While You Were Sleeping

They Bow To You

April 7th, 1510

Emily paced in front of her cousin while she completely ignored her. They had laundry to do for an entire tribe which meant they had absolutely no time to entertain foolishness today. 

Bonnie pulled the pile of clothes they brought with them closer to the bank and then tossed it into the river for it to soak. 

This gave her exactly five minutes to deal with her cousin's inner turmoil.

"So, shall you be helping me at any point before the sun goes down or do you insist on suffering in silence?" She asked.

Emily stopped in front of her and she waited patiently for her to spit it out.

"Mama told me that my hair needs to be braided before the week is out" she started, "and-"

"-And that's why you're in a blind panic over it. Because of what it means".

"No" she snapped way too quickly for Bonnie to believe her. Plus, the way she looked like a deer caught in headlights didn't help her either.

So Emily quietly made her request, "Will you do it for me?"  

Oh.

"Emmy, I doubt your mama wants a stranger who's been in her home for less than three months braiding her daughter's hair to symbolize the most important point in her life" Bonnie told her and returned back to the laundry that needed washing. She sat on a nearby rock and  pulled out a piece of clothing to scrub against it.

"You're no stranger" she insisted, "You're family. Besides, I already discussed it with her and she agreed" she flinched and shielded her face from the world of hurt that would surely befall her for going behind her beloved cousin's back.

When it didn't come she turned to Bonnie to find her eyes focused on the piece of clothing she was busy cleaning. It was her mother's royal cape they'd made for her from goat skin not even a month ago to show gratitude for taking her in.

Emily's tribe wasn't very welcoming to outsiders and the only reason they let her stay was because of her deity, without it she would not have even made it passed the first day.

So the last thing she wanted was to cross the invisible line drawn for her. Emily may have chosen to turn a blind eye to it, but it was very much apparent to her that they would much sooner feed her to the dogs in order to survive if it ever came down to it

"I cannot braid your hair for you, Emmy...that's your mother's right" she finally responded. 

Emily's gaze on the side of her head weighed heavily on her and when she looked up at her she could see the fight in her eyes.

Ever so stubborn was her cousin, but she wouldn't be steamrolled into submission this time. So before she could even respond Bonnie spoke with finality as she told her to "please respect my decision", and completely shut down the idea from her cousin's mind.

Her mother had explained to her that life was different in this world. The rules weren't the same for someone like her as they were for Emily, and one of the ways she wanted to go unnoticed was by knowing her place. 

And as much as Emily didn't like it, she had to understand.

***********

For centuries, several tribes have braided their hair to reflect their beliefs. For women, it was to show that they've reached puberty or that they were ready for marriage. 

For Emily, it was the latter. 

Her family had adapted the traditions from their Namibian counterpart all the way in Africa, where their ancestors are from.