SASABONSAM

Chapter 9

In morning hours, the village were busy with their choice because it was a normal day with no ceremonies or gatherings to be attended. The children were running up and down across the road. The weather was calm and the sun was shining bright.

Suddenly the children that were playing on the pathway stopped, the adults that were busy on the roadside also stopped and faced one direction looking astonished. Slowly Mayra was walking on the pathway, as the community were peculiarly facing her and murmuring. Her skin color and her way of clothing was different from others and she was alone walking where they are used in them walking in numbers.

In a forgen land she walked assuming the villagers murmuring though she could understand them because he’s knew their language. Suddenly two young man that were on pride stopped before her blocking her path. Mayra not in a mood to quarrel in a forgen land she assumed them by moving on their path and continuing her journey. Immediately she passed the two men, the two men turned to her and shouted, “Hey!” Mayra assumed them and continued moving forth.

The young man after being assumed one of them took a stone and gently threw it where it hilted Mayra back. Immediately Mayra stopped faced the people who were beside the road waiting for anybody to save her from the young men wrath but they were still murmuring.

After seeing, no one was in the time to save her she had to act smart. Mayra turned back and faced the two men who were stung some few meters away from her. One of the two men asked, “White lady where are you going?” Mayra with her Portugal language pretending she could not hear anything nor say anything that they could understand she responded, “I cannot understand what you are saying.”

The men then busted to laugh while saying, “The foolish white lady does not understand what we are talking about.” The group of young men were the notorious in the community so nobody would interrupt their act because of fear. Although Mayra understood, what the men were saying she pretended not to.

Suddenly Ama appeared behind Mayra gently held her shoulder and faced the two men. Though the group was notorious they would not go an extend to hurt the chief’s daughter because they would surely be punished server because of that. Ama shouted to them, “What do you want with her?”  One of the men responded softly, “We just wanted to take her to you.”

Ama then turned to Mayra and said while still holding Mayra’s shoulder addressing to the young men, “Mayra doesn’t trust everybody here.” Mayra responded by nodding her head. Immediately the young men walked away Ama asked Mayra,

“Why are you here?”

“I need to see your father.”

On the other side of the village, Chief Ashanti was kneeling and bowing downwards under the gigantic Magumo tree.  This is the tree that the people of the community considered had the Supreme Being presence. Chief Ashanti after some moment he finished his prayers where he then rose and wiped of dust off his knees. When Chief Ashanti turned back, he saw Ama standing some few meters away.

It was unusual for Ama to go and wait her father beside the tree. Chief Ashanti knowing there was something wrong with her daughter he walked towards her while asking, “My daughter talks to me what's wrong?” Chief Ashanti walked and stopped before her where she responded, “It’s not something important you only have a visitor.” She faced her opposite side where Chief Ashanti faced her curiously and not in a mood of her games he asked again, “Who?”

Ama silently faced Mayra who was standing a distance away where Chief Ashanti faced the same direction and Ama said, “There is your visitor.”

In the next moment, Chief Ashanti was sited on his sit outside of his house, and beside him, Mayra and Ama were seated. A woman walked to where they were all seated carrying cups of tea and gave each one of them. The woman was a maid to the chief house hold. Chief Ashanti not wanting anybody to know why she was at the community he first wait for the woman to walk away where he started the conversation by facing Mayra and asked,

“Mayra tell me now why did you come here alone?”

“I just woke up today in the morning and I found no one in the camp.”

“Why and your father told me that you all have some months in our land.”

“I don’t know what happened but I woke up today I did not find anyone.”

“And also your father left you?”

Ama beside them was silently taking the tea watching as Mayra and Chief Ashanti were talking. Mayra responded to Chief Ashanti,

“My father is dead.”

“What! And how?”

“The past few days in our area of settlement there have been some killings by a mysterious creature and that is why the my people chose to stop the trade and walk back to Portugal where my father was one of the one who was killed by the creature.”

“Sorry for your father’s death, but you should have asked helped from our community so that if it was an animal we would have hunted it down.”

“Chief Ashanti Now I please want you to give me a shelter.”

“And do you have a clue what killed him?”

“All I know now is that it was something related to witchcraft.”

