Blood Pact

The ground was becoming sticky, and Josiane had to wade between the rushes and reeds of the marsh, the cutting plants that ripped like razors. She did not feel the sting. She was talking to herself, reciting to herself in a whisper, in the murmuring of the night.

“I will walk to the end of the green glow of the stars. Then I will have to climb again, climb that small, steep cliff. We will cling to the sharp peaks and ridges with our fingers, so we won’t slip: even if we scrape our feet. We only have to brace ourselves, hold on. Hold still to keep from falling. We will have to bandage the muscles. And then make a last effort. Then we will arrive at the great plain, flooded with blue and red lights. You will see, my child! The moon is beautiful tonight. It shines just for us; for you, and for Sanga: because Sanga is in you; because Sanga is in me.”

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Incandescences

“Pedro dreamed, so intensely. He would rebuild his father’s house, stitch up the straw roof, and repair the charred walls. He would provide him with a comfortable home, built from hard stone, which would never be tossed about during hurricanes or storms during monsoon seasons. The entry doors will be pointed eastward. There, where the sun beams down its first rays, still hot from the warmth of the earth’s belly.

Pedro’s trophies would be suspended from the ceiling, from which he would hang shimmering parrots’ feathers and a scepter studded with cowrie shells and golden thumbtacks. A huge drum covered with buffalo skins held in place by small steel-headed nails will have the place of honor in the corner.

Leopard skins will represent the highest rung of his lineage. His mother would reign in the middle of a large courtyard planted with avocado, blossoming mandarin orange, and thick chestnut trees. The cheeks of the one who gave him life would be coated with soft creams. She will smile with pleasure, strong in the shade of almond trees.ˮ

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About the Author

Nkashama Pius Ngandu is from the City of Mbujimayi (D. Republic of Congo) and has been a Professor of literature in Algeria (Annaba-Constantine), France (Limoges, Paris Sorbonne Nouvelle), and is currently at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. He wrote novels and poems in cilubà, his maternal language. He was Granted for the Excellence of his Commitment and contribution to the Francophone Caucus (“African Literature Association,” Yale University, 2017).