C5 CHAPTER FIVE

The mist that covered that area of the coastline was a mixture of grief and the high humidity of the bodies of air that mingled there. Far out at sea, anchored in the cold waters of the slave coast were two ships, though they were far apart, they had a common mission. Two canoes left the side of one, both moving in different directions, unhurriedly. One headed towards the other ship, the other towards the distant coastline, what messages they bear will only show in effect.

Grand popo, Whydah or Jakin, it did not matter, as long as there were still people in the hinterland, then at some point they will fill their ships- the captain of the Portuguese ship thought to himself- as he sighted the appearing silhouette of men, though nowadays one could not really tell the difference. As most guards of the king in Abomey were women- What kind of king will be guarded by women?- He was booked to see the king the next day with the Yevogan, he had known the last one but he had already been informed of the changes.

They were numerous, most of them with a stoic look upon their faces, and could they really be women? Was it a sign of strength? Or was it weakness? Who could tell? - He had come along with gifts for the monarch and he hoped the Yevogan will not be a greedy man. The canoe touched the wooden railings of the dock- Whydah has become famous for the trade in slaves, and it has made many merchants rich and the road to Abomey the most threaded by merchants who regularly had to pay homage to the king. The guards all carried muskets, though not as polished as the ones on his ship. He was taking twenty pieces to the king. But the remarkable thing about these soldiers was not the weapons they carried, he had heard about their power of conquest and the brutality with which they decimate their captives, they had no rules of engagement, they slaughtered with a passion- Something must be driving them to fight that hard- and he had a certain determination to find out. He climbed ashore and walked quietly after the soldier that was there to fetch him.

The coastal cities had been a bone of contention for all the kings around the western region and especially Oyo- for some the trade in slaves must stop, but access to fire arms which was a major component in constituting military might also came from the Europeans and from the coast- So while the Alafin collected tributes from Dahomey, they in turn collected from the merchants at the coast. There were numerous other substitute commodities for trade…cocoa, palm fruit and timber…, but the most viable for exchange was the slaves and firearms.

The population was mixed now, it has not always been so, there were signs of recent fighting, but for some others it was just business as usual, even the merchants were cautious, Oyo could attack at anytime. It was also rumored that the current king in Abomey did not support the trade in slaves, but still wanted arms to resist Oyo- so he will eventually trade. The Yevogansmiled when their eyes met, he observed that he did not look as chubby as the last fellow but having the same ornaments on his person; he smiled back and approached him.

Jakin was a great coastal city once, but it could still recover. The streets were no longer crowded, few of the locals wandered to the coast, danger was what everyone whispered to his neighbor, and the yolk of the colonialist was heavy upon them. Only their elites smiled and welcomed the merchants and their ship, being only glad to make their kinsmen and unwilling exchange for the goods they will come with, an opportunity for them to keep their relevance and establish their superiority, which was all that mattered to them- savages.

Was it possible for them to trade in slaves without involving these clowns? - He wondered for a moment …sitting next to the Yevogan in a horse drawn carriage and next to him was the interpreter. The man occupied an exalted office in the kingdom of Dahomey, his clothes though better than that worn by most of the locals were not good enough for a slave in Portugal, and he smiled continuously as if trying to impress his personality on the captain. The man would have made a good court jester to a French queen… he tried not to bother about what the interpreter said, “the journey will take a whole day, and we will use this carriage”, he heard the interpreter say.” And he said I should ask you if you brought any gifts for him”, and without replying the captain pointed to the wooden boxes which he had come with, the interpreter told the Yevogan who kept on smiling like a fool. He felt very strange in the scene, his life was not better than the one he was in now, he could not pretend that he cared, in his country he was a fugitive, even if he was killed no one will look for him.

They were always being surrounded by soldiers- was it fear or the sign of royalty, but most of them were females, though it was not always so obvious, he even felt more vulnerable. They were not attractive, and they did not make any effort to achieve that, it seems other features could attract a man to them, but to him…he wished he will never have an erection. The Yevogan made sure he was well taken care of; while he wished he did not have to make the journey to Abomey- could they not just sell him the slaves? So he could quietly set sail tomorrow, Freeda will be happy to see him…he felt better at the thought.