I still remember the day my friend Ade went to meet his girlfriend Ajoke's parents in their village. Ade was dressed in his traditional agbada, looking very proud and handsome.
Ajoke's family was from a small village in Osun State, Nigeria. They were Yoruba people, and they took their culture and traditions very seriously.
Ade and Ajoke had been dating for a while, and Ade thought it was time to meet her parents. Ajoke had told him that her parents were very traditional and that he should be respectful.
When Ade arrived at the village, he was greeted by Ajoke's father, who was a tall, thin man with a kind face. Ajoke's mother was a short, round woman with a warm smile.
They welcomed Ade into their home, and Ajoke's mother served him a traditional Yoruba meal of jollof rice and egusi soup. Ade was impressed by the delicious food and the warm hospitality of Ajoke's family.
However, things started to take a strange turn when Ade noticed that Ajoke's family kept looking at him in a weird way. They would whisper to each other and glance at him suspiciously.
Ade tried to brush it off, thinking that they were just being cautious because he was a stranger. But as the night wore on, the atmosphere in the house became increasingly tense.
Ajoke's father started telling stories about the village's history and the gods they worshipped. Ade listened politely, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.
Suddenly, Ajoke's mother stood up and announced that it was time for Ade to meet the "family elder." Ade was confused, but he followed Ajoke's mother to a small hut at the back of the compound.
Inside the hut, Ade saw an old woman sitting on a stool. She was dressed in traditional Yoruba clothing, and her face was painted with white stripes. Ade greeted her respectfully, but she just stared at him with cold, dead eyes.
Ajoke's mother told Ade that the old woman was the family's ancestral priestess. She communicated with the gods and ancestors on behalf of the family.
Ade was skeptical, but he played along. The old woman started chanting and waving her hands in the air. Ade felt a strange energy building up in the hut.
Suddenly, the old woman stopped chanting and pointed at Ade. She spoke in a voice that sent shivers down Ade's spine.
"You have been chosen," she said. "You will be the one to appease the gods."
Ade was confused and scared. He didn't know what the old woman was talking about. He tried to leave, but Ajoke's mother blocked his way.
"You can't leave now," she said. "The ritual has begun."
Ade was trapped. He had to go through with the ritual, whatever it was. The old woman started chanting again, and Ade felt himself being pulled into a dark and sinister world.
I never saw Ade again after that day. Some say he was sacrificed to the gods, while others claim he was driven mad by the ritual.
But one thing is certain: Ade was never the same again. And if you ever find yourself in that village, be careful. The gods are always watching, and they demand sacrifice
