White Men In Black Skin

Origins of Black People-5

“The judgement by the gods is a curse upon you daughters of Nuhu, depending on the gravity of the committed sins! Cursed be Afrikania and her descendants, slave of slaves, shall she be to her sisters and their descendants! Bless, oh gods the household of Uropa. May Afrikania be her slave! Let Asiana dwell under the shadow and dominance of Uropa. May Afrikania and her descendants, be slaves to Uropa’s and Asiana’s. Afrikania’s descendants shall dwell in everlasting conflicts among themselves, self‑destruction, suffer self‑ afflicted ignorance, perpetual inadequacy in the lands of plenty, suffer poverty, famines, diseases, death and all other calamities. Afrikania’s descendants shall forever hate one another, be exploited, toil and lose any prosperity to Uropa’s and Asiana’s descendants. Afrikania’s descendants shall forever live in the dark deep of evil with their minds and hearts being hideouts of satan, devoid of honesty and holiness. Descendants of Asiana shall never know any peace. They will forever and ever fight among themselves and destroy one another. I shall settle Asiana in the most barren lands where little grows. Overall! Uropa’s descendants shall command superiority and power over descendants of Asiana and Afrikania. As per intelligence and wisdom which is the ultimate blessing, Uropa’s descendants shall be the wisest, custodian and guardian of all wisdom, intelligence, knowledge and creativity, followed by Asiana’s and the least intelligent, wise and devoid of any creative knowledge shall be Afrikania’s descendants who will until the end of time be self deceiving, shall survive on the manipulative mercies and guidance of Uropa’s and Asiana’s descendants. Light shall forever guide Uropa’s household, twilight shall forever envelop Asiana’s generations, as Afrikania’s dwell in darkness. But all in all, to you daughters of Nuhu, your descendants who shall live in everlasting feuds, invading, robbing and destroying one another over resources and dominance shall distinguish themselves by their colors, which they will acquire with the passing of time. The more cursed you have been the darker your descendants shall be!” There was such deafening roar and blinding flashes of light after the pronouncement that Nuhu and his daughters fell down covering their ears and eyes. When they woke up all was quiet and the sky was clear. There was no trace of the god and his retinue of angels.

Their heads drooped, pondering their fate as they sorrowfully descended the oracle hill on their way home in silence.

CHAPTER FIVE

Although the family had agreed to make the departures as joyous as they could, the parting was heartbreaking. The caravans were ready to head east and south, never to see one another again. Wails and sobs rent the air. Everyone agonized over the disintegration of the family. It was worse than a funeral because the young and cohesive family was parting never to meet again. Uropa sobbed and cried as she assisted Asiana and Afrikania pack their luggage. Asiana sobbed uncontrollably wondering whether the offences she committed warranted such condemnation and deportation. Nuhu’s homestead was full of gloom and sorrowful anguish.

The only person who maintained her cool was the naive, passive and carefree Afrikania, because the condemnation and deportation were like a reprieve to her. She knew her atrocities deserved instant death. She was only apprehensive about the uncertain future. She naively looked forward to her new home and life, although she had no idea where she was headed. She had never travelled far from home. She decided to face the future with courage. After all, she had a new lease of life.

Nuhu, who was to assume some roles of a demigod, had sneaked to the oracle hills on several occasions to appeal against the condemnation to deport his daughters. He was only guaranteed guidance and protection for his daughters in their exiles. The highest god promised to send angels in form of young men and white doves to guide and escort his daughters to their ‘new kingdoms’, as god put it. Also, all his three daughters were assured procreation through godsend miracles. On several occasions, Nuhu doubted the wisdom and sincerity of the gods. But he was certain that disobeying the gods would have meant ultimate and ruthless destruction. He therefore, dismissed any thoughts of disregarding the gods’ decision. He would rather send off his daughters peacefully, rather than see them being painfully destroyed by the gods. He consoled himself by assuming that his daughters were getting married in far away lands.

Whatever differences they might have harbored against one another in the past the separation made them regrettably realize they were a family and needed one another more than ever.

His daughters wept as the livestock and beasts of burden and other commodities were being set aside and prepared for the departing daughters. He could not weep or show sorrow because he was a demigod and according to rules, gods never cried.

Asiana and Afrikania each took cattle, goats, sheep, camels, donkeys, dogs, poultry and other livestock that could tackle the long journeys ahead.

Asiana and Afrikania were to wear wedding gowns to depict a happy marriage to their new lands and the new life ahead of them.

Nuhu sat under a tree gazing at the horizon agonizing over his past. As far as he could remember, his life was riddled with turbulence. When he was a young boy, while grazing his father’s flock of goats, he was bitten by one of the deadliest known snakes. He was saved from instant death by a passing stranger who administered powerful antidotes. He stayed for several years before the snake’s poison cleared from his body

Soon after the snakebite, he was struck by lightning as he sheltered under a tree during a storm. The thunderbolt that killed several goats and his shepherd dog left him unconscious under a tree for a whole night in the heavy downpour. He miraculously escaped dying from exposure and hypothermia.

