A People of Two Nations Chapter 1: Our Journeys, our stories. A Colourful nostalgic memory of Kpͻkεti amidst business, religion, culture and faith series one

 

It was around 3:35 pm in the afternoon. Everything was good in the day. The fishermen were at the river shore getting their nets and boats ready to work.

They work on the Abe Lagoon, the only and main river for fishing and for domestic purposes. The river is also a route to many villages, even to Ghana.

The workers of the fishermen brought in the paddles and outboard motors. They fixed them on the boats and tested the engines if they were functioning well. Later, the fishermen began taking off to cast their nets. Those who used small canoes did not need outboard motors, only the paddles. They also paddled along and cast their nets.

Some of the women have finished cooking their supper and eaten whilst there were some still cooking. The ground suffered with the punches of pestles in the mortars by parents and their children because of fufu.

As the day went by, everything folded smoothly. Everyone got something to do. The cocks, hens, and their chickens were on the ground feeding on remains of food thrown on the compound. They ate and retired to their coops. The birds in the sky whistled and hovered down on top of the river as if they have found something to catch. Later, they varnished because the target was lost in the river.

In the homes, the cats and dogs were wild about the feet of their masters, cried as if they have not eaten.

In the evening, the opportunity was opened for the nocturnal animals. They came out to feed. The mice struggled in the kitchens in the baskets and corners where they stored foodstuffs.

The weather got frozen. It seems it was going to rain. The fishermen got bored. But for those people at home who have finished their duties, they did not see any problem if it rains. The fishermen started to cover the vital items that the rain can affect such as the outboard motor, attires, phones and watches.

A wild wind started blowing. Within some few minutes, it started raining. The rain and wild wind caused the river to blow waves, bouncing the canoes. The fishermen steadfast and paused the work for a while. They collected the water in the canoes. The wind and rain lasted for about fifteen minutes. It was Later over and the river got stable. The fishermen continued casting the nets. Those in the village who also ran for shelter returned to their duties. The chilled and frozen weather started freeing itself up with some warmness and brightening. It later changed to a little dark.

Gradually, the evening faded out to darkness. There is no electricity in the village so the people used hurricane lamps and lanterns to show their paths and for domestic purposes.

Those women also cooking have finished their meals, ate their part and waited for their husbands and workers to return home and serve them.

The fishermen after casting their nets returned to the river shore and took their bath in the river before they went home. When they got home they were served their food.

The night has far approached, some of the parents gathered their children under the sheds and told them some tales of Africa with their lamps and lanterns behind them.

Though there is no electricity in the village, there are few well-to-do people who have generators they used to power their television sets and charged their electronic gadgets. Baba Edo is one of those people. He has a coloured television set whilst some of the people used black and white TV sets. Those who have the black and white televisions sets powered them and their electronic devices with car batteries. The people used bamboo sticks and mount the television Antennas or poles.

Around 8pm, those adults and children who weren’t interested in the tales left the homes and went to Baba Edoh’s house and watched television programs. The seating was full so late comers stood on their feet. The television channel was one of the Ivoirian multimedia groups that telecasted an African TV series called, “Things Fall Apart”. The series was shown every Monday evening from 8pm to 8:45pm.

As some of the people were watching television programs at Baba Edoh’s house, there those in the market square trading and having fun with their mates and girlfriends.

The television program later elapsed. Some of the people went home to sleep and some stayed and watched other programs. When it was around 10 pm, and there was no proper program on the television, those there got up and went home to sleep. It was left those in the market square and the traders. As the traders saw many people have left the market and gone home, they also started to pack home and sleep. It was left few of the people in the corners of the streets, hanging around with fiancés and others.

By 11 pm, everywhere in the village has gone empty. They have all gone to sleep. They have gone to rest to prepare the mind for tomorrow. In tomorrow, it is expected everyone will be fine, a new strength and the ability to continue the previous activities and begin new ones. But all these things, the Creator has already catered for and no man has control over it.

It is their prayers as well for God to protect them against every odds and set their minds as fresh as that of a new born baby. They believed with faith and trusted tomorrow is bright.

As a natural phenomenon, not everybody believed in the normal medium to pray direct to the God of heaven and earth, the creator of everything but they knew he exist and is One God. Most of them have strong believe in their deities without disputes.

In fact everything was fine and mysterious. In the night, the crickets made their lousy noise. Yet still it is part of the night and is an integral part of nature as noses too also snored on and souls wandered in other lands.

The owls in the forest ventured the night and started to hoot. Some people explained that the hooting of the owls was to frighten evil spirits that might want to venture the night and disturb the peace of holy spirits. It was frightening but the Creator was in control of his creatures and no evil formed against them would prosper.

It is Kpͻkεti, a village of about seventy-seven people, both male, female and children. A fishing community. A place once a battlefield between the Nzema and Anyi many years ago. The battle is said that some Nzema warriors invaded the land in an attempt to capture it as part of their territories but the Anyi resisted and defeated the invaders.

To be continued…

By Ignatius Awuah Tanoe Blay

IG-TECH MEDIA NETWORK