Ek'abo
Ebi! (Welcome Family!)
I thought this would be a good time to tell you a little more about the goddess Amachi. Below is Chapter 1 of her story. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Mari e laipe!
See you soon!
S-
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CHAPTER 1
There
was a time when I walked the Earth in human form. My people considered me a healer but I was
also known as an oracle, born with the ability of sight. I was called Amachi,
Goddess of Light. Though my people were
aware of my abilities and knew that I would harm none, some feared me because
my eyes were as clear and fathomless as the sea that surrounded our land.
Sometimes, I would hear them
whisper, “When she looks at you, it is as if she can see inside your soul.”
I have existed for many
millennia. My spirit is re-born every
500 years into the body of one of my sistren.
With each re-birth, I become more powerful than before. But never more powerful than the gods who
created me. Sadly, my powers leave me
exposed to loneliness, and it pains me to watch those I love grow old and die
before I ever will. Still I continue to
use my abilities to try to make their lives on this land happy and peaceful.
Through the centuries I have seen my
people face many obstacles. Bound by the
Orisa there was little I could do to help my kin. Assisting a human was forbidden even if they
were of my blood. Breaking this rule
would mean the end of my cycles; the end of my reincarnations; the end of
me. I believed in my heart, that their determination
and courage would always allow them to persevere, at least until now…
On the first night of each summer solstice,
I cast a spell to allow me sight into the future. It is only on that night that I am able to
see what the gods have planned for my people.
With the use of a balefire, I call upon Olodumare the High to give me
the strength I need to evoke the spell.
‘Olodumare bless me with your power;
help me to see the unseen.’
But one night, my insight into the
future was different from all the others.
As the summer moon glowed in the
darkness, my balefire burned high into the sky.
Turning a sky blue it glazed over into a sheet of solid ice. On it a vision began to form. In it I saw a hut and inside, a woman
struggling to give birth to a child.
Outside lurked a dark presence, angrily circling the hut but unable to
get inside. Behind the hut I saw black,
sinister clouds rushing towards my land and following it, an ominous wall of
water. Then suddenly a bright blinding
light flashed, so beautiful that it moved me; something that has not happened
to me in many lifetimes. I raised my
hands to the cold panel of ice, but when I tried to trace the images in the
vision, it disappeared. The ice melted suddenly, and crashed onto the ground in
a tide of cold water that slid over my bare feet.
I was afraid, because the premonition
meant danger to my people, but it also meant that they still had hope. I rushed to the elders and told them what I
had seen. But as powerful as I was, they
saw me only as a woman and refused to listen to the message I was trying to
convey.
‘The existence of our tribe is in
peril. I have seen a great danger, one
that our powers cannot save us from. But
there is hope; I have also foreseen the birth of a savior. This savior will be the light of our people.’
“Amachi, that is utter nonsense, we
are above all that!”
“We have nothing to fear! The gods will protect us!” said an elder
mockingly.
Their ignorance infuriated me. Only Elder Shombay one of our high priests,
looked beyond their stupidity. He knew
in his heart that what I said would come to pass.
Though Elder Shombay was younger than
most of the tribe’s leaders, he was given great respect. He was the seventh great grandson of Elder
Madu, a highly sought after advisor that lived during the time of my parents. His caring nature not to mention his good
looks (according to the young women of the tribe) made him more approachable
than the senior members. He was the
mirror image of his great grandfather who was tall and broad-shouldered, with
dark skin and intense dark brown eyes.
“As you well know, the first night of
harvest is a sacred one. Every 25 years on that night a child is born to our
people. Upon its birth we will know
whether he is the true savior,” said Elder Shombay.
‘How will we know this?’ I asked.
“The child will have an aura like no
other.”
***
‘After speaking with the Elder,’
Amachi thought to herself, ‘I realized that I needed to dedicate more time to my
people. My concern about the vision
affected my dreams and premonitions; making them distorted. Blocked at every turn, they have become dark
and unreadable. I cannot provide the
clear insight that the Olorun had depended on for hundreds of years.’
Sitting in front of the Ogun River,
Amachi drew upon the power of the balefire once more. Calling upon Olodumare
the High, Obatala the Pure and Yemoja the Mother she asked that they give her
the strength and the fortitude she needed to free her mind and to do right by
her people. She chanted:
‘Fathers, mother, I your daughter call upon
you for guidance and clarity.
My fear for our people has clouded my sight.
Remove all obstacles from my path and present before me
the ability to claim all that you have bestowed upon me!’
Amachi closed her eyes, and could feel
the tension draining from her body. She opened her eyes slowly and sensed the
presence of Yemoja the Mother.
“She is near,” Amachi whispered as she
smiled into the night air, brimming with the essence of the mighty goddess.
Satisfied that the gods had heard her,
Amachi offered a quick prayer of thanksgiving; her heart felt lighter than it
had in a long time. She drew bucket after bucket of water from the Ogun, and
extinguished the balefire. Silver smoke billowed into the dark sky.
***
One
Hundred Years Later…
I have little patience left. My enthusiasm and hope for my people are
waning, slipping through my fingers like loose sand. One hundred years have
passed with no sign of the ‘special’ child we are searching for. With each passing birth, my hopes have
dwindling like the flame of a burning candle. Though I could not age, Elder
Shombay did. His body was frail and his
sight weakened. His once smooth dark complexion was lined and his eyes
yellowed, but his mind was still razor sharp. I went to him with my concerns.
‘Elder Shombay, I fear that our savior
may not be born in time to save us. My
dreams grow darker and I awaken with the sheen of fear running across my
brow. I am afraid that our time draws
near.’
“Where there is fear, there is hope,
Amachi. Isn’t that what you told me,
that there is hope? I believe that his
birth will not elude us. He is destined
to be born, he is our destiny.”
On that same night, Adebanke jumped up
from a deep slumber.
“Oluwafemi, Oluwafemi awaken,
awaken! The vision has invaded my dreams
once more! For years its meaning has
been unclear. But finally, the gods have
deemed me worthy enough to know the answer.
At first I could only see that a woman was trying to give birth to a
child, but I could never see her face.
Now I realize that the woman is me!”
Unknown to the young couple,
Adebanke had been an important part of the vision that plagued Amachi for many
years. Amachi knew that a child would be
born but she was not allowed to see the mother’s face either. Perhaps Olodumare the High did not believe
that any of them were ready to know. Now
that the vision was made clear, steps needed to be taken to assure that this
special birth would come to pass.
Adebanke and Oluwafemi would soon become creators of a new life.
“Well, Adebanke,” said Oluwafemi, “the
reason why the gods put us here is because we have a purpose in this life. Not only was it meant that we meet each
other, but it is meant that you bring forth this child into the world. He must be very special if you have dreamt of
his birth, even before it has taken place.
I hope it will be a boy, but whatever the gods bless us with will be a
blessing indeed!”
Across the village, Amachi sprang up
from a troubled sleep, her eyes wide, and her breath short. She yelled out with
joy and relief, for her cloudy vision had cleared like fog evaporating from a
field. She had seen the woman who would bring the Oloruns peace. She
wrapped her arms around herself and smiled.
“The wait is over,” she whispered and
began to pray and make plans for the future.
