Episode Three (3) – “Woes of the People ”
Amina just laid there motionless with no sign of life in the newly born baby.
Kumi thought he had lost his mother. Tears run down her cheeks as he watched his uncle trying to figure out what’s wrong with her mother.
Suddenly, Amina woke up with a cough. She was alive but unfortunately had lost her newly born baby. That add up to the number, this is her fourth birth but none of her children had survived.
The gods didn’t listen to her prayers and that made her wept bitterly as she refused to let go of her lifeless newly born baby when Achampong tried to take the baby away from her.
Her screams was louder than when she was in labor.
“Maybe I am truly a curse as they say” Amina lamented
“The gods have answers to all these, but you have to be strong for yourself and Kumi” Achampong advised.
The clouds had cleared in the morning giving way to the scotching sun.
The people of Sasabre were full of hope of a bounty harvest ahead with the rains watering their farms.
However, for the past 7 years, the rains which was supposed to be their blessings had brought nothing but hunger. The rains rather destroyed their crops and flooded their farms.
Food became rare in the village of Sasabre that some of the inhabitants began to flee to neighboring villages.
Some of the villagers attributed this misfortune to Amina and her son Kumi. They persuaded the King to banish them from the village.
King Adu had always wanted to carry out this but was discouraged by Achampong his adviser.
It was one of this moment that the villagers gathered and marched to the Kings Palace to speak out their grievances.
Upon their arrival, they met King Adu and his chief Adviser Achampong along with the kings three beautiful concubines.
“Why do you come before your king in this manner, have you all lost your respect for the throne” Achampong question.
“We mean no disrespect” Said one of the villagers. “This is a matter of urgency and must be treated as such. How long will we continue to starve, our children are dying of hunger, people are relocating to other villages all because of hunger. Even as we speak we don’t have an heir to the throne all because the gods are angry with us for opening our doors to the northerner Amina”
Now, King Adu is a father to eight Children yet never had a son who will take up the throne when the gods call the king to their abode. The villagers were also quick to attribute this to Amina.
Achampong wanted to shut the villagers up but the king didn’t allow it.
“Your grievances is heard.” King Adu said “Achampong has been my hood old friend an adviser to the throne but it’s about time we did what must be done. The future of Sasabre must not be destroyed because of one person. And for this I assure you that Amina and her son, will be banished from this village before the morning sun tomorrow. Anyone who dares stand in my way will also face the same consequence. From this day Amina and Kumi are no longer welcomed here in Sasabre and any village that pay tribute to us. I have spoken”
Just as the King commended, the Palace guards set out to seize Amina and her son.
To be Continued
