Palingenesis – Episode 1

Palingenesis is a complete work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and events used in the story are products of the author’s imagination and are therefore fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, events or places is a miracle

By Akpede Isaac Olutosin.

**Present Day (Gwagalada Abuja)***

Good morning class, today you guys are writing your third Eco 103 test, the test itself is 30 marks while attendance is 10 marks. You are required to write in details the basic concepts of demand and supply in relation to what you have learnt so far in my class since the beginning of the semester, you have 30 minutes, do away with all test books and handouts, as soon as you are done with that, you can start. Good luck.

“Nawa to this Professor Edewor sef, na only him sabi set test, since we don start the semester na so so test test everyday Chaii!!!” Ben said to his friend sitting next to him.

“No mind the crazy warri man, no be the same warri una come from.” Isaac replied smiling exposing the gaps in his teeth.

“Wetin you kan mean, una dey craze together.” Ben said looking as if he wants to give Isaac the Superman’s punch.

Ben and Isaac have been friends from childhood, they attended the same primary school, same secondary school and now they are both studying together at the University of Abuja. Ben is a year older than Isaac and he doesn’t fail to rub it in his face at any given opportunity, they are both dark skinned and tall guys of about 6ft plus but Isaac is taller, Isaac is the real definition of a Sexy steel with a very nice stature while Ben on the other hand is more of a macho man with complete abs. They are both 100L students studying economics; it’s barely 3 months since they resumed as jambites but they are already used to the systems like they have been there forever.

Almost 10 minutes gone into the test, the whole class is still as silent as a graveyard, some people are busy writing, some are busy surveying the ceiling. You know what they say about how every other thing suddenly becomes interesting when you are reading or writing a frustrating test.

Prof Edewor was sitting on the window, busy pressing his phone and smiling, rumors have it that he is a womaniser but he has not yet been caught doing it so it’s not a confirmed theory. Prof Edewor should be in his mid 40s, say like 45 or 46 years old, he is of an average height and his popularly know as beard prof because of his long beards, more like what you call beard gang.

“Guy I no even know wetin I wan write oo, you sabi am?” Isaac whispered, Sabi fire, olboi we no fit just jonze 30 marks like this for 3units course oo.”

Ben whispered back. “Wetin we go do now?”

Before Isaac could finish his sentence, Ben shouted;

“Excuse me Sir!” and the whole eyes in the class was diverted to his seat.

“Yes what is it?” Prof Edewor asked still engrossed with his phone.

“Sir this guy is looking at my work” Ben replied.

The whole class started laughing profusely. Isaac was so surprised he couldn’t even mutter a word from his mouth.

“He is looking at your work, and you are Albert Einstein yeah?” Prof Edewor said now looking at him with both the look of surprise and smile on his face. “Anyways what do you want me to do then?” he asked.

“I want to change seats.” Ben replied with all seriousness.

All these while Isaac was still looking around like a lost child.

“Okay that girl over there.” Prof said pointing to the girl at the back seat, “come sit here and you Albert Einstein, go and sit at her place.”

“Guy Wahalai I go ki*ll you if we finish.” Isaac furious and embarrassed.

“Guy rest I don help you now, just pray say the girl sabi the test.” Ben said smiling and walking to the back.

To Ben the girl is taking forever just to stand up and move to his former seat because they only have like 15 minutes more to finish the test. The girl finally got to her new seat and started writing. Isaac realized that the girl has written quite a lot but he was scared the girl might shout on him just as his silly friend just did.

I wasn’t event copying the bas***d.” he murmured.

“Are you talking to me?” the girl asked.

“Yeah. I was asking if you won’t report me if I wanna see the idea in which you are going about the test” Isaac replied smiling sheepishly like the most innocent dude in the school and hoping that she will oblige.

“It’s no problem.” the girl replied.

“Thank you miss…..”

“Miss Clarieta.” the girl cuts in knowing fully well that the dude just wants to know her name.

“Oh Clarieta nice name, I am Isaac and it’s nice meeting you even if it’s not in the best way of meeting a pretty lady like you.”

