I clutched onto Niyi with a vice-like grip, paralyzed with fear. My life flashed before my eyes as I thought of all the things I should and should not have done. The end seemed inevitable. Considering the circumstances, Niyi was remarkably calm. His lack of anxiety was probably his way of keeping me at peace. Ironically, his cool demeanor had the reverse effect.

Out of the darkness, a tall, sinewy, man stepped forward. His mahogany skin gleamed with an ethereal glow and his eyes shone like radiant, white diamonds. The brightness of his countenance filled the room with a fiery glow. He had a small, red cloth with an intricate African pattern tied around his waist and a long, golden staff in his right hand. He was undeniably the most beautiful and terrifying thing I had ever seen.

He stepped forward and spoke again in a deep, authoritative voice. Each word he spoke resonated in the air and the walls trembled. I still could not utter a word, and only snuck peeks at him, the sight before me was too fearful to behold. He spoke in a rich, Yoruba tone. An accent which was only heard from our elders.

"Iba o! Iba!
Iba akoda aye, Iba aseda orun.
Iba Olodumare, ibere ohun gbogbo ati opin ohun gbogbo.
Alagbada ina, arugbo ojo.
Kabiesi re."

"I pay homage! I pay homage!
Homage to the firstborn of creation, homage to the the creator of the heavens.
Homage to the Almighty, the beginning of all things and ending of all things.
He who wears a garment of fire, Ancient of Days.
Unquestionable one."

He struck his golden staff to the ground three times and continued.

"Emi, Jagulabi. Okan soso ajanaku ti n mi igbo jigi jigi. Bi iku ba n f'ohun ki arun dake. Emi ajagun, asegun. Ota ri mi, o sa. Ika ri mi, o wo ile lo."

"I, Jagunlabi. The one, mighty elephant that makes the forest tremble. When death is speaking, sickness must be silent. I, a warrior and a conqueror. Enemies see me and flee. Wickedness sees me and enters the ground."

He stepped forward and Niyi discretely moved me aside slightly. He shook his head, faced Niyi with a look of disapproval on his face and addressed him directly.

"Awo. Bawo lo se je ti o fi n wo omo binrin yii niran? Ti o fi se asise nla?"

"Initiate. Why were you watching this woman until she committed such a grevious error?"

My eyes fluttered with shock when I heard his question. I had spent a little under a year in Nigeria but my understanding of Yoruba was flawless. I was frightened, but not insane. The paranormal being standing before us just referred to my boyfriend Niyi, as 'Awo'. Which meant that Niyi was an Ifa —God of divination and wisdom, priest. I could not believe that we had been so close, and yet I had been kept in the dark all along.

Niyi's response was bold yet respectful. He stood with shoulders squared and clutched both hands together, with elbows bent. Apparently, it was not his first encounter with the spirit world.

"Emi Awoniyi Ifaleke n je o. Jagunlabi dakun, ma ba ja. Omode ni n se."

"I, Awoniyi Ifaleke, am answering you. Jagunlabi please pardon her. Do not fight against her. She is like a child without understanding."

Jagunlabi shook his head again and laughed without mirth. He turned to me and his eyes blazed even brighter.

"Teniola omo Oyeyinka. Se o mo pe oro le gba'ni, bee naa ni oro le pa'ni?"

"Teniola child of Oyeyinka. Do you not realise that words can deliver someone from strife, and words can also kill?"

I hung my head in shame. It was a rhetorical question, I could not answer even if it were otherwise.  My frustration about my wrongdoing and inability to speak settled in the pit of my stomach.

"Teniola maa dupe l'owo eleda re. Bi ko ba se pe mo ro ti Awo re, Awoniyi mo o lara, eni dandan ni o ba pada s'odo Olodumare. Sugbon, o ni lo lai je iya. Oju was a tun ri ra."

"Teniola be thankful to your Creator. If not for me considering Awoniyi, an Ifa practitioner who does not commit evil, you would have returned to the Almighty God today. Nevertheless, you will not go unpunished. We shall meet again."

There were three roars of thunder so loud that my heart beat erratically in my chest. I fell to the ground and trembled. A golden fire surrounded Jagunlabi and he stood in the midst of it. The talking drum beats that we heard before his arrival commenced. Each beat told parts of a story, a tale long forgotten. His origin, his conquests in war and unflinching stand for justice.

Jagunlabi raised his staff high and struck the ground with it once. He disappeared in a ball of fire, but not before I felt flames all over my body.

"Niyi! I am burning!" I screamed. "Please don't let me die." After Jagunlabi disappeared, I regained the use of my voice. Sadly, it was to plead for my life.

Niyi carried me bridal style to his sitting room. He gently laid me on a three seater and stroked my hair. "This is a mountain, but we will climb it. You need to have faith that you will not die," he said calmly.

I continued to toss and turn in pain as the invisible flames continued to burn my body.

"Niyi, I am dying!" I cried. Tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes.

"Do not speak negatively, Teniola. If you want to overcome, you will have to pass through some tribulations. Eventually, you will be okay."

I was angry and frustrated by his calmness, so I snapped. "Pardon me for being anxious. An ancestral warrior just threatened my life. Now, I am burning. Let us have some cake."

Niyi looked in to my eyes, and clenched his jaw. He continued to stroke my hair, and he lifted me up slightly so he could put my head on his lap. "Can a person add a single hour to his life by worrying?" he asked.

Suddenly, I felt the heat of the unseen flames start to subside. "Niyi, I am starting to feel better," I said. The racing of my heart started to subside and I cried tears of relief. Perhaps I would not die after all.

"I am glad that you feel relieved, Teniola," he responded quietly.

My skin felt cool after the burning stopped and I was able to take a deep breath of air. I was exhausted after everything my body and mind had been through. I could feel aches in my joints and in my bones. A mind-numbing headache made my head throb.

I looked up to Niyi's face, but instead of Niyi, I saw Jagunlabi staring back at me.

I screamed, "Aye mi! Temi bami! My life! I am done for!" and lost consciousness.