The Less Advantaged

Chapter I Episode 3 (The Visitors)

On arriving home, Mary found her father with visitors and they were sipping traditional brew from horns. Four were seated on his left side while one was on his right hand side. Mary entered the hut and found a strange woman seated there so she greeted her. Mary's mother, without looking at her face asked,"Are you hungry?" "Yes, very much. I have eaten nothing the whole day." She pointed at where the gourd of milk was kept. She seemed to be avoiding her eyes and so Mary asked her,"Why do you look sad today, mother?"

The visitor smiled exposing her white teeth.She did not answer but said,"Go out and check on the goats and at dusk, bring them home." Mary went past her father and his visitors.When she looked behind her, she saw one of the old men pointing at her.Mary sensed something sinister was about to happen.Mary had millions of questions for her father but dared not to ask because it could be as an exchange to her health due to brutal beating she could receive.

On returning home in the evening, Mary found her father's visitors had already left and he was driving the cows to a thorny enclosure beside their house.