Falling in Love with Slavery

Chapter 2- The Arranged Marriage

In the morning, I hear some laborers back from work...slave work. I hear their loud noises, their footsteps, and voices, so I wake from my spongy thin layer of bed. A mattress--- but some can argue otherwise, it is however better than others who sleep on sheets.

I wipe my drool and run outside. I have been doing so ever since time has come close to when I will be commencing work for ‘the man’ too. I am almost at the point where I will leave this place for the first time and watching my people come back gives me a feel of what it will be like for me.

One by one, they pass by as I stand with arms-crossed by my tent. No matter how terrible they look, I think….

(Thank the gods. The Swarians have left this undisclosed location for us. The truth is they could have found this place but clearly never bothered…. We always did go to work, so I guess they did not find it necessary to follow us or waste their time on us.)

“Hello!”

Frati, a shy and weird girl for my taste came back home, paused with her arms-crossed to imitate me, except she had a hand up her nose.

This girl tries to talk to me as usual, clearly trying to make friends, and I just don’t like her even if there is nothing wrong with her… per se. She is…just…I try to get away from her before she stirs a conversation, making an excuse by needing to go bathe. I really didn’t lie, though, I would have used that excuse regardless…and again.

I walk to a corner where our bathroom is located, a space with a soap on the ground and a tin door. The water is the well that is beside the bathroom. I grab the tin door, forgetting the door is disabled from what used to be holding it down, so I need someone to cover me by holding the door.

I look around; everyone seems to be occupied and I do not trust the kids with their unfocused minds. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, Frati is who I spot just standing there looking at me… She knows that I will need her help.

“Fra-“

She energetically walked towards me and grabbed the door from my hand, smiling like a clown that all her teeth were showing.

I take a shower with the slim leftover soap that we also use for the dishes sometimes, or sometimes use little of the stolen dishwasher detergent from ‘them’ and use on our bodies too. No matter, it’s better than the days we go with only water… right?

I complete my shower then exit hectically while rambling nonsense to Frati, so she can’t get a word out of her mouth. She is following me, but I keep up my escape plan, rambling and promptly pacing till I slip into my tent.

Since it is the first time that I am stepping foot outside, I want to wear something neat, but to think I am getting dressed up for ‘them’ ignites a fire within me…. Not to mention, when I get there, I will have to wear a uniform either way. I plaster some cream that helps with my anxiety and do not bother wearing makeup. I am ready!

I do not know why, but something tells me to look outside my tent, and as I do, Frati who is sitting like a puppy--- a Kalakade word my Fasu has taught me--- starts to advance towards me, maneuvering the Herusans running up, down, and around the compound. I quickly close back the small gap I have made where my eye was just peeking.

After several times of looking again, to no avail…. Frati is still standing by my tent, so I rapidly walk towards my Fasu’s tent while pretend coughing to indicate that I cannot not speak to her, but she follows me either way…I just need to make it to my Fasu’s tent because she will not dare straight up enter inside the chief’s tent.

I reach his tent and with my hand about to open his blinds--- although, I should have wriggled it as it is the way we knock--- I hear Mama Blanche’s voice, so I stop and although wrong, I ease drop. Frati the copycat hesitates, but then she does the same, though her mind is focused on speaking with me about what we’re doing.

I ignore her, pressing some more closer to the tent to listen while the fire that is also our source of light is casting Frati’s and I’s shadows on the tent.

She interrupts again, so I point at her then press my finger to my lips …but I can still barely listen with her questions.

Again…

Again…

I really try…. but…

“Frati, shut up!”

I yelled that the subjects we were eavesdropping on heard us.

“And tell Oluwa to join myself and Mama Blanche”.

Fasu spoke to Frati with a message for me. The stupid girl ran away after hearing Fasu who spoke in Herusangi to accommodate others who did not speak, nor wanted to speak the white man’s language.

My eyes dart at excuses before I join them…

As I enter Fasu’s tent, I find him sitting on his short golden chief stool while Mama Blanche is standing a couple of feet away.

“What time do we go to work? I already bathed.”

I evaded my recent disrespectful behavior, but my Fasu just gave me a disappointed look, shook his head.

He is about to speak when Mama Blanche wraps me around her arms.

“That’s okay for our future beautiful queen. My daughter…She is very very…”

My second mother as she raised me laid on the flattery too thick.

“Hm.”

