Echoes of Batá III: Unveiling the Mark

Part 3: Unveiling the Mark

The following days were a whirlwind of research and preparation. Ayo and Ifáyemi spent countless hours scouring dusty libraries and interviewing aging Bata masters, their quest for knowledge leading them deeper into the forgotten lore of the Ifa of Passage.

One humid afternoon, they ventured into the heart of Ibadan's bustling marketplace. Following a trail of whispered rumors, they arrived at a small, unassuming workshop nestled amongst stalls overflowing with colorful fabrics and pungent spices. A weathered sign hung crookedly above the entrance, proclaiming the establishment as "Baba Ayinde's Bata."

Inside, the air hung heavy with the rich scent of aged wood and drying animal hide. A wizened figure, his face etched with the wisdom of years, sat hunched over a partially formed Bata drum. This was Baba Ayinde, his name synonymous with the finest Batas in Ibadan.

As Ayo and Ifáyemi approached, Baba Ayinde looked up, his eyes, clouded with age but still sharp, taking them in with a single glance. He gestured towards two stools with a gnarled hand, his voice a low rumble that resonated with an air of quiet authority.

"Welcome," he said, his voice gravelly with age. "You seek knowledge, I sense."

Ayo, feeling a knot of nervousness tighten in his stomach, took the first step. He recounted their story – the disappearance of Abisola, the inscription on the Bata, and their discovery of the Ifa of Passage.

Baba Ayinde listened intently, his expression unreadable. When Ayo finished, a long silence filled the workshop, broken only by the rhythmic tap-tap-tap of a hammer shaping a piece of wood.

Finally, Baba Ayinde spoke, his voice weighty with the wisdom of ages. "The Ifa of Passage," he murmured, "a legend whispered amongst those who dare tread the path between worlds. It is indeed a key, but a key that opens a door leading to both salvation and peril."

A wave of relief washed over Ayo. Baba Ayinde knew about the Ifa! But his words sent a shiver down his spine. Peril? Was the risk of bringing Abisola back worth the potential dangers?

Ifáyemi, ever the pragmatist, leaned forward. "What do we need to do, Baba?" she asked, her voice steady. "How can we use the Ifa of Passage safely?"

Baba Ayinde's gaze shifted between them, his eyes seemingly peering into their very souls. "The ceremony to activate the Ifa is complex and fraught with danger," he said. "It requires a specific rhythm, played on a Bata imbued with the essence of the one seeking passage. And…" he paused, his voice dropping to a low whisper, "a sacrifice."

Ayo's heart hammered against his ribs. Sacrifice? What kind of sacrifice? The weight of the consequences began to settle in, a chilling realization of the price he might have to pay to bring Abisola back.

Ifáyemi, too, seemed taken aback. "A sacrifice?" she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. "What kind of sacrifice?"

Baba Ayinde rose from his stool, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the workshop. He picked up a small, intricately carved wooden box and placed it before them.

"The answer lies within," he said, his voice resonating with a cryptic finality. "But choose your path wisely. For once the ceremony begins, there is no turning back."

With those words hanging heavy in the air, Baba Ayinde turned and disappeared through a beaded curtain at the back of the workshop. Ayo and Ifáyemi sat in silence, the weight of the decision before them pressing down on them like a suffocating shroud. The inscription on the Bata seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow, a silent beckoning to a world beyond their comprehension. Was this their only hope, or was it a path leading them deeper into a darkness they could never escape? The fate of Abisola, and perhaps their own, hung in the balance.