THE ANCIENT DRUMS CALLS, ALL MUST HEED THEIR SUMMON

The sun had just shown its merry face to brighten the day after the stormy dark night. Try as it may, the intended warmth could not reach the village of Gatoo. The echoes from the ancestral drums still tugs at the heartstrings of the villager with feelings of dread and heaviness of heart.

As the children go about their various chores and the women sit behind their early morning pot of whatever they were cooking. The usual cheerful atmosphere that accompanies their morning routine as they prepare for the farm and the young ones prepare for school was absent.

It was replaced by a heavy sorrowful and deadly atmosphere, as the fog and heavy moisture after the rain only made it more depressing.

The anxiety that envolped the whole village was so depressive that even the dogs could feel it and refused to bark. Anyone passing by would have thought the village was a ghost town as even the foot steps of the passing children and the people were so light that the usual thuds that accompanies movement were unheard.

It was as if everyone was afraid they would be implicated in what ever crimes the Ancient drums spoke of.

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In the Royal household of Gatoo, in a courtyard a few metres behind the main hall. Esi was currently lying in bed exhausted. She bare hard the strength to even lift her head up.

The young beautiful baby girl slept soundly at her side, wrapped tightly in a waist cloth. She sleeps ever so soundly for both mother and child were exhausted from the long ordeal they had being through earlier that day. Esi our newly delivered mother was awakened from her doze by the sound of approaching footsteps.

She instinctively gathered her sleeping baby into her arms and held her tightly to herself as the foot steps continued to approach her room. She suddenly felt a wave of panic wash over and she became so anxious that it felt as if the world was caving in around her. She clutched her baby tightly and assumed a kneeling position. The door opened and two elderly women came in.

Esi still in the kneeling position inquired of them, " please my elders what can I do for you. Why are you ? ".

Both women looked at her with pity in their eyes. The job they were given was to prepare the new mother for her trial; both psychologically and physical. To allow her come to terms with what must be done.

But looking at the young lady in her bewildered and anxious state left them unable to continue with their task. They waited a few minutes before calming the young girl down with assurances even they were not convinced by.

But the traditions and norms are what keeps the community together. Without this guidelines passed down by the wise ancestors, chaos would have ensued and there would be no difference between a community and there animal kingdom.

Even in the animal kingdom there is law and order, this law and order is the invincible thread that binds society together and ensures continuity. With this knowledge I mind they undertook the task given to them.

" Esi my daughter, you have by this time realised that you committed a grave mistake. And you have really angered the gods and the ancestors of our land. " The leader of the women group told the young lady.

Being the eldest woman in the community is both a blessing and a curse; when one considers the honour and respect attach to that position, but thencertain hard situation arises once in a while that makes this position a burden to her. Unfortunately this is one of the situations she had to face currently.

As a custodian of the cultural, norms and dictates of the ancestors and the mother of all the women in the community. She has a sacred duty to do the bidding of the gods and also train the you g women in the way they should go to become a successful people of their community. This Unfortunately situation is considered a failure on her part as well.

Had she trained her well, this might not have happened. This also means there was not much she could do to intervene on the young ladies behalf. She prepared her and together with her companion accompanied the young mother a d the new born baby towards the village square where all the villagers had already gathered.

Once the ancient drums sounds, no one must move out of the villages. All the Chiefs and elders from the nine other adjoining communities that make up the Awangor traditional council and their citizen must also ,over towards the paramouncy to partake in this assembly.

By the time the entourage of the female elders and Esi arrived at the village square the place was packed full of the denizens of all the nine communities. The King, his chiefs and their elders were all in council.

The heavy atmosphere was so oppressive that almost every one found it difficult to breathe.The solemn expression on their leaders faces and the implication behind the sounding of the big drum, that is only sounded in times of war and calamity has already conveyed the message that something terrible was about to go down.

Soon enough the culprit and her entourage arrived at the village square. The leaders sat at the head of the gathering as the villagers formed a semi-circle facing them leaving a space in the middle for the culprit to sit during the proceedings.

Esi was led to sit on a mat at the center of the gathering holding her new born baby girl who was wrapped in a cloth to shield her from the weather.

The female elders took their rightful places among the another elders. The chief linguist then took center stage to pour libation invoking the presence of the gods and the ancestors to come and witness the proceedings and to grant the decision makers the required wisdom to do the right thing.