An Excerpt from ‘The traveling keepers’ storybook
Perched atop the highest jagged edge, a girl with beautiful dark skin the color of shiny black pearls stands in shimmering gold danshiki cut off top and a long gold sokoto. the whole outfit was threaded with intricate red threadings like the colour of her deep red hair fanning in the wind.
‘Its cute, how you lot think you can get through the lost caves of abeokuta without a guide that can speak the ancient yoruba tongue’.
‘Who are you and how do you know where we are headed’.
‘Master Kai, I hate to say this to you. As stealthy as you think you are with your plans and movement. I’ve been on your trail for almost three days now, I’ve watched you and the rest of the traveling keepers and I’ve deemed you worthy of receiving my help’. Yemoja says.
‘Deemed worthy of receiving my help’, Minmin repeats in a funny tone.
‘Yes, Mr Minmin , deemed worthy of receiving my help. I know you lot are after the stone of tears and I’ve come to help you retrieve it. I really wasn’t going to reveal myself to you but then I realized you would need my help in chanting the incantations at Abeokuta.’
We already have someone who can speak the old tongue, milady’. Kai gestures to Minmin with a slight tilt of his chin. ‘So yes I think we’re very much fine thank you strange person.
‘Him?’
Climbing down the jagged edges of the valley dip with such grace that even Kai had his usual stoic demeanor dissolve into one of awe as he traced her lithe movement with his eyes. With flaming red hair whipping gently to the winds she comes to stand beside Minmin
‘Even if he can get you into the Halls of the great, only a true Yemoja can cast the enchantments of old to awaken the Jengu Beast. And without the Jengu.. Tsk tsk…
Walking in a lopsided circle around the gobsmacked group of men staring at her every movement.
‘Jengu beast? I thought that was a myth’.. Sango says
‘Glass sea’?… Badewa echoes in askance.
‘A myth, are you serious right now?.. Wait did you just think you would match to the doors of the ancient halls, chant some fancy incantations and then whalla- the stone would be waiting right there at the other side of the door’. The yet unknown stranger asks incredulously hands akimbo.
‘Yeah well….’ Minmin trails on.
‘Shut your mouth’, barks Kai.’Besides how do you know this stranger.how do you know what lies beyond the doors’.
‘It has been the duty of the Yemoja clan from Isale Okun to ride upon the beast across the glass sea, to reunite the stone of tears with the tree of life should it ever arise. I have trained my entire life for this’.
‘Yemoja clan?.. Isn’t that the land of the creatures from the bottom of the sea. How is it that you can walk on land and breathe the same air as mere mortals’. Minmin asks in wonder.
‘Like you, young master of Ile Ofurufu *(obviously I’m going to change the name) some of us can change our true form to blend in with them’ — she gestures to Kai and Badewa- when the need arises’.
‘What do you mean’ Badewa splutters. ‘From ile ofurufu?, are you saying he’s not human?’ he points a shaking hand at Minmin. He looks to Kai for answers and finds out the latter sporting identical looks as his.
Minmin sheepishly grins at the gaping duo, his eyes and hair momentarily flashing silver before returning to its usual black colour, only this time with a silver streak left behind glinting brightly in the afternoon sun.
Badewa’s mouth only falls open even wider.
‘Well, I was going to tell you guys eventually’. The lithe guy from ile ofurufu lightly ruffles his hair.
Badewa seemingly regains the use of his tongue after successfully ungluing it from the roof of his mouth.
‘Tell us when the glass sea freezes over right?.
‘Isn’t it kind of frozen already…. Hence the name frozen lake’.. Minmin says trying to make light of the current situation.
‘Well you never really asked where I was from’? Minmin retorts when his attempt at joking falls flat on its face.
‘You never really asked where I was from’. Badewa mimics his earlier statement.
‘Boys boys boys, lets not argue shall we?’ the red haired lady cuts in.
Kai accepted the fact that they would need the help of whoever the stranger was, stretches out his hand to her.
‘What is your name”. He asks.
My name is Yemoja.now that we have established the fact that you can’t ride across the glassy sea to obtain the stone of tears without me. And without the stone of tears…. Yeah, I don’t think I need to continue jabbering away’.
‘So basically gentlemen, what I’m trying to say is that-’
dramatic pause…
She finishes with a flourish of arms, flying hair and shining white teeth.
‘When do we move?’
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
I have been on a mission to write a fiction storybook, but life keeps getting in the way.
So I have decided to just post excerpts of it from time to time, and maybe i could get encouraged to write more, if i get an audience that likes what i post from time to time.
Do write down comments below and feel free to leave feedback and criticisms.
