POWER

‘Stir the stew properly’ Mama thundered at Bisi which jolted her out of her thoughts.

I know what she was thinking, how could mama throw a feast barely a week after Tadenikawo, our younger brother went missing? Tade was Bisi’s favorite out of the four of us so she had refused to get out of her room in preparation of the feast. Well, until mama chased her out with a hot iron which scalded her thighs.

Iya Sade took a big chunk of meat out of the numerous ones in the basket and exclaimed ‘Iya Bisi, Eran yii dun yato (meaning: iya Bisi, this meat tastes very nice)’. Mama smiled and praised her supplier from the other village for a job well done in sourcing for the meat.

Everyone believed that Tade either got lost in the bush with many trees or drowned at the lake surrounded by evil spirits. Mama decided to go with the later, thereby throwing a feast to appease the gods not to come after her other kids.

Except for me, I know what truly happened. See, Tade was an inquisitive child and after he entered mama’s room and broke her calabash, she had no choice but to cut him up and use in preparing a big feast for the rest of the village. And the villagers are blinded by greed or they would have realized that no livestock has survived in Orita village and the seven villages surrounding it for 13 full moons now.

I tried to open my mouth and spill everything but no words came out. Well, how could they hear me when mama had sacrificed me 3 years ago to acquire her precious calabash of control?

Ps: this is fiction🌚 and lemme know if y’all want more in the comment section ❤️🫶