chapter One

Sankofa: Legacy Unveiled

"Papa," he called. "Come to my room when you're done; I have something for you." "Yes, Papa," I replied.

He turned to leave but halted abruptly. "And I'm so sorry for last night. I didn't mean to shout at you like that." "It's fine, Papa. It was partly my fault; I was overwhelming you with too many questions." He nodded before disappearing from sight.

I finished cooking quickly to head to Papa's room for whatever he had for me and then off to Grandma's house. Coconut jollof rice awaited, a culinary delight I couldn't afford to miss.

Mashing the yam while heating palm oil on the fire with Papa's sliced onions, the aroma wafted through the air. Pouring the hot oil onto the mashed yam, relishing the sizzling sound, I mixed it and adorned the dish with boiled eggs before cleaning the kitchen—arranging scattered pots, scrubbing palm oil stains.

After a bath, I adorned the kente dress Grandma made during the last Fetu Afadye, letting my hair down, tied with a matching kente band. Knocking on Papa's door, I walked in with his food. A smile lit his face. "Happy birthday, my Ako," he said, patting the cushioned spot beside him.

Setting his food on the table, I took my seat. He retrieved a small wooden box with intricate carvings. It held a promise he made to my mother, and curiosity bubbled within me. Papa slowly opened the box, revealing a soft velvet cloth inside.

From it, he removed a cowrie necklace, holding it before my eyes. It was unlike anything I had ever seen—pearly white, shiny, radiating a heavenly luminance. "Your mother wanted you to have it on your fifteenth birthday," Papa explained. "Wear it with pride and never take it off."

He carefully draped the necklace around my neck, and I raised my curls for an easy fit. The legacy of my mother unveiled, a connection to a past shrouded in mystery and revealed on this auspicious day.