and replaced with another. Although I felt sorry for whoever the replacement maybe but, on this island, it was every man for themselves.The electricity that crackled at the tip of my fingers gave me joy. I tested my powers on my journey back, never directing my skills to harm a human. I took my time on the trip back home, practising how to summon and control my newfound abilities. I used it for hunting games and even cooking the meat. I could lift myself into the air at will and teleport between short distances.The powers were excellent, and it made me giddy. I couldn't wait to show them — especially the people on the council. The Sarki would give me the respect due to me, and I would sit on top of Rayuwa.Although I wasn't as powerful as Mai'A
Last Updated : 2022-07-26Rayuwa 57 A BEFITTING JUDGEMENT
ADAM The incident with Malam Bamali was quite a shock. After he was taken to the dungeon, I could not help but wonder how cruel his intentions were. His demand for the annulment of my engagement was shocking. Wasn't his daughter one of the selected maidens for the sacrifice? Lucky for him, she might be spared due to our new agreement with the deity. Binta's recovery was excellent. Her wounds were healing well. I was so glad because I had almost lost her. The strength she displayed on the day of the negotiation made me proud. I had chosen wisely. I knew she would be a great queen. "How are you feeling today?" I asked Binta. I noticed she moved with ease. "Excellent." She replied with a big grin. Binta rarely grinned, so I knew she was up to something. "How is the wedding plan going?" I asked her, then sat on the couch in her bedroom. I motioned her to come sit on my lap, but she refused. Instead, she sat on the foot of her bed and faced me. "My Grand Uncle is putting things toget
Last Updated : 2022-07-26Rayuwa 58 TRADITION AND PRACTICE
ADAM The wedding preparation was quite hectic. My siblings had arrived from Duniya to help with the preparations. My mother, that had vowed never to step foot on the island, came. I was quite surprised to see her. She wasn't happy with my decision to marry from the island, but when she met Binta, her attitude towards the wedding changed. Binta had always surprised me with the way she was able to quickly charm people. My sister Maryam was the only exception as she was a great supporter of Laila. She felt Binta wasn't polished enough to be a member of our family. What surprised me the most was even after I had told Maryam what Laila did, she still supported her. She defended her actions by pointing out the fact that she was human. Maryam claimed that because Laila was sorry and was willing to make things work, I should have given her a chance instead of neglecting her for a village girl. Maryam's remarks about Binta annoyed me, but I chose not to react to them. It wasn't like her opini
Last Updated : 2022-07-26Rayuwa 59 KEEPING PROMISES
ADAM A day before my wedding, the President of Lafiya, along with his entourage of ministers, arrived at our palace. Among the Ministers was Laila's father. Seeing him, I believed his daughter and niece did not tell him what they had done and what my father had decreed. I saw my father's facial expression change from surprise to anger when he saw Minister Audu Ali. "Your Majesty." The President began in a squatting position, and all the ministers copied him, both men and women. "May you live long." "May we live long together." My father replied to them and motioned them to sit. "To what do I owe this visit?" My father began getting straight to the point. "First of all, we would like to congratulate your family on the upcoming wedding, and we are all going to remain in Rayuwa to attend the wedding of the crowned prince," the President began. "The well-being of Lafiya is what has brought us here. There is famine, plague and unrest in the country. The skies are red, and the plants
Last Updated : 2022-07-26Rayuwa 60 THE WEDDING
BINTA The day had finally arrived. Tears filled my eyes as Gogo, Mairo, and Mimi helped me get ready. "Your mother would have been proud," Mairo said, and my tears fell freely. There was a short silence, and then Nana decided to ease the mood. "I bet she and your father are watching over you together. Let us not spoil the bride's face before the wedding." And they all began to laugh. "I have something for you," Mairo said, pulling something out of her purse. "It was a beautiful set of waist beads. "Your mother would have wanted you to have this." She said, handing it to me. "It is supposed to bring you good luck on your wedding night." Her statement made me shy, and everyone began to laugh. She helped wear it around my waist, and Nana, as the eldest, blessed it. "Why did you insist on a quiet wedding?" Mimi asked me. "Adam and I just want everything over a done with. A big wedding will take longer..." I explained. "Well, with the calibre of people present, it still is a loud w
Last Updated : 2022-07-26Rayuwa 61 DREAM COME TRUE
BINTA It was now two days since the wedding. We never left our room. Food was brought to us whenever it was time to eat, and in the evenings, we would walk in the garden for fresh air. I noticed all our clothes were being packed, but I did not ask Adam why. I knew he wanted to surprise me. Lunch was filling. There were roast and rice with salads. The sweet fruity yoghurt for dessert was beautifully made. Some of the caterers had remained after the wedding under the queen's instructions. She wanted us to start our honeymoon before we even left. Maryam had left immediately after the wedding. She never said goodbye to her brother. I chose not to bother about her actions. As things were, she could not do anything to me. I was now of higher standing than she was. Whether she liked it or not, she would have to respect me, or there would be consequences. I believe that was why she left because she could no longer bully me. I noticed Adam had a broad grin on his face. We were seated on the
