[STORY] THE FORBIDDEN LOVE (Season 02, Episode 15)

Episode 15.

THE CHIEF PRIEST’S REVELATION

{Abena’s POV}

The next day, three muscled and fearful looking men came into
Mr.Agymah’s compound. The men greeted him in their local dialet language.
“What brings you to my house this morning”? he asked.
“Our highness the chief wants you and the visitors in your house at the palace” One of the chief’s guards said in an angry manner.
“We will be there soon” Mr. Agymah’s said. The men left.
“We need to go and see the chief,” he said to Fafa and I.Fear crept into my heart. Why have they summoned us?

~At the chief’s Palace ~

The chief and the elders were already seated when we went to the palace. The palace had an aesthetic✳ appeal. It was decorated with a leopard’s skin and the chief’s stool was beautifully designed in golden colors with strange symbols emblazoned✳ on it. Mr. Agymah greeted the chief in their local dialet.
” Me pa wo kyε Maaha”
They responded” Yaa agya”
They gave him a seat while we were allow to stand.
The chief spoke through his linguist.
“We had an information that you are harbouring these two strangers
in your house, that’s why I called for you to verify it. ”
“Thank you my chief, this young man here is Fafa and his friend is Abena. They lost their way into our village after Abena was bitten by a lion. She was dying and I decided to show them some kindness.
“You an elder and you know that any stranger that comes to our village must be scrutinized by our chief priest first before they are allowed to stay among us in the village. This is how we safeguard ourselves against our enemies.”
“I understand, chief, it’s an oversight on my path” Mr.Agymah said.
” What you do is childish, what of if they are sent as spies by our enemies? How will we know?
Mr. Agymah remained silent.
There was an argument among the elders.
” Did you tell them the norms and culture and taboos in this village
after harbouring them?”
Mr. Agymah said he did.
I have heard some reports that the girl, Abena …or Yes…Abena is troublesome. They say she is very aggressive to the point of fighting with your daughter Ayaba yesterday . Is it true?
Mr. Agymah was quiet.
“I commanded you to speak NOW!” the chief said angrily.
Reluctantly, Mr.Agymah said, “YES, it’s true.”
The chief asked , ” how can you keep strangers who beat your own daughter in your house after feeding them and providing them with shelter.
Mr.Agymah was quiet.
“What is the cause of the fight anyway?”
Mr.Agymah was quiet for some time and said, “they are fighting over a man.”
“Who?”
Mr.Agymah pointed his finger at Fafa.
The chief said, “I see, but this issue may go beyond ordinary fight for love. I felt it has a deeper meaning, like a spiritual underpinning.
We need to know who they are and why they are in our village. Tomorrow, we will consult the chief priest and see what the oracles have to say about them.

~The next day~

* At Ogbugbandze shrine *

The shrine was in the heart of the deep forest. It took half an hour of continuous walking to reach there.
Abena and Fafa were taken to the shrine by the representatives of the chief and some bodyguards to consult the oracles. Oracles were housed in secret groves surrounded by thick bushes. The home of oracle was a forbidden territory. It is believed that anyone who saw an oracle will surely die. Only the chief priest ever looked upon the face of an oracle; Suppli
cants never approach an oracle directly. The chief priest of the oracle serve as the mouthpiece of the deity that dwelt in the shrine.
They are regarded as
intermediaries between humans and the deities. The words of a chief priest were final in all matters because the forces he or she represented were higher than all secular powers. To disobey the orders of the chief priest was to disobey the deity he or she represents.
When they reached the shrine, the chief priest said, “STOP, REMOVE
YOUR SLIPPERS OVER THERE!!!”
After they removed their slippers they were allowed to enter the yard. They were made to sit on palm fronds while the chief priest entered into the inner room to consult the vodoo or the Oracle. They heard him doing some incantations to the Oracle (deity).
Most chief priest employed magical techniques like “throwing” of objects such as bones or beads and “reading” a message from the patterns in which they fall. Another form of divination involves killing a chicken and examining its entrails to obtain the information sought.
In some cases diviners also have extensive knowledge of herbal remedies, which they use in treating illnesses.
After abou an hour, he came out sweating. The chalk markings and embroidery on his body almost faded. One of his eyes was encircled in chalk markings, probably the spiritual eye. He said, “a great abomination had been committed.”

{Abena’s POV}

The representatives of chief were worried. The chief priest gazed at us for a very long time. Everyone was attentive. Then he turned to the representatives and said,” One of the two lovers here was cursed by her parents. He looked at me and then turned to face the chief’s
Reps.
Abena stabbed her father because of her love for Fafa. Before her father died, he cursed her by saying , “I wish you a BITTER LOVE.
The look on my face betrayed my fear. Everybody turned to look at me. The chief priest continued, “Fafa’s mother died as a result of his involvement with Abena yet
he vowed to love Abena till death do them apart.
“Hmmm. He even did a blood covenant with her. By so doing he unknowingly participated in Abena’s crime. I thought he would be smarter than that but Abena had succeeded in blinding and binding him with her obsessed love.
Now the two of them were linked physically and spiritually. Any evil spirit that follows one is easily transferred to the other by virtue of the blood bond. Fafa thus shared in the cursed of Abena.”
“Now , this is the greatest of all the abomination.” The chief priest turned to Fafa and I.
He said, ” hmm, my children. Why have allowed irrational passion to control you?”
” Abena, you sleep with FAFA , YOUR OWN HALF BROTHER.!!!
“What!!!?” We both said in unison.
Now listen to me, Fafa. Your
mother Sitsofe dated Abena’s Father, Joe,when he was a military recruit at Sogakope before he finally got married to Mamee Serwaa who is Abena’s mother. But that was after Sitsofe broke his heart. Sitosofe, your mother didn’t realised she was pregnant for Joe before she agreed to marry Amedeka. It was because of your pregnancy that your mother’s marriage with Mr.Amedeka couldn’t work. Your father was told Fafa was his oldest son but he denied it because of his seething hatred for Sitsofe.
“Fafa, your father Joe attempted to kill you because of three reasons. One , his pure hatred for the Ewes. Joe hated Ewes after your mother broke his heart. He abhorred anything “Ewe.”
Two, he wanted revenge. Seeing you kept reminding him of your mother’s betrayal. Since he couldn’t kill your mother outright, he decided to vent his anger on you.
Three, he wanted to reduce the possibility of incest. Sitsofe told him about you and while he wasn’t very sure what she told him was true, he didn’t want a situation where incest will occur.
He turned to me.
“Abena, your father knew you are obsessed with Fafa and the only way out was if he die.”
The chief priest became very sober.✳
He said, “Abena, you forced your own brother to sleep with you on our soil. That is a serious taboo ,
a sacrilege.✳” and you will be punished accordingly.
Tears flooded my cheeks and my heart was full of grief and sorrow.
My father told me I was related to Fafa but he wasn’t detailed about it.
But even if he had told me the truth ,I wouldn’t have let him go anyway. Then the Chief Priest pronounced his judgment…”

*******

To Be Continued….. . . .

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