15/04/2025
Diary of a bourgeois village girl: Adah ‘the chief priest’
Christmas in the Village was always an adventure, especially when we spent time at my maternal grandparents’ house. Adah, our larger-than-life chief priest, made sure of that. He was a fascinating man who clung to his idol-worshipping ways and had a flair for the dramatic.
Every visit started with a ritual sacrifice—a hen, naturally. This was followed by a feast of palm wine and storytelling by the fire. The storytelling? Oh, it was like a live performance. Drums beating, a catchy chorus, and everyone taking turns weaving tales. But the highlight of the evening was always the Adah and Apeh show.
Now, Apeh had one job: to vanish into thin air and reappear at the top of a palm tree. And, without fail, he delivered. We kids would sit there, eyes wide and mouths open, absolutely stunned at his ability to "teleport." It was like nothing we’d ever seen.
Of course, as we tried to stand up after the show, wobbling like baby goats, we had to be carried to bed. Years later, it hit me—no, Apeh probably wasn’t defying the laws of physics. Instead, Adah had been sneakily plying us with just enough palm wine to make us believe Apeh’s act was actual magic.
Looking back, I can’t help but smile. Adah wasn’t just a chief priest—he was a master entertainer. Apeh’s teleporting palm tree trick? Pure showbiz genius. Now, who knows? Maybe Apeh was just an excellent climber, or maybe, just maybe, there was a touch of real magic in those nights. 😊
