Читать книгу The Demise Of An Emperor Before The Atlantic Slave Trade - Robert Harris - Страница 5

I’m into my twenty first birthday and my father and mother decided to give me a fiesta of a lifetime. Mrs. Koukon Keita is my mother and I was named after her except in a surname Koukan or Kankan Musa Keita. The fiesta was exorbitant beyond measure. My friends, comrades, and kindred were all excited for me, I assumed. There are always a few enemies lurking around filled with envy and jealousy but regardless I was extremely thrilled.

My father and mother had lots of women attend, as though, to marry me off. I felt sabotage by my own parents. We danced the old Africa traditional dance around the huge fire. There were a lot of revelers from the royal courts that were accustom to fiestas and were drunk from the Nsafufuo, (Palm wine). Dancing with my brother and sisters merely swung my arm apart. They made sure I danced with the many women that were there. Most were maidens from the royal courts that arrived with Mansa Abubakari Keita II. He and my father had conspired together to find me a wife. It was customary for a leader to resume responsibility with a family once they become twenty-one.

But it was very hard for me to choose just anyone, or to have my parents choose someone for me. I wanted that paradigm of falling in love, and being filled with impetus emotions. If there are such a thing, then smother me with the pureness of affectionate innocent love, and not just fervent lust.

Then through the thick foggy smoke from the fiesta fire, golden eyes of a leopard, deep-set like golden nuggets amazed my attention to no end. Inertia took control of my body, and when I tried to move I was inept and stone out of my mind. Suddenly, the golden eyes disappeared with a blink of the eye. I was appalled with the sudden move and quickly regained my legs and footage toward the disappearance. When I reached beyond the thick foggy smoke I saw a shadow that were meant for me to see, dashed through the brush. I was compelled to make haste to pursue and subdue my prey. As the leaves from the brush swerves, so were my prey, but not swift enough. I reached for the limb of her arm and she quickly turned toward me with the cheeks of apples of gold. Her eyes dazzled my heart with a glare of pure warmness and a glitter of silver that drove an arrow of love deep in my soul.

Her lips glittered like honey to a desired eager in my soul to place my lips upon her lips. A refreshing of honey and milk flavored my taste to the point of instant, sweet moisture.

She slowly broke away and she muttered, “Stir not up, nor awaken love until it pleases.”

I felt ashamed but pleased that she was a gentle, and smart poet. I paused, then murmured a few words of my own, “I must have this love that could please the both of us.”

I continued, “We must get back to the fiesta before we are missed.”

The fiesta continued with enjoyable celebration throughout the night until midnight. My father, and Mansa Abubakari surprised me with a line-up of the ladies available for marriage. Then they wanted to draw straws for the perfect match for my wife. But I corrected them immediately, expressing to my father and to everyone that my choice has already been made as I glanced at Inari Kunate in deep passion. Inari Kunate returned the look of passion with a blushing smile.

Early the next morning before the sun rose I whispered at Inari from the entrance of the maiden’s quarters. She immediately awakened as if she were expecting me. She threw on her garment, and I grabbed her hand and we ran out the royal courts giggling, but quietly. I stopped to gather the hidden coconut and sapphires, and then we continued to run down to the Senegal Coast to see the sunrise over the deep waters. We fell in the sands as if we had been familiar with each other a long time ago. It was a beautiful moment for her and for me.

I took out my sword from my sheath to cut the coconut and her eyes flared wide as the sun with amazement. “A time as this and you carry a knife.”

“It is for the coconut; how else can I give you coconut milk?”

She smiles and shook her head. I paused and smiled also, and continued cutting the coconut. I gave her the cluster of sapphire as she smelt the fresh fragrance with the gladness of its aroma. We shared the coconut milk and the pomegranate that I pulled out my leather bag. We laughed and talked about our future here at Niani. Crossing intimate conversations of marriage and kids, while moving her mind into a direction of another lever of life. She placed her finger on my lips and pointed toward the ocean, silencing my mind, my thoughts and my conversation to enjoy the sun as it slowly peeked over the horizon of the other side of the ocean.

We were stunned with the beautiful setting, and with the noise behind us that gave us evidence that we weren’t alone. Truly beyond my vivid imagination, and surprise filled my heart when I saw that Mansa Abubakari II had pitched his tent to watch the waters and the sunrise. He smiled at us as we sat in the sand and raised his scepter toward us for reassurance. Inari jumped fearfully of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I gently grabbed her arm and jested with my other hand for her to calm down.

“Everything is okay Inari, you are with me my love. The vizier of the royal courts.”

She paused and stared at me, and then at Mansa Abu. She trusted my judgement and laid beside me quietly. We continued to enjoy the beautiful sunrise before I took her back to her quarters. On the way passing the Mansa, he nodded, “Very good choice my cousin.”

“Thanks, my cousin, Abu.” Inari looked at me and smiled.

During the combat drills with my comrades, we worked very hard and were serious in perfecting our combatant skills. But it was more exciting and challenging when my comrades and I noticed that the maidens were our audience. It overwhelmed me to know that Inari were amongst them. The other maidens knew that Inari and I admired one another, in which they encouraged her on.

