UNVEILED

I dragged my two year old daughter to Nambe’s residence right after dawn, she
resisted and fought me all the way, somehow I understood her, I myself felt
reluctant to go. I didn’t want to bump into him tonight, he is always so gloomy and
full of negativity, I loathe the sight of him. luckily Nambe had convinced me he
wouldn't be around tonight, probably spending the night with his new found toy.
Nambe had insisted we joined her for supper, I presume she noticed my almost ran
out food supplies for the month, sweet old Nambe, always thoughtful and
compassionate.

“have some more dear, you are growing really thin” Nambe said sweetly to my
daughter Madalitso while filling up her plate with extra food.
“I thought about what we discussed, surely your hus -” “our husband”
Nambe cut in, her small winked eyes focused on me with love and concern
especially my denial to accept the lousy polygamous marriage I was pressured into
“he is your husband Nambe” I said, “perhaps if I take care of Fynes and her
pregnancy he might see us differently and start treating me and his daughter well
after all it is confirmed she is bearing him a son” I said while putting handful of food
in my mouth, Nambe always attentive and familiar to my moods noticed my
sadness which I tried to cover up by engrossing myself in my meal.
“be proud of your daughter dear, every child is special, be grateful you even have
one” her words and tone made me realize how self absorbed I had been, she was
the one childless and married to a man who had taken up two other wives, but
here I was whining, who was I to complain when my problems were trivial
compared to her’s, and yet she treated me with so much love and concern. I gave
her a guilty smile and a little nod of reassurance.
I woke up early the next morning, I hardly slept last night, my own guilt kept me
awake, it ate me up like roaches, I tossed and turned the whole night waking my
daughter up in the process until dusk fell and I finally woke up, how could I have
been thoughtless? I had caused Nambe pain with my selfishness. I finished my
chores and started preparing breakfast, Nambe was in my thoughts the whole time,
that’s when it hit me that I hadn’t drawn water for her the previous day. she’s
probably in need of it this morning. hurriedly, I left everything and went to her house,
never am I letting that sweet old woman carry a bucket of water ever as long as I
am around. “here you are dear” Nambe said, “go inside the house and get
yourself sweet potatoes to prepare for breakfast” she said while putting the broom
away , she would probably experience back pains for sweeping and bending her
old fragile back, poor Nambe “Oh no!, I’ve left breakfast on the stove back home,
If you don’t mind going over to finish preparing it then I’ll draw water for you here,
afterwards we’ll have breakfast together” I said, I hated how I sounded, I wouldn’t
let her move a muscle if it were up to me, however it had to be this way because I
couldn’t possibly perform two tasks at once “don’t beat yourself up for asking dear,
its okay to ask for help when you need it, after all you’re the one helping me out
here” Nambe said. I had forgotten how well she could read my thoughts and
moods. “alright”.

By lunchtime I felt really good, after I delivered breakfast to Fynes’s house and
having breakfast with Nambe at my house, all the guilt I felt vanished. I was on
cloud nine until I heard her scream. Her screech full of agony and terror piercing
my ears like sharp needles. I bolted, I knew she was hurting and needed help, what
was wrong? the few minutes we spent earlier today she looked healthy and happy,
I had even felt jealous of her happiness but those few minutes had also made me
care for her, I wanted to be her Nambe, not just to earn better treatment from our
husband but I genuinely wanted to take care of her, she was so young and
innocent.
I pushed my feet so hard I felt like my heart would burst. I followed the screams until
they brought me right on her door, her house was just a few meters from mine and
Nambe’s. Fortunately, our husband had a good sense of making us live separately.
Growing up I’ve heard awful stories of polygamous marriages and I never
imagined that kind of life for myself. “you’re not needed here” He said… always
gloomy and rude, what did I expect? He still despises me for bearing a girl instead
of a boy and losing my pregnancy a few years back made him resent me more, “I
thought I could help, what’s wrong with her?” I asked ignoring his awful behaviour, I
was only thinking of Fynes at this point. ‘’It’s none of your goddamn business
woman, now leave”. I left, what could I have done? I didn’t want to exchange
words with him, we all knew the outcome to that, I’ll be on the losing end either
way or maybe even earn myself a slap in the face. My walk back was agonizing,
my mind failed to stay on one concise thought, my mind kept wondering back to
Fynes but I was also livid, why didn’t he let me see her? my intentions were nothing
but pure. Striding on my heels while fuming with anger I forced myself to think of
fynes, poor girl,
Her tormented screams kept ringing in my head, what could have happened? I
force myself to stay busy while I waited for news, Nambe will probably be on her
bedside taking care of her like a mother would, she did the same for me when I
had a miscarriage a few years back, she is a saint... well at least in my eyes.

