A RAY OF SUNSHINE

The chief priest held long since kotowed on other ground with his mouth touching the ground as a sign of total surrender to the will of the gods.

The close shave with the thunder strike which was a warning from the gods to him had sobbered him up completely. He had been moved by sympathy and tried to aid the people by trying to force the gods to rescind their first decision.

That had brought the wrath of the gods upon him and he almost suffered the consequences there and then. Indeed the gods were not to be triffled with. Their anger can come quick and swiftly.

As the verdict was passed no one stood against the decision of the gods anymore and the fear of perishing that now hung over their heads had driven all sympathy from them.

The chief Priest stood up and scowled at the elders that almost caused his death. The elders knew the consequences of their actions and therefore could only apologize to him.

"All have heard the verdict of the gods, purnish or perish. The gods have spoken. After a ritual cleansing the child would be sent to the evil forest to be left there for the gods."

"The mother had been cleansed so therefore she would be spared. This is justice from the gods. Back then that was the agreement reached between the two Kingdoms and their respective deities were witness to it. Including the mother earth."

He paused and looked towards the Paramount Chief," His majesty, make peace and present the child to me at the setting of the sun today for the journey to the evil forest."

"Your only daughter had been spared, you should thank the gods for their benevolence. Failure to meet the sentence would bring disaster upon our kingdom."

With that he left with his entourage without as much as a second glance back. He had to go and offer sacrifice to plead for forgiveness and also prepare for the journey into the evil forest.

At the sparing of Esi, all the people gathered sighed with relief. It is indeed not a good thing for an innocent baby to be sacrificed but its better than sacrificing both girls.

Now it is left for the mother to be willing to let go of her baby for the sentence to be carried out. All the mothers present knew it was not something that would be easy for the young mother to do.

She sat in a kneeling position as she held her day old baby tightly to herself with determination not to let go even at the peril of her life.

At this point the weeping and sailing had subsided. The people were glad that at least one life was saved instead of losing two. It could have been worse they felt. But it was not so for the mother, who had laboured for days and almost died.

The Paramount Chief sat up and looked at her daughter tightly holding unto his granchild. He stood up and walked to her and gestured for her to give the child to him. But the girl resolutely shook her head and drew back.

"You naughty girl, I have ways been good to you. I have given you everything you ever asked for. I came this close to losing you today. This is not time to be willful." he rebuked her and gestured for her to hand over the child.

Esi shook her head and weakly smiled at her father, " My dear father how can I lose my child for you not to lose yours? I am cruelly sorry for my mistakes but I shall not be able to give her to you." she said to her father.

Sorhefia Akoto, frowned at her and scowled at her." You stubborn girl! How many times have I not warned you to be careful of that bastard? See what his sweet and smooth talks led us?"

Esi couldn't look him in the eye as she bent her head and refuse to let go the child." am sorry' was all she said but refuse to let go of the baby.

The Paramount Chief went to get her mother to talk dome sense into her. As he left the men within the gathered villagers spurred by the fee of perishing rushed to take the baby from her by force.

Sorhefia Akoto battled with them and subdued some of them but eventual both him and Esi got overwhelmed as he bent over her and the child and took the brunt of their attacks.

The village guards rushed in to scatter the crowd and took both of them into the palace a few metres away as the mob followed after them chanting battle songs and trying to take the baby from Esi.

Upon reaching the Palace, the mob couldn't go any farther and had to gather infrony of the palace chanting war songs demanding the palace hands over the child for the safety of the whole Kingdom.

Sorhefia Akoto managed to block most of the blows from the angry mob earlier and had a few broken ribs and bruises. He was helped to sit down on a chair as the attended to his wounds.

Esi was carried into the palace still clutching unto her baby and no one was able to pry her from her trips even though she had passed out.

A mothers love was indeed a strong force. She had been exhausted after three days of continuosly intense and painful labour and a few hours of crying and setting under the sun. When the mob rushed unto them and Sorhefia Akoto used his body to cover them she had passed out.

As the riot was going outside and the elders were at their wits end. A land rover drove into the village. This was the district hospitals land rover that usually carried the mid wife to go on rounds in the communities.

The Land Rover packed infront of the palace and the occupants entered the palace. The Queen run to meet the midwife and asked her to help them save her grandchild.

She quickly sent her driver back to go and get the militia commander in the area to bring some men over. Finally there seems to be a ray of sun shine that drives the gloomy cold atmosphere from the village and brought with it a ray of hope.