Welcome to the West region. The region of the grass field. The region with dominant colour, green. In that region, there lies a community known as BANGANGTE. This community is divided into 7 villages namely; BANGANGTE, BANGOULAP, BANGOUA, BAMENA, BATCHINGOU, BANGANG-FOKAM, and BAHOUOC. These 7 villages have a hierarchal government installed; with the highest-level chief being the one installed at BANGANGTE. It is from this village that Joseph's parents take their origins. As Joseph's mother gazed hopefully at the sky, her husband looked at her sorrowfully. He walked towards her and embraced her slowly. His hands, wrapped around her neck slowly. It then moved down gently to her belly, slightly brushing her bosom. Priscila held her husband's hands and sighed sadly several times.
"It was bound to happen one day. All this while, we were just being lucky." Priscila said.
"I would have preferred we never ran out of luck," Alfred answered sadly.
"Me too dear. Me too." Priscila answered. They were faced with a situation that was foretold several years ago. Was it a prophecy? Or was it a curse? In both cases, they had to find a solution to that. All that they did, happened during the 4months period of Risa's pregnancy. Alfred and Priscila didn't have any time to waste, for Joseph's life was on the line. Their destination was the palace of the chief of BANGANGTE. But the chief isn't someone you could visit anyhow. So, they did a stop at their relatives, but the welcome was ice cold. They knew it would be as such but they were still hurt by their blatant rejection. Rejected by their own family, the only people sharing their blood. The only people they could call home despite being millions of kilometres apart. They had no choice but to endure the rejection. So, they settled in the little thatch house offered to them. When they had filled their house with the little load they had brought from Yaounde, they engaged the necessary actions to meet the chief as fast as possible. They received their response 2 weeks later. They were summoned by the council of elders for questioning. It was to be expected. Alfred and Priscila, despite being respectable parents had several issues in their youth. Due to that, they earned the hate of their respective families. Being two beings rejected by everyone and hated by their world, they flocked together and subsequently developed a strong bond. When summoned by the higher spheres of the community, the response needed to be prompt. So, they took off instantly after they received the summon and before the elders could begin cursing them, they were in their midst.
"The SACRIFICED ONE and the BANISHED ONE grace us of their presence," the forerunner announced.
"Let them in," Elder NGANKOU answered. The door to the HOUSE OF MATTERS was opened. The house of matters, as its name spells it, was a place of discussion. It was a house of pre-judgement. In that house, all the 13 elders would gather and discuss among themselves before going to the chief with the matter at hand. Most of the time, the decision is taken there and the chief just approves of it. It is also in that house that the villagers could voice their opinions and argue about what will make evolve the community.
"Entering is NANA Alfred ZENU; THE BANISHED ONE and NGANKOU Priscila DJEUDAM; THE SACRIFICED ONE" the forerunner announced. With that, all the elders stood up as a sign of respect, to welcome them. The house of matters wasn't too large and had mostly chairs displayed following an arc of a circle. The middle space was left for all those who wanted to voice out any opinion and did not belong in the circle of elders. Alfred and Priscila calmly walked to what seemed to be the centre of the circle. The head of the elders, Elder NGANKOU stood up, cleared his voice and began.
"Men, if we are here today it is to prevent an unforeseen calamity. Don't we agree that the coming of these two beings is a sign of a coming storm?" Elder NGANKOU spoke. All the elders agreed, nodding their heads and all chanting disorderedly and indistinctively "YES!"
"We knew that they would come back sooner or later." An elder spoke.
"But gentlemen, let's not condemn them without knowing their motifs." Another spoke.
"They could lie in order to escape their situation."
"Or they could even say worse."
"Gentlemen!" Elder NIAT silenced everyone. "Being elders, we are first of all wise and thoughtful. Let's not think this twice and use the POT OF TRUTH!" That was another suggestion that rallied all the minds of the elders together.
"As Elder NIAT said, may the denunciator of every heart be brought." Elder NGANKOU ordered. A pot, looking like it had survived the first and second world Wars was brought. It was a ceramic pot with its exterior coated with aluminium, and strange writings on it. The pot was placed at the feet of those who were accused.
"Children. From here on what happens depends on you. If you are not brutally sincere and I insist on the brutality, the consequences will be severe. These laws were established long ago by our ancestors and keep being transmitted through our blood. So, rest assured, you can't fake the truth." Elder NGANKOU explained.
"I am ready to be judged by my own blood," Alfred answered.
"I am ready to be judged by my own blood," Priscila responded.
"Then so be it." Elder NGANKOU said, clapping his hands 7 times. That made everyone stand up. While they stood up, Alfred and Priscila knelt down. Elder NIAT left his position and went toward the couple.
"Alfred, kneel. Pick up the pot and place it on your head." Alfred did as he was told.