I was sitting on a mat outside my house having tea while I waited for news, it had
been a few hours since the incident and I was still in the dark. Taking a bite of the
sweet potatoes Nambe had given me I glanced at the small road leading to
fynes’s house hoping to see Nambe and get some news, where is she? i was dying
of curiosity and she was nowhere to be seen. The sweet potatoes were good but I
had lost my appetite, I’d probably just store them for later since I was almost out of
food supplies unlike Nambe who usually gets a lot of food supplies I have to be
cautious with how I spend my supplies, had it not been for her generosity my
daughter and I would’ve ended up starving, we usually run out of food supplies
before the month ends. She is so pure I feel guilty most of the times for being the
other woman her husband had married. I had been pressured into this marriage
but I eventually agreed since my husband had promised to supply my family with
food, a few bags of maize each year to keep them going. I had to save my family
from hunger, and that is the only thing that still keeps me here, otherwise I would
have taken my daughter and left, but who would keep my old parents fed if I left?

I was lost in my thoughts when I heard them, their smoldering voices brought chills
on my skin, I felt it, a steadily escalating sense of foreboding. I wanted to bolt, but
why should I? I stayed on my heels and waited, I wanted to see what was
happening, in no minute I saw the group round up on the corner coming to my
house, stones and whips in their hands… “I should have bolted” I thought. “Go
inside Mada and close the door… go now!” I told my daughter, my motherly
instincts so strong, feeling fearful herself she went inside and did as I instructed.
“There she is!” I heard one of them shout. What was going on? “Get her before she
flees!!” another shouted, my heart was pounding and I was sweating profusely,
they were so close, I knew in no time I would be in their ruthless hands under their
mercy… or maybe I would be another corps on streets.

As I was trying to figure out what was happening a rock landed on my forehead, I
screamed, I was in immense pain and breeding profusely, the metallic smell filling
my nostrils, blood dripped from my forehead staining my worn out silk blouse, I
touched the spot to keep myself from losing more blood and hoping to alleviate
the pain, in no time the crowd had surrounded me . “Hold her down!” someone
shouted, I had no idea of what was happening. I looked up to see their angry
faces, I knew I could not survive this. One of them kicked me in the stomach
making me fall to the ground, I cried. People were shouting and cursing me.
Growing up I have always tried to be a better person, never stepping on anyone’s
toes and keeping myself out of trouble… Then how did trouble follow me? I have
always respected the elders and kept my circle small to avoid misunderstandings,
most times I tried to be invisible, the elders complimented me and teachers loved
me, how then did I end up here? I hope my daughter is not watching me through
the window, she would be traumatized for life. The sound of a ripping cloth brought
me back, the wind blew and I shivered, looking down I saw the shreds of my blouse
hanging loosely from my body, someone had just torn it apart, by now I was in the
hands of the angry crowd being manhandled and pushed back and forth.
I tried to hold the piece of clothing together that was now in tatters, hoping to
cover myself and keep the little decency I had left… where was my husband? I
thought. where was Nambe?
“let’s take her to the village square!” the woman behind me shouted, “yes she
should be whipped and punished for her misdeeds” the man in front said, I was in
disbelief with the events that had just unfolded, I could not find my voice, I cried
with the pain I felt, my head was building up to a migraine. “why are you all doing
this, what is it that I have done?” I finally found my voice and asked, tears fell from
my eyes blurring my eyesight, I could not make out the faces of the people that
treated me with so much cruelty. A hot slap landed on my face,the force made
me fell to the floor, I cried, it hurt so bad I thought I was going to pass out. “you
don’t know what you have done?” the man that had slapped me said. “you put
herbs in a pregnant woman’s food to cause her a miscarriage and almost kill her
and you are here playing dumb?” what? That didn’t make sense, what are these
people talking about? which preg- wait Fynes? “what are you talking about I
haven’t done anything” I said while I sobbed inconsolably. Why would they think I
tried to hurt Fynes?

”didn’t you prepare and deliver breakfast to fynes’s house today?”

one of the women shouted.
“yes I had delivered food to Fynes’s house today but-”
“but what you witch?” another woman cut in.
“ you put herbs in the food and caused that little girl a miscarriage, all because
you were jealous of her, now she is at the hospital fighting for her life.” what? No! I
had done no such thing.. that is what this was all about? I would never do such a
devious act, not even to my worst enemy ”enough talking…strip her!” someone
shouted from the back of the crowd, “We will punish her before delivering her to
the police station” he said, I cried harder, how would I keep going with life if I was
to be dishonored like that, I was to be stripped and paraded around the whole
community, how will I ever survive from that? how did all this happen? I was in
immense pain and blood kept oozing out of the wound on my forehead, the
harder I cried the more my head pounded with pain. Three women took hold of
me as the others tore apart my clothing, I tried to free myself but to no avail, tears
kept pouring out of my eyes, I turned as I tried to push away the one woman
holding me to free myself, that was when i I saw her… there she was amidst the
crowd, staring at me as I was being mishandled and stripped bare, our eyes met,
for a second I thought I was looking at a different person… I could not recognize
the woman I was staring at, her eyes did not hold the usual concern and love,
that’s when it all dawned me, I hadn’t prepared the breakfast, I was busy drawing
water then.. two years ago when I had a miscarriage the doctors had said
something about traditional herbs, my husband accused me of having an
abortion… I looked at her without blinking in that moment I saw her.. truly saw her.
My sweet precious old Nambe.

Story by Tamara Gama

Age: 23
+265 88 66 51 107
Email: tamaragama802@gmail.com