Early in the morning, as the sun began to rise, a tremor spread throughout the village. Residents sensed a palpable change in the air, a new beginning on the horizon. At the village gate, three enchanting women entered and exchanged knowing glances. One of them spoke, "He's gone at last." Another woman added, "Yes, but I still sense his presence. Should we eradicate every human here?"
The First woman said, "let's wait". Kwame woke up and was walking around in the village, and looked at the women but he didn't look at them for a long time. The women walked the village but there beauty was too great to be ignored. A man standing at the door was suddenly slammed by a wooden cup thrown from inside the house, a voice shouted, "can you not stare at every tree you see?!! ".The man for a moment wanted to cry and went back to his house.
Kwame felt something had definitely changed in the village, everything seemed to be out of place, he felt there was a missing part later he assumed it and went back to his new house which was not the chief house. He opened the door and found his mother sitting with the elders and she suddenly said, "Kwame my Son, come we were just discussing a marriage proposal for you".
Kwame was like, "....".
His mother continued, "Since you will be ordained as chief you need a wife to bring our family bloodline back, i wish your father and grandfather were still alive to see this". Kwame replied ,"Mother am only 20 seasons old, it's too early for me besides I have never been in a relationship….". "Kwame!" , his mother shouted "Tamu , the daughter of the first elder has always been kind to you, you will marry her beside you can marry more wives later to have the so called experience you need.i will give you one month to think who you are going to marry if not, Tamu will be your wife"
Kwame walked out of the house with a sigh and thought to himself, "it has not even been a week and they are ready to ordain me and make me marry that witch, she pretends she is kind and pure in front of everyone, but i know her well".
A week had flown by, and the village had swiftly adapted to Kwame's new status as chief. Respect and admiration for him grew daily. For reasons unknown, villagers gravitated towards him, offering gifts, especially from the young women and men of his age. Praises like "You're going to be a great chief" and "You are our village's blessing" were common. Some were more direct, proposing alliances and offering their sisters as concubines in exchange for his favor.
He couldn't help but chuckle at the irony; these were the same individuals who had once openly scorned him. Resolute to break away from the flattery, Kwame ventured to the communal farm. There, he was met with an unsettling sight: crops blemished with black spots and a stench reminiscent of death. His heart sank as he discovered a corpse, its heart gruesomely extracted. Panic took hold, and he bolted back to the chief's residence, where he found his mother and Tamu.Before his mother could utter a word, he exclaimed, "Mother, there's a corpse in the farm!" His mother, disbelieving, chided him for jesting, especially in Tamu's presence. But Kwame persisted, "Mother, I please you have to believe me!" In that moment, a piercing scream emanated from the direction of the farm, compelling everyone, including Kwame, Tamu, and his mother, to rush towards the source of the distress.
Screams shattered the village's tranquility as five more bodies, all young men, were discovered. Placed upon wooden biers, the deceased were transported to the village's sacred funeral site. In this community, the dead weren't buried but laid to rest in caves. Families would carve niches or construct side-opening coffins as a symbol of mourning, a tradition to be completed within twelve hours of passing. Afterward, the bodies were cleansed and submerged in a sacred liquid, believed to guide the souls to the ancestors, as dictated by ancient chiefs. In the chief's abode, a council of ten elders, including Kwame and his mother, convened. Amidst the grief and confusion, they resolved to launch an immediate investigation into the chilling events.
Presently, Kwame, our protagonist, is somewhat of a timid soul, easily daunted by the world around him. However, he isn't foolish. As our story unfolds, we'll witness his transformation into a courageous and wise individual. Let's cheer him on and hope he perseveres through the challenges ahead. 🙂