The Council

Shunbunmi was surprisingly a good company. We stayed up chatting through the whole night. The boys didn't sleep either. The loud sound of music mixed with occasional laughter and oud chattering continued through the night

At first, I thought Mr. Omishore would complain, but no complaint came. 

He didn't sleep though, he kept going to check up on Zaynab and the other girl. Whenever I heard his footsteps I stopped speaking and Shubun laughed at me.

"You have nothing to be afraid of in this house. Every one of us would die to protect you, you're family now," she whispered.

"So...how does that work? I really have to ask you what you mean by that. What does it mean for someone to be claimed?" I asked.

My question was met with a peal of loud laughter. "You like Lokun, don't you?" She asked me, still laughing.

"Well, I like him but I am not sure I am comfortable with belonging to anybody."

"Don't you humans have a tradition of joining two souls together as one?"

"Yes we do, but the union is consensual. Lokun didn't ask for my opinion and I am not even sure that I am ready for that yet. I mean we just met, and he's a merman...no offense."

"I understand your puzzlement but you need to understand that he had no choice, Kunbi thought you would be a problem to be dealt with, and when our big brother thinks like that, it usually ends with people getting hurt."

"Why is he like that?"

"Kunbi? Because he has to be like that. He is the oldest and he's the heir. The protection of the family falls on his shoulders."

"Heir to what exactly," I asked, looking puzzled.

"That's a story for another day. I know how you feel about my brother and how he feels about you. He only claimed you to keep you safe."

"From Kunbi? Yeah, that is so convenient."

"Yes, Kunbi cannot touch you. And people from the other families can't either," she wanted to say something but stopped halfway. I could see it on her face that she had revealed too much than she meant to, and she changed the subject. 

"Being claimed by someone in our culture is like what you humans would call errrm... dating. You can choose to accept him and you can choose not to. Although if you do accept him, you do so till the day you draw your last breath."

Our conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. When the door opened, it was Lokun.

"Zaynab is awake," he said.

Go on, Bisi. Go see your friend, I'll join you shortly, Shunbun said, smiling from ear to ear.

I jumped off the bed and dashed to the room Zaynab and the other girl were kept. She laid on the bed, awake but still weak.

"Zaynab," I screamed!

She responded with a smile. I sat beside her and held her tight. I held her for what seemed like a lifetime and suddenly, I felt wetness on my shoulder where her face rested. She was crying.

"It's okay, Zaynab. You're safe now, I tried to comfort her but the tears continued to flow. She tried to talk but couldn't

"She was drugged by those kidnappers. Father said he found Flunitrazepam in her blood. The gang had been operating in that area for quite some time," Mr. Omishore said.

"Thank you, Mr. Omishore," I said.

"Oh, you don't need to thank me, You're family now. You should let her rest now," he replied.

"What about the other girl?" I asked.

"She had a lower quantity of the drugs in her blood, so she recovered earlier. I had Kunbi and Tokun take her home."

He didn't have to tell me that she would wake up without remembering a thing about what had happened.

Shubun rushed into the room, clutching a dagger. The blade shone brightly in the light as she tucked it away under her clothes.

"The council is here, father and they are not looking happy," she said.

"That is what happens when humans get slaughtered in the streets. Now I have to clean your mess...again!"

"Well, it was Lokun's idea, and those criminals were kidnappers. The council should be pleased that we took those criminals off their streets. Because of us, their kids are now safe."

"Safe you say? Humans like to believe they are at the top of the food chain, and the idea of beings capable of tearing them to pieces as you did does not make them feel safe, it makes them feel vulnerable, weak, and angry. You really do not want these humans angry, Shunbun."

"Oh, so you're not really blaming us for killing those criminals, you're just not happy with the way we did it?"

"If that is the only thing you got out of what I said, then I don't know what to say. The two of you, come with me." 

"Stay here, Bisi," Lokun said.

Shunbun threw an extra dagger to Lokun, he caught it and tucked it under his clothes too. They both followed their father and I was left there feeling confused.

The meeting between them and the council was so heated, it took no time before loud voices were heard hurling insults. Amidst the whole chaos, I thought I heard uncle Ade's voice, I was so sure it was him. "What would he be doing here," I thought. But then it took me a little time to make the connection. If my uncle knew about the Yemoja and spoke publicly about them for years, would it be so hard to believe that he would be on a town council made of people with the knowledge of their existence? I needed to confirm it for myself, so I left Zaynab's side as she had started to fall asleep. I made my way through the other rooms and got closer to the living room, where the meeting was going on. I wasn't surprised to see my uncle but the other members left me amazed. 

I stayed by the door and listened to their discussion. It was clearly about the killings at the University. The council was not happy about it.

"You made us a promise, Okunbunmi. You said nothing like this would happen and you have clearly failed to deliver on your promise," uncle Ade thundered.

"The people that got killed were criminals, Ade. Your children were the ones being preyed upon."

"It was our problem to handle, and it never had to end with people getting murdered in the streets like dogs!" a second voice said.

"Then you tell that to our people who got killed in this very house by your people after following all your rules," Lokun said.

"We already told you that we had nothing to do with that. It was the work of the children of the damned," Ade replied.

Hmmm. Let us all calm down. Our people have coexisted for a very long time, not always peacefully, but we have a fragile peace now and it is in the interest of everybody that we maintain this peace.

"The Omishores have always been good friends with the council and the town unlike most of your royal family. That is why we chose to let you in when you sought asylum here, but please do not forget that you're visitors here," a third and familiar voice said.

The voice of Baba Fatomi was one I recognized immediately. He sounded prudent as ever. 

"I understand you, my dear old friend, Fatomi," Mr. Omishore replied.

"As the newest member of the council, I was told by my predecessor that things like this wouldn't happen. Bodies on the streets attract attention, criminals or not," a fourth voice said.

"Thank you, D.P.O.(divisional police officer.) I hope to work with you as I did with your predecessor.

"I had to travel back home because of this, Mr. Omishore. I've known you for a long time and I know you're not careless. You need to keep your children in check. We both know discretion is in the interest of everybody involved. I mean no disrespect but you need to get your house in order, a fifth voice said. A voice I immediately recognized. It was my father's.

Baba Fatomi's presence was a surprise but not as surprising as seeing my father sitting there conversing with the Omishores. I felt betrayed. Betrayed by the Omishores, but mostly by my father. I didn't even know he was back in town and for a man who didn't care about his only daughter, he sure knew how to show up for the town.

I rushed towards the living room, threw the door open, and there they all were, as surprised as I was. My father, Baba Fatemi, the D.P.O., uncle Ade, and Alani's dad.

"What the hell are you doing here, Bisi?" Dad screamed as he jumped off his sit, wide-eyed.