Immediately Ireti told Kolapo that she missed her period, his heart began to race. It wasn't bad news for the couple and Kolapo was only scared things could turn out to be the opposite of what they thought it could be.
"Should we visit the traditional doctor or just wait for another month?" He asked Ireti who had mixed feelings about missing her period.
"I guess we should hold on, let's be sure." She replied and Kolapo sighed heavily as he prayed in his heart for God to bless them with a child.
It was their fifteenth year of marriage but they couldn't bear a child. They visited all the traditional doctors across different villages but all effort was futile. The couple loved each other and stood strong despite their barrenness, Ireti got the hit more as Kolapo's family would always mock and rained abuse on her. They wanted him to marry another woman but he didn't listen to them.
"This is the second month, I think we should visit the traditional doctor now. Let's be sure of what's happening." Ireti told her husband who immediately dressed up and accompanied her to the place.
"Kolapo, God has finally answered your prayers," an old woman said to him after running a check on Ireti.
The couples were happy, they got some herbs and the old woman guided them on things not to do since the pregnancy was still fragile.
"Remember the land tradition, don't name your child before the king diviner does," the old woman reminded them as they walked out of the hospital.
Kolapo was excited and couldn't contain his joy that evening, he spent half of the day at the palm wine joint where he unknowingly told everyone about the pregnancy after he got drunk and it didn't take long before the whole village got to know about Ireti's pregnancy.
"What is this Kolapo, why do you have to tell everyone about my pregnancy?" Ireti questioned him immediately after he arrived home tipsy and he didn't respond.
As if he was cursed, Kolapo continued his drinking habit every evening after returning from the farm. Every effort to stop him didn't work and it made Ireti sad.
The pregnancy was about seven months old when Kolapo violated the law of the land. He was drunk and told people at the palm wine joint that he would name his child Treasure.
"Abomination!" The people shouted and he didn't realise what happened until the next morning when the palace guard came knocking on his door.
"Good morning Kolapo, we are from the palace. The king sent for you." Two hefty men said to him immediately after he opened the door.
"Hope all is well?" Kolapo asked as he bowed before the king's staff the guards were carrying.
"You will know when you get to the palace," the guards chorused.
Ireti wouldn't let him go alone so she accompanied Kolapo to the palace.
Kolapo prostrated immediately when he got to the king and was trembling because the king wasn't looking happy.
"If you are not an indigene of this Kingdom, I would have reduced your punishment. You know what's at risk and still went ahead to violate the tradition, guards throw him in the dungeon." The king shouted angrily.
Ireti tried pleading but everything she said fell on deaf ears. She watched her husband being dragged away by the guards.
She left the palace in sorrow and went to her in-laws, they could only comfort her since there was nothing they could do about it.
"Mama, why is there such a law here? At my place, we are allowed to give our child names." Ireti asked Kolapo's mother.
"It is a long story. The rivalry between two brothers fighting to become the crown prince position birthed the law. The younger son was named Ngoduko by the young queen which means future king and because his elder brother who was the son of the first queen felt like the young prince would win people's favour with the name, they became sworn enemies. The king then made it a decree that only the gods will give names to children and the law became so strict that you can't even joke about it except people don't know about it."
"That's a family problem, it shouldn't extend to the villagers. The king was unreasonable." Ireti replied.
"Will you keep quiet, it looks like you want to join your husband in the prison." Kolapo's mother replied.
Every morning, Ireti would go to the prison with food since the king gave her permission to visit him anytime she wanted.
One fateful morning, she went as usual and immediately after Ireti stepped foot in the palace, she went into labour. The king got to know and told the women in the palace to take her to the palace hospital.
The news soon spread that she gave birth to a baby girl and Kolapo wept bitterly in the prison even though he was happy.
"Go summon the diviner and release Kolapo, I have punished him enough." The king ordered.
The diviner arrived and after consulting the gods, he announced that the child would be called Treasure.
Everyone was surprised that the gods chose the same name which caused Kolapo's imprisonment.
"Ifayemi, why the same name?" The king asked the diviner who consulted the gods again.
"She is a precious child and indeed a treasure says the gods" The diviner replied after consulting the oracle.
***"Isn't this law pointless Ifayemi?" The king whispered to the diviner ears.
"It was relevant my kingdom in the past but not anymore, people should have the freedom to name their child what they want," Ifayemi replied.
The chiefs were gathered at the palace already and after a brief meeting, the king abolished the law.
The announcement made the villagers happy and Treasure became famous for being the last child to be named by the gods, the people called her The god's treasure.