The Dancing Bride And Her Spirit Warrior - Episode 4

 

‘’ Vuyanzi…Vuyanzi…psst…madam is looking at you…wake up,’’ Vuyanzi heard the voice of Caro calling her, dragging her from her slumber. She sat up with a start realizing everybody was looking at her, she was in class. Vuyanzi blinked her eyes between Caro frightened look and Madam Okwu terrifying face, sleep cleared from her head instantly. Am in so much trouble, she thought.

‘’Vuyanzi are you with us,’’ Madam Okwu asked in a sharp voice her favorite toy a mapera cane held out like a weapon.

‘’Umm…yes Madam,’’ her voice coming out hoarse as she tried to remember what the angry woman was talking about . Madam Okwu was a math teacher. She made it her purpose in life to make mathematics hard on everyone. Vuyanzi was poor at that subject. No matter how much she tried the best she could score in the subject is a C.

‘’ So…can you answer the question,’’ madam Okwu went on her voice getting louder by the minute.

Vuyanzi looked pleadingly at Caro who was a math genius in the class. Caro being the life savior that she was on such times mouthed something like ‘four’ before looking ahead.

‘’ Well,’’ Madam said impatiently. Moving closer to Vuyanzi her cane tightening on her hand ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

‘’Four,’’ Vuyanzi blurted out, her throat scratching

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-dancing-bride-and-her-spirit-warrior

. That good for nothing Kweyu had done a number on her. She could take Madam Okwu’s punishments but today she couldn’t. She was feeling enough pain to last her a lifetime.

Their school Nyati Secondary School was situated at the centre of the town directly opposite with Nyati Primary School and a small public library which had more old than new books. A technical college was at the edge of the town and it was where most of the young people in the town attended. Vuyanzi hoped to finish high school and leave the town and if she had it her way she would never come back, but then again her grandmother would be all alone.

She would never leave her shosho alone.

She had woken up today morning with her shosho shouting on her face that she was late for school. On seeing the bruising on her neck her shosho went on demanding to know what she had been doing the previous night. By the time she had convinced the old woman to talk about it later she was late for school. She had reached the school gate only to see the teacher on duty punishing late comers. She had went ahead to jump across the fence (a capital offence at her school). She had avoided the punishment and made it to class but not without a few scratches on her legs and arms.

She just wanted to sleep and nobody to disturb her.

The lunch break bell rang as if to answer her prayers. Madam Okwu looked at her for several seconds as if determining what to do with her before turning back and walking back to the board. Vuyanzi let out a deep sigh.

That was close.

After giving out more homework than the previous day. She left Madam Okwu. The class broke out for lunch and Vuyanzi collapsed on her desk. More sleep, she thought but Caro didn’t give her space.

‘’ What is wrong with you today? And why did you wrap the sweater on your neck the whole day? Are you sick?’’ Caro asked concern and near hysteria ringing on her voice. Vuyanzi knew that the only way she could get some peace is if she gave Caro a story.

‘’Come on. Let’s go and have lunch as I tell you everything.’’ Vuyanzi said as she stood up. It was better to kill two birds with one stone. She could tell the story while having lunch.

Thirty minutes later.

‘’ Wait…what a lion?’’ Caro exclaimed with her mouth full of githeri. A mixture of maize and beans, which had been boiled and seasoned with salt. Vuyanzi was not a picky eater, she always ate every bit of her food without complaining but with her throat acting up she could barely swallow her food

‘’Oh you meant the lion that roared yesterday? My father said thought it was odd considering the roar was so close to the town.’’ Caro said her brows drawn together a sign that she was in deep thought.

‘’Shh, keep it down,’’ Vuyanzi admonished her friend looking around. They were seated under a tree eating their lunch. Several other students were seated around them on the grass enjoying the shade from the hot mid-day sun. Food was being served in the dining hall but most students preferred to sit out to enjoy out. The dining room would be stuffy and hot.

‘’But lions have not been around here for a long time Vuyanzi. And something else I have always told you keep off Kweyu, everybody knows that that boy uses drugs.’’ Caro lowered her voice.

‘’Am not so sure but it did sound like that. I passed out immediately,’’ Vuyanzi started doubting herself again after hearing her friend. Maybe she heard something else. But then again their small town was situated at the edge of a big game reserve. She ignored the comment about Kweyu. She was not going to sit down and do nothing letting that crazy boy hit rabbits or be cruel to any other animals again.

‘’Are you really okay Vuyanzi?’’ Caro asked concerned, ‘’ you shouldn’t have come to school today. You really look horrible like you slept on your grandmother’s cowshed with the cows,’’ Caro continued her eyes twinkling with amusement, ‘’ your voice sounds like a frog and you look like you need to sleep for hundred days before you look normal again,’’ at that they both bust out laughing.

