FATE AND FAITH

An Ancient Imprecation

It was an apocalyptic day. The early morning appeared as dusk. There were dark clouds levitating above, the sunrise was but a circle of dim light darkened by the blackness of the sky. The thunder and lightning were consecrated at the eastern side of the skyline. It was the raining season and such mornings were common. What was out of place was an engine refusing to work. Mr. Koda was having the worst day of almost a decade and a half of being a driver. The engine of his naval blue and white Mercedes-Benz had stopped in the middle of the road that stretched from Chainayi to the nearest major town, Adenkuro, where Mr. Koda was destined. Mr. Koda departed from Chainayi around 5 am when the countryside was still sleeping under the light. It's been one hour and thirty minutes since he left with a bus full of passengers. Mr. Koda personally liked his early morning drive, it was the coolest time of the day and the road was less taken by other drivers during the early morning hours. Today, what he deemed an advantage seemed a demerit to him. For thirty minutes, Mr. Koda and his assistant, the young Tetteh, had been trying to get the pistons of the vehicle up and running again, but with little success. The engine would only roar for a while and stop abruptly anytime they started the engine. This was unusual, during such unplanned engine failure the two would only, fidget a few parts of the mechanical components of the engine and voila! get it running. Even such cases were rare, so today baffled Mr. Koda and Tetteh, they had tried every turn every nuts and bolt of the automobile and had no success. They had even taken the Mercedes-Benz on a run the Sunday night before, as they did every other week. The two had got their hands and shirts dirtied with oil and grease from their efforts to fix the problem. Mr. Koda had called the local station for backup, luckily, the was an empty bus headed towards Adenkuro on the same road but it would delay for a while. The passengers of Mr. Koda's vehicle were initially irritated by the early morning disappointment, however, Mr. Koda's efforts assured them. But after thirty minutes of nothing working out, they contacted the people at their destinations letting them know of their situation. Their anger reemerged; this time mixed with a desperate need to reach Adenkuro safely. The winds were blowing and the clouds threaten to rain. The passengers cared less, their desperateness and anger exceeded the worry of getting wet. They had descended the bus and stood dispersed on the road, most complaining to each other about the event. Mr. Koda tried to calm them down, but seeing was believing and the passengers had seen how the vehicle was not responding to Mr. Koda and Tetteh's effort and would not listen to Mr. Koda. They hoped for the arrival of the second bus sooner. Among the passengers was an averagely tall man in a black and white suit. The executive dressed man was a serious businessman, apparently, he was examining the plains of Chainayi, hoping to start a real estate agency on the plains. He was a pragmatic developer, and it took a lot to impress him before he invested in an enterprise, however, he was pleased with what he saw at Chainayi, the land was leveled up by nature itself. He could already see the future of his business upon the land. During his tour of the land, his Toyota Camry got stuck in thick mud when he drove closer to a large field of low-lying grass to have a closer look. While his car was being pulled free from the mud, by a trailer the friction broke a metal bar under the vehicle near its exhaust pipe and was taken to the welding shop leaving him stranded at a hotel in Chainayi. He had a meeting in the regional capital which he could not miss. The businessman was compelled to resort to taking the local bus, which he did not fancy. And now he was, late to the signing of a deal that could earn him millions of Ghana cedes. He was the angriest, he had unbuttoned his coat and was shouting at Mr. Koda and Tetteh with derogatory statements. Mr. Koda was humble and was not offended by the words of the business tycoon. Tetteh, his mate however wittingly exchanged words with the man, answering his otherwise rhetorical questions. Tetteh infuriated the man even more, who burned with complete anger, the kind that shakes the muscles of the face and formed rigid dunes of skin on the forehead. Mr. Koda realizing, where the argument was bound to lead to, called his conductor, and asked him to desist from his impoliteness. Tetteh ended his rudeness towards the man, although his face clearly showed that he was unapologetic. The man in the coat was surprisingly angry with Mr. Koda and directed his insults to him once more, calling him names. Mr. Koda remained silent and this provoked the man. The other passengers pleaded with him, begging him to calm down. He didn't. Suddenly, he began chanting and cursed Mr. Koda with his worst fear. Immediately he pronounced the imprecation there was a flash of light in the atmosphere, followed by loud thunder and raindrops drizzling. And around that same time, the backup vehicle pulled over. The relieved passengers climbed aboard and the vehicle sped off. Just after the vehicle was out of sight, Mr. Koda's vehicle jolted back to life. Tetteh was excited and happy. Mr. Koda on the other hand wore a long face. Tetteh then remembered the man's curse and understood his master's saddened face. The two got in the vehicle and headed for the fitting shop back at Adenkuro.

