258 Abibisika (Black Gold) Points

Rank: Unranked Obibini

Finding Peace at the Beach
By Kpojito Alagba Francesca Abbey

The Intro
For her first 57 years of the 65 years she’s been alive, Queen Yeboa had struggled to survive through a tsunami of epic misfortune and continuous uncertainty. The past 8 years of her life have been the only peace and stability she’s ever experienced for any continuous length of time. A deluge of divorces, deaths, displacements and destitution left her distraught, devastated and depressed. Her only solace (so she thought) was the beach…the sun, the sand and the sea, which had always brought her a brief and temporary moment of serenity. It’s where she would go to recharge. And she was about due for another overhaul.

So, she booked her trip, packed her beach gear and took flight to paradise. She would travel to the exact same beach where it all began 8 years ago, and renew her Sologamy Wedding vows after her first anniversary with her Ori… Her “Ori”, you say? (Keep reading… I’ll explain).

For quite a while Queen Yeboa wanted so much to be in a loving relationship where there would be mutual respect, equality, balance, friendship and happiness, which she never found in any of her three marriages.

Throughout many years between failed marriages, she tried to stand strong and resist the temptation to settle for just anyone, but was unsuccessful. She was very trusting and so lonesome for companionship, that she gambled away her heart, again and again, taking one more chance at love, always hoping that the next person would be “the one!” She seemed to be on a perpetual losing streak. So, she eventually gave up and decided to reluctantly accept her fate…that she was destined to live out the rest of her life alone.

Little did she know, the one soulmate she’d been seeking, for so long, had been there all the time! Her Ori!

Queen Yeboa’s Ori is the fictional personification of a metaphysical concept in Yoruba spirituality.

Literally translating as the English word for “head,” Ori is Queen Yeboa’s’ spiritual intuition and destiny. The spark of human consciousness in her human essence. With which she must obtain alignment, in order to achieve balanced character, inner peace and satisfaction with her life. Queen Yeboa’s Ori is her divine self!

They met one day, about eight years ago on a beach… in a hand mirror, while Queen Yeboa was attempting to get a speck of dust out of her eye. As she gazed closer into her own eyes in the hand mirror to find the speck of dust, she realized that her reflection was lovingly gazing back at her, as if to say:

“Hello beautiful! I am your Ori, your “mind-spirit”. And you, my “Body-soul”, are a divine soul having a physical experience in the here and now, in a body called Queen Yeboa. Don’t be afraid! Don’t look away! Look at we! The truth is right here in your own eyes and nowhere else!

Girl, I’ve known you your whole life…with your divine self! I was there when we were born! I eased your pain through your abusive childhood. I comforted you through the loss of your children. I dried your tears through all of your divorces. I sheltered you when you were homeless. When you were cold, I wrapped your shivering “Body-soul” with the warmth of my “mind-spirit” like a blanket. When you were hungry, I fed you the food of knowledge and ingenuity so you could find strength, courage and the tenacity to push on.

Let me ask you this baby girl…when are you going to stop searching out there in the worldly world for what is already within you? I’ve been here all the time, waiting for you to acknowledge my presence and existence. Grab hold and align with me my love, so together, we can work to attain the most graceful character, harmony and fulfilment, and evolve to our 9 Ether self.”

Her reflection went on to say:
“Look at how beautiful you are! Look at your perfectly melanated black chocolate skin that absorbs the laser radiation of the sun to enhance your glow and your third eye. Speaking of your eyes… look deeper into them… that’s where your akashic record lies. Look at your perfect bow-shaped lips that speak truth as straight as an arrow. Look at your perfect drum-shaped hips that keep the heartbeat of the universe like a metronome as you strut. Your “Body-soul” is a treasured work of art. A masterpiece made to be loved, respected and cherished. You deserve the best and the finest of all you need and desire. You are destined for greatness. You have the power to transform your life into whatever you want it to be by working symbiotically with me. Let’s get a cool refreshing drink of coconut water and discuss this further?”