‘’ I am okay Caro thank you for you for making me feel better about myself,’’ Vuyanzi said sarcastically.

‘’ You can always count on me to lighten you up bestie. On a serious note though don’t play around with Kweyu and his friends. He is trouble. Or better yet next time you decide to go after him let me know, hmm,’’ Caro tone changed from mocking to thoughtful.

‘’ Ok, I heard you now let’s get going,’’ Vuyanzi stood up. Maybe she should really recruit Caro to help with rescuing the poor animals that Kweyu kept on a cage. The bell for the afternoon classes rang signaling end of lunch period.

That evening after classes, it was time for co curriculum activities in the school. Vuyanzi and Caro were part of the drama club and were dancers for the traditional dance group. They were walking toward the clubs’ hall for practice when Caro brought up the story of the dancing brides.

‘’ Dancing brides?’’ Vuyanzi was surprised, she knew the story but that was just it, a story. They were walking on a beaten path. The hot sun had cooled down and the evening breeze was refreshing.

‘’ Yes, the bride of the spirit. You know the one about lions, cheetahs and leopards changing into humans and claiming young virgins as their brides  before disappearing with them into the forest to  eat them?’’ Caro low voice was filled with awe.

‘’ Come on Caro that is not true. Those are just stories they tell young children to keep them from crying at night you seriously don’t believe it, do you?’’ Vuyanzi asked shifting her bag from one arm to the other. It was heavy for her slender shoulders. She had heard the stories but Caro’s version was different from the way she heard been told.

‘’ And I thought the girls were given to the amanani and it was the spirits who saved them. That was how my grandmother puts it,’’ Vuyanzi continued.

‘’ My grandmother told me that she had met the one of the brides when she was younger. She swears that she had even seen the groom shift from a leopard to man.’’ Caro’s voice was now getting excited and Vuyanzi tried her best not to roll her eyes at that. Everybody in the town knew that Caro’s shosho was over 100 years and completely off her rocker. It was no surprise she could come up with this long tales.

‘’ Caro…’’ Vuyanzi started.

‘’ Amani Vuyanzi,’’ a deep voice came from behind them and Vuyanzi took a deep breath before turning back to face the owner.

 Juma Kanze.

Tall, handsome and he played football. Totally her type. Normally she was outspoken and had way with words but all that changed when Juma stood before her in all his hot glory. He was dressed in football jersey a shirt that hugged his lean torso and shorts that showed his toned legs. His clothes had to cost more than anything she had ever owned. Juma came from a very wealthy family. His father being a local politician and all that. Too bad he was dating her cousin, Tabu the witch.

Speaking of her cousin, she was bound to appear. Whenever Juma was, Tabu was somewhere near. They all attended the same school and lived in the same town, although the likes of Juma lived in affluent neighborhoods in upscale part of town.

‘’ Sasa cuzo (hi cousin)…’’ Tabu’s screeching voice came. People always confuse Vuyanzi and Tabu as sisters as they had almost same physical features. Medium height and athletic builds with a lighter shade of dark skins. Same wide eyes, small noses and lush lips. That is the far the similarities end. Tabu’s heart was as dark as coal.

Tabu moved closer to Juma: clearly staking her claim who continued to look at Amani. Vuyanzi internally groaned.

Vuyanzi regretted telling Tabu about her crush on Juma. She always had a crush on Juma ever since she was young. She thought that Tabu was a friend but her cousin went behind her back and backstabbed her. Less than a week after telling Tabu about her hopeless crush with the famed football player, Tabu was already dating Vuyanzi’s dream guy. Tabu never failed to flaunt before Vuyanzi about her conquest.

‘’ Poa Tabu, how is aunty and uncle,’’ Vuyanzi managed to answer past the bile that rose in her throat. She really despised her cousin but adored her uncle. Tabu’s father took responsibility after the death of Vuyanzi’s parents. He provided her with school equipment and stood in as her guardian. Whereas her uncle adored Vuyanzi always praising her for her astounding performance in school her aunt despised her, Vuyanzi always thought it was because of all the praises her uncle showered her with and not their daughter.

‘’ You should visit often, I have a few clothes I need to dispose and shosho called to say you need them.’’ Tabu said with an evil smile dancing on her lips, running her eyes up down Vuyanzi’s worn uniform. Vuyanzi wished the ground could open up and swallow her. Tabu was definitely going to hell, how could Tabu say such things before Juma? Vuyanzi willed herself not to cry. She could feel Juma’s gaze on her but she didn’t want to see pity there. She didn’t want him looking at her with pity.

‘’ Tabu…,’’ Caro started stepping before Vuyanzi.  Caro had always hated the way Tabu treated Vuyanzi. They had more than one confrontations and neither ended so well.

‘’ Why don’t you go ahead. I will meet you in the field.’’ Juma said to Tabu cutting Caro off. His voice was stern and Vuyanzi was surprised to hear the anger behind it.