Even though Mr. Koda was seated behind his steer and driving the vehicle, his mind was racing at a different pace, reexamining the scene that took place earlier and recollecting the order of the events. Mr. Koda certainly did not think that he could escape from his own shadow. He certainly did not think the consequences of his decisions would somehow swerve him. Mr. Koda understood why dreams of losing his entire family had intensified and he knew that the laws of the universe had caught up with him. There was nothing he could do except to cast his mind back to that late afternoon Badu, his childhood friend had made the proposal. Badu and Koda were young men in their mid-twenties, they had grown up in Chainayi together, where they lived as next-door neighbors. From infancy to adulthood they had been friends and they knew each other. They had socially become brothers. That afternoon, they had returned from watching a football match between the Adenkuros and the host team, the Chainayis. Chainayi FC won that day and there was merry in town. Koda and Badu were also caught up in the excitement. They were headed towards home and took the road that divided the town from the Akoma forest of Chainayi, from the town itself. That was when, Badu brought up the proposal, that they go and visit the priest of the Akoma forest for blessings for their future. Koda thought it was another of Badu's joke and took his friend's statement humorously. He knew the story of the Akoma forest and knew his friend knew the legend too. He recalled what the hunter said when Badu inquisitively asked an old hunter when they were kids, why hunters did not hunt in the Akoma forest.

Almost a century after the exiled people of Atambu settled in Chainayi. Their queen, Chaina, grew old and weak, the spell placed on her came to pass and she remained single. What was left of her beauty was but irregular lines of wrinkles on her body. At midnight on a full moon, the ancestors came for her spirit as she passed away in a painless transition from life to death. It is said that the royal dogs howled loudly as she died. And it woke the maidens up, who upon checking on the queen found her lifeless body on the queen-sized bed. As was customary for members of the royal family, she was buried that same night in the light of the moon at the far end of the town. A week after her burial, the elders, priests, and kinsmen arrived at the site of her burial to perform the last passage right. Upon arrival, they saw the area around her grave had sunk further into the ground and at its center stood a stout tree that had suddenly appeared with its roots firmly grounded in the exact spot of the burial. The area around the grave had changed too, with fauna and flora of weird appearance growing all around. After consulting the Oracle of Atambu, the truth of the curse was revealed to the people who did not know. The goddess of the earth, had never received a heart of a divine royal that never found love, and hence could not welcome it as part of her, she moaned and had pity over the heart. And thus, covered the still breathing heart with a unique landform and surrounded it with the strange forest, in order to protect it from the reach of men. As a heart, Chaina's heart gave and took the heart desires of men. Despite the earth goddess warning to the men never to seek help from Chaina's heart which still beats to this very day, the most selfish of them paid no heed. They fortified themselves as priests of the heart and used its power to satisfy their greedy needs. With many centuries passed and the advent of colonization and the twenty-first century, fewer and fewer people became priests and soon it was left with one. Whose shrine was situated in the Akoma forest, it was rumored that during the full moon, he floated above the forest and bathe himself in a pool of blood that oozed from Chaina's beating heart.

It was this same priest that Badu was telling Koda about. Koda knew Badu well enough. Badu had been talking about going to the Akoma forest since he heard that story but Koda had taken it lightly. Normally, they'd both laugh about the idea and move to other topics. Today was different, Badu had seriousness in his eyes and was dogged on going to the forest. Koda knew if he disagreed, Badu's temper could end their lifelong friendship. He looked into his eyes and saw their years of being together and hesitantly said yes to his friend, knowing very well, his heart was not with Badu's suggestion. And so, the two branched off into the narrow track leading to the shrine. Badu led the way ever determined, with Koda following with slow steps. A wave of chilly negative feelings had hit him when he took his first step into the forest. The path was snaky and guided by bizarre palms by its side, the trunks and stems of the trees formed gargoyles of figures. The crickets chirped in a freaky acoustic manner, rising and falling with the pass of each wind. They could hear whispers but could not make out a thing, for the whispers spoke in a strange language. Koda nearly stepped on what he taught was a toad, he bent down to take a closer look. It was a hideous amphibian, but with legs of an arachnid and a lizard tail. Koda's fright catapulted him several feet ahead right behind Badu. Was what he saw just a fragment of his imagination that had slipped mistakenly into reality? No! His intuition answered. Koda was scared, he was had trespass into an evil forest. He was about to tap Badu and tell him he was leaving when the shrine came on site. At the middle of the shrine sat the priest on a stool carved in the twisty shape of a python, he sat with his back facing them. The shrine was creepy, amulets, and fetish paraphernalia hanged around all four corners, the walls were a hedge of thorns. The thorns were blood red and large like 4-inch nails. At the back of the shrine was the priest sat facing, the thorns were woven in the shape of a huge heart, not the symbolic model but the real heart. Koda had stopped in his tracks in fear whispering to his friend, but Badu walked on towards the shrine. As Badu approached, the stool on which the priest sat on rotated, it appeared to have a pivot of roots under, the meditating priest sensed the presence of the foreigners and open his eyes towards the intruders. The black of the priest's eyes was whitened with old age and his dark face was surrounded with a gray beard. The priest spoke mentioning the names of the two men. Koda hadn't moved an inch and was still terrified, but the sound of his name from the trembling lips of the old man woke him up from his immobile state. Koda drew closer, he wanted to be sure if he was hearing alright. The old man continued, "do not be afraid, Chaina's heart knows all men at heart. Badu your true heart desire is to get rich, to get very rich. And Koda deep down your heart all you want is to have a family and settle down. Do not worry, Chaina's heart gives to all generously, the only condition for the blessings of the heart to hold is that you watch yourselves, that you may not be cursed. For it is the curse of the six kings that brought this misery to Chaina's heart. Do you agree? "

