The Witch, the Warrior and the Wedding

ABISOLA Titi never saw when Bisi caught her trail. She had noticed Titi smiling and fidgeting the night before. The next morning, Bisi waited. It was barely cockcrow when Adewale Akinsola arrived riding a big black horse. Bisi watched Titi sneak her way out through the window to meet him. Bisi could not believe her eyes. The son of Oluwafemi Akinsola was right outside their doorstep, and he had come for Titi. Titi was a smiling maiden, but to Bisi’s utter shock, so was Adewale. His smile glowed even brighter. He was happy. _With Titi? thought Bisi. How?_ She watched as the two of them drew closer, slowly, awkwardly, their eyes glued to each other. Bright smiles lighting up their faces. Adewale reached a hand toward Titi. Titi took it. He reached out his other hand, and Titi placed her fingers around his. Bisi almost gasped audibly. The mango tree barely concealed her, aided by the early morning darkness. Fortunately, they were far too distracted to notice her. She watched on. Wale still held the horse by the reins while Titi rubbed its stomach. Their meeting was brief, but the glitter in their eyes made it worthwhile. _They were clearly in love,_ Bisi concluded. Not only was Titi in love with him, but there was something about the way Adewale looked at Titi that convinced Bisi that he was also in love with her. _Quite the situation they find themselves in. Heartbreak is looming for sure._ Adewale leapt onto the horse. He waved goodbye and trotted away. Titi looked on. He looked back. They locked eyes. Smiles. Then he galloped out of sight. _He loves her,_ Bisi thought. _The lips may lie, but the eyes do not._ But why? Why was he still betrothed to her sister? Bisi narrowly missed the arrow of Titi’s gaze as she made her way back, staring into the point where Adewale had vanished. Bisi had been able to pick up part of their conversation, the most important part being the scheduled meeting at “our special place.” Bisi was insatiably curious. What would they discuss? What would happen? The thought of it preoccupied her mind. Even while she swept, she was mindless, sweeping empty air and missing mounds of leaves, nearly tripping in the process. She decided her curiosity had to be soothed. She would follow them. So she became Titi’s shadow. From the market to the riverside, Bisi was never far behind. She leapt behind people, rocks, trees—anything to keep herself from being seen. She tiptoed behind Titi, past the rush of streams and the chatter of people carrying pots of water, over the potsherds of the streets, past empty street lamps until she saw Adewale receive her. Together they walked. She nearly lost sight of them at a narrow bend around a wooded area until she luckily glimpsed two figures at the foot of a hill, about to ascend. She momentarily lost sight of them as she clambered up the slope of the hill until at last they came into view once she touched the summit. They were shoulder to shoulder when she glimpsed them, taking in the Walli Ille cityscape below them. Bisi’s eyes glittered, awestruck. She could see practically the entirety of the city. Carvers’ Corner decorated the scenery with rising tendrils of smoke from smelting furnaces. The Odo-Ayé stream snaked its way through the city like a glistening serpent, emptying into the Adagun Ayo lake below. Bisi’s breath paused. The House of Orunmila colonized a portion of the scenery. It stood tall and proud and ancient. Bisi sighted the Ikanni Ọba canal, with bare-chested men rowing colorful canoes. People looked barely larger than ants from this distance. Even bronze Jogunomi of Kurunmi was barely a speck in her vision. She inhaled, the chill of the high-altitude winds caressing her nostrils. She exhaled, and a gentle mist materialized before her face. She could see. Walli Ille was so vast that not all of it was contained in sight. She sighted Shaka Hill, capped with Ogun’s shrine; the humble Aafin; rows of houses and huts; some Karnakian remnants; palaces capped with gold; vast carpets of greenery spread over the earth; farmers busy with the harvest. Her breath returned. She continued to study Titi and Adewale Akinsola. She tiptoed