The Drummer Boy

Chapter 1

Akande was a handsome young man from Samu village, to top it he was a drummer, he was the son of the just deceased Pa Alabi of Samu village. Pa Alabi had just died, he was a great drummer. People travelled from other far kingdoms just to hear Pa Alabi play drums during each festival in Samu village. 

   It was the day of Pa Alabi's funeral, lot of people came to pay their tribute to the Great Pa Alabi, he was loved by everyone because of his kindness and hospitality to anyone who needs his help. Pa Alain’s funeral was hosted in a grand style and his son Akande was asked to play to honour the death of his father. Akande played so well like it were his father playing it himself, the crowd applauded him and went into dancing, the sounds from the drums were like music to their ears. 

   Akande was in the second phase of his life, he was without his father the Great Pa Alabi. Akande was now very popular after he played at his father's funeral, he received so many invitations to play at Kings banquet, wedding ceremonies, naming ceremonies and lots more, some of which he accepted while some of them he declined. The handsome Akande was now so famous that maidens come to his house to cook, clean and help him get water from the stream. It reached to a point that maidens in the village of Samu began to fight over Akande. 

   On a faithful day, Akande was coming back from one of the event he attended, on reaching his backyard to drop his instruments he overheard two maidens quarreling about who he liked more amongst them, Akande was perplexed because he liked them for the fact that they come to help him out and nothing more, they greeted him but he ignored them and asked them to leave his house telling them he will be the one to finish the chores. 

   Akande was becoming a proud handsome drummer because of the fact that he was the best drummer and he was handsome to top it. Akande was invited for a wedding ceremony in a neighboring village, after his performance at the party he went to greet the newly wedded couples, after greeting them, he bumped into this very beautiful damsel, she was tall in height, dark in complexion, she had a straight nose, she also had straight legs and long hair, she was a perfect definition of true beauty. Akande was lost in thoughts but quickly comported himself when she called out his name and chanted praised to his name, saying

     "Akande! The great drummer of Samu 

      village, the son of great Pa Alabi, the

      handsome young man whom all maid-

ens speak of, the great man who gre-

      at men and women, chiefs and Kings

      traders and foreigners travel to watch

      play his drums, I am so honored to m-

      eet you in person "

Akande was so happy after all the praises she rendered on him, he thanked her and asked of her name and the village she came from, she replied

      "I am Ima from Kantu village"

They both sat down together and talked for a while, exchanged contact informations and then departed. Akande attitude changed towards people after the big wedding event attended, he became proud and rude because he met with so many influential people from all around the world.Akande never stopped thinking about Ima the maiden he met at the wedding ceremony, he thought about going to host an event in Kantu village so he'll get another opportunity to meet Ima. Akande had a plan of hosting an event in Kantu village, he did as planned, he got another opportunity to see Ima, he told her how much he loved her and how he was always thinking about her, Ima laughed and shoved off the topic, they talk a little while before they parted ways. 

   Akande no more greeted people as often as he does, the cheerful Akande was gone, when maidens from his village come to help him out, he would sweet talk them and try to have his way with them because he was famous and he knew they can't help it they must surely fall for his sweet talks then he would have his way with them. One of the maidens he slept with reported to him that she was pregnant, he insulted her and told her to look for the father of her child because he's not responsible for her pregnancy. The parents of the maiden came with her to meet Akande and ask him to take responsibility for what he has done to their daughter. Akande insulted her parents too and accused them of training their daughter in a bad manner, he even accused her of seducing him and every other man in the village, her parent were pained and heart broken after receiving such insults from the young drummer Akande, they left shamefully. 

Chapter 2

Akande has changed into something else, he doesn't regard anyone or rather greet anyone in Samu village, he was so popular that he does not care who greets him because he has so many followers, anywhere he goes despite his pride he still pulls crowd he doesn't accept invites from lower class people, he only mingles with the rich. People began to complain about the current attitude of Akande, they began asking themselves what could have happened to the caring and living son of Pa Alabi, they knew Pa Alabi was never a proud or rude man and his son took after him but changed when he became so famous. 

