Better not to pledge, than to pledge and fail

Erin Ayonigba river In Erinjiyan village in Ekiti west local government, Ekiti State, Nigeria is a river with strange fishes and supernatural abilities to heal different ailments.
According to the story gathered from the village settlers, the river is the guidance and protector of the villagers and is capable of solving different challenges faced by humans.
The river has countless fishes and other living creatures, but none was ever killed as they were all revered as the sons and daughters of the river goddess.
And even the water from the river is believed to cure two hundred different ailments, give children to barren women, and wealth and opulence to those who served and believed in it.
But it was forbidden to carry the water out of the town without the prior knowledge of the river goddess or without informing any inhabitants of the town, either big or small. Or else the container, keg, or reservoir of whoever fetched the water from the river will burst, break, or get lost along the way.
The celebration of Erin river is always during July, and it's attended by people from home and abroad who come either with a request or in appreciation of the answer to the request they had made the previous celebration.
During the celebration, maidens from the seven villages around Erinjiyan village were seen thronging around with beautifully decorated hair, brazier and short, and beads as clothes. And they marched and sing with gait and happiness as a result of the festive mood.
It is taboo to boil the water from the river or dilute it with hot water, and nobody kills or takes home any of the living things in the river, as it will never get cooked when put on fire.
There had been instances of skeptic tourists who catches fish from the river, cut it into smaller parts, and put it on fire. But the water was boiling above the fish and the fish joined back together to form a whole fish in the pot. Strange things like infants' death and unfortunate occurrences will start manifesting around whoever dares to do this because the children of the river goddess had been slain.
A big palm tree stood close to the bank of the river and it stayed taboo for anyone to touch it with a knife or cutlass.
It is also believed that a big snake does come out during the celebration, the snake big enough to swallow human beings or animals had been there for decades but only come out from its habitat within the river to the groove of the palm tree when it's nine days to the celebration.
It was also acknowledged the snake can turn to rope when threatening or seemed to be in danger.
Sometimes, the river goddess was reckoned to manifest in physical form during the celebration and appearing as a nursing mother feeding her children. Or occasionally appeared as a fat woman or a young lady when she has something important to deliver to the king of the village.
She was rarely recognized except by the river custodians, the king, and some others who can see beyond human sense.
During the town celebration, bean cake, cola nuts, bitter cola, salts, and some edible things were offered to visitors and strangers, and the remnants with the pans and pots used in cooking were used to offer prayer for the town and their children wherever they may be. Then thrown into the river after the prayer, only to find their way to the shores of the sea in a city like Lagos, Port Harcourt, and any of their children who visit the seashore at that point will see the sign that their celebration had taken place and would inform others.
It was also said that during the dry season, the river goddess removed all the fishes from the river to the source of the river, and whoever visits the place and sits under the tree by 1 pm will hear the sound of the swimming fishes.
Apart from the town's celebration of the river, the inhabitants of the vast area of water that divided the town into two occasionally celebrate their festival. And sounds of drums and other instruments will be heard from the depth of the troubled and violently shaking bodies of water during this celebration. The river loved it when little children bathe in it and have never drowned any inhabitants or visitors bathing inside. Except for occasional turning into red color whenever the river goddess is angry because some of her children were denied the chance of visiting her as she annually demanded.
And when this occurs, the leaders of the town will appease the river goddess with a cow and bring to her presence her missing children immediately to avoid further misfortune.
It is also forbidden to make a pledged and failed, but permissible not to pledged whatever you can't afford as whoever pledged before the river goddess must fulfill it.
According to the people of Erinjiyan town, the covid19 pandemic which ravaged the world some years before the beginning of the third world war did not affect any of their children both at home and in the diaspora as they claimed to always cast spells of protection over them all.
In ancient times, the river also give fowls, ducks, and goats to those she chose.
The receiver will know when the animals started following them to their houses and refused to go back despite being chased.
Such fowls or ducks will lay lots of eggs and hatched them all, while the goats will give birth to four or five young ones.
The receiver is expected to take all the animals back to the shore of the river, whichever swim or walked away belonged to the river goddess and will be used as a gift for other beneficiaries, while those remaining, belong to the receiver and will be taken back home.
The river goddess stopped the practice when it was abused by evil men who refused to bring them back to the giver for others to enjoy.
Erinjiyan people are friendly and homely, the river is harmless as both indigenous people, settlers, and even visitors drink, cook, bathe and wash with it, and it's never heard to contain any germ.
"That is the town Kira and Akira were heading." Enoch the serpent said in conclusion of the supernaturally fascinating story of the river named Erin Ayonigba.
"You are a great storyteller," Sebastian said in admiration of the vivid description of the town as he felt himself there throughout the time Enoch was talking.
"Beautiful," Zuri added.
He was glad Sebastian had agreed to his suggestion of becoming friendly with the serpent.
The little time he had spent with the serpent had unfolded the man inside the tiny rope-like body to be talkative. Not that he blamed him, who know how he will also react if his body was trapped in a shell for centuries.
"What are Kira and Akira looking for?" Zuri asked.
"Fish from the river to perfect their ritual," Enoch replied.
"I have a question?" Sebastian said.
"Be my guest," Enoch replied.
"What will happen to anyone who vowed before the river goddess and failed?" Sebastian asked.
Enoch the serpent stood on its tail out of excitement, then lunged its body on the ground, and a loud sound as if an iron fell on stone was heard.
"Let me tell you the story of Olurounbi."
Hundred of years ago, in the land of Erinjiyan, a lady named Oluronbi was spotted pleading before the palm tree beside the bank of the Erinjiyan river. Her lips moved in prayer as she said. "Please give me a child and I shall bring it to you as offering in nine years."
The calm river suddenly tumbled and a loud voice was heard from the deep. "It will be done."
The lady heard the loud voice, stood up from her kneeling position, and jumped up in happiness. "Thank you, river goddess, I shall fulfill all my vows."
Nine months later, Oluronbi gave birth to a beautiful fair girl and the whole town celebrated with her, eating, drinking, and dancing for eight days when the girl was named.
A year later, Oluronbi took a big cow with a big hunchback to the riverside as a sacrifice and continue doing this for eight consecutive years.
The final year, Oluronbi went to the riverside as usual with her big cow with a big hunched back. But that year, the river goddess reject her gift and demand the life of Oluronbi's daughter as a sacrifice.
"No please," Olurounbi begged. "I shall henceforth come with more cows, goats, and ducks as an annual sacrifice to you."
But the river goddess rejected them all and insisted on her demand, the life of Oluronbi's only child.
But Oluronbi became more desperate and begged more. "Please reconsider your demand and take all my wealth, lands, and inheritance.
She is my only child and I can give anything in exchange for her life."
"No!" The terrifying voice thundered out of the river. " You pledged the life of your only child, and that is what I will accept."
Olurounbi keeps begging but the river goddess insisted on her demand.
So Oluronbi left in anger and relocated to another land to keep her child safe.
In anger, the river goddess one day went in search of her child, and when she saw her, she walked towards her and touched her.
And the girl immediately turned into a torrent of water and flowed after the river goddess to her abode.
Olurounbi in grieved spend the rest of her life in pain and died a few years later.
"This is one of the stories of those who pledged and failed," Enoch said in conclusion.
"Thank you for the beautiful stories," Sebastian said.
"I appreciate your presence and will always welcome you around me," Enoch said with an unblinking eyes ball.