chapter 6

She shyly looked anywhere but him making John laugh.

" Why are you so shy? You don't have to," He said as he tried to turn her face to him but she kept facing out of the window.

" I'm not shy." Suprisingly, she replied quietly while nervously biting her nails.

" Have you ever been kissed before?" He asked as something seemed to register in his mind. She just shook her head as a reply to his question.

" Look at me, you don't need to be shy. If anything, am the happiest man alive."

This time she turned to face him and they shared another passionate kiss. She didn't know what was happening to her but her heart was warming up to him. The butterflies she was feeling were so suprising as it was such a foreign feeling, something she had never experienced before. They shared a tranquil silence as the sun emanated heat resulting in the hot weather.

" Why does your mum hate me?" she suddenly asked.

" Baby I don't know but this should not discourage you. As long as am with you, no one can come between us." John said and softly kissed her forehead before placing his forehead on hers.

The sun had gone down by the time John started off to take Zuba home. They chit chatted along the way but there would be comfortable silence from time to time. Taonga was the first to notice the black SUV going in the direction of their house. She stood up joyfully as she was worried they wouldn't make it to the dance ceremony.

" Zuba!" she exclaimed happily.

" Hi Tee" she replied with a smile on her face.

" I thought you would not make it on time."

" Am here now ain't I?" She laughed and continued walking towards the house while Taonga greeted John.

" Good evening mum and dad." Zuba greeted to which her parents replied.

" John my boy" Joshua exclaimed as John shook hands with him.

" I'm sorry for bringing her late." He sincerely apologized to Joshua.

" Ah its not a problem." he replied with a wide smile.

" I think I will take my leave." John said as he looked at Zuba who had a frown on her face.

" Uncle John, will you please join us to watch the village dancers at the village square." Meshach asked with puppy eyes.

" Meshach, he needs to go." Zuba hurriedly warned.

" Zuba, it's fine actually as long as your parents are okay with me intruding." he said with laughter.

" It's no problem at all." Zuba's mother commented.

John turned to Meshach with a wide grin showing off his pearly whites and held his shoulders and informing that he would gladly join which gave Meshach utter joy.

They all sat comfortably in the car as Joshua kept on directing him on which way to go. As soon as they arrived at the square, all eyes were on them and there was whispering especially from women. Zuba led the way and placed two wooden stools for John and her father to sit while the rest stood and shortly after, the ceremony began. A woman dressed in a traditional chitenge [wrapper] attire announced the arrival of the dancers.

A large uninterrupted area was left with the watchers forming a huge circle around it and in the middle was a bonfire. The sound of the beating drum echoed through the night as they powerfully came alive silencing the sound of the crickets. The female dancers were the first ones to emerge while rotating their waists according to the beat of the drum like they did not have bones. With white dots painted diagonally on their faces, brown traditional wrappers that only covered their well-endowed breasts, beautiful waist beads covering their tiny waists of their curvaceous bodies and beads on their ankles, one could not deny the beauty that the dancers flaunted around.

The male dancers only came in sacks that covered their lower bodies from their waists to slightly above their knees with bottle tops producing a rattle sound. The way they swayed their bodies made them look like they were boneless. The sound of the beat of the drums would make one's heart beat in utter joy and make you smile unknowingly. The night went on with laughter, applause and small talk. Everybody retired to their homes at eleven pm and John decided to go back home not caring what the time was.

The next morning, all the Makaba's decided to go to their vast field where they worked vehemently. As the sun shone high up in the sky, its heat emitted hitting the solid ground, everyone sung happily while cultivating the land. Nothing could ever separate their happy family.

Zuba couldn't help but wonder if John was doing well and she missed him so much. She stopped whatever she was doing and stood looking around. Just the thought of him reminded her of their first kiss, her first kiss which made her smile and place her fingers on her lips as if his soft sweet lips had been there. Her heart swelled with foreign feelings that were unexplainable as she could not put a finger on it. The rapid heartbeat when he was around , the jitters, the nervousness as well as happiness weren't definitely normal. What was happening to her?