I acknowledged her.

“My Love, Mama Blanche proposed an idea and I think you would agree. Then again, …you already know what she proposed…. don’t you?”

I smiled guiltily.

“First, you won’t be leaving today. We want to set the wedding before starting work”.

Fasu said.

“She is full-fledged and ready to get married…Her well-being… The tribe’s continuation…”

Mama Blanche ran her mouth to make excellent points regarding someone’s wedding and Fasu was listening and nodding.

“Are we having a wedding?”

I asked.

“You don’t look so happy. I thought you would be happy considering you would be working with me. You and I will have even more time together!”

Fasu made our slave work sound like something good.

“I am happy. It’s just…things are changing. I am leaving…was leaving, then there is becoming chieftess. We have a wedding to plan, and we have been discussing those plans about acquiring more resources for our camp. It is just all overwhelming and now with work, we won’t have our thing.”

Fasu listened to me with this look whenever I made his duties, our duties- the wedding, the resources… He would give me this smile whenever I started drafting about the things in my head and how I have already planned them out.Without friends, I have a lot of time to think.

I arch my brows at Fasu and cough up to indicate I want details to what their discussing.

“You’re starting work under your own master and mistress, and I am about to be your in-law. Things are great!”

Mama Blanche blurted and squealed in excitement while I stood calmy soaking in this new information.

(No, not Shakua! I am about to face leading the tribe, marriage, and slavery. What a great way to start the day!?)

I thought.

“Fasu?”

I nodded my rejection proudly like he should explain to her that this proposal wasn’t happening. He should keep her up to speed about this dream of hers to help her son succeed reigning along my side…It is dead before it ever existed.

In fact, I refuse to take interest or say a word because it’s silly. Fasu has always been against the practice of putting his own daughter into what is basically a forced marriage, but I watch as Fasu nods through her ‘excellent’ points. I know he never believed in this system. I can claim that he has basically promised me that he will not allow this to happen to his daughter.

(Then why is he gradually nodding in agreement at the wrinkly skinned woman?)

“Chief, your daughter will be dealing with the trade and… This is what is best for her.”

Her rickety old voice said.

I observe Fasu who is under pressure; to him, the idea sounds so good. He is moving towards Mama Blanche’s proposal which has me confused.

(What is happening?)

I watched as his eyes darted around the room as if that would reveal the best of answers. We locked eyes when he reached my direction… I realized that I was still holding my breath… just waiting for the outcome.

I refuse to say anything because I have thought that we have both agreed it absurd, but at this point I feel I should say something…

“What is the trade?”

I asked a question unrelated to the wedding, but a valid question that came to mind and took us away from the subject.

“No secrets?”

I said to Fasu who gulped, so I smashed my eyebrows like: How bad is it? He tightened his eyelids shut, then opened them back up.

“No secrets then… Situations never stay the same Oluwa.”

I can see from the grey features on his face both from life and from this conversation that this was not a tasteful conversation for him.

“You are going to be going somewhere.”

“Where?”

“Outside the BHT--- Black Herusan Tribe.”

(Obviously.)

I thought, given I will eventually start work.

“Outside, where exactly?”

I asked and Fasu asked for Mama Blanche to excuse us.

“Do you remember when you asked me…”

I didn’t know whether he switched his tongue because it was easier to tell for my sake or his.

“It is not simply working for them, Oluwa, and it is not easy to just say, if your bad, they can hurt you...They can hurt you for whatever. They can sell you, and play games…where families get split, and our reward… is some food… It’s why Mashu hasn’t returned.”

“I- “

He held out his hand to me, so I let him finish.

“It’s why I mention every night to you before I leave to work… the things I mention to you, and why we have these positions and arrangements in our tribe…why Mama Blanche is there… because I may not retu- “

I stopped him from continuing without even having to use words because I didn’t like where he was heading.

After hearing what I have, my lungs are drowning… I want to cry as I remember nights that I kiss Fasu…only to have bled my eyes to sleep when he doesn’t return. I want to scream in anger because of how my life will have changed without him.

(My life is already what it is now.)

As I am in front of Fasu, I don’t want to show my weakness. I want to compose myself. I want to ask: When were you going to tell me this? I want to just show my disappointment.

No… I want to do all these things because I don’t know what I want. All I know is… I act like everything is fine and exit back to my tent…. What a great way to start the day!

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