DETHRONED
Dethroned - Episode 1
I sat dejectedly with my hands on my chin thinking of what I will be eating tonight as I haven't eaten all day
and to make matters worst, the worms in my stomach were already crying for food reminding me that I shouldn't try sleeping on an empty stomach again like I did yesterday night
I sighed as it seems as though I will likely be doing so anyways.
There's no doubt that it has been two days since I last tasted anything edible, I mean it is not like I do have a choice anyways since the wild fruits and vegetables I was feeding on in the forest are no more available because of the current drought in the Land.
The drought is actually affecting everyone in the village and it begun two months back when an image of a masquerade had mysteriously appeared in the sky.
Typical of a village like mine, the main source of getting water is through rainfall and stream
so in the absence of no single drop of rain in the Land for two months now, the subsequent effects were that the crops in people's farmlands dried up same with the village streams, which inevitably led to serious hunger and thirst plâgue in the once fertile Land of Yada.
Noticably, it is the less privileged villagers like myself and more people in the village that were more at the receiving end of this plague
What I mean is that ever since this plâgue started, the once chubby adults including myself keeps on slimming down on a daily basis
whilst for the once slim adults, there are looking more like yam ínfected firewoods without bløød cells
As for the old folks, the look more like those who are inches close to joining their ancestors early, whilst young children are looking like what I could best describe as a 'sorry sight'
The only set of people that doesn't really seem affected by this drought situation are the wealthy families in the village who had warehouses with foodstuffs that were stacked there way before the drought had surfaced,
and these set of people are just too self-centered to think of sharing their food items with other hungry villagers like myself.
Well, my name is Rana Uka and I am currently two decades old, this is just me venting out my frústrations on the plâgue that has befallen the Land of my forefathers.
I sighed some more as I thought of the unavoidable consequences that might inevitably occur if this drought plâgue still persist longer than this month
It is an already known fact that hunger is one of the slow kīller of humankind and inasmuch as much no déâth has yet been recorded in the Land,
I do know it is only a matter of few more days before it will eventually happen due to lack of food; first it will be to the less privileged villagers and next to the wealthy ones when the finally run out of the food supply in their warehouses
I think it is about time I throw light on the community I do come from which is none other than the Almighty Land of Yada.
My community which is The Land of Yada consists of three neighboring communities; The Land of Gada and The Land of Zada of which The Land of Yada is the one with the highest population hence it is the most feared and respected amongst the three.
Traditionally, the three lands are governed by one priestess and a particular lady chosen for that responsibility becomes the overall ruler over the three merged communities.
To all and sundry, a priestess words and declarations are final and since there are the overall highest authority, this automatically makes the community which the mantle of priesthood rest on the strongest and most respected community. it is one of the reasons the three communities often wishes and sometimes bâttle to have the priestess chosen from their Land.
From time memorial, the priestess is usually chosen from either of the three communities and from what my late parents told me, the chosen priestess can only be dethroned once and automatically loses her mantle of priesthood if a special rítual is collectively carried out by the villagers for her dethronement.
The priestess is the one who communicates directly with the deities and serves as connection between the gods and the people, but it is sad to say that it has been over two decades yet no priestess has ever been enthroned after the dëäth of the previous one that was chosen from the Land of Gada
from what I had also heard from the wide-mouthed kinsmen, the reason for this is because no one has yet been seen to be in possession of the powers that is befitting of such a mantle of priesthood.
And fortunately for us as the villagers, throughout those years we were never bothered by it since we never had a serious need for a priestess
but with this drought that has just befallen the Land, we will definitely need a solution before it ends up wiping the whole community out.
Already divinations, sacrifices, and inquiries has been made to several deities in the Land but none has been able to solve this problem for us, for some reasons the are rather keeping silent on our pleas.
Who knows? maybe if our land had a powerful priestess like other formidable communities do, then the deities would have harken unto our pleas and communicated a profound solution to whom is empowered to hear them
but since the opposite is the case, we are left with limited choice but to endure this for as long it will likely last.
As for me Rana, I can only wish that I could not dïe of hunger before that time of breakthrough finally comes through.
I thought heaving sadly as I adjusted well on the thatched bamboo bed I sat on, and then gently I laid down whilst placing my two hands under my head for support in the absence of a pillow.
Sometimes I do feel so alone in this village of mine and ever since the dëäth of my parents two years ago, I have been staying all alone in this thatched hut I inherited from them
I have to admit that there is absolutely no day I don't miss them and oftentimes wish I still had them here with me.
I sighed again with my eyes now closed, I intended to force myself to sleep but a loud yawn involuntarily forced its way out of my mouth and the worms in my stomach did not quit singing for food
I shook my head pitifully as I pushed the dreadlocks on my head backwards and dramatically said to myself in low tunes
" Rana I think it is about time you quit pitying yourself... I have to go out and find anything to eat before hunger will use me to open the first death record in this land of mine..." as I was saying this, some strange noise coming from the door startled me.
I lay with the w@r of hunger rumbling in my intestines, I heard a heavy scary thud on my wooden door
I startled in fear, who or what could that be?
I sat up and turned down the light from my oil lamp, that was the little oil I managed to get through begging yesterday and it was almost burning out.
I lowered it more, and sat still.
Wondering what was going on and who was trying to break down my hut.
Another loud and more scarier sound from the door send me crashing off from my bamboo bed.
Fear gripped me because another hit may eventually destroy my poor door that mut and rust has eaten halfway.
"What is going on, what am I going to do now..?
I crawled under my bamboo bed and hide while praying to the gods to come to my rescue.
(Do NOT take credit or Plagiarize AMAH'S HEART stories)
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