Skin of the Sea

Remembering Yemoja’s disappointment at Simi questioning her, Simi hesitates to summon Yemoja but agrees. They cannot do so until the following day, and as Kola smashes his manacles against a rock to remove them, Simi thinks about what to tell the orisa. Yemoja made Simi promise only to help souls to Olodumare, but Kola makes her feel like “[she has] a chance to do more” (38). That night, Simi dreams of her time trapped aboard an òyìnbó ship. Kola wakes her, having heard her screams. He asks what her nightmares are about, to which she replies, “You were on a ship [...]. You know” (41).

Simi stays awake all night to banish the memories of the ship. When Kola wakes, she tends to his wounds again, and he thanks her, apologizing for how he treated her the day before. She instructs him on how to summon Yemoja, and the goddess arrives in a violent wave. Simi explains the situation, arguing that saving a life felt like the right thing to do. Yemoja summons another massive wave but then lets it go and slumps on the sand, telling Simi, “What you have done will mean our deaths” (48).