The Queen Sambisa

By Martin Wose

Ebenye is the embodiment of everything one would associate with an angel. Her angelic beauty however, sees her falling prey to the whims and desires of overzealous and infatuated non-negotiating admirers during an ill-fated excursion. Hailing from the nobility of Sawa Country, this turns out to be a jig- saw puzzle and a catastrophic mistake on the part of those who dared to tamper with such a jewel of a maiden.
Uncertainty and danger notwithstanding, royal might is subdued because of non-conformist postures which accentuate an imminent clash.
An unconditional compromise of passions becomes the resultant handiwork of the trump protagonist who is the genuine beholder of the maiden’s heart.

About the Author

Martin Yangange Wose was born in Buea, Cameroon on the eve of Independence. He studied briefly at the University of Yaounde at the Faculty of Law and Economics.
His main interest is Journalism, which he studied with the London School of Journalism [ LSJ ] which earned him a Post Graduate Diploma with distinction.
He has worked with the Ministry of Information and Culture where he was Regional Chief. His debut publication, ‘’The Race’’ appeared in Speaking For The Generations / An Anthology of African Writers, edited by Professor Dike Okoro in Chicago, USA.
Amongst several publications in Newspapers and Radio, he is a versatile writer of literature. His writing includes poetry, short stories and novels. He has written for Cameroon Tribune, The Herald, Cameroon Times, Times and Life Magazine, The Post Newspaper to name a few.
He is a keen sportsman and cyclist, composer and singer of modern traditional lyrics.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Martin Wose
• Release date: May 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463581940

Book preview

The Queen Sambisa

The Queen Sambisa

Martin Wose

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Copyright © 2017 Martin Wose

Published by Martin Wose Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by the Author using Reach Publishers’ services,

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Printed and bound by Novus Print Solutions

Edited by Vanessa Finaughty for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

Website: www.reachpublishers.co.za

E-mail: [e-mail]

Chapter One

Colonel Manga drove into Yabassi on Saturday afternoon in a small military Jeep accompanied by his aide-de-camp. The road was bumpy, but they had a less tedious ride, because there were no stones and the greater part of the road was sandy.

I guess my relations must be gathered around my friend’s house for the ceremony.

Mon Colonel, at your pedestal in the army, if you make a lavish gesture, they wouldn’t have any reason to dishonour you.

There is something significant that you do not know…

Then let me know, Mon Colonel.

My friend has invited me to his village, because I am interested in his sister, Ewodi.

"Then you intend to become his beau frère, Mon Colonel…"

I hope so; my patience is running out.

Why do you say so, Mon Colonel?

I was married before, to a typical girl from Bomono, but we did not have any children. My family accused her of bringing bad luck into my life; meanwhile, others said I was not productive. We did all the tests at the military hospital, under the famous French physician, Doctor Jamot. We both were not found ‘handicapped’; that is to say, she was not barren and I was not impotent. Our tradition did not ask for divorce, since I am a prince, so most of the time I sent her to serve my mother, the queen, in the palace at Deido. You know, once married and more so to a prince, it is scandalous to talk of divorce, impotence or barrenness. My sisters embarked on a wild search for a new wife. Meanwhile, Ewodi, my old girlfriend, was living with my colleague, Mbella, in Kribi at the military headquarters when all these problems came up. To cut a long story short, my wife was sent back to Douala quietly. You may guess the boredom, the loneliness, and we soldiers especially in a position of command; imagine what would happen if a man of my calibre had to stay all alone in a mammoth house in a new place.

Colonel Manga had his own idea. He believed that fanfare would not contribute to a successful marriage and, hence, he would have to work out a peculiar formula in the present circumstances.

The crowd is great, Mon Colonel; I can see that they are really prepared to receive you.

