“Complicated”
Episode 20
“High priest, enlighten me. What sacrilege are you talking about?” Chief Akinola demanded.
“It’s taboo for a father and son from this fraternity to sleep with the same woman,” the priest explained.
Chief Akinola looked at his wife and then at Ore. “Duro was having an affair with my daughter? Are you sure about this, High Priest?”
“This is why they are in this state,” the priest confirmed.
“But how could he? My daughter is like his own daughter. How could he do this to me? Ha, Duro, you are lucky you are unconscious right now, or I would kill you for even thinking about it,” he exclaimed, turning to his wife. “Look what your daughter has brought upon all of us. And you, Ore, I thought you said you and Adetola were doing okay. How come he is sleeping with your sister?”
“Daddy, please stop blaming everyone else for your problems. It’s all your fault. Dara did this to fight back for what you did to her. Even when it was no longer necessary, you made her pay for defying you. She is the monster you created, so deal with it,” Ore retorted.
“Quiet, everyone!” the high priest interjected. “You can play the blame game when you leave here, but the shrine is not a place for this.”
“High Priest, you can’t just say there is nothing you can do. The two families are tied together; if one goes down, the other also goes down. There has to be something that can be done,” Chief Akinola pleaded, his voice laced with desperation.
“The only thing that could have potentially saved this situation is the child Ore is carrying, but since she is not due yet, let me warn you, Akinola, it means this could be the end of both families. All the wealth and affluence that your grandparents fought and sacrificed for, unfortunately, you and Duro have managed to destroy in your lifetimes.”
“What child are you talking about? My child is to save what situation?” Ore demanded, confused and growing increasingly anxious. The priest and her father remained silent. “Someone, please say something.”
“Your child is the sacrifice that the oracle requested, just as your mother was a sacrifice a couple of years ago,” Abike finally revealed.
“Abike, how dare you?” Chief Akinola pointed accusingly at her.
“It’s time she knows what we have all been up to,” Abike retorted, turning to Ore. “Now and then, the oracle demands a blood sacrifice among family members. Since the time of your great-grandfathers, wives, sons, and daughters have been sacrificed from both families. The talk about the family producing one heir to unify the business is true but not in the way you were informed. This unification of both families is to be achieved through a sacrifice, and that’s where your baby and Adetola come in.”
“Hold up, you mentioned my mother. Is she not my mother?” Ore pointed at Adunni.
“No, Adunni is your stepmother. The last sacrifice required a wife, and your mother and I were brought to the shrine. Your mother was chosen by the oracle,” her father confessed grimly.
“She is my stepmom?” Adunni couldn’t meet Ore’s gaze.
“Wow, now I understand many things. This is why she always prefers Ade and Darasimi to me. So, you mean this child I’m carrying is a sacrificial lamb for your evil plans, Dad?” Ore’s voice was tinged with disbelief and rising horror.
Then, Ore began to laugh, a sound tinged with irony and despair. She looked up and said, “God, I’m sure you’re laughing right now. It’s true, you have a good sense of humor. I can see you’re having the last laugh.” She turned to her father, her laughter fading into a cold stare. “You used my mother for a sacrifice?”
“Yes, I had no choice. If I hadn’t made that decision, the price to pay would have been too high,” he explained, desperation edging his voice. He turned to the priest, pleading, “There has to be a way.”
“Yes, but it will mean losing your daughter as well,” the priest replied gravely.
He turned to look at Ore, and they both glared at each other. “Well, if that’s the price to pay, I’m willing to pay it. Let’s do it,” he declared.
“No one is touching her or my grandson,” Abike intervened, stepping in front of Ore protectively. But the priest stretched his wand toward her, and she fell, leaving Ore exposed. Surprisingly, Ore wasn’t afraid; instead, a boldness she had never felt before surged through her.
“You know, I feel sorry for you, Daddy, because your plan didn’t work. If you people are so powerful, how come you didn’t know that Adetola was sterile and couldn’t father a child? This child that I carry is not an Ayegbajeje; it belongs to another man,” Ore declared confidently.
“You are lying. You two wouldn’t dare try that with me,” her father retorted.
“Well, when we went on our honeymoon, Adetola left to be with his girlfriend, and I was left alone. I met someone, and the rest is history. We both agreed to pass the child off as his so you both can stay off our backs.”
“You are lying,” her father insisted, his face twisted with disbelief. He turned to the high priest, “Is there a way to confirm whether the child she carries is Adetola’s or not?”
The high priest remained silent for a moment, contemplating the gravity of the situation, before finally nodding slowly, signaling that there might indeed be a way to determine the truth.
“Yes,” the priest turned to the wall and began chanting incantations. Suddenly, an image appeared on the wall showing Ore in Farouk’s arms on a bed. Everyone gasped in shock.
“You dare betray me like this?” her father roared as he moved toward Ore and grabbed her by the neck. But suddenly, he doubled over, clutching his chest in severe pain. He turned to the priest. “Do something.”
“There is nothing I can do; it is too late, except…” the priest glanced at Ade. “I can ransom your life with your son’s.”
“Do it,” he gasped.
Adunni rushed in front of her son. “No, you will not use my son for your evil sacrifice. I will not allow it.”
The priest pointed his wand at Adunni, and she fell.
Ade stood frozen in fear. Ore stepped in to defend him. “Not anymore. Today this evil tradition ends.”
“And who is going to stop it?” the priest challenged.
“I am,” Ore declared, beginning to pray in tongues under her breath. The priest laughed and summoned all his strength, pointing the rod at Ore. But instead of Ore falling, the priest staggered backwards, taken aback. He looked at her in shock, then attempted again, but this time he fell and became unconscious.
“Ha, Ore, thank you, thank you,” Ade said, still visibly shaken.
“We need to leave, but we can’t leave them here.” Ore pulled out her phone and dialled Ope. “Come in here with your boys quickly.”
When Ope and his team arrived, Ore instructed them to carry everyone except the priest into the cars and gave them directions to her church.
She called her pastor and briefly explained what was happening, informing him they were on their way.
Thanks for reading,
Tbc.
