I have heard about the journey. I have doubted its existence. I had pondered why a brother would take his own captive.
But here, it’s happening to me.
The Arochukwu priest chants cleansing incantations as we go through the last place to be called home, the corridor to the after-life as we know it.
“Is this all to the initiation rites?” a teenager asked, looking back at me.
I pondered where such thoughts came from…
“Yes, hope you’ve had a time of your life?”
“Times have changed; Papa told me different stories from this”
Sure. We are captives of our own clan. We tugged on to a waiting ship.
***
This is an account of the slave trade era. The much taunted Atlantic Slave Trade, Where African were as culpable [if not much more] as their European counterparts. The story sets in an Eastern Nigerian village, where the Arochukwu Priests (Custodians of Customs and Religion) witch-hunted ordinary men to sell as slaves.
***
This has been made possible by the goodwill and fervent addiction of Rochellewisofffields and her creative gang of writers who converge weekly as the Friday Fictioneers. Click on the Linky Icon to read greater stories…
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Very well done Charles
Thanks ma…Your last post makes me look forward to June. Thanks again!
Ah, the slave trade. Poignantly written 🙂
Well, i just got that outta the way…How are you ma?!
There were so many culpable in the tragedy of slavery. Thanks for bringing out an aspect that’s often ignored.
janet
Dear Janet, I studied history in a Pan-African Uni, and am sure my professors would whine at the commentary below the story…But, like i did throught out my college days, i can’t imagine the innocence of Africans in this global tragedy! Thanks for stopping by.
Mentioning the teenager really pulls on the heart strings. Good read.
Surely it did. A poor boy dreaming of the initiation rites into adulthood, albeit, he is going to grow in another culture.
As a mother of boys, one not much older really than this, I really felt it.
Nicely done; a poignant tale.
Thanks Sandra
Very powerful, Charles. An important story, fiction full of truth, and a story you have told very well.
Dear Jan, should i rather tag it Faction? Well, am glad you think of it as good enough! Thanks!
what were the initiation rites? was it part of the lies they were told about where they were going? or the boy/manhood initiations for the tribe?
Hey Rich, You got it right on the rites of initiation. It’s for the initiation into manhood and every male child looked forward to it, but this teenager is going live a nightmare.
Charles, your story bring out the depth of the tragedies of slave trade. Sometimes I wonder what humanity is. Well done.
humanity is hardly better than beasts sometimes but we have to keep showing ourselves how to be better off beasts really.
Ah the slave trade. What is selling a few people when there is money on the line? Human beings can be such loathsome creatures.
I agree with you totally.
Heart-breaking to read and unimaginable to even think what they would have gone through.. Nicely done.
Thank you!
Money was made on both sides of the Atlantic. I can see the men and women taken down a path like this, not knowing what will become of them… Good one, Cee.
😉 thanks.
It’s a good reminder that for slaves coming from central Africa, the beach was not a welcome sight. Nice job.
🙂
Fascinating – thanks for the visuals!
thanks
Dear Charles,
Fervent addiction? Yep. That’s me!
As for your story…thank you for you sensitive account of an ugly piece of history.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I am sure families shared the horrors enough that all knew what would come with their inclusion in this horrid practice. Thanks for broadening our minds here.
Hi Charles,
You take on powerful subject matter here. I understood your story even before I read the postscript. And I liked the idea that it was like a journey into the netherworld. It’s one of the most shameful things my country ever did. Ron
Good story, I am reading a book called Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This had that feel.
I learn much from these posts on FF. thank you for sharing a bit of history with your story.
How scared they must have been. Terrific writing.
Nice job.
Your article really makes me think of the horrors people throw at one another-so sad-so wrong. Thanks for following my blog. I will follow yours as well. best wishes, beebeesworld
Humanity has never been very human, irrespective of the race, cast or creed. Till today there is slavery in various forms. M an Indian and there is slavery here too, till now. Children here are the worst sufferers. M sure the intensity of suffering might be less, but presence, it has in its full brightness. In face, sometimes I feel we all are slaves, serving the whims and fancies of the society, ain’t we?