AMARA [An African Mini story]

3. Anyanwu

As instructed by my father, the chief, we all gathered at the market square waiting for this so-called Anyanwu. The sun was sitting majestically in the sky, spreading its warm rays over the land.

I sat a few distances from my stepmother and siblings, watching everyone as they talk were busy chitchatting, and children were playing as we waited patiently.

Suddenly, everywhere went dead silent. I looked ahead and saw the reason for the sudden silence. Anyanwu was walking towards us, with seven girls right behind her. Two bare-chested men with drums and drumsticks in their hands followed suit, almost unnoticeable.
They were all in yellow and red, the girls had yellow cloths tied around their chests, with red girdles around their waists. The men had both colours tied around their waists.
Anyanwu herself wore a dress in both colours. They were barefooted and white chalks were used to draw the sun's symbol on their foreheads.

They stopped in front of my father who bows his head and greets them. "Welcome, Anyanwu ututu, the bright morning star, ofu anya nke anwu ji ahu uzo" He reverenced her until a smile appeared upon her fair face.

She gestured with her hand for him to move back, which he did. Then, one of the girls brought a basket. Inside the basket were dried leaves. The other girls took the leaves and began to walk around, handing each and everyone a leaf, including the children and infants.

The men began beating their drums as the rituals began.

Anyanwu made a fire in the center of the market square, a small fire born from a few of those dried leaves. She began making some incantations, and the fire increased gradually until grew it the height of a man. Anyanwu then turned to us, come out one by one and cast your leaf into the flames. If the leaf turns black after anyone casts their leaf into it, then that person is a witch and the cause of the calamities that have befallen the land. They will be punished according to the instructions from Anwu, the sun deity. March forward, from the least to the great!"

As instructed, the poorest families came out first to throw their leaves into the fire, but nothing happened... this continued until it was my family's turn. My father, my stepmother, and step-siblings went forth, but nothing happened. Until it was my turn. I walked past Anyanwu and threw the leaf in my hand into the flames, but nothing happened. I walked back to my position.

"Wait!" Called Anyanwu behind me. I turned back and saw the flames turn black. People's loud gasps made me grow more afraid and anxious. "You!" She pointed at me. "You are a witch!!!"

" I knew it !" Yelled my stepmother.

"She is a witch!" Cried someone else from the crowd.

"Evil!"

"Burn her!!".

One of the women shouted, "Chief Odum! You sent our sons to die when your daughter is the root cause of all our problems in this village?".

" You are a hypocrite!"

My father tried to talk to them but they refused to hear him and were threatening to hurt him.

"You witch! Have you not done enough?!" Asked one of the women. "Do you want to bring us to extinction?"

"I am innocent, I am not a witch!". I tried to defend myself but it aggregated them more. Why won't them believe me?

A/N: Please vote and comment, thank you.