Myers - The Witch Doctors Wife

The Witch Doctors Wife

Tamar Myers

Contents

The dominant female danced along the edge of the manioc

Its nothing to worry about, the stewardess said, but her

Police captain Pierre Jardin was waiting inside Belle Vues one-room

Amanda Brown awoke with a killer headache. All through the

Amanda was in love. Despite the stressfulness of her arrival

First Wife, whose given name was Cripple, sat up on

Smoke and dust painted the African skies in sepia tones,

Amanda had been warned about Africans who appear at the

Second Wife had just finished stirring the stiff mush, and

Cezar Nunez cursed softly as he fumbled with the keys,

The OP was in a foul mood. He was fond

Amanda was pleased to get the senhoras invitation. It would

The Nigerian slept so well that for a minute, upon

Amandas pulse was still racing when Captain Jardin walked into

The postmaster couldnt wait to tell his lover about the

Amanda felt like shed waited her entire life for this

When his lover walked in through the front door of

The Nigerian stared at the object in his hand; it

Amanda smiled to herself. The tea with Senhora Nunez had

The OP, by rights, should be living in Belle Vues

Husband found sleeping impossible. It wasnt just because of the

It was a miracle no one was hurtthats what the

I dont believe it! M. Dupree said, his eyes flashing with

Dupree drove slowly along Boulevard des Rois. The wide dirt

From where he lay on his back, Their Death could

The cool dry-season mornings were a balm to Brancas soul.

Wilhelm Van Derhoef, as of late known as Flanders, made

Luluaburg seemed as large as Lisboncompared to Bell Vue, that

Cezar Nunez pounded the steering wheel of his 1946 Chevy

Flanders had to hurry. Fortunately the OP was stupid enough

But Muambi, the village is across the river.

If Branca was even the least bit upset by a

As fast as flies alight on a carcass, the people

Amanda Brown had just stepped through the back door of

The whites of Belle Vue met at the club that

They were obviously hunters, judging by the pack of basenji

The handsome Belgian appeared puzzled by her question, but only

Amanda was astounded how easily Captain Jardin gave in to

Second Wife, he said, how are you today?

Prisoners in the Belle Vue jail were responsible for securing

Branca told Amanda that for the near future she was

In his darkened room, lying in a rumpled bed, Dupree

It was the perfect day for an execution. The air

Cripple marveled at the height of her gallows. After all,

The dominant female danced along the edge of the manioc

T his book is for Kabemba and Mishumbi, wherever they are. They were Bashilele tribesmen, brothers born of sister wives, and students at my parents mission school. My parents hired them to protect me from snakes, and other dangers, whenever I explored the pristine forest deep within the canyon in front of our house. Kabemba and Mishumbi became more than my bodyguards; they became my friends. They taught me many Bashilele customs, entertained me with Bashilele folktales, and how to survive in the wilderness: which of the jungle leaves were edible, how to make snares to catch small animals, how to trap birds, and even how to make a simple shelter.

Many years later, during a tribal war, my parents came to my bedroom one night and my father said, I think that Mommy and I might be killed tonight. But there is a secret alcove up therehe pointed above the doorwhich will fit you. If we are attacked, you climb in there, and well push boxes in after you to hide you. If you survive, follow the Kasai River all the way down to Angola.

Although our neighbors were burned out of their house that night, for some reason we were not attacked. But had we been, and had I survived long enough to reach the forest, I could have used the skills that Mishumbi and Kabemba taught me. I will never forget them.

T he dominant female danced along the edge of the manioc field, impatiently awaiting the arrival of her pack. Her sudden appearance had scared away the jackals whose yips had filled the air since sunset. Although her jaws could crush the bones of a buffalo, she dared not attack an adult human by herself. Something in her primitive brain told her that a human, although unarmed by fangs or claws, was a beast to be feared. A tasty beast, nonetheless.

In only a day or two the female would give birth to her second litter. Already shed co-opted the burrow of an aardvark in which to have her cubs. But for now, despite her distended belly and swollen teats, she was ravenous. If her pack did not arrive soon, she would have no choice but to move on, in search of some less dangerous prey.

The human was aware of the hyenas presence; the disappearance of the jackals had been the clue. At first the human thought a leopard was responsible for the silence. But then the hyena, apparently unable to restrain her excitement, burst into the hideous laughter that characterized her species.

The human dug faster, strong fingers raking the damp soil. A leopard might have been scared off by a show of strengthfalse bravado in this casebut a pack of spotted hyenas would tear a person limb from limb, and then laugh about it afterward. The human knew that the pack would announce itself by whooping, from perhaps a kilometer away, and when it did, a life-or-death decision must be made.

But just as the first faint sound of the advancing pack reached the humans ears, digging fingers touched something cool and hard. A moment later the priceless object glinted in the light of the rising moon.