The Transition

The circle of truth

Esi p.o.v

"Esi! wake up, hurry."

"Mom, please let me sleep for another 30 minutes I promise I will wake up," I beg my mom

"Esi wake up now! We need to go. Something happened in the village and we all net to be there." She said I jump from my bed widely awake.

"What happened in the village mom?" I inquired she looked at me for a moment as if she was trying to find out something.

When she found out nothing, she continued

"Nana was not feeling well for some days now, however, his condition because worst yesterday.

And that's not all."

"There is more? Don't tell me that Nana is no longer with us in the village?" I asked as a wave of panic attacks me.

"What? No! How can you think of something like that?"

"Then tell me the rest of the story." I pleaded deep down I was grateful that Nana is Only sick but not dead.

"The order think is that someone broke into the shrine last night and stole all the sculptured gods.

Ther person left without a trace."

"How did it happen? I thought the fetish priest room is closer to the Shrine? And must pass by his room before going in there."

"Yes, but the person might have taken the opportunity of ducking in ther went he was away."

My mom replied.

"I think so too."

"But mom I thought the chief priest received a notification from the god when something was to happen?"

"Stop asking me silly questions as if I work with him. Now get out of the bet and get ready we are all going to the shrine. Thank god today is a holiday."

"Wait, mom what are we going to do at the shrine?"

"To swear and prove our innocence in the circle of the truth of cause." She said and I suddenly felt sick

"Mom actually I'm not feeling good can I stay home please?" I pleaded not wanting to set my foot there

"No Esi the whole village will be there to swear to prove their innocence. You have nothing to fear since you haven't done anything wrong. Unless you did it and you are scared of going there."

She said and I swallowed my cold saliva

"Esi?"

She called my name stretching the 'I'

"No, mom I will and prove my innocence like everyone else.

" Good now hurry and get ready we leave in 15 minutes," she said and I quickly got up to get myself ready.

The village was quiet compared to the rest of the days. No kids were running around and no women were going to the river to get some water. Men were nowhere to be seen around either.

The more my parents and I walk on the small leading to the fetish priest workshop the more I because anxious. My parents were talking undertones to the point that I could not hear them since they were leading the way and I was following them.

As we approach the gathering, my mom looks at me with concern and fear. From that look, I knew that she knew something that she didn't want to tell me.

In the middle of the crowd, there was a big circle drawn blood and surrounded by a whitish powdered substance. It was the first thing I saw went we got there.

I looked up at my parents with a questioning look.

I wanted to know it was human blood or red paint.

My mother seems to have understood me because she answered my question.

As she toned down and said, " I will tell you later."

Esi nodded her head in understanding. The moment they came closer to the ground of people, Esi saw how the look they were receiving paying no mind to them, she looked at the person inside the circle swearing to prove his innocence.

Esi eyes when to the fetish priest and his apprentice. Elikem. They were half-naked with a piece of whites clothe wrapped around their lower torso leaving the upper torso bare.

They both had a small piece of green plan on their mouths preventing them from talking. Around their necks, they had a necklace made with green plants. Esi knew those plants very well they were used to drive away black spiritual forces.

Elikem was holding a calabash, his father had a stuff wrapped in red with some small bells around them.

Her eyes when to the large number of people who have already proven to be innocent before their gods. Esi saw it as a waste of time. Her eyes meet that of Nana the chief of the village he was looking better and his eyes were cold on her.

Nonetheless, she sent him a smile which he didn't return. Unlike the rest who are starting, instead, he was sitting and his family were beside him.

" I, Desmond Kojo Mensah son of Yao and Esinam Mensah swear before the gods of our land and before the people of Wli that, If I have ever laid my eyes on the sculptured gods of our village in the past 24 hours, may the gods of our land strike me with madness and death shall follow."

Kojo voice resonated in the entire surrounding bringing Esi back from the present situation.

"Is he not exaggerating things" she mumbled and rolled her eyes at her overconfident friends.

"Shhhh and listen" her father shushed her

"Go my son for you have proven to be innocent"

As if that circle possess some invisible powers. Esi though not being fun of the traditional believers.

Many families have sworn and proven how innocent they were it was the turn of the Benson family now. All eyes were on them as if the culprit is from their family.

Her father went in came back save next was her mother. She too went and came back without any scratch on her. It was now Esi turn to go in she lifted her hand to ask a question but her mother quickly brought it down.

"Don't ask any questions just go in and swear." Her mother told her and gently push Esi forward. She walked and entered the circle.

The moment she set foot inside she felt an invisible force surround her at that time she began to panic. However, she didn't let it show she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The force around her was strong and she knew that there is no point in telling lies in here. All she will speak will be the truth and nothing but the truth.

"I, Esi Benson daughter of Kofi and And Abena Benson swear before the gods of our land and all the villagers that if I have ever set foot in a shrine or touched the image of the gods, let the curse be upon me and if not satisfied let the god strike me with death." She said and a few seconds later, she opened her eyes and started coughing.

"I said it. I told you guys that I saw her yesterday in the night coming from this direction." people gasped in astonishment. The voice of people began to fill the place.

Esi stopped coughing and look at her father to see him with tears in his eyes her mother was crying mess. She was shocked to see them crying.

"Sorry I swallowed the saliva in the wrong pipe." She told them and walked out of the circle.