Fosuaa And The Thief
AARON ANSAH-AGYEMAN
PRINCESS BY HEART SERIES
FOSUAA AND THIEF
EPISODE 1
Fosuaa knew she was a slave. She was born to be a slave because she was a member of the Ohia Clan in the village of Sika.
It had always been a tradition that girls from the Ohia clan were selected to be slaves for the queen. Girls from the Adom clan, however, were always selected to be princesses that marry the princes.
When a new prince was born, his future bride was selected from the Adom clan and made a Princess, and at the same time another girl was selected from the Ohia clan to be the slave of the selected princess.
Thus, when Prince Amakye was born, Adobea was chosen from the Adom clan to be his future queen … and Fosuaa was chosen from the Ohia clan to serve Adobea.
When Prince Amakye was sixteen years old he was sent to the city to continue his education. He had been gone for almost ten years. Everybody knew that when he returned he would marry Adobea, and someday when he became king, Adobea would be his queen.
Maame Benewaa was a middle-aged woman in Sika. She trained the Adom clan girls on how to be very good princesses, and she trained girls from the Ohia clan on how to be very good maids to the princesses.
As was the custom, Adobea and Fosuaa went to Maame Benewaa’s house frequently to be trained in their roles.
A beautiful carriage always took them to Maame Benewaa’s house. Adobea sat in the cool interior whilst Fosuaa sat beside the driver.
Fosuaa was not bitter. She never envied Adobea. Her family would be paid well because she was a slave. She had two older sisters and three brothers and her parents were poor, but with the money they would receive, she knew her family would finally live comfortably.
It was the dream of every family in the Ohia clan to have a girl taken from them to serve as a slave. There were about ten families in the Ohia clan, and always the most beautiful girl was chosen.
One morning, the carriage came for Fosuaa as usual.
Adobea was already sitting inside, and she was in a bad mood because Fosuaa was late.
“I won’t tolerate your lateness anymore!” Adobea scolded her. “I don’t like to be kept waiting!”
Just as she had been taught, Fosuaa bowed low to Adobea.
“Forgive me, my Princess,” Fosuaa said miserably, “My mother is very sick, and I had to prepare some soup for her!”
“Being my slave is more important than your wretched mother!” Adobea screamed angrily. “Remember this, I can ask for a new slave anytime, and you will be replaced!”
This frightened Fosuaa very much indeed! If she was replaced her parents would not receive the money, and she would also be a disgrace to her family.
She fell to her knees and held Adobea’s leg.
“Please, my Princess, forgive me!” she cried. “It won’t happen again!”
“It better not!” Adobea said haughtily. “Now let’s get going!”
Maame Benewaa’s house was on the outskirts of Sika. There were thick trees and plants on both sides of the lonely, deserted road.
“I heard there were some thieves in the next town last night,” Ato, the driver of the chariot said.
“They looted some houses and stores. The police caught some of them, but I hear two escaped. We must be careful.”
“Oh, but that’s terrible,” Fosuaa said.
Suddenly the chariot rounded a bend in the road, and Fosuaa gasped at what she saw.
There was a man lying on the side of the road. He was wearing only a pair of trousers, and there was blood all over his face and on his hands.
“It is a wounded man!” Fosuaa cried. “Please stop!”
“No!” Ato cried with horror. “It must be one of the thieves! It must be a trap!”
Ato lashed at the horses to spur them on faster, but Fosuaa reached out and caught the reigns and pulled them hard, bringing the horses to a halt.
“The man is genuinely wounded! Look at how his arm is twisted, that is no pretense!” Fosuaa said, “We must help him!”
