Odu Eji Ogbe

Ìpẹpẹrẹ ìmọ ni farabalẹ ni jogunda
Adia fun Orunmila
Ifa nlọ ba wọn mulẹ budo
Nita Iku nita Arun,
Nita Ajogun Mẹrẹrindilogun
Te nbẹ lode oṣalaiye.
Slender-Palm-Frond-is-Patient-In-Taking-Its-Revenge
Revealed the way to Orunmila when he was looking for a place to settle down. Orunmila found a place in Death’s neighborhood, where also lived Sickness, Loss, and Bad Times, the neighborhood of all the Sixteen Evils that are in the world.
Orunmila said, “Yeah, this is the place for me. So what can I do to make it work out?”
They told him to make an offering on his divination tools, (so that his practice of divination would show him the way.) Offer money, a pigeon, a hen, the clothes he was wearing; offer it at the place he was going to live.
So what happened when he got there?
He got to that place, near Death’s house, and started up the fire. (Like turning on the lights.) Death saw that someone had moved in next door.
“Who’s that?” he asked.
“That’s Orunmila. I’ll go fix him.” Said Sickness.
Loss said, “No. Let me go.”
Bad Times spoke up and said, “I’ll show him what for.”
“No.” Spoke Death flatly, “If I don’t go over there you guys won’t be able to stop him.”
He threw his huge club up in the air and caught it with one hand.
When Death got over there, who did he meet? Our father Orunmila. Our father saluted Death and asked him to stay awhile; he offered him something to eat and cracked open a few beers, made sure he was good. When Death finally got up to leave our father gave him the chicken from the offering, asking him to take it with him.
When Death got back to his crew, he said, “Uh…let’s back off.”
“Back off?! You saying ‘back off’?!” retorted Sickness, “I thought you said you were going to give it to him with that club of yours? Well, we’ll just go look in on him ourselves.” Sickness, Loss, Bad Times, and all the other Evils of the World went to visit Orunmila. The whole bunch of them, all naked, because that’s how they were back then. They didn’t even have clothes.
After they’d greeted Orunmila, he asked them where they were going. They said the were just passing by. Our father asked them to sit down, to take a break and have a little rest. He gave them food, and something to drink. Seeing that they were naked Orunmila took out some clothes and handed them out.
“They’ve been telling you things about us, haven’t they?” Asked Sickness.
“No, no one’s been talking about you.” Said our father.
“Come on, they must have been telling you things.” Said Sickness.
“No, no one’s been talking about you. Not at all.” Said our father.
“Then why are you doing this?” Asked Sickness.
Our father said, “I just saw you and did what I usually do.”
Orunmila said, “I saw you and did for you what I’d do for anyone, what I’d like done for myself.”
“OK.” Sickness said. “That first guy that came in here, you know…that was Death.”
“And I am Sickness.” He said.
“And this here is Fight. This one is Loss and that guy there he’s Bad Times.” He said, “We won’t mess with you today…but you’ll be hearing from us.” They left Orunmila alone.
Anyone that gets sick, laid up in bed, should go call on Orunmila so they can feel better. Anyone that’s lost something, should go call on Orunmila, and get it back. Anyone having bad times, they should go call on Orunmila, and have a better time. Anyone facing what appears to be the end of the line, they too should go call on Orunmila. To go about it any other way, you end up living with no one but the evils of the world, with Death. Never forget the thankfulness and generosity that are your true self; stay in Orunmila’s house.
This is how Orunmila became wealthy.
This is how our father became immortal.
When Orunmila was looking to settle down in the neighborhood of Death, of Sickness, of Loss, of Bad Times, of the Sixteen Evils found in the world, he said:
Iku wa forijin mi – Death forgive me.
Ajikan, ajikan rere, ajikan. Ajikan, ajikan rere, ajikan.
Arun wa forijin mi – Sickness, forgive me.

 
Ajikan, ajikan rere, ajikan Ajikan, ajikan rere, ajikan.
Ofo wa forijin mi – Loss, forgive me.
Ajikan, ajikan rere, ajikan Ajikan, ajikan rere, ajikan.
Gbogbo Ajogun to wa forijin mi – All Evils that exist, forgive me.
Ajikan, ajikan rere, ajikan Ajikan, ajikan rere, ajikan.
~ Odu Eji Ogbe

Gboyega Adejumo