‘’ But I thought we were going together,’’ Tabu whined, pouting her lips. She looked like those dried fish that shosho sold on the market.

‘’ I am right behind you,’’ Juma said pushing her forward.

Tabu seemed satisfied with this answer and went ahead but not before sneering at Vuyanzi.

‘’ I wonder what she sees in him,’’ Caro said under her breath. Vuyanzi could not help but agree. Tabu was a manipulative person and Vuyanzi had learned that the hard way. She hoped that Juma would see it too. Soon.

‘’ Amani are you okay?’’ Juma asked after Tabu was out of earshot. His voice laced with concern

‘’ I heard about the attack by Kweyu and his bullies. I had to make sure you were okay.’’

Why? Vuyanzi wanted to ask but refrained. Her heart gave a little dance to hear his concern.

‘’ How did you come to know of it?’’ Vuyanzi asked. As far as she knew, nobody else knew about the attack apart from her, Caro, Kweyu and his band of misfits.

‘’Don’t worry about that. Keep off Kweyu. If he gives you trouble make sure to call me,’’ Juma gave her his heart melting smile that had left more than enough girls in the area heartbroken.

‘’ It is okay, I can deal with Kweyu,’’ Vuyanzi said suddenly embarrassed why was everybody concerned about him. Then she remembered the vile look on Kweyu’s face before she had passed out the previous night in the forest. A shiver ran through her.

‘’ No you can’t. You don’t know what he is capable of.’’ Juma continued grabbing her arm. He was concerned for her.

Though Vuyanzi did not know, he had overheard a group of boys talk about Kweyu chocking out a girl in the forest the previous night. Juma and Kweyu attended the same class and always hated each other. Kweyu was a bully and did everything to hurt those around him while Juma tried to stop it. All this had reached a boiling point when he heard that Kweyu had tried to choke out Vuyanzi. Kweyu only stopped because supposedly a lion scared him away. The wimp Juma thought, if he was man enough he could have faced off with the ‘lion’.

They had nearly come to blows in the class but were stopped when a group of boys intervened. The punishment for fighting in school was suspension but Juma didn’t care, it would be worth it. Juma wanted to wipe the smug look from Kweyu’s face.

‘’ Tell your small girlfriend to keep off my farm or else next time I won’t take it easy on her,’’ Kweyu quarreled trying to break off from the boys holding him back.

‘’ I will not let you get anywhere near her again, mwendawazimu wewe, (madman)’’ Juma fired back.

‘’ Juma, how did you come to know of my attack?’’ Vuyanzi’s soft voice brought him back to the present. He looked at her wide eyes and thought it would be worth being suspended from school for her.

‘’ Cheki (look) it doesn’t matter. Just promise me you won’t do anything like that again, Amani,’’ Juma pleaded with her.

Vuyanzi nodded at him. She didn’t want to make a false promise that she won’t be able to keep. Deep down she knew that she would not stop trying to save those little rabbits if given a chance. Yet again she could not just ignore the warning her friends gave her.

‘’ Okay then. I will leave you two. Take care,’’ Juma said checking his wrist watch. He flashed them his signature smile and was off to the fields. Vuyanzi watched him go with a wishful look on her face.

‘’ Vuyanzi, we’re running late come on,’’ Caro pulled her from her thoughts. With one last look at Juma’s disappearing form, she followed Caro to the common hall for practices.

Later that evening when Vuyanzi got home she met her grandmother on the cowshed preparing to milk their only cow.

‘’ Shikamoo shosho, (how are you grandmother?)’’ she greeted her as she made her way to her bedroom to change from her uniform.

‘’ Eeeh Vuyanzi finish up you have to prepare supper before the dark becomes too much,’’ shosho answered from where she was crouched beside the cow, milking it with both hands. Electricity had been cut off due to mounting debts and her uncle had promised to clear them but in the meantime they had to survive with kerosene lamps and battery torches.

Vuyanzi quickly changed into her clothes, she removed the sweater around her neck that helped to hide the ugly bruising on her neck. Surprisingly the pain had almost disappeared and the bruising were fading away. A few hour ago, her throat was aching but by some miracle, the pain was receding.

 Her windows were still open the evening breeze pushing against the curtains. Vuyanzi looked around the room, it was a simple room with two beds, one against the wall, the other one on the far wall. A very huge old drum was placed in the middle. The drum acted as a study table and a dresser. Her late grandfather had brought it for his new bride, her shosho.

