"Knowing you, you wouldn't have been able to stand it", Edidiong said.
"Why? What happened?", Mary said to Edidiong, "Do not leave anything out"
Mary was happy to have her here and she knew Edidiong had lots to tell her. She had been away for a while and with her experience of Ufas, Mary knew things were always happening in that community.
"The Obong was buried some months ago"
"Okay... that is a good thing, right?"
"Not in Ufas, Mary"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Ah! Don't shout o but every time an Obong dies, seven virgins are killed and their heads are buried with him"
"WHAT?!", Mary's throat almost exploded.
"You are already shouting? You haven't heard anything yet because I am just starting", Edidiong said.
It seemed like there were drummers in Mary's head beating their bass drums... Her mind had left her body. Mary didn't understand what she had just heard.
"PEOPLE JUST ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN?", Mary screamed.
"Yes. It is the tradition, what do you want them to do and why are you shouting?"
"Why won't I shout? I can not wrap my head around this", Mary replied.
"Then I will not tell you anything again"
Mary paused with beads of sweat on her forehead... "Okay, I will try to listen. Go on, Edidiong"
Edidiong began explaining in detail to Mary. She told her of all the young girls that were killed over a short period of time before the burial was done.
"Wait, wait, wait, Edidiong. You mean to tell me that no one does anything? WHAT THE HELL?!". Mary didn't use swear words at all but she wasn't paying attention to her vocabulary at the moment.
"I went to greet the families, to tell them sorry. I am from this land but there are some traditions that even me, I do not like. So, I think I know how you are feeling hearing this thing", Edidiong said.
"Why do they have to kill innocent girls?", Mary was close to tears. The ignorance and injustice were unbelievable.
"There is a saying that just as a king needs servants in real life, that is how he needs servants and maids in the afterlife. Imagine that kind of talk, that a king should not be buried alone", she clapped her hands together.
"UTMOST SENSELESSNESS! How does that even make sense? A dead person... for crying ou-"
Edidiong interrupted her, "Wait na...for the most annoying part. The people should be virgins o, in case the dead king wants to reproduce in the so-called afterlife. So, it can not be with women that have already slept with men in the real-life", she bent her lips.
Mary's eyes glazed over.
Edidiong got scared, "Mary... Mary", she called shaking her. It took some seconds before Mary came to.
"Are you fine?"
"Yes... yes I am", she wiped her forehead and begun fanning herself with the bottom of her dress. She needed air.
"I wanted to stop with this gist, it is you that said I should continue", Edidiong complained.
Mary assured her she was fine and they could continue talking. She told Edidiong that she had never heard anything of the sort, that was why it had such an effect on her. Mary hated... no, detested injustice of any kind, and this was the highest.
[This was just murder. An excuse for murder], Mary thought.
"How are the families? You said you visited them"... her voice low.
"How do you think they are? Full of sadness na! Where is your water? let me get you a cup. You look whiter than normal, Mary", Edidiong said, deeply concerned.
"I want to see them. All of them. Can you take me to them, Edidiong? My heart calls out to them. I can not imagine how they must be feeling"
"Are you sure about that? If the elders hear you are going around to greet the families, it might cause an issue for you o, Mary"
Mary thought about that.
[Maybe there was a better way to go about it. I will disguise my condolence visit with something else]
"That is true. You are a smart woman, I have told you before. There is something I need to do, and it involves me talking to the elders. I will be in the royal compound first thing in the morning. Join me when you can, okay?", she was beginning to feel better.
* * *
"Gather the kinsmen, tribal chiefs and local chiefs. There is going to be a meeting on the next market day. Also, get the town crier to spread this news- No one is to be seen around the Obong's compound on that day", the high chief told one of the palace's messengers.
(A town crier is the town's Information Distribution Specialist; he stops at strategic points or quiet places, strikes his instruments repeatedly in order to draw attention to himself before making any announcement. The town crier uses the gong, wood block, skin drum or any other instrument of his choice. These instruments are beaten or played to attract attention to the audience before the headline or news is given).
The messenger bowed and didn't stand erect till he was outside the palace.
One of these tribal chiefs was Effiong Edet.
Effiong had inherited the title from his father who had died abruptly after being poisoned out of jealousy.
During Effiong father's decoration- when he was given the title of a Tribal Chief- there was lots of merriment. Women were employed to dance, drinks were served, various dishes were prepared. They were wealthy and it was a time to show it off.
Unknown to all who were seated and having a night to remember, there was a man who eyed the title the Obong had just given to Edet Edet, Effiong's father. He was dark green with envy and it had grown to raw jealousy.
He shared the round table that Edet Edet had set for the people of high status and other chiefs. So, it wasn't difficult for him to carry out the mission he had planned from home before coming to the celebration.
They all drank, danced, laughed and ate from dusk to dawn, including the wicked friend of Edet Edet.
It happened that the newly coronated chief, Effiong's father, didn't wake up from his sleep that afternoon.
It was a dark time for Effiong who had to take over all of his father's businesses and titles.
It was worse for Effiong's mother who had to drink the water they used to wash her husband's corpse and also got her hair shaven in the most horrible and painful way.