GIVE TO CEASER WHAT BELONGS TO CEASER 6- BY DAVIES SEUN

"Hmmmnn… Something is wrong somewhere," the chief priest tells Ada's mum when they got inside the house that sheltered them from the heavy rain that suddenly followed the violent storms.

"The gods of the land have accepted this marriage, but there's still something off."

"What could that be, chief priest?" Ada's mum asked curiously.

"I sense something very strong in my spirit.

Years back, when you were in need of a child, I remember telling you to be patient, that God will work in ways you do not expect. Can you remember that time?" the chief priest asked her.

"Yes, I can remember clearly, sir!" Ada's mum replied.

"But did you by any means consult any other source for the blessings of a child?"

"Uhmmmmn… I… I… I…" Ada's mum stuttered. She slowly removed the gele on her head

"I guess I was impatient," Ada's mum said, feeling remorseful.

"Which confirms the fact that you did," the chief priest concluded.

"You know there are two ways about it; you have to give something in return for the blessings of the child."

"Yes, sir. We have been rendering yearly sacrifices to express gratitude."

"And you didn't skip any particular year?" the chief priest asked.

Memory flashed to the time they postponed the date they were meant to offer a sacrifice to the river goddess and eventually never did.

"Oh… oh… we forgot to do that this year, chief priest."

"What are we going to do now?"

Ada's dad, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, chipped in.

"I hope the river goddess is not angry with us?" he asked nervously.

"It definitely is, and this is why we experienced huge turbulence during the ceremony program. It might eventually lead to more havoc if we are not careful. We ought to give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar to prevent situations like this from reoccurring," the chief priest mentioned.

"Nobody is above any mistake, chief priest. We definitely didn't intentionally skip the sacrifice," Mama Ada tried to defend.

"When you went to seek the blessings of the river goddess for a child, I’m sure that was certainly not a mistake too. And you didn’t know it would come with a price?" the chief priest asked.

"So it's your cross now to bear."

"I should take my leave," the chief priest said.

"Don't leave us to this alone. We know it's our cross to bear, but please kindly proffer a solution for us. And how can we end this totally, so they can both enjoy a peaceful marriage?"

"Hmmmn…"He cleared his throat, then continued.

"I will see what we can do to it. Before nightfall, ensure you render the usual sacrifice to the river goddess. And for the rituals to stop, the bride and the groom would have to come and see me in my house on Saturday."

After this was said, the Otunba family followed the instructions of the chief priest. They made their usual sacrifice to appease the river goddess before nightfall. They also met the priest to receive his blessings and prayers to ensure the peacefulness of the marriage between the newly wedded couple.

(The End)

© DAVIES SEUN

- Nigeria