“You must not bathe this child for 15 years, not even once. If you obey, and after 15 years you still do not bathe her, she will be yours forever. But if you bathe her before the 15 years are complete, a very terrible thing will happen.”
The forest became silent.
Aduke did not even think twice. Real joy filled her heart. Real joy, the kind she had never felt before. But the joy also came with fear in her heart.
“I will obey,” she said quickly.
She rushed and carried the baby from the tree. The baby felt warm in her arms. But as she turned to ask the old woman what terrible thing would happen if she disobeyed, the old woman vanished.
It was as if no one had come out of the tree at all.
Aduke stood there shocked, but her happiness was greater than her fear.
She finally had a child.
Aduke returned to her village with the baby. She focused on taking care of her child. She never allowed water to touch the baby’s body. Days turned into months, months turned into years.
The baby grew into a young girl, and Aduke named her Abseed.
But deep in Aduke’s heart, the warning of the spirit still echoed:
Fifteen years. Not even once. Or something terrible would happen.
And now, because Abseed had never bathed for years, her body began to smell badly. The smell was strong. Whenever she walked into the village, people would quickly cover their noses. Some would turn their faces away. Some would whisper. Some would laugh openly.
The children her age were the worst.
“Dirty girl,” they would shout. “Why don’t you bathe? You smell like a dead animal.”
They would run away from her, holding their noses and laughing.
Abseed would pretend to be strong, but when she got home, she would break down in tears.
She would cry to Aduke, “Mama, why can’t I bathe like other children? Why am I different?”
Aduke’s heart would tremble, but she would hide her fear.
“You must not mind them,” Aduke would lie and say firmly. “It is a taboo for humans to bathe. If you bathe, you will die very soon, but if you don’t, you will live long.”
Those words planted fear inside Abseed’s heart.
Then Aduke would add, “Have you ever seen me bathe before? Since I was born, I have never bathed.”
Meanwhile, Aduke bathed secretly, but she did not let her child know.
