The community was nothing like Ife had imagined. People were everywhere, talking, walking around, carrying things on their heads, calling out to one another from short distances, and going about their daily activities.
Ife kept turning her head from side to side, trying to look at everything at once. At some point, she slowed down twice without even realizing she had been staring for too long, and both times, Wura had to reach back and pull her forward so they could continue their journey.
Ife suddenly stopped, staring in utter disbelief at a woman balancing a pot of water on her head.
“How does she keep it from falling?” she asked, turning to face Wura. “She isn’t even supporting it with her hand, yet she’s walking so confidently.”
Wura looked at the woman, then back at Ife. “That’s just how it’s done,” she said. “Why are you reacting like this? It’s not like she’s doing anything extraordinary.”
———
THE OLUMIRI MARKET.
Their route to the festival ground passed through the market, giving Ife a wider view of the community and exposing her to many things she had never experienced before.
They moved past different vendors, with Wura walking ahead while Ife trailed behind at a slower pace. As they approached a table, Wura slowed down when something on a vendor’s display caught her attention.
Among the other items on the table was a long, beautifully crafted hair pendant. It had a smooth finish, with a small design set into its surface.
Wura stood in front of the table for a moment, then picked up the pendant to take a closer look. It brought back memories of her long hair before it was cut. She had always wanted to braid it with something like this, but there was no point thinking about hair that was already gone.
She was still holding the pendant when the seller stepped closer. “It is a fine pendant,” the seller said, glancing toward Ife and assuming she was Wura’s lover.
“Your girl has such nice hair,” the seller continued. “Something like this pendant or the other one would suit her well, depending on your budget.”
Wura immediately looked up at the seller. He had clearly assumed she was a man shopping for his companion, which only confirmed how convincing her disguise was.
Wura set the pendant back down carefully. “How much is it?” she asked.
The vendor stated the price, and it was quite expensive. She didn’t have any money on her, though she wished she could buy it and keep it for a day when she would be free to let her hair grow long and feminine again.
“I am not with my money now,” Wura said quietly. “But I will come back for it on my way back.”
She moved away from the table and walked a short distance back to pull Ife, who had been distracted by the atmosphere of the market. Then they continued on their journey.
THE FESTIVAL GROUND.
The festival ground was large and filled with people jubilating, clapping, and dancing. More people kept joining the celebration, until farmers and traders arrived and blended into the crowd.
Ife was shocked; she had never seen anything this exciting in her life. Performers stood in the open space at the center, while the crowd cheered them on as they entertained everyone.
Wura watched Ife for a moment. The happiness on Ife’s face was bright, full, and contagious. She was glad she had brought her along to experience it, glad to see her step away from boredom and into something so alive.
Whatever fear she had once felt about her father’s warning had faded completely; all she wanted now was to enjoy the moment.
———
Not far from where they stood, a small group of soldiers moved slowly through the crowd, occasionally stopping to show a folded drawing to people nearby.
After each display, they would ask if anyone had seen the person in it or knew someone named Remi. Most people shook their heads and said they didn’t, but the search continued the same way.
While the celebration went on, Ife walked away into the crowd without Wura noticing. When Wura realized she was no longer beside her, she panicked and began looking around, afraid of losing her in such a large gathering.
She began searching frantically for Ife and was relieved when she finally spotted her standing with a small group of boys near the outer edge of the crowd.
They were playing some kind of game that involved a lot of movement and noise, and Ife, the only girl among them, was right in the middle of it, completely at ease as she laughed with the opposite genders.
“What do you think you are doing?” Wura asked as soon as she got close, dragging her away.
Ife looked at her, clearly surprised by her reaction. “We were only playing.”
“I know, but you can’t keep doing that,” Wura said. “I know they seemed friendly, but you don’t know these people. Not everyone who looks friendly is safe, and you can’t tell the difference yet because you’ve never had to live among people or learn it. Humans are not all good; some hearts are dangerous.”
Ife was quiet for a moment, then she nodded.
“Don’t move away from me again,” Wura continued. “We have to stay close so we don’t end up searching for each other.”
They went back into the crowd together, and the celebration continued around them. A storyteller was now performing, and the crowd was completely absorbed, captivated by his storytelling prowess.
The storyteller was an older man, and he stood confidently at the center of the gathering before the crowd.
“Dead and living as one,” he called out loudly for everyone to hear. “That is the story I have come to tell today. Does anyone here know what it means?”
A few people in the crowd responded, but none of their answers were close. The storyteller smiled and waited for the noise to settle before continuing.
“Dead and living as one,” he repeated. “That is the name of the story I bring to you today. And it is the story of a prince.”
The crowd was fully quiet now.
“This was not just any prince,” the storyteller continued. “He was the kind of prince a kingdom prays for. He was lively, generous, loved by the people, and genuinely kind. The prince was the only heir to his father’s throne, and the people rejoiced knowing that when the time came, a good man would rule them.”
“But then, the greed and ill intentions of certain men turned the prince into a thorn in the eyes of those around him. His peace was taken from him, his state of mind changed, and before he could harm the people he once loved, he was locked away and separated from the rest of the palace. He never truly got to enjoy his life as a prince, because most of it was spent behind closed doors, and one day he came very close to death itself.”
