Chief
He sat with his wife quite worried Ada came and confronted him with disrespect;
“Mr. Man! Why did you reject my suitor?”
Yaa Hojah protested;
“Is it your father that you referred to as Mr. Man? Are you out of your mind? No respect you youngsters what is the use of your education? I did not train you to be rude and impolite.”
Ada
“Are you not a patriarchal gate keeper? Are you not happily married and living with your husband? What about me, what wrong have I committed to fall in love with the person God has allocated me? You have turn me into an emotional wreck so bear the consequences of my behaviour. If I don’t marry Ifang I’ll stay unmarried in your home until I die.” She hissed.
Yaa Hojah
She is afraid as she counseled Chief;
“let her marry her choice of a husband or do you want our unmarried daughter to stay with us forever?”
Chief
“I’ll not what about my Vow? Get out of my sight!” He ordered his wife.
Yaa Hojah
“I’ll not go anywhere until you tell us why, your Vow is not the answer there is more to it than the eyes can see.”
Ada
“I give you three days to decide and give me a reason why Ifang and I cannot marry?” She hissed and left.
Chief
He was with his wife and he asked her to leave;
“I want to be left alone.” Yaa Hojah left.
At Deputy Home
Maama
She scolded her husband;
“Where is my son? Since he left for the city I’ve never heard of him again you have to find my son or there will be no peace in this house.”
Deputy
“What can I do now? Where you not here when he eloped with Angersigi? I cannot do anything he is not under my jurisdiction.”
Maama
“You can do something let there be Peace and be part of the process then my son and his wife can come back to us she is a very good girl and would be a good wife for my son if not for this stupid feud.”
Deputy
“Woman shut up don’t open my wound I am a wounded lion.”
Abomination
Ada acted mad she took the Chief seat and acted as if she is addressing her Committee of Elders tradition forbids a woman to sit in the Chief’ seat the Elders came and has to run away and discuss outside.
Chief
“Are you going mad? What have you done?”
Ada
“Rubbish dad! Rubbish! Are you not the person who rendered me useless? You have not seen anything yet daddy!” Then she left for her room.
Chief
He is with Yaa Hojah a girl came wailing and stooped in front of her feet;
“What is it?” Yaa Hojah helped her up;
“Talk to me my daughter, what has happened?”
Binta
“They killed my mother at her farm those evil people.’
Chief
He became more confused and depressed and his anger increased;
“these people are evil how can I forgive them? No! Tit for tat! We will retaliate.” He yelled.
Yaa Hojah
“No! Two wrongs cannot make a right this shows the Peace talk has to be convened now and not later.”
Chief looked hard at her and left.
The Debate
Some villagers are Pro-War others are Anti-War Chief is Pro while Yaa Hojah is Anti.
“Why this madness? Some children are different from us they are marrying in the city and other places and we watch in silence and can do nothing while we can embrace peace and live our lives?” She reasoned with the Deputy’ wife and daughter and some of their friends of like opinion.
Maama
“My sister you are very right I am in that spot my only son is gone from us living happily with his wife in the city and we cannot do anything about it we are helpless it does not make sense in this modern age and time. I cannot hold my grand-children from him; dialogue is what we need and now.”
Yaa Hojah
“My sister am I not in the same boat? Ada is at our throat hell bound to marry Ifang with or without our blessing.”
Pro-War
“Our Chief is too soft is it because his only daughter is hell bend to marry Ifang from Kerrgumak? Or is it something he is not telling us? We don’t care tit for tat we’ll retaliate I’ll never befriend anyone from the enemy camp they are evil.” Pa Amadou posited.
His friend concurred.
To be Cont.
