The Feather of Glory ( a Novella )
By David Aoloch Bion
Chapter Twelve
The time came for changing the chiefdom. Many contenders emerged. The chief should be physically fit, huge in size, and brave. Intolerant to anything that might come into the clan in a humiliating way. Always in favour of his clan’s side even if they are wrong. He should deny justice to other clan’s members if they have a case with his own clan members. He should pass wise and good and exact judgment if he is judging his own clan people.
Madut was appointed the new chief of Akoi village and Riet clan. He was given a spear, wooden throne – wooden wand. These were symbols of authority.
Some times, Aleu came with his brother Kuot from the next village Molar. They told the chief Madut about the cow that was stolen by Aciek, one of Maduts clan man. Madut called in his helpers in judging the case. The case was heard.
“ Chief, I greet you all,” Aleu spoke. “My cow got lost last dry season. I traced in all cattle camps. Nevertheless I didn’t find it. It had been lost for eight months now. This month, when I was going to my sister’s home, I found it at Luak of Aciek. When I asked Aciek, he said that the cow was his,” Aleu narrated.
“What is the color of your cow?” the helper asked.
“Well, the color of my cow was white, but now it was washed by cow urine so it is yellow now.”
“Can you speak, Aciek”, the helper asked.
“Nothing I can explain. The cow is mine and it was born by my cow” Aciek said.
“Which cow produced it?” the helper asked.
“Don’t ask me like that? Do you know all my cattle?” Aciek said.
Madut gave the chance to onlookers to make any comment on the case. The on lookers agreed that the cow belonged to Aleu and Aciek was a thief. Madut sent all people away and remained with his helpers.
Madut and helpers started discussing the final verdict. They agreed unanimously that although Aciek is a thief, he was their man and relative. And it was their policy to stop any cow from leaving. They called back onlookers and Aleu and Acien.
Madut said “you Aleu testified that your cow was white, and now it is yellow. This does not give enough evidence that the cow is yours. The cow belongs to Acien and the case is finished”.
Madut’s decision disappointed many chiefs in the neighboring clans and villages. One chief said “should he come or his clan mates come, I will deny for them their truth.”
Four days passed and two members of Madut’s own clan brought a new case. One of the men Alier Arem who was claiming a cow of someone, Agau Chol came to Madut at night. He gave Madut a goat and a groundnut paste as bribery. When the case was heard in the morning, all the helpers found that the cow belonged to Agau and Alier was a liar. When the case was decided in favour of Agau, Madut commented that my man of last night we are defeated. I didn’t call you. You were the one who came to my home”. Madut was referring to the one who bribed him. After some month came when Madut was sleeping outside on his bed covering his head.
“Madut, Madut” the man called.
“Yes” Madut answered sleepily.
“Bring your hand” the said.
Madut gave his arm, thinking someone was giving him something as many men with bribery do. The man put a scorpion in the palm of Madut and the scorpion stung him. The man ran away unrecognized, and Madut mourned in great pain.
Two years passed. Madut was judging minor cases. There came a major case between Madut’s best friend and his clan member Magok Machar, and neighboring Riet clan member Nyok Thiong. The case was opened in neighboring clan court tree. Maduut told Magok that he would be the one following the case. When Riet clan chiefs realized that Madut had replaced his clan man, the Alek chief Atem Aguer replaced Nyok. Other chiefs were to judge the case. Many people came to witness how the two chiefs should face each other on behalf of their clan member.
“My cow gave birth to a grey heifer two years ago and it got lost three months ago, and I have found it with Madut” Atem Aguel the chief of the Alek said.
“I have the heifer, and the heifer was born by my cow” Madut said
The chiefs who were judging the case had ordered the two cows claimed by both men be brought for comparison to the heifer. When the cows were brought, the heifer ran to its mother, the cow of Atem Aguer.
“You chief, you on lookers, this is my heifer. It is like this finger of mine” Madut Kuol cut his small finger on his left hand off with a spear and his hand bled badly. The judge were puzzled by this finger cutting incident
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