A MYSTERIOUS STORY OF AN AFRICAN JUNGLE

A MYSTERIOUS STORY OF AN AFRICAN JUNGLE
The African like any other humankind living under the sun has experiences as he interacts with his environment but when he shares this experience, it is described merely as superstitious and an unscientific pronouncement. Yet the African’s World view must not be analysed scientifically or logically because it transcends beyond these fields of analyses. You need to experience it to really understand it. This is why I have decided to share my experience so you may understand the African when he speaks.
As an educated African, I was educated to discredit all African stories and experiences as mere legends that lack any credibility or serious attention till I had this jungle experience.
I was born in a village situated near a jungle which can easily pass for a virgin forest. The elders of the village have over the generations barred people from entering the forest either for hunting or farming. It was a taboo for anyone to even think of or enter into any part of the forest except on the last night of the celebration of our kundumitee festival where the traditional priest will visit a designated part of the forest to perform a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the ancestors and the gods. As a young boy growing up in this village I asked questions why people are not allowed to do anything in this jungle. My grandmother with trepidation and owe, and speaking with a tone suggesting she would not wish anyone hear her even talk about the forbidden forest will attempt to rehearse countless number of stories and strange things that takes place in the forest and indeed took place in the past which makes the forest an abode of spirits and therefore not to be trespassed or visited by mere humans. As a young boy I believed everything my grandmother told me about that jungle.
However, my belief in these strange stories changed as I graduated with a second class upper degree in forestry. My studies and research trips into similar forests in other areas close to where I had my university education drastically changed my perceptions and I decided to break the myth surrounding the forbidden forest or jungle in my village.
I made my intensions known to my mother because by the time I graduated my grandmother had passed away into eternal glory. I confided in my mother and she advised me to seek permission from the elders of the village. Her advice was in consistent with research practice so I obliged even though I knew my request will be turned down by the elders of the village. As I foreknew, the elders of the village did not take it kindly with me when I asked that I am permitted to enter the forbidden forest. They even threatened to fine me for even daring to speak such abominable words in their ears.
With the request turned down and having been cautioned not to approach the elders with any such request I decided to embark on an adventure in the night when all in the village were asleep and no one will see me doing my research. I was determined to prove my village folks wrong and bring to their notice the wealth locked up in the forest while they wallow in abject poverty and also to liberate them from their superstitious beliefs.
Before embarking on my night adventure and research I had to plan. My research topic was “Discovering the Riches of the Amanama Village Forest Reserve for Poverty Alleviation”.
For my hypothesis I stated, “The discovery of the rich flora and fauna resources preserved in the Amanama forest can break the poverty cycle in the village”. Additionally “the discovered flora and fauna resources can be turned into a tourist attraction site to generate income for the development of the village”. I believe my discoveries will open up the village as motor able roads would be constructed to the village for visitors to access the forest resource. Some of the people may be employed as forest guards or tour guides while others will have visitors buying their village crafts and handiworks and all of these will transform the lives and standard of living of my people.
With my research method almost stated, I begun to secretly gather my tools and equipments for the night expedition into the forest. I acquired a powerful flashlight, and added my uncle’s hunter’s lamp to it, a sharp cutlass for cutting obstacles that may cross my path or for making a trail through the jungle. I also acquired an overall suit, raincoat and a boot to protect myself. I had an old firearm which belonged to my late uncle who was a hunter. After gathering all the equipments and hiding them away at a secret place I waited for the moon to be bright and full in the skies so I can embark on my adventure.
Finally, the right time arrived and on a fine Friday night when the entire village were busily celebrating and mourning the death of a young man who was the leader of the village local army called “the Asafo warrior company” and no one’s attention was towards the forest direction I set off to begin to observe the forest to discover the resources there.
I had already done a reconnaissance survey to locate the spot I will use to enter the thick forest in advance so it was not difficult disappearing very fast into the thick Jungle. I have had experience as a student to do a night observation in a forest before so it was cool and exciting doing it again, only this time I was alone unlike the previous experience when I did it in a group. The excitement to discover the riches spared me on and at the back of my mind I was soon going to become a hero in the village and perhaps be honoured at the next durbar of chiefs and people at the celebration of our next festival.
