Outskirts Press, INC.

‘Out of the Black Pot’ is a redemption story that follows a devotee of Ès̩ù (the devil) who murders his son and later seeks the forgiveness of his grandson and finally finds peace in Christianity. In ‘The Christmas Present’, when young Zac writes a letter to God, he learns that the Almighty will always provide. In ‘The Revelation’, a young commissionaire uses the power of prayer to combat the curses of evil. ‘Miracle of the Blind Beggar’ tells the story of Toríiálà, an old blind beggar, who regains his sight in a miracle brought on through the chicanery of his son and a tough piece of frog meat. In ‘Ké̩mí’s Harvest’, two boys from different backgrounds learn the meaning of the Yorùbá saying, ‘As̩esile̩ làbò̩wábá – What one sets aside (or leaves behind) is what one returns to find.’ ‘The Good Turn’ tells the story of a young boy who helps a travelling trader who is robbed by a gang and the kindness that is repaid years later. ‘The Soulmates’ is the tale of how orphan S̩eun finds success and true love through his commitment to duty, kindness and hard work. In ‘The Awry Murder’, a murder plot backfires when a jealous woman, long in love with the O̩ba, attempts to poison him and his new bride but instead poisons herself. ‘The “Mystery Man” in the Cemetery’ questions the role of wealth and opulence in the afterlife and tells the story of a curse placed upon the descendants of a pirate who was killed many years before. In ‘Glimpses into the Great Beyond’, a committee chosen to translate Yorùbá proverbs contemplates the phrase àdàbi jà ó ju èpè lo̩ (repaying good with evil is worse than a curse) and discusses the existence of God and the afterlife. ‘The Presence’ is the author’s own journey alongside a silent presence that reveals to him the beauty of nature and the ways in which God speaks through it.