Chapter 1
To pay obeisance to nature, the sun sparkled above Asana. She lit up her eyes as she bounded on the dirt road that led to their dwelling. Her school bag held in her hands, honoured the rhythm of her footsteps. Flaunting a tall robust frame fitted into her school uniform, she strode with motions that summed up her gracefulness with the accuracy of a mathematician. Her dark-complexioned skin conspired with her well-proportioned physical endowments to present an image that fulfilled the yearning of most artists. She starred as a dream that came true.
As she sighted their home, their male mongrel dog shot upwards and gamboled toward her. Its brown fur and fortified frame exuded radiant health and vitality. Halting in front of her, it began to wag its tail and raise its forelegs. With ears standing and eyes shining, it celebrated their reunion. Beaming at the dog and squatting down, she began to stroke it. Asana allowed her legs to brush against the dog’s side as they ambled homeward.
With a face glistening in the heat of the sun, she glanced about herself as the familiar grounds of their compound welcomed her. Their bungalow constructed of rendered sandcrete walls stared back at her. The darkened corrugated iron sheets of their dwelling, worn with age, revealed that it had witnessed mounting procession of years. Protesting grasses and weeds sprouted through the cracks in the concrete paving.
She turned to her side and peered into the distance, eyelids drooping, shoulders slumping. Off hurried Asana, with leaden legs, to escape from the heat of the sun. Dabbing at her forehead, she strolled into her grandmother’s room. Her eyes lit to another homecoming.
She raised the corners of her lips as she smiled at her grandmother and younger siblings. “Great mother, I hope you’ve been well.”
“Asana, it’s nice to see you. I hope today was fruitful.” Her grandmother adjusted her medium-built frame on a padded wooden recliner as she roused herself from her light siesta.
“Yes, it was.”
“I’m glad to hear that. The food is in the usual place.”
“Grandma, thank you for always being there for us.” Asana widened her smile as she focused on her grandmother, and then glanced about the room. The room preached the virtues of neatness over ostentatiousness, like a turn of the century preacher.
Freeing herself from her younger siblings, Asana strolled toward her room. She changed and then marched to the kitchen accommodated in an out-house. When she opened the pot, her feelings took her in hand and she pushed up her eyebrows at the cooked yam and spinach sauce.
The evening light arrived and laid in nature’s provisions.
Asana closed her books and reached up from her reading table. She strolled toward the kitchen and began to peel some sweet potatoes. With relaxed features, she functioned in a manner akin to that of an animal operating from pure instinct. Interrupted by some movements behind her, she abandoned her task and turned.
“Father, good evening.”
Chief Bemba accorded her a smile that failed to reach his eyebrows. “Good evening to you too.”
She returned to her task as her father progressed away.
Crinkling her eyes in a smile and focusing on Asana, Hosu stood at the doorstep of the kitchen. “Asana, it’s good to know that I can always depend on you. The sight you present always warms my heart.”
“Mother, you’re back.” Asana hurried toward her mother, and they wrapped their arms around each other. A kerosene stove burned in the background and it’s dancing flame illuminated them.
Relaxing their arms and smiling at each other, they assumed different positions inside the kitchen. Their combined activities paved way for the emergence of sweet potato porridge.
With a mind sunned like the day, Asana arranged the wooden dining table and set her parent’s dinner on it. Ignoring the sounds filtering from the television set and begging for attention, she arranged the living area. When she turned away from the sofa clad in imitation leather, she paced toward the entrance door forward to the entrance lobby.
“Father, food is ready.”
“Okay.” Light from an electric bulb streamed from their passageway and silhouetted Chief Bemba’s lanky outline against the wall of their entrance lobby. He curved his frame like a half moon contemplating its enormous task of illuminating the night.
Asana ambled to her own room and eased herself into a chair, facing her own dinner. After finishing her dinner, She reappeared in the living room and turned toward her parents seated together in front of the television screen.
“Father, thank you for the food. Mother, thank you for the food.”
Chief Bemba turned toward her daughter and interlocked his fingers together. “We thank the universe for providing for us.”
With a smile that possessed her entire face, Hosu focused on her daughter, nodding at her. Asana returned her smile and then occupied a position in front of the television set. Pictures and sounds emanating from the television set held them captive. A new program unfolded on the television screen, and the topic under discussion caused the features of Chief Bemba’s face to yield to a tormenting scowl.
Deepening the scowl on his face, he rocketed upwards and changed the channel with the remote control. “Some people just open their mouths and blab about what they don’t know anything about.” To give full play to his feelings, he tossed the remote control on a chair and plumped down beside it.
A hush descended on their living room and squeezed life out of its once cordial ambience. Hosu shifted her ample frame beside her husband. She felt a tightness like that of a child forcing herself into an undersized clothing. To take up the cause of her feelings, she tightened her lips into a line and eddied toward Asana.
By jacking up her head and upheaving her entire frame, Asana pressed herself into the service of her thoughts. “Father, good night. Mother, good night.” Drooping down her eyelids, she lumbered toward the door.
“Good night.” His eyes trained on the television screen, Chief Bemba hunched his frame.
To do service to her feelings, Hosu began to squeeze her fingers as she gazed at Asana.
Asana closed the door of her room and slumped on the bed. The whiteness of the ceiling stared back at her. Knocks on her door drew her attention away.
As her mother sauntered into the room, Asana pushed up her cheeks like one yearning to smile but lacking in strength to do so. She sat up on the bed and focused on her mother like a child who believes in a mother’s extraordinary abilities. Hosu lowered herself beside Asana and wrapped her arms around her. Asana snuggled close to her mother and cloaked her with her own hands.
Pulling away from her mother, Asana began to rub her cheeks. “Father gets angry whenever female circumcision is being condemned. They never say good things about it on television, but father is so unyielding in his support for it. Is it my fate to suffer the pain of disfigurement, infection and the violation of my rights?”
Hosu tilted her head toward her daughter. “Asana, don’t fill your head with fearful imaginations. Remember that I went through the process myself and nothing happened to me.”
“You are one of the few lucky ones.” Closing her eyes, Asana dragged her head from side to side.
“Nothing will happen to you.” Hosu lifted Asana’s head with her hand.
“Mother, in your heart of hearts, do you really want me to go through the process of circumcision?” Her eyelids drooping, she leaned to her mother.
A smile dragged at the corners of Hosu’s lips. “Let’s look at it in a helpful manner. Let’s see the circumcision as something we need to move beyond. We will make sure that you go through it without suffering any harm.”
“Must I go through it. I can’t imagine myself going through that archaic practice.” Asana drew her lower lip between his teeth and looked away from her mother.
“You should go to sleep now. We will continue tomorrow.” From the anchor of her feelings, Hosu extended her arm and squeezed her daughter’s shoulder. As she ambled toward the door, her chubby frame gestured like a mind entertaining a myriad of thoughts.
With a creased forehead and downturned mouth, Asana stretched herself on her bed. A corner of her mouth quivered as sleep liberated her. Tossing about on the bed and contorting her limbs, she tightened her hands into fists.
With perspiration trickling down her face, Asana began to flail her hands and legs. “Oooh. Leave me. Let me go.”