My friend, you know, is having his fortieth birthday and it has coincided with his promotion to the rank of a naval captain, so he has decided to have a big celebration in his village. That is why he has invited me. I could have waited for the official party in Kribi, but he wants me to meet Ewodi, my loved one. I was friends with her when I was a student at Alfred Saker in Douala. She attended Lycee le Clerck College in Yaounde.

A mammoth crowd was already in wild jubilation and the ceremony began as a military Jeep drove into the ceremonial ground, which barricaded further movement with a towering brick building dating back to colonial times. Watching from the balcony on the first floor was a timid Ewodi and her friends, looking down at the visitors as they alighted from the Jeep. She focussed on the guests, but was careful not to let strangers catch her gaze. She had put on her most valuable dress and aesthetic jewellery, which brightened her like a swan in summer. To her, this looked like the day of her anticipated betrothal to Colonel Manga. Her brother convinced her mother that they should invite several personalities and it would be up to Ewodi to attend to them until the weekend celebrations came to a close. A pretentiously shy Ewodi dramatically engaged, then was formally introduced to her fiancé, Colonel Manga Bell. The jubilant crowd honoured Colonel Manga as he was presented to the people of Yabassi as heir to the Deido throne.

You are free here, just as you may be at your seaside palace in Kribi. From this point, you can see the river spreading into the delta as your many romantic dreams, said Ewodi.

Hey! Ewodi, I did not come here for poetry.

You must be right… you came here for everything other than what?interjected Ewodi. Remember we are not in Kribi, eh! Remember I am not in your house, eh! she went on.

The girl ran from side to side on the balcony as she spoke to a masculine soldier trying to get hold of her in the falling twilight and failing at every attempt to grip her by the waist. Calmness was returning to the courtyard, as an exhausted crowd had danced out their best to grace the promotion and fortieth birthday party of a deserving son of the land.

Yet a new excitement was building up in the exquisite mansion as the eyelids of men grew weary and were helplessly dropping, in need of rest and revitalisation; the pleasant type of sleep one gets after a party and under the influence of beer and energy consuming merrymaking.

Ewodi turned into an angel that night in the warm arms of Colonel Manga, who lacked expression to tell her a love story as he held her tight on the metallic balcony, fondling her fresh body as if he was in a Romeo and Juliette paradise. The young lovers remained in deep romance until late in the night in an unperturbed atmosphere, wishing no rat would pass by to disturb the metaphysical dimension of their game. Colonel Manga found it difficult to finish his shower of love for Ewodi, even in the physical and abstract opportunity he had before him. Unfortunately, he had to return to sanity unwillingly, as the fowls of Yabassi flapped their wings to call the break of day.

Ewodi had fallen asleep and he tapped her awake. She woke up with a jerk, cutting her dream short for a man who apologised frantically.

She asked him, Aren’t you tired?

On such days, people did not get up so early and no one really checked where relatives slept. The house was supposedly taken over by strangers. This mischief turned out to be the nuptial night for Ewodi, who was eventually married to Manga a few months after this encounter, after which they lived in Kribi. It was more than twenty years later that Colonel Manga returned to Kribi, where he had started work in the ranks. His colleagues from Yabassi had always had the luck of working side by side with him as senior naval officers. They had to meet in Douala or Kribi, but Kribi was most likely, because colonial officers preferred Douala, the main headquarters.

Captain Mbella got up late that morning. It was another day to be faced with even greater pomp.

Who is there? he shouted loudly from his room.

Captain, I am here, answered Ewodi.

All right, my sister; I will be with you in a moment. He left his wife sleeping and left the room. What about my friend? Still in bed or awake?

Brother, he is having a walk by the riverside; he says he likes bamboo trees and loves the shrill cries of crickets on the marshes.

Oh yeah! This Deido prince is uncanny in his attributes; imagine what his likes are.

I think so too. I saw him with a little notebook; could be he writes poems in there.

You must be lucky, Ewodi; isn’t that something about a man you city girls adore?

We may, but… ooh! He is coming back; let me take this course to the kitchen. She disappeared through the corridor into the backyard, where the other ladies were already cooking.

