We sat around the wooden table eating the delicious vegetables that Gamu had made. As we ate in awkward silence I was only thinking of one thing: Furah’s last words. Each time I looked across the table toward her I was sure that maybe I had misunderstood her. She didn’t look like the person I was with in that chamber. She didn’t look like the person that told me what she had just said to me.The chief on the other hand wore an unshakable frown that I knew oh-so-well. I would always wonder how one person could hate me so much that he refused to speak whenever I was around but today I finally understood his hate. He hated me for trying to take his daughter’s place in their life. He hated me for sleeping in his daughter’s chamber and wearing her clothes. Perhaps I brought back the memories of his beloved daughter each day. Being called by her name each day… I understood his anger, it was pain. I suddenly remembered that Yoké had asked me to come back to him. He had to know what Furah had
“Why are you talking as if you support this ceremony?” I asked him. He looked at me. “I don’t. And you know that.” “So why aren’t you supporting me?” “Because it’s you, Genesis. I know how dangerous what you want to do is. I don’t want your life in danger. You only have one of it.”I sighed and looked away. “Especially that they don’t consider you one of us, they won’t even want to listen to you. It would be like just showing all of them that you are a threat and then watching them try to eliminate that threat in the village.” “I won’t be alone. I will try to gather as much villagers as possible. If my life means nothing in front of the elders, the rest of the villagers’ life will mean something.” “Don’t do this to me Genesis.” Yoké covered his face with his hands. “Please.”“Besides, Furah said she already knew a few people whose family had died the same way and probably wouldn’t mind joining.”“Genesis I know our elders very well. I know how serious they are about keeping us in
Shortly after we got to the well, Uma showed up with two buckets. When I saw him with two buckets I already knew that Yoké wouldn't be coming to the well and I knew the reason very well. "How are you, Rena?" Uma asked me as he got close to us. Gamu was busy filling up our first bucket. Uma only greeted me and I really didn't want to upset Gamu in any way before it made matters worse than they already were. I had to find a way to make them two speak to each other. "I'm good Uma. How are you?""I'm well, just a little tired. They assigned me to uproot the weeds today. That's the worst task at the farm.""Gamu, let Uma fetch water for us." Gamu looked at Uma but Uma looked away. "Will you?" Gamu asked him. "Or are you too tired?" Uma didn't reply, just looked back at me. "Won't you ask me about your Yoké?" It was such an awkward moment and I had to answer Uma back to cut that moment short. "Where's Yoké anyway?" I asked him after a gulp I'm sure they all heard."I don't know what
When we were about to reach the hut Gamu suddenly stopped. "Rena, Furah is there, help me put this bucket on my head quickly."I looked toward our hut and I saw Furah seated outside the hut. We stopped and I helped her quickly lift one of the buckets on her head. "You didn't even put a wrapper." I told her. "Your hair will become sandy." She then carried the other two buckets in each hand and we continued. "Rena." Furah called me once we reached her. "Yes Furah." "Let's go, I was waiting for you."When we were away from the hut I looked back and saw Gamu standing and watching us. "Where are we going?" "Where the uprising will begin." She said. "I found someone who agreed to have us in their hut for any discussions based on the uprising." My heart lit up. "Who was it?" "Sona's mother." We walked a little while more and then reached the hut. Furah clapped thrice. "Who seeks me?" A woman's voice answered. "It is I, the chieftess." We heard scurrying and then the curtain was d
Even though I couldn’t sleep, I resisted the temptation to run to Yoké and tell him everything. I kept thinking about what happened. I couldn’t believe that Abu was finally getting his way. Why did I keep provoking him knowing very well that he actually had the ability to do this to me? Maybe if I had made him believe that I liked him too, I could have asked him to not talk to his father. I wished I had listened to Yoké when he told me that I should act like there was nothing going on between the two of us so that we do not upset Abu. Why didn’t I just listen? This was all my fault.I don’t know how long it took but after much more regretful thoughts I finally fell asleep. After a short while I was woken up again by Gamu’s rattling and moving around in the house. I laid awake for a little while longer and then got up when I heard Gamu coming towards my chamber. It was now time to go to the river.When we got to the river Gamu didn’t wait for me to finish bathing like she normally did,
In the evening we sat around the table as Gamu dished out for us.“Did you tell her Furah?” The chief asked Furah.Furah smiled. “I thought you would be the one to make such a beautiful announcement.”The chief shook his head.“Okay, I’ll do it.” Furah kept her smile although the chief was not returning it.I already knew what it was they wanted me to know. I didn’t want to hear it again.“Rena,” Furah said with a huge grin on her face. “A wonderful thing happened yesterday. You know when we came to find the people in the hut? It was Abu, his father and grandfather. They came to ask to marry you. Abu is going to marry you!”I looked down at the food before me, it was kasava leaves and pap. Gamu finished dishing and gave the chief a bowl to wash his hands.“We agreed to their proposal,” Furah continued. “they said they will pray to the Gods and request a suitable date for the marriage to take place. Once they get it they will come back to us and let us know.”“You agreed?” I asked her a
“Are you fine?” He asked me.I nodded, even though I was not. My future was lying in Abu’s hands, someone I could not even stand. How could I be fine?“We’ll figure it out.” Yoké told me for the second time today. “And I know the perfect place to go that’ll help us.”“Where?” I asked him.“You’ll see.”He put his arm around me and we started walking, in the direction away from the mountains.“I went to see my father today.”“How is he?”“Very well. The princess released him.”“That’s such good news!” I exclaimed looking up at him, he didn’t look as happy as I expected him to be. “So you finally got to see his face again, hug him again?”“Yes.” Yoké smiled sadly. “He lost so much weight. Too much weight.”“He’ll get better. So where is he now? Are you taking me to him?”“No, I’m not. The princess asked her men to build him his own hut in their village. So he is fine now, but she said he has to start going to the farm like everyone else in their village or else the other villagers may st
“Here Rena.” Uma said passing me my bucket that he had just filled.“Thank you.”“Yoké I forgot to tell you that Rena took water for us the other time.” Uma said moving onto his own bucket.“Yeah she’s been watching us do it for so long, I’m not surprised.” Yoké said leaning against the wall of the well.“Where’s your bucket, Yoké?” I asked him.“I have enough water in the hut.” He replied. “I just came to see you.”“Unfortunately there’s people coming our way, love birds.” Uma told us. “Rena should go now. Besides, her best friend is waiting down there for her.”“I’ll see you tonight Yoké.”“Tonight?” Uma asked looking surprised. “You two just don’t listen, do you?”“Believe me when I tell you this, friend,” Yoké said to him. “Us meeting at night when everyone else is asleep is actually much safer than people overhearing our conversation at the well or people seeing us hold hands during the day.”“I don’t think so because during the day you can defend yourself by saying that it was a