“We will attack into the night of the great festival of ‘The Salt Tablets’ with a strong force of victory with Allah by our side. We will pray tonight to Allah for victory and peace once again in our land. Mansa Abubakari Keita II nodded his head in agreement with my declaration, and the Gbara Federation simultaneously done the same. I often wondered how the Keita dynasty gained so much favor. After walking and talking with this most noble man Abubakari, I began to realize what it takes to gain followers in your favor, and what the key to success were! Wealth could gain the loyalty of others rather than the labor of others. The key was to make the people believe that we should be united to the same team, with the same efforts and the same cause to become a strong and prosperous kingdom. This day on, I thought with a kingdom mindset.
I went to the mosque to pray and worship to my Allah and hoped to hear a word of advice, but instead I was met with this most affectionate comfort that embraced my whole body with warmth. I didn’t know if this was Allah way of speaking to me or did I miss the message. But whatever the case, I was confident and satisfied with the comfort that Allah were here in the room with me. After rising to my feet, I turned and met the most beautiful mahogany skinned woman. Our eyes met with instant passion until she broke the stream of eye contact by hastening away.
The day of the raid were at hand. We trained with the techniques of weaponry and preparation of war until we determined the exact plan for the takeover. After a successful training, we yelled the sound of victory, ‘Fawz,’ ‘Fawz’ (Victory, Victory). I had the true warlords and warriors of old that were ready to step into their forefathers’ footsteps. There were Basel and his brother Batula, Teferi, Senghor, Sule and Dia Tau, grandsons of the great warriors that road with the ‘Lion King’ Sundiata. In Gao, Songhai, the Sunni Clan gave my ancestors the biggest problems along their borders. They were conquered by my forefathers, and they managed repeatedly to make conquest to their own territory. So, I made a promise to myself that if I ever came up against them, I will make sure they remained conquered and subdued.
We dismounted the horses a few miles back with a few of our warriors remaining back until they heard the horns blow. We managed to come to the seven feet wall and scaled it until we reached the top where there were no guards. After reaching the top, one of the guards came out of nowhere but Sule the Adventurer shot an arrow right through his heart, and I ran to catch him and laid him down before he gave us away. We proceeded by subduing the other guards that guarded the wall. We slid down two ropes unto the courtyard where the festival was in full swing. We continued through the courtyard on the edge of the city hoping not to be recognized.
Teferi, one who is ferocious and feared by his rivals, were snatching the guards from their post while stabbing them with his dagger and dragging them in one motion in the dark crevices of the night. This guy is dangerous, and praise to Allah for allowing him to be on our team. Most of the guards were involved with the feast and were intoxicated from the strong drink, which made our task much easier, so I thought. There were loud drums and tribal dancing, causing exotic and erotic fire throwing scenes that made everyone’s attention fixated on them, including the monarchs and generals. Between the loud drums, Basel managed to blow the horn without being noticed. We managed to unlock the gate of the wall and anticipated a few moments waiting until our strong-force burst through the gates and then we swarmed in like a swarm of killer bees.
Chaos disrupted the festival and the battle were subject to subjugation as we thrust toward the king and his generals. We were relentless with an intrepid charge toward the subversion of the entire Songhai Empire. We fought until our weapons wielded in our hands from the thrusting. The hierarchy were fleeing for protection from the fiery, strong-force we were bringing. My first battle! I felt feisty and suffused with excitement and thrill, and not thinking twice that this could be my first and last battle. I was thirsty for the desire to go down in history as a great warrior. Even though this battle is the beginning of my career. Fortunately, we fought to the end with no serious casualties, and subdued the king and his two sons. We held them captive and returned to Niani victoriously.
I suggested and appointed soldiers in the provinces of Songhai to keep order and to keep uprising from happening again. The prisoners including the king and his sons were brought back to become servants for the Capital of Mali. The warlords and warriors were met by Mansa Abubakari II and the Gbara Federation. They came to commend us of the horrific task we accomplished.
Mansa Abubakari II greeted us with salutation as we returned to Niani, “Ahsant Mutamayo,” which meant ‘Well done Wild Olive.’
I was enraptured to see Mansa Abu separate himself from the shipyard for our sake. Although we were performing his duties while his mind were miles away across the Atlantic.
After settling down from the sublimity of victory, my soul was yelling out to Allah to calm my spirit. So, I went to the Mosque for prayer and worship and Basel, Batula, Sule and Dia Tau followed me. But Senghor and Teferi went to worship their traditional gods that our forefathers worshipped before the Muslims settled in our country with their Arabic Islamic traditions with the Holy Koran. It became part of our heritage in school as well as worship. I became very close to Allah through the studying of the Holy Koran. I felt His presence at times so much that I believed that He spoke to me, and gave me the guidance I needed for direction. My comrades and I prayed in quiet, and then muttered in reverence to our deity, Allah.
After surrendering our worship and prayers to Allah, we returned to the royal courts, and on our return my eyes met this same beautiful mahogany skinned woman with the eyes of gold nuggets and the teeth of pearls. I told my comrades I would accompany them soon, and they smiled with gladness of heart for me. The fragrance of her scent was like the fruit of palm trees and balsam oil. I had the drive to greet her and find out something about her.
“Kaifa haloki?” (How are you)? I asked.
She responded surprisingly in Bambara language, “Tooro si te i fana ka kene?” (I’m fine, how are you)? She knew what I was saying and tested me by speaking in Bambara instead of Arabic. So, I threw one right back at her, “N t’a faamu,” (I don’t understand).
She laughed because she knew I just spoke in Bambara language. We both laughed together, amusing one another. So, I answered the question fairly,
“Tooro si’ te’, (I’m fine). Then I asked her name, “i togo?” (What’s your name)?
“N togo Inari Kunate,” (my name is Inari Kunate).
She continued, “Maa ismuk?” (What is your name)?
I looked at her with a smile, knowing she was amusing me again by speaking in Arabic. I spoke back in Arabic, “Ismii Musa Keita,” (my name is Musa Keita). I walked her to her quarters and asked could I see her again. She smiled blushingly and kissed me on the cheeks. Right then, an arrow of love was planted into my heart and I wasn’t the same anymore.
CHAPTER V-My Wildflower
I’m into my twenty first birthday and my father and mother decided to give me a fiesta of a lifetime. Mrs. Koukon Keita is my mother and I was named after her except in a surname Koukan or Kankan Musa Keita. The fiesta was exorbitant beyond measure. My friends, comrades, and kindred were all excited for me, I assumed. There are always a few enemies lurking around filled with envy and jealousy but regardless I was extremely thrilled.
My father and mother had lots of women attend, as though, to marry me off. I felt sabotage by my own parents. We danced the old Africa traditional dance around the huge fire. There were a lot of revelers from the royal courts that were accustom to fiestas and were drunk from the Nsafufuo, (Palm wine). Dancing with my brother and sisters merely swung my arm apart. They made sure I danced with the many women that were there. Most were maidens from the royal courts that arrived with Mansa Abubakari Keita II. He and my father had conspired together to find me a wife. It was customary for a leader to resume responsibility with a family once they become twenty-one.
But it was very hard for me to choose just anyone, or to have my parents choose someone for me. I wanted that paradigm of falling in love, and being filled with impetus emotions. If there are such a thing,