Chapter Four

What a pity!! Fate has made Oluwafunke and her unborn baby forest dwellers. What future does the forest holds for them? She became a lone person with no companion to talk with, share thoughts and feelings with or even play with. All she did was just to walk deep in the woods, sleep under shades of big trees, find something to eat and run away from dangerous animals. One day, she had a deep sleep and her mother appeared to her in her dream.

Àsàké: Oluwafunke! Oluwafunke!! Oluwafunke!! Omo mi!!

She turned opened her eyes and saw the spirit of her mother.

Oluwafunke: Mumi!!! For many days I've been in this scary forest alone. Maami!! I should have chosen to be his wife than to be alone here in the open.

She sighed, sat next to her daughter and placed her head on her chest.

Àsàké: Hmmmmmmm!! Omo mi!! What you don't know is that being out here in the open is far better than being his wife because you'll end up being a slave again and that slavery trait will continue in our family.

Oluwafunke: Maami!! Being alive as a slave is better than to be eaten by dangerous animals. Mama let me go back.

Àsàké; No you must not because the children in you will fulfill the prophecy.

Oluwafunke: Children? You mean I'm with twin?

Àsàké: Yes! They're twin, a boy and a girl. They will grow to love themselves in any situation they find themselves.

Funke placed her hands on her tommy and smiled. Her mother also placed her hands on her daughter's tommy and smiled.

Àsàké: Out here, they'll learn the true meaning of suffering. They'll have the leadership trait, strength and wisdom to rule.

Oluwafunke: What if I had chosen to be his wife?

She sighed.

Àsàké: Hmmmmmmm!!! You and your children will enjoy being his family but at the end, you'll become a slave again, your life will become meaningless and no prophecy will be fulfilled.

Oluwafunke: I've heard something like this before in the palace but I didn't understand.

Àsàké: Yes!! The gods did not tell them who the person will be. They only said a woman of the palace but only the gods knew whether it'd be a slave or of royal blood. You know what the prophecy is?

Oluwafunke: My unborn children will give rise to Oluyole kingdom again. Now, I have a purpose of living, to watch my kids grow to fulfill the prophecy and free our ancestors from the bondage they put themselves in.

Àsàké: Yes my daughter!! You have a purpose to fulfill. Do you now see that to die as a poor and wretched gracious woman is better than to die as a slave?

She sighed.

Oluwafunke: At least, I'll die on a happy note that my children will give rise to a greater Oluyole kingdom.

Àsàké stood up and started walking away backwardly and slowly. Her daughter started shedding tears.

Oluwafunke: Mama please don't leave me alone again. I don't want to be alone.

Àsàké: Take the necklace beside you. It will remind you that I'm always by your side everywhere you go.

Then she disappeared. It was then Oluwafunke woke up. She looked beside her and found a necklace.

Oluwafunke: Mum!! Thank you so much. May the gods shower you the blessings of the oak tree in paradise and not hell.

She looked at her tommy and touched it.

Oluwafunke: Now, I have to watch you two grow to fulfill the prophecy and free our ancestors from the bondage they put themselves in. May the gods grant me their graceful strength to do so.

That was how Oluwafunke started living her life as a forest woman. She set different traps for bush rats to feed herself with. She encountered many dangerous times, one of which she had to runaway from one big alpha wolf. She couldn't keep running and running evertime she came across this wolf so she created a trap to kill it. On the run, the wolf ran into the trap, a big feast for Oluwafunke and her unborn children. Few months later, she gave birth to her kids all by herself. As her mother said in her dream, Taiwo and Omokeyinde omo Olufunke grew to love themselves dearly as a twin. They adapted to the forest life, just like their mother and showed the bravery trait in them.