Chapter Two

Mysterious Birth.

“Mother why is it that I don’t have a name like the others and worst of all strange things happen only to me?” she asked weeping.

Her mother pretended not to have heard the girl’s question and continued the journey home from the farm.

“They say, it’s because I am a witch. And, if I am named other witches would come around in the night and call my name and I will go out to join them and eat up people.” she added.

Her mother stood still for a while then sighed.

“Who said such wicked things about you, my daughter? They are the witches instead; not you. Ok, I will tell you why you do not have a name like the others. It’s just because you are a very special child, a child who defied death, I waited for you to die for a long time. But here you are so strong and beautiful, it’s a long story a very long story.”

I can still clearly remember the day of your birth. That day, I saw Fon Wivan sitting in front of his palace smiling; he was enjoying the sweet afternoon breeze. It was a bright and beautiful day. He looked at the sun, the sun rays that peered through the branches of the giant baobab tree was warm not hot. He sat admiring the beautiful scenery, the well swept yard, green well cropped grass and the voices of children, many of them, lots and lots of his children who where not yet of farming age were playing, running, bathing in the sand and screaming at each other he smiled and stood up to take a walk. He came to visit us working in his nearest plantation. The Nchinda who always stood behind him followed closely being, slightly stooped as was customary.

It was a normal farming day like any other in the royal palace of Bantamb. Nothing seemed unusual. The sun had risen very early in the morning, and everybody seemed happy, the King stood at the entrance to his farm and watched the women and children at work. He could read joy on the faces of his Queens, the Princes, Princesses and even servants to the Fon or Nchindas.

He greeted us and we chorused Mbeh, tchabifuong and bowed. On such days, the Queens had gotten up before cockcrow and hastily prepared breakfast for their children and then gone to work in the Fon’s private farm. The farm was situated behind the Queen’s living quarters.

At the beginning of the farming season, together, we tilled the soil and planted the crops that were then flourishing. Our mission of the day was to weed out the abundant weeds that had sprouted in the farm threatening to spoil their crops. If the saying that; the goodness of man’s heart is measured by the greenness of the crops on his farm, then Fon Wivan could be said to be a Fon with the purest of hearts. He walked around like a tall baobab tree that never stooped and touched the corn stalks were talk, green, and some had produced as many as four cobs of maize per stalk.

“My lord, look at the plantain suckers.” the Nchinda said they are huge and have borne very heavy bunches of plantain.

“Ask them to support the branches with heavy sticks because the weight of their fruit was indeed pulling them to the ground." the Fon said.

Then ground nuts commonly referred to as the special food for royals were so fresh and healthy that the stems had crawled every where promising a very bountiful harvest.

The Queens worked on this farm weekly. The remaining days of the week except for the village holy day was spent on their individual farms. No queen was exempted from working on the royal farm and I knew it. The Fon usually came round unannounced to enjoy the sweet melodies being sung by the women and encourage his wives as they worked, and woe betide her if she is not seen in the farm. Fon Wivan was like a two-edged sword, a very loving and caring father but very strict and ready to dish out punishment as merited.

We women burst out singing praises to their husband the queen. This was a strategy to flatter their king into motivating them. They were singing a very special song. Meaning we would flatter our husband and win his love and affection. Singing energized us and made the workload lighter. From time to time a few women would get up stretch and danced more while the others cheered and ululated.

The King whispered to the Nchinda who rushed to the place and returned with other colleagues carrying three tins of palm oil and sweet palm wine. When the women saw the gifts, they sang louder and ululated more until the king smiled. Whenever the Fon smiled, they were happy, they had succeeded in flattering him.

The Fon was the sign of a lion and leopard; it was difficult to flatter him.

I was not a part of the fan fare going on around her. I was in deep pain. I had all this while been pretending not to feel the pain. But, the pain was increasing by the minutes. I recognized the pain at once because I had been there four other times. I felt a sharp pain in her back which glided to my waist and belly squeezing it hard.

There were over a hundred women working on the farm that day and I knew better than to tell anyone about my condition. It was not advisable to let people know I was in labor because they could bewitch you and make the labor more painful, last longer and you may end up loosing the baby. I left my hoe on the farm and quietly walked towards her hut pretending as if everything was alright. I noticed that the king was looking at me throughout the performance. He raised his brow at me several times and I had forced a smile but nothing more than that. I was one of those who danced and adored the Fon everyday, but that day I could not, my life was about to change for ever.

