Mosana - Part III

EPISODE 3

I realise I haven’t told you the name of my village yet. It was called Aimatu. It means the land of rocks. It was our most prominent feature - rocks. Villages around us were named similarly, after their most prominent feature. There was Aimeke (the land of water), Aimunepe (the land surrounded by mountains), Aisamako (the land of snakes). I’ll stop here; I’m sure you get the general idea. To us, we were a large community in deep Africa (we were larger than most), but looking back now, we were nothing more than a small village. 

We had village chiefs who comprised of twelve of the oldest men in the village. To be admitted into their circle meant one of the chiefs had to die. All through my fifteen or so years in that village, only one chief died and another old man was admitted. They had to remain twelve. Mai Buni, completed their circle as the thirteenth member. He was their head and also our king. Together, they were the Terrible Thirteen. They went where they liked, did what they liked and said what they liked. There was law, but it only favoured the men. I hated them all equally and wished them all death.

I didn’t know how soon my prayers would be answered.

News had been going round for a while about conquests. We had heard of far off villages that had been captured by guru bai, white devils. These white devils were said to kill resisting soldiers and occupy the land. At first, it was rumour that later became laughing stock, but soon enough, we found out that nearby villages were being conquered too. The guru bai were moving in little by little and seizing territories as their own. Mai Buni boasted that we wouldn’t fall to any devil, real or imagined. We were a mighty  people, he said. We had the strength of numbers. I on the other hand, preferred the devil to living with these people. Rumours of conquests stopped for a while and all was calm.

Then a week to my wedding, we heard that Aimunepe had been conquered. 

That was when Mai Buni began to panic. I didn’t see him panicking myself, but I felt it in the air. The soldiers were not at ease. They paraded the village more times than usual. More kuyunu were sent to the borders. There was talk of instilling a curfew.

I overheard my father talking with Dajnu’s father about probably postponing the wedding. Dajnu was looking to join the village army and it would look good to the king if he was to go and support the soldiers at the border. My father was adamant that the wedding should be conducted first. I prayed with all my might that Dajnu’s father would gain the upper hand and Dajnu would be sent to security duty.

Most painfully, the king supported my father and gave permission for the wedding to take place. Meanwhile, he commended Dajnu’s father for his ‘selflessness’ in volunteering his son for the protection of the land. Dajnu’s father was pacified as the king had noticed him already and was happy to let the wedding proceed. I was still going to be sold.

Weddings took a week in Aimatu. The number of days for weddings varied from village to village, ranging from three days to a month. There was a village that only did weddings under a full moon. The ceremony began in earnest the first day of the week. First, I had to be prepped. I was taken to my mother’s quarters, where I would be till I was led to the man’s house. Please note that I still refuse to refer to Dajnu as my husband. I would rather swallow back my own vomit. Let me continue. Women from the village came to help my mother prepare me for the man’s house. I had to be washed in milk. Different herbs and oils were provided to treat my skin. I was bathed repeatedly and scented. All for the man. My nails were cut, my hair was brushed. I ate fruits, vegetables and meats. Not the junk obete I liked. I was constantly watched. I couldn’t go anywhere. I could only sit and watch as the women did to me all they had been taught by their mothers. Outside, it was fun galore for the man. He had games with his friends; from hunting games to wrestling matches. It was a week long bachelor’s party. They could sing and dance into the night, drinking and having their way with women. I on the other hand, was stuck as a prisoner.

I would only talk to my mother. I refused to answer any of the questions the women asked me. They weren’t angry with me though; they understood. None of them there had been happy to get married. My mother tried to make the process enjoyable for me, but I wouldn’t be consoled. It wasn’t about the process, it was about what the process was for. And I was angry. But there was nothing I could do about it. I cried when I was left alone, but sucked it up as soon as anyone approached. No way I was letting them see me cry. They had enough victories over me as it was. I wasn’t going to give them my tears too.

The day finally came. By then, all my tears had dried up. I had no more strength left in me. All my prayers for divine intervention had gone unanswered. No one had come to save me. I was stiff as my mother put on me my wedding wrapper. My mind was absent from my body as my mother, along with the other women, led me out of her quarters with singing and dancing. They had to be merry on my behalf. I didn’t smile, I didn’t meet anyone’s eyes as I trekked with them to the wedding ground in Dajnu’s father’s compound, where I was to begin my new life. There was a lot of noise around me, but I could hear nothing. I could feel nothing. I sat through the whole ceremony with all the words that the village priest said going over my head. Only when Dajnu tapped me did I respond in a dead voice. 'Yes' was all that was required anyway. 

Somewhere around midnight, it was over. I was exhausted and all I had done was sit there. The whole village escorted us (Dajnu and I) to his quarters and left us at his door, with everyone screaming well-wishes. The dread that had been building up since I left my mother’s house was almost at a head now. I tried to swallow it but it wasn’t going down my throat anymore. I willed my mind to stop panicking, but it disobeyed me. I knew what was coming next. And I had seen the lewd look in Dajnu’s eyes and knew he wouldn’t spare me that night. It was bad enough that I was already married to the prick. Now he had to have me?

Immediately the door was closed, he commanded, Pute nao klau.

Take off your clothes.

I pretended not to hear. Or maybe it was because I was trembling so hard I couldn’t speak.

Kapuna kuru le umba neru si ma juhu le. 

You can either make this easy for yourself or I can make it hard for you.

I still paid deaf ears. I didn’t even look at him.

Then he grabbed me. I screamed. He slapped me and shouted, Tuka!

Shut up.

Let me take a bath first please, I cried.

I hated that I had to say please, but it worked. I guess he wanted his meat clean and fresh, so he let me go and pointed to the door that led outside to the bathroom. He wasn’t afraid that I was going to run away; his father’s compound had high bamboo fences with a higher gate. And there were guards stationed around the house. Dajnu’s father was an influential man. Even if I tried to escape, I would be caught before I ever made it over the fence.

Inside the bathroom I cried and cursed my existence. I cursed my father, I cursed all the men I had ever known. I cursed my weakness and the fact that I couldn’t pay them back for all they had done to me. I cried and cried. I wished I could drown in the bathing water. I knew I had been in there for long when Dajnu began to yell at me to come out. He couldn’t even call me by my name, the bastard. I was just another thing to him.

I knew I had to hurry up or he would come for me himself, and who knew what he might have done? I wiped my tears as best as I could and retied my wrapper. I was still in my wedding clothes.

I took a step out of the bathroom when I heard the explosion. Something loud and harsh split the air and almost deafened me. Then it became rapid. It was gunfire. At the time, I didn’t know what it was. All thoughts of Dajnu were forgotten as I dropped to my knees and covered my ears. The noise continued for about a minute or so, until I felt someone drag me up.

When I looked into the person’s face, I screamed.

It was a guru bai - a white devil.

___________________________________________

Hey you!

Third installment is a goal! Thanks to all those who have been following so far. I hope I have managed to keep you intrigued. There's more to come, more you won't expect. You'll just have to stay tuned. Like I asked last week, if you think you can't get enough, you can just ask me to do the episodes two times a week. That way, you don't have to suffer in suspense.

Remember to comment, like and share ;)

Gotta go now. Till next Sunday.

xoxo,

Ava.