My dearest Nubian Queen ‘to be’ with the hair of an Arabian stallion soaked in balsam oil that glittered like a precious jewel in the sunlight. The skin of a smooth mahogany cypress tree that spreads her fragrances several feet from every direction. Cheeks of apples of gold and breast of green melons that stood firm for nursing. And as my mind of thoughts of her continued, I couldn’t swing another sword, nor throw another javelin. My comrades yelled, “Koukan Musa pay attention.” After the second yell, I snapped out of it and turned toward the war exercise.

My brother Sully and I were returning to the royal courts after auditing the mines, when we saw some of the maidens leaving the royal courts going toward the market place where all the trades and merchandise from the merchants and traders were sold. We were compelled to follow them because my brother saw a maid of his liken. We followed them into the crowded markets and tried to keep a distance to remain unnoticed. The maid Sully was fond of, branched out with Inari and they laughed and walked faster until they disappeared into thin air. Sully and I asked each other at the same time, “Which way did they go?”

As we turned the corner, we were ambushed by Inari family at the fruit and vegetable stand of her family. We stopped in our tracks as the family stared at us. Inari knew all the time that we were following them as if she had staged the entire scene. Her father broke the silence and the stillness. He leaned forward to shake my hand and generally welcomed me into the family.

“Welcome my son into our family. I know your father and we will betroth you to Inari and arrange for your wedding.”

I was shocked and hesitant about the news. Speechless as I was, I first looked toward Sully but his attention was toward the other maid.

I muttered in agreement as I saw the look on Inari’s face, “Ah, ah, sure, I mean great.”

I was amazed at the cleverness of Inari and thrilled by her boldness. Surprised as I were, I remembered Sully and I had to return to the Royal Courts to give the reports of the mines, so I gave my regards to Inari and her family, while Sully whispered in the ears of the maid, who were with Inari. I nodded my head toward Inari glancing my eyes directly into hers, as she done the same thing back to me. We knew without a doubt that we were made to be together. My passion for her grew stronger each day and her for me as well. I glanced through the lattice of my window as she tends to the garden flowers of the courtyard, my spirit speaks to her spirit and her spirit speaks back to me with a smile.

“Cousin Musa, your love deepens for the peasant’s daughter?”

I was surprised as Mansa Abu came upon me as I was staring out my window at Inari. Stunned by the question or the statement as Mansa Abu laid his hand on my right shoulder of my surplice before my normal prayer. Normally a family of royalty does not mix marriage with the caste of the peasants.

“Yes, my lord, I’m growing very fond of her.”

“Great, we will prepare for marriage. For it is custom that when a young man takes on much responsibility, he will need a help mate, someone he can trust.”

“Furthermore, it’s torture when a young man burns with passion,” Mansa Abu continued. I nodded in agreement as we both walked toward the mosque inside the royal courts.

I invited Inari for an outing to a picnic down by the Niger River to share with her the good news of our approval by the Mansa Abu. She was very excited after her tiring week of maiden services. She was very humble and joyful, she had full confidence in herself, and knew what she stood for. Her words gave me so much energy and were filled with grace as we laid on the sheepskin on the grassy bank. It was like a calmness that entered my soul and carried me into this land of ecstasy and possibilities. We shared some deep thoughts about each other. We laughed and went to the edge of the Niger River to kick our feet in the water, and we urged each other to jump in the shallow part of the river for a swim.

We dried off and ate our fruits and shye (chicken) and malo (rice) with buuru (bread). We laid there relaxing after a full meal that were prepared by the chefs of the palace, until we heard a loud roar of a lion or leopard of sort. We jumped halfway upward, stared at one another and began to gather our things to run toward the royal courts. The rumble of footsteps paraded our eardrums as we ran faster and dramatically, knowing I was without weapons because of Inari. We made it back to the gates of the royal courts safely, but curiosity filled my thoughts. While the both of us were panting from exhaustion of fear and desperation, Sully looked surprised as he asked, “What are you two doing panting like you saw an evil spirit?”

While catching my breath to answer my brother question, I instead waved my hand and I passed him without a word and walked toward Inari quarters. I kissed and embraced Inari as if I never wanted her to leave. She stared into my eyes with swollen lips of moisture like honeydew. We were compelled to kiss again, and the moment became intense from lust or love, I didn’t know. But it was an inexpressible feeling that drew us together like a magnet. The night was getting long, so we broke lose unwillingly but kosher toward the protocol. As I walked through the corridors back to my quarters, my brother awaiting with an absurd look on his face.

“My brother Koukan, you can’t be getting serious over this peasant woman! I thought we were to oblige ourselves with them and that’s it.”

My thoughts contemplated on how to tell my brother that I’ve fallen in love with a peasant woman.

“My brother Sully, I have been approved by the Mansa himself to follow my love. This is our secret though!”

“This is mad my brother Musa, you are breaking the protocol of our tradition. What will our father and the others think?”

“Embrace the change my brother Sully. Traditions are made to be broke, the only thing my brother, someone has to be bold enough to break them.”

The ceremony began with both families and friends filling the courtyard. Unusual as it seemed, with the different caste of family status, the families joined together with excitement to honor the marriage of Koukan Musa Keita and Inari Kunate. Mansa Abubakari II approved and supplied the wedding ceremony with dancers, food, drinks, music, and the finest clothes. Mansa Abu gave up the making of his ships for this special moment of mine. We recited our vows and jumped the broom, and celebrated until late into the night. Then it was our time to consummate the marriage, in which we longed for.