by PJ Skinner
‘Perfect. Thank you.’
Despite stops for toilet breaks and lunch, they made good time to Fona and pulled into the compound in late afternoon. Fatimata was waiting on the veranda. She had dressed in white. It was as if a cloud had landed. There was an anguished cry from the back of the car. Adanna jumped out and ran to the house.
‘Is he gone?’
‘Yes, this morning at dawn. I’m so sorry.’
Adanna sat on the steps with her head in her hands. Sam came and sat beside her. She put an arm around her shoulders. ‘He is gone,’ said Adanna. ‘My father is dead.’
‘He was a good man and brave. I owed him my life,’ said Alex.
Fatimata had brought mourning outfits to the house for everyone. Adanna helped Sam to put on her red robe and headdress.
‘Today you will be part of the family,’ she said.
‘Your father was kind and treated me with respect,’ said Sam. ‘I’ll never forget him.’
***
After the funeral, Fatimata and the sowei gathered to discuss the election of the new Paramount Chief. They held the highest authority in the village besides the tribal elders who had the final say. They were entitled to put forward their own candidate. Women held equal rank as far as being Paramount Chief was concerned and, though rare, they sometimes held the position.
‘I think we should recommend Adanna,’ said Fatimata.
‘What are you saying? She can’t be Chief.’
‘And why not?’
‘Fatou, you know why not.’
‘You are wrong. She has been cleaned and is now worthy of our vote.’
‘When did this happen? Why were we not involved?’
‘She went to the hospital in Njahili.’
‘The hospital? Is she mad?’
‘The new hospital and she is quite sane. She is waiting outside if you wish to verify the operation.’
‘Call her in. I don’t believe it.’
‘Me neither. No-one survives hospital.’
Fatimata opened the door. Adanna was standing outside in loose robes tied at the middle. She moved to the centre of the room and undid the belt. The robes slid down her shoulder and she stood naked on the floor. The stitches stood out on her healing flesh. She turned so they could all see her. One woman knelt at her feet.
‘Open your legs,’ she hissed.
‘Please be careful. It’s still painful,’ said Adanna.
The woman peered at the wound and poked the stitches. Adanna flinched, but she did not complain.
The sowei stood up and addressed the group. ‘She is clean.’
Adanna pulled the sides of the robe back across her body and tied the belt in place.
‘Aunties, you know me. You knew my father. I will carry on the work he started. We have money now. Money for water and sewage pipes. Money for electricity. We can bring Fona into this century. Please recommend me as your candidate. I learned honesty from my father, who was in the British army where it is prized. I promise to spend the money fairly.’
‘What about the bondo?’
‘Soon it will not be our choice. The government plans to legislate for a ban on cleaning of young girls. We must move with the times. How many of you have difficulty urinating? Have any of your relatives died during childbirth? Are you suffering with fistulas? Why is this a good thing? We must move into the future and protect our children. I was cleaned in solidarity with the past, your past, but I want our girls to have a future free from pain.’
There was a sullen silence. Fatimata ushered Adanna out of the room. ‘Be strong. I’ll persuade them. It is your time.’
***
They held the Coronation Ceremony in the Paramount Chief’s compound. All the plastic and rubbish had been swept away and random benches placed in a semicircle in front of a platform made of old shipping pallets and covered in a tarpaulin. The throne had been removed from the ceremonial hut and placed on the platform. The whole village thronged the compound, sitting or standing depending on their seniority, waiting for the coronation. Sam and Alex sat to one side of the crowd, taking photographs and shaking hands with the locals.
There was the sound of a trumpet from the village band and the crowd parted to let a group of women enter single file and stand in a line below the platform. Sam felt a cold chill as she recognised the sowei women from the Bondo. She screwed her eyes shut to push away the memories of the screaming and hung her head, considering running away. Alex noticed her discomfort.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Um, yes, those women in white, the sowei, they were about to kill me when Fatimata arrived.’
