BA’AKA
Creative: Barry Nyuydze Berry & Bemsii Williams, 12 November 2023
2023 Climate Future’s Prize, Third Place Winner
Illustration by Holly Brown
Sprint footsteps could be heard from a far distance in the dense forest of South Cameroon and the dying breath sounded as if someone was being chased by a hungry lion. It kept approaching in a fading manner and the silhouette of the person sprinting could be heard nearing the house. She banged on the door in anger, which called the attention of neighbors who came out wondering what could have happened to her, what possibly could have put her in such a state.
“Zuri has always been a calm girl, famous for her tranquility and respect, avoiding troubles and minimizing attacks from other peers,” murmured a neighbor. “But today, the Zuri I saw, hmmmm, something must be wrong somewhere, let’s try and see what might be the issue.”
Before they could reach the door, she burst outside, went to the backyard, came back as if anger had seduced her, and repeatedly shouted “Dalili! Dalili! Dalili! Where is my husband, has someone seen my husband, I have to have a word with him, NOW!” She went inside as if to collect something, came out and rushed to the village square to look for her husband.
Dalili and Zuri have been married for close to two years now and she was on her first pregnancy with rumors suggesting she was carrying twins. So when neighbors saw her agitated, they were mostly afraid for the children’s fate. In their marital home, they never heard Zuri shout at her husband or Dalili furious at her. No, it was really a happy home.
But another neighbor murmured “since the arrival of machines to fell the trees, Zuri has not been herself and she might even be angry against her husband. Yes, I overheard her the other day asking her husband to do something to change the status quo, but it seems he never had time for such discussions. And again, I have noticed that since these machines arrived, Dalili has been spending days in the tavern at the village square drinking raffia.”
Another neighbor chipped in “hmmm, dis wahala na serious one, from all indications, she must have gone to meet her husband, I pray her anger doesn’t take the lead oooo, because I dey fear me na dat pikin dem wey she carry for belle…Abeg, make I go cook my massa ei tchop before ei wan kam back finish me with cosh…” They all retired to their various huts still wondering what might be the real problem.
Zury furiously entered the tavern and dragged her husband out.
“Trees are being cut, animals have all disappeared from the bushes, no sounds of birds are heard at dawn, places are becoming dry, and no man seems to care,” Zuri said in anger.
“My dear Zuri,” Dalili spoke with softness, “there are things that are beyond our reach. If we had the power to resist this deforestation, we would have resisted ever since, but you know money controls…” Before he could finish, Zuri interfered:
“Sorry, my dear husband, I can’t sit and fold my arms drinking raffia while the village is being ravaged, very soon I will give birth. Where will my children play? What connection will they have with nature?”
Turning and addressing the crowd that had assembled, Zuri said “who amongst you here have not had a connection with nature? Which hunter has been able for the past months to bring back home an antelope? Or any valuable bush meat? All you succeed in getting are squirrels and rat moles, yet you sit at the village square and get drunk and watch BA’AKA, our once cherished village, diminish in beauty. If you men decide to remain silent, I won’t sit and do nothing.”
Everyone was in awe, looking at one another, they wondered what might have pushed Zuri to be so furious. Some pitied her, others sighed and left, while still others returned to their drinking spot. Dalili, after listening to his wife speak, went back home somberly, with his cup of raffia, made from the tusk of a buffalo. Zuri had had some dizziness and had sat under an iroko tree to regain some strength before going back home. While there, she slumbered and her mind took her down memory lane to what BA’AKA looked like.
—
BA’AKA was a small village situated in the South of Cameroon known for its tourist attractions. People from around the globe would visit BA’AKA to admire the waterfalls and take pictures of the Mahoganies, Ebonies, Obeches, and Sapelli trees, which were known for providing caterpillars filled with nutrients. The redwoods and the Ayuk trees also drew-in visitors.
The villagers lived mostly off of hunting, which was strictly for men. They hunted bush pigs, antelopes, and other animals. Women, on the other hand, focused on farming. Honey was a source of wealth that could be bartered for other expensive products. BA’AKA was made up mostly of pygmies who lived in harmony and solved their conflicts peacefully. Everyone was a brother and sister to the other.
It is in this harmonious atmosphere that Zuri was given birth to. She was the last of the eight children her parents had. She grew up being attached to nature. Every morning, she would get up and rush to the woods to listen to the different sounds of birds. At times, her other peers had the feeling that she could communicate with birds, as these birds would always be around her shoulders when she whistled a particular sound.
Some days her friends would call out for her to teach them how to whistle, creating a wonderful bond in the village. Zuri would become furious when a tree was felled without being replaced. She would always rush to the palace to report the case. Zuri had bothered the King to the extent that he had to instruct everyone to replant a tree when one is felled, therebying maintaining the natural beauty of the village.
