It was Xmas period, me and my cousin decided to make a masquerade. We finished it and painted the face black, using Battery Paste.
My cousin said he won’t carry the masquerade but that he’ll beat drums for me or anyone who’ll carry it. I decided to carry it.
On that day, we came out from the uncompleted building where we housed the masquerade and booooooom see my father coming back. He saw my cousin beating drums for a masquerade and immediately figured the masquerade is me. He came down from his bicycle, and dragged The thing off my face, the children around shouted…
Oh ekôing aforo awo oooo, ekóing aforo awo
My cousin disappeared. I was all alone.. Oh asanga ikpoing ekpo I became.
Brethren, my father dragged me with the masquerade thing to the house…
Collected the cane I was holding and dealt
With me first first before the usual question and answer session followed. It was later I knew the portion of the Bible that says he who carries a sword will die by his sword. Na my cane dem use discipline me rat rat that day.
He started,
Emman, nso mkpo unam fien,
I didn’t say anything.
Emman nso mkpo idom (pointing at the masquerade face),
I didn’t say anything still,
Ok emekapa imuuuum? He inquired
Flogging followed inbetween words as usual, I started begging sir mbok, sir mbok,
Emman mbo nso mkpo Idom (referring to the masquerade face)
Me : Sir iso Ekpo ke ado
Emman nso mkpo ido ekpo
sir, Ekpo ado, Ekpo ado
(fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab)
Emman Ekpo ado so
Sir Ekpo ado awo amma akekpa,
Emman afo ame kpa,..
Sir iyo,…
Afo ayem ikpakpa,
Sir iyo
Fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab fiab
Emman ami mme fugho Ekpo, he asked
Sir iyo,
Uka afugho Ekpo?
Ifugho ke ” I replied
So Emman afo acopy ufugho Ekpo ato anie owo ke ntit oton ami (my village)
Sir ncopyke nto awo ntekied
(that reply got me another round of severe umia)
My mother now begged him to stop before Ill die.
After crying and was recovering, my mother brought food for me n dropped it in front of me and said
di ben do ke fianga, uma ufianga uma asatan ayem ubok utom uno…ayin Nsobo .. I laughed n she completed it
“Asak ukpong idem mfo”
(they burned my masquerade that day 😢 😢)
And the next morning devotion they preached about Samuel and the children of Eli ….
Small masquerade I carried o, not like I stole something o
Story by Benson Enobong Benson