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The Friday Fictioneers are at it again, thanks to the lovely Rochelle Wisoff-Fields and the kind David Stewart who provided the prompt for this week. Please, find below my story. Feel free to critique and comment. Thank you.
In February 1966, The First President of the Republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown in a coup d’etat while on a state visit to North Vietnam and China. I was not born then, but my mother later told me that his overthrow was greeted with much mixed feelings. Some carried their enthusiasm too far and burnt down his statue.
This story inspired my 100 words.
The Ghouls
I was in my room listening to the radio when I heard people running past my window.
The week before, the President had been overthrown in a coup d’état in his absence to China. There had been mixed feelings especially now that we were hearing news about looting of the shops.
Now, I became curious as they rushed past, so I followed the crowd at a trot to the Market Square and could only stare, aghast as the frenzied mob hacked off Nkrumah’s head and limbs in ghoulish glee.
Goodness! That was the President who led us to gain independence!
To see what the rest of the Fictioneers are up to, do click on the little linky below. Thanks!
Reading Pleasure 
Really good words for this image!
Thank you, Deana. 🙂
Great take on the prompt
Thank you, as always 🙂
I’m always interested to see what you come up with, Celeste. You never disappoint!
Oh Joana. Thank you so much. Actualy I didn’t even think this story would be appealing. 🙂
I always like it when the pieces lead me to a bit of further eduction in order to understand them better. I enjoyed googling his life, achievements and downfall, so thank you for providing that portal. Good story.
You are very welcome, Sandra. He was a great man and it is only now, many years after his death, that the poeple of Ghana celebrate his memory. 🙂
I like the action. Well done.
The last paragraph, I take it they hacked off the statue’s head? Or the man himself??
Thanks, Abraham 🙂 It was Nkrumah’s statue that was hacked off 🙂
Dear Celestine,
I enjoy a good cultural lesson. Thanks for adding that dimension this week with a good story. Well done.
shalom,
Rochelle
Thank syou so much, Rochelle. Glad you found my story of much interest 🙂
Hacked off his limbs in ghoulish glee. That imagery that brings to mind… Nice. 🙂
Thanks for reading, CC. These days I don’t see you participating in the FF. 🙂
I haven’t jumped back in to it, no. I’m too out of the loop to do so now.
A wonderful history lesson, and much better to sacrifice the statue than the man himself. I think you showed the tension, the uncertainty, and the reaction to the event quite well in such a short story.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/suzuki-method/
Thank you so much, Maggie. 🙂
How a crowd turns into a mob… Isn’t it scary how easily they could turn on real people, too? Very nicely imagined!
The mob/crowd is always fickle, Iris. See what they did to Caeser. 🙂 Thanks for coming by 🙂
Its a good thing he was out of the country. I wonder what their motive was if he was instrumental in gaining independence for them.
Oh Joyce, you know at that time, Ghana was leaning towards socialist ideals and the cold war was at its peak So the super powers were battling for statelite nations to control. On the home front, his economic policies were not going down well with the people. He kept telling them to tighten their belts which they kept doing till the belts literarily slashed them into two 🙂
So the stage was set for a coup. It is on record that the coup was masterminded by the CIA.The US wanted to gain a foothold and Nkrumah would just not kowtow. 🙂
Wow. Thanks for that info. Celestine. I was wondering about the way you wrote it, how those things fit together but thought it was historic and relevant to the story. Great job on the story. I always enjoy yours.
Wow! you got me there…I had to double check with my African history class, if that had happened to the former president, until I realized i was reading a fiction! Well done on this sister!
Actually, Charles, it did happen you know. According to what my mum told me some people destroyed some of his statues. 🙂
I enjoy your take and your look into history to which I wouldn’t otherwise be privy. Crowds can all to easily become mobs and mobs are frightening.
I think that the closing two lines aren’t as strong as the rest of the piece. To me, at least, the “Goodness” is a bit banal, especially when compared to the paragraph immediately before it. Maybe something like, “Frightening, when he was the President who led us to gain independence!” or “Ironic, when he was the President who led us to our independence.”
janet
Thanks a milion, Janet for your feedback. I thought ‘goodness’ would do since I wanted to express shock, disgust and indignation at the mutilation of the statue 🙂
Like all suggestions, that just my take. You could use, “shocking” instead if you chose. There’s just something about “goodness” that to me is much more casual that the rest of your writing in this piece. It’s more “old lady-ish” if that makes sense. Anyway, your choice. 🙂
That had me laughing, I mean “old-ladyish’ So much British 🙂 Anyway, I get your point. I think ironic woudl do. 🙂 Thanks
It seems to be a universal tradition to tear down the statues of deposed leaders–Most interesting story–well done.
You are right, 🙂 Thank you, Virginia.
This is a lovely story. It caught me at the beginning and held me to the end. I felt like running down the street as well. You are a versatile writer.
Thank you, Alice. He was a great leader who would have done so much more for our country. 🙂
It seems odd that so much hate was directed towards the man who aided independence. I seem to remember visiting a monument to him in Accra?
Gilly, all those monuments were done much later when we realised his worth. 🙂
Interesting write to read. 🙂
Thank you, K 🙂
I am still looking forward to reading about Nkrumah. I have to admit that Ghana has prospered a lot.
Oh Mary, you can go to Wikipedia to read more for starters. Hm, as for Ghana, we are trying but our wealth is no where near that of Nigeria 🙂
Funny how fickle people can be. One year we erect statues and the next we tear them down. Your story really shows that and the mentality behind crowds.
Thank you, Sheila, for the comments 🙂
Your story shows just how fickle public opinion can be, and how easliy swayed by outsiders too, well done.
Thank you, Anne 🙂
Oh my on the gory side. But an excellent write.
Thanks a million, Kim.
I love learning history through fiction. Nice work here.
Ow, thanks so much for the lovely compliment 🙂
Very disturbing.
You did full justice to the scene, gave a context, set the pace and characters. All in 100 words. That’s commendable!
Thanks a million for your kind words, Parul 🙂
a nightmarish piece of reality!
Aptly said., Trisha 🙂
You’ve captured the madness nicely. Great story and thank you for the knowledge. I’ve already started reading up on it.
You are so welcome, H L Pauff. I’m glad you have started reading on it, Hope you find it of great interest 🙂
Action packed!
Thanks, Rosy
Very interesting story, both from history and the mixed feelings perspective. Great story Celeste. 🙂
Thank you, Bjorn 🙂
Love it! Great intro and ending, I’d thought it was Nkrumah’s head that was hacked off!!
LOL No, Sandra. It was the statue. Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
would have to be a very scary moment to live through. well done.
I’m sure it was; though the history books sought to give the period a different interpretation. Thanks a million, Rich 🙂
Such is human wickedness and how quickly we forget good and replace it with evil… Yep! Awful. 😦
Well said, Elizabeth 🙂
lovely,i have really missed visiting u. A very warm hug from me 2 u.
Hugs to you too Audrina. 🙂 Thanks for the visit
I miss Friday Fictioneers-do you know of any other cool prompts like that? beebeesworld
Brenda, I think Friday Fictioneers is still on going, ably manged by Rochelle at http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com 🙂