They both laughed a little and kept on writing.

For like 3 minutes Ben has been thinking about how to get the girl talking so he could start writing the long epistle she has written already and yes he just found a way.

“Ejiro’ Ben called out softly.

“Yeah. And how do you know my name?” she asked with the ‘wtf’ look on her face.

“Over there.” Ben replied pointing to her answer script. “you must be an urhobo girl?”

“ Yes and how did you know that.” Ejiro almost screaming and her face full of smiles now.

“I am an Urhobo boy, my native name is Oghenetegah” Ben replied.

“And your English name is Albert Einstein.” Ejiro joked. They kept on smiling and talking while Ben was using gbejero eye to spy her test.

Prof Edewor was so dedicated to what he was doing on his phone that he didn’t realize that the

deadline time he gave has already passed.

“Submit to your class-rep immediately and class-rep I want the scripts on my table before I get to my office this minute, Good day y’all.” Prof walked out of the class.

The whole class was now like a market place because people were rushing to submit to the class-rep who is now at the door, after Ben and Ejiro submitted their scripts, he was about to ask Ejiro to walk him down to the cafeteria when he saw Isaac running down to where he was, he also took to his heels as fast as he could.

These two friends will never stop running after each other every day, they are both crazy. I envy their friendship were the words people are just saying as they are been entertained by the 2 jolly friends.

*Unknown date (An unknown village) **

“I really don’t like how the elders are leaving us the youth out of the kingdom’s matter, they just make all the decisions among themselves.” Ajadi speaking to his friend.

“Don’t mind them, in matters like this they will act like our opinions doesn’t matter, but when it resolves into war they will now start persuading us to go to war.” Adisa replied.

Ajani and Adisa who are now best of friends were once sworn enemies, they were always finding a reason to wrestle with each other but when the war broke out 3 seasons ago, the whole village begged them to unite in order to fight as one and ever since then they have been best of friends. Yes the war has been over for quite a while now, the Ikereku’s soldiers led by Ajadi and Adisa conquered Oleyo village. It was indeed a bloody war, they lost their friends and warriors in the war but the one that is most painful to them was Adamu’s death. He sacrificed his life for his beloved village and it was his death that increased the adrenaline and morale of the Ikereku soldiers which enabled them to win the war. How he made the sacrifice is a story for anotheranother day.

Ajadi and Adisa are still busy talking about sentiments and selfish interest of the elders as they walk through the part that leads to the village stream, they were now close to the the stream when they saw something that seem very strange to them, a young maiden of about 21 years old was dancing and singing at the bank of the river, she was so into the dance that she didn’t notice that she now has company.

Ajadi and Adisa were first held back with surprise but they later summoned courage as a warrior that they are.

“Maiden why are you dancing alone at the stream?” Adisa called out but the girl didn’t even look at them or stop dancing, she kept humming some strange sounds. They didn’t know if she didn’t hear them or she just chose to ignore them.

“ Young lady.” Adisa shouted on top of his voice this time but there was still no response from the lady.

Ajadi walked close to her and tapped her at the back, that was when the girl jerked like she just regained consciousness, she looked and saw the two of them staring at her like she was a ghost, without saying a word and with immediate alacrity, she just bent down, fetched water into her calabash then ran out of their presence.

“What kind of a strange girl is that?” Ajadi asked after a long silence after the girl left.

“Ohh that one? Please just leave that one with her problem, we have our own problem too.” Adisa replied nonchalantly.

“Problem, do you know her?” Ajadi questioned back.

“Yeah the girl is an orphan, she has no sisters, no brothers, no friends but she has uncles but they don’t want anything to do with her.” Adisa said as they both settled down on a little rock.

“Why would her uncles abandon her?” Ajadi asked.

“ Rumours has it that she is a spirit girl, emere to be precise.” Adisa replied.

“Emereeeee.” Ajadi stressed.

(An emere, in traditional Yoruba culture, is a child who can travel between the spiritual and physical world at will.)