A Forbidden Love

Chapter 1

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...... I promise to complete this very Story....

The whole inhabitants of the three villages that made up our Clan of Umuagu are in festive mood today.

Smokes from the cooking huts in the different homesteads which are scatted everywhere filled the air, smells of different kinds of animals been roasted hung in the air that even the man with the running nose would still perceive the different kind of aromas that came with the cold morning harmattan breeze.

Voices of children could be heard from every corner playing around happily at least for now until the masquerades are released to wander the clan and finally come escort us from the sacred forest to the village square where we would be blade..

With their waving canes and cutlasses the children would only be forced to hide in fear in their mothers huts or peeping from behind the legs of the elderly.

Every now and then, we would see bagdes of maidens with their water pots pretending they are coming to fetch water from the Sacred stream but with the intent of catching a glimpse of our last moments as boys.

There is a belief among the maidens of our Clan and those around us that if a maiden catches sight of a boy in the sacred forest before he is bleed, such a maiden would be blessed with a good husband and with plenty children by Oshimiri goddess of love and purity.

It was at one of this moments that i saw Akwaeke my childhood crush from afar, I knew it was her from the way she walked so gently, one would think she is scared of the ground swallowing her if she stepped on it any harder and also from the fun fact she is the only girl from Umuagu who doesnt own a water pot of her own.

I remember oneday when i was at her father's compound helping in tidying up the compound as the custom was amony boys to be always seen as a good kid in the eyes of the parents of the one they love.

We heard loud cries coming from the footpath that lead to our village stream.

"that is oviously Akwaeke's crying patten, she has broken her water pot for the tenteth time" Nne Akwa, (as the children fondly called her) .. stated categorically that day.

Almost immediately Akwaeke walked into the compound with the other girls who had want to the stream with her with their respective water pots filled with water and proudly balanced on their heads.

As they all walked to their different mothers huts with their water, Nna Akwa was agitated at the humiliation of giving birth to a daughter like Akwaeke.

She picked up a piece of firewood from the fire she was cooking with and rushed out on Akwaeke who stood like a statue sobbing and robbing her eyes, trying hard to turn them red..

At that moment, I wished that Akwaeke could fall into my arms for protection from her angry mother but knowing my her, i knew that wont happen.

Akwaeke may be a weakling in physical appearance but she is a very brave girl who even have the respect of the old people, who says.... she is the reincarnated spirit of our clan's founding mother Nnenwaoya.

"How did you get into mine womb?"... Her mother asked her angrily.. .. How did I give birth to a vegetable that has just been returned from the market ?" Nne Akwa asked her in proverb.

Her mother not knowing where or how to hit her... duel to her fragile looking nature, threw the firewood on a mango tree that was standing nearby.

"I..I. came from the s..ea, where you also came from" Akwaeke stammered.

"Shut up now! Or the kites will carry you,
If your father comes home.. ask him whose Clan i'm from.... We would have roasted you together with yams......

....We detest weaklings even the least of our daughters are warriors" Nne Akwa
.. screamed the last line of words into her ear while pulling her to join her in preparing the evening meal..