PRIESTESS OF KEbr@.
Episode 5.
Amah
When Dembe couldn’t find Lydia after spending time in the market, an idea occured to him.
He was going to go to the tenth makers house by the lone road and check her.
The tent maker lives with his wife and he has no child but he opens his house for every worsh!per like him.
They all gather un-der his roof singing and praising God.
Lydia told him about it and he has attended once but couldn’t stay because of time.
He planned going there but the night was fast approaching and it will soon be time for the evening sacrifice at the priestess temple.
Going to the tent makers house will be of a great risk and what if he goes there and did not see Lydia.
What if today is not the normal day of their gathering?
Dembe has questions running throu-gh his mind at the end of his thought he decided to go home.
Aprin’s big day was fast approaching, while Phatsy was folding up her new wedding wra-ppers that Bash and his people got for her, Aprin sat on the be-d in her chamber motionless.
Phatsy looked at her and knew she was in a serious thought.
“My lady…what is bothering you? Your wedding is in three days and you should be excited about it. What troubles you…
Aprin knew she can trust Phatsy who has served her for seven years.
She is her handmade servant and knows alot about her.
” This whole wedding plan does not excite me Phatsy. I wish is with someone my heart truly beats for and I de-eply love. Don’t mistake me, I adore Bash, his appearance is fitting for a priest and I guess he is more excited about this priesthood title that comes with getting married to me than with any other thing. I see throu-gh him most times even though he thinks I’m naive. Sheila my sister is far more into him than I am and they will make a great couple. After wedding and mother initiate him into been a priest…Bash will think he is on t©p of the world but that is not what he was called to do. Being a priest allows him to work hand in hand with me so that we can serve the people better, help the spiritual nee-ds of people, intercede for them and consult the great gods for their sake. Bash will do things out of his own selfishness. Mother saw it clearly, I also do.
She asked me if I still want to proceed with the wedding and I said yes with the hope I will change him and make him un-derstand what is at stake if he turns away. Phatsy… sincerely, I don’t want to proceed with this wedding anymore. I don’t want to marry Bash. My heart beat for another and is not Bash.
“Pardon me my lady but if I my guess could it be a bond servant of this household or another free wealthy man from Kebr@…
Phatsy asked indirectly.
She knew who lady Aprin was referring to. It was an abomination to even think she is in love with Dembe. A whole priestess of Kebr@.
“de-ep down Phatsy you alre-ady know who I’m referring to. Don’t be afraid for me. My happiness, my life and legacy is all I cared about. Every other thing can wait. When I’m close to Dembe…I feel so safe. I know he is very handsome and ha-rd -working but I’m looking beyond his physical appearance or his personality. Dembe is more human than Bash. I hate to compare but is a glaring truth. He will make a better priest than Bash because he has been serving in the temple for years now. He un-derstands the rules and if he opens his heart to the gods they will use him greatly to do wonders. Yes, Dembe is the man my heart truly de-sires and I don’t want to f0rç£ anything on him because he is a servant. He has the right to hate or love anyone he chooses to.
Phatsy st©pped folding the wedding cloths and moved closer to Aprin.
“My lady, this may not go down well with people. Your mother, Lord Bash and many others who looks up to you. Getting involved with a common bond servant is a bad omen. You are not an ordinary lady, you are the next priestess of Kebr@. Dembe is just a nob©dy and has no identity. Dembe is in love with another slave girl who lives close to the market square. He sees her often whenever he is s£nt to the market…
Aprin nodded but wasn’t about to change her mind because of what Phatsy said.
She nee-ds to hear from Dembe first before concluding.
Aprin knew that her marriage with Bash won’t be a happy one because she was begining to loose interest in him.
Dembe was out again after two days.
Aprin’s wedding was the following day and everyone seem busy. His abs£nce won’t be noticed if he is gone for an hour
He was on the road to the tenth makers house.
That is the only place remaining for him to look for Lydia.
The road dust covered him but did not mind as he race down.
When he got closer, he can hear singing and cl@pping coming from The man’s house.
He tapped on the door twice and a middle aged woman opened. She smiled at him warmly as she opened the door before asking him to come inside.
Dembe wanted to ask of Lydia but instead he entered.
Their were about 13people gathered in the room.
