The healer was not too happy about my burn. He was a chubby old man with a big round tummy. He was wearing a long furry garment over his shoulders. There were white patterns drawn all over his face.He scolded Gamu for my burn. Gamu didn't say anything, she just kept her head down and her hands behind her back. She looked so submissive and quiet, unlike the carefree girl she was this morning in the forest. I felt really bad for her, although I did not understand the reason behind them locking me under that blanket with such hot water.I was sitting on the bed with my legs hanging to the floor. The healer was kneeling by my foot examining the yellow swollen bump on my foot. I kept looking at his round tummy. I had not seen anyone with a tummy that big in the village. The people I saw were all well built, with strong features and muscles.Furah and the chief were seated around on little benches watching the healer rant on and on. They did not interrupt the healer as he complained.Afte
That next day Gamu prepared red vegatable-like food, with the same white and green looking food on the side. This time they did not let me eat on the bed. Furah, the chief and myself sat around a wooden table with our plates before us. Gamu stood aside and awaited any orders. After we all washed our hands the chief gave permission for us to start eating. I decided to start with the green vegetables as the white looking food did not go so well yesterday.I took some of the green and ate it, I didn't like the taste but I continued chewing anyway. I shut my eyes hard and swallowed. I tried a second time, and before the veggies were halfway down my throat it all came back up and I threw up on the floor.The chief banged his palms on the table and got up. He started to complain and shout. Furah just kept quiet and moved the food on her plate around with her fingers slowly. I didn't know why the food kept coming back up. I hadn't eaten anything in three days. I didn't even feel hungry anymor
I was regularly accompanying Gamu while she ran her morning arends. She would wake up at the crow of the rooster and enter the hut. She would then clean up the hut and would wash any of our dirty clothes. As she did things she would hum. She'd then take the three buckets and take me to the beautiful river to take a bath. Before we reached the river we always stopped in the forest to hear the birds and the trees and then she would sing and we would dance. And then we would move on to the other side of the river where all the other girls would bath and then I would watch her bath and play in the water with the other girls.We would then go up the hill to the well to draw out water. On rare days we would see Yoké and Uma coming to fetch water at the same time as us, or coming up the hill as we were going back down. He would greet Gamu and then me and him would talk or laugh about the stories he would tell me. Uma always stood closest to us and smiled here and there although he could not u
Today was different, as soon as we stepped outside I noticed there was something different in the way everyone went about their morning. There was excitement in the air, like something was about to happen. Furah told Gamu to dress me up good today and she did. Today I wore material from cheater skin. When we went up, we didn't see Yoké and Uma today.I found out what brought the excitement when the sun was about to set.Everyone started going towards the mountains. Everyone but us. We waited until everyone left and then we also followed. We kept walking for a long time and I was a little bit scared. We were walking in single file with the chief leading, followed by Furah and then myself and then Gamu. We passed the forest and got to stony ground. We approached a stop, there was no more way. Just bamboo sticks forming a great wall. We stopped in front of the bamboo wall and I looked back at Gamu. She had no expression on her face, she didn't smile or make any face.The chief then look
That night I couldn't sleep. I kept asking myself why Abu did that? Why? Why did he do that? And why did he tell me that he would meet me at the well? I've never even seen him at the well before. I thought long and hard but couldn't get any answers.We were speaking nicely at the show so where did I go wrong with him? I kept replaying what happened in my head. I replayed it a thousand times and then started replaying what could have happened. I replayed those scenes over and over again until I fell asleep.And as usual, I had the same dream again and I woke up covered in sweat. It didn't make any sense. What did this dream mean? Why did I keep having this dream? The worst part was that whenever I was suffocating in the dream, I was struggling to breath in real life. I guess thats why I always woke up with screams.***As soon as I heard Gamu enter the hut that morning I jumped to my feet and ran into the main chamber. She just looked at me, frowned and continued working. I greeted her
It rained that night. Gamu told me it was the first time that it was raining in Toko for 3 months. She said that that meant that their God was very pleased with them, that's why he brought rain again. She told me that since it rained after so long, tomorrow there would be a celebration in the village.Kids played outside in the rain until late that night. I could hear their screams of excitement muffled under the pouring of the rain on the straws of our hut. After that they were still... I assumed they all went back to their huts. Now only the sound of the pouring of the rain reined. I cried the whole night. I didn't feel the excitement of the rain. I didn't want to celebrate tomorrow. I just wanted answers. Why? Why? And why? Why Yoké said those things to me. Did he really mean them? Me and him had been speaking nicely ever since he came to interpret for me the first time. So what went wrong?Yoké couldn't just kick me out like that. He meant so much to me. He meant so much to me but
Something strange happened. I went out with Gamu in the morning as usual, and I didn’t see Yoké at the well. Uma was there drawing water alone.We greeted him and he greeted back.“Where’s Yoké today?” Gamu asked him before I could.“Oh, he was called to the chief’s hut a few moments ago.”Gamu and I exchanged looks.“Why?” I asked.“I don’t know. A small child was sent to call him from the well. You didn’t see him on your way up?” I shook my head. I was worried now. “Besides interpreting, is there another reason why Yoké would be called for by the chief?” Uma shrugged. “Yoké is a teacher, maybe they want him to explain something. I don’t know.” “What if he is in trouble?” I asked. “What could he possibly do wrong? Unless it’s with you.” Gamu laughed. “Can you believe that this girl sneaked out last night to see him.” “Why are you telling everyone now? I told you not to tell anyone.” “Uma is not everyone.” Gamu said. “Tell her Gamu. I’m a good friend. Besides, Yoké already tol
Uma stopped playing his flute and came to sit next to me at the entrance of the cave and we watched the birds fly in circles together. "Did you like the song?"I nodded. "You play really well.""My father taught me to play. And in turn I taught Yoké.""How did you two become such good friends anyway?"He smiled, as if he could see the whole memory playing out before him."We first met at the farm. I was with my father and he was with his. And our parents were assigned to work on the corn together. And they began to speak. As a result, Yoké and myself spent a lot of time together that day as well. And you know kids, it didn't take us long to start talking like we knew each other for years.""What happened to Yoké's father?" "You didn't ask him?" "I did but his answer was not clear.""What did he say?" "He said that the God's were watching over him somewhere. I didn't want to insist because he was already sad that time." "His father was banished about 3 years after Yoké and I became