"A Clutch of Snakes": A Collection of Short Stories set in the tropical rain Forest of west Africa
There’s trouble in Zoeta, “The Town of the Zoes” (Shamans.) Deadly vipers are coming into the village, killing people.
Compellingly vibrant, colorful characters of villagers and expatriates alike are threatened by the infestation of snakes. The villagers; Chief and Elders, Snake Hunters, Zoes, Mandingos and the men at the Palm Wine Shop as well as the expatriates, including Missionaries running a Literacy Center, Peace Corps Volunteers building a road and an Anthropologist travelling with a wild animal trapper and Mercenary, all have their points of view as to why snakes are attacking the village.
Anomalies, misunderstandings and unintended consequences plague all as they attempt to understand the problem and each other. The conflict between the people in these indelible stories leads to some striking psychological and cultural insights.
These short stories will satisfy and delight the arm-chair Anthropologist in us all.
Entertaining and thoughtful, these stories follow each character until they are trapped together by the Chief’s Law: “No One In/ No One Out” of the village until the problem of the snakes is solved.
First John has the best job in the village, working as the Director for the Missionaries’ Literacy Center. A hippopotamus of a man, First John’s brothers acknowledge his status by sending him their sons, to raise.
One morning, Donna, the newly arrived Wife of the Missionary Pastor, Michael Jenson catches one of First John’s charges in her pantry, with a tin of bacon in his hand. Donna brings the “Rogue” to First John for punishment. Unfortunately, Donna’s ideas of justice and First John’s solution to the problem collide with unintended consequences in “There’s No Fault on First John.”
The Missionaries, Michael Jenson and his wife, Donna, live in the village of Zoeta while learning the language and culture of the Folo People. One evening, the village groundhog hunter, Koboi (co-bway) goes to check his traps just behind the missionary’s house and encounters a leopard caught in his snare.
Hurrying to the missionary house, Koboi desperately seeks a shotgun to dispatch the leopard. He is shocked and can’t believe Pastor Jenson doesn’t own a gun. Other misunderstandings occur until Pastor Jenson is perturbed by The Land Father’s ceremony for the spirit of the Sacred Animal; Leopard. Most disturbing to the Missionary, is the “Leopard Meat” given to him in, “Eating the Leopard.”
Mamado (mama-dough) travels to the Capitol to join the Army, but meets his cousin, “Cousin” instead, who owns his own taxi. Careening carelessly through the Capitol streets, Mamado and Cousin pick up fares in the taxi without a meter, until Mamado learns to drive the automobile, himself.
One evening, during his night shift, Mamado picks up some unusual customers, including a fat, White Man who hurriedly leaves his briefcase filled with money in Mamado’s back seat. Cousin and Mamado argue the implications of the suitcase in “Mamado’s Taxi; In God we Trust.”
Kuloboh (cool-a-bow) is a wrinkled old woman who lives alone in her hut, making her medicines while talking with the Ancestors. When three children are drowned in the river by the village, the Headwoman, Mama Yasa (yeah-saw) drags Kuloboh from her hut and accuses her in front of everyone in the village of being the Witch that killed the children. Her response to the charges is a surprising one, told in “The Ways of a Witch.”
These and other stories, “The Palaver,” “No One is Over the Chief,” “A Warrior Fasts,” “Snake Hunt” combine to explore the anomalies and cultural shocks in the clash of cultures caused by “A Clutch of Snakes.”
The Author of these stories lived with a tribe in Africa for almost four years. His experiences and insights are reflected in these short stories set in the West African rain forest.