When we got to the great bamboo wall that separates our village from theirs, Yoké moved a few loose bamboos to one side and told me to crawl under to the other side. When I was through I held them to the side for him too. When I looked around, I noticed the forest continued from our village into theirs, it was just separated by a line of green bamboo sticks. And there was no difference between their forestry and ours.“Now we are in Kuja village.” “So what’s so different between the Kuja villagers and the Toko people?”“Just the believes. They allowed foreigners into their land to lead them astray from the Gods.” “Which foreigners?” I asked him. “By the way, the people here also speak Loke and Kwali like us and a bit of English. So don’t think you can talk to me about them in Loke or English and they won’t understand you.” Yoké told me. “Why would I speak to you in Loke? I can’t even speak it.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Come to think of it,” Yoké stopped and smiled at me. “You nev
The next day, after the river I refused to go with Gamu to the well, I went straight to the hut. I didn't tell her about the Princess nor her servant or else she would have known that Yoké went to the next village. When she came back from the well that day she waited until we were alone and then started to complain about her back pain because of having to carry the buckets all alone. I didn't respond to anything she said. I just sat on the stool with my back against the wall and played with the carved hyena in my hand."Rena are you listening to me?" She asked me."I am.""What did I say?""That you have a pain in your lower back."She looked at me in disbelieve and then shook her head. "What's wrong? Tell me." She came to sit on the stool opposite mine."What do you mean?" I asked shaking my head. "Nothing.""No Rena, there is something wrong because that's not what I said. I stopped talking about my back a long time ago. I was telling you that Yoké was asking me about you.""Okay."
We sat around the wooden table and ate. Gamu cooked green beans today. I was now used to her food and enjoyed every one of the different food she cooked. “Tomorrow morning there’s a ceremony.” The chief told Furah and I. He avoided my eyes as usual. “Before the sun rises. Furah tell your servant to get Rena ready in time. We can’t be late.”“Who is it?” Furah asked the chief.“Someone we wouldn’t have believed could do anything like that.” I did not understand what they were talking about. I looked towards Gamu. She shook her head slowly and I understood her. This ceremony tomorrow was not something we would be happy about. There was trouble. That morning we woke up before the cock crowed. Gamu and I hurried to the river. “What do you think the ceremony is about?” I asked Gamu. “There’s only one ceremony that takes place before the sun rises.”“And what is that?” “This is bad, Rena.” She said.“Gamu, which ceremony is it?” “It’s the beheading ceremony.” I gasped. “What? Why? Wh
Gamu sat with her knees bent, head in her hands and her elbows resting on her knees.We were before the river. “Rena, why?” She asked me regretfully.I was sitting with my arms wrapped around my knees. I was still crying and shivering, I couldn’t get Sona out of my head: just when we had turned to leave I had heard the chief’s command loud and clear. And I heard the sickening slicing sound. And then I heard the villagers gasp in horror.“Rena you don’t know how much trouble you got yourself into with the chief and Furah.”“Gamu, forget about me.” I told her. “Didn’t you see what they did to Sona? Didn’t you see how his mother was crying? How could they be so heartless?”“Do you know how much Rena meant to the chief and Furah? Do you know how long it took them to get that first and only child? You shouldn’t have mentioned her to them.”“I could ask you the same about Sona’s mother. Why are you sounding as if Sona’s life didn’t matter. ““You don’t know a thing about Sona or his mother.
When we got to the hut he went to the side and put me down on the bench and then stood before me with his hands on his waist. I looked up at him with a scowl.“I don’t even know where to start.” He said biting his bottom lip like he always did. I didn’t say anything.“Okay, first of all why did you just leave Kuja without me? I thought you were supposed to wait for me.”I didn’t say anything. “Did you remember your way back?” “No I didn’t, I’m still lost there.” I said sarcastically. He smiled shortly. “Anyway, about the Princess, you spoke to her. I was so scared when you made a scene in front of her but I should have trusted you. Because of everything you told her she said that she would ask her father to free my father and let him take refuge in their village. She said it wouldn’t be easy because the whole village could question that act but she would try her best. Thank you, Genesis.”“There’s nothing to thank me for. It’s only human. If you claim you love somebody, how can you
"What are we going to do?" I asked him, the blood in my body still running a marathon. He looked back at me with so much concern.“It’s okay…” Yoké told me. “It’s just Uma.” How did he know? “Uma I’m this side.” Yoké called out. Uma appeared with a bucket in his hand. “You know this was the last thing I imagined seeing this morning after the beheading ceremony just took place.” “Rena was there.” Yoké told him. “Why did she even go?” Uma asked. “You shouldn’t have went Rena.” “She’s with the royal family. It’s a must for all of them to attend.” “I would never attend that ceremony ever again. The last time I attended I was just a little boy. But what I saw, I can never forget. It’s traumatizing.” He was swinging his bucket as he was speaking. “Yoké aren’t you going to draw water today?”“I don’t want to leave her here alone. She’s not in a good space right now.” “So… should I take your bucket or you have water from yesterday?” “I have enough water. Just do me a favor, okay?”“
Yoké later on ignited the fire and warmed his food for us and we ate. I told him that the food was delicious and he was so happy to hear that. He started telling me that when we get married he would be the one cooking for us since I do not know how to cook yet. He said he would then start teaching me how to cook. When we finished eating he brought the water from the hut and he washed the bowls while I rinsed them. When we were done, he put the bowls back inside. We then sat by the fire side by side and I laid my head on his shoulder. "Where do you want us to build our hut once we get married? We can build it anywhere you'd like." "I like it up here. Just us two, so far from everyone else." I told him. "Just us two? What about our little ones?" I started to laugh. "Which little ones?" "The ones which you and I will have. I want our first child to be a girl by the way. A beautiful baby girl with your hair." I tried to imagine a baby girl with Yoké's smile, his eyes and my hair. "I
"I don't blame her too." I said. "She has every right to be scared for her life. Look at poor Sona, his was just taken away from him just like that." "But I will try my best again to talk to her tomorrow at the well." Uma said. "Thank you." I said. "Don't say thank you. Bring me the corn that Yoké owes me." "You'll never get it." Yoké told him. "Rena do you see the man that you would like to marry one day? He doesn't even know how to return things he owes." "In brotherhood there is no owing." Yoké told him. "Anyway, you two are not even afraid to sit here like this after everything that happened. I told you two not to sit like this. You two are something else." Yoké got up and went inside his hut. "So when are you going to confess your love to Gamu?" I teased him. "Never. I don't love her." Yoké came back with a flute and sat back down next to me. "I thought you would have changed your mind by now." "No way. I need someone that will love me more than anything. You see the