For the first time in her life, Queen Yeboa smiled at her own reflection in a mirror. From then on, they became the best of friends, fell in love, and married 7 years later in a Sologamy ceremony on the very same beach where they met. Having been married for the past year, Queen Yeboa’s life has been on an even faster track than before, towards healing her heart, comforting her soul, and restoring her dignity.

Queen Yeboa finally married someone who is her equal in every way…
someone she will spend the rest of her life with. A truly divine being who had unknowingly been her best friend since they were born. In her own words, Queen Yeboa describes their relationship:

“I now know that we were always there for each other…joined at the heart. We came from the same mother…can’t bear to be apart. In tough times we feel each other’s pain. In good times we share each other’s gain.

We’re each other’s soulmate…we’re partners in life. We’re each other’s husband…we’re each other’s wife.

We love, honor, respect and protect each other. We invest each day improving the character of one another. We are committed to a lifetime together in harmony, with abundant peace, mutual respect and uninterrupted tranquility.”

In the past, Before they formally met, Queen Yeboa and her Ori, had struggled in their estranged relationship. Time and time again, she went against the better judgement decisions of her higher-self, her Ori, and made bad choices. But now, the struggle is over. They vibe on a higher frequency. They harmonize like a finely tuned duet singing acapella.

After all, they were born together. They chose each other over all others to be together in this one particular lifetime, out of trillions of lifetimes.

They’ve always lived together in one body. They’ve walked every mile together in each other’s shoes over the hills, rocks and over the snowbanks of life, in the frigid cold winds; just as they also walked together under the warm rejuvenating sun by the sea in the sand, with only one set of footprints. Queen Yeboa unknowingly carried her Ori when it was necessary. Her Ori willingly carried her when it was necessary.

They’ll die together. Normally, when the heart stops beating, the brain (the mind, “the Ori”) continues living for up to 7 minutes, (Is it because the Ori is the only one with the keys to lock and unlock the doorway to life?) but Queen Yeboa, the “Body-soul”, and her Ori, her “mind-spirit” will walk out of the door of life together, lock it behind them, go on that eternal cruise to a beach in paradise, sailing off into their final sunset for one last time, smiling and sippin’ unlimited coconut Margaritas while swaying their perfect hips to those never-ending African drum rhythms.

Yeah, some folks’ eternities may be in heaven; some may be in hell; but Queen Yeboa, the “Body-soul”, and her Ori, her “mind-spirit”…will go on a cruise to the beach…any beach…every beach! Their beach! For in their marriage, love in paradise will last for an eternity!

Although they worked together to build the lifestyle she desired, her evolution was not totally complete. There was something else needed… a mysterious missing element she needed in order for her to achieve her fullest potential of divineness. And there were other unseen forces waiting to ensure she earned it! Her Egunguns!

It’s Thursday, around 3:00 pm in the afternoon. It’s a beautiful, warm yet breezy late summer day.

After a pleasant but lengthy plane ride, Queen Yeboa has finally arrived at her destination where she hopes to achieve inner peace and clarity to increase her creativity and assure certainty that she’s on the right spiritual path.

Queen Yeboa dropped off her baggage took a refreshing shower, changed into her beach gear, stepped out onto her beachfront patio and gazed upon the beauty of the sun, the sky, the sand and the sea.

Ahh, beautiful Divi Little Bay beach! That stretch of land in St. Maarten along the shore of the Atlantic ocean is so beautiful this time of year.

Ahh the sun, that star in the sky at the center of the solar system that produces natural warmth.
Ahh the sky, the open air that feels so cool and breezy… smells so fresh and clean.
Ahh the sand, those finely ground, powdery, granules of minerals that cushion our feet as we walk.
Ahh the sea, that vast body of healing salty water that feels like a warm soothing bath.

