by Omar Cham.......episode two.
“A hand can remove anything another hand does,” she murmured, her voice a mixture of anger and worry. With sheer determination to do whatever it would take for Fatou to get married, she first resorted to visiting a spiritual medicine man. This thought filled her heart with hope.
Meanwhile, Fatou rushed to her room. She threw her phone on the goatskin carpet and collapsed on her bed, the soft mattress cradling her gently. As she lay there, memories of her childhood became as vivid as an afternoon sun.
When she was 10, she was given to her aunt, her mother's younger sister, who didn't have a daughter, as a foster child. They lived in a family of 5 consisting of her uncle, two cousins, and aunty. She was wonderfully taken care of by Aunty, a nurse, who mostly worked at night at the Kanifing hospital. Fatou started doing house chores like cooking when she was just 13.
Her uncle, Master Jadama, was the headmaster of Bakoteh Primary School. Known for his sense of selflessness, he was loved and respected by many people in the community. “Master,” as everyone called him, was very calm, approachable, and full of humor. Every day, he drove Fatou to school and gave her lunch. He catered to all her needs, playing the role of a father to her.
However, one night, around 4 am, like a hunting cat, Master tiptoed through the living room to Fatou’s room. It was as if he entered a cave at night; he saw nothing, not even his right hand which was the equivalent of a blind man’s stick. As he made steps equal to his foot’s length, he stepped on a bowl that was placed near Fatou’s bed, the crunch filled the air and Fatou jolted awake.
She swiftly turned on the light and saw her uncle in a strange and terrifying state. He held a folded piece of cloth similar to a white bedsheet and wore nothing but a boxer. Frightened and shocked, she attempted to run but Master authoritatively asked her not to move an inch or make any noise. After spreading the bedsheet on the bed, he turned off the light and forced her to return to bed. He lay just next to her and forcefully placed her hand around hisNyambai forest and genitals, asking her to caress them. After nearly two minutes, he was completely naked. He forced himself on her.
The pain Fatou endured was like someone cutting her with a razor blade. She screamed and wept profusely, trying so hard to break free from the pillow with which Master used to cover her mouth. After the process, he warned her to not even have the thought of telling it to anyone, threatening to kill her if she did so. He took the bedsheet on which Fatou bled, and gently put it in a plastic bag making sure his hands didn’t touch the stains of blood. He tiptoed back to his room.
Master returned to his room, feeling weak and remorseful. He tossed and turned on his bed but couldn't sleep. "How could you rape a 13-year-old, an innocent girl who calls you "dad"?" His conscience waged war against him.
He lay on his back, haunted by his notorious act. Then, he turned to his side, facing the cold wall of the house. His conscience fired another shot: "How will you face Fatou, her aunty, and her parents?" It continued, "You've ruined the life of an innocent girl – someone's daughter fostered by your wife – all because of power. Imagine if this were done to your daughter!"
Unable to bear the nagging thoughts, the piercing truth fired by his conscience, he switched on the light and sat on the edge of his bed. Leaning against the wall, he replayed the conversation he had with a medicine man he’d visited regarding the fast-approaching elections in which he was a candidate. The man had demanded the blood of a virgin to ensure his victory in the Tallinding parliamentary seat.
"I've looked at your chances to win but the jinns are demanding the blood of a virgin, you understand what I mean when I say ‘blood’? " the medicine man said with a strong voice.
"I understand but that'll be difficult, Morrikebba, please ask them for another alternative."
"My jinns always give the sacrifice that carries the least burden," he said, shaking his head in resignation, indicating that it was impossible. He then tossed some cowries on the hairy goat skin mat and watched them roll until they came to a stop.
"Look," he said, pointing to one of the cowries, “this is you.” He then pointed to another cowry close to the first "And this is someone very close to you."
Master, impatient and eager to hear the next alternative, nodded unconsciously, his veins permeating anxiety all over his body.
"You've seen how close the two of you are?"
"Yes, Morrikebba," he said dreadfully.
"Good." This means you have to sacrifice one of your sons."
Master took a deep, heavy breath before speaking. "In that case, we'd go with the first alternative but please help me with something that would ease the process for me. It's risky," he said, confusion evident in his voice.
"Mastarr, I don't know if it's Mastarr or Mastan, you can't be weak if you want something good. You have to be courageous and take the risk. I didn't mention this but your opponent's medicine man knows his stuff. I even have to make sacrifices to protect myself and my family." He continued, his voice rising with frustration "I can't do anything more for you. I can't talk to the jinns anymore.".
"I'm sorry,” Master said, “It's just that this is very heavy on me."
"I have nothing else to say. You can leave now. Other clients are waiting for me."
This replayed conversation with the medicine man added salt to his wounds, deepening his guilt and anger toward himself. How could a human being accept to commit such an insidious act for a mere promise? And
He descended from his bed and stared at the piece of cloth he had placed near it. "You're going to spread it, slaughter two white chickens on it, break seven eggs, and place seven white and seven red cola nuts on it. Tie it with a red cloth and bury it in a woman’s grave, preferably a young woman. Make sure nobody sees you," the medicine man's words echoed in his ears.
Although he felt sheer remorse for all that he'd done, he believed it unwise not to finish the job. After all, he'd already come this far and desperately wanted to be a parliamentarian.
It was already 6 a.m. He had to do things differently today. Quickly, he took a bath and headed to the cemetery, ensuring he remained as anonymous as possible. He followed the medicine man's instructions precisely, burying everything in the grave of a young woman.
As Master left the graveyard, his legs felt weak, and his hands trembled. He felt completely unhinged after carrying out the ritual. He lost his appetite and found it hard to sleep; his entire life changed for the worse.
The campaigns had already been completed, and all that remained was the election, set for the following day. However, Master fell ill the night before D-day. He suffered a heart attack and died.
This had happened 20 years ago. Fatou lay on her bed, recalling the memories of how her uncle had raped her, and her tears flooded down like the heavy August rains. She spent the remainder of the day locked in her room. How could she ever love a man after enduring such a painful experience at the hands of her uncle? How could she explain that he had raped her, someone who had passed away 20 years ago?
The next day, Fatou's parents prepared for their journey to Casamance, where they planned to meet a spiritual medicine man named Alkafaso Wuleng Kuma Sang Sang, fondly known as Alkafaso—the man who could see both the future and the past.
watch out for Episode 3..............
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