Amasa

Chapter three- The questioning

I had stopped dreaming. I used to look forward to the short nights that would let me imagine what a normal life was like, having the liberty to decide where or where not to go, or who and who not to love.

The night time represented death under the cover of darkness for the Karimba people, however for me, the darkness gave way to the stars and the moon to finally shine, just like how my mind would give way to my wishes and dreams to finally become true.

Muvuri once told me that it didn't matter how people took his perception of dreams, as he was often times labelled as crazy or superstitious, he emphasized on how dreams were a substance of what we have known, and what we hope for, opening the door to foresee and understand the future. For once, I was happy for the words he had spoken; I remember standing up from the straw mat and going to my duties with a silly smile on my face for the rest of the day. I miss the faith I had, the hope.

"Amasa"

"Princess Amasa, can you hear me..."

Runesu's words had been drowned by the repetitious pounding of the duri crushing the ground nut's shells.

"My Princess"

"Runesu"

"My Princess, since that day, you have been keeping to yourself and your mind shows signs of torture by the maize field patterns drawn on your forehead."

Kneeling in front of the duri, with both hands, I crushed the peanuts faster, some escaping out and joining the ground where they were originally extracted from.

"Working harder will not make my words nor my existence disappear my Princess."

Runesu's soft voice had an undertone of amusement.

"Look at what you have done to yourself, you have shells all over your wrap over and dust in your hair. I have never seen you look so busy besides the time King Toga promised you expensive fabric from the Nyikaani tribe if you learnt how to prepare... Why do I always forget the name of that vegetable?"

Runesu continued speaking.

"Amasa?"

"That is your name my Princess, but it does sound similar to that..."

Runesu dusted my wrapper and picked off some shells caught in my hair. I never understood why she was compelled to do even the most miniature tasks for me.

"Hamashi! That's it!"

She always strained her mind to remember such insignificant facts, the things Runesu wasted her energy on were absurd. I was however not pleased that out of all things, my name sounded similar to a wild radish.

"My name is Amasa"

"Yes my Princess, that was established on your date of birth...are you alright? I think that the work is getting to you..."

"Have you ever heard of anyone by that name in the whole tribe Runesu?"

"Well no my Princess, however, you ought to have a unique name from the rest of us, you are of royalty."

Runesu seemed taken aback from the change of conversation.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Amasa is a very unique and royal name, is that why you have been quiet and distant, all because of a prestigious name?"

"So what does it mean?"

"What do you mean what does it mean?"

"We speak Shisaya, and yet I do not know the meaning of my own name. Even my mother's name was known to mean unfathomable beauty...so what does my name mean?"