Techira entered the canoe and paddled across the river. She heaved a sigh of relief when she reached the bank. With the lantern in her right hand, she walked through the forest, heading back to the village. She remembered she had left Badow at the festival and knew he would be worried. She increased her pace and was surprised her fear of the forest had diminished. As she got to the middle of the forest, she heard voices whispering. She halted and raised the lantern towards the direction of the noise but saw nothing. Safo’s voice, cautioning her to be careful echoed in her mind. She focused on her journey again, but the whispers continued. Curious to know where they came from, Techira turned to the direction of the noise. She came upon a huge tree and met a man and a woman in an embrace. When they saw Techira, they buried their faces in each other’s necks in embarrassment. The woman was shirtless, and the man’s trousers hung around his ankles. Though astonished, Techira apologised and turned to leave but something struck her. The woman she saw looked familiar. She drew closer to them and raised the lantern to their faces.
“Awoshie, is that you?” Techira asked after recognizing her. Awoshie pushed the man away and swiftly put her shirt on, while avoiding eye contact with Techira. When the man turned, Techira recognised him too. It was Foto, the village drunkard. Techira covered her mouth in shock and shook her head in disappointment.
“Drop that lantern!” Foto commanded while holding onto the waist of his trousers and stretching a hand towards Techira. Techira refused and took a few steps backwards.
“You’ve been cheating on Badow with Foto all this while? What has come over you? When did this affair begin?”
“ So what if I am cheating on him? How is that your business? Am I married to you?” Awoshie retorted nonchalantly.
“I allowed you come into my home because you had a baby for my husband. And as if that is not enough, you still had the audacity to cheat with another man?”
“Well, then you shouldn’t have accommodated me, because this man, you are looking at, is the father of my child. And if you know what is best for you, leave here before I do something dreadful to you,” Awoshie threatened.
“I will make sure Badow hears of this,” Techira said and took to her heels. Foto pursued her, making her drop the lantern. Unable to see where she was going, Techira stumbled on a root and hit her head on a rock. Before she went unconscious, she heard Awoshie say, “You will die here alone. No one will come to your rescue.” Both she and Foto ran away, leaving Techira whimpering for help and her head oozing with blood. Her eyes slowly closed and her mind went blank.

The trickling sound of water woke her up from her sleep. She turned to her side and saw a big calabash and kneeling next to it was the village herbalist who squeezed a towel and placed it on her forehead. She tried sitting but her body felt sore.
“Don’t move,” Badow cautioned as he moved to her side.
“What happened to me?” Techira asked and Badow informed her that Achulo found her in the forest after they had searched for her for days. Techira then remembered her encounter with Awoshie and Foto in the forest.
“Awoshie did this to me. Where is she?”
“What are you talking about? That can’t be possible,” Badow said looking perplexed. Techira got up from the mat, despite Badow trying to stop her and headed to Awoshie’s hut. Techira found her sitting in the compound, cooking.
“Awoshie, tell Badow the truth right now or I will do it myself!” Techira demanded. Awoshie scoffed and feigned ignorance of what Techira was talking about. Techira narrated to Badow her encounter with Awoshie and revealed that Amoma wasn’t his daughter.
“My husband, please don’t listen to whatever she’s saying. I’m sorry to say this, but you know your wife is insane and the whole village can even attest to that,” Awoshie said to Badow, trying to persuade him.
“Oh, you think I am insane? Well today I will show you that I am,” Techira said and picked a bucket filled with water, after remembering that Awoshie despised being touched by water.
“Confess now, or I will pour this water on you,” Techira threatened. Awoshie pleaded with her not to pour the water on her, but still refused to confess, despite Techira insisting she did. Techira eventually poured a small amount of water on her and she fell to the ground, screaming and rolling while scratching her body. Her skin was soon filled with boils and rashes. She pleaded with Techira to stop and finally confessed to having an affair with Foto and Amoma not being Badow’s daughter. The sight of Awoshie’s infested body was more shocking to Badow than the news. The herbalist, who was still present, explained that Awoshie was suffering from a rare and deadly illness which was caused by the curse of the fetish priestess, on people who have ever stolen or tried stealing from the shrine. He also warned that once the boils appeared on a person’s skin, they were infectious.

Badow drove Awoshie out of the house and she was later banished alongside Foto, from the village for attempting to murder Techira. However, Techira insisted that Amoma stayed with her, as she didn’t trust Awoshie to take proper care of her.
After telling Badow about her encounter with Safo, they visited the fetish priestess and narrated what Safo had told Techira. The necessary ritual was performed at the river and in a few months’ time, Techira got pregnant. The joy she felt was immeasurable and she couldn’t wait for the baby to be born.
Techira also shared the story of Safo and her great-grandmother, Ekumpo to the chief and his elders, and told them about Safo’s caution about the evil surrounding the village. At first, the chief and his elders didn’t believe Safo existed, but after Techira took them to the hut in the forest, they believed her even though Safo was nowhere to be found.
“But where is she?” the chief asked.
“I believe she is also dead now, she told me I was never going to see her again,” Techira admitted, and everyone shook their heads in sorrow.
While cooking one evening, Techira felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, and she instantly knew her baby was due. Badow sent Amoma to call the village midwife and after a few minutes of labour, Techira delivered a baby girl. Techira felt fulfilled once again. She now had someone she could call her own. She named her child Safo and hoped that Safo, the old woman, was also happy wherever she was.

The End!

© Nasreen Zankawah,2025