Sito | The Awakening
Celebrations
BANG!!!
Loud screams rang out in the village. It was early in the morning, just before dawn. The crowing of fleeing and panic-stricken cocks were drowned out by beating drums.
Today, these screams were not because of violence or cries of people being dragged away to serve in a foreign land or because of the wars we had fought against ourselves as a result of bad leaders and their greed for power.
Today we celebrate 10 years of independence,
10 years of being free,
10 years of ruling ourselves.
Papa left the house to join the other men in deliberating the issues gripping the country. His wives had started pounding vigorously in the kitchen and I could already hear mama calling for me to help.
I was the 4th child in the family. My stepmother had three girls, all married; Uduak, Ekaette, and Mfoniso.
Papa was a traditionalist and had married two wives because he wanted a male child as most men did. My mother is the second wife, she had five children; two girls and three boys.
Papa became a Christian when the white men from the sea came but decided to take care of his two families as tradition demanded.