The Development
As she steped onto the beach, the coolness of the breeze in the air worked symbiotically with the warmth of the sun on Queen Yeboa’s black chocolate skin and through her shoulder-length, silver locs, immediately giving her a sense of calmness and comfort.

As she walked barefoot towards the shore, Queen Yeboa felt the warmth from the sun lightly toasting her. The sand under the soles of her feet, felt like warm, powdered sugar.

As Queen Yeboa reached the edge of the shore, she felt the coolness of the water tickling the tips of her toes. She sat in a lotus position in the sand at the shore accompanied by her mate, her Ori (her divine self, the reflective spark of her consciousness). As they allowed the ebb and flow dance of the ocean tide to bathe and caress them, they did their deep breathing ritual until they reached a deep meditative state. The Yin and Yang of the cool air and warm sun, the ebb and flow of the sea to and from the sand and the inhalation and exhalation of Queen Yeboa and her Ori all worked together in harmony, which created a symphony of peace, tranquility, and balance.

The Conflict
Suddenly, Queen Yeboa and her Ori felt an approaching presence. It was their Egunguns, the collective spirit of all of their ancient and recent ancestors who were conflicted between whether to give Queen Yeboa the peace that she sought or to once again, hold her feet to the fire to further forge her into a being with a better balance of character.

As the collective spirit of all of her ancient and recent ancestors, Queen Yeboa’s Egunguns play the role of mediators between the creator, the deities and the living. The role of her ancestors is to unconditionally protect, impartially correct and faithfully assure the wellbeing of their living family members.

However, just as living family members, particularly parents, cannot always agree on what the most favorable and effective parenting technique may be; Egunguns can often be conflicted with each other on the best way to achieving their goals as well. Some may be content using a softer, more compassionate approach, while on the other hand, others may insist that a firmer hand works better. Well in this case, the latter won over!

Quickly, the sky grew dark and heavy as the sun disappeared behind storm clouds. The breezy air became gale force winds that whipped up the sand into Queen Yeboa’s face and eyes and sliced her skin. She scrambled to her feet as she noticed a huge wave the size of a three-story building approaching land.

As she turned to run towards shelter, she was swept away in the turmoil that the conflicted Egunguns created. She struggled to run, but her legs felt heavy in the sand and could not carry her fast enough.

As she felt the tide current carrying her further and further out to sea, she struggled to swim, but her arms were weak against the forceful waters and could not cut through it hard enough.

As she tasted the saltiness of the ocean water filling her mouth, nose, and lungs, she struggled to breath, but couldn’t hold out long enough.

As she felt the lifeforce of her spirit slowly slipping away from her body, she struggled to live, but her faith and her will weren’t strong enough…or were they?

The conclusion
Then, came acceptance!

Just as Queen Yeboa was about to submit to mother Yemaya, the Yoruba deity of the ocean, she allowed herself to find peace in the process of letting go, she surrendered to the serenity of transitioning from Elder to Ancestor.

Why this was happening no longer mattered to her. What was important to her, was that she was confident that towards the end, she achieved the opportunity to live a good life of truth, love, harmony, balance… and now… finally, her newly acquired “acceptance” (that mysterious missing element she needed in order to achieve her fullest potential of divineness)

As Queen Yeboa calmly and acquiescently drifted off into her final sleep, she slowly began to hear the faint sounds of seagulls. She smelled the sweet scent of buttered corn roasting on a grill. She felt the cold, wet, gritty sand underneath her back and the cool, brisk breeze of the evening air on her face and shivering body. In her mouth, she tasted the bitter flavor of a mixture of salty ocean water and stomach bile as it was being forced out of her by a lifeguard who was telepathically summoned by her best friend, her Ori.

They’re going to be alright from here on because they finally found that mysterious missing element needed, that Queen Yeboa had been seeking all along in order to gain balanced character, inner peace and satisfaction with life.

Queen Yeboa, the “Body-soul”, and her Ori, her “mind-spirit”… true soulmates.”

The End