Chapter 8

We arrive at his house and he introduces me to his wife basma and thier Son 'San' and Lolo thier daughter.

We seat and eat dinner and then I am escorted by San to a hut where I will be staying for the while,his family had not asked questions, everyone was just pleased I was around which made me feel awkward, in mubaila visitors are properly inspected by the woman of the house before you are allowed to stay with her family.

San left to join the others and I lay there and slept, I was tired from the journey, my body was heavy that it had stretched my sleeping time, I heard a loud sound and rushed out, there was a tent at the center where the sound came from, a large tent which I had not noticed yesterday.

I walk towards it and there I find lodiwe making new pottery, "good morning he says not looking my way but fixed on the work he was doing.

" Load the wares in the carriage we will be going to the Market soon", he said and continued working.

I go to the carriage and load the earthen ware which where on the ground, the carriage had the ones from yesterday, I had to just increase the numbers.

I counted them all before, it was forty pots and a few vases and cups. 

They had beautiful designs on them that beautified thier white body. 

But I don't admire them much, I stand close to the tent but far enough for him to have his space and I watch as he worked until he put them in a klin, adding wood, he looked at it for a minute before we made our way to the market, it was far from his home, but still not as  far as the distance from mubaila to the seer's hut. 

Remembering barakama, I got more furious, why did the god miko let her die,

Wasn't she his trusted servant who have been serving him all her life.

Miko only used me, like he used her and that was it, the God we have been serving only.... 

You should know, what happened to me has been my fate since before I was born, I knew it would happen but I had to let it, not to offset the destinies of those who are tied to me, borrakama said. 

Where are you I screamed, and suddenly noticing that I was walking beside lodiwe who watched me in astonishment. 

"Can you not do that when we get to town, he pleaded, with a smile and amusement plastered on his face. 

" I think you miss your people who have passed, it will get easier with time, try and focus on the good that is to come your way. 

Queitly I followed him. 

And then he turned and asked me what is that? 

I look at the staff on my hand, and back at him, he smiles and say, you have been with it since you came, I just want to know. 

It is my family heirloom, handed down to the next generation. 

Ahh we are here, quick Kal, let us hurry and arrange them before the sun comes up high, I nod in affirmation. 

Today had been slow and I was learning how to be a good sales man from lodiwe who smiled at every costomer that came, even when they bargained and they proved his goods for less. 

He still sold it, today was different and the bag of grain had not come the way it did yesterday, instead today it was pieces of metal with holes in the middle, the metal was particular. 

And it brought him joy accepting those, I figured it had value, but I will soon learn about it. 

Lodiwe will teach me I azure myself as I load the wares to the carriage of those who had come to buy from him. 

After the day passed we went back to his house and this routine continued for season and I had began to feel at home, I told lodiwe about the craftsman in my hometown and he took me to the forest where we selected wood for my bows and other things like stool, toys which I made easily as I had not finish my learning before my teacher was killed. 

And we sold it along with his wears at the market, slowly I began to get popular and the kingsmen would patronize with thier ladies. 

In no time, I had my own house but still stayed with lodiwes family,san and I had gotten close as I made a bow for him and we went hunting together. 

Lolo and I did not get close as we rarely ever spoke, she only spoke to me when asked to either call me for dinner or when basma tells her to bring me something, or my attention is needed. 

She was very quiet, I wondered most times if she was part of the family of lodiwe who were are chatty. 

One evening she had come to the market to call me, her eyes were red, she yelled" Kal come quickly ", I left the shop in a hurry and we rushed home. 

To find lodiwe injured, and lying on his back, I look at him closely before I rush to the fireplace of his klin and fetch some fire, I rush back and use a metal I had taken from the tent and dipped in the fire to press his wounds. 

It was something I had learned from the craft man back in mubaila, he always said the fire ate whatever poison that wounds have. 

I took him to his room and laid him on his bed, he was unconscious, and I asked his daughter where basma was and she had said her mother had gone to get the healer. 

What happened to him? 

We went hunting San said with his eyes red from too much crying, "it is my fault he says I am the one who told him we should go hunting. 

No it is not your fault, what attacked you? 

I don't know, I really don't know it was too fast, we could not see it.