Bride Prize

Twelve: Market day, taking of the bride

At yet another part of the grains section, transactions were going on in measures. Cupped hands, supporting a medium standard measuring pan with overflowing grains, transfered the grains to an empty sack that was spread out on the ground. The retail buyer repeated the process five times, with a little less than half measure remaining. He stopped and looked up.

“Five measures,” the man announced.

“What about the half?” Iveren asked.

The man laughed.

“Young girl, you like money too much. Where’s my bonus?”

Iveren shook her head vehemently.

“That’s five and one half measures,” she said.

“Okay,” the man said, reached into his pocket, counted some money and handed it to Iveren.

Close by, another trader was pricing Ape’s yams. They agreed on a price and she collected her money. Someone else stopped by to ask for the price of her hen. That too was soon settled. It was while she was collecting her money that Iveren stopped beside her.

“Me, I’ve sold all my goods,” Iveren said. “What about you?”

“I just sold my hen,” Ape said.

Both girls made their way across the crowded market, chatting happily. With money now in their purses, the girls wondered off for a little shopping of their own. Their mothers, sitting together among other women under the shade of a huge mango tree, had given them the liberty to exercise their freedom of shopping. 

“Iveren!” a voice called out abruptly.

 Iveren turned to look who had shouted her name. She smiled when she recognized her aunt, Mwuese.  “Where is your mother?” the smallish woman asked in her usual shrill voice. “I’ve been looking out for her.”

Iveren was happy to see Mwuese. Her aunty was always nice to her, often buying her small presents each time they met at the market.

“She is sitting there under the mango tree,” Iveren said, pointing at the shade.

“And where are you going?” Mwuese asked playfully.  “Me and Ape are going to buy something,” Iveren said.

“Don’t be long,” Mwuese said, moving on, “come back let me buy something special for you.”  The two girls went on with their shopping.

*    *   *

The farms in those parts were always deserted on market days, and this day was not an exception. It was obvious that everyone went to the market even if they had nothing to sell or buy. Apart from commerce, the market also provided an avenue to socialize. Nevertheless, just like Sundays, a few farmers still went to their farms, but often working only half the usual working hours.

At about the time that Venda had left the marketplace and headed to his house, and Ape together with Iveren, were doing their shopping at the jewelry section, Tersoo was rounding up on the last of the ridges that he had tasked himself to complete at his new farm. He was expecting his bride the next day and he needed to expand his farm as much as possible.

Tersoo moved to the shade of a tree where he had parked his bicycle and lifted his gourd of water off the handlebars. An ugly memory flashed thru his mind as he was about to drink water from it. Pausing, he momentarily stared at the gourd, remembering the horrible day at the farm meet when his water had been poisoned. 

He was filled with sudden anger at the memory. But he remembered the old witch doctor’s warning not to pursue the matter and he piped himself down. After all, he told himself, the matter had already been reversed by nonother than his father-in-law, the convener of the farm meet himself. Let bygones be bygones.