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Certain Winds from the
South 2
days ago. How can I tell you he is very well? When a grown-up
goes to live in other people's village...'
'M'ma?'
'What is it?'
'No. Please, it is nothing.'
'My son, I cannot understand you this evening ... yes, if
you, a grown-up person, go to live in another village, will you
say after the first few days that you are perfectly well?'
'No.'
'Shall you not get yourself used to their food? Shall you not
find first where you can get water for yourself and your
sheep?'
'Yes, M'ma.'
'Then how is it you ask me if Fuseni is very well? The navel is
healing very fast ... and how would it not? Not a single navel
of all that I have cut here got infected. Shall I now cut my
grandson's and then sit and see it rot? But it is his male that I
can't say. Mallam did it neat and proper and it must be all
right. Your family is not noted for males that rot, is it now?'
'No, M'ma,'
'Then let your heart lie quiet in your breast. Fuseni is well
but we cannot say how well yet.'
'I have heard you, M'ma. M'ma?'
'Yes, my son.'
'M'ma, I am going south.'
'Where did you say?'
'South.'
'How far?'
'As far as the sea. M'ma, I thought you would understand.'
'Have I spoken yet?'
'No, you have not.'
'Then why did you say that?'
'That was not well said.'
'And what are you going to do there?'
'Find some work.'
'What work?'
'I do not know.'
'Yes, you know, you are going to cut grass.'
'Perhaps.'
'But my son, why must you travel that far just to cut grass? Is there not enough of it all round here? Around this kraal, your
father's and all the others in the village? Why do you not cut
these?'
'M'ma, you know it is not the same. If I did that here people
would think I was mad. But over there, I have heard that not
only do they like it but the government pays you to do it.'
'Even so, our men do not go south to cut grass. This is for
those further north. They of the wilderness, it is they who go
south to cut grass. This is not for our men.'
'Please M'ma, already time is going. Hawa is a new mother
and Fuseni my first child.'
'And yet you are leaving them to go south and cut grass.'
'But M'ma, what will be the use of my staying here and
watching them starve? You yourself know that all the cola
went bad, and even if they had not, with trade as it is, how
much money do you think I would have got from them? And
that is why I am going. Trade is broken and since we do not
know when things will be good again, I think it will be better
for me to go away.'
'Does Hawa know?'
'No, she does not.'
'Are you coming to wake her up at this late hour to tell her?'
'No.'
'You are wise.'
'M'ma, I have left everything in the hands of Amadu. He
will come and see Hawa tomorrow.'
'Good.'
'When shall we expect you back?'
'Issa.'
'M'ma.'
'When shall we expect you back?'
'M'ma, I do not know. Perhaps next Ramadan.'
'Good.'
'So I go now.'
'Allah go, with you.'
'And may His prophet look after you all.'
M'ma went straight back to bed, but not to sleep. And how
could she sleep? At dawn, her eyes were still wide open.
'Is his family noted for males that rot? No, certainly not. It is
us who are noted for our unlucky females. There must be
To be continued |
