seasons | killmonger

33 | M E M O R Y L O C K D O W N

"What you help a child to love can be more important than what you help him to learn."

~African Proverb

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Omniscient

"Bala ukuya kwisithathu." Count to three. Amani instructed her eight year old daughter, Mbali. They sat outside of their home, and Amani kept her hands behind her back. Mbali tried hard to peak around her mother's body to see what she was hiding from her, but she failed each time to catch a peak.

Aside from Mbali viewing her mom as a giant due to her age, Amani was five-ten. Her hair went down in rows of braids down her back, and her face was full, along with her lips. Her almond shaped eyes were cut so deep, that some would assume that she was always upset— but she was always far from that.

Her father was even taller, towering over Amani and her daughter. But, they knew Mbali wouldn't be as tall. They always said that they could tell from her knees.

"I counted to three so many times!" Mbali fussed, dropping her hands to her side. "Can I see, now?"

"Not till you do what I said." Amani raised her eyebrow.

Sighing— because Mbali knew better than to argue, she counted again, saying each number slowly with her eyes closed. Amani smiled, making sure Mbali didn't try to peak. From behind her back, she pulled a stuffed toy.

An elephant.

It was a dark gray, but around its trunk, a gold pattern went around it. It's tusks we're completely covered in a gold fabric. "Open your eyes."

Mbali opened one, slowly this time— just in case her mom was playing jokes on her again. When she noticed the elephant, her eyes widened... bigger than they already were in her young age.

"Did you make this?!" Mbali gushed, taking the stuffed animal from her mother's hands. She held it to her chest for dear life. If it was real, it would've surely gasped for air.

"Mhmm." Amani rubbed her hands against the skirt she had on. "I had to make sure you weren't around when I did. Ramonda helped me find the prettiest fabric for you. She knows how much I hate going into those stores early in the day. I'd rather be at home with you and Baba, but... it came together well. Do you like it?"

"Ndiyayithanda." I love it. Mbali hugged it to her little chest and swayed back and forth. The beads in her hair that were a different hue of blue on each braid, made clicking sounds as they hit against each other.

"What are you going to name her?"

"Zina."

"Zina it is." A deeper voice came from behind Mbali, making her quickly turn around and smile. She took in the sight of her dad, squealing as he picked her up and brought his little girl towards his chest.

Amani dusted her hands against her skirt, smiling back at her husband, Hasani. She swore that Mbali was her fathers exact twin. "And where have you been?" Amani teased him, playfully raising her eyebrow.