Elenja held her hoe firmly as she moved through the narrow path that led to the farm. It was five in the morning. She moved slowly hardly able to see what was ahead and totally relying on the moon and stars in the sky. The pregnancy was nine months old and past the due date. She thought of him. The man she loved, even in death. Daniel. She remembered the days they did spend together. The moments in the forest they both loved. A small smile appeared on her face.
The baby moved within her and brought her back to reality.
She arrived at the farm before the first light shone. She prayed for the safety of her son Chiko, her moonlight, as she used to call him some days. The gift of the love she had shared with Daniel. She also prayed for her unborn baby.
She started working although she couldn’t do much as she was weak. The sun was already high up in the sky. She was thinking of going back home to prepare the afternoon meal for her son and Bamako, her husband, when she saw a figure from a distance coming towards her. As the figure approached and became clear, she realized it was a woman and she was running towards her shouting words she could not hear or understand. When she was face to face with Elenja she could not speak for some seconds as she heavily panted with beads of sweat rolling down her face. Elenja recognized her.
‘What is wrong’? questioned Elenja
‘Let’s go. Now’ said the woman already turning back to leave.
‘No, wait.’ Elenja tried to grab her hand but she was already few paces ahead of her. ‘Tell me what is wrong, please’
‘Something bad happened to Chiko’ the woman said with no hint of mercy in her voice.
At the mention of Chiko’s name, she stopped abruptly. She stared at the moving body of the woman. She summoned the strength to lift her legs but she couldn’t. A tear rolled down her cheek and when she looked up at the woman she was a small figure. Elenja lifted up her leg and started moving. The baby in her womb was moving so hard it made her vomit. She dreaded the thought of death. It was unbearable when David died to protect their love. She couldn’t bear another death of a loved one.
She was twenty feet away from her hut and she saw many people around her hut as she was met by her husband who ushered her aside.
‘What is happening?’ asked Elenja while scanning the area hoping to get a glimpse of Chiko.
‘Your son was bitten by a snake’ Bamako answered shortly. There was no sign of remorse in his eyes.
Elenja stared at her husband for some seconds before she could muster the strength to whisper her next words.
‘Where is my son?’
‘He is dead.’ With that he left her there to join the other men who had come to her home.
Elenja gawked at the leaving figure of her husband. Immediately she moved towards her husband.
‘Bamako, please allow me to see him, she couldn’t bring herself to say his body. She did not want to believe that he was dead.
‘You know the customs Elenja. Women are not allowed to look at the body of a dead person. It is taboo. Only men will look at the body if need be.’ Bamako finished tilting his head slightly to his left.
‘Please Bamako I am begging you.’
‘Do not embarrass me Elenja. Your bastard son is dead. Go inside and mourn him.’
‘He is my son Bamako. I will do anything for you, allow me to see him.’ She said in between sobs.
‘Woman I will make you regret the day you were born,’ he said, his eyes flashing evil.
She was used to the beatings. She was used to the torment. It was not new to her. She took it all because she knew deep down her heart that it was because of the love she had for Daniel.
She knelt down and looked him in the eyes.
‘I understand and respect the customs Bamako, but Chiko is my son. I birthed him. Allow me to hold him and maybe my heart will accept the fate that has befallen him. Please do this one thing for me,’ she said.
With that Bamako slapped her hard on her face. He looked around at the villagers who seemed to be satisfied with Bamako’s action. A quiet joyful and triumphant mood lingered on their faces. Two women came and helped Elenja inside. It was a small hut and on the ground were tattered rugs that were brought by neighbors. Women were gathered inside the hut and were mourning. She was seated in the middle. Her mind wandered off to the day she was forced to marry Bamako because he had paid a handsome bride price. Daniel was not considered as he was poor. But she loved him and her parents knew that but did not approve. She was three weeks pregnant when Bamako took her as his wife. When the baby came Bamako immediately knew Chiko was not his son. Daniel was punished for adultery by the village council. Death. Elenja’s marriage to Bamako was punishment enough for everyone knew who Bamako was, a ruthless man.
Two hours later Elenja felt a pain in her waist which rippled through her spine. She remembered her labour days when she was giving birth to Chiko. ‘Not today, please’ she thought to herself. She looked around and saw that some women had left and others were asleep. Elenja stood up and moved to her right where there was a tiny room. She knew Chiko was in there because she saw Bamako enter that room twice. She went inside. She saw him. Lying on the ground, alone. Elenja stared at his fragile body. She felt an involuntary chill as she moved towards her son. She sat down next to him and held him in her arms. She held him so gently, so softly.
‘My moonlight’ she said and broke down in tears. The tears fell on Chiko’s face.
Bamako entered the room and looked directly into Elenja’s eyes. He moved towards her.
‘Bamako, maybe he is alive. Let us take him to the Ude and he will give him some herbs that will cure him.’
Bamako stared at her for a few seconds then he pulled her by her hair. She was screaming for her son and trying to free herself from Bamako’s grip at the same time. He was too strong for her. He pulled her outside and threw her on the ground. Bamako was so angry that for the first time he didn’t know what to do. He paced around her like a lion ready to bite. His eyes flashing red. He abruptly stopped pacing. He stared at her and his mind knew what he was supposed to do to end this madness. He went inside and few seconds later he came out holding the almost lifeless body of Chiko. He moved towards the burial area. Elenja realized what he wanted to do and moved towards him mumbling phrases and begging him not to bury her child yet. She heard him yelling directives to the five men who were done digging to get ready to bury the boy. Elenja summoned all the energy left within her and tried to pull her husband yelling that Chiko should not be buried for he is alive. There were murmurs among the crowd. Bamako turned and ordered two men to hold on to her. She felt strong hands holding her and when she tried to release herself from them the grip became even stronger.
She saw Bamako lowering Chiko in the grave. There were two men in the grave who took Chiko from Bamako’s hands and laid him down. She felt her water breaking. Her mother-in-law saw it and called other women who took her inside. She was weak.
She was taken into the hut. They laid her down on the floor and one of the women took off some of her clothes. She heard the woman telling her to lie down still. There was a crack on the wall of the hut and she barely saw what was going on outside. In between shouting to the men outside and the midwife, she could hear her sons voice almost like a whisper, telling her it will be okay. Through the crack, she saw the men putting heaps of soil in the grave. She had stopped screaming as she was now pushing for the new life about to enter the world. She mustered all the strength left in her body and pushed. She gave birth to a baby girl. She heard her mother-in-law saying it’s a girl. My sunshine, she thought.
Read – Lizzy Abrahams – A Short Story by Carissa Marnce, South Africa
