KELE WA YI¹

Tears on Ntem

Tears in the night. The rustle of the air like one blows in a horn without success. Moaning remote almost without its, but present. The almost heroic moon seemed to slip, seen ground, in the sky a little too close to the summit of the trees. The latter, in spite of their gigantic sizes seemed to stir up like abusing by a wind which, feet on the ground, could have been defined like light. A bird of indigo color and very tried of yellow scraped the lower part of the nozzle in a very nervous way. But its eyes, too large and in obliques, were of an infinite sadness. One as of the its small ones, to its image, came to be posed close to him, one of its legs crushing his. Voices of birds rose, like murmurs, beginnings of abruptly stopped songs and which did not stop following one another uninterrupted. This sound was added hammerings in the ground, of the blows, with blows in the ground, the breath, the breathlessness, noisy and like desperate. The birds flew away and formed quickly in the sky a quasi unperceivable cloud of dust brown. Steps with sharp pace approached and moved away in the direction opposed towards downward inclined paths and furnished with water puddle pools all the ten steps. A man. In the night become quite haughty because of the suddenly extinct moon, a man ran, knees raised well of touts his forces through the forest dances. Its brown hair semi-length flew above its cranium without settling completely on its shoulders. They were wet. The blue eyes of the man were red and very wet. He looked behind him and butted in funny of liana very twisted. Very quickly it was raised but fallen at once. It tried to be raised also quickly in spite of its pain. At the same time, an extremely hairy hand clutched it by the hair. The man was turned over to the three quarter and saw that it had opposite him an immense gorilla. Its hairs were so black that in the night they appeared of a dark blue. The man, blown, howled until coming very close to syncope. The mouth of the gorilla also opened very large and the cry which left there made suffocate the man who them legs crossed, did not fall because not retained by the gorilla. Its blue eyes nevertheless, as hypnotized, did not leave the face of the gorilla which, gradually, started to lose its hairs. An increasingly human face, with the black skin like outgoing Mercedes of factory, appeared in front of the man who did not remain about it less not terrified. A young man made place with the creature completely.

• Does the Negro world give you hallucinations, darling?

The man hiccuped, deeply inspired several times of continuation without managing to leave an articulated sound. Then in front of the air of the African who appeared amused, it released:

- I am not your darling, Evou!

The man lowered the eyes on the body of Evou.

• You are very naked.

• One is not with the cinema to keep his clothing after a metamorphosis, made fun Evou.

• Why are you in erection?

• The force of the gorilla did not leave me yet.

• This... it would be perhaps easier for you, in your state, if you slackened me, the man blew.

• Which you A say that I was sulky the body of the women, Carlson? he answered Evou while smiling of all its teeth.

It slackened it nevertheless and, in the night become dumb because of their presence, they are reflected to follow paths being unaware of the linear form. The complexion of Carlson in the equatorial night seemed per moment, according to cleared up, the a little yellowish one. Its shirt with stripe was very soaked of sweat. Evou, always naked, went behind Carlson of a slower step. From time to time, it threw glances towards the sky. The clouds had become very dark.

• Why did you flee? asked Evou.

• These men, sighed Carlson. These men come from a smoke so black whereas they were.

• You never saw of albino?

Carlson made not head.

• They await us, declared Evou which stopped.

• Which, they? asked Carlson by imitating it.

• Those which you should not have fled. It is as these dreams which become monstrous, and they know in advance towards where you want to hide.

• But I do not know the area!

• The spirit is not insane, Carlson. It is not either dumb. They know and they await us. Carlson makes mine take again the road.

• You pissed on the ground, said Evou without moving of a step.

Carlson is turned over, obviously tormented.

• The urines, continued Evou. It is like the flesh and blood. It is one of the many openings to approach the spirit of somebody.

• I was panicked...!

• Yes, I know.

• A the edge of a past, Carlson. It is not Bitam nowadays. You brought us closer a window. We are in war. Rather, at the beginning of the end of a war. One is cursed.

• For... why?

• Because the day will rise. And one cannot escape it. I passed too much from time to run you afterwards. The day will rise and it will be necessary to face Ntoumous, the old ones, those which does not laugh, never smile. One should not like deaths, Carlson, nor idolize the past. We have all be Masters and overcome. All the great ages of the world reigned then deposed, were destroyed. The tragedies must remain what they are. Stories to be told. In this world, when one died the day is long. When one wants to live the day ends with the success of all the tests.

