I am, Dada

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 1

Once upon a time in a tiny village in South-West Nigeria, there lived a girl with her family.

Dada had thick natural hair with gap between her teeth and large nose. She had dolls her father; Mr Ade had made for her out of straw. She cared for those dolls so much that people who watched her carry them around knew she made them look they were real because she spoke to them and always insisted that they spoke back to her so, everyone in town played along with her because she is such a pleasant child with an imagination.

Dada loved to sing enchanting tunes, always willing to help out with other people’s chores after she is done with hers and sometimes people sang along with her while she helped them.

Day after day, she will wake up and the first thing she does is; she goes on her knees to say a prayer. She will thank her heavenly Father for a beautiful day and say the Lord’s Prayer. Then she will go straight to her parent’s room greeting them “good morning” with her knees flat on the floor. Afterwards, she will return to her bedroom that she shared with her siblings to tidy up the bed she had laid.

Once that is done, she will go ahead to do her chores for the morning which included washing the dirty dishes and sweeping the compound.

Dada was always delighted to do these chores as she was never always silent doing them. She will sing and dance while doing it with so much joy that everyone who saw her doing it lighted up no matter the mood they were in.

“My Father loves us little children...” she will hum and sing and hum once again then dance while humming. Carrying her dolls with her she will imagine she is dancing as a real princess. The ones she sees at the palace during festivals.

Whenever she is done with her chores, she will go to the kitchen to help her mother out. Her mother loved having her around because she is such a wonderful companion. Cleaning, mopping and washing everything she found dirty without her mother asking her.

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 2

One day, Dada followed her siblings to the river to fetch water. On their way back, she lagged because the jar she had taken with her for water was heavy and she had filled it up to the brim despite warnings from her siblings not to do so. As she dragged along far behind them, she suddenly heard a loud noise of a man in pains.

At first, she wasn’t sure what the sound was, so she stopped humming and waited to catch any other sound. After awhile, none was forthcoming, so she continued her journey but as she walked and hummed, she picked up the wailing sound again.

She followed the sound and found a man in the bushes who is hurt and bleeding. He didn’t look common as the rest of the villagers but wore shinny apparels and he had shoes on his feet only worn by the royalty in the land.

She hesitated for awhile but then seeing him in such pain she dropped her water jar on the floor and went to his side.

“Go get the palace guards” The man yelled in serious pain.

Dada took to her heels and headed straight for the palace. She ran as fast as she could and met her siblings on the way, at the junction near their house.

“Where is your jar of water?” They asked but Dada couldn’t stop to answer them yet so she ran past them and headed straight for the palace.

Her siblings knowing something was wrong; because it is unlike Dada to behave in such a rude manner dropped their jars and ran after her.

People saw them running thinking this is a very unusual scene because it was rare for children to run around the streets above all Mr Ade’s children. So, out of curiosity villagers ran after them to tarnish their curiosity.

Then other villagers ran after those villagers and soon the whole village was running towards the palace.

Dada got to the palace gate out of breathe, but she gained her composure as she met with the palace guards.

“There is a man in need of help in the bushes by the river.” She said to them.

“Who is he?” The palace guards asked

“I didn’t ask for his name, but he wore fine Aso Oke and had elegant shoes on his feet.” She replied

The palace guards looked at themselves and said in unison “that must be Kabiyesi”.

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 3

Immediately, they summoned more guards and headed for the bushes. By this time the whole town was in the palace, panting from the run and trying to catch their breath. Then they see the palace guards running towards the direction they had just come.

“What is going on here?” One of them demanded.

“There is a man in the bushes hurt and bleeding. The guards think he is the King.” Dada responded.

As Dada is explaining a sorcerer in their midst eavesdropping.

The man smiles to himself after getting the information he needs and walks with long strides to his shrine inside the palace.

He laughed at the possibility of the death of the Kabiyesi.

“The crown will come to the next in line to the throne...Me!” he said and laughed deep, laughed light and laughed the more.

