Chapter 3: Naming Ceremony and First Schemes

Newborn pikin na to sleep, sleep, sleep. Dream sweet like palmwine for new yam festival. Every small sound be music for ear.

On my third day naming, I wake as bitter taste full my mouth. Ptooey—wetin be this? E bitter, get strange smell.

Nurse wey dey carry me dey shake. "Little princess, she—she no wan drink milk. Maybe dem put medicine inside."

I open eyes, but everywhere blur. I dey see shadow like masquerade for moonlight, but I sabi my people voice.

One person with bright yellow cloth carry me, voice cold: "Carry her comot—no, send her out of palace. Bring another nurse."

Ah, palace wahala don start, I feel am for my bone.

Maybe na blood join us, I just know say na my papa love pikin pass him life.

I blow bubble, use small hand try hold his beard, wan see him face well, check if my fortune-telling still dey work. But I too small, eye still dey weak.

Oba Adeyemi, as he feel me dey lively, him heart soft. He almost announce for ground say I be Crown Princess.

Chief Steward Musa rush beg: "Your Majesty, abeg no do am!"

"Why? Na my sweat I use get this kingdom, why I no go give my pikin? Make I go adopt one of those lazy family boys instead?"

Him voice thunder, even my small hand tremble. If dem allow am, he fit shout kingdom scatter.

"Princess bloodline too strong. For my place, dem dey talk say new pikin no dey fit hide big luck. I just dey fear… e fit bring wahala for Her Highness."

I tilt my head, dey try see who dey talk. Ah, still no clear.

"Leave am." The Oba wey no dey believe all those talk finally keep paper. "When my pikin grow well, I go arrange road for her."

That time, I no know say papa don make big decision wey go shake everywhere.

Palace never get better news for years. Even though I just be small princess, third day naming na big event.

People dey throw copper and silver coin inside my bath basin. As I hear the sound, my mouth dey water. The coins shine like new yam festival, everybody dey wish for long life and luck.

Plenty money o.

Because my body still small, mind childish, I tire, dey spit milk anyhow. Palace maid laugh, say I get spirit of stubborn goat.

Oba Adeyemi dey turn round in worry. "E be like say pikin dey sick?"

He pinch face, dey frown as if he fit chase sickness with eye.

Grandma, the Queen Mother, wey sabi, put coral necklace for my neck, remind am, "Oba, maybe the pikin dey miss her mama. Carry her go see the Queen."

Her eye soft, smile like say I be gold. She brush my cheek with old finger, whisper prayer in Yoruba.

The old woman, as she old reach, just wan pamper grandchildren. She don donate plenty offering for church, dey pray for Oba to get pikin. Now prayer don work, happiness full her body. She dey give staff and choir extra money, say na thanksgiving time.