A gust of wind sweeps the face to them. A light noise of bird is made hear then silence returns.

• We are not alone! Blow Evou by drawing Carlson by the arm.

They took refuge behind two trees which seemed to intersect.

• We are not alone, whispered Evou. In this world, you occupies itself only of you. It seems that people arrive, of people of our world. No matter what you ways, you keep silent yourself, it is not for you.

Carlson shook the head. The two men were squatted. Fifteen minutes of waiting later, noise of step were made hear. Two men and a young woman arrived, the woman a little more in withdrawal. Evou which did not leave Carlson of the eyes saw last wrinkling the eyebrows while thinking of recognizing the girl. Head it beckoned to him not to appear. The youngest man seemed full with regard for oldest. Its gestures were hastened and awkward.

• Tsira, here us are as agreed, stammered the young man in Fang while designating his wife.

Oldest which seemed indeed very advanced in age the head shook and considered the woman with a very great interest.

• Already two wife of lost because I disobeyed you, continued the young man. However, a man cannot live without family, hearth and children. Here the woman that I was and contrary to the preceding times, I agree to yield it to you in this world where only the old laws and the force of the ancestors prevail. Takes-there. It is your wife, before mine. That the curse that you threw me can end, that again I have children and that finally they live and returns to me happy.

The old man does not say word. The young woman, approached. Under the shades of the forest one guessed that it was naked already. The father of the young man made it be squatted and lean forwards, and had it without another manner in a very robust way for a man of this age. The silence weighing of the night hardly seemed to disturb by the gasps discrete of the young woman. Evou started suddenly and looked behind its shoulders being unaware of the macabre spectacle which, since the night of times, raised many palaver in the villages. It had perceived a gust deafer than the others and, this time, it seemed as anxious as Carlson.

• My God, they are there, murmured-it in Carlson. They is not necessary that these three there see us, if not there will be also problems on the physical world. Look at where you puts the feet...

Much more prudently than previously, they moved away a few meters. When it thought of being enough far from the fornicators, Carlson stopped Evou.

- Why does one have to be afraid from these three there?

• Park that they are old ancestral pacts since the night of times. Certain fathers require to sexually know their daughter-in-law to increase their capacity or hidden power and their appetite. And also because deaths in their made lines requires it. And you heard, the poor one already had two women but all the children die then they is obliged to incline itself.

• But it is Mekome...

• Your colleague of DEA of African history with which you did come? And then? You saw it was naked.

• What does that change?

• How it was agreeing! If that had been the opposite one would have seen an image simply, work. However, it was there, moving. In any event these stories are boxes with problems. One day when the other the old man will not be satisfied any more of the mystical prowesses, he it A will want in flesh and in bone in its bed in the world living and then there of other problems will come like paternity from the children and other trifles...

A flash spouts out sky suddenly and tore the surrounding landscape. It had as an odor of suffers, a quite thick grey smoke wrapped the vegetation. The two men, under their feet, did not feel any more the ground nor their legs. Something of others tore, from the dead shrubs deviated, opening the ground revealing another underground vegetation. Other shrubs, more alive, leaned only on the side. It is at this moment that a song of gosier rose and a kind of obscure day appeared. The sun, at the horizon was almost white, one would have confused it with the moon. Near, much more close, of the men strong with simply of a mask-sex advanced in Indian file. It would have been said that it went all against the sun so much their shades were reflected in this last. An immense river appeared under their eyes. This water moved, stirred up as if it were shaken. Choked laughter seemed inhabited the surface of this river. Nearer, well too close a metal noise penetrated their ears violently. It was a noise which Carlson recognized because that had made it flee hotel room from where they had made come the spirits. A noise of sword, knife and machete that one sharpens with stones, which one rubs against other machetes. A noise of war, a noise of torn flesh with vintage. Thick feet with the large and short toes advanced in the forest. Evou and Carlson, squatted in their hiding-place, rose slowly. The feet, several pairs of feet, moved in front of and behind them, in their left and their right-hand side, formant of the oblique lines. Knees appeared. When they were enough close, the pair of feet nearest in front of them stirred up its toes slowly. The movement was calm but revealed an impatience which did not escape to the two men. The left leg started to tremble, gently more abruptly very strongly. Carlson outlined a movement of panic that Evou repressed by muzzling the mouth with its hand to him. Lastly, the top of the body of the man appeared, shaken spasms. It was short, of the thick muscles, the clear skin like the albinos that Carlson had already seen, the very red eyes. The hair of the man seemed yellow and maroon. Its chest started to make sudden starts.

