THE VISITOR

I woke up at the sound of the knock, I didn't get much to eat the night before and with a half filled belly, I don't sleep well. Mama gave me half a cup of akamu the night before, it was all she could afford for a family of Four, and I knew that asking for more would only have made her unhappy, so I drank with contentment. The knock at the door came again, this time harder with desperation, Little Miranda didn't move beside me, she was sleeping like an angel, I sat up from the mat and watched Mama and grandnana contemplate on whether to open the door or not, I could feel the fear in their murmurings, even I was scared, who wouldn't be, it was midnight and we weren't expecting visitors.

My mother looked back and saw me awake, she faced her aged mother who was as worried as she is
"Danla is awake, Mama" she whispered to her mother, who picked up her stick and held the stood for support as she stood up and faced the door. My mother came to me and gave me a pat
"Danla you can go to bed" she said as I lay on the mat with both eyes wide open as I watched my mother joined Nana at the door

"who is there?" one eyed Nana asked
"please open the door, my daughter and I are cold and we have no where to stay" A feminine voice answered from behind the door. I could feel the tension in the room lessen
"Who are you?" mama asked
"I am Sarai and I am with my 2 year old daughter Amida, please my daughter is cold" the voice came again
I could tell Mama was filled with Compassion for the stranger as she looked at her own two years old Miranda sleeping comfortable on my mat.

"Mama I think they are harmless, we should open the door" she whispered to Nana who gave a Nod in support
"Where are you coming from" Mama asked
"Konta Village, I am going to Crema, the village after the blue river to see my Uncle but I lost my way, when I found it, it was dark already" the stranger replied

Nana opened the door and the stranger came into our house with her little girl,
"Thank you very much" she said as she came in, after locking the door, Mama went to the fire and put a cup of water filled with tea leaves on fire
"You should not travel at night, especially with the little girl with you, the wood could be dangerous at night" Mama told Sarai who nodded and smiled in agreement
Nana brought out one of Miranda's sweaters and gave to the stranger
"Wear this for your daughter, she will be warm soon" Nana said as she brought out another Mat and laid it by the door for Sarai and her daughter.

After taking the warm tea, the strangers prepared for bed
"What is your daughter's name" Sarai asked Mama
"Miranda" mama answered
"that's a sweet name, my daughter is Amida"
"sweet name too" Mama answered just a minute before I slept

"The Sarai is gone, Mama" I heard from my sleep as I woke up the next morning, it was bright already
"What do you mean" Nana asked Mama
"I searched everywhere, I even went far into the woods" Mama answered
"Oh! such ungrateful lady, hope she didn't steal anything" Nana asked as I yawned and stretched, Miranda was awake and in Mama's arms
"No Nana but she left something" Mama replied almost Immediately, "she left her daughter".

Wehdone, nice story, thump up sister, pls more updates

Interesting piece, keep it coming

"

She left what!" Nana asked as she picked up her walking stick and tried to stand up without waiting for an answer, my eyes went straight to where the visitors had slept the night before and I saw the little girl fumbling with the mat
"What is the meaning of this, what sort of mother would do this" Nana asked no one in particular "Have you searched everywhere, maybe she went to the stream or to look for something that dropped from her during the night, it's too early to conclude that she left her daughter" Nana said watching the little girl
"Ah I hope so Nana because this is beyond me" my mother answered as she shifted her gaze from the girl to me "go get some firewood Danla, we need to eat"

In all my 8 years, I have never heard about a mother leaving her child in care of strangers to go to the stream or to get firewood in the woods before, so I couldn't get it off my mind as I headed into the woods, Truly we stay at the outskirts of Konta, you ll'd have to walk the woods to the other side to get to the village, almost half a day's work, Papa wasn't a very successful Farmer, he was also an handiman he was always between Konta and Crema and his land was almost between the two villages, he was just closer to Konta than Crema, so he built our little brickhouse on his land and we lived peacefully until few months after Miranda was born, he died of an unknown illness.

