Mmeso Inspires: The Black Veil

I’m the most beautiful in my village,

And among the sixteen clan of the Whitehead kingdom,

I’m the prettiest,

Some said I’m a walking mermaid,

Others believe I am the lost offspring of the goddess of beauty, who reappeared on earth.

If not, how can a human be so beautiful?

Listen my people,

I’m as well the saddest in the village,

Wherever I go, young able-bodied men turn to catch a glimpse of me,

Young handsome men, like the men of Oyepo kingdom which are known for their remarkable features,

But they never come to me,

They only admire from afar,

What’s the problem with me?

Will I live by compliment alone?

Will I feed on their admiration?

Lo, my heart long for love,

Just like my fellow young women,

Beautiful young women of my kingdom.

Now, tell me,

What is the essence of life without love?

My people, my soul is bleeding,

Like the strange cave of Ebeve.

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• Mmeso Inspires: Call unto the Deep

• Mmeso Inspires: Alive

• Mmeso Inspires: The blow

Even the drunkard, who drink himself to stupor from dawn to dusk and pass the night in the dirty gutters of Oyo never come to me,

Should I talk about the chronic smokers of my kingdom,

Who chant in group with their bloodshot eyes and puff out smoke like the owambe soldiers,

Never ask for my attention,

What’s the problem with me?

An orphan like me,

With no family and relatives,

I need love from the other side,

But none was forthcoming,

What should I do?

And a day came when I met Atu, the oldest man in the village,

I greeted him,

He stopped and without turning back he said to me,

“You’re a lucky soul to have greeted,

“There is a veil covering your face,

A black scary veil,

The world is mysterious indeed,

Go and ask of Mgborie,

The black witch that lives in the dark green forest,

Across the kingdom border,

She knows about it”.

I was too shocked to speak,

I felt my face,

And for the first time in my twenty one years of existence,

I noticed a veil was indeed covering my face,

But…

How?

Why?