The Origin
(Episode 20)
According to the story, Hayakharet’s great, great grandfather, Omoluabi, was a very successful merchant who acquired many servants and wealth. He was a good man and did many good things for the people and the community. But some people were not happy with his progress and out of envy framed him up. Sadly, it was the same people whom he had done so much for that turned against him. While he and his household were asleep one night, the villagers ganged up and set his house on fire. He barely escaped with his family and a few servants. The angry mob did not stop there. They chased them far into this forest that was considered an evil forest then and threatened them never to return. Omoluabi and his people ran deeper into the woods, and even when their pursuers had stopped, they continued running deeper and deeper out of fear. Eventually, he and the small band that was with him settled in this forest.
Life in the forest was tough and scary, considering the belief that the jungle had evil powers. Fortunately, Omoluabi met a mighty hunter named Hayak here in this forest who protected them from wild animals and provided for them. He taught Omoluabi how to hunt and defend himself and his loved ones. He taught them how to listen to the trees and leaves and how they could heal all sorts of illnesses with herbs. He taught them all there was to know about the forest until they became one with it.
Omoluabi, out of the pain of the betrayal, vowed never to have anything to do with the people. They adopted Hayak’s language and gradually, their original language—Yoruba—faded away. However, one of Omoluabi’s sons who had obtained primary education taught his son secretly the English language against his father’s wish, and that was why vestiges of the language remained. Nonetheless, it was only the king, Hayakramah, his sons, and Hayakharet that could use the language at this time.
When Hayak eventually died, Omoluabi and his people deified him, and that was what gave birth to HAYAKUNNAH. The people became known as Hayakites and referred to others as Outside People. As generations passed the story of the villagers betrayal to younger generations, the animosity towards the Outside People grew, and that birthed the inclusion of human sacrifices into the celebration.
As Princess Hayakharet narrated the story, all our eyes were fixed on her lips. Traces of suppressed pain were evident in her eyes. Intermittently, the five generals and the other two warriors nodded as if they understood her. I laughed at the one with the biggest head amongst them because of the way he was nodding and smiling the whole time. Well, it might not be intentional. The head might just be too big for his neck to hold in place. When I first saw him, I screamed in my head, ‘Oh my God! What kind of head is this?!’ If they had asked me, I would have advised his parents to name him Headward—oh, sorry—Edward or Hammerhead of Horror!
“Hmmm … Is that why you are called Hayakharet?” Sister Elizabeth asked.
“Yes. Many our names start or end with Hayak. Hayakharet mean Hayak Give Us. Hayakramah mean Hayak Bless Us. Kammahayak mean Vengeance of Hayak, and so on.”
But I had something else in mind. “Then why are you helping us if you people hate Outside People so much?” I asked her.
“The Prophecy!” she answered with so much enthusiasm. “For many many years, my people have prophecy. The Great Prophecy say one day the moon and sun meet together and saviour come.”
Hayakharet explained that she had always wondered how possible that would be, but when she saw the crescent moon shaped pendant and the shining sun buckle, then she knew that the prophecy was not to be taken literally. However, at the council meeting, the king and the chief priest saw the wisdom in her explanation, but Hayakramah disagreed and instigated other members of the council against the king. She explained that she knew that if Hayakramah succeeded they were going to kill us and she feared that would incur Hayak’s wrath. I rubbed the buckle of my belt and marvelled at how a bend-down-select belt I bought for three hundred Naira at Oshodi Market had saved my life and those of five others!
After answering the question, Hayakharet stood up and said, “Now night well along. We sleep now. Tomorrow will be long day.” She then faced Kammahayak, one of the two warriors, and told him to take the first watch.
Rather than lying down, she moved some distance away and sat on a log, backing the rest of us. When I saw her, I got up and walked up to her. She stared hard at the vacant space before her. Deep inside her eyes, resided the confidence of a commander who knew what she was doing. I asked her if I could sit, and she nodded. I sat down beside her, and both of us said nothing. After a while, I shifted uneasily on the log and asked her what she was going to do.
She shared the plan she and her generals hatched with me. The generals would return in the morning to prepare their soldiers. She and Kammahayak and the other warrior would lead us back to the outside world and rejoin her army at a designated place. From there, they would launch their attack, free her father and mother and reclaim the throne for her father. The plan was more elaborate. She only summarized it the best way a non-warrior like myself could understand.
I fiddled with the pendant hanging from my neck and asked, “Are you sure about this prophecy thing; I mean the fulfilment?”