At night, families would gather in the yard around a big fire to recount stories, legends, and myths of the past. This was how history was passed from generation to generation. With drums and gongs, children would dance to the rhythm of the sounds and the dying voices of mothers. The soft voice of young girls would give a sweet melody of
“iyeeeee iyeeeee yeeeee yaaaaaa iyeeeee eeeeee
iyeeeee iyeeeee yeeeee yaaaaaa iyeeeee eeeeee
iyeeeee yaaaaaa iyeeeee eeeeee
iyeeeee yaaaaaa iyeeeee eeeeee”
And people would dance and chant and it was an opportunity for men to woo women they were interested in. It was under such circumstances that Dalili met Zuri and their love story began. They dated for close to two years before Dalili proposed to Zuri, which she accepted. In BA’AKA, when a man was interested in a woman and proposed, parents of both families would sit and discuss around a glass of raffia and some kolanuts to seal the knots between both families. That’s how Zuri and Dalili got married.
When she got married, she couldn’t frequent the woods as much as she had to remain behind and care for her home. One day, her mother fell sick and the cure could only come from the leaves of a particular tree. When Zuri heard of her mother’s illness, she rushed into the woods in search of that particular tree. She walked around the woods in vain: the tree had been cut off without any replacement.
Since the journey of King Chaka to the land of ancestors, fellers had the liberty to do what they liked and no one would dare bother them. Zuri’s mother, Azibo, meaning earth, died because they couldn't find a cure. Zuri was inconsolable. Old people kept dying gradually because the felling of trees had become a lucrative business, the new King even had a financial stake in the deforestation. Engine machines were now used and the smoke from them polluted the air and new forms of disease were contracted. Animals migrated in search of new habitats and famine started to visit the village. BA’AKA gradually lost its status as a tourist attraction. Women of BA’AKA urged their husbands to do something, but it seemed they were not ready for any action. Those who tried were bought off by money.
When Zuri became pregnant, the situation worsened. There were almost no trees in the village. With the knowledge that her unborn children would live in such a deforested and polluted environment, she had to do something to change the status quo. She secretly summoned all the women who still loved the village and put in place a movement that would fight against such acts, risking their own lives in the process. It was after the numerous secret meetings that she came back furiously looking for her husband and finally found him at the tavern.
—
While Zuri was dreaming, there was a heavy sound on the ground – ‘bannnngggg’ – that awoke her. Fellers had finished in the woods and were now heading to the space where there were more of Ayuk trees and Sapelli. The fellers now knew that these two types of trees could provide more money than the others. As she was all alone, she chanted to summon the other women and they all came singing
“iyeeeee iyeeeee yeeeee yaaaaaa iyeeeee eeeeee
iyeeeee iyeeeee yeeeee yaaaaaa iyeeeee eeeeee
iyeeeee yaaaaaa iyeeeee eeeeee
iyeeeee yaaaaaa iyeeeee eeeeee”
in honor of their culture, identity, and values. The head of the fellers, preceded by the King, proposed to buy the trees, but with one voice the women said:
“Money can’t bring back our dead parents
Money can’t buy our children
Money can’t buy our values and culture
Money can’t buy our identity
We don’t want your money, we want back our trees”
As the King tried to support the fellers, the women shouted: “if you want our trees, then take us with our trees, we won’t tolerate the felling of trees anymore, you either choose your people or you choose money.” The King was embarrassed and called the other fellers, who left together. The whole community was amazed by what had just happened, how women took it into their own hands to protect their environment and secure a better future for their unborn children and young ones.
Gradually, the seeds of the Ayuk and Sapelli trees, which were secretly hidden by the women of the village, were distributed and planted throughout the village. The men, seeing how things were gradually changing, joined the fight and decided to chase all the fellers from the village. The King had no choice but to respect the will of the population.
Reforestation became the essence of all activities in the village and men slowly started coming back from hunting with antelopes and bush meat. The fight for a green environment reached the table of international organizations and grassroots NGOs, who began assisting the fight. Reforestation programs were launched, trees were planted, and BA’AKA regained its status as a tourist attraction. The pregnant Zuri became a very strong environmental activist in the community. Some months later she gave birth to twins and the natural environment welcomed them with amazement. That is how I, and your uncle Bolaji, my twin brother, came to birth.
Muleya, Zuri’s daughter, narrated the tales of her mother to her daughter, Faraji, Zuri’s granddaughter. Muleya added, “if I am telling you this story it is for you to also be a protector of nature, let the strength of your grandmother be known by all so that every woman understands that environmental problems are not just an issue for men to handle, but women too. Now it is bedtime, go and sleep.”
“But mama,” Faraji said with some sadness. “I don’t want to sleep, tell me more stories and also teach me how to understand the sounds of birds and how to dance the ‘iyeeeee.”
“Don’t bother, my child,” said Muleya. “Tomorrow I will tell you more stories and I will teach you all the sounds your grandmother taught me. I promise! Now close your eyes and sleep! Good night my child!”
“Good night mama.”
Muleya turned off the bush lamp and went to bed.