Kraals and Magic

Chapter two

Wizards are men

It was silent over lunch. Breakfast was just as silent. Amaka and Karsa had bathed and changed from their battle cloths. Amaka wore a red-brown ankara top that covered only her chest, and a loincloth of the same color. It was the same cloth that Karsa wore only hers were white and made of skin instead of ankara. Bruises riddled their exposed skin in patches of red___ Karsa even had a gash beside her belly bottom. The two had rubbed alovera to the wounds; Amaka did her mother; then her mother reciprocated. As Woka studied the gash, he chalked up another reason he despises the gods.

They all sat on the sand floor of the hut. Karsa had a frown as she cut into the tuwo in the plate___ she and Amaka's___ and dipped it into the koka soup. She chewed it as if she would spit it out at any moment in anger. Woka found her silence disturbing, yet he couldn't reach out to her afraid what of she would do. He was slow on eating because of that, and when he finally looked back to the plate he shared with the boys and saw the boys were just finishing the food. And he was still hungry.

Gonto picked the soup plate then drank it all up and started licking it.

"Race you to the blue tree." Randa said.

His brother dropped the plate. "Done." He rose and followed Randa out of the door.

"You..." Woka started. But before he could say anything the boys were already out running, and already down hill for all he knows. Usually it was Karsa that asks them to clean up after themselves___ including him. If they doesn't, he and the boys will have to face her scolding. The boys are too young to care so it was always only him facing the brunt.

Woka rose and picked the plates then went out back at the bench with two clay pots for washing plates before it. He dropped the plates in the smaller one of the pots to soak, then looked down hill towards the spirit forest. He saw many children playing around the area but did not see his boys. There are not down yet, he concluded. Woka turned away from the forest, cleared his throat and spat phlegm on the ground, then used his foot to cover it with sand. He wondered if he was catching a cold, Karsa would laugh at him___ assuming she isn't still angry. He sighed.

He went to the big clay pot beside the middle hut, fetched water with a calabash, drank and rinsed his face. Amaka came out back, Yaro tied with an ankara wrapper on her back. She dropped the plates she carried into the clay pot, exchanged sandals with a cleaner one then head out silently.

Woka went back outfront, stopping before the hut as he was about to enter. He watched Amaka descend down to the village first, then stooped and went inside. Karsa was on the bed hands folded across her chest. The holes in the thatch roof above made little lights dance on her skin. Her slim body was a definition of beauty___ not even the bruises or the gash ruined that. He first met her at the hills of Aguaw. She and her band of friends had ambushed them in the forest___ one look at her and he was hers.

"My love." Woka called softly. "What on earth did I do to raise your ire." Karsa glared at him, then rose and stormed out. Woka sighed and sat on the bed. To his surprise she came back. But before he could react he felt the splash of cold water on his body. He gasped. Surprised. He recognized the pot he just soaked plates in in her hands and scoffed, getting angry.

"That's for being a selfish self important prick." Karsa spat. "You must take me a fool you stupid man that you sent me out there lying to me. I fought, Woka, with our daughter's life in the line thinking you will show up any moment but you didn't. And you never planned to."

"The Karsa I know will never trust a man's words." Woka sniggered.

"I was not thinking a warrior." His wife replied. "Am I not strong enough for you? When will you stop playing me in your games you bastard?"