Like any typical jungle I had experienced, there was no undergrowth and the forest floor was open. I guessed I had added a cutlass just to increase the load I was carrying. I did not walk quite far when I begun to see evidence of what I suspected to see. Since most of the animal life (fauna) is nocturnal, it was time to come out to search for food. The spectacle was quite interesting to watch. Since the animals were not used to the strong flashlight I was using, they became immobilized and I could virtually walk to touch any of them I wished but I was a bit afraid to do so since they are in the wild state and did not know how they will react in such a situation. I decided to observe them while taking caution to protect myself from any danger or attack.
After observing the scene for a while and having taken control of an initial feeling of fear and apprehension I decided to take photographs of the animals so that back at home I can upload the pictures on my desk top computer to analyse them. With the help of my mobile phone, a nokia N8820 which had a digital camera that could take both still and video scenes, I begun to take and shoot a few interesting sights and scenes.
While taking pictures my attention was suddenly drawn to four young deer doing the chase under the forest floor. It was interesting watching them do the chase with several jumping antics. The little deers were so skilful and they seem to have learnt a lot from their parents. Then, a head of deers numbering over fifty moved in a convoy towards a particular direction in the forest. I decided to follow their trail to do a little observation since they were walking leisurely and feeding on some herbs while on the move. I realised that the little deers went ahead of the convoy as means to determine whether the path ahead of them was safe. The adult deer waited a while for the little four to display for some time ahead of them and if no surprise or attack befalls them, then they will move ahead. I was so careful not to cause any agitation to cause them to flee. I followed them for about an hour and this time I guessed I had gone about a mile or more into the forest. I could no longer hear the drum sounds from the village funeral grounds.
Suddenly, all the animals took to their heels in a fearful flight as if pursued by a wild animal. I quickly took cover in an ant hill nearby just in case a dangerous beast is on its way towards me. I put off my flash light and hid the camera phone in the pocket of my overall. There was a small cave in the ant hill so I pressed myself hard into it so I can be protected. Suddenly, the cave opened up wide and I slipped through what looked like a conveyor belt faster than I could imagine into the cave.
The conveyor landed me into what looked like another village where the sun shone as if it was noon. Even though I had slide through the cave I could not feel any bruises or pain in any part of my body. The luggage I was carrying was gone and I was standing in a strange land with strange creatures with both human and animal features.
The creatures in the strange village looked more like humans but very short measuring about four feet tall. Instead of human hair, they had animal fur on their skins. The fur covered their entire body like dogs and so they did not wear cloths. They walked like humans but much swifter. They could vanish or disappear and reappear at will. They spoke a strange language but they could also speak and understand any language spoken by humans. They were super humans with extra-ordinary intelligence. They could predict and also tell you things that may have occurred several years ago.
The village was rather not a sophisticated one as one would expect judging from their super intelligence and knowledge. There was no market, schools, or any social amenities. They had built mounds and cave like structures all over the place and that served as some kind of shelter for them. I realised that they did not know anything or experience anything like night, rain, hot or cold weather.
In a state of shock and unspeakable panic I could no longer stand on my feet so I feel down flat. The soil found there were quite different from any I have seen. They looked like freshly fallen frost but very dry. It does not make you dirty or dusty when you lie or walk in it.
After lying for a while I felt a touch on my back and I found myself in a huge cave with a lot of these creatures assembled like in a forum. I could not understand what they were discussing but I could guess they were discussing an issue. Then most of them started filling out of the place and I was left with a few. One of the creatures which looked quite old, like an old village dog came close to me and moved round in a circle around me three times and then spanned very fast before me. By this time I was reclining on the ground with what looked like a stone supporting my head.
Then he begun to speak to me in my native language and welcomed me to their village. He told me exactly what brought me into the forbidden forest and also recounted what my grandmother and the elders of my village had told me about the forest. He assured me that they were not going to harm me but they will teach me a lot of things that will make my life and that of my village better than the motive or idea I had for entering the forest.
He touched me again and this time the creature started speaking another language and I could understand what the creature was telling me. Only I could not speak. Infact, throughout my stay in that strange village I could not speak if I wanted to. I only spoke when I was enabled by them. These were times that they wanted to find out whether I had understood a lesson.