‘I think you’re safe now. They won’t touch you here.’ He reached out and squeezed her hand. She forced out a smile. Then the women sang and, despite herself, she raised her head again to listen to the rousing music. A local band did their best to keep up.
Their song silenced the crowd and a hush descended. A procession entered the compound main gate and approached the platform. Adanna sat in a sedan chair at its centre, an object of such an advanced age that material was hanging from the sides and threatening to trip the bearers. They were tottering under the weight of the chair and set it down on the ground with a thud, sweat soaking their ceremonial robes.
The dignitaries from the procession spread out onto the platform, sitting on either side of the throne. When they were all settled, Adanna stepped down from the sedan in a purple gown with blue stars and stood in front of the throne, turning to face the crowd. The tribal elders approached Adanna and one of them spoke.
‘Do you, Adanna Sesay, accept the will of the people and agree to be our next Paramount Chief?’
‘I do,’ she said. To Sam, it sounded like a marriage vow. Until death do us part.
The elders put a lion’s mane headdress on Adanna’s bare head with tresses made of claws. They presented her with a staff for one hand and a club for the other. The crowd roared its appreciation as Adanna stood in full regalia to acknowledge them.
‘She looks even more dangerous now,’ said Alex. ‘I wouldn’t like to get in her way.’
Sam felt proud for her friend, who had risked all to get what she wanted. It was hard to comprehend her sacrifice, but easy to appreciate it.
Tamba lurked on the left of the dais. He was smiling, but only just. He saw Sam and Alex and waved.
‘Poor old Tamba,’ said Alex. ‘No chance of Chiefdom for him now.’
‘I thought he wanted Adanna,’ said Sam.
‘Only to get power.’
Was that why Fergus wanted her? To get power over her? Did he leave because she was too free?
‘I think there was more to it,’ she said.
***
After the ceremony, Sam and Alex went back to the house to take off their robes and put on their everyday clothes. Alex poured himself a drink and sat on the veranda with his feet up. Sam packed her bag, pausing to hold up Hannah’s shorts and gaze at their tarty glory.
‘You girls have a lot to answer for,’ she said, before folding them up and putting them in her bag. If it wasn’t for those shorts … Well, who knows what might have happened. She glanced out of the window and was surprised to see Adanna approaching the house.
Sam ran downstairs to welcome her friend.
‘Chief Sesay, you are welcome. Come in.’
‘Honestly, Sam, could you be any more formal? Call me Adanna please.’
‘What is it like to be Chief? Are you excited?’
‘More than you can ever imagine. I have a mountain of ideas for this place.’
‘Alex tells me you’ll be doing your own mining here now.’
‘That’s true. I am sorry if you’ll lose your job, but I’m determined that we must take charge of our destiny in Fona. Mining is part of it. I’ve asked Tamba to train the other young men and women in the methods you have taught him.’
‘Tamba? Is that wise?’
‘Keep your friends close and yo
ur enemies closer, my father used to say. Anyway, perhaps if he has an important job, he won’t bother me. It’s high time he got married.’
‘And you? Are you planning on it?’
‘Not really. You?’
‘Hard to say. If I don’t meet the right person, I won’t. But how do we know?’
‘What about Fergus? I presumed something was going on there.’
‘It was, is, I’m not sure. Perhaps he panicked.’
‘He’ll be back. If a man ever looks at me the way he used to look at you, I might change my mind.’
‘I’ll keep you posted.’
‘So where should we start the mining operation?’
‘The terrace across the river from where we were working looks fantastic. You should send Tamba there.’
Adanna laughed, her whole body shaking with mirth.
‘We won’t be mining that terrace in a hurry.’
‘Why not? I’ve had a look at the geology and it’s the most prospective of them all.’
‘Where do you think we buried the rebel bodies?
