Zarah stood gazing at the sky and wondering what the fate of humans will be, if the darkness overcomes the light at its own time, when Aisha tapped her on the shoulder. " Let's go find some bucket to drum to help the light win this battle, if not, we will be all doom to the wickedness of the people of darkness." Aisha said while dragging Zarah by the hand to the corner where their mates were drumming buckets and other tools and singing the song of praise to the sun to help it defeat the moon.
Victory for light.
Shame to darkness.
Victory for light.
Shame to darkness.
Victory to light.
Shame to darkness. They sang the song going round in a circle drumming their bucket and other instruments. Zarah was just 12 years old, too young to challenge the stories they were told by their parent but bright enough to know it was an eclipse and not the fight between the dark force and that of the light, she have been taught that in her geography class in primary six(6) But she wonder why the parents do not know more about the eclipse and were also busy making incantation and prayers for the sun to defeat the moon.
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The people of Zango have this myth that, whenever there was an eclipse, the banished gods of iron were trying to enter their villages and do harm to the people and their farm lands. But with their songs and prayers, it will help the gods of the light prevent it from entering.
That afternoon, a sudden darkness had covered the cloud, the people on their farms running back to their houses, and for the children of Zarah's age, it was the first time to see the eclipse and a total darkness to cover the earth at 1:pm, but had heard stories how darkness had wanted to overthrow the light and its implication on human if it does.
The drumming, singing and prayers continued for hours. The battle seems to be fierce as at some point the light may seem to be winning and at other times the darkness will seem to be winning, and when the darkness seems to be winning, their prayers and singing become even more serious and louder.
The battle finally ended in the favour of the light, it was then 5pm. Zarah watched in awe as her father, who hardly killed any of their plenty of chicken for a meal, except for a visitor, killed two chickens for a meal that evening to celebrate the victory of the gods of light. And as it was the culture, that after any victory by the gods of light, seven day of feast and partying will be organised by the village to share in love for the victory. And no one is allowed to go to the farm that week. As it is the season of light. And this culture remains till date among the people of Zango.
