Till Worlds Do Us Part

l around. I was looking around nervously as if I was scared. My chair then started rattling and shaking. I held on to the handles and shut my eyes. But it wouldn't stop. I started to hear screaming a

ing to breath all of a sudden. I was choking. I

t the lady out and she came in later with the same bowl which had water earlier on but it was steaming hot. She put it next to me on the bed and covered me with the bowl under a blanket. It was hot under the blanket with that bowl. And the smell was strong and minty. I felt the sme

I kept fighting but nothing happened. They kept me there

pped over bowl and my burnt foot and sent the lady away quickly. Furah started saying something to me with her palms together, s

y gentle and kept blowing it as she applied. Furah put her hand on my shoulder and tr

in and put a mat on the floor and they layed me down on it and covered me with another blanket up to my neck. Furah patted my forehead and

ecame busy around the hut. She didn't notice that I wasn't sleeping. She hummed as s

re were carvings everywhere. Carvings of different types of animals and objects all in on

ud snoring sound. I figured it must be the chief sleeping. I went to the next curtain and peeped inside but there was nobody in there. Just more carvings and a be

hat sent shivers down my spine. I turned around and cau

ng. Furah suddenly appeared and asked the chief what was going on. He said... and she came to me and I ran into her arms for refuge. She held me tight and didn't say anything to the chief. After the chief left the hut she stood me

s with fire. Other younger looking women and girls where hanging cloths and materials on strings of line tied apart by long be

near the hut. I noticed she was busy washing the blankets I had messed

lf and put her hands on her c

" I said

urned me towards the lady and point

se I understoo

said looki

d Gamu nodded

ion in her eyes. I understood her question but I did not know t

then Furah burst out laughing, Gamu join

s were just watchi

er, Furah looked at me wi

chest again a

en

liked that name. I liked tha

mentioned my name. Gamu nodd

on. Gamu kept mentioning my name. They repeated my name several times after she said it. At times they laughed and kept looking at me. A few even came to touch my hair and feel my clothes. That's when I noticed they were all dressed similar. They al

ges of dirt: black, brown and green, the vest I was wearing was also torn and dirty. I touched my hair and it felt like a mess, my pony tail was halfway gone. I touched my ears and o

t back into the hut. To my surprise she even left the shee

of a nearby hut and shouted at the young girls. They scurried back

ack to the hut. She fetched three buckets and handed me one and then we

king, I don't know about what. But she seemed happy and car

nd pointed to the trees above us. I understood that she wanted me

sound of the wind was calming. All those sounds mashed with each other: the result was tranqualising. We listened for quite some time and then she smiled at me. She then started to sing and continued to walk.

a very beautiful river. The sun was bouncing

k her head and urged me on. I removed my clothes and went into the river to bath. The water was warm. I used the cloth to clean my body and face. I undid my pony tail and dipped my whole head into the river. When I stuck m

led out to he

ook he

ked at me. She smiled and reached in one of the buckets and took out something made out of wood and she used that to brush my hair. She brushed it and left it to fall over my shoulders. Now I felt lik

for Gamu to take a bath with the other girls. I watched them play in the water. They splashed water on each ot

*

ocks and went a long way down. I watched her draw out water. She kept talking and I just stood there watching her.

your feet?" I hear

They were topless and wore skirts made from animal skin, but their skirts were not too shor

was so happy t

name?" He asked me

ed eag

u in their language. Gamu didn't reply

ow." I told Yoké

yes beamed open

en

d frowned. "Who ga

's beautif

m. "In that case, Rena meet m

trong facial features and was much darker than Yoké. His

speak English?

ed at me shl

ge. I told you that." Yoké said leaning against the w

e compliment.

n't worry. One

ng towards us a

g at me and said... to

Uma say?

kin is very lig

bad and looked d

"You see there, on that m

." I re

on a large mountain was flat surface and o

He told me, he

mals in your hut?" I asked him co

e asked me, comp

lot at Fu

kno

n said s

ld go now. See you befo

y, b

turned away and watched Gamu lift th

ad

ned b

wants to feel

ma and he suddenly moved

nd will take it straight to the elders and then next mor

Uma reached out and tou

y your hair

y hair inst

your hair?" I

in

es

ir. It was rough and wet. He had a lot

way from me, although

aughed and removed m

s too hard."

. "Well Uma was right, yours is ve

know." I

ked closer. "Actually yo

ng his hands through my hair. "Act

t's weird. Everyone k

ave no

uckets in each hand and star

id as they

or dance, or smile anymore. She was quiet the whole