Then came the floods and the epidemics that wiped out his parents, his wife and the entire population. He escaped this disaster by fleeing with his daughters to higher grounds up the highest hills. His parents were too ill to escape.

As he mused over those ordeals, he wondered whether the gods were genuine or just a figment of imagination. Of all the people to die, the gods should have saved and spared his parents because they were fanatically faithful to the gods and offered heavy sacrifices, fasted, worshipped and prayed to the gods three times a day.

They religiously indoctrinated him into their faith, which he also faithfully adored and embraced. He learned all the rituals and the types of offerings for every occasion. He knew all the sacred places where the gods resided. He carried out the sacrificing and worshipping even after his parents’ death. He consequently preached and taught the faith to his three daughters.

Nuhu remembered something his father had taught him, “the gods give and the gods take. Never question the wisdom of the gods.” For example, why was his life and that of his father full of torments in spite of all the faith and trust in the gods? Were these gods fake and bogus, who were just fond of taking sacrifices and never gave anything tangible in return?

Weren’t those gods supposed to protect and guide people through life? Was there any more need for sacrificing, praying and offering to the cruel, ungrateful gods? It would be easier to live without even bothering about the existence of the gods. If they were reasonable, they should continue giving more and more to those who sacrificed and worshipped them.

Instead, those gods seemed to punish and torment those who were most dedicated, faithful and honest and rewarded hypocrites, crooks, the corrupt and thieves who even stole the sacrifices and offerings at the altar, and who never acknowledged the existence of the gods.

If these gods were true gods, why would they allow Asiana and Afrikania to commit such sacrilegious sins of thoughts and deeds? It was the sole responsibility of the gods to guide and protect all human beings against any satanic evils, especially those who worshipped and obeyed the gods.

Why would the gods corrupt his daughters by granting power and knowledge to Afrikania to make such dangerous concoctions? Why did the gods not protect him from drinking the adulterated alcohol even after the sacrifices at the oracle hill? Did the gods really care? If they cared for the good people, then why allow some disasters to happen? Those seemingly cruel, irresponsible and ungrateful gods had dealt him a most motor blow by dismantling and scattering his so closely‑knit family, just when things had started working his way through material prosperity. His daughters’ sins were bearable and could be cleansed by heavy sacrifices. What were the gods’ intentions in banishing and cursing his daughters for such simple offences?

He envied the reckless carefree crooks that never bothered about the gods although they all perished in the floods anyway. He envied them because they prospered and thrived in spite of stealing, cheating, killing and even denounced the gods openly before the floods wiped out the population.

Were these cruel gods worth all the attention he accorded them? He conceded to send away Asiana and Afrikania just to save them from the ruthless wrath of the gods. He did not wish to see disaster befall them. He consoled his mind and heart by imagining that his two daughters were being married in far, far away lands where he would not be able to see them again.

For him and the gods, he had to choose whether to accept the torments and continue serving the seemingly thankless, unreliable, cruel gods or have nothing to do with them anymore and face the future at the vagaries of fate. He had to suppress tears at the departure of his young daughters.

* * *

The processions were miles long. Not even Nuhu knew where the strangers had come from. Asiana and Afrikania each had more than a thousand strong men to carry their luggage. They were all dressed in white robes. Nuhu and Uropa were instructed by the spirits to proceed to the top of the highest hill to watch the convoys as they parted and disappear into the horizon, one heading south and the other east.

It was a morning of ecstasy. Asiana and Afrikania were dressed like brides in gold satin robes laced with red ribbons and wore veils over their faces. Their horses and camels in the convoy were beautifully decorated.

Asiana and Afrikania each took equal shares of livestock and other commodities to last them a lifetime. Although it was a sad parting the whole atmosphere was cheerful and resembled the most colorful wedding.

Flights of thousands of white doves perched in all the trees in the expansive homestead. The spirits had announced that the processions would be guided into their destinations by flights of white doves. The spirits had also assured protection, guidance and provision of all other support logistics until Asiana and Afrikania settled in their new destinations.

Asiana and Afrikania mounted their beautifully decorated horses and rode right in the middle of the convoys, surrounded by heavily armed strong men.

Nuhu solemnly hugged his daughters for the last time as they all exchanged nervous glances. The usually composed Uropa was hysterical and broke down as she watched the convoy slowly take off. But before taking off, Asiana arrogantly and defiantly turned and surprisingly scoffed at Nuhu and Uropa for the last time.

“My descendants will never be subjected to s*****y. Neither will they ever submit to exploitation, oppression, suppression and domination. They will forever remain defiant and resist these vices, fight for their heritage, dignity and beliefs, until the end of time!” Nuhu and Uropa were stunned.

And Uropa as if possessed by some evil spirits retorted angrily, “And they will be pursued into the deserts and flushed out of caves like wild foxes. Go away and get lost forever, you wretched traitors!”

Nuhu stepped in and restrained his daughters from further confrontations at such sorrowful moments.

Asiana’s convoy headed east while that of Afrikania headed south.

The flight of doves suddenly took off and formed a dark canopy as they separated in the sky. Some headed east while others headed south. They just glided slowly in a formation in the skies at the pace of the convoys.