As Vuyanzi was looking fondly at the drum she saw movement on her peripheral at the window on the trees at the edge of her grandmother’s compound. The sun was already set and the large trees on the fence hid a large figure was hiding behind the trees. Vuyanzi’s heart started to beat fast. She turned and looked at the trees but saw nothing yet Vuyanzi knew there was something out there, she could feel its gaze on her. She slowly jumped on the bed that was adjusted on the window and looked out peering through the rusty iron grills, her breath coming out short. Her hands were sweaty and slippery on the windows. She was so entranced as she looked out the window that Vuyanzi could swear she could outline the figure on the trees looking straight at her, a tall dark figure.

Vuyanzi, she heard her name being whispered in the wind softly coming from the trees. She was in a trance.

‘’Vuyanzi my bride,’’ a smooth voice sang to her.

‘’ Vuyanzi?’’ her grandmother’s shrill jolted her to the present. She swiveled her head back and released the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

‘’ What are you doing? I have been calling you for a long time,’’ shosho was standing on her door hands akimbo and glaring at Vuyanzi.

‘’ I…umm,’’ she started looking at her grandmother when she noticed movement on the trees. The figure movement so silently and swiftly that she nearly missed it. She squinted her eyes against the growing darkness trying to make movement against the dark.

‘’ What are we looking at?’’ Shosho had come to crouch beside her on the bed and was also peering out in the dark.

‘’ Nothing,’’ Vuyanzi said quickly and jumped from the bed, her grandmother followed her and they both stood facing each other. They were both the same height but her grandmother was a plump woman with worry lines marking the edge of her eyes and mouth. Although her grandmother was close to sixty years, her age didn’t show. Whenever she smiled she looked half her age.  Vuyanzi tried to keep her smiling as much as possible.

‘’ Nothing?’’ shosho questioned again noticing Vuyanzi was avoiding her eyes.

‘’ I thought I saw something in the dark but it was wind playing tricks with my eyes,’’ Vuyanzi shrugged her shoulders. It was more than wind, there was someone out there, a voice in her head countered. Her grandmother looked at her with a shadowed look in her eyes but said nothing. She turned and looked out the window before looking back at Vuyanzi.

‘’ Light the lamp, I have to check your wound before we do anything else, I think I will ’’ shosho turned and left the room. Vuyanzi noticed her grandmother was tense and didn’t know why that was but she did as instructed. She closed the window after turning the lights on.

Her grandmother started probing her neck and turning Vuyanzi’s head from side to side. Though the pain was receding her shosho’s examination made her wince.

‘’ The mark is almost gone shosho, I told you I just fell down,’’ Vuyanzi tried to calm her grandmother down.

‘’ You better start saying the truth Vuyanzi, you are poor at lying,’’ her shosho said to her sternly.

Vuyanzi sighed and decided to say the truth, she didn’t know why she bothered lying. Her grandmother saw through her.

‘’…the lion roared and everybody scattered. I ran back home as fast as I could and found you sleeping,’’ she finished leaving out the part of where she nearly died from being choked and passing out in the forest. She also conveniently left out the part of where it was Kweyu choking her out. Her grandmother would not hesitate marching to Kweyu’s father and demanding justice. So Vuyanzi just said that she didn’t know which boy tried to choke her.

By the time Vuyanzi finished her story, her grandmother was fuming.

‘’ Tomorrow we are going to the hospital and then the police station to report this.’’ Her grandmother said in loud tone, she started pacing the floor.

‘’ Lakini (but) shosho, we can’t do that, that means I will be punished for trespassing too. Please let it go and the wound is healing. I don’t feel pain,’’ Vuyanzi begged her grandmother.

Read " Jabali's Redemption " by the same author ( Razia Iminza )

. The next ten minutes or so Vuyanzi spent time listening to her grandmother lament on the injustices in their society. Her shosho also scolded her for being reckless.

‘’ You can’t go around saving everything Vuyanzi. Now I want you to promise me you will not try to provoke Kweyu again,’’

‘’I didn’t say it was Kweyu…,’’ Vuyanzi knew the mistake she made even before finishing her sentence.

‘’ But its okay, the lion scared them away,’’ she quickly tried to do damage control but it only made her grandmother more angry.

‘’ What lion? The lions are deep inside the jungle. They never come near the town,’’ Vuyanzi’s grandmother asked sharply. She took Vuyanzi’s shoulders and nearly squeezed them. Vuyanzi was surprised at the strength of her grandmother.

‘’ Wait, are you sure you heard a lion, did you see it? How did it look like?’’ her shosho started checking her neck again now more keenly than ever, as if searching for a mark or something.

‘’ Yes I heard its roar, I did not see it though’’ Vuyanzi confirmed alarmed at her grandmother’s reaction. Why was her grandmother asking her those questions? Did it really matter how the lion looked. What was a lion supposed to look like?

‘’ Come let us prepare supper, you have school tomorrow,’’ her shosho said in a relatively low voice. The old lady left the room quietly with her shoulders slumping. Vuyanzi looked at her grandmother wondering what was so bad that it spooked her so much.

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