In the evening, the town crier came into the village and announced to the whole village that the Oba-Kabiyesi Areolu was sick and in a critical condition.

Everyone in town shook with grief at the announcement because the king was such a good man who ruled them for more than two decades.

Dada was with her mother at the village square when she heard the news; she cringed into her mother’s side sinking into her wrapper and cried.

Her mother patted her on the back to comfort her, singing a lullaby for her while Dada held on to one of her dolls.

“My heavenly Father loves you, this I know...”Her mother sang as they headed home. At first, Dada was in no mood to sing but as her mother sang, she couldn’t resist singing along with her.

“Yes, He loves me. Yes, He loves me...” Dada sang along until they got home and her mother tucked her in bed.

Before going to sleep at night, Dada said a prayer for the King on her knees. As she prays, she remembers from Sunday school her teacher said by her heavenly Father’s stripes, sick people are made whole so she wondered if the King needs to get flogged and how many strokes he will need to get well. She will have to ask her Father in the morning, she thought as she lay on her bed.

Dada is excited by this revelation and couldn’t wait till morning to inquire from her father and then tell the King the secret for his healing. She slept with a smile on her face and by dawn she jumped out of her bed and headed straight for her parent’s bedroom

Dada is excited by this revelation and couldn’t wait till morning to inquire from her father and then tell the King the secret for his healing. She slept with a smile on her face and by dawn she jumped out of her bed and headed straight for her parent’s bedroom

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 4

Dada barged into the room without her knocking or greeting her parents. She demanded her Father takes her to the palace.

“Dada, you come into my room unannounced asking for unreasonable demands.” Her father said upset at her behaviour.

“I am sorry baba.” Dada responded.

She went on her knees and greeted her parents.

“Eka ro ba mi, ma mi...Baba, can you please take me to the palace?” Dada said

“Ka ro omo mi” Her father responded.

“Why do you want to go to the palace?” He asked

“The King is ill and I know how he can regain his health.” Dada answered.

Her father chuckled.

“Tell me; maybe I can learn from your health tips.” Her father responded

“My Sunday school teacher said by Stripes we are made whole. She said our heavenly father got flogged so we can be healed. The King will undergo the same treatment but I am not sure how many strokes he will need to get beaten. I can ask my teacher how many strokes our heavenly Father took on our behalf.” Dada responded.

Mr. Ade is amazed at his daughter’s intelligence. He picks Dada up and sits her on his lap.

“My dear, what your teacher meant was the price for our sicknesses is paid. We need not get flogged or die before we are healed or saved. We only need to ask and it shall be given to us.” Dada’s father explained

“So, if I ask in prayers for the King to get well he will regain his health?” Dada inquired

“By His will then yes!” Her father answered.

“I have to go to the farm today to harvest crops. If you finish your chores when I am ready, I will take you to the palace on my way to the farm and pick you up on my way back. You can pray for the King’s health with other villagers in the palace.” Her father continued.

What her father said was great news to Dada as she stood up with so much excitement; she thanked her father and ran to do her chores.

By the time her father is ready to go the farm, Dada was ready to visit the palace for the first time.

 

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 5

The palace is opened to villagers at that time because of the king’s adversity. People came in and out checking on their Kabiyesi to ensure he is doing better.

When Dada and her Father gets close to the palace, they see the guards closing the palace doors to be opened again in the evening. Dada runs to the palace gate while her father yells for her to return to his side, but one of the palace guards closing the gate recognises Dada and stops the gates from closing for Dada to enter.

Dada rushes in without saying goodbye to her father. Mr. Ade is in awe of his daughter as he approaches the guard to give them instructions concerning his daughter.

The guard tells Mr. Ade how brave Dada is and narrated how she helped find the King just in time before the poison stopped the King’s heart.

“Please watch over her while I attend to my farm, I will pick her up in the evening”. Her father tells the guard.

The guard nods in agreement and shuts the palace gates, finding Dada and leading her into the inner chambers of the palace.

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 6

“No Villager is allowed this far”. The guard tells her

“Can I see the king?” Dada asked, hoping she wasn’t asking for too much.