"Yes, yes, yes! " replied Badu just after the priest ended. Badu was still dumbfounded by the words of the priest. A family of his own all he wanted. Badu shrugged his shoulders against Koda's when Koda's reply was missing. Koda was trapped in a dilemma in his mind, carefully considering the proposal of the priest. A part of him warned him and begged him not to agree, but he yielded to his inner desire if he could have what he had always desired on a silver platter, why not take the chance? Koda reasoned. Koda said yes, although he felt he had betrayed his moral self. The priest then started saying unintelligible things and incantations, he danced as though in a trance and his eyes turned red. The priest shouted in a breaking voice, "it is done, you may go but remember your promise" The two hurriedly left, they could hear the priest maniacally laughing when they were on their way. Everything seemed louder on their way out, flocks of birds flew around them, almost colliding with them. Koda and Badu quickened their pace and sped out of the trees unto the road, breathing heavily. They understood the look in each other’s eyes and knew their friendship had come to an end. It was a telepathic mutual decision, for the two never spoke a word to each other ever since the day they visited the Akoma forest. Three weeks after their visit to the deity, Badu hit the jackpot, he won the national lottery and moved to the capital city, where it is rumored, he bought a huge mansion and resided, spending his money in whatever way he could think of. Koda also met Mama Stella. Koda just bought his Mercedes-Benz with his entire life savings and was returning to Adenkuro from the city with it. Mama Stella had purchased a long list of groceries for her shop at the Adenkuro. It was getting late and Mama Stella was just in time for the last bus leaving for Chainayi. However, her heavy goods slowed her down, a young girl overtook her when she was a step away from the car and occupied the last remaining seat. It was a hustle, perhaps apathetic but necessary. Mama Stella dropped her luggage in frustration, she did not like the taxis, they charged customers outrageously. Mama Stella was down to her last pesewas, and could only afford commercial transport, she stood by the side of the road hoping that a trotro would pass by. Mama Stella stood waving at the passing cars, but none stopped, they were filled with passengers. This continued for over an hour, she was about giving up when she spotted Koda's car coming in her direction. Koda's headlights spotted the shadow waving at him to stop from a distance. He pulled over and climbed down to meet her. What happened next was a perfect description of the fictional love at first sight. Even in Mama Stella's frustration, Koda saw an angel. Mama Stella was beautiful no doubt, she was fair and just a little above the average short. Mama Stella was unhappy with Koda's empty car, she did not trust this kind of loan cars. But something reassuring on Koda's face eased her, also she had left her two daughters, Betty and Hannah in the hands of a neighbor she didn't really trust. Koda was more than willing to help Mama Stella, he displayed his strength by single-handedly lifting Mama Stella goods and placed them in the boot. Mama Stella was impressed, but her worry clouded her. Koda brought her safely home and they exchanged contacts. Within the weeks that followed Koda would take Mama Stella to the Adenkuro market every Saturday. Soon Mama Stella grew to love Koda who was already in love with her from the very evening he met her at Adenkuro. Koda married her and they lived happily ever after. The latter is how Mr. Koda thought the story would go. But no! fate had other plans. Mr. Koda could not escape the punishment for breaking the universal law of sowing and reaping, the ancient law of karma and of attraction and of the friction between good and evil. Koda was thinking like never before, he was lost and so was her daughter miles away at Chainayi.