"Repeat after me. POT OF TRUTH, heed my answer to the question I will be asked and read my blood. If I am right, may the boiling liquid you contain overflow and purify me further. But if I lie, may you scorch the words LIAR on my head." Elder NIAT said. Alfred repeated exactly as he was told. As he finished the incantation, the markings on the pot began slowly pulsing blue. The light pulse gradually increased its speed before stopping and going off. Immediately it went off, the whole pot began glowing red. The room became desert hot, but only the person touching the pot at that instant was exempted from the heat. A thick dark greenish fluid began germinating from the bottom of the pot till it reached half of the pot. The heat englobing the whole room was meant for everyone witnessing the judgement to feel dissuaded from ever committing any fraud.
"Time to confess, Alfred." Elder NGANKOU began. Alfred was fired on all sides. He received all sorts of questions. Intimate, worse than senseless, and troublesome questions. But he answered them all. Despite being humiliated, and brought down to less than an animal, Alfred still answered the questions.
"Lastly. What brings you here?" Elder NIAT asked. Alfred answered the question with tears dripping down his cheeks. When he finished answering that, a transparent liquid, similar to water overflew from the pot, giving Alfred a hot but refreshing bath. That was a sign of Alfred's innocence and truthfulness. The originally dark-greenish liquid turns clear and overflows only when the one to be judged is no more hiding anything in any form. The clear liquid washes the accused in front of the witnesses, proving that he has been justified and free of any accusations. Alfred was cleared of any opinion from the council of elders and could finally hope to meet the chief. Priscila didn't go through the same scrutiny as Alfred. The council of Elders judged that, as a couple, the word of the family head was enough. If Alfred had failed the test, the whole couple would have swallowed the consequences. Elder NGANKOU dismissed everyone except the couple. He seemed to have an extra affair with them. Priscila, seeing that everyone had left, ran towards Elder NGANKOU and hugged him tightly.
"Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy." Priscila kept on. Crying as she called her father.
"Calm down hon. You are no more a kid remember? Behave yourself as the grown-up you are." Elder NGANKOU comforted. As the head of the elders and also Priscila's father, the meeting was a torment for him. Judging his own daughter wasn't a walk in the park. He had to throw away any feeling of familiarity and judge Priscila impartially.
"Is it true what little Alfred said? Has Joseph really become a hollow?" Elder NGANKOU asked
"It is all true," Priscila answered.
"But how come? How did he lose his essence? Who took it?" Elder NGANKOU inquired.
"I don't have a clue. But I traced the perpetrator. But to confirm it, I need the chief to reconstitute partially what was lost. If not Joseph…" Priscila answered, wiping her tears.
"But concerning the chief…" Yes, the chief's matter was of a different level. Alfred was the first-born son of the chief and immediate heir to the throne. But yet he was the bearer of the title; the BANISHED ONE. This wasn't in their favour. Though their intentions were cleared by the council of elders, nothing guaranteed that the chief would agree to see them, talk less of reconstituting anything.
"Don't worry about that part. I will take care of the chief." Alfred boldly advanced. It wasn't just bravado. There was no other solution apart from seeing the chief. Their back was on the wall and hence they had only one direction to follow. Elder NGANKOU hugged the couple, encouraging them to be stronger than the predicament in front of them. Before they separated, Alfred gave a certain bracelet to elder NGANKOU saying; "If he doesn't want to hear your request, give him this." With that, the couple went back to their house.
A month after; Elder NGANKOU went to go and meet the couple. They were finally summoned by the chief and he wanted to be the one to tell them the good news. He met the couple discussing and laughing loudly.
"You guys seem joyful. What is the reason? Care to share it with me?"
"Nothing particular. We can't cry even if we wanted to." Alfred answered.
"Anyways, what you awaited has finally been granted. The chief awaits you guys tonight, 11p.m." Elder NGANKOU answered.
"Why that hour?" Priscila wondered.
"Because there are things that can only be seen, said or heard in the calmness and pitch blackness of the night," Alfred answered, as though he had prepared for such a question.
"The chief said the same thing and told me you would understand." Elder NGANKOU added. Alfred just sighed tiredly and went outside, leaving Priscila alone with the Elder.
"Did you see him?" Elder NGANKOU asked.
"I didn't and he did not even want me to come close to him, talk less seeing him," Priscila answered.
"I am sure he regrets his action. That should be the reason why he is pushing you away from him."
"I don't care," Priscila screamed. "I don't care. He is my genitor but yet he sold me off to the detriment of his comfort. Which kind of father does that to his child?"
Elder NGANKOU couldn't answer. He couldn't defend his elder brother, who was Priscila's biological father.
"You know—" Elder NGANKOU started, abruptly stopped.
"You are my father. I don't care if I don't come from you. But the care, warmth and attention a father could ever give to a child, you gave it to me. So, don't try to bring up excuses for someone who has seen me only as a cash cow." Priscila answered.
