₦airaland Forum

sulorog:
Oga Larry, you don abandoned this your story and update. Wetin dey happen na? No update for 2 weeks now. Hope all is well with you.

Update 20

***

Everyone in the village believed that this year’s Ikpom Festival was the grandest of all the festivals they had been holding in recent times. The palace was so filled that the king had to order that the festival be held in the village square where there was a lot more space. This was the first time the Ikpom Festival would be holding outside the palace. People had come from neighbouring villages. Other kings who could not make it sent their closest envoys. Most of the people that attended were from neighbouring villages; only very few people from the town attended, since it was always hectic to use the bad road that led from the town to the secluded village. The neighbouring villages usually had more people from the towns visiting because their roads were not as bad as the ones that led to this particular village – most of the neighbouring villages had motorable roads, so their festivals were always a lot more exciting. However, it was surprising that this village had such a huge turnout this year.

The kids from the orphanage were highly excited, and Maria was glad that she had taken them with her. They had not come because of the excess food – of course, that was important too – they had come majorly to see the displays of the masquerades, the singing and dancing, and other acrobatic displays by the able-bodied men of the village. Some from neighbouring villages also made some performances the kids found very interesting.

Maria moved them close to herself and ensured that none moved any far away from her, for it was easy to lose any one of them among the huge crowd. Matron Nene would run mad if Maria did not return to the orphanage with all the kids intact. However, she allowed them to dance and sing along with the performers. They were having the best time of their lives. Since Maria came to the orphanage, things had turned out more exciting for the kids.

Among the guests that came to the festival was a foreigner. He was a journalist who had come to cover the event. He had heard about this secluded village and their way of life, so he had done everything possible to be present at this festival. While everything was going on, Mr Lewis, the white man, was taking various pictures of the event. Everything that happened here would be published in a foreign newspaper the following week. But pictures alone were not alone. As a journalist and a photographer, he needed to conduct some interviews, so he had been considered as a special guest by the king.

After all the merriment, it was time to introduce Mr Lewis to the people. Most of the villagers had never seen a white man before, so they strained their necks to see him and also hear him speak – of course, they wouldn’t be able to understand what he would say, but still they wanted to hear the sound of his voice. Some had called him a ghost that came from the sky because of the colour of his skin.

But there was a problem. Mr Lewis rose to his feet to address the king and the villages. He started speaking but no one understood anything he was saying. Even those who thought they understood English couldn’t understand his own kind of English. It was quite frustrating. However, many of the kids from the orphanage understood what he was saying.

“Is there anyone here that understands English for Christ’s sake?” Mr Lewis asked, he was getting frustrated by how the king, chiefs and villagers stared dumbly at him. And, of course, he could not understand their language either – not even the Pidgin English they spoke.

The villagers were beginning to ask one another what the white man was talking about. Some thought he had gone mad and was now rambling incoherently.

Maria watched the confusion with amusement and smiled. She had kept herself considerably hidden from the attention of other people. She did not want any of the guests recognizing her. She understood what the white man was saying but she wouldn’t dare step forward to speak. So she drew Edet closer to herself and whispered into his ears. “It seems like the white man needs an interpreter. Would you like to interpret for him?”

Edet nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, Maria.”

“Okay, then go and tell him,” she pushed him forward, smiling.

Edet walked confidently out of the crowd and walked towards Mr Lewis. All the villagers and guests watched him as he walked towards the man. Some had whispered that the gods had inflicted him with madness, for, according to them, only a mad person would attempt to stay close to the man with the strange skin.

Mr Lewis watched the boy walk towards him and frowned. Edet reached him and asked in English, “Do you need someone to interpret for you?”

The white man beamed. “You speak English? That’s wonderful! Yes, yes, please interpret for me. I’d really appreciate it.”

Edet smiled and nodded. Then he walked to the king and said in the local language, “The white man would like me to interpret his words to you and the villagers. I’m here to seek your permission.”

The king stared at him in utter shock. “You can speak the foreigner’s language? How is that possible?”

Edet’s smile broadened. “I learnt his language.”

“Who taught you that? Anyway, that is a question for another time. Yes, please tell us what he’s saying. You can also tell him what we say, right?”

Edet nodded.

“Good,” said the king, “Then you have my full permission to interprete, my child.”

Because there was no microphone, Edet had to speak a lot louder for everyone to hear what he was saying. Maria was watching everything and there was pride written all over her beautiful face. For the first time in a long while, Maria was indeed proud of herself.

The ceremony ended that day with Edet being the hero of the day. Topics about him were the words on every villager’s mouth for days after. Even Matron Nene was proud of the kids and of Maria after hearing about what went on in the village square.

However, she did not expect what was going to happen the following day. By the next morning, Matron Nene woke up to a group of people gathered outside the gate of her compound. She was initially scared that something bad had happened. Perhaps what she feared had happened – a government official had found out that she allowed the kids to leave her care yesterday, and now they had come to punish her for it. The villagers had come to witness her disgrace.

She walked slowly to the wooden gate and opened it, slowly. She did not find anyone dressed like a government official among them. There were villagers and their children with them.

