Love At The Harvest Moon

There will be a full moon tonight and a bonfire would be lit to mark the bumper harvest of the farmers. This has been the anticipation of every villager at Omanpe as they go about their day by day activities.

            The young maidens of Omanpe met at the pathway that led to the Ntoliah River. Their pot balanced at their side with their calculated rhythmic steps with their tight cloth clutching their hips. It was time for a swim of the maidens after their hard toiling in the sun on farms, carrying foodstuffs to the barns. They needed a cold bath to soothe their tired body and prepare for the feast tonight.

            The Ntoliah River was a gem of a river formed from a tumbling waterfall. It was surrounded by dense lustrous evergreen forest with a sporadic blossom of wild lilies dipping close to the water.

On reaching the banks of the river, some of the girls ran, giggling, jumping and splashing water everywhere. Others led themselves to the top of the waterfall and dived, their glee vibrating in the atmosphere and travelling in echoes. Since the boys were absolutely prohibited, some of them discarded their cloths to frolic quite naked.

Time for thorough bathing, Adwubi searched in her waistband  for her 'Alata samina' a coffee-brown local soap molded in a ball shape. She normally secured it with her waist beads. Removing her cloth, she made a creamy lather in her palm and applied it on her body, rubbing it with a little water. She repeatedly did this until she felt really scrubbed of all the dirt and dipped her hands in her pot to wash away the soap suds from her body. She carefully dipped into the river for a stroke, stood waist-deep in the water and lathered the soap on her black cascading hair. She curved in foreword and washed her hair rubbing her scalp in the course. The other girls calmly did their bath. Later on, they all sat on the glistering rocks and smeared their skin with shear butter until their skin sparkled like gold.

"Daughters of Ntoliah, it's now time to make a request" Amma, the oldest among them and soon-to-be-bride stood proud in the river. It was her last hangout with her friends until she gets married soon after harvest.

"Make yours first Amma" Adwoa beckon.                                                                       

"Ntoliah, the river of life, I asked for a husband and you the never failing bequeathed me one indeed. I stand her proud as a peacock that I go to my husband's house soon after harvest. My gratitude to you Ntoliah...Ntoliah, river of fertility, as I set out to my husband's house I request for another favor, I ask to breed my husband a male child as a first born..."

"Why not a female? A baby girl too would be nice" Foriwaah, too naïve to understand the essence of a male child to a woman chipped in. The girls gave her a cold stare.

"Shut up Foriwaah, it won't be a girl. When you marry, you can wish for a girl" Osaah retorted.

Sparing a glance of appreciation to Osaah, Amma continue with her request."...a boy strong from birth as a lion and with the face of a sun." she dipped her cupped hands in the water, raised it up high and allowed it to trickle back in a prayer.

"I'm next." Kyerewaah said and stood up in front of the girls. "I seek for a husband Ntoliah. As you can see, I'm ripe and full and the lonely days have caught up with me. I ask for a husband to share my mat these approaching cold days"

Ekyaa was next in line. She was a plumb looking girl with too much breast for her age. "I want a companion too before the year ends-only it should be a hunter..."

"Ehh being picky too" the girls giggled.

"...to provide lots of meat and nourish my soup of course. I'm a plumb woman in nature and I can't afford to grow lean" Ekyaa ducked her head.