CONTEST: My Favorite Book Character

Hi everyone, this is my entry for this week's Writing and Review Contest. I appreciate @fendit and @belenguerra for their efforts and support in this community.

My favorite book character is from a Nigerian Play (Drama) written in the year 2006 by Femi Osofisan. The title is Women Of Owu, which is based on a true historical event. It tells the story of how the kingdom of owu was invaded which brought about the end of their civilization and how they springed forth again, but never the same way.

Women of Owu isn't the best book I've read but I chose it for this contest because of one of its noble characters- Erelu

The kingdom of Owu was the most prosperous and organised of the Yoruba kingdoms during its existence. But she came under an attack from the kingdom of Ìfẹ, Ọyọ and Ijẹbu and this lasted a long time. For seven years, these three kingdoms didn't spear the life of any adult male or child, this continued until there were just women.

Erelu was the queen of Owu kingdom during her time. She along with the other women were captured and kept in a prison built at the center of Owu kingdom. She had to become strong for the women who lost their husbands and children. She kept promising them that the night will be over and in the morning, there will be joy and illumination. Many of the women had hope in the king.

The king had earlier fled along with his aids when the war was getting intense. The women of Owu had a hope that one-day, he would return to deliver them and rebuild their empire. This was until news came that the king and his aids had been captured and killed like the rest of the other men. Tears and screams became the order everyday because their last hope was gone. Yet Erelu had to be strong. She was the queen and a true daughter of Owu. Owu was not going to perish even with the death of all the men. She gave the women hope that they could rebuild the kingdom even as women.

Erelu didn't possess strengths like a man, or enchantments or weapons. She only had her womanhood, yet she was the one everyone looked up to. She didn't fail and didn't disappoint them. She didn't let fear or defeat show in her countenance. Even at the news that her husband, their last hope was captured and killed. The rest of the women drew strength from her and hope was rekindled.

After many days in a prison with minimal light reflections, the women were taken into slavery in different places. These women were sometimes married off. But the children the women of Owu gave birth to were said to claim the kingdom of Owu. However, the Kingdom was never physically built.

Erelu became a model to the women even to this day. She's not just a model to women but to men likewise. That we need to be strong. Not to show fear where it will make people looking up to us loose hope. We should emulate the virtues of a good leader who wasn't just there in the good times but shared their worst time as well. And to never believe their only one way of doing things. Today, there are people who claim to be from Owu, even knowing that all the men died during the war. I believe you can understand why she's my favorite book character.

Thanks for reading through, I hope you liked it!