Almost all roads lead to villages since the start of the three months-long holiday in Cameroon. Some parents, sometimes against the wish of their children, choose going back to their roots despite the stigma of witchcraft. The countryside, to such parents, is the place par excellence to tap from rare customs and traditions threatened, nowadays, with extinction. Ethnic groups exploit this period to organise popular cultural festivals like “Lela”, “Nguon”, “Ngonso”, and religious feasts like “Ramadan” to reinforce ties between extended family members, as well as knot or unknot love relationships.
It is not unusual for mothers especially to scout and fine submissive African wives for their sons during such ceremonies. Some discoveries are sour and tears-provoking. It was not the case for Patrick and Pearl (pseudonyms) who travelled all the way from Europe to their roots to broke good news of love to their families. They met as varsity students from the same village and country. Patrick and Pearl came home to celebrate their traditional wedding, only to be told after investigations that they were distant cousins. They resisted calls to put an end to the amorous affair, saying the family lineage was archaic African tradition.
Upon return abroad, where they picked lucrative jobs, Pearl got pregnant for Patrick twice, but lost the babies. With Village Text: Eric NDIEN A “bleeding hearts”, the couple unanimously heeded to the advice of village elders to breakup. Today, they are happy parents of kids with different love partners. Unadulterated African tradition, anthropologists say, haunts when violated.
