ATONEMENT MUST BE MADE

The already anxious group signalled for the women to leave and prepared to hear what the gods have to say so as a peaceful resolution could be reached.

The young man by name Adu sat down and sighed before he started to narrate what message he was given. " The Great Hunor(Priest) has consulted the gods after the last sacrifice. At first the ancestors were quite, after more praise and incantations they finally spoke." He paused and sighed again and remained quite.

This act infuriated the waiting elders whose veins have grown taut as if they were over stretched guitar strings and they lashed out at his slowness of speech.

Elder Kofi Akpah one of the village influential elders rebuked the young man saying" Adu who do you think you are to be acting so dramatically before us elders at this serious juncture?, don't you have respect for the elders Council anymore. " He got approval nods from his fellow elders. "How dare you drag your feet when we have been waiting for you over the past two hours !!"

The King stopped him before he could continue, " Elder Akpah please calm down, you are not helping either. Adu, continue and be fast . Let's hear what the solution is. Be quick ". Both parties readjusted themselves as Adu continued.

"My king and my elders ,I have no intentions of being dramatic or dragging this on. Its just that the burden of what I must deliver weighs heavily on my spirit and my mouth."

The elders and the King could feel an uneasiness in their stomach, a fore boding that indicates that an unfortunate thing was about to happen. But they could only sigh in dejection as what they feared the most , the unthinkable is about to happen.

Adu sighs once more and continues " the gods were really angered this time, even the ancestors refuse to speak. Adzinor(MotherEarth) the deity of childbirth had to intervene and insist vehemently. Before the god of Thunder and War Xebieso, acquiesced and gave the following conditions." He stood up and produced three coweries wrapped in plantain leaves out of his robe and presented it to the King.

He proceeds to tell the king about the condition and sat back down. There was total deathly silence in the whole compound, only the occasional painful wails and screams of the mother to be in labour jolts the thinking elders out of their deep thoughts but then they are quickly drawn back into deep thoughts again. The down pour had only increased its ferocity at this time and shows no sign of stopping.

After another hour had passed the King stood up and started walking towards the door. His brother stood up and held him back, by the elbow. " are you really going to ......."

The King smiled and said, " do we have any other choice? She's my only daughter. Do it and we might save her. If we don't she might die with the child. You tell me, what other choice do I have?"

The brother sighed heavily and walked with the King into the rain towards the courtyard where the young girl was in labour. They met the mother and mid wife as they entered the compound. She ran and met them. After she was told what must be done , the poor woman shouted in agony and sat down in the mud wailing.

The husband reprimanded her and held her up" you must be strong woman, it's no time for drama" He drew her near and hugged her, " we must be strong as there is no other way."

The woman withdrew from the husband's embrace and said,"but she would hate us and never forgive us". She placed both hands on her head and wailed. " Ahhhh why must this happen to me, this only daughter of mine. You wouldn't listen to me, hmmmm".

The King shook his head sadly and said to her " take me to her now, we mustn't waste any more time" with that he walked in to the room where his daughter laid ,exhausted and covered in blood . She raised her head feebly to smile at her father.

The King walked to his daughter and laid his hand on the protruding belly, he gently rubbed her belly with the coweries. After that he turned to her, "daughter of mine, my pride and joy, my princess, my moon that shines at night. Give birth in peace and reserve your strength, a storm is upon us. No matter what happens do not ever doubt my love for you." With that he walked out without looking back.

The exhausted girl was about to think about the implications of what her Royal father had said , when strong wave of painful labor constriction assailed her and she wailed in pain. Forgetting what she was told momentarily.

After another hour of labour, a cry of a baby was heard loud and clear. The new baby wailed at the top of her lungs as she was cleansed together with the mother and transfered to another room to rest and await the events soon to follow. After two days and five hours of agonising life and death battle a young bouncy and energetic little girl with bold eyes and beautiful dark skin was brought into the world.

But instead of the joy and jubilation that usually accompanied the birth of a new born, was absent. The villagers as a whole were relieved the agonising moments were finally over. The tired midwives and their helpers went back to take a rest. The tired elders sat back down and leaned into their chairs relieved but still on urge.

The mother and child might be saved but the storm is far from over and they are even scared of the events that must follow soon after.

The King signalled and an elder went to The ancient drums. He raised the drumstick and begins to strike as the sounds vibrated throughout the village...Dumdum dudum dum gongon dum dum gon gon dumdum dudum gon dudum dudum du dum, dudum dum.

All the villagers that were just relaxing and just about going back to sleep awoke with a start, as the sound of the drum beat conveyed an omniuos message. Something terrible is about to happen, something unheard of and something atrocious has happed. What does this mean they all asked with anxiety in their hearts.