The Transition

Servitude of the Virgin girl

Esi p.o.v

It's 6 p.m. and Esi is on her way going home with a friend Kojo. The school was long over but Esi choose to stay behind and help her friend Kojo who got into a fight at the school premises.

The five of them were called to the principal's office where Esi discovered the identity of the couple.

The boy goes by the name Elikem and he is the son of the village fetish-priest.

As for the school prefect, she already knew his name and whose son he is. After rubbing it on her face.

The most interesting person was the other girl among them. Her name is Grace and she's the school prefect sister the village chief second child.

Esi wanted to laugh at the office but thought against it. The children of the most respected people in the village were banging on each other this morning. Where? In the plantation.

Since Elikem was involved in this matter, the principal chose not to punish him. He was scared that the boy will use Voodoo on him. The eyes witness were not able to tell their side of the story.

The case was dismissed with Kojo who had to clean the whole school before going home. Esi was furious to hear the judgement of the principal.

After school, she and Kojo clean the school after she had a hard time convincing Kojo that she will help him. Esi had to pay some students to help them clean the school because they couldn't do it alone.

On their way home, Esi asked the question that is bothering her mind since.

"Kojo, what did Elikem do that made you hate him so much?" She asked him because earlier today, Esi saw the way Kojo was looking at Elikem with hatred in his eyes.

"It's about Ama the girl I wanted to marry." He said and took a deep breath and continue "in three days, she is going to be sent to the shrine and she's never coming back." He said and I understood what he was saying.

When a girl is sent to the shrine she will never return to her family.

She will serve the gods and the fetish priest and it happens when a member of a family sinned. A Young Virgin girl is then sent to the shrine of gods as a s*x slave to make amend of wrongdoings caused by a family member. And when she dies, another Virgin girl will take her place.

The fetish priest will use her as his s*x slave. She will give birth to his kids. The life of the girl child will go to waste. Girls are sent there as early as six years.

I thought these practices were abolished a long time ago. But there are still people who believe in things that do not benefit society but rather destroy lives.

" What do you plan on doing?" She asks him

"Nothing. I can't do anything about it. The gods have already decided and chosen her to do the trokosi ( servitude of the Virgin girl). Nothing can stop it now unless someone in her family takes her place." He said it with distress

"Can the gods talk to anyone?" She asked and a confused Kojo looked at her with questioning eyes

"What do you mean?" He asks again

"I mean can the gods talk to anyone in the village aside from the fetish priest?"

"Not that I know. It has never happened before unless the fetish priest and his successor. But no one in the village has ever spoken to the gods"

" Ok then has anyone ever seen the gods physically? I mean like you and I see each other now?"

"No"

"Then how do you guys in the village believe someone who just says whatever he wants to say?"

"I don't know alright. I was born here and I came to meet it here. Who am I to question the eye of the gods who are always with them his whole life." He said all frustrated

"Hmmm, I see. Tell me"

Kojo groans at her. She is beginning to irritate him

"What is it Esi?"

"Well, I wanted to know if you have been in the shrine before and how does it look like inside?" She inquires again.

"Yes, I have been there before with my father and there is nothing extraordinary about the place it's only a bunch of calabashes filled with some weird concoctions of different colours. There are also some herbs there and animals bloodstain on the floor and also on the images of the sculptured gods, that's all."

"Thank you Kojo and don't worry everything will be alright."

"I wish Esi, I wish."

When they got to Kojo's house, they parted their ways and Esi continue her road.

It was 6:30 pm and Esi was now coming home she met her stepmother in front of their doorstep. Esi could see the worry on her face. It somehow made her happy to see her worry about her.

"Thank god you here Esi I was worried. I was waiting for your father to go and look for you."

"Good evening to you too. Sorry, for making you worry."

"Anyways what took you soo long?" Abena asked her

"Remember my friend Kojo?"

"What about him?"

"Well he got into a fight with Elikem and got punished I was helping him out."

"It's good that you help him but please stay away from Elikem he is bad news. Okay?"

"Okay"

"Now let go In dinner is almost ready"

"Okay! Where is Dad?"

"He's in his office planning his next harvest."

"Good since he is here too, I will ask him about that Kwame guy Nana's son."

Esi saw her stepmother stiffening she knew that she touched on the topic they have been avoiding. But Esi is not angry with them because she knew what she has to do as always.

She also has a way to save her friend's bride and she will do it even if Jesus visits her.