Men may not be allowed into the kitchen, declared Mbella’s wife in unison with the other ladies.

Well, just for today. I may be allowed to come in at the disposition of the ladies for cooking, requested Mbella.

Captain Mbella has refused to grow, remarked Ewodi.

Remember I was forty yesterday, and, as chief celebrant, I need to ensure that the animals we asked to be killed are put at the disposition of my sisters and other relatives of mine. Do you know what?

No, tell us, they answered in expectation.

You know in the morning, when the last cock is due to crow, I naturally get too lazy to come out of bed. If I wasn’t a soldier, I would have still been in bed.

That is not what we want to hear. Tell us the titbits, retorted Eweli.

Okay, there must not be any laughing.

They all burst out laughing.

Now say what is on your mind and perhaps your stomach, or are you ashamed of your wife, Eweli? Ewodi challenged him.

Okay, I will say it now. You know my son, Mbella, slept in Grandma’s room. By 5:30am, he got up and came knocking on my door. I was in the most rapturous bliss of an embrace that could not be cut in two by thunder.

Then what happened? asked Ewodi insistently.

He kept being menacing and saying ‘morning has come and it is tomorrow; I want to eat accra banana’. Anyway, I could not give him the accra I was stirring, so I reluctantly opened for him, only for him to fall asleep soon after. We both laughed loudly and he was scared, so he started crying.

You must be a storyteller; the classroom would have been ideal for you, Ewodi said.

You may be right. I do have a classroom, but it has pupils who play around with arms, Eweli remarked, describing her relationship with Captain Mbella.

The cooking lasted until lunch time when food was served.

The entire programme had been a success and all the participants had some nostalgia on their faces when departure time came. Everyone was seen saying a last word to their friends before their time to go. It had been a great opportunity for Ewodi and Manga, who were probably not found out, as Mbella kept this secret very tactically. The moon soon came out as the last of the guests made their departure. The old historic residence regained its solitude when all the guests left. It was another headache for Mbella’s mother to remain with the few traditional inhabitants of her castle. In any case, there was a natural end by nightfall. The moon was high in the sky, weirdly translucent, with an economy for romance; just enough to give anxious lovers sufficient amorous lighting to walk around the village. The reeds had just sprouted and, in the marshland, frogs and small fish were playing an unrefereed match of touch and run. One could see by daylight the vibrating chest of an unhired frogfish musician palpitating. Their number had never been known since creation and their choral music sometimes sounded like the protest march of hungry men holding out their pans to beg for food.

Manga came down the marshland with his intimate one, Ewodi, holding hands. It was a comfortable walk for them both, especially Ewodi, who enjoyed the warm body, strength and gigantic masculinity of a protective soldier.

"I hope we will not have any problems, belle; I hope you will not forget me when you go away."

There is no problem, Ewodi, and I do not envisage any in the near future. But I will say to you that, if you love me very much, I cannot run away from you.

When do you leave Yabassi? asked Ewodi.

I have got to go, my dear, and it’s got to be morning before I go.

If I could make you stay…

Yes, that would be good really good so that I can see you again insatiably, like my friend’s son admires his toys.

Colonel Manga sat in front of his spacious mansion watching the sea, but the Herculean ocean would not wash away the beach with its enormous might. Ewodi and Eweli suddenly appeared on the beach in their swimming outfits. They sat on the sand. Colonel Manga made a frantic effort to call them for a brief invitation to his residence. His efforts were in vain. He moved onto the beach and met them. He wore shorts and no top, displaying an amiable masculinity that, by none of his own designs, could yield some admiration. He was well built and endowed with abundant curly hair on his chest; the spongy thickness had a provocative question a lady wouldn’t miss.

Why don’t you ladies come over? Let us chat.

They looked at each other in dismay, attempting to disappear instantly or take a most persuasive invitation with much doubt.

"You need not be