“Yes. Three days ago. I dream about prophecy and Hayak tell me something strange will happen,” she replied with an unshakable conviction. Then I saw her brow become crocked. “But what I not understand yet is how you people is saviour.”
That was a serious thought. How could we be these people’s saviours when we needed one ourselves. I began to think. Suddenly, something struck me. I remembered that some of the inscriptions we saw on the stones before our capture were drawings that told the plights of a people haunted by a giant gorilla.
“Are your people afraid of a giant gorilla?” I asked.
She gasped and stiffened immediately I asked the question. I looked at her with bulging eyes. “What is the matter, princess?”
She caught her breath and answered, “Yes, the Annaukun—”
“Annaukun?”
“Annaukun is a big big gorilla that kill kill kill my people for many many many years. Annaukun is messenger of Shaikan Hagun, the god of evil. Annaukun cannot be killed. My people fear Annaukun very, very much.” She was practically shaking as she explained. Merely mentioning the beast’s name filled her fill with terror. I could imagine how much the people feared it if it could have such an effect on a fearsome commander like Hayakharet.
“What? That thing? We killed it yesterday afternoon,” I said like it was a piece of cake.
“You serious?” She jumped up.
“Michael blew the crazy thing up. It killed one of our friends.” My eyes blazed with anger. Remembering how the bastard killed Fatima filled me with rage.
“You mean it? Annaukun kill all best warriors we send kill it!”
It all made sense now. All those skulls and bones we saw in the cave were Hayakite warriors that had been sent over the years to hunt the monster down.
I held her shoulders and looked into her eyes, “Well, warrior princess, we killed that monster yesterday. To confirm, send some of your men to the cave, and you will find it dead there. Cut off its head and show it to your people. It can help you win the support of the rebellious generals and take back the throne without much bloodshed.”
She stared straight into my eyes. She was convinced I was telling the truth. She hugged me tightly, resting her head on my chest. The warmth fired up something within me. My heart began to drum GBUM! GBUM!! GBUM!!!
“Thagum,” she told me softly.
“Thagum? What’s that?”
“Thank you, silly.”
“Oh, where did that come from?”
We both laughed and sat down on the log again, looking at each other’s eyes. Passion burned in her eyes. A kind of heat crept up inside my body, and my heart thumped against my rib cage again. Our faces started getting closer until our lips almost touched. But we restrained ourselves before the passion consumed us. She stood up and walked back to her mat. I shook my head and smiled. Minutes later, I got up and headed to my mat too.
At daybreak, I woke up to see the generals squatting around Hayakharet. She was scribbling some plans on the ground with a twig. She had apparently shared the information I gave her about Annaukun with them, and they were restrategizing. I knew this because immediately I got up I saw the generals turned in my direction with some form of reverence. Others too woke up one after the other.
“Hahutaka,” the generals greeted and bowed to us with respect.
“Hahutaka,” we replied. That was not a difficult one. Even little Amitabh knew that hahutaka meant greetings or hello.
By the time Hayakharet stood up, she wasn’t like the innocent girl who almost kissed me in the early hours of the morning. She was a fierce-looking warrior princess and commander. Her nose mask now shrouded her facial features. A quiver full of arrows hung on her back. Her arm guards were in place and two daggers dangled from both sides of her curvaceous waist. She carried her bow in one hand. Moments later, the generals left. We gathered the provisions Hayakharet had given us, and we got ready to proceed with our journey.
The sun soon began to climb higher in the sky, and our shadows became shorter until the sun was right over our heads. Perspiration popped out of our foreheads. The path was not helping matters at all. It was rough and hilly, making us groan with each step. I pitied Sister Elizabeth the most. She was panting like a dog now. Surprisingly, it was like a jolly ride to the warriors.
After some hours of the arduous trek, we saw a hut in a clearing at a distance. Hayakharet told us that we would stop over at the place to get some rest before continuing the journey. I was relieved. Others too felt the same way judging by the expressions on their faces. Lillian’s full lips curved themselves into a broad smile. “HALLELUJAH!” Sister Elizabeth shouted. Ubong looked at her, shook his head, and couldn’t hold back his laughter. Amitabh too smiled from Michael’s shoulders on which he sat.
As we approached the hut, I caught sight of a lady seated on a log. She was backing us and covered herself with a wrapper made from animal skin. Two women were attending to her, and two guards stood like statues with their spears close by. They were tall and muscled. They heard our footsteps, and the lady turned around.
Our eyes met, and I gasped.
To be continued … Watch Out for the Next Episode!
