KWEE Liberian Literary Magazine Jan. Iss. Vol. 0115 May Issue Vol. 0515 | Page 16

Liberian Literary Magazine have had their day and are tied to a past which has long since gone. When you started out you made a mistake. Of course, you have been fortunate to get a child out of the deal. Why sit down here now and waste your youthful days behind Kai, when you can come to Firestone and get you a good man, who is making plenty money every month and who can buy plenty of good clothes and make you presentable.” “This man who has been sending presents, how is he?” “Tene, my sister, you know me, I don't go in for cheap men.” The older sister boasted. “Besides that, there is no problem finding good men in Firestone.” Kema ended. After all I had heard, I did not wish to face the girls. To get drunk was the obvious thing which came to my mind. I walked halfway to Royesville and drank cane juice promiscuously. I don't know why, I could not get enough of the stuff to put me to sleep. The conversation between the girls kept echoing in my ear like a dream. The roosters caught me pondering, their crowing reminding me that it was dawn. When I finally came home, the girls had gone out. I pulled out Tene's things I had hidden under the bed and chopped them up in pieces with the cutlass. I slipped out of my room and scattered the cut-up brassiers and panties along the path between Bendabli and Amina. Promoting Liberian literature, Arts and Culture A man from Amina, going to his palm wine tree, was the first to notice the strange trail. He ran back in a hurry to inform his friends. Soon the palm wine man's discovery stirred up commotion in both villages. Curiosity also drew out Kema and Tene. In tried to position myself so as to observe what effect this discovery would have on the girls. Kema was shocked, because she knew these were the very pieces she had surreptitiously sent to Tene. I heard Kema say, sister, we better get someone to look into this palava before it is too late. Look at Kai, standing against the rubber tree, holding his waist. I bet it's nobody but him.” “What do we do, Kema?” Tene inquired nervously. “I don't know”, Kema expressed dejectedly. “What ever it is, we must do it quickly.” Kema suggested a crystal reader. “Sister, many of the crystal readers now-a-days are such big liars, you don't know who to rely on.” This was Thursday, the day before the Muslim prayer day, Aijuma. I informed the old folks that I was not feeling well. When the girls got back from the diviner, they found me in bed. As soon as Tene got the news she came over to the kongo and asked, “Kai, what ails you?” “My stomach, it's not so good.” “Maybe worms.” I observed Tene did not care to talk much. I said, “I 16 think I'll take some medicine tomorrow morning,” and asked if she would mind making me a small piece of domboy with dry meat soup. “Kai, people never plan that kind of domboy the day previous.” “That is the difference between us, Tene. I like to plan everything I do ahead of time.” Friday morning, I gave Tene some dry meat I bought in Amina for the soup. She went around the village and collected all the ingredients, but discovered that no one had cassava to lend her. Our own cassava patch was just ten minutes away from the village. So Tene told me she would run there and dig up a hill or two. Tene reached a tall palm tree and put down the rattan basket she had balanced on her head. Sitting in a thicket near the palm tree, my forehead crashed on a stupid twig. Tene heard the frightening sound and looked around. Her eyes caught mine. Softly she said, “Kai, that's you? Kai ...” She screamed. TO BE CONT……