Dial - Season 1 - Episode 121

4 years ago

Dial - Season 1 - Episode 121

“And your daughter loved her father,” I said.

“Yes, Yao, and she considered me the bad one because I was always hard on her, trying to teach her the proper ways of a woman, and she thought I hated her,” she said, and her voice trembled. “She accepted it! They took me to the village square to burn me, but Nana Obiba was scared. He knew the laws of the land had changed, and he could be arrested. Moreover, because he was lusting after the body of my daughter, he couldn’t let me be killed. And so they drove me out of the village to come and live here, all alone.”
“And your own daughter believed this of her own mother?” I asked, feeling the fury against the royal princess rising. “She’s such an unfeeling little monster!”
“Don’t blame her too much, Yao,” she said, tears spilling down her face again. “She was brainwashed, and she loved all the power that came her way!”
“And she’s married to the king now?” I asked.

“No, they would get married six months from now when she turns twenty-two. Stool wives in our custom shouldn’t be below twenty-two years. So I’m here, watching that dreadful day drawing nearer, knowng my daughter would know only misery as that evil man’s wife, and yet not being able to do anything about it!”
I stayed still for a long time.
Suddenly, I heard drums and wild yells coming from the trees.

Maame Ntiriwaa got to her feet with sudden fear on her face.
“They’re coming, Yao!” she cried with fear. “Oh, because you’re with me, they’ll do their best to make you face the worst! Please, hurry up, get the money! They’ll be here to capture you! I wouldn’t be surprised if they take as much as two hundred cedis from you!”
I almost laughed.

She considered two hundred cedis the end of the world?

I washed my hands slowly and entered the room.

I rummaged into the secret compartment of the duffel bag, took my wallet, and stuffed it with a lot of fifty cedi notes.

When I emerged from the room I saw them, and I quailed inside. The fear shook me up a bit, yes, at the sight of them.

They came from the cocoa trees and rushed at the house. These were many men with hideously-painted faces. They were dressed in war regalia, and they were holding long-barrelled guns, spears, swords, machetes, spiked clubs, knives and a whole lot of weapons.

It was a most frightening sight!