Contest Entry: Writing contest by @kofimaestro || Aku Sika

Hello steemians,

I am glad to share with you a story as my entry into the writing contest organized in the Steem Ghana Community.

Designed by @kofimaestro

Once there lived a couple in a small town called Mempɛasɛm. The couple lived 15years without a child until light shone on them at the end of the tunnel. In their 16th year in marriage Maame Amra got pregnant and gave birth to a bouncing baby girl whom they named Aku. Aku grew more beautiful as she aged.
Agya Manu, Aku's father, was a farmer and a hunter. One unlucky day arrived where Aku got her left hand chopped off by one of Agya Manu's traps. It was a sad situation but nothing could be done about that.

Source
Aku Sika

At the age of 10, Aku lost her mother and the father remarried to Ante Duro. Ante Duro was nice to Esi during the early ages of the marriage but developed hatred for her as she had her first child thinking Esi would inherit her husband's property. Esi bore all the worries till she was married to the King of the village.
But from the time her hand was chopped off, she always walked with clothes around her neck to prevent people from knowing.

Source

Aku as a fourth wife was hated much by the third wife as she was more beautiful and loved by the husband.
But before the final marriage rite was done to complete Aku's marriage to the king, the secret of her amputated hand was revealed by the third wife and was a disgrace for a king's wife to have such deformity in the village.
People argued but the third wife stood by her point and vowed that if what she said was a lie, they should hang her.

Since it was a shame for a king's wife-to-be to be asked to come into the public to show the village she hand both hands, the king organized a fest where the king's wives would pound grains.
Aku afraid of being disgraced and killed decided to run away. She packed some few belongings and took off. On reaching a river, she met one young man who after enquiring why she was running in the dark decided to help her.
He made some few recotations and a giant snake appeared. He ordered Aku to put her deformed hand in the mouth of the snake and she obeyed. As she removed her hand, it became complete and was given some golden jewelleries to put on that hand.
With joy Aku departed back home with her hand still in the cloth as before.

On the day of the fest, all the king's wives came to pound their grain and Aku being the last wife took her turn as the last person. She started pounding with the one hand and the third wife started shouting so did the villagers, 'Aku has only one hand!, Aku has only one hand!' As they all called for her head, she removed the other hand and started pounding with both hands.
'Wowww', they all shouted.
Since the third wife vowed with her head as the offering, she was hanged.
The King on seeing the golden jewels said indeed it was because of her jewels that she was hiding that hand from all.
The King told the whole village that no more will she be called Aku but Aku Sika where Sika means money.

This is a story which has been told for generations to serve as advice to all who enter into marriages, live with orphans, and gossips.
Was extracted from Nana Ampadu's song Aku Sika. It has also been used in the production of the Ghanaian movie, 'Aku Sika'.

Thank you for your time.

Cc:
@oppongk
@nattybongo
@njaywan