Moremi's escape 2

Chapter Two

"It's happening today. Yes, it has to happen today," Moremi reassured herself as she set the water pitcher down in front of the room assigned to her and three other wives of Dadeyemi. She separated the water into portions and had just begun washing when Baderin, Dadeyemi’s latest addition, approached. She was young, probably in her late teens. A strikingly pretty, dark-skinned girl with a gentle face, marred only by the black eye and busted lip Dadeyemi had inflicted on her two nights ago.

"Stand up, you witch!" Dadeyemi had bellowed that night, striking her once more. "How many times do I have to tell you not to speak or sing in a language I don't understand?" His voice had rung through the chamber.

"I’m going to kill you, you ungrateful witch!" he shouted, kicking her repeatedly until he ran out of breath. leaving her broken body, half-conscious on the ground. Yet here she was now, seemingly untouched by the past, except for the lingering fragility in her movements. She was new to this—barely two weeks into her captivity compared to Moremi, who had endured three years of this life.

Baderin sat on the empty stool beside her, crossing her legs slightly over it. Moremi continued washing, pretending not to see her.

"She must be sizing me up," Moremi thought. "Trying to decide if she can trust me. And I understand—she’d be foolish not to. This palace is a den of thieves and backstabbers, where women would do anything to gain Dadeyemi’s favor. How does she see me? Do my dark brown skin and sharp eyes hint at my defiance? Or does my long plaited hair, slim face, and deep red lips betray my strength, speaking instead of the soft royal upbringing I left behind?"Her thoughts danced in her head until Baderin finally spoke.

"Good afternoon, ma."

"Good afternoon," Moremi replied. "How are you settling in?" Baderin adjusted her blouse to cover her bruised skin. "I'm trying," she said in a low, breaking voice. "I miss home. Today would have been my sister’s wedding."

Moremi paused before responding. "Oh really? What is she like?"

"She looks a lot like you," Baderin replied. "Braids her hair in straight lines like yours. Her name is Desola. I bet she misses me." She forced a smile, but Moremi could see the ocean of sorrow roaring beneath it. Baderin pressed her nails into her palm, grounding herself before asking: "What about you?"

"What about me?" Moremi asked cautiously.

"Where are you from?"

Moremi hesitated. She knew exactly where she was from, but on a day like today—when she planned to escape—it wasn’t safe to share too much. She had spent months memorizing the tunnels that ran beneath the rock enclosing Ugbo village, making it an inescapable fortress. She had studied the guards' night patterns, packed only the essentials, and, right now, she was washing for appearance's sake. In her mind, she was already past the compound, beyond the farm fields, through the tunnels, across the forest, and finally past the river to the east into her freedom.

"I'm from Ile-Ife," she finally answered, keeping it vague. But she couldn't push away the image of her husband’s face. "I had a husband," she murmured, almost to herself. "I see him and my little son, Olu, every night in my dreams, calling me home."

"What did he do?" Baderin asked.

"He was a warrior in Ile-Ife. A good one," Moremi answered, a soft smile forming.

“I hope you get to see them again” Baderin said

"Hope is a dangerous thing to have here” Moremi said, reliving the pain she felt in her heart every morning she woke up here “so be careful who you trust. This place is full of green snakes in green grass." For the first time since their conversation began, Baderin smiled—a radiant, breathtaking smile.

"Hopefully I can trust you" I need a friend."

                                                                                              ….

The half-moon claimed its place in the sky and Ugbo village fell dead silent, except for Dadeyemi’s snoring—a deep, grinding sound like rocks rubbing together—Moremi made her move. She slipped out from beneath her wrapper and reached for the small cloth bag she had stashed away—food, medicine, and water packed carefully for the journey back home.

Avoiding the sleeping women, she tiptoed into the moonlit compound. This was her moment. Swiftly, she cut across the courtyard and moved past the compound entrance. She knew the night watchers would be patrolling the far side of the village at this hour, so she hurried across the village square, pausing briefly as two guards passed.

"Compound, farm, tunnels, forest, river," she whispered to herself, recalling the path to safety. She had seen many escapes. None had reached the river before the dogs caught them. She had once watched a boy’s hands get chopped off and fed to the beasts as a warning to the others. Her heart pounded as she neared the farm field, ready to disappear into the crops. But just as she was about to slip in, she collided with a guard.

"Hey!" he shouted.

"He wasn’t supposed to be here," she thought.

She jumped at him, knocking him down, fists flying. He caught her punches and returned his. Then, in a swift movement, he pulled out a knife and plunged it into her lower abdomen. Moremi gasped, swallowing the pain. He shoved her off to the ground, he stood up and watched her groaning on the ground, and as though he finally made up his mind he started unfastening his shorts when—

CRACK!

Baderin appeared from the shadows and smashed a rock against his head. He crumpled instantly.

Moremi struggling to sit up asked "What are you doing here?"

"I saw you leave and followed you," Baderin answered breathlessly. "What are you doing?"

"I'll explain later— but we need to move." Moremi answered as she grabbed Baderin's hand, who pulled her to her feet, 

"Is he dead?" Moremi asked 

Baderin stared at the bleeding guard. "I...I don’t know."

"I have an escape planned , but we need to get to the tunnels—fast. he blew his whistle earlier, so they would soon be on our tails." Moremi said as she led Baderin straight for the tunnels.