over rock and stick and settled behind a tree. Their voices were now within earshot. Her ears twitched. She could hear Adewale Akinsola speak. “Tunji still insists that the battle was far too easily won.” “What do you think?” Titi asked. “Personally, I don’t know.” He shifted. “The north attacked. They fought. They lost. That’s what it looked like to me. Bala the Butcher quite clearly tried his best, and he was bested.” “So do you think the Northern Prince was foolish after all?” Titi asked. “Tunji must have had geni—” “Look, Titi, I really don’t know.” His voice was tinged slightly with frustration. “Tunji thought it was too easy. Yetunde thought it was to be expected. The north attacked, we repelled them with minimal losses. What else is there to ponder about?” He rose. “Listen, Titi.” He bent. “Listen, Titi, I didn’t call you here to review the battle with Zonan.” He squatted. “I called you here because I wanted to see you. To talk to you.” He was smiling now. Bisi could not see Titi’s face, but she knew the girl would be smiling now. Titi was quiet for a while. The winds whistled. Leaves rustled. Silence hung in the air. WAdewale gently paced forward, his hands behind his back, fidgety. He’s nervous? Bisi shivered from shock. _Adewale Akinsola is nervous? Because of Titi?_ He turned and made his way back to Titi. She lifted her head, and her gaze met his. Titi rose. Bisi could not hear Titi’s heartbeat, so her own heart boomed in its stead. Adewale Akinsola took both of Titi’s hands into his and drew her close. “Titi…” He gulped. Bisi struggled to soothe her oscillating body. Adewale stepped closer, his eyes sinking into Titi’s. “Betrothals do not always see their course into marriage.” Titi shivered. “What do you mean?” Wale’s forehead glistened with perspiration. “When our fathers arranged my betrothal, they never mentioned who I was betrothed to. Ronke or you. But it was just assumed. Ronke and I were betrothed by default because assumptions—your mother’s assumption—deemed you unqualified.” His voice was breaking. “Our parents met and everyone decided Ronke would be my bride. But the thing is, Titi…” He took a breath. Bisi’s ears widened. “I love you.” He said it. Titi shook. Bisi shook. The winds shook. The leaves shook. Titi stood. Adewale stood. As if she had not heard him the first time, he said it again. “I love you. I want to marry you.” Bisi watched. They were in each other’s eyes. Titi was wordless. Her demeanour did the talking. A smile, then an averted gaze, a reverted gaze, a shiver, an almost audible sigh, and then a lengthy breath. Wale watched her, anticipation anchored in his pupils. Titi settled her body. Eyes closed. Her hands were still enveloped in his. She opened her eyes. Momentarily, she went silent. Her expression became calm, and finally, she looked him in the eye and spoke. “No, Adewale Akinsola. I will not marry you.” It took Bisi all the resolve she could muster to keep her mouth closed and her feet on the ground. But her heart leapt and her soul screamed regardless. She watched Wale’s expression stir—raised eyebrows, wide eyes, lips parted by shock. “Titi… I… Bu… Wh…” He fumbled the words. “Do not call off your wedding.” Titi gave a forced smile. “I wish you happiness.” She withdrew her hands from his grasp and skipped away. “Wait… Titi!” Wale screamed. Titi did not stop. _I see,_ thought Bisi, fighting tears. _Titi chose her sister._ Bisi bit her lips. Once Wale finally found the strength to descend the hill, Bisi made her way home. She found Titi seated with a book at her breast. A lone tear travelled down her cheek. “Why?” asked Bisi. A startled Titi shivered and rubbed the tear from her cheek. “Oh, Bisi.” She sat up. “I didn’t see you come in. Where were you?” “Why did you say no?” Bisi clenched her fist. “What… What are you talking—” “Don’t you dare try to fool me. Why did you say no to Adewale Akinsola?” The book tumbled down. Titi’s lips quivered. There were tears in her eyes. “How—” “I followed you. Now answer me.” Tears streamed down Bisi’s cheeks. Titi was wordless. “Answer me.” Titi ran into Bisi’s arms. Both girls were crying.

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