Social Story – The chains of life
Photo credit: jeanniet6 from morguefile.com
The chains of life:
Azubuike: meaning, he has strength, Bamidele: meaning, bring me home, Bujune: meaning, sorrow, troubles, Fulathela: meaning, he will go far and Alile, meaning: cry.
Starting way back in the bible life was a chain a chain that keep you from freedom a chain that drives you crazy and to your death a chain that made you cry in pain.
Sitting in the forest looking at the trees and enjoying the things that God made for man to enjoy listing to the birds sing when my mother call out to me. “Azubuike I want you to go get fire wood for me to cook and also bring enough for us to stay worm because it will be cold tonight.” Yes mom I responded and I went at once. As I walk I can hear my foot cracking stick in the part way I hunted for the fire wood, finally I got it, as a strong young man I took it home to my mother and she cook us a nice dish called Ghada. This is a midday meal consist of fufu and relishes. Life was nice in Africa nothing to fair.
One day I set out with my goats I took them across the forest to graze and get water I sat with my slinging shot on a rock and look my goats until the worst happen. A cat came out from the cracks in the mounting she was big and powerful with a bright golden colour she lower herself and leap and caught my she goat between her jaw without thinking I swing my sling shot hitting the cat in her head with a smooth stone. “RRAAWWW” she scream out in pain turning towards me and leaping upon me covering my eyes form day light with her big and powerful body her jaws open wide her teeth were like spears of a worrier over my head. I took my knife sticking her in the neck and busting it open. She slumped to ground causing the leaves to crack like an earth quake. I ran to my she goat that was in pain and badly wounded I managed to lift her up on my neck and took her home to my father.
Father. I panted carrying the she goat who covered me in blood, “ son what has happened to the she goat?, father she was caught by a might cat and I free her from her jaws and I brought her home but she is in pain what do we do father?, well son you have proven to be a man but we have to free the she goat form her pain I am sorry to say we have to kill her, father if you kill her can I keep her skin?, yes son you can.” That day my heart was rend with pain when my she goat die but I wore her skin with pride. That skin keep me worm at nights and always reminded me of her, sometimes it made me sad.
I had a peaceful life in the African forest with my family and animals even if I had to fight big cats to keep my goats alive and even myself.
My best friend name was Bamindele, Bamindele was a very wise guy but always plays around sometimes making me angry at times but what can I say he is my friend but more like my brother. Banudele was tall and love by all the girls I use to be jealous but I got to face it. As we both walk and talk we meet up with another friend his name was Bujune he was another trouble in bunch and fulathela my cousin was brave. We all played in the forest and enjoy ourselves like boys always do. One day my father told us that we are going to man hood training this means that we were going to be trained to be men to take care of a wife I was really nervous about this training. My friends and I ventured out of our huts that bright morning I stretch like a leaped and yawn like a lion I walk and took in fresh air as I solute my friends until, something covered over my head. The light of day was gone the smell of fresh air was gone and my friends disappeared form my eyes in a split second. As I work I felt the grass under my feet and the hands of men pushing me to go forward I walk feeling the ground with my feet because I couldn’t see where I was going. My heart bounded in fear but still I kept strong and kept courage.
The gleam of light struck my eyes I squint a little then I saw my friends. I look around I knew I was far away from home. “Ok boys ’’ a powerful voice said as he came out from his hot. He was tall powerful and shining black. “do you know why you all are here ? well I know you going to say no, well this is your first secession of manhood train your fathers went through this same train even your fathers, fathers and now it has come down to you. Now boys I want every one of you to drop your wraps.” As the man said that I curve and I ask myself why would he want me to do that? When I looking around I saw everyone doing what was said, so I did the same so I will not get into problems with him. After that moment was over he set out rules for us for our training. Our first train was for us to fight like men. I look like I was the strongest among the boys. We did fight and I win all of my fights except with I had to fight with the big man of the hut well I lost to that one but it didn’t stop me from fighting back.
Our final train was to go find any wild animal capturing it with our hands and not killing it and bring it to the camp. I ventured out looking and I saw a deer a baby deer I moved like the big cat that caught my she goat. As I was about to hold it I saw something strange in the bushes when I look I saw a man dress different from me and his colour was different form me his hair was brown like the dust of the ground his skit was pink like a big and he spoke in a strange tongue. I ran back to camp and told our leader what I saw. With a panting voice I stuttered out “ leader I saw a man but he doesn’t look anything like us he don’t speak our language and smells like a wet foul.” Azubuike you saw the white man. The leader said to, me I was amaze I repeated what he said he warn us that day to stay clear of the strange men.