Chief Ashanti then placed the cup of tea on the ground faced Mayra and said, “Mayra your late father was like a brother to me so to me you are like a daughter to me and giving you a shelter will be my pleasure.” As she was displaying a happy face due to the hospitality, that she had received she responded, “Thank you!” Then Chief Ashanti added, “I have given you permission to stay in this community as long as you want and you also have the same rights as any other person in the community and you will be sheltering under my roof.”

Mayra immediately due to joy she started dripping of tears of joy. At a distance still in Chief Ashanti's home, two men walked where they were stopped by a maid. It was a protocol no one would easily talk to the Chief first would pass through the guards then the maid then finally to the Chief. After a few chats of the maid and the men, the maid walked towards Chief Ashanti leaving the men standing in the same position.

The maid went to Chief Ashanti asking if he was free she said, “There are some two men who want you to solve their disputes.” At that time their conversation was over, Chief Ashanti responded, “Ok let them in.”  Immediately the maid turned away Chief Ashanti said to Ama, “Go and show Mayra to where she is going to be sleeping.” As Mayra was walking away with Ama, Chief Ashanti said, “Mayra go and explore the village will talk later.”

At the river in the afternoon where nobody was at the river, Akyaa walked silently to fetch water. She went knelt on the riverbed and dipped the pot inside the river. Akyaa immediately pulled off the pot full of water out of the river, placed the pot at the riverbed rose, and said under her breath, “Am so tired.”

Without wasting any other moment due to her long day of working, she strained to take the pot up to her head. Immediately she turned away wanting to walk away she meet up with Mayra before her and said to her, “Hello there?” Akyaa curiously asked her, “Hae who are you?” friendly and on the language of the community which Akyaa did not expected she responded, “Am Mayra.”

Akyaa astonish placed the pot on the ground and asked, “How comes you are a Portuguese and you can talk in our language.”

“My father taught me can I ask you a question?”

“Ok, you can ask me.”

“Why are you alone at the river now?’

“Why have you ask me that question?”

Mayra with her quick learning she had already learn the workings of the people of the community and their way of working. She asked, “It is not normal for you not to have friends.”

Suddenly Akyaa bent took the pot placed it on her head. She was not in the time to answer that question that everybody in the community always asked her. Mayra noticed the question offended Akyaa.  As Akyaa was moving away, Mayra followed her while saying,

“Am sorry for meddling into your personal life.”

“I don’t like people meddling into my life.”

“Tell me what happens to your friend.”

“Portuguese lady am busy I don’t have time for your useless questions.”

“But I have one last question.”

Akyaa still as she had the pot on her head she stopped faced Mayra who then asked the question, “When was the last time there was witchery in this community.” Akyaa pissed off she responded, “I don’t know who you are and am not the appropriate person to ask such questions.” Then Akyaa walked away leaving Mayra hanging.

As Akyaa was moving away Mayra not given up she rushed stopped before her and said, “I know now my questions are irritating but am trying to find out what killed my father.” Akyaa stopped and asked Mayra,

“How did your father dead?”

“You are the first person to tell this. My father was killed with a blood-sucking creature that is hovering around your lands and I think is kind of related with witchery.”

“Am sorry for that.”

Akyaa placed down the pot, faced Mayra, and continued, “I lost a friend due to a wrong misconception of witchery so yes lastly in this village there was some recent case of witchery.” Immediately after her words, Mayra noticed some drops of blood on a leaf beside them.

Mayra without saying any word she started following the blood drops and said, “follow me.’ Akyaa followed her curiously while asking, “What’s wrong?”  They both walked to where the blood drops were ending and what they found was a large alchemy drawing, drawn by blood on the ground. Mayra after a moment of watching the scene she commented, “The blood is still fresh.”

On the other side inside the cave, Ofori was seated seriously on the ground surrounded by candles. Beside him, the witch using wet clothe she was finishing wiping the blood off Ofori’s face. When Ofori became clean the witch stood faced Ofori and said, “My boy I want to go for a long journey but I’ll be back.”

Still, Ofori was seriously and silently faced in front the witch gave Ofori a forehead kiss and walked out of the cave.