he warm sun tingled the uncovered parts of Musombi’s back as he crouched behind bushes. Flies buzzed above him and a couple of lizards raced by as they chased each other. That startled him. He was afraid of snakes and hoped none would venture by. He wiggled his bare toes in the dust and waited.

Nanguti was on her way home from the river with a pot of water carefully balanced on top of her head when Musombi leapt in front of her from the bushes. Her hands instinctively went up to hold the pot as she gasped in fear.

“What is wrong with you, boy?” She asked after she had caught her breath. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“I’m sorry, so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to surprise you.”

“You surprised me indeed jumping out of the bushes looking like a ghost in that white clay make-over.”

“I apologize for that,” Musombi spoke looking down in shame. “I wasn’t thinking.”

Musombi had gone through the circumcision ritual two months earlier. For three months he would not bathe in water, but only smear his entire body with clay then rub it off removing dirt from his body. He was almost eighteen years old and at five-foot ten could have been fairly tall except Nanguti was a half a foot taller and rather imposing even though she was a year younger than him. Tall and healthy with a smooth, dark skin that glistened when oiled, and a pretty smile, Nanguti caught his attention the first time he saw her. He had been smitten ever since but was shy to tell her. It took him months before he gained enough courage to just say hello.

“So what did you want to surprise me with?” Nanguti asked, the large pot of water still balancing on her head.

“Well, my house is almost finished and in less than a month I’ll be a man. I want you to move in with me and be my wife.” Nanguti laughed. He loved her laugh.

“You may be circumcised and think you’re a man, but you are still a boy,” she said pointing at him. “There’s more to marriage than having a house to live in. You have to provide for your wife and children.”

“I work. I’m an assistant cook…”

“You mean a Kitchen Toto? That’s just a boy who runs errands for the cook.”

“Please Nanguti, I’m more than that. I’ve been working with John since I was five. I can cook anything he can. He will retire next year and I’m going to be made head cook. I have been paying Mister Stuart money every time I get paid. He has given me five acres of land and that’s where our house is. Yours and mine.”

“Excuse me if I’m not overjoyed at the news, but I don’t trust white people. What is a measly five acres compared to the thousands they posses? They came, they slaughtered our people and took our land. See how they got us living in tiny huts ten feet from one another on a tiny piece of land? We slave away daily for a very small wage then on Sunday they force-feed us with their Christian religion. Jesus loving the poor and how us the poor will go to heaven. If the poor will go to heaven, how come the white people are rich? Do they prefer hell?”

“Leave that alone, won’t you?” Musombi said. “Someday we shall reclaim our land. For now we have to live with these people and do the best we can. I happen to like Christianity. I like the way Jesus treated everybody equally and didn’t care for possessions. He just walked around spreading the good word. Going to Church uplifts me and gives me hope.”

“More like lulling you into submission,” Nanguti said rolling her eyes. “I’ll make a deal with you. If one of these missionaries comes and lives in a house like ours and eats what we eat, I will listen to his preaching.”

“Can we get back to my original topic?” Musombi said exasperated.

“Okay, grown man. I’ll give you two months in which time you should start cultivating your land. I want some cattle, goats, chicken and maybe sheep. I want to grow some maize, beans, and sorghum. I want to make healthy babies who will never go hungry a day of their lives. If you think maybe you are not able to handle that, don’t marry me.”

“I can do that and more,” Musombi said proudly. “I want them to learn to read and write and speak English.”

“What for?” Nanguti looked at him incredulously.

“Knowledge is power. The more you learn the better you will be.”

“I learn from my grandma who has taught me all about medicinal herbs. I can treat any disease. I don’t need those pills the white man gives people.”

“There are many other things you can learn. Things about other people in far away places.”

“And that’s where they need to stay. I’m perfectly satisfied staying right here in my home. Why shouldn’t they stay in theirs?”

“There you go again.”

“They killed your father, Musombi,” Nanguti said seriously. “Maybe you were just a baby and can’t remember him at all, but they attacked your village and killed him. Your mother did all she could to save you and escape the slaughter. How can you get close to them?”

“Wounds heal, Nanguti,” Musombi said eyes pleading. “I can’t hate an entire race of people for what some individuals did. I know they took away my father before I ever knew him and that bothers me, but these people here didn’t do it. They may not treat me like an equal, but they treat me okay and they help me out. I want to do better than being a farm hand. I don’t want to live my whole life working in the fields.”

“But working in the kitchen is better, you think?”

“They are building hospitals and schools. I could eventually go work there and teach others how to cook. I will make enough money to take care of my family and we won’t have to live in a little hut ten feet from other people.”

“You think like a man; a responsible man. I’m very impressed with the way you have your future planned out. One thing though, no other women. You marry me; you’re stuck with me for life. I know it’s common for men to marry three of four wives, but I’m not up for that. If you want to fool around, go ahead and get it out of your system before we get married.”

“Don’t worry about me. Christians only marry one wife and you’re more woman than I will ever need. I love you, Nanguti and I want you to be my one and only wife for life.”

“Okay little man. Yes, I will marry you. Now let me take this water home before mama starts worrying.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll walk you home. You’re my woman now and I don’t want other boys looking at you.”