Chapter 2: War News and Broken Calabash

Few months pass. Mama send me go palace go visit my sister, Queen Morayo. Alaafin dey there too. Suddenly, urgent news land: Balogun Sunkanmi don lose for Ogbomoso, dey run with the small people wey remain to guard Iseyin. As I hear am, I still shock inside. [As I talk, e still lose.]

Then I hear something break; I look, na Alaafin stand up sharp, face white, calabash don scatter for ground. "Call all the chiefs, make we talk!" Just drop the talk, Alaafin rush comot, still add: "Akinwale, follow come listen!" Oya, na you be king, na you dey decide. I follow my sister leave quick quick.

That kind news dey always turn palace upside down. Once you hear calabash don break, people go say abomination. Some elders go start to whisper, children go dey fear. For my mind, I dey count how many times I don hear calabash break this year alone. Na bad sign for Yoruba palace. But my own na to keep head low, follow quietly, dey observe.

But as we dey speed enter Ibadan bush, the sound of distant drums still dey chase my soul—who know if tomorrow go meet us alive?