A ray of sunshine shone through the open window and forced me to open my eyelids. I immediately leaped from the mat, and headed outside to wash my face. I conducted all chores rapidly, yet cheerfully, that sunny morning and resisted all self-imposed negative thoughts. Finding the perfect outfit proved to be a challenge, but I ended up settling on wearing one of Mama’s dresses. I explained my itinerary for the day to my Aunt, which mainly involved paying a visit to the royal house. I understood the importance of the few errands that I had to run for Aunt Naisie, but the utmost important order of the day was the visit to the royal homestead.
It was not every day that Chiefs invited mere village members to the royal house. I took every opportunity to see Oduya with utmost importance. Echoes of the strict instructions, to get back home before the sun had set and not to talk to strangers accompanied me. I found the last bit of the instruction amusing, as the chances of coming across a stranger in our village were very low. Our village was the epitome of unified people. High brick walls did not segregate neighbours.
Our great Chief set up a community vegetation project and many other activities. There was no one who could be a stranger because every family felt the need to come out of their shells and participate in the up-keep of our beloved village. The flip-side of the coin was that the façade of a unified community hid dark secrets, I thought to myself as I walked to the royal house.
Two towering men who appeared to be the gatekeepers simultaneously greeted me.
“I was told to take you to the quarters upon your arrival, young Lucy,” one said, benign with a smile but firm in manner.
I followed behind him, maintaining a cautious distance. The stone-decorated trail that we followed led us straight to Chief Dabengwa, who sat comfortably on his throne. I did a quick scan of the sky-blue painted room in search for Oduya’s presence but the only synopsis I got was the scent of a freshly painted wall. I felt like a grain of sand in the presence of the chief and my voice trembled with anxiety as I extended my arm to greet him.
“Unfortunately, my son is not around to hear the news I am about to unpack for you,”
The gatekeeper and I shared glances of confusion. I made an effort to break the ambiguous statement into segments. The largest piece of the pie in my mind seemed to be my arranged marriage to Oduya.
“Young Lucy, I have a proposal for you…”
My veins began to throb and pulsate in anticipation of what was to follow. I cracked my knuckles and gnashed my teeth involuntarily. This is the moment I have been waiting for all my teenage years, I thought to myself.
The Chief stood up to clear his throat and uttered, “I would be most delighted if you could tutor my son, as he is struggling with Mathematics. I will fund your tertiary studies as payment.”
The words uttered by the Chief were not what I expected. I saw the sincerity of his request in his eyes as he delivered those words. My dream of studying medicine was finally going to be a reality. At that very moment, I stood still, trying to digest what I had heard.
That moment was confirmation that my mother never left me, even in her death. I cheerfully wiped away tears of joy and nodded to accept the offer. In spite of a failed announcement of marriage to Oduya, I cherished the idea of being near him and gladly looked forward to finally furthering my studies.
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