DABIRA (Episode 6)

“Oluwa etobi, etobi ooo…eto bi. ( Lord, you are great. You are great)” I sang as I packed the plates out to the backyard to wash.
“Bami” as I called my Father had gone to the farm with my elder brothers while my Mother had gone to the market.

I was the last child of the family so taking care of the house when the rest went to the farm was my day to day routine.
I sighed!
I hated moments like this; as I would be the only one in our compound which was one of the only two compounds in the secluded area. “Baba Derin” as my father called our neighbour lived in the other compound with his wife and daughter.

The atmosphere was cool!

The Leaves on the tree danced as if been conducted by the wind.

The birds chirped on…

“Wo.. O ti se te lenii!! O ti gun igi koja ewe!! ( Look at me; you’ve crossed your limit today.) ” I heard someone shout out in anger from the next compound…

I knew who it was as this was not the first time such would happen .
“Mama Derin and Baba Derin has started again ooo..” I said hissing as I heard slaps and shouts..
I stood up in panic..
My father was the one that always pleaded on Iya Derin’s behalf but on this day, he was not around..
I couldn’t even consider going to the farm to call him..

“What should I do now? This man will kill this woman oo ?” I thought as I tied my wrapper well and removed my slippers .
I tiptoed hurriedly outside our compound.
I turned!!
I went towards their compound, creeping silently towards the small wooden fence. I prayed that I wouldn’t be caught peeping as I reached the fence.
I stretched over the fence to have a better view of the hut where the noisen was coming from..
“That is Iya Derin’s hut.” i said silently to myself as…
“Gbam!!” the wooden door fell down suddenly causing me to jump in fright.. I looked on not having recovered from the shock to see Baba Derin pulling Iya Derin out of the hut by her hair.
I heard her whimpering as she pleaded “Baale mi!! E je bure. ( My husband! Please be patient.)”
“I have had enough!! Baba Bola is not around so scream all you want. You are on your own.” He said as she held to his leg pleadily.
“Come on, remove your hand from my leg.” he said as he pushed her hand away causing her to fall to the ground.
He went back inside in anger…
I watched in pity as the woman struggled to stand up. I cheered her on within me as she almost found her balance when suddenly a bag flew through the door pushing the frail woman back to the ground…
“Ha!!” I said almost screaming as a tear escaped my eyes..
Another one flew out and another keeping the poor woman to the ground.
She was gathering her strength to stand up when he came outside with a broom and started beating her again; “ Get out of my house. I have had enough.”
At this point, I was already crying profusely, holding the fragile fence like a lifeline.
“Please” she pleaded heavily with tears.. He didn’t stop beating her..
I couldn’t take it any longer. I moved to go inside the compound to stop him.
When she said “Don’t come!”
I stopped..
Baba Derin stopped…
“Who are you talking to? ” he asked with a smirk on his face.
“Don’t move. ” she said again weakly..
She had seen me.
I slowed down with defeat as my tears took another level.
“You are talking to anjonuns (spirits )abi? I should have known you are a witch? I have had enough. I won’t ever forgive you for making my only son drown in the river.”
“Baba Derin !! You are sending me away because you can’t forgive me for that. Baba Derin, was it my fault? I went to wash cloth and he crawled off! Would I have watched my son drown to death?” she asked as I pitied her.
“You are always saying you are sorry.. You should have drowned with him that day? And you haven’t given birth since then..” He said kicking her again..
She wasn’t giving up!!
“With all the beatings and anger, please has your son come back from the dead?” She said laughing mockingly at first before shouting out at him “Has he?”
She broke down in tears again.. He moved in anger and went inside.
I saw him first!! Cutlass in hand.
I wanted to scream her name but it looked like my mouth were gummed together.
She saw him too..
She stood up hurriedly …
“Baba Derin, Ayafi ti okunrin yin oba se obinrin re loku; Obinrin yin o ma fi yin sile ni.. (Except if your males don’t do anything to hurt their spouses; your wives will always leave you.. You won’t even need to send them away. They will leave of their own accord.” She said in anger and tears .
“ Iro lo pa !! Esinsin re ole duro segbe osusu owo mi! Esinsin re aku! (You lie. You can’t compare a Bunch of Broom to an housefly; your housefly will die)” he replied angrily.
“Except if I was really guilty and unconcerned as you said; it will start happening from your time sef, if you marry another wife when I leave; if you offend her and she can’t forgive you she will leave. They will always leave you. You will all die in loneliness…” She said shouting and screaming as she packed her bags and dragged it behind her…

I couldn’t stop crying..

“Egun re!! (This is a Curse)Ha!!” I shivered at the thought of what she said happening.. I looked back at Baba Derin as he hissed and even swept off her footsteps mockingly…

“That’s how their steps will be invisible and cleaned off when they leave. You won’t even know where to search for them.” she added again..
“ Yepa !!” I shouted again causing Mama Derin to look over to where I hid…
She had probably forgotten I was there as she looked at me silently…
“Ko radada radada re lo.…. (Go with your problems)” Baba Derin said at her.
I started cryng and pleading with her from afar to be patient…
“Derin!!” she whisperd to me from afar …
I understood what she meant.
I shook my head as she looked back at the compound she once lived in, in tears and turned…

“Except if they don’t commit the unforgivable..” she said again stamping her leg on the ground as if affirming her declarations.
I followed her with my eyes till I couldn’t see her again.
I had seen enough.
I shook my head as I crawled back silently to our compound..
I sat down against a tree and began to analyse everything I had seen and heard saying “That’s a big curse ooo.. Oh my !! All the men will not understand what is happening to them when their wives are leaving..”

