ECHOES OF ILE-IFE

Part One — The Blood That Called Spirits

For back of Oke Mogun for Ile-Ife, where night dey thick pass ogbono soup and wind dey carry whispers of ancestors, one boy wey dem born inside thunder storm begin see things wey eye no suppose see. Him name na Morounkeji, but dem dey call am Kéjì for short.
Baba Kéjì na hunter and babalawo. Him mama die for childbirth, and the baba swear say “No woman go cross my threshold again.” So na shrine and forest raise Kéjì. The boy sabi trace ant for top dry leaf, sabi chant incantation before he sabi read A-B-C.
But inside him heart, him get dark hunger. Not just for power, but for control. As e dey grow, him begin reason say all the awo (secrets) wey Baba dey keep fit become key to dominion. One night, he sneak enter the inner chamber of the shrine — place wey even Baba dey fear step in after midnight.

There, he see am.

The Odu Mirror.
Forged with iron from Ogun's own flame. Guarded by dead men's jawbones and laced with dried blood.
He look the mirror.
The mirror look am back.
Suddenly, cold breeze enter room. Calabash fall. Candle die. One voice rise like funeral drum:
“Ẹni tí ó bá ké sí òjò, àjálù ló ń ké sí — Person wey call rain, fit summon disaster.”
But Kéjì no run.
Him draw blood from him own finger, drop am for ground, and whisper:
“I no want wait. Make spirit show me my own destiny.”
And just like that, the spirit of Ayélabò — the forgotten Ifá priest wey die after betraying Esu — enter am. Possession no dey start with scream. E start with laughter wey no match person mouth.

Part Two — Oil and Ash on the Same Tongue

Kéjì begin dey move mad.

Not the madness wey people fit see.

Na the kind wey hide behind charm and plenty correct grammar.

He enter university for Ile-Ife — say na Anthropology he dey study. But every girl wey lie down with am, dey dream fire and get blood for pants next morning. Some begin craze. One even pluck her own nipple talk say “The gods dey inside me.”
He form cult. Dem no dey use axe. Na dried leaf, black soap, and carved combs dem dey use. Them go enter room as normal boys, commot as warriors of forgotten gods.
Him closest guy, Tolu, dey warn am:
“Guy, wey your soul dey go?”
But Kéjì dey smoke skunk from calabash and talk say:
“I be god. Who go judge god?”
One night, him use pant of virgin and blood of albino lizard cook soap. He rub am, enter VC’s office, and come out with scholarship, car key, and one pink bra.
The gods dey whisper:
“Ẹlẹ́tan tó ní kò mọ ọjọ́ t’ó ní yó jà, inú ogun ló máa mọ — Deceiver no dey know when fight go catch up, na battlefield e go realize say e too late.”
The mirror for shrine crack small.

Part Three — The Day Bones Danced

Every evil get expiry date.

Kéjì carry shrine come back from school, join am with baba own. Baba see am, shake head.
“Your hands don dirty. Esu go soon collect.”
But Kéjì laugh:

“I don pass Esu level.”

Na that week, Baba die.
No sickness. No cry. Just sleep. But when dem go bury am, the ground reject am. Casket float. Earth push am out like bile.
People begin whisper.
Rain fall. Sun no shine for 3 days. One child born with two heads shout “Kéjì!” immediately e cry.
Iya Ibeji, the mad woman for market, begin talk in tongues:
“Ayélabò don return! Blood no go stop till mirror break!”
Kéjì no panic. He dey high. He dey enter girls like say e dey collect change. But the mirror for shrine don full crack. Every night he dey hear voice:
“Bring sacrifice. Final one.”
Who he go sacrifice?
The only person wey love am — Dupe, one orphan girl wey he carry from gutter and give life.
She pure. She loyal. She dey pray for am.
But greed no get emotion.
That night, as she sleep, Kéjì take rope. Tie her neck gently. She open eye.
“Baby…?”
Tears for him eye.
“I go bring you back,” he whisper.
Dupe die without struggle.
Shrine absorb her breath.

But instead of peace, mirror burst into pieces.

Voice thunder:

“Ẹnìyàn tí ó bá pè ní Ọlọ́run, òun á mú kí gbogbo ará ayé dáa lórí — Person wey call himself god go drag all mankind curse.”

Part Four — The Oracle That Ate Itself

Dem no see Kéjì for weeks.

Till one morning, for foot of Ooni palace, him dey naked, covered in ash and palm oil. Him dey talk to stone.
“I be mirror. I be the gate. I be the god wey no wan be god again.”

Dem carry am go psychiatric ward.

Doctors no fit label wetin dey do am.
He dey speak Yoruba wey no exist.
He dey cry when chicken crow.
He dey laugh inside rain.
And every time he see mirror, he go shit for body.


Elders come.
They say na Ayélabò spirit dey torment him.
Say e no suppose wake from sleep of betrayal.
Only solution?
To return the bones of Dupe to the forest where ancestors dey sleep.
But her grave no dey open.
Because she no die alone — she carry part of Ile-Ife soul with am.
Till today, dem say if you enter Oranfe forest for midnight, you go hear man dey scream and mirror dey whisper:

“Sacrifice no end until soul pay double.”

Final Words:

“Ile Ife no dey forget.
Ground wey swallow blood go cough memory.
Juju no get friend — only contract.
And when gods dey hungry, e no matter who be the cook.”