Chereads / Act of Faith / Chapter 3 - mbe the cat

Chapter 3 - mbe the cat

Joy is also an indigene of Atata. As at now, she happens to be the village most beautiful maiden. She has so many qualities you would want in a lady. She should be in her early twenties just like I am but I know I am about a year or two older than she is. That morning, she was tying a small wrapper across her chest to cover her breast and also a small wrapper around her waist, the wrapper was not up to her knee and it revealed some appreciable part of her fresh laps. She was also wearing waist beads around those her massive waist, a line drawn with some kind of blackish substance could be seen running down her forehead to her Jaw, it could also be seen in the lower part of her stomach which was not covered by the wrapper used to cover her breast,her abdominal region. Her hairstyle is the local type and beautifully decorated with small beads. She is indeed very pretty, it isn't shocking she is the village most beautiful maiden. " Good morning" I greeted her while she stopped to try figure out where she must have seen my face. " Good morning" she finally greeted back and made to walk away, apparently she couldn't recognize me. " Adanna" I called her by her native name while she stopped,she dropped her pot and turned to me. " You know me?" She asked with a surprise look. " of course I do, have you forgotten that your neighbour, the one that went to the…" I was trying to make her remember me but she interrupted . " Gabriel, the son of the palm wine tapper" she said while I smiled and nodded. She took a good look at me, she eyed me from head to toe before hissing and made to leave. I wasn't surprised by her attitude, I had been a very annoying guy when I was much younger,once upon a time I had broken her water pot in the stream, it wasn't intentional, I wanted to help her carry it. " Hey Joy, I am not that troublesome guy anymore" I said as I walked up to her where she stood dipping her pot in the stream water." I didn't say you are" she replied without looking back at me, she bent her waist to dip her pot more into the flowing water, this act made me have a clearer view of her fresh laps. " What are you looking at?" She asked me as she stood up straight , she was done fetching and was about to put the pot on her head. " I won't allow you place that pot on your beautiful head, let me help you" I said as I stretched my hand to take the pot away from her but she beat my hands off. " The last time you helped me, you broke my pot. Maybe I should tell you what happened that day when I got home, my mom made me kneel down all night without eating" she said, the pot was on the ground this time. " That was then, you mom can't beat you now if I break the pot, you are now a big girl " I said smiling while she laughed and clapped her hands in a mocking manner. " So you actually plan to break the pot again?" She asked as she continued to clap. " No, I dont plan doing so" I replied her. She bent to pick the pot again, this brought about another revelation of her fresh laps. " I am serious, I won't let you carry that pot " I said as I also bent down to carry the pot, she stood upright again eyeing me from head to toe. " I thought you said you aren't troublesome any more?" She asked me. " Yeah, I am a calm guy now" I told her . " Then let me carry my pot and go now, my mother will be waiting for me o" she said again. " Then your mother will have to wait till night, I won't let you carry this pot " I said to her, I was looking directly into her eyes. " But come to think of it, which young man of Atata have you seen carrying a pot for any maiden of this village before?" She asked me. " I myself won't carry a pot for any maiden of Atata, I will only carry the pot of the most beautiful maiden of Atata" I told her while she smiled , her smile revealed her perfect white set of teeth, there was an opening between her two front teeth. " so you won't let me carry my pot?" She asked smiling. " Yeah, I won't let you" I replied her. " Okay then" she said and started to walk away while I carried the pot with one hand and lifted it to my head. " Chii mo, who helped you in lifting the pot?" She screamed as I ran up to her with the pot on my head, she turned back to see if there was someone else in the stream but no one was there. " The gods helped me" I told her smiling. We continued to walk and talk about time past, our childhood days and all the bad things we had done back then. " so how is the city like?" She asked me as we concluded our earlier discussion " The city is a fine place, full of people with serious mind, dont worry, I will take you there one of these days" I said to her smiling. " Why will you take me there?" She asked twisting her mouth " Because you are the most beautiful maiden of Atata land, maidens like you are meant to be in the city not here in Atata" I said to her also smiling. " My parents won't even allow you take me to the city" she said again. " Your mother will have no choice when I get married to you" I replied while she clapped her hands in the mockery manner and bursted out in laughter . " Marry me? the gods forbid it" she said " The gods have already bided it" I replied her while she hissed and went ahead of me. She suddenly stopped , it was like she saw someone. I looked ahead of her and saw Mbe the cat, he is actually called the cat because his back had never touched the ground in any fight, he happens to be the village most skillful wrestler. I remember our childhood days, he had been a big time bully, always bullying small boys like me. " Gabriel please drop the pot and go, I dont want Mbe to come meet you here, he has actually been on my neck lately, beating every young man he sees me with, please run" Joy said holding my left hand and shaking them vigorously , Mbe was already covering up on us. " Am ready to receive any beating just for you" I said smiling, Mbe was now some steps away from us. " What are you doing with her?" He shouted as he ran towards me and pushed me to the ground, Joy water pot fell from my hands and broke into pieces. " Oh joy, I have broken your pot again" I said as I fell to the ground.