The Zulu Maiden

CHAPTER 19

Liz couldn't stop staring at her ring. It was gorgeous. Jason came in as she was still admiring it. "I guess you like your ring huh?" He asked with a smile, as he sat down next to her. "I love it, but we really need to talk" she said. "Oh no, don't tell me you've changed your mind about marrying me." He said pulling her onto his lap. "No, nothing like that." She said getting comfortable.

"You know I'm a Zulu girl right"
"Ofcourse"
"Well we Zulu Maidens don't get offered marriage like this"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you have cows?"
"What?"
"You have to send your people to my people to ask for my hand in marriage, then our people discuss Ilobolo which is the bride price. Then we get married. Culturally the bride price is in cows. Since we are living in modern times cash is also accepted."
"Are you serious?" He asked confused
"As a heart attack babe. You wanna marry a Zulu Maiden, this is how it's done."
"Wow! Okay so who are my people? I didn't even know I had people."
"Your father and his brothers have to speak to my father and his brothers. Since my dad past on they'll speak to my uncles."
"Okay then let's get the ball rolling. I want to marry you as soon as possible.  Let's call them now.
"Ayibo, you can't do that. Your family has to write a letter to my  family stating their intention and requesting a suitable date for them to come"

Needless to say Jason's dad understood all this and wasted no time in writing the letter and put together his negotiating team. Mr Jones wanted to retire and take his wife on a cruise around the world. He wanted to see his son happily married before he left. So this suited him just fine. As for Mrs Jones, she had finall accepted Liz and Lu as part of their lives and was actually very fond of them. A month later they were on their way to Liz's house, which had been completes ahead of schedule thanks to Mrs Jones.

Liz was at the window with a scarf on her head like her sisters and Sam had.
"Suka ewindini bazokubona" (move away from the window before they see you) her mother said pulling her away and taking her to her room. Her mom, sisters and Sam had just finished cooking when they heard people at the gate. They we shouting out Liz's clan names and asking for entry.
"Sikhulekile ka Ndlovu. Ndlovu, Gatsheni, Boya benyathi. Obusongwa busombuluk. Nina bakwa Demazane ntombazane. Mponga ka Zingelwayo."
Jason's  dad out did himself Liz thought. No one would think that a white man was saying all those clan names until they actually saw him. Jason wasn't allowed to come so Liz kept him updated on wattsapp. They were finally let in. Liz couldn't hear what was being said since she was practically locked in the room. Sam and her sisters came to sit with her and told her that everything was going well. Soon her mother cane to fetch the girls. They walked out to the living room where the men were. They sat down on mats in front of them. Liz's uncle began to talk.

"Well gentlemen these are my beautiful girls. You say your son has seen a flower in my garden that he wishes to pick. Please show me which flower your son wishes to have."
Lucky for them Jason's dad already knew Liz so it wasn't difficult to pick her out among the others.
"Ndodakazi, uyabazi labantu?" (Daughter do you know these people?) He asked Liz
"Yebo baba ngiyabazi." (Yes father I know them) Liz replied.
"Siyabonga, seningahamba"  (Thank you, you may leave)
The girls got up and left.

Finally discussions were over and the girls were called to serve the food. Negotiations were done and Jason was over the moon that he was a step closer to claiming her as his wife.

A week later Liz got a phone call from her mom and she hurried to the bedroom to speak to Jason.
"What's going on?" Jason asked noticing that Liz was upset.
"You know how we were planning for umembeso?"  Liz asked and Jason nodded. "Now my uncles say that we can't do that before we do umemulo. "
"Basically this is a coming of age ceremony for girls. Usually done when they turn 21. My dad passed away when I  was barely 5 and my mom has been a single parent ever since. She worked 2 or 3 jobs at a time to keep us feed, clothed and in school. There was no extra money for parties. Now my uncles are saying that I can't get married without doing the coming of age ceremony. So I  have to do the ceremony first before I get married." Liz  was in tears as she told Jason all if this.
"Don't cry babe," Jason said. "Look, we already started planning umembeso  so we'll just take everything that's already been bought  for that and use it for this ceremony. No need to cry, come on babe"
"Seriously?" Lis asked wiping her tears "you'd do that?". Jason hugged her tight. " Anything for you babe"

"One more thing" Liz said. "Umemulo  has to be done according to birth. I can't get a ceremony before my big sister and my little sister can't get a ceremony before me. So in order for my ceremony to be done, big sis has to have hers first. Mom was thinking of doing one ceremony for all 3 of us. To save time and money."
"That's actually a good idea" Jason said. "Since all of you are over 21, this makes sense. Instead of 3 ceremonies down the line. Just one, once and for all. I admire your mother."

"She's the best" Liz said. "Now we have so much work though 3 ceremonies in one. Big sis's friends, my friends, little sis's friends plus family and neighbors. All these people have to be feed and some will want to sleep over. I'm already tired just thinking about it all." Liz said falling back on the bed with a big sigh.