The King passed away?” Keshi asked in shock. Well, yes, he knew his father had been sick, but then, he was regaining his strength and was in an okay situation, at least the last he checked. He knew they must have warned Baba Niran not to tell him anything, but the man could not keep anything away from him. He had a soft spot for the boy that had now become a man.To think that he was coming home to let his father know he was bringing Ifeyinwa to them. He needed to do so first to help her avoid further embarrassment from his people. He walked into the palace and the silence was threatening. He made a zombie entrance into the gigantic place and walked straight to his mother’s room.
She was there, on her bed, laying there, all dressed in black, her hair shaven, her eyes sunken from too much crying. “Maami,” He called out calmly. The woman turned, got up quickly, and broke down in tears. His father was a good man and even in his seventies they still wanted him around. Keshi rushed to his mother and fell on his knee in front of her. She held his head and cried. He was the husband of her youth. “Prepare Keshi, you will be crowned king. We will find you a bride and the processions will begin.” She told him looking more serious than she had ever looked before. Keshi lifted his head and looked at his mother, there was no better time than now. He wasn’t going to leave anything to chance. He cleared his throat and wiped his face quickly.
“Ermm, Maami, there is a woman.”“Oh, there is?” She asked and smiled happily. “What is her name? Who is her father? Where does she live?” She asked him.“Her name is Ifeyinwa, she lives in Lagos.”“Ifeyinwa, what kind of name is that?”“Umm…” Keshi started and adjusted himself, he was a little uneasy, but he was still going to say it. “She is Igbo, Maami.” He finally blurted. She had the most cynical reaction to it. She laughed and laughed, and then with full force, she pushed him away from herself and laid back on the bed with her back turned to him. He made no comments, he just got up and left the room. Keshinro knew he was still going to come back home with Ifeyinwa no matter what anybody said, but at the same time, his mother was grieving. He had to be reasonable. His head was bowed low. He wasn’t sure which was lower, his head, or his spirit. He had met a number of people outside the palace and answered no greetings, but then Apena wasn’t one of those he could ignore. He was the man who was going to be in charge of the spiritual rites and rituals and he knew he was going to have a lot to say.“Ori Ade, good afternoon. When did you return from Lagos?” He asked lifting his head that was initially bowed in obeisance to the crowned prince.“I got back not long ago and the news of Kabiyesi’s demise has been traumatizing.”“Hmm, I completely understand, but you know the king lived a good life. Left us a huge heritage of a good son to rule after him. You should brace yourself up for the tasks ahead.”
“You are very right, Apena. Thank you. I would love to be alone now.” He told the man and made an attempt to leave. He stopped him, holding him by the wrist. “What is it?” He questioned the old educated priest.“I was just going to tell you that the rituals start in seven nights. The throne can not be empty for too long.” “Okay.” He replied and left the man. Keshinro did not bother to return to his room. He had just seven days and he knew what that meant, he could not become king without a wife. Ifeyinwa had to be his wife within the next few days. He called Baba Niran and alerted him that he was leaving immediately. “But you just came.” “Yes, and I must leave now to help my sanity in life.” He entered the royal ride and let Baba Niran drive him out. His father was not a poor king. They were wealthy, very wealthy. The ambience of the palace alone wreaked of affluence. The guards, the maids, the properly built mansion that had a gigantic inscription in front of it. It was called the Palace of the ALAPESIN OF APESIN LAND. Notwithstanding, Keshi had to get to Lagos from Ondo right away.The journey wasn’t hectic, it just wasn’t planned and so it got tiring. Keshi sighed once he got home. He had called his woman probably ten times, asking that they talk. She lived with her friend, or maybe friends. It was just always very irregular. Sometimes, it was just a friend and some other times, they could be five, or eight having some sister’s prayer. It was a good way to live, especially because Keshinro had met Jesus and understood what life with Him meant.He pulled over in front of Ifeyinwa’s house. She stood outside waiting for him already. It was almost 8 pm, but then the matter on ground was that urgent. Keshinro came out of the car and hugged his woman. He held her still, trying not to cry. He had just lost his father. That was painful, but what would be more painful would be missing out on marrying the woman he was holding in his arms.“What is it, Keshi?” She asked in her usual caring tone. He said nothing. Ifeyinwa wrapped her hands around her man. She knew something was wrong, but he was not ready to talk about it yet. He sighed, pulled her away from himself gently and rested her body on his car.
“What is going on?”“Kabiyesi, my father, he is dead.” “Oh my God!” Ifeyinwa exclaimed with sympathy in her voice. “This is so disheartening.” She added.’
“Ifeyinwa, I am the heir to my father’s throne and right now, there are a lot of things happening at once.”“Are you breaking up with me?”
“Me? God forbid, no now. Oya calm down.” He told her, gently touching her shoulders.
“Ifeyinwa, we need to be married in a month max. By next week, they are starting propitiations, I don’t know what that means though, but I know they will try to make me king in thirty days max and I need a queen to present to the people…”
“Wait, hold on, just like that?” She asked him, looking confused. “The king cannot be single. They would rather shove a woman down my throat than watch me stay single. I know we were planning this at our own pace initially, but right now, our pace cannot work anymore.”
“So you are saying, we need to be married within thirty days?”
“Yes and no. I need to make this official within seven, within the next seven days.”
“What?!” She exclaimed and kept looking at him. “How? My parents, your people…”
Keshi held her face in his hands and she stopped talking. He was panting even without doing anything strenuous, his eyes were watery and Ifeyinwa knew what it meant. This man needed her to be his wife.
“I know… I know you have never imagined anything like this with me and I must say that I am very sorry. I may even sound selfish with the next things I’m about to say, but Ifeyinwa, please, more than any time in my life right now, I need you. I need your strength, your faith and our God.” He told her. Ifeyinwa looked at the man with tears in her eyes and sighed, and then a nod followed.
“How do we see my parents and your parents in seven days?”“I just have to pay your dowry. We can have the wedding celebration later.”
“We still need to convince them. Only my sisters know about you. That won’t happen in seven days, Keshi.”
“Ifeyinwa, my love, my darling, my heartbeat after God, I know you. You are a prayerful woman. The most prayerful woman I have ever known all my life and you have a gift, it is called faith. You don’t just say it, you act it. Ifeyinwa, the God who has answered us in smaller things will do this one. I believe it.”
“Me too.” She replied and rested her head on his chest. “We have to book a flight to Anambra State, that is where my parents are.
“There would be no need to book a flight. We can take a private jet.” He told her and she looked up to him.“Keshi, how much money do you people have in that kingdom?”
“I don’t know, but we can get a private jet.” He told her and then hugged her. He knew what he was asking for was big, but he wasn’t bothered. The assurance that things would work out made him feel at ease.
“You need at least a kinsman to be present for my father to accept anything from you.” She told him.
“Not to worry, Baba Niran will come with me. He is supposed to be my driver, but he is more than that to me.” He told her and she sighed. It was a done deal.
Have you read the complete story?