Once
upon a time, not too long ago, though. I was yet young, and had accompanied mom
to our local market. Mom, unlike she’s fond of doing, had taken me along so she
could buy me fanciful wrist-watch of my choice for my birthday. She so much
prides in my taste for voguish watches and bands.
Soon
after we arrived to the market, and had just bought my watch, lo, some
abominable creatures emerged from the bush-road world of the people deceiving
people. Their bodies were adorned “bala-bala (chameleonic) orange color” like the
mysterious “orange men” of the Crush-Pepsi. Each of them held an “omoin” (sweet
cake) in hand.
Panic
and commotion broke out in the market. Everyone began running away. I was yet
looking, and drawing close to these figures, and in my child-like manner
asking ‘em question: “c’mon, Odudu,
oyoyo (masquerade, hi), what, in hell, are you wanna do to us?; until mom
shouted: “Deola, this ain’t something you get inquisitive about! Ma pami lekun
(don’t make me bereaved)! She grabbed hold of me, swung me onto her arms; hah!
O di bi oolo, yago funmi! Ki oju ma ri’bi, ese loogun re! (If you can’t run,
yield for me! For eyes not to see evil, the leg is the antidote!)
Everybody
having run some few yards away, stopped, and began gazing back from afar to see
what would happen. The Odudu men began in a sweet occult song matched with
acrobatic dance steps:
“Talo
fe j'omoin o?
(Who‘ll
eat cake)
CHORUS:
Omoin!
E
wa gb’omoin je;
(Come
eat cake)
CHORUS:
Omoin!
Omoin
dun nje o;
(Cake
is sweet)
CHORUS:
Omoin!”
As
the song and dance progress, uncle Doyin and uncle Abati, lo, in their fullest
speed, were racing nearer, so they could get their share of “omoin” from the
Odudu. They retorted in the Odudu song:
“Alagemo,
fun wa lo’moin je;
(Chameleon,
give us cake)
CHORUS:
Sweet omoin!
A
wa lati wa gbomoin je o;
(We’ve
come to eat cake)
CHORUS:
Sweet omoin!
“Alagemo,
fun wa lo’moin je;
(Chameleon,
give us cake)
CHORUS:
Sweet omoin!”
“Eewooo
(abomination), Doyin, Abati, eniyan nromi je omoin, romi redi di alagemo o! (Ijebu
language: Whoever would eat sweet cake, should be ready to become chameleon o!)
Go back!! You’d be initiated into the cult!!!” The elders’ bystanders had
intercepted and cautioned uncle Doyin and Abati.
“Not
for us, sir! Endeavor to safe your admonition for your sons.” Both of them had
insulted the elders. “Omoin is a sweet food, and we would get it from these
Odudus, whatever the consequence is.”
They
went to meet with the Odudu o; but after which they returned, and ain’t never
been normal people in our community o.
Half body of uncle Doyin has ever since become “bala-bala orange color like the
“orange men” of the Crush-Pepsi. Uncle Abati’s mouth, each time he opens up,
crap of lies and malformation ooze out like water poured into a basket.
=DEOLA.
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