The time

It was a cool evening, approaching the hour of twilight.the rains had been giving sign's of early arrival.by late afternoon,the clouds had started to gather after an intense heat of the mid-day sun.one could watch the clouds racing swiftly as if pursued by hounds.everyone was happy that the days night rest would be peaceful after weeks and months of intense heat of the sun.

As if with a consensus opinion that the weather had given enough warning of it's unexpected change's,most villagers had closed work early to go home.farmers could be seen hurrying home with giant strides to meet up with the emergency.some market women who had waited for last minute sales could be seen hurrying home before dusk and darkness.

It was uncertain whether the rain would make good it's threat's because of the burial of a prominent chief in the village.the late chief children had vowed that the spirit of there father would not be disgraced by rainfall on that day.but it was a general opinion that the weather change would usher in early darkness.so everyone moved faster to get home on time before darkness would envelope the entire village.

Bella sighted her friend called prisca far ahead of her.she moved faster to catch up with her,since they were heading the same direction.

"Prisca" bella called " please slow down,let me keep pace with you",she pleaded.

"My dear ,I just can't help it . I've got to hurry home, refresh my self and rush off to the village square",prisca replied (a village square is where people gather for ceremonies in Africa)

"Do you think anyone would dare step out in this unfriendly looking weather?" Bella asked as she drew closer to her.

" Weather? Which weather? The story_teller has the extraordinary power of dispelling any force set against her and her vocation",prisca claimed.

"So what I had about her is true?"bella asked naively,

"My sister ,you speak as if you re a stranger in the village.didnt you hear what was said about her few months ago at the palace of our village head when prof.Eze presented her with a gift describing her as : 'she who charts the path of destiny for the young,'she has told us to gather today and I must be there to listen to gender equality,"prisca added, pausing as her companion interrupted her.

"Gender equality?" Bella asked, mystified. "Yes, gender equality. She said she would tell us the rightful place of a woman in modern society --about male chauvinism and the lies that belie it--about change which is always changing__about sex and it's natural purpose --about speech the proverbial silver,and silence the proverbial gold--the time to speak ,the time to keep silence --,the time to draw the sword,the time to sheath it in it's scabbard --about THE TIME that urges everyone to move on," prisca revealed.

" I too must be there,--"bella vowed.

"She promised to tell us where the world began and where it ended--"that there are opportunities beyond the seeming limits of the sky,that there are treasure buried deep below by the hands of nature--that akamu is not the end of the world --prisca further revealed.

Bella was overwhelmed by those hints which prisca had given her, she nearly strode past the T junction that branched off to her street but was quick to realize her direction.she halted for a split second,heaved a sigh and announced her parting. "We shall part ways now. I wonder who will be the first to get to the square,you or I" bella said and turned towards the direction of her house.

"Yes,we part to meet again for parting and meeting are the order of nature,"prisca philosophized, laughing heartily as she strode ahead.

If there was anything the Akamu village valued most ,it was virtues,every person,born and bred in akamu was made early in life to cultivate the cardinal virtues of purity, honesty, courage and diligence. The girls were known for their good conducts and marital submission. There is no girl child of Akamu, irrespective of facial or physical comeliness,that remained a sprinter after her 25th birthday, they were always on anxious demand by suitors from far and near, They were like hot cakes that please the appetite.in their marital homes,their husbands were in the habit of addressing them as "ogoli mali obi di ya" that is, the good wife that understands what pleases her husband ", it was little wonder that the gathering had to wait for the storyteller to arrive until they could wait no longer