<<<< 0 >>>>
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Other Books in the Sam Harris Series
Fool’s Gold - Book 1
Newly qualified geologist Sam Harris is a woman in a man's world - overlooked, underpaid, but resilient and passionate. Desperate for her first job and nursing a broken heart, she accepts an offer from notorious entrepreneur, Mike Morton, to search for gold deposits in the remote rainforests of Sierramar. With the help of nutty local heiress, Gloria Sanchez, she soon settles into life in Calderon, the capital. But when she accidentally uncovers a long-lost clue to a treasure buried deep within the jungle, her journey really begins.
Teaming up with geologist, Wilson Ortega, historian, Alfredo Vargas, and the mysterious, Don Moises, they venture through the jungle, where she lurches between excitement and insecurity. Yet there is a far graver threat looming though when Mike and Gloria discover that one of the members of the expedition is plotting to seize the fortune for himself and is willing to do anything to get it. Can Sam survive and find the treasure or will her first adventure be her last?
The first book in the Sam Harris Series sets the scene for the career of an unwilling heroine, whose bravery and resourcefulness are needed to navigate a series of adventures set in remote sites in Africa and South America. Based on the real-life adventures of the author, the settings and characters are given an authenticity that will connect with readers who enjoy adventure fiction and mysteries set in remote settings with realistic scenarios.
Set in the late 1980's, themes such as women working in formerly male domains and what constitutes a normal existence are examined and developed in the context of Sam's constant ability to find herself in the middle of an adventure or mystery. Sam's home life provides a contrast to her adventures and feeds her need to escape. Her attachment to an unsuitable boyfriend is the thread running through her romantic life and her attempts to break free of it provide another side to her character.
You can download this book free at your favourite retailer. Please go to the PJSKINNER website for links.
Hitler’s Finger - Book 2
The second book in the Sam Harris Series sees the return of our heroine Sam Harris to Sierramar to help her friend Gloria track down her boyfriend, the historian, Alfredo Vargas.
Against her better judgement, Sam Harris has let her wayward boyfriend, Simon, back into her life. At first, she enjoys having a 'plus-one', but she soon starts to have doubts. When she receives a phone call in the middle of the night, she has the perfect excuse to have a break and consider her options. Gloria's boyfriend, the historian, Alfredo Vargas, has gone missing in Sierramar with New York journalist, Saul Rosen. They have followed the clues to a hideaway in the mountains that may contain wanted Nazi war criminals.
Sam and Gloria join forces to discover where they went and track them down. They are soon caught up in a dangerous situation when Alfredo's friend, Ramon, is murdered and a mysterious stranger is apparently following their every move. Even the government seems to be involved. Sam tells Simon that she may be pregnant, causing unforeseen repercussions. Will they find Alfredo before he disappears for good?
The basis for the book is the presence of Nazi war criminals in South America which was often ignored by locals who had fascist sympathies during World War II. Themes such as the tacit acceptance of fascism and local collaboration with fugitives from justice are examined and developed in the context of Sam's constant ability to find herself in the middle of an adventure or mystery. Sam's home life provides a contrast to her adventures and feeds her need to escape. Her continuing attachment to an unsuitable boyfriend is about to be tested to the limit.
Connect with the Author
The Pink Elephants - Book 4 in the Sam Harris series - is in the works. A failing project, Chinese poachers and persecuted pygmies; Sam Harris is in a pickle again.
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About the Author
PJ Skinner is the author of the Sam Harris Series of adventure mystery novels. A geologist who has spent thirty years roaming the planet and collecting tall tales and real-life experiences, she now writes fact-based novels from the relative safety of London. She still travels worldwide, collecting material for the series and having her own adventures.
The author is working on the fourth book in the Sam Harris Series, The Pink Elephants, about gold exploration in West Africa, which will be published at the end of 2018. She is also researching two other new books, one of which, Rebel Green, is being written using her background knowledge of a childhood spent in Ireland.
The Sam Harris Series will appeal to lovers of adventure and mystery. It has a unique viewpoint provided by Sam, a female interloper in a male world, as she struggles with alien cultures and failed relationships.