When the boys and I finish our training we ventured back home we were all consider men. as time pass I fell in love with a pretty girl call Alile she was beautiful like the flowers that bloom her hair was tick like sheep wool and she smell like a beautiful flower in the garden. I when to Alile father asking him to marry his beautiful daughter he smile with pride and told me I can go on I was so happy I told all my friends and even my family. As every was preparing for my wedding I was looking for fire wood to start a meal to celebrate with my friends after I got the wood I went back to my village and the site I saw was terrible. Huts were burn to the ground men lay dead near there huts. As I walk and look around I can feel the sting of death around the place was still smoke ventured to the sky when I came to myself I call out to Alile but there was no answer. I called and I called I but Alile was nowhere to be found. My heart beated in distress because I couldn’t find my love I when to Aliles’ father but he was dead just like the other men I saw, tears fill my eyes like the river and flowed like the water fall I scream like a women in child bearing as I held Alile father in my hand. The pain I feel was grate but I had beer I call to the Gods of my ansisters to bring vengeances about the people who did this evil to my village.
I set out to find my friends and Alile because I know they was not dead I spend night and day at a certain time I use to feel like I can hare them calling my name for help but when I looking around was only me my spear and my bow. I sat on the river bank and drink water and I think of Alile asking “ Alile my love where are you ? Bamidele, Bujune, Fulathela, where are you all ” I sat there as the sun set on me I did not sleep for my mind was troubled about my love and my friends. I sat there and the pass visited me every second, I saw my mother and father even my friends were all happy including me. I saw Alile beautiful smile gleaming at me. Then the sun struck my eyes and I ventured again. I started to give up hope but then I remember an African man must never give up. As I walk I felt trouble in my part way I got the smell of a cat I hid behind a tree I hear a strange language coming my way I remember that language so I ran as far as I can until the strange language left my ear and welcome the sweet sounds of birds. I was nervous because I remember what my master told me, I had to find a place to hid and I saw a cave ahead and I ran there and hid myself from the cat.
When I felt safer I came out and I started to walk lightly then I hear the strange voice I knew it saw me then it started to run after me I ran off without thinking about where I was going I ran and ran not even feeling tired my powerful legs strike the ground as I go my heart beat like the drums we played I ran to an open plane when I ran into a man looking just like me and speaking just like me I said to him “ the cat is after me help me please ” he looked at me and then I felt something cold and heavy went around my wrist then around my neck and feet I scream with terror as I fight to get out of the chains. The man that looks like me said to me “this is the chains of life.” the white cat sit and look at me as I use my strength to free myself from the chains. I was caught by a man for the white cat to devour I felt like my she goat caught in the jaws of a cat but no one to set me free.
I my strength was not enough for me to get out of the jaws of the evil cat I was not strong enough to get out of the chains of life. I lay on the dirt and cried out because I knew I was devoured by the cat. The cat walk up to me and caught me by the arm and push me towards a cage where I was bound like a wild animal I saw Alile crying her heart out I called out to her she didn’t smile at me the way she use to she just turn away from me and continue crying. I wish I could of dry her tears but I couldn’t because she was not close to me I look again and I saw Bamidele he look at me and said “ the white man caught us Azubuike we couldn’t fight them it was too much they had something that made a loud song and it makes you die ” I responded “ we have to get out of here and run to the deep jungle where they can’t find us” the I hear the voice of Bujune he was in moaning because he lost his family he didn’t talk at all to me and even fulathela sat in silence. The white cat that caught us came to us and looked at us then opens our cages and drags us to a floating hut but this hut was only bigger. As I walk on its ground it felt hard and wet I slip on it as they push us violently into the hut I was feeling real nervous they lock us all in one place of the hut and we sat there all chain to each other.
They feed us form big buckets in our hands I did not eat from the cat for he had cause me much pain and sorrow we sat in the dark hut until they drag us out. As we came out from the dark part of the hut the sun hit our skin and blinded our eyes with its glory. They white cats dishonour our women. One man did not do what the cat said for he couldn’t understand the strange language they tie up and wipe him till he die they drop his body into the water. Was confused by the cat language and the way he looked I wanted to be free from this jaws I sat and I think they I got some men to help me fight the cat. I caught on of the cats by his neck and kill him we fought the cats but they started to win because they brought out their fighting stick that made smoke and loud songs killing some of our men. When the fight was over they chain some of the men and women and throw them alive into the water killing them, I hated the cat for he was evil to my people I wanted him dead but he was not easy to kill I had to find a way to get the cat.
The cat tied me out in the sun and I look him in the eyes he strike me on the face with his paws I just sat there bound to the hut I couldn’t strike back at the cat even if I wanted to. All I was thinking about is how to get back to my land. Suddenly I hear someone cry out I turn and I saw Bujune on the ground of the hut crying in pain as one of the cats strike him with a wipe I was mad for he was my friend I pull on my chains to get free so I can help I said his name he look at me helplessly. I use all my strength and I was free and I strike the cat and throw it into the water other cats came after me I stood up and I fight them. One of the cats caught my hand with rope and the other hand was caught to I pull them like down like dry tress in the forest I was really angry. My anger gives me much strength to beat the cats but sadly they still caught me back.
As the sun rise the cats came for us again and drag us out of the hut and unto land but I knew I was in a strange land because the land smell different it smelled like trouble and sorrow and pain the ground felt cold under my feet as I walked. I look and I saw men just like me but speaking the cat’s language as they work. Suddenly I felt cold water falling on me I scream out as my body shake from the coldness. My life was chain.
TO BE CONTINUED***
