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 The “Society House” is an era of ritualistic killings. What appeared to
be Freemasonry, a fraternal organization that arose from obscure agenda
that began during Americo-Liberian dynasty, turned out to be called the
“society people” and the “society house” by ordinary Liberians who
monitored the activities of members of the Freemasonry.
The word society is differently interpreted by ordinary Liberians from
its dictionary definition. Society, according to ordinary Liberians, is
a secret organization that engages in ritualistic killings and other
vicious acts.
This popular notion was manifested during Liberian 18th president regime. Freemasonry had actually come to be associated with ritualistic killings-justifying ordinary Liberians’ definition of “Society People and Society House” when some members of the Freemasonry became suspects of ritualistic killings and subsequently, went free without prosecution.
Freemasonry continued downward to the extent it has become a government “killing club” feared by the poor as human parts and living young girls were found in so-called private rooms of law makers, county officials, and commander-in-chief of the country. Freemasonry had branches all over the country. They wore black coats with tails and long black hats and drove expensive black cars when attending meetings. In the early 70s, society people opened up to accept so-called country people who shared the aims and aspirations of the dynasty.
So-called country people became very important in the society house when they were used as recruiters of people who would do the actual targeting, hunting, and killings of poor people. These were the heart men. The phrase “Heart men” came about when victims’ hearts were usually missing after found dead.
Political explicitness of Freemasonry is concordant with ordinary Liberians concept with a few diversities. Oppositionists looked keenly at the political and economic benefits of the Freemasonry later referred to as society people. Opposition politicians saw the freemasonry as a group of people who sought common goals and interests. Society in the dictionary of opposition politicians is people of the same class-social, economic, political. The society people met to discuss the fate of the nation for the benefits of themselves and their posterities. The country was run by the society people. The society people could do any thing detrimental to the vast majority of the people, including ritualistic killings-to maintain power. Do society people still exist?
Kaluo confronts the society house phenomenon
Kaluo is curious to know what a heart man is and what the big people do in the big house called “society House.” He asked his adopted mother over and over again because their plays at nights and days are abruptly disrupted when they hear, “Heart man is coming or that black car has a heart man inside it.” Whenever a big black car appeared they scattered. Whenever a black car passed through the town, their mothers are worried and called them to come back home immediately.
“So, mama, what a heart man is?” Kaluo asked. “My son, when you grow up you will know what a heart man is. For now follow my instructions and don’t take offers from strangers,” Martha advised Kaluo. “But my friends said their mothers said heart man can kill people and eat their hearts.”
“Okay, why you asked me then?” “Yes, my friends’ mothers told them so I want you to tell me too.” “Okay, fine, but grow up and I will tell you. For now, try to follow my instructions, so that you can grow up safely. For the day you fail to follow my instructions, you will not know what a heart man is.”
“Okay, but when will I grow up?” “You must be twenty-one years old.” “Oh, yee, no, twenty-one is too much. I am only 10 now.” “Kaluo, you are hard headed.” “This thing is beyond my power. This is a big thing. This is something that belongs to big people. The people that own this country control you and me, including what we say, think, and do. If you are caught discussing this thing you will go to Belle Yella jail; the big jail in this country.
“My friends said their mothers said heart man can catch small children and kill them and eat them and make juju with their ears, eyes, hearts, totos, and… and..” “Shut up, Kaluo. You are talking big people thing. What is wrong with you sel. Don’t you listen to me; your mother?” “Sorry mama.” “Sorry for you sel.” “My friends said their mothers said that the president is sending senators and senators are sending representatives and representatives are sending the superintendent and the superintendent is sending district commissioners and district commissioners are sending heart men to catch people.”
“Hush stubborn boy. What is wrong with you sel.” “Sorry mama. “Sorry for you sel.” “Okay, mama, but when I grow up I will not ask you again. I will catch one heart man and ask him who sent him to catch people.” “Did not you hear me first time? No one is big or grown up for these people.”
“Mama, in my dream, I saw something happened.” “What was that?” Martha asked. “Some people were chasing us; me, you and Cayonon. There were two men with cutlasses. I hid under the rice straws and they were questioning you about my whereabouts.” “Uh, well, I will pray about it. Maybe that’s your day dream. You were talking too much about heart men. I will say my prayers then we will go to the farm.”
“No, I am not going to that farm today.” “Why?” “I had a bad dream.” ‘No, don’t be scare; trust God.”
It is a bout 6: am and almost everyone has left for the farm except for Martha and her children who are arguing about the dream. Then the weather changes abruptly. A dark cloud forms without precipitation. The wind seizes and trees are static whilst birds cling unto their nests. The atmosphere is tense and poor visibility surrounds the entire district town and its surroundings. Traditional weather readers suggest some terrible event might have taken place in a near-by town-such as the death of a zoe, or a sudden death of a young person, or someone is being murdered some where or a murder is in progress. Kaluo hopes the condition does not stabilize so they don’t go to the farm today. But the weather is becoming clear to his disbelief. “Hurry, hurry, let us start going now,” Martha ordered her children. And unto the farm they go.
It is 5: PM and farmers are returning home after a hectic day. Darkness descends as Mother Nature beclouds the moon. The district town is detached from its regular night activities, including horse plays, singing and drumming by young folks, and story telling by old folks. Tonight is one of the thickest nights. When cold feelings befall this town, the night-masquerade-which women and children are forbidden to see is expected to come out. And women begin whispering to their children to help them hurry with the cooking as it approaches 8: PM.