“Sure, he is asleep so I will sneak you in but you must be quiet” The guard said.

“I won’t wake him up” Dada had responded.

The guard leads Dada into the inner chambers of the palace and into the room the King laid. He opened the King’s bedroom door and leads Dada in, telling her he would stand guard outside the door.

Dada smiles at the guard, shuts the door and heads straight to the King’s side. 

She hums a song, “Heal him O Lord and he will be healed...Save him and he will be saved”...She hummed and hummed until the king wakes. It scares Dada who runs towards to door.

“Don’t go.” the king calls out behind her, coughing painfully. “Keep singing” He said

She turns to make sure he wasn’t sleep talking and meant every word he said. When she saw him smile at her, she gets comfortable and started singing a little more loudly.

“Heal him O Lord and he will be healed, save him and he will be saved. Heal him oh Lord and He will be healed for you are the one we praise, you are the one we praise”...She sang and sang until the doors to the chamber opened and the guard walks in to witness the King awake and Dada by his side singing.

The guard goes on his knees, apologises for bringing the young girl into the King's chamber without the King’s permission but asked for the consequences of his actions to be on him and the girl be spared. The king waves his hand and demands Dada be brought to his side every day from that day onward while the guard stands outside to make sure they are not disturbed. Her singing and prayers made him better, far better than the incantations his chief priests have spoken over him.

So every day for the next 7days, Dada’s father will drop her at the palace on his way to the farm in the morning and pick her up in the evening as he returned and daily, the King’s health became better and better.

 

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 7

The sorcerer is very upset at this new development of the King getting better. He is relying on the King’s failed health and possible death so he can be crowned the new Kabiyesi as the king’s blood brother. He is looked on with hatred and anger by the villagers because he practiced black magic.

“When I become the King,” he said boastfully

“I will make them pay for the way they treated me as an outcast for years and I will not let the little brat destroy my plans to be the next Kabiyesi.” The sorcerer hisses

On the 7^th day of Dada’s visit, the sorcerer waits outside the King’s chambers requesting the guard at the door get something for him outside the palace gates. He takes the position of the palace guard in front of the King’s chambers and waits. When Dada steps outside the King’s chamber’s she is surprised to see someone else instead of the guard on duty.

“Don’t be frightened my child,” the sorcerer says. “I will be your chaperone out of these chambers today.” he continued

“Who are you?” Dada asked

“Don’t you know it’s rude to ask an elder a question?” he responded

“I am sorry, but my father told me never to talk or walk to strangers." Dada said

“Well, you shouldn’t even be here in the first place so out you go.” he said just as he pushes Dada and draws a strand of her hair out of her head.

“Ouch! My hair” Dada cried

“Leave this palace now before I beat the life out of you” The sorcerer shouts.

So, Dada runs towards the gates of the palace and on seeing Dada running towards them, the palace guards open the gates for her as she dashes into the streets and heads straight home.

A moment later, Dada’s father comes over to the palace and asks for his daughter but the palace guards tell him she had gone home.

Her father is confused because he knows Dada will never leave the palace without waiting for him. He heads home and isn’t surprised to see his household looking disturbed as he enters his compound.

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 8

“Where is Dada?” Her father roars

“She is in her bedroom shivering because she is with a form of sickness like she has been possessed.” One of her siblings responded.

“Ha!” Dada’s father proclaimed as he ran to the side of his child who was foaming and non-responsive.

“What happened at the palace today?” He asked Dada as he shook her in his arms. “What did they do to you?” He demanded from a non responsive Dada.

To no avail, he left her and went to his inner chambers to pray.

Two days passed and Dada refused to eat or drink anything.

On the third day of Dada’s illness, at the palace, the king rose from his chambers for the first time in a while and the first demand he makes is for the child who prayed and sang to him daily.

The Palace guards went to fetch Dada at her house but they are told of the sad news of her ill health.

The king hears of the news and is bewildered so he schedules to visit Dada himself. It is the first time ever he will personally go to the house of a villager.

