Thief, thief! she yelled.
Yakabou stood still for a second. He was surprised and frightened that he was now involved in stealing in the marketplace. People from outside the village stole from the Kolokonde market, but villagers didnt steal from their own market-it was a matter of honor.
When the Bon Femme reached to grab him the only thing Yakabou could think to do was to turn and run. The other three boys were already lost in the crowd.
Yakabou bumped into a table, and it tipped over spilling sardine tins, tomato sauce in small red cans, and canned milk onto the ground. The Bon Femme chased after him yelling thief. Turning a corner through a big crowd by the chicken merchants stall, Yakabou escaped the Bon Femme by knocking open a bamboo cage of chickens that flew into the market womans face. But just as he was getting away a strong hand grabbed his wrist. Sabou, the Market Agent, had caught him.
The Bon Femme with feathers sticking out of her hair saw the Market Agent holding the boy she was after and came their way.
Thats one of them, she cried when she came near the Market Agent.
Standing inside a circle of curious villagers including the Yoraba chicken merchant, the Bon Femme declared, He must go before the Village Chieftain and the Council of Elders. The Bon Femme knew there were no gendarmes (police) in the village of Kolokonde.
He has my batteries in his pocket. I saw the other boy put them there.
Yakabou nervously put his hand in the pocket holding the batteries. He looked sideways to see the villagers standing around them. None of the villagers seemed to be on his side. Everyone in the village blamed mischief on poor boys. They didnt go to school, and they were always in someones way or getting into trouble. The batteries rattled in his shirt pocket making him feel even worse. He wouldnt cry but he felt the start of hot tears behind his eyes.
The Yoraba merchant followed Yakabou, the Market Agent and the Bon Femme.
Assume watched his friend being taken away from behind the Mango tree with the markets good luck bee hive in it. Etienne and Bawa had disappeared into the crowded marketplace.
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