Ashanti Cry


 
 Ashanti Cry
 
 
 
 Milton Boothe
 
 
 Published by Milton Boothe, 2023.
 
 
 
 
 
 This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
 
 
 
 ASHANTI CRY
 
 
 First edition. February 14, 2023.
 Copyright © 2023 Milton Boothe.
 
 
 
 Written by Milton Boothe.
 
 
 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 
 
 Table of Contents
 Title Page
 Copyright Page
 Dedication
 Chapter 1: Uprooted
 Chapter 3: The New World
 Chapter 4: Life on a Sugar Plantation
 Chapter 5: The Demise of a Demented Slave Driver
 Chapter 6 | Back on the Auction Block
 Chapter 7: Brothers Reunited
 Chapter 8: Forbidden Love
 Chapter 9: Dancing With the Devil
 Chapter 10: The Mistress’ Wrath
 Chapter 11: Taming the Tigress
 Chapter 12: The Sweet Taste Of Freedom
 Chapter 13: Staking Out a Claim
 Chapter 15: Mission Accomplished
 Chapter 17: Brothers to the Rescue
 Chapter 18: From Strength to Strength
 20 | Crisis and Religion
 21 | The Christmas Rebellion
 22 | The Struggle Goes On
 23 | Tragedy in the Midst of Progress
 24 | A Well Deserved Award
 
 
 
 
 
 Dedicated to the spirit of my ancestors who perished on the high seas.
 
 
 
 Chapter 1: Uprooted
 
 
 The scene around him was appalling; it was horrific and inhuman. The level of suffering was indescribable, and the groaning was continuous. The scorching heat of the tropical sun bearing down on the vessel, made breathing difficult, and coupled with the most horrible and offensive odors he’d ever experienced in his entire life, living was unbearable. Naked black bodies were all around him—some lying on the floor, some stacked closely together on shelves, some alive, some dead. Amidst the constant cries of anguish, he could hear them shouting intermittently—the incoherent voices of the strange looking pale men, who had placed him in captivity and was taking him to some strange land across the sea. His strength was now almost completely drained, because the daily ration of food and water that they had given him was just barely sufficient to keep him alive.
 He could’ve been here for a week, or maybe less, he just couldn’t tell. With the rising and setting of the sun absent from his world, it was literally impossible to keep track of time. He tried to move a bit, just to ease the cramp in his feet, but couldn’t; he was rigidly close to his neighbor, who was chained to him by the ankle. He tried to make contact with him by poking him in the side, but he didn’t move. He poked him again, still he didn’t move; the poor bastard was as dead as a log. 
 His name was Adisa, and he was of the bloodline of the proud Ashanti people, from the land Ghana on the coast of West Africa, where they all lived like royalty. All African names had meanings, and the meaning of his name was ‘one who will teach us.’ 
 Adisa was seventeen years old, and was the first-born of his parents. He was strong and muscular, and was already a trained Ashanti warrior, just like his father. In the Ashanti way of life, it was mandated that all able bodied young men be trained as warriors, in order to defend their villages, should the need arise. He was skilled with the spear, and could make a clean hit on a target as small as a rabbit, two hundred feet away. He had two brothers and two sisters. Danso was the brother who followed him; he was fifteen years old, and the meaning of his name was ‘reliable.’ He was just completing his training to become a warrior. The sister who followed Danso was thirteen years old, and her name was Abena, which meant ‘born on Tuesday.’ Following Abena, was his brother Kamau, who was eleven years old. The meaning of his name was ‘quiet warrior.’ And last of all, was his little sister Adana, who was just seven years old. She was his favorite, and also the favorite of his father. The meaning of her name, quite appropriately, was ‘father’s loving daughter.’
 Adisa knew his history well, and was very proud of his heritage. The Ashanti people came out of the state of Asante, which was founded in the forest region of southern Ghana, by the people known as the Akan. Asante was the largest and most powerful state in the nation of Ghana, and had dominated the history of Ghana in the earlier centuries. The Akan people were rich in gold, and in the 15th and 16th centuries, gold-seeking traders came to Akan country to do trade, consequently, the stretch of the Atlantic coastline in Ghana became known as the Gold Coast. 
 As he tried to acclimatize his senses to the horrible stench of the darkness, his thoughts began to drift back in time. He can remember being in the field that fateful afternoon, tending to his small herd of goats...when he saw the bastards coming. These were the strangest set of human beings he’d ever laid eyes on. Their faces were deathly pale; so different from anything that he’d ever seen before. They were tall and lanky, their arms and legs almost completely devoid of muscles, and they had straight, long hair, which actually looked like straw. Accompanying these strange creatures were others of dark skin, but the likes of which he’d never seen around these parts before. 
 But the strange looking men hadn’t come in peace; they had come to raid his village; to kill, kidnap and destroy! He watched in disbelief as the raiders quickly swooped down on his village. Suddenly, it was absolute pandemonium! 
 The pale looking men were all armed with guns; both long ones and short ones, and they were firing them indiscriminately! The dark skinned men were mostly armed with clubs, cutlasses,