“Don’t ever forget today..” a voice said in my ear audibly causing me to look back in fright..

I was alone.

I started singing again to focus on what I was about doing originally.

“Bola …” My father’s familiar voice from outside the compound caused me to rise hurriedly.
I moved to collect the sack he carried from his hand but he noticed my swollen eyes..
“What is it?” he asked holding back the sack he wanted to give me.
“Aunty Derin’s Mother has gone..” I replied crying and shaking my head.
“Are you sure? Because I remember seeing someone like her going towards the river oo..”
“River?” I asked back in shock?
Her conversation with her husband boomed in my ear.
He had said she should have drowned…
“Oh no!” I said as I ran out of the compound..

I feared the thought that came to my mind as I ran with all my might. My Father ordered my brothers to come after me…
I got to the river.
I looked around.
There they were on the shore, all the bags she carried.
Her slippers, I saw too…
I traced her footsteps and watched it fade into the river.
It was too late..
She had drowned herself…

I sat down crying seriously as my brothers arrived with my Father trying to catch up with them.
They understood immediately and my father ordered them to search for her body.
She was dead already…
Frozen.. Anger, Pain clearly written on her face.
I couldn’t take it anymore, I cried out in pain..
“Don’t ever forget this day.” The voice said to me again as my father pulled me home with him…

Baba Derin felt no remorse at all..
Aunty Derin wept seriously.…
I delivered her mother’s silent message to her…
I couldn’t recover from the shock of her death for days as the event played in my head and mind for days.
Because of Baba Derin’s Resentment and Uncontrolled Anger, Mama Derin was pushed to her death!!
Because of Baba Derin’s Resentment and Uncontrolled Anger, generations have to suffer from Mama Derin’s declaration!!

Life continued and I soon got over the incidence.

Aunty Derin soon got married to a Chief’s son and her father also remarried…

Aunty Derin was happy with her husband and son Samson so I was grateful the curse wasn’t real at all.

I however was shocked when one day Baba Derin’s New wife left with her two children and was never found..

Baba Derin later died of heart attack…

I soon got married to a young man in the village too and gave birth to David.
Coincidentally, along the line he and Samson became friends.

Samson soon got married but mysteriously his wife left him too..

On deep thoughts, the curse didn’t affect Aunty Derin since she was a female and married out of the family but every female that married into the family and has an argument with her husband will leave the man stranded…

So Dabira, I guess Michael is left stranded now.

My child, the soluton is simple; that curse needs to be broken now or else it is still has potent as ever… It was a declaration made with pain but Jesus Christ has bore the pain already for them.

“Omo mi!! ( My Child), handle this issue with wisdom and divine leading… Remember, a voice told me never to forget what happened. I didn’t understand then but God knew a generation would come that would accept him and would need help. God depended on me thus far, he is now depending on you.

You know what ?
How do you go from here?
Remember that curse has a trigger; Mama Derin kept sayimg
“Except if he does not offend her. ” meaning Dami didn’t forgive her husband for something. Unforgiveness then opened the door..

Start from there first.
Forgiveness before any other thing can be done..
Dabira, I trust you.. May The Good Lord be with you always. I wish I can tell you more but hurry and stop the devil from causing more calamities.

The voice recording stopped as i looked up to Mum and Dad’s thoughtful face with teary face. I had cried all the while.

“No wonder Michael’s mum’s left” Mum sighed!
“No wonder Samson said he thought Damilola was different…” Dad added .”He was already connecting something’s himself but he was’t even a Christian and I guess there wasn’t much for him to come up with a conclusion with.”
“What next now Dabira?” Dad asked noting I was still silent.
I looked at both of them silently as I held the phone like a lifeline.

“I’m going to Ibadan to meet Damilola first thing tomorrow morning. This is a battle that needs to be fought without delay.” I said.
“And Michael?” asked Mum.
“ I think its better I send this to him and tell him to begin prayers immediately. I’ll also tell him to hold his going to Ibadan till next week.” I explained as I stood up.
I almost tripped as I hurried to my room to get my phone.
I chatted him up and sent the recording to him.
“You better let’s start fasting and prayer though I don’t think Dami can fast… God that revealed this, will solve things…” I added quickly to the message before sending.
I dropped my phone and moved to pack some few things I would be needing during my stay in Ibadan…

Do you feel you have a reason to pray ? Please do.

I know this story is not a simple-imaginative work as I know what I went through as I wrote..

I pray this Story reaches every “Damilola” and “Michael” in the depth of confusion.

I pray God finds a “Dabira” out there to be used to shed light in a situation of Confusion.

I pray for an “Iya Derin” out there, that though the pain be more than you can bear, you wouldn’t give up on your life; I pray you wouldn’t in resentment take a decision that would put your own in predicament.

I pray for every “Baba Derin” out there, that your foolishness, anger, and impatience wouldn’t earn you more than you can bear. May your generations not regret ever been your offspring.

I pray for every “Mama Aderinto” out there, that you would rise indeed to your place and position as a Watchman wherever you are. That you would preserve and watch over that which has been preserved in your hands..

I pray for everyone reading this that you will be blessed indeed..

I would like to encourage you to drop your comments so I will know how far this is a blessing to you.. You can message me privately if you wish, to share with me how this story has blessed you.

Remember to like, share and follow..

Watch out for the Next Episode.

Stay Blessed…