Falling For Africa

1.Northern Rhodesia :1906.

Africa Mulenga, sat outside her hut ,washing the bundle of Wrappers she had worn for the week,selecting them carefully by color . She was just about to dip in her blue with Khaki "Maluba" wrapper when she saw her friend, Chiti Ndawa coming into the compound ,With a wide grin on her face.

"Balishani mukwai?! How is everyone?!", she said in her thick Maambwe accent, the usual bemba way. Africa had to admit her friend was a bit rusty at Bemba ...but who could blame her ,she had grown up in maambweland . What had brought her to Bembaland was the tragic death of her father. He had died by the bite of a king cobra...one time as he was hunting . But rumour had it he had argued with a white man over a piece of land and he had set a trap for him. But either way it was tragic.

Ever since the coming of the White men, all had not been well in bembaland, everyone now referred to it as 'northern Rhodesia' and as if that was not enough it was the most divided land in all of African soil.

It was good as it was bad anyway, they had began to build powerful hospitals that even the N'ungas ,witchdoctors could not surpass. And soon there would be schools too and what could be more glorious than more knowledge?

"Aya mukwai .....ngai imwe?..Yes ...what about you? ..", she said looking at her friend eager to hear the news she had brought.

"Bali bwino sana! ...they are very fine!..." , she said happyily as if she had just had a meal of Inshima and Ifikunbala. Then she continued.

" Move over ...I help you wash ....Our elders always say .., umunwe umo tausala Inda", meaning one hand cannot pick a louse..
Africa gratefully moved over on the red earth stool her father had made for her and made space for her slender friend. Though Chiti was slender, her beauty overshadowed all her flaws. She had glowing yellow bone skin and light brown eyes that could see through some's soul. Even when she did fikuti in her hair she still looked beautiful.

Africa was beautiful in her own way too. She had glowing flawless copper skin and dark brown eyes that suggested a depth in character that could not quite be seen in her friend. And she also had long beautiful brown hair and a gape inbetween her teeth. Which was a sign of true beauty in their clan.

Chiti turned to her friend just as they had finished hanging the clothes and began to speak still with a grin on her face.

" Mwansa Chanda ....is coming back to Mpundu village today....to choose a wife ,I hear......I need you to braid my hair.....",she said her eyes all lit up.

"Ah is this what this is about.....?",Africa replied her face becoming gloomy all of a sudden.

"Yes....what's wrong have you forgotten him....you used to be so close as kids..."

How could she forget the boy that had stolen her heart at such a tender age of seven?..even now at the age of 16 ...she felt somewhere in her heart ..she still held a place for him.... But surely things would not be the same when he returned. He was now 25 and a big business man in the cooperate world....would he still be interested in her?.... probably not....she decided she would not go to the dance...to determine his wife.

" Come over here ....I will braid your hair with the Okahu beads I bought from the market place....you will be the most beautiful woman at the Mutunde dance this evening ...", she said with a loud giggle in which her friend joined in. She entered her hut and emerged with a small wooden comb called "Ichisakulo". It had so many beautiful designs that her brother , Likumbi had made for her the previous year.

The two girls chattered on about the coming of the rains and the rappers they would buy when they got the money to do so. But still. Mwansa Chanda lingered at the back of their minds.

Note:

*Mpundu is an indeginous tree ...very common in central Africa . It also bears delicious fruits called Mpundus. Mpundu is also the bemba name for twins.

*Okahu beads are small wooden beads that are used to decorate hair....they are traditional made by elderly women in the Bena Ngwena clan.

*Ichisakulo- is a beautiful wooden sharp comb with many designs used to plait hair.

*Likumbu means of the clouds...meaning to say the child was surely from beyond the clouds (heaven)

*Chiti means big tree

*Fikuti are boxed braids plaited using natural hair only.

*the Mutunde ceremony was a ceremony held a long time ago in lubembaland. that helped the king determine a bride for his son ...with the help of the divineress.

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