KASAO

5

IN HER SLEEP, Kasao heard noise. She heard a voice but not wanting to wake up lest she'd not be able to find sleep, she droned out the noise and continued her peaceful sleep.

"Kasao!" She heard a forced whisper of her name.
Who could be calling her in the middle of the night? She thought.

"Kasao!" The voice came again, alongside a small tap on her head. She could no longer pretend not to hear.

"Who's that? Mama?" She recognized her slim mother in the dark.

Kasao's mama was just at the foot of her bamboo bed. Kasao made to stand up and the bed made a terrible noise.

"Shhh! Don't make any noise. We must be careful!" Her mama whisper-shouted.

"Ma?" Kasao, having just woken up, was still in a state of oblivion.

"Get up, hurry! Take some of your clothes. You have to leave. I heard your papa talking with someone. He's planning to sell you tomorrow"

Kasao jumped from the bamboo bed, caring less for the noise it made. Her senses were now wide awake. Without any word, she hurriedly picked her best clothes and tied them in a cloth wrapper.
It has been a month and the half since her papa threatened to sell her and now, she has no doubt that he'll actually sell her off.
She obviously didn't know what would become of her when she leaves her papa compound but she knew for sure that she was ready to face anything than to be a slave.
Within minutes, she was done packing and scattering her hut. She pulled a wide cloth from the wall, stretched it out on her bamboo bed, tied knots on the right places which when she picked from the bed, formed a bag and she forced in it her wrapped belongings.

"Kasao. Take this." Her mama gave her about four pieces of roasted yams and palm nuts.
This was when it dawned on Kasao. She was not just leaving but she was going to fend for herself from now on.
She collected the wrapped food and forced it into her makeshift cloth bag .
She hasn't said a word since and she knew if she tried to, it would come in the form of tears so she shut her mouth as she made her way out of the hut, with her cloth bag hanging from her shoulder.

"Take. It's worth a lot. Do not trade this for less."
Kasao took the piece from her mama and upon recognizing it, she broke into uncontrollable tears, trying as much as possible not to make a noise.
Her mama had given her her wedding necklace which was made from original Ostrich egg shell. It was the most precious belonging her mama had. And the worst was the fact that her papa had gifted her the necklace.

"No, mama. I can't trade this. I better stay back" Kasao dropped her bag and began unpacking the items in her cloth bag .

"Stop! Do you want to be a slave? I certainly do not want that for my daughter. Now, take it and go away from here. I am certain if you trade the jewel for what it's worth, it will sustain you for a long time"

Kasao could detect the shake in her mama's voice. She was crying too. At that moment, she hated her papa even more.
Kasao collected the ornament from her mama and tuck it deep into her cloth bag.

"What will you tell papa?"

"I never saw you since last evening"

"No, about the necklace" Kasao knew her papa kept account of everything and sooner or later, he would detect the necklace was missing.

"I lost it" Kasao's mama said firmly, making it sound like she was convincing herself that she lost it.

"No, tell him I stole it" Kasao wanted to aggravate her papa's anger. She wanted to vex him so much. She wanted him to think she wasn't scared of him, for her papa wanted to be feared.

"Go now" Her mama practically pushed her out of the hut.
Her mama would never her she loved her but her actions proved it all.
They walked together in silence towards the bamboo fence. The both of them thinking the same thing: We might never meet again.

As soon as they reached the bamboo fence, Kasao faced her mama and spoke quickly.
"Tell papa you didn't see me. Tell him I stole your necklace and ran away myself. Do not tell him you helped me escape. By sunrise, raise the alarm that you haven't seen me. You must not let him suspect you mama. If he finds out, you will get beaten"
Kasao didn't want anything to happen to her mama. She was only trying to save her daughter from being sold into slavery.
She was practically wailing now and she couldn't contain hersef.

"Keep quiet! Go now" Her mama's voice came out strained. She was crying.

As Kasao started towards the fence, her mama pulled her back and held her to her chest. Soaking her cloth with Kasao's tears.
Kasao detached herself slowly from her mother. She had to leave before someone sees them.
She threw her cloth bag over the fence before she began to climb the not so tall fence.
It wasn't easy because there weren't wide holes to fit her feet into.
After a brief struggle, she managed to climb the fence successfully and jumped down the other side, trying as much as possible not to fall with a thud.

"Kasao" her mama called from the other side of the fence.

"Ma" She said through tears

"Never come back unless you hear of your papa's death" The words pierced Kasao's heart. She nodded even if she knew her mama couldn't see her gesture.

The words her mama said bore a cistern in her heart. She might never see her family again.

Kasao picked up her cloth bag and without any more words from her to her mama, she walked into the night, weeping all along.