“What can I do for you, please?” she asked in the local language. Although Matron Nene wasn’t an indigene of the village, she had learnt their language within the ten years she had been there.

A man stepped forward. Matron Nene recognised him as the lead hunter of the village. In the ten years that Nene had been in the village, she and the hunter had never uttered a word to each other.

“We are all here to make a request, madam,” the hunter began, “We want you to teach our children to speak the white man’s language, too.”

Matron Nene frowned. “The white man’s language?”

“Yes, we want them to speak like your boy. We want them to be able to speak their language. Your boy spoke with the white man yesterday. Our children want to become like him. They won’t allow us to rest. They want to be like your boy. Please accept our children. We don’t care how much you are going to take – just teach our children to be able to speak the white man’s language, please.”

Matron Nene shook her head sadly. She really wanted to help them but there was nothing she could do about it. It was impossible to admit the children into the orphanage. The home was only for kids without parents; she could not possibly bring those kids into this place.

“I am sorry I can’t help you,” she said pleadingly, “This is an orphanage, not a school. Your children need to go to school if they want to be able to speak the language.”

“There is no school in this village, you know that, not even in the neighbouring villages.”

She nodded. “I know, but there are schools in the towns. You can take them there.”

“The town is too far, madam. It’s impossible for them to school there. Please help us! We are willing to pay anything. Please help our children.”

She shook her head. “I am so sorry, I can’t help them. I will be in serious trouble if I do. I am so sorry.”

She sadly shut the gate and returned to the building.

But the parents would not give up easily, and neither would their children. They went to the palace after leaving the orphanage. The king was responsible for every villager. The ones that left the orphanage met other parents and children at the palace. They had all come to make known their grievances. They wanted their children too to speak like the boy from the orphanage. They wanted their children to be able to speak with a white man like they had witnessed the day before. They would not rest until the king found a solution to their problems.

On the third day, Matron Nene and Maria were going about their daily activities with the kids when the received two messengers from the king.

“The king requests for your presence,” they told the women.

“Who?” Matron Nene asked.

“Both of you,” the first messenger replied.

“And the boy,” added the second messenger.
Nene frowned. “What boy?”

“I think they mean Edet, mama,” Maria said.
“Why does the king want us?”

“Our job is to deliver the message. He asks that you come with us immediately.”

And so Maria, Matron Nene and Edet left the orphanage and followed the messengers. They left the kids in the charge of the older orphans in the home. Maria already had a pretty good idea about the reason the king requested for them.

On their way to the palace, the villagers that saw them stared at Edet like they were looking at a god; some had to call others to come and see the boy that could speak the white man’s language. They arrived the palace and found the king, chiefs and the white man waiting for them. All the chiefs were looking at Edet as if they had just seen a very important person.
Mr Lewis stood from his seat and walked to Edet. He shook the boy’s hand and said, “Hello boy, it’s so nice to see you again.”

Edet smiled and said, “I am happy to see you too, Mr Lewis.”

The white man was surprised. “Oh, you know my name? But I don’t know your name, and these folks won’t tell me. I don’t understand anything they are saying.”

“I am here now, Mr Lewis, you have nothing to fear,” he turned to Maria and looked back at the foreigner, “Please meet my mentor and teacher. Her name is Maria.”

Lewis stretched her hand forward again and said, “It’s such a pleasure meeting a beautiful woman like you in this place.”

Maria laughed and said, “Chivalry does not work here, Mr Lewis.”

Lewis laughed genuinely. “It’s so nice to meet people I can speak freely around.”

“And here is my mother, Matron Nene,” Edet introduced further.

After all the pleasantries had been made and a few jokes passed around between the foreigner and the other three, they all settled down for the main discussion. Edet took his rightful position as the official interpreter.

Vidamia:
Him dey vex say you guys no buy him book nah

LarrySun:
Hahahahaha! No, that's not it.

do4luv14:
Thanks for the update sah,

but you are holding us an update in Arrears ooo

LarrySun:
I am?

Vulcanheph:
The story is fascinating as usual but I'd like to point out something to Mr Larrysun...

Maria went to Bekwarra in Cross River and as a Cross Riverian, I feel that there's something you should know.

One if the characters in the story is the orphans is named Edet.

The name "Edet" is actually a name mostly associated to the Efiks (who are indigenous to the southern part of Cross River) and and Ibibios of Akwa ibom.

So someone named Edet who happens to come from Bekwarra (A local government located at the most northern part of Cross River) seems very unlikely.

I am not criticizing your Amazing story but just bringing this "little" plot hole to your attention.

Keep up the good work and I'm looking forward to more updates.

Vulcanheph:
The story is fascinating as usual but I'd like to point out something to Mr Larrysun...

Maria went to Bekwarra in Cross River and as a Cross Riverian, I feel that there's something you should know.

One if the characters in the story is the orphans is named Edet.

The name "Edet" is actually a name mostly associated to the Efiks (who are indigenous to the southern part of Cross River) and and Ibibios of Akwa ibom.

So someone named Edet who happens to come from Bekwarra (A local government located at the most northern part of Cross River) seems very unlikely.

I am not criticizing your Amazing story but just bringing this "little" plot hole to your attention.

Keep up the good work and I'm looking forward to more updates.