I could not recon the days I spent there because there was neither day nor night. We never rested and I never felt hunger nor testy for water. Even though in my rounds in the village I saw rivers with all kinds of water creatures and others that looked like fish, no bathing nor washing took place until the final day of my stay, they gave me what looked like a ceremonial bath to impart powers on me.
I was informed that I was going to be transformed into a powerful traditional medicine man with knowledge in herbs that could heal all kinds of ailments and diseases, both spiritual and physical ailments.
The first lesson was to introduce me to herbs that could be used to induce fire and to cause thunder to strike when I am under attack or danger. A forester now turned into a manufacturer of flora bombs. I had no will to refuse or reject anything they wished to do to me. I was almost beside myself and subject to their manipulations. I was endowed with some powers such that they can control me and move me towards anything they want me to be in contact with or to have knowledge of. They will move me about very swiftly to all kinds of herbs and I will get them. Then by the same control they will move me to do some incantations and the herbs will react and combine in a magical way to produce either the light or thunder.
They made me to understand that the purpose is not that this knowledge is used to destroy but that I was free after learning them to use the knowledge anyway or anyhow I wished, provided it served my interest and it makes me powerful, popular, and famous before humans. After each lesson, they whisked me to a location to try it on humans to see how potent the power I had acquired was. Then they will bring me back to the village of the underworld again for more lessons.
The next lesson was to teach me how to communicate with any animal under the sun. They told me every animal has a language system and since I may be using animals to carry out some of my assignments which they will assign to me when I am sent back to my village I need to learn animal language.
The first animal language I was enabled to learn was that of snakes. Snakes hiss and every hissing sound conveys a message or has information. I had to learn the hissing of several types of snakes such as pythons, cobra, the viper and the royal python. Each snake has a particular assignment it can discharge best. I was also made to understand that there are some dangerous herbs that a human- being should not dare to attempt to get from the forest. You need to send a particular snake to fetch it for you.
The next animal language was that of birds. Here again, several birds have their own language and a kind of assignment you can give to them to perform. I was thought the language of the owl, the bat, the eagle, and several nocturnal birds. The eagle for example is useful for taping some reptiles that are useful for performing some rituals.
I was thought a lot of things by these dwarfs in the mysterious cave and the jungle that if I should recount them there will not be space to write them.
I was gone for almost two years in the forest and my family and the village have long stop caring about me. Some had guessed that I had secretly entered the forest I had been forbidden to enter and I had been snatched by the gods.
One Sunday morning when the people in my village were doing communal labour to clean the village, I was mysteriously carried by these wonderful creatures and suspended in the air on top the roof of the traditional priest of the village, dressed in fur like the creatures I had lived with for the past two years. It was a spectacle to watch in the village. The traditional priest was called to pour libation and I was brought down by the creatures. I could see them holding me aloft that was why I was suspended in the air but no one amongst the people in the town except the traditional priest could see what was happening. After the libation they slowly brought me down and bid me farewell. The people saw me waving in the air but did not understand what I was doing.
When the strange creatures left I did some of the dances I was thought in the underworld village still hearing music from the underworld. When I stopped hearing the music the ecstatic dance stopped and I regained my consciousness and voice but could not speak my native language or any other language that any human could understand. I was in the dress I returned in for three days and never ate nor drunk. On the third day the strange creatures appeared to me again and took off the dress and permitted me to wear only traditional dresses. Then I regained full control of myself and could now speak my native language to address my people in the village.
A ceremony was done to enthrone me as a powerful healer in my village and people from far and near visited the village with one problem or the other to seek for solution or protection.
My village had become popular because of me and our fame was gone very far.
What really became of my project to discover the preserved resources of the forest and my hypotheses? Did my experience help to prove it or not? There is one thing that I am assured of that science and logic can never explain everything that exists in the universe. Some things or phenomena are experiential and not subject to scientific analysis or proof or research.
After practicing as a powerful spiritualist for years, I saw another great light which is brighter than any light I have ever seen this light is Jesus. The light that overcomes the deepest darkness and the darkest sinfulness of Humanity. This is another phenomenon that cannot be analyzed scientifically but it is true. Glory be to God who saves us through Jesus Christ his Son.