Dark and Bright

Prologue

The night was dark and silent but with the exception of the hooting of owls and the occasional croaking of frogs. The new moon that was up in the dark sky filled with clouds was of no help for anyone to see. A cool wind started blowing but it only managed to shake a few leaves and some trees that had weak stems. From a distance,the sound of the rushing water of a river was heard but you had to concentrate as the sound was really faint.

The hut of the chief was always at the centre of his homestead and his homestead at the centre of the village. This was to protect him in case of an attack. His hut was also the hugest with the exception of the elders' hut where the meetings took place. His hut was surrounded with the nine huts of his wife. Every chief had to have nine wives,not even one less or one more. The nine wives came from the nine clans which was to create unity but even with that fact,a chief would sometimes find himself inclined to one of the wives and that's why chief Hasa was in his first wife's hut.

"Its stressing this days. Why did my son have to die?" The chief asked in complaint. He was seated on the mat that was next to the bed of his wife. His first wife whose son had died looked at him and immediately knew why her husband was worried. After pouring the soup in a calabash,she walked towards her husband.

"What you mean is why is Amo the one to take after you?" She asked as she handed her husband the calabash. Hasa raised his head and looked at his first wife. She was right and they both knew it. After taking the calabash from his wife,she sat next to him. He drank the soup until he was halfway through.

"Of all the sons I have,why did it have to be Amo?" He whispered to himself but it was loud enough for his wife.

"He is just a troubled boy." She defended him. She was the only one who was close to Amo and who Amo talked to.

"But I don't need a troubled boy being the chief after me. I need a man,someone like our son." He complained as he took another sip of the soup.

"That's where you are wrong my husband." She noted and the mighty chief looked at his wife.

"Where am I wrong?" He asked.

"Its not Amo's fault that his mother died giving birth to him. Its not his fault that his sister who was the only person he loved was married leaving him alone. He is just troubled and alone." She said as she braided her hair. The words settled on the chief and he thought about it. For a long time,he had never thought of the reason why Amo was always in mischief and trouble.

"I find myself sympathising with Amo but he isn't going to change his behaviour." The chief said as he drank the last of the soup. There was silence between the couple as they both thought about Amo but suddenly, something else crossed the chief's mind.

"The white people are also stressing my mind." He said as he lay on the mat. After shifting about searching for a perfect position,he looked up at his wife who was thinking of a solution already for her husband. It was true that behind a successful man,there was a woman and that without a woman,a household would fall,the chief thought. He rarely made a decision without telling some of his wives who had really wise advice.

"They want the mines,nothing else." She said as she joined her husband by lying next to him.

"But I can't allow them to control the mines."

"And they won't leave as alone." She said as she her heard her husband sigh.

"Still,I can't allow them to take over the mines. Those mines have been the reason why our tribe is rich."

"And it will be the reason why we will die. The white men won't stop at anything until they control the mines."

"You are right but I can sense they only want the mines and won't risk for a war."

"You give them the mines and you get something from them. But what can they give you?" She asked and the chief had no answer to that.

"I heard that the leader of the white men have a daughter here." The chief said and it was meant for gossip. He had heard from some of the traders that she had arrived from the land of the white men.

"I just had an idea." The wife said making the chief look suddenly at her. Her eyes shone with excitement which made the chief curious.

"Start speaking."

"The white men want peace between us and them and also have access to the mines?" She asked and the chief nodded.

"We need something to unite us."

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"Amo is like a fire." She said and it confused the chief even more.

"You are confusing me woman."

She chuckled before continuing,"A fire is stopped by another fire. From what I have heard,the daughter is as wild as Amo,actually much worse. That's why she came here,to at least be tamed. So,Amo needs her to at least put his fire out. Through the two of them,both of you will have an assurance that will form the base of an agreement."

The chief thought about it and realised that he would be killing two birds with one stone.
"Tomorrow, I need the leader of the white men to discuss that."

Prologue of the dark and bright series. Enjoy...