Last Updated : 2022-07-26Rayuwa 62 THE EXODUS
SAFIA I had a feeling that I had lingered too long in the forbidden forest, and I always voiced my concern to Ruhun Daji. We would often go to the barrier to see if we could penetrate the wall, but it never gave out. Ruhun'Daji told me that she could feel the wall weakening and that it would soon be time, but she was never definite on when. "Please, I need to return home. My daughter is all alone." I pleaded with the deity. "You should have thought about her before embarking on the useless journey that almost cost you your life," she shot back. I began to realise the deity often got impatient with me, but I did not know why. It wasn't my fault that her heart was stolen. It wasn't my fault that people forgot about her, and it wasn't my fault that she ended up as a tree in the forbidden forest. If anything at all, she should be thanking me for coming on the 'useless journey' as she always described it. If not, she would have remained a tree in the forest. I had had enough of her sni
Last Updated : 2022-07-26Rayuwa 63 LIFE AS A FUGITIVE
BAMALI I wasn't thinking straight when I teleported out of the cell I was kept in. I knew I could not return home, neither did I have any friend brave enough to defy the Sarki. I knew it wouldn't be long before they knew I had escaped. The only reason I did not teleport in front of everyone was to buy me time to escape Buchum before they began to search for me. When I saw my wife and son in the dungeon, my heart broke into pieces. How could the Sarki be so cruel? My wife and son had done nothing wrong, yet he did not hesitate to ridicule and torture them. I was angry. I was angry at the council for not supporting me while I was away. I thought they were my friends; I believed we were a team, but I guess I was wrong. I thought the Sarki was kind; I was wrong about him too. The one that angered me the most was Aljanna-Daji. She had betrayed me. I needed a place to hide and lay low. So I decided to seek out the help of a secret friend of mine in Buruku Village. It was far enough, and I
Last Updated : 2022-07-26
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Rayuwa 92 VAGABOND WORLD
SAFIA. Aishatu had succeeded in bringing the final and most crucial ingredient for Binta's ritual. I had warned her that Dagudu was on his way, and she had handled the matter beautifully. Although Bamali was not covenanted to us, he had shown his loyalty to our course. We couldn't allow him to get in trouble with the jinni. She still owned him. So we had to be careful. The-bond-that-binds you is usually a finger bone made from jinni cadaver. It is used to bind the holder's soul to the jinni he or she sold it to. Often the holders were clueless about it, and this is because they usually receive it in a dream, but in actual reality, it is their soul that receives it, but the experience is perceived as a dream. Bamalli was the only living being with the finger-bone, and I was glad he was on our side. The finger-bone was somehow tied to the jinni in question, so I was going to use it to gain entrance into her kingdom. Binta was laid beautifully on the floor in the middle of the compou
Rayuwa 91 NOW WE ACT FOR THE BIRDS
BAMALI. News about the sudden huge number of visitors arriving at Rayuwa baffled me. I knew what the people were, and I became scared. I had been unable to warn Safia about the jinni's ploy, and I worried that it was too late. I was a prisoner even in my home. Selling my soul had taken away my freedom. I once thought the people of Rayuwa were unfortunate prisoners; my situation made me realise that there were worse forms of thralldom than that which Rayuwa was in. At least the people of Rayuwa had the luxury of drinking the blessed water to sever their ties with the jinni. I could not drink the blessed water because it would not affect me. I had already sold my soul, and my only hope was that the jinni would be defeated. I prayed that I would one day be free. I did not know how my freedom would come. It would either be in life or death. I yearned most for life. Dagudu had successfully found a way to get close to Safia, and it made me worried. Couldn't she sense who he was? He had
Rayuwa 90 THE DECREE
ADAM My father had sent an order to the president instructing the people of Lafiya to throw out Aljanan Daji's altars from their homes and swear allegiance to the new deity. There were also instructions to bless the land. I thought my mother-in-law would be coming to bless the land herself, but I learned that it was going to rain for seven days instead, a form of cleansing. Those who were interested in serving the new deity were instructed to collect the rainwater and drink it to sever their blood ties to Aljannan Daji. The people were confused, and soon I had a crowd at my gate. People wanted answers, answers they knew they could only get from a royal. News also went around about what Laila had done at the party. It was linked to the decree by the king, and people had become scared. I knew I had to attend to the crowd of reporters outside. So I went out with the guards to address them and answer their questions. Since they couldn't all go to Rayuwa to interview my father, I was the
Rayuwa 89 THE PARTY