• You left, after us to have called upon, reproached him the man tightened an accusing finger towards Carlson. You us ace flees, as the women of your days which design the child and give up it the light heart.

Its finger also started to tremble and sudden it made a grimace by looking at Evou.

• Wa! Nzoute Mbot, o ne za²? Grogna T-it in fang.

• Tsira, me ne e mone Edou Bekal. Ayong Nkodjein³.

• Ah! O ne biè mone, sighed the man, lowering his finger. Wa fe o ne ntoumou⁴.

Evou shook the head as a sign of consent.

• Mbia yi e bo bâ, continued the type a suspicion of tear in the eyes. Mbot Be mve wou, bia wo oloune, has your. Bia wo oloune⁵, continued the man who of a blow made half-turn the arched back.

Other pairs of feet, which had finished not being complementary are reflected to follow them. Without a word, encircled, the two boys made in the same way. The paths had been covered with mud, their feet entered there to the ankles. In the distance of the tears of women were made hear but more they advanced more it seemed to them that these tears remained remote. It did not seem to be possible to know of it the source, they were all there simply, distant but present. Evou looked at the old man opposite him which followed the others become leaders of the file. This man walked very slowly and yet, of its eyes of initiate, Evou saw his muscles stirring up, mixing in an autonomous way. It vintage to see something moving above. Things stirred up on the skin of this man. They was of Mbiri old, strong belief of the bottom of the ages to relegate now in vulgar masks and ordinary objects of worship. One of the masks appeared red then seemed to be emptied and become grey-black. It opened large its mouth and seemed to howl, but no sound was made hear. Evou realized that Carlson saw it too. "This must-to be the potion of the priest, thought Evou."

Evou finished its training in sorcery and was in five years to replace his/her father who aspired to taste with a simpler life. Carlson had been recommended to him by a friend of its sister. That one even as they had seen being made collapse and plow by its old future father-in-law. Carlson was impassioned by the history of the African beliefs. In third cycle with this friend, it had been tried by an experiment supra normal, to know some a little more about the beliefs of Fangs, these people which venerated Mvet, left zither guarantor of their memory at the disputed origins. But the poor boy seemed to lose the spirit by seeing strange people leaving the zither under his eyes.

• Where does it take us along? Carlson blew whereas the first file was inserted in Ntem, the large river of the province.

• On the other side of the bank, the cemetery of water, where rests their deaths, their great despair.

• Why despair?

• It y ` has several centuries, Fangs were controlled by people more powerful than them. One day, they are to revolt and were pursued by their enemies through many country. And like Moïses in Egypt, they last their safety in Ntem. The problem, it is that water claimed in exchange of the crossing of the lives. However, after the crossing the people realized that there was more death than envisaged. He y' had of it so much! The old ones say that this river was much larger and much deeper than now. Then it y' had cries, the people tore and certain did not want to live beside the object of their tragedy. Others, inconsolable remained nights and the moons on this bank like awaiting a possible resurrection of their deaths. They always had on the face a fold of pain signs of an immense suffering. It is from there that the name comes to them from Ntoumou.

The two men also approached the edge of water. On the other side of the bank, men and women, as left several centuries ago sauntered occupied to daily tasks. Evou felt its ears to tremble so much extremely which it had a headache.

• How is your crossed like them, without swimming and drowning?

• We are here in spirits, you will be able gift to cross the river, not like the Christ who walked on water, but you will walk inside and you will not run...

These last words, while having a finger on its painful temple, it had pronounced them by realizing suddenly that Carlson, contrary to him was not there in spirit. It had fled the ceremony while passing by the door.

• Your urines, Carlson, tells Him Evou by retaining the young man by the arm to prevent it from spanning the river.