Everyone in town talked about the King’s scheduled visit.

Meanwhile, the sorcerer knowing the King was regaining his health fumes and puffs for so long. He had collected the child’s hair; gone into his chambers and placed a curse on the little girl using a incantations with her hair and within minutes, the curse had taken effect.

“Buhahahahahaha.” He laughs knowing he is as devious as a wicked sorcerer needs to be.

The King’s scheduled visit finally came on the 4^th day into Dada’s ill state. The whole village visited Dada’s home every day since they found out about her ill health, they sang songs and prayed wishing Dada a quick recovery because she had been such a good child.

It wasn’t a surprise when the villagers heard what Dada had done for the King, it was her nature to help everyone but now no one could help Dada.

The King went into Dada’s room and asked to be alone with her. As everyone left the room, he held Dada’s hand and cried for a brief moment.

“You saved my life little one. Your prayers and songs reached the very depths of my soul and brought me back to life any time I drift away. I never told you this but every time you leave my chambers I am never alone, a man would come in your place and stay with me until you come the next day.” The king said. “One day, I asked the man who he was and he responded “I am, The I am.”

“I am who? I will ask and he will say "I am your healer." The king continued as he squats beside Dada’s bed...

 

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 9

The king sings a lullaby to Dada, the same one she sang for him when he was ill.
He asked for the whole village to pray and every day he will come and sing a song for Dada as she had done, but Dada wasn’t getting better.


On the 7th day since Dada became ill, the king came visiting as usual but this time, instead of singing the “heal her oh Lord Song” he simply just went on his knees and prayed.
He was determined not to stop praying until Dada regained her health.


He called on the “I am” and begged that he brings Dada back. As he is about to end the prayer for the day, he feels a sudden rush of breeze into the room and a bright light shines when he opens his eyes. He squints but then sees a silhouette. The same one he had seen in his room every time Dada left his chambers.


“The I am” the king called in amazement.

“Please, bring Dada to life, heal her like you healed me” he continued and immediately, Dada gasped for air. The King turned and saw that Dada was awake; he turned to thank the third silhouette figure in the room when he noticed the figure was no longer there.

“A man with moustache in red regalia holding a stick in your palace put a curse on me with my hair” Dada said with a sleepy tone.

“ Ha Lagbaja, that is my brother ke. It fits his description and he will be punished for this crime.” The King says

Then he carries Dada from the bed and takes her outside to show she is awake. Everyone is astonished at the sight of the King carrying a responsive Dada in his arms.
Her family surrounds them while the other villagers cheered.
Word spread fast about Dada’s recovery and the sorcerer heard Dada was awake and she claimed he was guilty of putting a curse on her.


He packed what he could carry and loaded his dark horse with his belongings but on his way out of the palace he is confronted by the King and his guard.

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 10

“Going somewhere little brother?” the king asked.

“Um,Yes! Yes! My Kabiesi, there is an emergency in the next village that needs my attention and I must be there as soon as possible” The sorcerer responds

“Well, I am sorry you will have to cancel that engagement” The king replied.

“Why? Have I done something wrong?”The sorcerer asked

“There is a charge against you by a little child called Dada” The king said

“Preposterous!” The sorcerer proclaimed. “I don’t believe I have ever met any child called Dada much less practise black magic when it is prohibited in this land”. The sorcerer said in his defence.

“I never said anything about black magic.” The King responded

The sorcerer shrugged

 “Do you deny the allegations?”The king continued

“Kabiesi, you know me better than to hurt a little girl. Why will I want to hurt a little girl?” the sorcerer asked.

“I never said Dada is a little girl either” the king says

The sorcerer looks agitated.

“You have reasons to hurt her because this little child helped me regain my health which still makes me the king and not you.” The King continues with a raised brow

“You have no prove of all these allegations Oba” The sorcerer proclaimed

“I have a guard who claims you sent him on a wild goose chase so that you can have an alone time with the little girl. Plus, I also have eye witnesses that saw you push the little girl while she dashed out of the palace” The king declared.

