When Molly and her friend Danah arrived, they were welcomed by a moist warm breeze and a sense of familiarity, although they had never been here before. In fact, it was not only unfamiliar; it was literally across the globe from everything Molly had ever known to be her reality.
Prior to her journey, Molly had a strange pre-sentiment that something important was going to happen, something that would change the course of her life completely. Should she go? Should she stay? And all the while she was still negotiating her options publicly, in her heart she knew the answer to these questions.
The houses were largely run-down, rugged with half missing doors and painted by now faded colours, all of which had begun to merge into various shades of off-white or pale beige. They were hovering at the edge of the wide-open coastline, intersected by sparse palm trees. Sparse beach bars with slightly inclined metal roofs were bordering the cliff tops between sandy bays which, toward the road, had round smooth fist-size pebbles and some larger rocks randomly distributed on the hilly slope.
The sea, although a deep blue, was not inviting. Big lazy waves rolled irrevocably towards the empty shore. While Molly and Danah were exploring their surroundings, the sleepy town seemed abandoned, they only caught glimpses of people at the corners, down alley ways, they appeared and disappeared almost instantaneously.
After exploring the town, girls ventured down to the seashore, to splash their faces in the sea. It was their way of saying hello to that vast expanse of water and making friends with it. The sea left salty kisses on their cheeks, as they climbed back up the beach to the road. That is when they saw the Seba people approaching the shore from the opposite direction. Molly saw that one of them was an older and one a younger man and the third person was a middle-aged woman. The older man was carrying a chicken by its legs, which was desperately flapping its wings, and letting out squawking sounds.
Molly had read of rituals and sacrifices that were practiced by the local inhabitants. Was this one of those rituals to attract love, health, or abundance? She wondered.
Molly and Danah took a few steps further down the road towards the group, but then thought better, and decided to wait a while where they were, slightly hidden from the tree people who were now heading towards the seashore. Although they were hidden from sight, by a small hill at the end of the beach, Molly and her friend could still hear the conversations the Seba people were having.
They were chanting and praying, invoking something which sent goose bumps all along Molly’s spine. The thick moist air was making her clothes stick to her skin and a foggy and dense feeling took over her, making her feel weak and limp. She could not really understand what was happening to her, but even if she had wanted, at this moment, it felt as though she would not be able to move. By this time, both girls were rooted to the spot, squatting, eyes wide open, wondering what might happen next.
The older man had taken out a knife. Its big silver blade was hit by a ray of sun reflecting its shape on a half-broken window belonging to the house across the road from where the group was gathered. He had waded into the sea up to his knees and was holding the animal firmly by its neck. The chicken, as if sensing that the end was approaching, let out another round of helpless squawks, and then fell silent as it was hit by the knife. For a moment, everything went quiet, and then the invocation continued, reaching a crescendo and becoming almost become unbearably loud. It even managed to mask the sound of the waves and the wind, covering everything with a rasping veil. Molly felt as if her chest was covered in tar. She swayed a little before straightening up and relocating the ground beneath her feet. She took another peek at the shoreline and saw that thick chicken blood was dripping from the man's hand into the waves. It almost felt to Molly as though it was dripping directly into her heart, the images were so vivid before her eyes. She had a sense that something was being sealed with this action, a promise had been made, but was it a blessing or a curse? Yet again, Molly was wracked by confusion.
Soon after, the sound of the wind and the waves pulled Molly’s attention back to the present. Her heart slowed down its beat, and the feeling of pressure against her chest began to subside. Slowly, the girls turned away from the shoreline and made their way back into town, heading for the bus station.
~ to be continued~
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