But the young man got clear.

• Carlson, you left your urines on the ground whereas the old spirits were already there. You ran in the wind, you sweated on a cloud which transported you here, where it wanted that you would be. And me, I followed blindness your trace. We are not on the ground!

Carlson stopped its walk and seemed divided between the desire to listen to Evou and thirst to finally water stories of the cradle of the world only while crossing the river as long as it still had the capacity of it.

• Carlson, you ace say to the masks demon father that you wanted to unearth the truths kill and dead because forgotten.

• It is exact.

• Carlson, the masks said to you that these revelations were not possible that with the devoted beings body and hearts. White and being not initiated, you would have to provide much more effort to bring back to a virtual life things banished by the lapse of memory in the memory of the men. You will be slave of your work!

Evou noticed that a man, very thin with the almost yellowish skin looked at Carlson with signs of impatience. Carlson was going to turn the head in its direction but Evou seizing it by the arm prevented some. By the prominence of its belly and the musculature of its Evou thighs had known that it was a carrier of relics.

• Does not look at it in the eyes, Carlson! Do you make not include/understand? Ntoumous, those which remained, became like the whining ones, very old hearts very which nourish sorrows of the melancholies henceforth, sufferings of the alive ones. The world of sadness their so much tightened the throat and the jewel of the heart that never they could not be demolished some. Then you understand that when obscure dreams are nourished, alive sufferings and force, it is necessary to go to hunting, it is necessary to kill!

• You want to say that Ntoumous are bad? And you?

• But not, I speak to you about those which died with deaths! And deaths of the crossing! The spirits which haunt these places are bad, not us them Ntoumous alive...! In theory.

• I want to go there, decided Carlson.

• By the wishes that you made your name is in the zither. They know you like God made us. You cannot fight them, you cannot fight. But you can flee, avoid them, they will have thus less influence on you.

Carlson had a movement of impatience and moved towards water.

• Carlson, does not trust the relics! He shouted Evou

• And if the masks had lied? He answered Carlson on the same tone.

• In any world exists treachery, Carlson. But prostrate not. The fame, knowledge all of last will return to you happy, you. Te will make rich, you. But your descent will be cursed because the relics will nourish their hearts. You will have women who will hate you. Your children, those which nature will give you, meal of the relics will soil women, will spread their descents inhabited by spirits dead and pursued by all the hells! You will leave anything with you, strictly nothing behind you! Look at me and this fog will disappear and I would help you to find the way of the hotel. You will return to healthy Los Angeles and except. Carlson!

The young man turns a little the head, without looking at Evou, then it turns the eyes towards the thick grey smoke which encircles it.

• If, known as resigned Carlson. There will remain my name and works.

It turns the head and undertakes to cross water. Evou tries a step ahead but thick smoke makes disappear Carlson. One sees there nothing any more.

• A the end of your life, Carlson, which will be long, howled Evou. You will cry these children whom you made and who are or died or of the monsters! And when you cry in fact ashes of your soul will leave your eyes. Carlson! Carlson! Wé ke wa yi! Ye wa wok? Wé ke wa yi egning djuè!⁶

Suddenly, the fog is dissipated, a luminous sun appears. Evou looks around him, it is in the forest. Without river, without boat and Carlson. A very small squirrel, of a black, draws its attention by hop on a branch.

• The world is by-there, known as the squirrel by tightening its left leg. A pact is a pact, and a secrecy is before a a whole business which is not concerned. If you hold with the life, never tries to return in place, nor to seek it by the spirit.

Evou looks at the squirrel disappearing then follows the shown way. It knew that with each step, the obscure spirits and in to have died anger, in exchange of required glory, delighted already in vital energies of Carlson, charmed that with the passing of years they will feast with each new birth. It went one tired moment then posed its head against an immense tree.

• Elan élé, sighed-it while being let slip against the tree to its immense external roots. My koume a ka da!⁷

Sat, back counters the tree, the chin known its chest, the naked young man calms down. The tree started to swell by four thorough. Then, gradually it seemed to aspire all gently Evou until it disappears all-with fact. Then, by two thorough the tree lost volume. A cry tore calms it forest. A black squirrel, was posed on one of the immense branches of the tree and started to devour its black nut.

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