As the king was speaking, the sorcerer looked for an escape route because he is surrounded by guards but he couldn’t find any. So he is forced to use the only thing he could...Black magic!

He brings out a bag filled with black powder and pours out its content on the king and his guards.

A mist fills the air which obscured visibility. The sorcerer moves swiftly through their midst and out of the palace with his dark horse and rides into the night as fast as he could, laughing into the night as he rode away.

The king calls out to his guards “Find him and bring him back!” but they try to regain visibility.  The palace guards start to stagger, bumping into one another and trying to gain their sight to get on their horses for the chase.

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 11

As the sorcerer rides into the forest, he sings in a hissing voice.

“They don’t know who I am. I am the one who causes all of them so much harm.

I spill evil wherever I go.

Buha...haha..hahaha...Buhaha ha

They see me but don’t see royalty. I will soon show them all my notoriety. All who didn’t know me now will know.

Buha...haha...hahaha..Buha...ha...ha”

The sorcerer sings and laughs and sings the more as he rides away from the village passing through the bushes along the river with ease. He gets to the river side and meets with the snake which had bitten the King earlier. The sorcerer knew the King took long walks through the river often, so he planted the snake and compelled it through black magic to cause the King harm. The sorcerer stops to pick up the snake and places the creature in a backpack on his horse and sings some more while giving a grating laugh.

“I am the next in line to the king as long as he doesn’t have an heir.

So I ensured his wives are barren and children they all are unable to bare.

Then I tried to take my brother’s life. Using a snake whose poison will run through his veins with speculations running rife.

That dreaded little girl came and cut through my plans like a ragging knife so I cursed her into a useless slife.

But somehow, I don’t understand why she survives...”

He sings as he crosses the river and was headed out of the village when suddenly a bright light flashes ahead of him. The light was so bright that it frightened his horse; the horse raised its front hoofs high up landing the sorcerer on the floor.

While on the floor, the sorcerer squint his eyes through the light only to see three silhouettes. One of the figures walks towards him and the sorcerer notices His feet and arms are a gleam of burnished bronze, His body is like beryl, He is clothed with a long robe, a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist with a golden sash around his chest, the hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, face like the appearance of lightning, eyes like flaming torches, and his teeth whiter than milk.

“Who are you?” The sorcerer asked in complete awe

“I am Who I am” the figure responded

"I AM, DADA"

-SHORT STORY-

GENRE: FANTASY

PAGE 12

“I am?” The sorcerer asked

“Yes, I am your saviour. I have come to deliver you and bring you to your senses so that you can escape from the snare of evil that has captured you to do its will.” The Supreme Being replied and vanished into thin air.

 

The light was gone immediately and the sorcerer felt something leave him; like a spirit. He saw the snake he had put in his sack crawl into the bushes in the direction the spirit went.

He screamed “don’t leave me here alone” but was greeted with complete silence at first. Suddenly, he could hear the floor vibrating from running horses coming towards him... It was the sound of the king’s guards catching up with him.

That night, the King’s brother was thrown into the dungeon to spend the rest of his life in captivity.

The next festival and other festivals to follow; the King had a special entertainer at his palace who danced with other princesses. She and her family were treated as royalty and everyone in the village loved singing, dancing and watching the new crowned princess Dada.

The King called Dada forth after the dance during a festival and presented her with a present. Dada collects the gift, opens it to find a cloak made of the finest Aso oke and a pair of shoes worn only by royalty.

“Your courage has taught us something. I have learnt to pray and praise in all things; in good, bad and worse times and I owe you my life. You are my hero.” The King says in appreciation

Dada wears her cloak which had the inscription “Prayer Warrior” boldly knitted on it and rushes into the King’s embrace

“I couldn’t have done it without the “I am” Dada corrects the King

“Yes...The “I am,” The King mentions

“From this moment, praying and singing praises to the Lord precedes before our festivals begin” The King announces.

Everyone cheers, just as a strong wind passes through their midst. A spirit that no one could see landed in their gathering as they sang holy praises and made merry.

THE END.