The Beliam's fuzz

The atmosphere was amazing, and better suited to the event. For the first time in a long time, I had a chance to witness what had been the talk of the village. "You only have a chance or two if you're lucky, to see it," they said. They've talked about it for months. They've remembered it for years. It just matters too much when the event is nigh. Mothers prepare their daughters from the very day they were born just to be ready for this occasion. Fathers train their sons with a lot of aggression and scrutiny in preparation for this very occasion. The mood around the village was different. You could see smiles dripping off the faces of everyone. The aroma arose from kitchens and cages from all corners and was thrown down the alpine areas of the village. People have arrived from all and sundry to bear witness to this magnificent occasion. Traders from nearby villages had gathered the best of their crop yield to present it for sale. Today is the day they can wield and make great numbers in income. This is the most beautiful moment in the village I've ever been alive to witness. The class group of the society was dripping in their fine apparel called "Kente" cloth; the most expensive cloth one can come across in the area. They flaunted their beautiful slippers and walked majestically like a lion in the jungle. You can't help but admire them. The display was enormous and everyone was thrown into celebratory mode. There is another group. That one group is present on almost every occasion. I mean the "konkonsa" (meaning gossipers) group. Why won't they be there? They make the occasion beautiful, don't they? They are the ones that carry the information on their shoulders and make sure the beauty and excitement will be kept in the memories of everyone for as long as possible. I chanced on them when I was moving around and, of course, the conversation was about people's clothes and their dresses and how they could make fun of them. "So when will these people ever change?" I asked myself quietly. The drums were ready and the dancers were ready with them. Of course, the beautiful "kete" dance was not left out. The drummers beat the drum and the dancers twisted their waists and moved their hands, strolling up and down on the dance floor with tremendous zeal and passion in unison with the rhythmic sound of the drum and soothing voices of the "agorofomma" (singers). The leader of the dance, Afrakoma, captured most of the attention. Dressed in her fine kente clothes and wore her widest smile ever. Chained in really beautiful ornaments and chains, it could tell you that she's from that high class of society. She dances so beautifully, befitting the natural beauty and attraction she commands. Afrakoma is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Not just from her outward looks only, but the kind soul that she possesses made her one of my closest friends. Seeing her dance made me so happy and proud of her. "This is beautiful." Everyone murmured among themselves. The dance continued until the chief linguist, Opanin Nimo, stood up to talk. "Koo mu ye, Nana re Kasa" (Meaning, keep calm, the king is about to speak) exclaimed the linguist. The king stood up and everyone listened with rapt attention. You could even hear the footsteps of the ant through the silence that the linguist's voice and the fearsome sight of the King commanded. "You're all welcomed to the Sunkwa festival," said the King. "Eat, feast, and enjoy yourself. Make merry and choose your life partners. To those who are visiting my village, enjoy the sight of the riches and lands our grandfathers left for us. Obey the rules and you'll be free or disobey them and you will put yourself at risk. This is a village that welcomes everyone. I'm done..." the king expressed. A large cheer was booed among the people gathered at the place. The drummers started playing the drums and suddenly, the whole place was turned into a dancing floor. Sunkwa festival is an occasion that matters so much to the people of Agyapakrom. History has it that they broke free from a wicked king who enslaved them in the early centuries on that very day. It's only the chief priest of the village who determines whether the festival is this year or that one. Therefore, the whole village is in anticipation of when the chief priest will choose by the directions of the "abosom" (gods). As such, many have lived this life and never had the chance to witness the Sunkwa festival. This meant so much to the people to be alive to see another Sunkwa. It was the perfect time to reflect on the terror and hardship their forefathers went through to get them the peace and happiness they now enjoy. It was also a time for people to make merry and choose their life partners. It was a marriage season for them where the rich men, even from other villages, and even the poor searched around for their life suitors. The name "Sunkwa" was coined from the local dialect "Su-nkwa", which means "Call for life." It was time for the main occasion. The men's wrestling bout. It is what they all enjoy. It was a bout between the families in the village. Each family presents their best fighters for the "Sunkwa-kofo" wrestling bout. The Sunkwa-kofo was an annual event, irrespective of whether there would be a Sunkwa festival or not. Which family will get the bragging rights this time? Suddenly, everyone was an enemy of the other opposition for at least the time the wrestling is supposed to take place. Some quarrels even continue for days or even months. They believe that this fight helps them to be ready all the time to fight the enemy that will try and invade their beautiful village. As the fighters walked into the square, my eyes were stuck on one of them. My mouth was left wide open. So wide as the roar of a lion. My brain stopped functioning for a minute or two. As our eyes crossed each other's, the chemicals in my body went astray. The strength of the attraction was enormous and mind-blowing. "What is happening to me?" I asked rhetorically. I could never take my eyes off. I was so poised to look at him. He was the most handsome man I've ever set my eyes on. His eyes were round and placed perfectly at the sides of his pointed nose. He had lips that were appealing to the eyes and so pleasant to raise a lustful appetite. His body was stout and his chest stood tall on his upper body. He was a real beauty. "Am I in love?" I asked myself. My name is Beliam and my story has just begun...