AWAKE, A WHILE TO TARR.....2

Pixabay

"Akin! Akin! Akinlabi Omo Ajani ooooooo!!!" (Akinlabi, son of Ajani)
Akin startled out of deep thoughts and looked at his best friend, now brother in war, with his eyes wide.

"Kilode? Ṣe o fẹ ja apa mi ni? And why are you screaming my father's name this hot afternoon?" (What is it? Do you want to dislocate my arms?) Akin was crossed at his friend for disrupting his train of thoughts so violently. Especially when they had been serious ones, bringing the face of his beloved, her touch, her voice, her smile... all to remembrance. Alao simply sneered at his friend before shaking his head in pity.

"Sio. O ri aye ẹ niwowo. Ki lo n ro? (Take a look at your life, what were you thinking?) I have been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes. I called softly and tapped softly and when you wouldn't respond, I had to apply more force!" Alao adjusted himself so he could sit leg crossed, directly in front of Akin.

"Jọ, Sọ fun mi. Ṣe o fẹ pa ara rẹ ki egun to bẹrẹ? Please, tell me. Do you want to kill yourself before the war starts?) Ever since we arrived camp, you always seem to find a corner and get lost inside that big head of yours. Mo ni ko sọ fun mi sẹ! Kini iṣoro ẹ? ( I ask you to tell me! What's your problem?") Are you the first to be separated from a lover?"
Akin sighed at the stern tone of his friend. Deeply saddened, he shook his head in pity for his own self.

"Alao. Ko yẹ ko ma sọ ọrọ bai. Lai ṣe pe o mọ bi Asakẹ ṣẹ jẹ si mi. Ah! Ọrẹ mi! Ọkan mi o baalẹ." (Alao. You shouldn't speak this way. Not when you know how important Asake is to me. My friend, my mind is not at rest.)
Not understanding, Alao smirked at him. "Ughn. You only miss her. Only one week away from her and you're already breaking apart. Be a man and stop wearing your heart on your sleeves. The war zone is no place to let emotions rule. Ṣe bi ọkunrin jọ! If you do not have all of you in this, you may not survive to return back to your beloved!"

"Ogun o ni je!" (The gods forbid) Akin refuted without missing a beat, snapping his fingers over his head for effect. Then exasperated by his friend's cluelessness, he sighed again.

"Alao. You should know it's beyond that. I keep..." A pause as he tried to piece the words together. "I keep having gut feelings that all is not well with Asake. That she needs me back home with her. I cannot understand. But it is what it is. This war needs to be over in time. I fear I might lose my mind worrying about her. You know how my gut feelings work." Both friends shared a knowing look and Alao suddenly went mellow.

If Akin felt something was wrong with Asake, then something was wrong. He's known his friend long enough to know that he didn't suffer from paranoia. His gut feelings were as good as gold.
"Hmmm. If that is the case then iṣoro wa lootọ. Ki la le ṣe?" (There is problem indeed. What can we do?)

Akin looked at his friend who hates dwelling on issues for too long, always moving on to solutions as soon as possible and smiled. Of course there was nothing they could do other than wait the war out. He just hoped to the gods that he would make it out alive, and that he would meet Asake safe and sound. All he could do was hope. Hope and pray.

He felt a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder and smiled again at the source. If there was anything he was grateful for, it was for the fact that he'd be going through this with a brother by his side. They would watch out for each other. If both of them would not make it, one was sure to. He had no doubt Alao would take good care of his jewel. His Asake.
So as they waited another day out, they remained sitted side by side in silence, and Akin was thankful for the company as he went back to his thoughts.

Pixabay

There had been something he had been noticing about Asake a few days before he was called away. He had meant to ask her but never got around to doing so. Now, its implication sat at the back of his mind, just outside his reach, waiting to be grasped. He only hoped that when he finally did, it wouldn't be too late.

---

PRELUDE

Asake is a story of a young yoruba girl who was forced to be seperated from the love of her life because of war. Now she has a secret which could be a burden or blessing but what if her love never comes back to her?

To catch up with the story, check out Asake, A yoruba love story 1, Asake, A yoruba love story and Asake, A while to tarr...