Laila. My mission in Duniya was heartwarming. I looked forward to doing good. With my long history of evil deeds, the mission the deity sent me on was a soul redeemer. Zuwaira and I had devised a plan to get our friends and their families to cross over. We knew it would be very difficult because the people were loyal to the old deity, and they were afraid of her too. The fear got worse when the sky turned red, and the plants began to die. The plague had worsened the situation. No one wanted to get on the deity's bad side for fear of her wrath. We had seen greater power than hers, and we were willing to fight for it. Since Adam was still sorry about what they had done to us in Rayuwa, I was able to persuade him to allow me to throw a party in the house. He didn't like the idea at first because of Binta's situation, but when I told him about what the deity had requested of us, he agreed. Watching the way everyone worked to help organise the party warmed my heart. I secretly wished t
Rayuwa 88 A SERVANT TO A SLAVE
BAMALI. Dagudu was unable to cope with the female body he occupied. The fact that the body was that of a fugitive made it worse. His magic was growing gradually. He was already more powerful than I was, and he wasn't yet at full capacity. I began to wonder what he would be capable of. He never left my side, and because of that, I was unable to communicate with Safia about the new developments. Unlike me, he had a telepathic connection with the jinni. More and more, I realised that I had sold my soul for way less. "Why did she put you in a female body?" I asked curiously. She could have as well killed two men instead of a man and a woman. I hated the sight of Dagudu, realising my daughter's body would have been his host sickened me the more. I had to be careful around him. Already the jinni had begun to withhold information from me; I didn't want to create more suspicion as that would put my life in danger. Not that my life was worth much, but I wanted to see the jinni defeated. "It
Rayuwa 87 A TRAP WELL SET
BAMALI "You betrayed me." I heard the King of jinnis say as he held his spouse by the throat. "You didn't bring me back. Why didn't you bring me back?" "I...I tried." She managed; I had never seen her so afraid. "But I had no priest. No one swore servitude to me until him." She said, pointing at me. I watched the man drop her and turn his attention towards me. His eyes were fire. I was sure the fire had burned the eyeballs of the body it occupied. Whatever was left of it was burned out, unless it was magical fire, but at the range we stood, the fire was real to me. Anyone that was afraid of Aljannan Daji would die from fear just by seeing this jinni. He had altered the body he occupied in the most hideous way. The skin was red, and steam exuded from him. He had two large black horns and one small horn in the centre of his head. He was huge, easily nine feet tall. His presence was evil and menacing. What had she unleashed upon us? While the jinni advanced toward me, I saw Aljanan Da
Rayuwa 86 FOREVER A SLAVE
BAMALI. After the incident in Safia's compound, I tried to find ways to make amends. What I did most of the time was to find a way to inform the deity of Aljannan Daji's plans. Without my help, the jinni had been able to trap two unfortunate people for Dagudu's resurrection ritual. I was taken to the forbidden forest to help prepare the items for the ritual. What I did not know was that I would have to be the one to slaughter the innocent people for the ritual to work. Apparently, the jinni could kill to feed, but a human had to sacrifice life to her for the blood to have any magical effect. The coldness of the situation brought chills to my spine. The fact that the unfortunate humans were fugitives did not make me feel better at all. Knowing the situation, I was sickened that the jinni would have made me sacrifice my children with my bare hands. If it wasn't for the fact that the deity could protect them, I would have killed myself if it had come to that. I had sent word to the dei
Rayuwa 85 MANY REASONS TO APOLOGISE
LAILA Shortly after the scene with the deity, we were escorted to my bedroom in the Palace. It was clear that the royal family were ashamed of what they had done to Zuwaira and me and tried to apologise by having the palace maidens pamper us. Everything that happened at our trial still shocked us. Binta was the daughter of a powerful deity. I couldn't believe it. The woman looked almost as young as Binta. The last time we were in Rayuwa, there was a rumour that her mother had gone missing. I began to believe it was all a sick joke. The people knew what we were up against and still set us up. That must have been the reason why our plans against Binta failed. It was also the reason why the Sarki and the entire council, in fact, the entire island, wanted Adam to marry Binta, so she would be the next queen. What beats having the daughter of a deity as queen? Was the main deity not Aljannan Daji? Who was Binta's mother? Was she Aljannan Daji. Aljannan Daji was the deity we all worshipped
Rayuwa 84 A SOLUTION?
ADAM Our arrival in Buchum Rayuwa was a shock to everyone. Binta was carried straight to the Palace. My father was in shock and hesitated to inform Safia of her daughter's predicament. "We have to tell her mother. She might be able to help." I tried to convince my father. "He is right, Umar. We can keep this from the deity; she will find out, and that will be worse." My mom said, trying to talk some sense into him. "What deity?" Ibrahim asked, confused. No one answered him. "Bring that witch for trial." My father said, refusing to send words to Safia. "The council isn't complete," I pointed out. "Right now, our energy should be spent on trying to save Binta's life. The trial can commence later." I pleaded. "The witch did it; she must have the antidote. She will solve the problem she caused with the right amount of pressure, and then I will behead her, her cousin and her family." My father said, and I could see the rage in his eyes. "What if she doesn't have the remedy and Bint
