Tuesday 12 February 2008

part two of MADIKEY .A STORY

after eating the chicken soup for late night diner and drank waraka or ataya bunoi ,they bid each other good night. but the following morning ,things did not start well for the late imam's son call morro . he always wakes up for his fajr salah(early morning prayer ) to the sound of his chicken's every early morning. but this time he did heard any thing.he continue sleeping untill his wife wakes him up . aaah ,moro was the standing imam so the villagers became worried .they start asking each other ''did the imam travel ,why didn't he attend fajr prayers ''? they enquire .so morro's first purpose was to find out what happen to his big chickens .he look all round the neigbourhood to no avail. he start asking and threatening .he goes like this '' if anybody stole my hen's please bring them if not i deal with the person or persons spiritually and legally .'' i will katime you ''.well some of you out there will know what a katime is .it is a dangerous mathematical combinations mix in with some names of jinns. so all the children in village and youngs boys where terrified about morro's barking walking the lenght and breath of the village. our ants ,uncles ,fathers ,mothers you name them start pulling us aside ,asking ''did you take part in the chicken theft ? '' yes or no ?. well this went on untill midday when morro gave his final ultimatum , '' identify yourselves or you will get mad '' .what? the youngs boy though to themselves .suddently some started coming forward blaming each other. it was m jawneh's idea ,no it was m bayo's idea ,it went on .untill they name each other to the last person. then a village meeting was convine .it was headed by the alkalo and other village elders includinh alh sajo darbo ,demba jafune ,pa suso ,kebilli etc and many more.the villagers where asking morro what would he accept as a fair replcaement for his chickens ? he said he wants the dead hens brought back to life or else he continue with his wish to make the boys mad. .this is funny now to me but then it wasn't .my aunt was the head of the women and she was a no noncence lady .so i was scolded three times on suspicions of my involvement in theft but i wasn't part of the big boys game.the elders pleaded with moro untill he accept a money offer of D100 for three hens .D100 was a lot of money then but that is the amount that will quench moro's thirst. he was given D100 by the parents of the boys .but then before moro accept the money he asked the boys '' who help you to buy ingredients for the hens ''? they looked at each other and they said madikay .what he exclaimed ? they reppeat Madikay jafune give us D5 to guy all we need.then the matter went back to square one. Moro said madikay most be called to give his own account .every body was sadden by madikays involvement. this is a close knit village where to shamed means exile or death .it is just now that things changed but our elders use to die from been publicly shamed. yes this is true.so Madikay was summond by the Alkaliba. he came head bow dowm. he seated close to the alkalo .he was aksed whether he took part in the theft of moro's hens ,to which Madikay made this famous quotation so please pass it on it is in mandinka but i will try to translate it in english. he said '' nnin katato yela yela nninkatato mela hemela ''. if a troublesome person goes to bed then you are in bed but if a troublesome person is awake then you are awake ''some may have a better explanation .the alkalo persisted untill madikay admit giving them the money to buy the ingredients.he was fine some money and warned never to take part such criminal acts.madikay was deeply embarrased . he couldn't even to the shops ,he later left the village with a heavy heart and he resettle a village close to bansang ,the petty criminals made us lost our only skilled leather worker in the village .shame on them . but madikays quotation bears truth .today yahya jammeh is a katato .if he wish jail for you ,jail you go .sad indeed. good night. madikay is now deceased .may his soul rest in peace.amen

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