Their singing goes up in unison, he was ushered in and everyone was okay with him.
Dembe began to scan the faces of people in the room as they chorused together.
Lydia was among them, she looked up at him too without any facial expression.
Dembe’s heart was relaxed after seeing her. Since he doesn’t know the song that the people were singing, he joined in the cl@pping until a round man with white bears began to speak.
His voice was filled with authority, everyone listened to him.
Dembe listened to his teaching as he learnt some of the things he doesn’t know before.
He has come to seek for Lydia but his heart was bought over throu-gh the words that poured from the tenth makers mouth.
He ignored the timing and enjoyed the moment.
After it was over, they all prayed together and everyone introduced their selves again and also welcomed Dembe to the fellowsh!p.
On their way home, Dembe had the opportunity to speak to Lydia.
“I thought something bad happened to you. I kept coming to the market but did not see you. Are you mad at me? What exactly is my offence Lydia.
“No, I’m angry with myself Dembe. I was loosing my real self and my belief for a selfish love. I was going dee-per and dee-per into you that I forget what Godliness entails. Anytime you mention Aprin or any lady I feel bad and jealous. I also saw you in the market with lady Aprin. She looks happy walking with you. I was so jealous and angry that I didn’t want to talk to you but after few days I realized I was just being selfish and stupid. Dembe, I’m sorry that I made you to be worried about me. I did not want to do the seek and hide love game anymore. I want to be where God wants me to be. And you were only carrying out your duty to Aprin and I wasn’t suppose to be angry over that. I’m back on my feet to render my service to God and it doesn’t matter if I’m bond or free. Instead of running to the hill to talk about our earthly love that is still far fetched I decided to put same amount of time to serving God…
Dembe listened to Lydia as they walked down without interrupting.
After she was done talking the only thing he could say was
“That’s okay by me Lydia. Your God is my God and is a good decision. I can always Join you and other believers at the tent makers house and worsh!ptogether. I feel so much at peace today while I was there.
They both kept talking and laughing until they got to where they said goodbye to each other and went their seperate way.
As Dembe got home that evening the house was in uproar
He saw visitors with the priestess sitting out in her open lodge.
Everyone looks sad or troubled, they looked at him strangely.
Aprin’s wedding was supposed to be the following day.
When he asked what was going on, he was told that Lady Aprin canceled her own wedding.
The servants were still talking when a mess£nger c@m£ to tell Dembe that the priestess s£nt for him.
Episode 6.
The whole room fell silent immediately he stepped in to their means.
He bow down his head in greeting and waited until he was asked to stand aright.
It was disrespectful of him to look into the faces of the people seated there but he knew the priestess and her two daughters with Lord Bash were among the people in the room.
“Did you cast a spell on my daughter?
That was the first question he was asked by the priestess.
Dembe did not even know how to answer such question. He was neither a magician or have any power to cast spell and what sort of spell was the priestess talking about?
Dembe stammered but he was confused on what to answer the priestess he decided to remain silent.
“I ask you again you wicked son of the devil did you cast a spell on the next priestess of Kebr@? Speak now before I command thun-der to strike you down.
Dembe’s head remains bent. As he opened his mouth to speak but no word c@m£ out right.
Lady Aprin quic-kly speak in his defense.
“Mother, I have told you that Dembe did nothing to me. I’m not un-der any spell. I’m in my right s-en-ses mother. I don’t want to marry Bash because my heart is distance from him. I nee-d a man who I can work with effectively and whom I truly love. Dembe is that man mother..
There was loud whispers coming from every angle. Most of the people were rejecting and trying to rebuke Aprin from ma-king such a bad choice.
The priestess ordered the people to be silent and everywhere went quiet again.
She turned to her daughter and asked her to keep quiet.
“Are you out of your mind? Have you gone crazy… do you even un-derstand what you are saying Aprin? You are free to choose any man of your choice among the royal, wealthy and handsome men of Kebr@ and here you are acting delusional. Think about what you are doing. Do you want to bring shame and disgrace to me, to the people who looks up to us and to the gods and goddess of Kebr@ who chose you from birth?
