by Omar Cham....... Episode Three
Bintou and Tamsir, Fatou’s parents arrived at Diembering, a village in Casamance, in the late hours of the afternoon. As it was their first visit, they struggled to find the medicine man’s compound. But they were directed by the locals. His compound, which consisted of four hut houses, was enclosed with sticks and stalks of maize. A big mango tree stood in the middle and Alkafasou’s room was somehow isolated in the eastern side of the compound.
Upon entering the compound, they respectfully greeted two kids who were playing with a bush mango. The kids paused their game and stared at the strangers, noting their unfamiliar attires. It was clear to them that they hailed from the town. Alkafaso was indoors at the time, but a young woman with a heavy behind heard the greetings and emerged from her house.
The young woman warmly greeted them and quickly rushed back to her room, coming out with an aluminum cup filled with water. As she approached, Bintou and Tamsir exchanged glances, silently urging each other to accept and drink the water. The young woman handed the cup to Tamsir and squatted down, her left knee on the ground. He made three sips and passed it to Bintou, who followed suit. Bintou passed the cup to the woman, and they collectively expressed their gratitude.
The young woman then stood up and walked over to Alkafasou’s room to inform him of their arrival. “Tell them to come,” he replied. Swiftly, he added a "grand boubou" that hung from a nail on the "banku_bung" to the T-shirt he wore.
As they entered the room with Tamsir leading the way, he greeted the medicine man with a respectful, “Asssssalaaamou alaikum,” using both hands to convey his respect. Alkafasou stood and warmly shook Tamsir’s hands with both of his. Bintou also offered her greetings, though hers was quieter.
“Walaikuma Salama,” replied the medicine man with a broad smile, directing them to sit down on the mat.
They exchanged pleasantries and a short silence reigned before Alkafaso broke it saying, “Eyoo, bismilah, what was the purpose of your coming?"
Bintou and Tamsir exchanged glances and Tamsir gave her the go-ahead to speak. She cleared her throat and said, "I'll first start by thanking you for your hospitality. We've heard about you in The Gambia, and we've seen all that people say about your hospitality and humility. He smiled and said, "a human being cannot be more than a human being, regardless of their status."
"Ummmhuuuu," Fatou's parents said simultaneously, shaking their heads in admiration of Alkafaso's wisdom
Bintou recounted her daughter’s reluctance to get married to Alkafaso, who listened to her with undivided attention. When she finished, he said "You're in the right place. That's part of the small issues I handle." Fatou's parents exchanged glances of hope, their hearts filled with optimism.
Alkafaso tossed his cowries on the goatskin mat. "Mmmm," he murmured with a somewhat confused face. Without blinking Bintou and Tamsir fixed their eyes on the cowries, worried and confused. He gathered the cowries and tossed them for the second time.
“I've seen an old woman's hand behind this. But wait..." He tossed the cowries for the third time. Bintou changed her sitting position and said in her head " I knew someone is behind this." The third tossing of the cowries seemed to reveal the full picture of everything that had transpired concerning Fatou. The medicine man smiled and started speaking once more, this time with a newly found clarity.
"The old woman's role isn't the main issue here. Your daughter is very beautiful. I've not seen her, but I can tell, “he said, his gaze fixed on the cowries. He continued, "There is a dangerous and strong-headed jinn following her as well. He’d harm anyone pursuing her.
He paused before mentioning the ritual. “You’ll have to slaughter a black bull at the riverside. Ensure the blood flows freely in the river during the ritual, then skin it and distribute the meat to men only," he insisted. He continued, “Do as I say, and your daughter will soon get married.
“We’d do it exactly as you said, Moriba,” Tamsir said, his face lit up with happiness.
“Wait,” he pulled a calabash containing a reddish powder that was under his bed and added three fingerfuls of it in a small plastic bag, “take this and add a small quantity of it to her food. It will neutralize every bad influence in her life,” he said confidently.
Fatou’s parents expressed their profound gratitude and handed over a fat sum of money to the medicine man. They then took off in the late evening, determined to arrive in Banjul before midnight.
After a long and arduous drive, they finally arrived home late at night, finding everyone ready asleep.
The following day Fatou's mother prepared the breakfast and incorporated the powder in Fatou's bread with beans. It was successful, for Fatou consumed it without realizing that something had gone amiss.
However, one hour after they'd had breakfast, Fatou complained of a headache. She took paracetamol but it persisted. Her mother, sitting nearby and closely observing her, reassured her that everything would be alright. Thirty minutes later, the pain descended to her neck, and she started coughing.
Suddenly, Fatou was unconscious, uttering words that nobody understood. But she clearly mentioned her uncle’s name. Her strange behavior shocked everyone, leaving her parents stunned and frightened.
Fatou's siblings—Fanta, Jainaba, and Omar—stood close by, their faces etched with worry and confusion. Fanta burst into tears, and soon the others joined in, their sobs echoing throughout the living room.
While still unconscious, Fatou attempted to run, but Omar managed to grab her. “Fatou, don’t go!” they all pleaded in unison, their voices trembling with fear.
“Leave me, Omar, woiiiiiiiii!” she yelled, thrashing violently as she fell to the floor. They held her tightly, desperate to prevent her from escaping. Tamsir and Bintou exchanged worried glances; his expression silently questioned, “I hope you didn’t add too much of the reddish powder to Fatou’s bread.” They felt a mix of guilt and frustration, knowing that they had acted with the best intentions.
Fatou was increasingly becoming uncontrollable, so they rushed her to the hospital, where she was given several injections that made her fall asleep.....
EPISODE 4 LOADING……… WE MOVE!!!
Comments