Assata

A Story by UniqueChi

Four men and four women that were different shades of brown pounded on the drums before them. They smiled as sweat poured down their face and the sun began to set. They stood at the edge of the giant bonfire that was surrounded by their people dancing and singing. Young children played with the spirits of the forest who were drawn to their innocence. The elders clapped their hands with joy in their eyes.

When the sun had set and the stars covered the night sky like a blanket a man stood up and drummers stopped beating their drums and the people grew quiet. The man was at least seven feet tall, muscular with thick long locks. His eyes were light brown and his skin a deep cocoa color and just as smooth. Beneath his right eye was a tattoo. The tattoo was two parallel lines with a circle joining them. He looked into the beautiful women eyes that was sitting beside him and smiled. He held out his hand to her and pulled her up. The woman was only a couple of inches shorter than he was. Her locks were about shoulder length and her eyes were a dark hazel. Her skin was the of shea butter. Beneath her right eye was the same tattoo as the mans. She was a warrior, his wife and queen of his people, the man was her husband. The king of her people.

“Agale’a hie ya la!! Strength comes from within!!” The king and queen shouted in unison and their people cheered. “Today your princess becomes a woman” The queen shouted as her daughter Assata was escorted out of the woman’s tent and into the circle of her people. Assata bowed deeply to her mother and father.