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
At Ana’s hut, there were only three new people. And I was surprised at the two new people whom I saw there. Uma and Yoké were there. They were seated in the group with everyone else. I almost smiled when I saw them. The other new person was a girl. A young girl.Everyone stood up to greet Furah. After she greeted them they all sat down.“Thank you, Furah.” I said as she took a seat next to me. “I’m glad to see that we are joined by three more people. Could you introduce yourselves please?”“I’m Umani. But everyone calls me Uma. I’m 23 years old. I’m joining this uprising because I also want change in our village like everyone else here.”“I’m Ema, I’m Uma’s little sister. I’m 19. I joined because when my brother told me about the uprising, I knew that it is going to be good for our village. Also because I believe that my brother is always right.”I couldn’t help smiling. “Thank you Ema.”“I’m Yoké, I’m sure everyone already knows. My father was banished when I was only 14 years old. As
Despite agreeing with Yoké that I wouldn’t come see him that night, I found myself sneaking out of bed and out of the hut. As I passed the cow it made a loud long mooing sound causing me to flinch. There was no where for me to hide so I just froze in one position. After the cow stopped and I saw that no one had come out of their huts. I ran across the yard, into the forest and up the mountain.When I reached his hut, I clapped thrice but he didn’t respond. I clapped again but he still didn’t respond. He was obviously sleeping by now.I don’t know what got into me but I touched the curtain and drew it away slowly. As I did my hands began trembling. I knew that what I was doing was wrong and that I was not allowed to do that. I did it anyway but I didn’t enter. I stood by the entrance. It was dark in the hut I couldn’t see anything.“Yoké.” I called into the darkness.“Hm?” He asked and mumbled something in his sleep.I smiled and called again. “Yoké.”“Hm?” I head him jerk awake. “Genes
When I sneaked back to my own bed I couldn’t believe what had happened between us. I couldn’t believe it at all. I couldn’t believe that Yoké and I actually went that far. I couldn’t sleep again that night. It felt like a dream I would’ve never known how to dream. This was huge, if anyone found out about this, they wouldn’t even spare us a second.When we made our way up the hill I saw Yoké and Uma standing at the well. They were not drawing water, they were just standing there and talking with their buckets on the ground.I hoped that Yoké didn’t tell Uma what had happened between us last night. I felt so embarressed, almost as if everyone that looked at me could read the shameful thing I did.“Rena. How are you today?” Uma asked me beaming at me. He looked almost as if he would hug me out of happiness. Did Yoké tell him?“I’m okay.” I said.“You good?” Yoké asked me, he couldn’t look at me too.I nodded. “You?”“I’m fine.”Uma looked at us. “What’s wrong with you two today? Did you f