"Well. I wasn't trying to convince you of his innocence but instead, I want you to free yourself from the grudge you are nurturing. It isn't healthy. Trust me when I say so." Elder NGANKOU answered. The elder was very correct but it was a difficult thing to ask Priscila. For so long as Priscila could remember, she was never loved by her father. She was the first daughter but yet never enjoyed the privileges. All her siblings seemed to live better than her. The only moment she was happy was when she was visited by her uncle. The uncle will bring her gifts and sometimes play with her. But it was not always like that. When Priscila was born and the only child at that moment, she had all the attention of her parents. Her dad will flood her with gifts, stories and love. But when Priscila's fourth sibling was given birth (Priscilla was 8 years old), things went haywire. Priscila's father's mood went from joyful to extremely bitter. He will smile at everybody in the house except her. Everything she did, incurred his wrath. When Priscila did something wrong, he will hit her very hard. When Priscila did a great action, he will insult and demoralize her. Priscila went to school depressed and shut-in. Her results didn't matter, for her father made sure of that. That is how Priscila ended up misbehaving after her A level. She threw away her aspirations and turned into a creature controlled by the negative emotions she had been accumulating. She indulged in parties and alcohol. She did everything to be hated by her immediate entourage. The only thing she didn't test was intercourse. Despite being a renowned drunkard and a party addict, she still managed in keeping herself pure. No man, made her open up her legs. When she turned 22 years old, her mom called her privately and revealed to her why her father had such a grudge against her. Priscila was revealed in her situation of being a sacrificed child. All traditions have very dark parts. Of course, anything that can be used for good can be used for evil and unfortunately, Priscila innocently suffered those consequences. Priscila's dad sold her destiny for her siblings to succeed. Priscila was promised a nightmare for a future. She won't enjoy the joy of being a mother. If she insisted, all her children will either die or inherit her crisis. All she would do will never succeed. She was promised a hellish life with all sorts of conceivable torments. The only positive part (if one could call it positive) was that she was bound to live a long life. She will bear all of that, meanwhile, her siblings will have a comfy future. That revelation was not just a shock, but a heavy blow to her chest. She was out of breath after hearing that. She began hyperventilating till she passed out. When she woke up, her mom was there by her side comforting her. When a child is sacrificed, one can't love her anymore. She gives off an aura of death, felt by every person she encounters. That aura causes extreme disappointment to anyone who feels a little bitter towards her. To others, like her dad, it is a mixture of disappointment and hate. Indirectly she became not only an outcast in her family but to the world. Only a handful of individuals, with a truly loving heart (like her mother), could appreciate her company. Priscila couldn't digest the revelation. She didn't even pack her things. She just left as she was dressed and landed at her uncle's house. When her uncle saw her, he understood that she was informed. He cleared a little barn and placed a small bed there. Those were some deep memories that Priscila would want to forget, but she couldn't. Forgetting all that will be forgetting the fantastic moments with her surrogate father. It will be forgetting her training as the chief's personal priestess and spirit whisperer. It will be forgetting the day Alfred deflowered her in the sacred chamber of the palace. Despite the horrors, she still had happy moments.
"Well, let me leave you guys to rest." Elder NGANKOU said, taking the direction toward the door.
"Good bye dad" the couple responded in unison. They went to bed very early (it was just 7 p.m.), but sleep was not of the order. They couldn't even sleep. They were going to meet the chief. A shrewd and severe person with mood swings like those of a pregnant woman. Just the thought of that was enough to chase any drop of sleep from their eyes. Around 9 p.m. Alfred began laughing.
"What is funny?" Priscila asked, contagiously following Alfred in the laughter.
"A lewd moment came back to me," Alfred answered, laughing louder.
"Don't tell me that…" Priscila answered, understanding what her husband meant.
"Yes. Precisely that."
"You little pervert." Priscila lovely insulted.
"Well, you love this little pervert," Alfred answered, laughing the more.
"But how can you think of that now?" Priscila wondered.
"I don't know. That was my happiest moment in that palace."
"So, your happiest memory was when you raped the chief's personal priestess?" Priscila lewdly asked.
"Hell yeah. Immediately I saw you leaving that chamber I craved your body." Alfred grunted as though he was relieving the moment.
"Oh yeah?"
"Indeed. You had done your ritual cleansing and had all your clothes sticking to you. The shape, the curve, the ellipse, the circles! Your body was and still is, a well-designed geometrical object."
"Once a charmer, always a charmer." Priscila giggled.
"My whole body had agreed and to topple it the cosmos was with me?" Alfred continued, as though giving a sermon.
"How so?"
"There was nobody in the corridor. I had the libre arbiter to do what I felt."
"And you indeed did it," Priscila said, sighing happily. "You were my first and it was memorable. You were a beast at that instant."
"I wasn't controlling my body. Your body was controlling mine." Alfred responded, turning and facing his beloved wife.
"Indeed. The way you pushed me back into the sacred chamber made some cold chills run down my spine. I thought I was being punished." Priscila answered, laughing at her husband.
"Sorry I scared you back there but I couldn't hold the urge back. I had to dig in."
"And look at where it brought you?"
"I don't dislike the situation. True I lost the right to be heir and was instantly banished for committing such an act in the sacred room and with the sacrificed one. But it was worth it"
"And I who was not meant to get married got married and to a prince for that matter," Priscila added.
"Such wonderful times." Both said, smiling at each other's faces. They continued reminiscing till half past 10 p.m. At exactly quarter to 11 p.m. they left for the palace.