     Akande never stopped thinking about Ima, Ima was the one true girl he has ever fallen in love with, he loved her so much despite the fact that she doesn't want to hear about his love for her. They still kept in touch, anytime Akande goes for an event in Kantu village he will squeeze out time to make sure he sees Ima whenever Ima goes to Samu village to buy things during their market days she also squeezes out time to see Akande. Ima loved Akande but she wouldn't let him state his feelings for her properly, she kept shoving the topic off because she didn't trust him, he was popular, he was everywhere, she couldn't compete with the lots of maidens that hover round about him at all times, she heard of how proud he has become, she heard of how rude he has be acting lately and of course she heard about how he had been sleeping with maidens in his village, all those thoughts got her scared, she didn't want to risk her life, she doesn't know how much Akande loves her, she doesn't know if he  wanted to spend the rest of his life with her or he just wants to have his way with her like he did to other maidens, all these thoughts filled her head until Akande touched her from behind the tree she was resting her back. He said

     "Ima, the most beautiful damsel of 

      Kantu village, the only damsel that 

      makes my heart beat so fast, the d-

      amsel whom the gods has set aside

      for me to marry, the only damsel that 

      holds the key to my heart, the only d-

      damsel that I will ever love. I greet 

      you"

She was so thrilled, she couldn't hold back the wide grin that appeared on her face. She replied saying

     "Akande, the handsome young drum-

      mer of Samu village, the only drum-

      mer whom all kings are delighted to 

      have, the drummer whom the gods 

      have set aside to entertain its people 

      in time of excitement and sorrow, the

      man who is beginning to fill my heart 

      and thoughts always. I greet you"

Akande was so happy especially after her last statement which says 

    "The man who is beginning to fill my 

      heart and thoughts always "

Akande and Ima had a very good time that day. They later confessed their love for each other, they were both so very happy. Before Ima accepted Akande's proposal, she made him promise not to go out with other girls which he did promise her, even after that she couldn't help but worry about it because both of them stay in different villages, she was so scared that his attitudes have not changed at all. Her friends will always tell her, never trust men at all, they are cunning, deceitful and wicked. Out of jealousy they would come and tell her they just saw Akande in his village with another maiden and when they tried confronting him, he reigned all sort of abuses on them, Ima was heart broken and scared. Ima thought of getting married to Akande already so she won't be on the losing end. 

Chapter 3

    Two months later, Akande and Ima got married. It was like half of the people in the world were in attendance, the wedding ceremony was so big, it was hosted in a grand style, there was enough of food and drinks for everyone to eat and take home, there were also lots of gifts for the newly wedded couple. The people of Samu village were so happy because they had the impression that Ima would help Akande change from his bad behaviors. 

    Akande was in the third phase of his life, he was without his father and now with a wife. Akande was still loved by some people despite his bad attitudes, he only receives invites from the rich, the famous people. Lots of people go through his wife just to send an invite to him, they would plead with his wife to help them beg her husband to honour their invitations, after much pleadings from his wife Akande would honour some from the middle class people. Despite the fact that Akande was married to person he loves, he still sleeps around with other women, he was now a womanizer and could not stop the habit, countless times he has been reported to his wife but when she confronts him about it, he would tell her he doesn't have time for her nagging, he would claim he was very busy. 

    On a faithful night, Akande was sleeping but his wife couldn't sleep, she was thinking about everything that was going on around her. She woke her husband up and told him everything that was bothering her, she told him he was becoming too rude and proud and that his womanizing was going to another level, he felt guilty and apologized to her. The next morning, she asked for permission to go to her village and visit her family, her request was granted and she left. 

    While Ima was at Kantu village, Akande thought about his life, he decided to change his ways for the woman he loves seeing that the result of his recent actions wouldn't do him any good, he was chosen by the gods to serve the people and he should serve them not regarding the fact if they were poor or if they were rich. 

     Two weeks later, Ima came back to Samu village. By the time Ima came back home she was receiving good testimonies on how her husband had changed so well, she was so happy with the testimonies she heard about her husband. Akande came home from an event that day and apologized to his wife for every wrong he has done to her, he also hosted a party and invited the whole villagers to attend, he apologized to the villagers of how badly he had been treating them, they accepted his apologies and they all lived happily in the village of Samu. Indeed a woman cannot change the characters of a man, the man only changes his characters for the woman he loves. 

The End.