Sheila suddenly shouted loud enough for everyone to hear
” May the gods of Kebr@ forbid that my own blood sister should get entangled with a common slave. A dirty abattoir son of a nob©dy. Aprin you are not fitting for a priestess because your choices of a suitor is unacceptable by the gods, by mother and I. You will bring shame to this great household and I won’t watch and let that happen. Bash is a fine young man, he is not only fitting for a priest he has been approved for such seat. Why will you reject a diamond and chose ordinary stone instead. Bash is our choice and also the choice of the gods and you can’t suddenly cancel the whole wedding that everyone has been putting so much effort to make it great. You can’t do that Aprin because of an ordinary servant, a foolish he goat from nowhere…
Sheila was still talking when Aprin stood up angry and cautioned her.
“Call Dembe another awful name and I will stick out your ton-gue from your mouth. Since I decided to chose him, everyone…including you Sheila will have no other choice but to accept him. Is obvious you are into Bash and really want him to be p@rt of this household then you can have him. Go ahead with him and leave me and my choice the hell alone. Sheila, I won’t watch you insult me because of my personal decision. The priestess seat is a very s-en-sitive seat and I want to serve wholeheartedly without anger or withdrawer. I want to serve with the man I truly love who also un-derstand the rules of the temple and will do anything to maintain it but if the gods and the people thinks differently then I will have to step down. But I will never substitute my happiness for anything. Even if I end up loosing the seat of the priestess to another then is fine by me. Mother, plea-se… reconsider. Dembe is the man I want and no other. I’m sorry that my choice is going to hurt you and many others, I didn’t choose to fall in love with him but naturally it happens and there is nothing I can do about it. Dembe will make a good priest and together we will serve both the gods, goddess of Kebr@ and the people too. plea-se mother… I’m also sorry that it took me this long to speak. Is never in my plan to cancel my upcoming wedding but I made up my mind at the late hour. Is better late than never….
The room fell silent. Dembe’s head remain bent.
Then argument began m everyb©dy was almost talking at the same time.
How sad his life has becomes. As a servant nob©dy even bother to ask him what he wants.
Aprin chose him without asking or trying to know if he feels the same way.
His life was theirs to decide. He owns it all to them and that is why his feeling, choice, decision does not count.
And just at that moment, the tenth makers words began to pour into his heart
“One thing I seek from you oh Lord is to live un-der your shadow right in your own temple where I can be kept safe in your pavilion… worsh!ping and mediating in your words.
Another word drops again. This time it was not from the words he heard from tenth maker or from Lydia, it was like a silent whisper to his soul.
Even in the means of the noise and deliberation concerning his fate the word silent the racing storm in his heart.
“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has born? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!
Dembe quietly raised his head and look into the face of the priestess and the few people gathered but everyone was trying to be heard.
He bent his head and sh0t his eyes.
“, Lord, I’m weak and weary. I have heard so much but yet I remain ha-rd ened and scared. plea-se, even in the means of the chaos, in the middle of people who chose their own mad course… Lord in the household of a priestess who served and fuel her selfish de-sires, Lord all I ask is for you to keep me safe…
Dembe prayed, his mouth was moving but no word was heard.
The priestess quic-kly dismissed him.
His pres£nce was begining to make her uncomfortable.
She asked him to leave, that after 15 days a conclusion will be made. And is until then that it will be known if he will marry Aprin or not.
Dembe turned and left.
This time he was always seen whispering something to himself as he goes about his daily activities.
The other servant kept away from him thinking the whole trouble that was going on in the priestess household because of him was ma-king him go crazy.
Dembe had no one to talk to who will un-derstand him better he chose to talk to the invisible God and that was what kept his mind together.
As days were moving, he visited the tent makers place again and joined other believers.
He told them what was about to be pas-sed down to him.
Getting married to Aprin automatically makes him a pagan priest and he will rather be anything else but a shrine priest.
All the people gathered prayed for him including Lydia who despite how much the news of Dembe getting married to Aprin affected her she still chose to pray for him.
Dembe c@m£ around to the tenth makers house upto four times before the fifteen days will be over.
He was called that day again by the priestess.
The decision has been made and the whole conclusion was that he will be getting married to Aprin.
This was his fear and what he and other believers prayed against.
Dembe will not only going to be Aprin’s husband but he was going to be the priest of Kebr@.
Tbc…