Afternoon thoughts

As she sat on a wooden stool beside the granary that resembled a baobab tree, she smiled as memories of the past week filled her mind. "At least that week was not as hectic as others I have experienced!" she thought. Tasks she was supposed to have finished by end of the day she had completed within hours! She woke up quite early today, fed the cows with some fodder that had already been prepared by Tom the previous night, tied the goats to feed on the 'fertile' nettle behind the main house, fetched wood and swept both the main house and the kitchen that stood next to the granary. Her plan was to fetch water at River Kuja later in the evening with her girlfriends when it had settled. She had over time realized that during the day, people were either bathing at the river banks, washing clothes/utensils, watering the tobacco planted not so far from the bank, or letting the cattle take water right at the bank which somehow contaminated the water.

She had not seen Tom since last night after dinner. He didn't have his usual humongous portion of food and while eating the well-prepared ugali, fish and osuga, he didn't commend the cook as he frequently did. Something was definitely wrong but being younger, she could not ask any questions. Tom seemed distant and sad while sitting next to his mum then. She tried to figure out whether the expression he had at the time was from the two-day fresh wound on his left arm that he recently got from one of his 'fights' but she could not figure out what had changed his mood. She did not bother to look for him nor ask about him as she clearly remembered what happened the last time she questioned him on his whereabouts.

Tom is her older step-brother; quite hardworking but equally cheeky. There are times Tom would go missing for a week and later come home with a broken arm, only to confess that he was doing business with friends and got caught up in a fight. He was protective of her and loved her just like his own blood-sister. She sometimes tried to convince him that she had matured into a grown woman and was in a position to make her own decisions and take care of herself. "You are our little girl. You will still be so even if you're married off to the most powerful man in the world," he would retort every time she talked about maturity.

As thoughts of Tom drifted away, she began to think about what the future held for her now that her father had agreed to her request of joining the famous and well renown college in Awendo town. Going to college would be a great change for once! She had cleared her high school and had been home for almost a year and a half! Staying home had literally made her the 'maid' of the home and was tired of all the work but smiled as she thought of what was to come! As she sat there, completely distracted by the thoughts of college, a bird that resembled a kingfisher, with different brightly colored feathers and a blunt bill perched on a dry twig next to her. This immediately reminded her of the one person she did not want to think of!..Jack!