ORITA META - THE CROSSROADS

Not of Solomon’s wisdom It was like a walk in time, a time past, a time not less than six centuries before Christ. It was like you sat in the grounds of Jerusalem, before King Solomon himself. The day two women stood before him to ask for justice not from the revised justice in the courts of law but from an authority legally binding. They both wanted the same child.

In no time, you realize that you were mistaken. This was Reverend Solomon and not King Solomon. This was not in the presence of crowned heads as it was written of Solomon, neither were the women harlots. They did not live together neither did they recently suckle infant sons. Mrs. Sarumi bore six children and Dr. Olujobi bore none. They both wanted Cecilia.

Mrs. Sarumi, who abandoned her daughter fifteen years ago, wanted her back.

Five days earlier, while the doctor nursed Cecilia, who had been forcefully circumcised by Mrs. Sarumi, she also nursed a fuelling anger. The day of confrontation was set.

The day Cecilia could walk without looking like she had a loaf of bread stuffed between her thighs. Her nurse friend, mama Moyo, accompanied Toyosi, the doctor. They only meant to talk to Mrs. Sarumi. It was only intended to be a severe warning to Mrs. Sarumi to stay clear of Cecilia.

It was neither the disrespectful sigh nor the rolling of her eyeballs in the up-down-up-down manner and not even the cursing words of Mrs. Sarumi that erupted the volcano brewing within Toyosi. It was the justifying of the pain 110