Memoires

I remember my childhood. When talking to our parents could be done without reserve. I remember that we had adults available to us. We could tell them exactly what we wanted and be guided aright.
I remember my father coming home to tell us bone chilling stories of his youth and how life in our remote village was. We looked forward to the After dinner period because Father never failed to regale us with stories. One of those stories came to my mind when I saw the Night market traders in Yaba. As one of Father's stories goes. Ire is an hunter of repute in Odo-iwoye Kingdom. He was a great hunter,so much that he was respected even by his King. On one of his hunting expeditions,he saw an antelope,he aimed his arrow at it to bring it down only for the antelope to transform into a beautiful,dark skinned and robust woman (beauty in those days was based  on how curvy you are) This Antelope woman took her antelope skin and hid it in the hollow curve of an Iroko tree. The hunter watched her closely and took note of all these in hiding. The antelope woman carried a basket of farm produce and went into one of the major Night markets in Odo-iwoye. As soon as she left,the hunter stealthily went to the Iroko tree and stole the Lady's antelope skin,climbed on another tree and settled to wait for the Antelope Lady. On her part,the  antelope lady made such good sales that she was able to leave the market earlier than usual. When she got back to the forest and the iroko tree,she reached for her Skin and her hands met with nothing,she peered into the tree and saw nothing. She started weeping because she knew that meant that her cover had been blown because no animal could steal her  skin.
  Her cries woke Ire the hunter and he descended from his hideout. Stop crying Arewa (Arewa means beautiful one) "What is the reason for your tears,don't you know you are to beautiful for tears" enthused Ire..............................................To be cont.