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MUSTARD I – Ch. 13 | KT OLLA

IT was Oji who took the burden of clearing the air. And making their brother see the good in their news.

He was Moro’s immediate brother. So he sat him down to talk.

He took him under a shade of banana plants in his farm. (Daleka followed, too.)

Then Oji told him about the land’s crisis with water, which he’d gathered from the chatters about the news.

He told him of the big stream further down the steep of the main town, as one journey facing the south.

He said that the town was moving down to the riverside. And spreading from around the river southward.

‘Do you know what the ruler decreed?’ he asked.

By now his listener was curious. So he answered, ‘What did he say?’

Oji smiled to tell him. ‘His Majesty ordered that all of Edeland will now move to the forest grounds around the big stream and beyond it.’

Moro was fully interested. He spoke without thinking. ‘Wait! Do you really mean Ede is moving?’

He was so curious he wanted every word repeated. Now he liked to savour every bit of sense in the news.

And his brother even had more to say.

‘Now that is not the good news. The good thing here is, the land at the new Ede Town is at no cost at all!

‘Except that for villagers, their Baalẹ will confirm they belong here!’

Moro gasped aloud. ‘No wonder you call it good news!’

Oji nodded. And then he added a thing.

‘Look! His Majesty implores everyone to get land, build houses and resettle in the new town!’

‘Everyone?’

‘Yes, Brother! D’ you know Alani the palm wine tapper?’

‘I know the wine tapper!’

‘Good! He got land and now he is building!’

‘Now you know the cloth merchant who suddenly stopped coming around?’

‘Is it not Akátá? The man they call Akátá?’

‘We have no two merchants. That is him!’

Moro was surprised. ‘You mean even Akátá got land there?’

Oji nodded. ‘A good lot for that matter!’

Moro sprang up to his feet.

‘Almighty God!’ he burst out. ‘Look on me too and bless me!’

Things felt bright. It felt to Moro like the burst of daylight to a waking eye.

So the young man was excited, so much he lost all words. He just paced about like someone who woke to wealth.

Then he came round and stood his brothers up.

‘We are getting ourselves a permanent place in Edeland!

‘So let us put all we have together. And build home and a lasting clan!

‘Let us marry, have children, and preserve the future!

‘If this is the Almighty One, then let us start living!’

The brothers exchanged looks, nodding and smiling wide.

For they knew that those words were true.

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