REI AMADOR; ONCE UPON A TIME IN AFRICA
A Short Story by Babayo U. Kabir
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AFRICA…
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| Rei Amador |
The old man gathered the children under the shade of the great Baobab Tree and began to tell them a tale of
an African hero.
“Children,” he began softly, “do you know that in the olden days,
millions of our ancestors were forcefully taken away on boats across the Atlantic
Ocean to work as slaves on faraway plantations?”
He sighed, and the leaves above rustled as though in sorrow.
“Yes, my children. The white man came to our fertile lands to buy human
beings — mostly strong young men — from some of our corrupt kings and queens.
They marched them in chains from the hinterlands to the coastal ports, crammed
them into large barges, and sailed them away to a place called the New World,
where they were forced to work on sugarcane and cotton plantations.”
“It was a dark and painful era in Africa’s history — one that left a
deep scar upon the soul of our continent.”
The Captive
“It was during this grim age that a strong young lad fell from fortune’s
favor. He was betrayed by his brethren, sold for five pieces of silver on the
orders of a local chief — a chief who envied him because his son desired the
same maiden who loved the lad.”
“The abductors led him away in chains, alongside a hundred others,
through the dense African rainforests. After a month of marching through
mosquitoes, thorns, and hunger, they reached the shining white sands of the
Atlantic coast. Their wrists and ankles bled beneath the iron shackles that
bound them.”
“They saw for the first time the endless blue waters that touched the
skies — the mighty Atlantic Ocean. Before them lay a massive wooden ship, its
name boldly painted on the side: "SEAGULL.”
The Journey
“They were driven aboard the ship and thrown into the dark belly below
deck — chained in rows, five men to a wooden board, stacked from floor to
ceiling. Many died before the ship even left the shore. Their bodies were cast
into the sea as food for sharks.”
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| The Burning Ship |
“With newfound freedom, he rose and freed others. Together, they
overpowered their exhausted captors. For the first time, the slaves had become
masters. The young lad led them to imprison the white men in the same dungeon
where they themselves had suffered.”
The Island
“For days, they sailed aimlessly until they sighted a lush tropical
island — its beaches wide, its trees heavy with fruits. The young lad and his
men disembarked, stripped the ship of its treasures, and set it ablaze.”
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| Sao Tome Island |
“They freed their white captives and made them work alongside them.
Soon, the island bustled with activity — a new home, a new life born out of
pain.”
The Fire Signal
“The flames of the burning ship were seen by another slave vessel at
sea. Thinking it a distress signal, the crew sailed to the island to
investigate. But the young lad and his men lay in wait, armed with stolen guns
and forged weapons. When the slavers came ashore, the ambush was swift. The
islanders seized their ship, freed the captives aboard, and took the crew
prisoner.”
“Each time they burned a ship, another came — and each time, they freed
the slaves and welcomed them into their new community. The young lad told them:
‘On this island, everyone is equal — black or white, man or woman — for
all of us have suffered.’”
“Soon, the constant disappearances of slave ships forced the traders to
change their routes entirely. The West African coasts became too dangerous for
them.”
The Kingdom of Freedom
“The young lad — once a slave — became the leader of a free people. He
united men and women of different races and tribes, and together they built a
kingdom on the island. They named it São Tomé.”
“He established trade, cultivated crops, and built ships that patrolled
the Atlantic to hunt pirates and slavers. Under his rule, freedom reigned where
chains once clinked.”
“The young lad’s name was Rei Amador — the slave who became a
king.”
Moral
Even from the depths of bondage, courage can rise like fire to light the
path of freedom.
Commentary
This story of Rei Amador of São Tomé is one of the three widely accepted accounts of the
legendary West African anti-slavery
hero. Amador, believed to be of Angolan descent, led a rebellion against
the Portuguese, briefly taking control of São Tomé and Príncipe before being
captured.
African folklore is passed down orally from generation to generation; in
the process, stories often evolve — shaped by memory, imagination, and the
hearts of their tellers. Whether in fact or in fable, Rei Amador’s fire of
resistance burns eternally in Africa’s ancestral memory.
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| Another burnt slave barge. |
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