I knew that the precious baby I was carrying must live to wipe away my tears and shame. Even Fon Wivan who had about sixty children couldn’t wait to see this special prince or princess. I was his favorite wife, and it was no secret in the Palace. He had an eye for beautiful women but his love for me surpassed the others. Don’t look at how ugly I look now, I was tall, sleek, nubile fair complexioned with very long legs and hair. Whenever I smiled; my teeth sparkled like white coconut blinding all onlookers and enchanting the King. I think that, that was the reason why his affection for me grew because whenever the Fon went to visit his fellow friends in other villages I accompanied him and danced for them enticing his colleagues and making him the proud king and object of envy by his friends.

But, that was long ago when I was young, slim and childless. As the years went by, I became sad, very sad. The King called me and said he had noticed that he was gradually losing the rose of his palace. I had already born and buried three children in five years. Each child had gone away leaving a sad brow on my milky skin soaking way the beauty and leaving behind despair. Not only had I lost my beauty, but I had also lost my charm and electric dance style. Whenever I went out to dance I started missing my steps and even bursting out in tears while dancing. And whenever it happened that way I fell on her knees and cried

“My lord; please forgive me for my foolishness” I said crying “my life is full of despair and the songs in my heart are all dirges”

on one occasion, the Fon was very angry because of the embarrassment I had caused him and asked me to be carried away. Some of my mates had rejoiced because if the king was angry at me, that meant they would have some access to his private corners. The Queens had rejoiced even more when I got pregnant for the fifth time with you my child. I could no longer welcomed into the royal presence.

I did not care about the royal chambers anymore; I knew I was no longer a very young woman and I had young maids longing for such pleasures. All I wanted was to have a baby of my own and live the joys of motherhood. For this reason, I did everything to have this baby unharmed and protect it.

When I felt the contractions growing more intense, I stood for while to let it pass. I had already reached the door of my hut; I entered and closed the door behind me. I lay on the bed panting. I needed help and knew that it would come eventually. I heard the door opening and just felt a hand on my forehead and relaxed. She knew Queen Mupah was around to help in the safe delivery of her child.

“Don’t worry dear, just relax I am here for you,” Mupah said.

“Thank you, my sister, I hope that this time you will not work in vain” I replied and sighed.

“God forbid such thinking; your baby will be fine, and we will all bring it up in to a strong baby” she encouraged

“So shall it be” I replied and felt the baby push downwards.

Queen Mupah removed the clay pot on the fire and left it by the fireside. She wanted it to remain warm while waiting for the baby. Three elderly women came to join her in the process. Thirty minutes after the baby came, you came.

“How did I look, mother?” she said excitedly.

“Ah she is a cubby little princess full for the zest of life” they announced to me, picked up the bundle, and started dancing with joy. One was assigned to carry the news to the royal courtyard while the others prepared the mother and baby.

When the Fon heard the news of this long-awaited princess, he ordered the Nchindas to slaughter a cow and prepare a feast for the women working on his farm. But everybody knew that it was in honor of the baby, but nobody dared to comment.

“Is that why I don’t have a name?”

“Then one day while returning from the toilet. I overheard some women gossiping about my child. They said.

“This baby looks healthier than the other babies and I see its determination to live.”

“The first and second were healthier than this…. then they start loosing weight and died like fowls.” Queen Ngwan added

“Poor woman, I feel sorry for her” the first added.

“As for me I don’t because it is evident that she is a witch…” they stopped abruptly when I suddenly appeared in the distance.

I couldn’t blame them because since you came, I had not stopped thinking. I was dreading the possibility of the baby’s eminent death. But you lived on, eating, playing and growing very fast.

One evening when you were about a month old, I stood at the door pondering when I heard the baby coo cooing and kicking. I rushed into the hut and carried you up. I noticed that you looked so healthy for your age. That is how the others used to be, I remembered them someday something suddenly happened to them.

The Queens came and named the baby, then days after it fell sick, emaciated, and died. “Yes” I screamed “I think I know the hidden clause of the puzzled” I said. This baby would have no naming ceremony. No naming ceremony for the princess.

to be continued

(All rights reserved, Tifuh Awah, 2023)