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There comes a season when it is time for Oumar and I to be initiated into manhood. Mansa Qu has many wives, sons, and responsibilities in the kingdom so it is decided that my brother and I will travel back to my village for the ritual. Akuchi has already been initiated, but he and his father will accompany us. A caravan is readied with camels, fellow travelers carrying supplies, and a handful of servants to prepare the food.
“What is it like?” Oumar asks Akuchi as the day of our departure nears.
“There are many trials to test your strength and bravery, instructions on how to conduct oneself as a man and…” He points to his manhood. I already know about the circumcision ritual where the skin of the child is cut away so that he can go forth as a man.
After the coming of age ceremony, a