Mama was in a bad shape after his death, a nursing mother and a 6 year old son, Nana had no choice than to move in with us, afterall she was staying alone in Konta, one eyed Nana and her walking stick, whoever the stranger was, I was so convinced, she didn't leave her daughter with us, she couldn't have possibly gone away

Nana and Mama went through the days chores as if Nothing was wrong, Mama went to the Market to supply her customers vegetables, Nana planted more corn, I washed Miranda's clothes and fetched water from the stream, and all, yet Sarai did not show up, Mama fed Amida and Miranda , she took care of the Stranger's baby as she took care of her own, Miranda loved her new friend a lot

When Mama got back from the market around Sunset and Sarai was not back, they began to worry, Nana and Mama kept contemplating on what to do with the child as Mama made dinner, Nana carried Amida on her laps, as I drew figures on the sand
"Tomorrow we go to Konta and find this woman's family" Nana said
"We go to the cheif of Konta, he should know someone who knows someone who knows them" Mama added
"She has a little temperature" Nana said holding Amida well "I have noticed since mid day" Nana added
"She did cry alot in the morning" Mama replied
"She slept for about 3 hours after that, she should not be hot till now" Nana began taking her clothes off "Danla get me half a bucket of water so this sweet girl can shower"

But as I stood up to run the errand.
"What!" I heard Nana scream as she stared at the naked Baby in shock, Mama left the food she was preparing at once and moved to Nana
"What is it Nana" she asked
"See for yourself" Nana answered holding the baby up to Mama
"Abomination!" Mama screamed that it woke little Miranda up.

Nice story, is a good lesson for all, wehdone

I tried to move closer to Mama and Nana to see what was wrong but Mama pushed me back
"don't come closer Danla, go and stay with your sister and don't let her come near" Mama said to me but I didn't move a muscle, I was scared too and I wanted to know the reason
" What is wrong with Amida Mama" I asked with my heart beating fast
"She has Yakuna, Danla" Mama replied almost in tears
I was dumbfolded, I staggered back until I got to sked who was sitting on the mat staring at us, I held my little sister close to me as water kept dripping down my face
"Amida has Yahuna ?" Miranda asked in her two year old voice
"Yes" I replied, "we better stay here" I added

Mama dished my food and Miranda's, she told us to stay inside as she went into the yard with Nana and Amida, I moved my food to the window, I ate and watched them talk
"What are we going to do now" Mama asked pacing up and down "the mother ran out of Konta before anyone noticed obviously"
" We have to cast the baby into the forest" Nana replied " That is the tradition, else she would bring death to this home" Nana answered
"No Mama, she is just a child" my mother replied
"We have other children here Layla, your own children, let this stranger go else we would lose more than a stranger"
" A child hardly ever survives Yakuna in the forest" Mama answered
"only one of three survives it in a house, it leaves most people handicapped Layla, it took my eye" Nana emphasized " Your kids will get it if this baby stays here, they don't have immunity like you " Nana added
"it's just a 2 year old child Mama" my mother poured out " when I was younger people take care of children with Kuyana, they didn't cast anyone out then"
"and a lot of children died which could have been avoided if they casted one child out, people lost parts of their body andit rendered so many useless, which would have been avoided if they had casted the source out" Nana shouted back at Mama " if the mother had stayed, she is the one who could have taken the child into the forest and nursed her there, if she survived it, they would take them back at the village" Nana pointed out
"she must have been scared or given up hope that this baby would survive" Mama replied
" She has to be casted out, to save our own" Nana replied

Miranda walked up to me where I was by the window watching Mama and Nana
"What is Yahuna , Anla" she calls me Anla, Mama said she couldnt pronounce the D letter yet
"Measles" I replied not taking my eyes off Amida

bossy512:
Nice story, is a good lesson for all, wehdone

What is it na?

wehdone:


What is it na?

I like ur name o[color=]

wehdone:


What is it na?

I like ur name o[/color]

wehdone:


What is it na?

I like ur name o