OBAYANA
KING OF FIRE
Along time ago in a country known as Nigeria lived a boy
named Obayana.
Obayana’s village was in the grasslands near the woods of
Northwestern Nigeria not far from the Niger River. Obayana was 12 years old, he
was now a man as far as the Yoruba people were concerned and must take the test
of manhood and this test was to take place today.
Obayana was to spend 3 days alone in the woods with only his
spear, his bow, his knife made of ivory, fresh water carried in a pouch made of
goat skin and a grass mat. Obayana spent all of yesterday preparing for this
day making sure his spear, his bow and his knife were in excellent condition
for his journey. Now, as the sun was beginning to rise, it was time for him to
go. His father and the other elders of the village came to see him off. No
words passed between them, there was no need, all had been said in the months
preceding this day. Obayana’s father laid his hand on Obayana’s shoulder,
glanced up at the sun and nodded. Obayana put his hand over his father’s, took
a deep breath, exhaled it and then ran off towards the woods to the south. He
did not look back to see his father smiling or to see that behind that smile
was the look of a man who was never going to see his son again.
Obayana ran and ran, deep into the woods. He knew the woods,
he knew its sounds, and he knew its feel for he had been taught this knowing by
his father. He ran until he could run no more and until he knew he had gone too
far to turn back, and then he stopped. After taking a small drink from his
pouch and securing the cap tightly, Obayana began his search for a safe place
to set up camp. He found the perfect spot beneath a large hausa-rukubun turawa
tree, on each side of the tree was underbrush which formed a semi-circle with
an opening like a doorway. Obayana flattened the long grass inside the
semi-circle with his feet and laid his mat down at the base of the
hausa-rukubun turawa tree then he set out in search of wood for a fire. He
gathered up large branches and dry grass for his fire, bundled them up with the
cord he had used to tie up his grass mat and returned to his camp. He put the
bundle just inside the semi-circle door and with his hands began to dig a pit,
for a fire, a safe distance from the semi-circle of underbrush but close enough
so he could watch and tend to it. Obayana dug his pit and cleared away the grass
around it to keep the fire from spreading. Then he laid some grass and wood
into the pit the way his father had shown him and when he was satisfied that he
had prepared for his fire properly he set out in search of food. Obayana was a
good hunter, his arrows seldom missed their mark and it was not long before
Obayana returned to his camp with two pigeons for his dinner. He laid the
pigeons down next to his fire pit and set to lighting his fire. Using two
stones he had found while hunting Obayana sparked the dry grass in his pit,
blew on the spot where the fire had taken and the grass began to burn. The
burning grass set the wood ablaze and soon Obayana had his fire to cook his
meal. Obayana looked and found a suitable branch and fashioned it into a skewer
to put the pigeons on and hold them over the fire to cook. He plucked the
feathers from the pigeons, severed the heads, removed the insides and skewered
them. When the flames of the fire had died down he held the pigeons over the
hot coals and cooked them the way his father and mother had shown him.
Obayana had eaten pigeon many times before but these pigeons
tasted better than any he had ever had, he knew it was because this time he had
hunted, killed, prepared and cooked them all on his own and all these things
added to the flavour and enjoyment of this meal. When he had finished eating
Obayana threw all but two of the pigeon bones into the fire, the heads he had
already burned, added more wood and checked to see that the fire would be
safely contained. He entered the doorway of the semi-circle of underbrush,
walked to his mat, laid down facing the doorway so he could watch the fire and
thanked Olorun for this day. As Obayana gazed upon the fire he had a vision. In
this vision Obayana saw his people running as if being chased, he then saw them
all gathered together as if bound and there were huge shadows looming over
them, then he saw his father who turned to look at him and his father gave the
sign of farewell. Obayana came to with a start and scurried toward the doorway
but he stopped himself before passing through it. Obayana remained just inside
the doorway and righted himself. He knew what he had seen in the vision was
true, his people had been taken, they were gone; he also knew he had two more
days left of his test and he must not leave.
Obayana checked again to make sure the fire was contained,
walked back to his mat, laid down facing the doorway and again thanked Olorun
for this day and asked Olorun to keep his people safe wherever they were. Obayana
closed his eyes and went to sleep. He slept the way he had been taught, a sleep
where the body rests but the senses are aware of what is around them, one cannot
be taken by surprise in this kind of sleep. Obayana rose twice during the night
to tend the fire and then he rose again with the sun.
On his second day alone in the woods Obayana cleaned out and
buried what remained in the fire pit and set up for a new fire. He then tended
to the task he was to complete before returning to the village. Obayana was to
find and collect seven medicinal plants and be prepared to identify them and
tell of their uses when he returned home. Obayana knew there would be no one
there when he returned to his village but he also knew he had to complete his
task and so he did. Obayana found and gathered seven plants and brought them to
his camp, he identified each one and spoke their uses as he did. He bundled
them up with cord he fashioned from long grass, placed them next to his mat and
covered them with grass to protect them and keep them moist. Obayana walked
through the doorway of the semi-circle, looked up at the sky, nodded his head
and went to hunt. It was not long before Obayana came back with two more
pigeons. He prepared the fire and the pigeons just as he had done the previous
day but this time the pigeon did not taste as good. The taste of sadness was in
Obayana’s mouth and it mingle with the taste of the pigeon, at times Obayana
had trouble swallowing for the sadness was like a lump in his throat
threatening to choke him. Obayana forced himself to eat, he knew he must, not
to eat is to die and he would not let the sadness take his life. When he
finished his meal Obayana threw all but two of the pigeon bones into the fire,
he had already burned the heads, added more wood and checked to see that the
fire would be safely contained. He entered the doorway of the semi-circle of
underbrush, walked to his mat, laid down facing the doorway so he could watch
the fire and thanked Olorun for this day. As Obayana gazed upon the fire he had
a vision. In this vision Obayana saw his village, there was a man who looked
like one of his people standing next to the huge fire pit at the centre of the
village, the man turned and looked at Obayana and gave the beckoning sign.
Obayana came to, not with a start this time, but with a
sense of understanding. At dawn he would head back to his village. Obayana lay
on his mat, closed his eyes and slept. He slept the way he had been taught, a
sleep where the body rests but the senses are aware of what is around them, one
cannot be taken by surprise in this kind of sleep. Obayana rose twice during
the night to tend the fire and then he rose again with the sun.
On his third day alone in the woods Obayana cleaned out and
buried what remained in the fire pit, filled the pit in using his hands and
prepared for the journey home. He gathered up the plants he had collected and
placed them on his mat along with the two stones he had found. He rolled up the
mat with the plants and stones inside and tied it with the cord. He picked up
the mat, his bow, his spear, his knife, and his water pouch and walked through
the doorway of the semi-circle of underbrush. Obayana paused, looked up at the
sky, took a deep breath, exhaled it, nodded his head and then ran off towards
his village to the north. He ran and ran, out of the woods. He knew the woods,
he knew its sounds, and he knew its feel for he had been taught this knowing by
his father. Obayana ran until he came in sight of his village, and then he
stopped. He paused for a moment and set himself right then he walked to his
village prepared for whatever may come.
To be continued.......
(To the readers of this story, there is an ending and if you desire to know it click on the "comment" area below and leave your contact info. and I will e- mail you the ending. A small donation will be required.)
Sincerely;
Jane
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