Two big events are approaching; Independence Day and senatorial election. The district town is one of the country’s major and strongest political sub-divisions. It hosts one of the country’s biggest grand mason meetings and has one of the biggest grand mason halls-the society House-which sits behind the airstrip on the outskirt of the town.
But tonight is not the night masquerade night. The top men of the town, the zoes have passed on communication that the society house will be opened late tonight. The big people will start arriving in the town from the headquarters along with others society members from all over the country. Not too long after dinner, then the town crier drum echoes the town and mothers hold onto the babies tightly and the children told to be quiet.
The town is less electrified. Electricity is at the government house, society house, and government road works headquarters. The rest of the district town of about 5,000 houses is dark except moon light or shinning stars. A complete silence seizes the dark town. The town crier drum stops and he greets the town-one! Two! three! He clears his throat and takes in a deep audible breath. His message is obvious. Nothing new is expected. When the town is cold and detached there would be either a big society meeting or a night-masquerade is coming out.
The town is also quiet because there was an incident yesterday when two heart men nearly grabbed Kaluo and his sister and their adopted mother on the farm while they were harvesting their new rice. The farm is situated on the main path. Martha’s husband, Willie has traveled out of town. That is the reason why Martha and the two children were on the farm by themselves.
It is just a few minutes past eight in the morning when two men dressed in short blue jeans pants and short white sleeves shirts emerge. They carry a sharp blade machete each. They stop at the intersection of the path leading to Martha’s farm and the main path.
Martha usually entertains her children with stories, mainly fairy tales to keep them lively. She was born unto a hunter who was a victim of polygamy and hunters who envied his hunting prowess. The children’s interest in hearing Martha tell stories reinforces her memory as she begins the story, Once upon a time:
A hunter traveled far away from his village for a hunting trip. He took two young boys with him. After two days of walk they reached their destination near sanquin river; one of the largest rivers in the country. There they built their tent near a creek which joined the Sanquin River. After they built their tent, he sat them down and told them how deep the country is.
“As you can see, children, this country is big. It is very big. How many miles have we traveled? How many people or villages have we seen during this journey?” This is a dense forest of no man’s land. Not too many people, not even the government knows if this part of the country exists. When night falls, look over the creek; look keenly and tell me what you observe.” Then night fell. When the children looked over the creek they were amazed. They saw a reflection from the creek. The creek reflected a bright light and they said woo, “The river brightens our environment and from where does this light comes?” And he said unto them. Children, it is beyond my explanation. But what I know is that your land is natural and beautiful such that diamond and gold are shinning stars so the light reflection you see comes from diamonds and gold. But I can tell you, your country is still considered the mother land. Now when you leave from here do your home works. The reflection you just saw is from a good diamond; composed of...
Abruptly, Martha seizes her stories telling and brings the children on their knees on the rice straws. Two men stop briefly at the intersection. They put their ears on the ground to monitor the direction of the voices. They sense the noises are coming from the direction of Martha’s farm.
Martha and her children begin their prayers as the two men walk toward them. The men might have heard them talking. One of the men, the shorter one, stops. The taller one yells at him, “Come on.” The shorter one is dragging his feet and his friend keeps shouting at him, “let’s go.” Martha and her children pray vigorously as the men approach them confidently. The men approach and approach and turn back at about 500 feet away from Martha and her two children. Martha and her children remain ducking for about one hour after the men left. They leave all their belongings and flee to town through narrow paths in the bushes avoiding the main path for fear of perception of their movements.
Martha and her two children reach town safely. The news of heart men’s activities on the farm road and their attempt to catch Martha and her children has reached every household the same night. Martha is terrified by the incident. The images keep flashing back to her memory. She can’t believe this thing is real. She has heard of heart men killing people in some parts of the country and near missing children and young adults in and around the district town. Today, she came in face to face with realities of the society house behind the airstrip. The society house now reminds her of the two heart men that nearly snatched her life and her two children’s. And the two heart men remind her of the society house and Kaluo’s curiosity to know what a heart man is. Independence Day and election season also remind her of ritualistic killings.
A few months later, news of a decomposed mutilated body breaks out. The body of an unidentified man believed to be in his late 20’s was found on the beach in the county headquarters. The whole region went in shock. The deceased was a senior student at one of the county’s leading public high schools. The president, the new man who wanted to stop the society house and heart man business in the country unleashed hundreds of red beret police-the task force to the county to arrest all suspects in connection with the ritualistic killing. Farming activities have temporarily stopped until the heart men were arrested-for hope of relieving the fear of being chased and snatched from the farm or on the paths leading to farms. Arrests have been made in the county headquarters. Big names are involved.
“The superintendent?” “Yes, no, maybe.” The county clerk?” “Yes, no, maybe.” “Then who?” “They.” “The big county government school’s principal?” “Yes, no, maybe.” “Then who?” “The city mayor?” “Yes, no, maybe.” “The representative?” “Yes, no, maybe.” “Then who?” “The government people.” “Listen; don’t tell anyone I told you. The district clerk inside too. They say the red berets coming to get him along with some people from our town.” Watch out for part II
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