By Amie Sillah The Cousins Since the reconciliation the cousins became freer, happier and more jovial. Nowadays they are always together and having fun. The wives and mothers are also bonding all the time, sharing notes and having fun. Jaa visited Sap and she sees her off. Gossip There is a story spreading in town about a woman who snatched her daughter’s husband and got pregnant for him. Jaa brought the news from town. “What did the daughter do?” Sap asked. “She relocated to another town and left the mother with her husband.” “What! That daughter is a saint, if it were me I would have given my mother rat poison. This woman deserves to be stoned to death! She is shameless!” “People react differently to situations, if you would ask me I would have relocated to another town and leave Allah to judge my mother. Her blood would not be in my hands.” Jaa posited. “Another woman’s husband travelled and she gave birth to a boy through her lover and decided to dump the son in a pit latrine and the baby died. Such a wicked woman! Couples are looking for boy children and she destroying it. Has she given it to you?” Sap is calculating, Jaa is very unhappy and speechless. Maga He drove into the garage and the children rushed to greet him as Magi and his family left for their house. Sap She is feverish and came to Jaa to complain. “I have lost my appetite and could not eat anything.” Jaa showed her white soup. “Try the white soup it is sour and can boost your appetite.” “Thank you very much.” She asked. “How much have you paid for me at the ‘teek’ (due-weekly payment)?” “D100 but forget about it, I’ve paid for you.” Sap hugged and thanked her. “Thank you and Allah will bless you.” Jaa is mature. Maga and his Boys They reported their teachers. “Our teachers are wicked they flocked us all the time for no just reasons. They hate us.” Sap She joined the conversation. “They told me before and in fact I want to report it to you.” “Why didn’t you all this while? Do you want them to kill my boys before reporting it to me? What sort of wife and mother are you? What are your duties to the boys?” Sap became defensive. “It is not as you think; I also love the boys just like you and I know that couples struggle hard to get boys.” At the School Maga took his boys to the Principal office and laid his complaint; the teachers were summoned. The interface was bitter. Interface Maga confronted the female teacher. “Why do you beat my boys like cows? Are you married? Do you have kid/kids?” “Excuse me! I am happily married with 3 kids, 2 boys and a girl well disciplined.” Mr. Jammeh “Your boys are horrible and I don’t know who is the worse. Yerro steals and fights; Lamarana smokes weed and assaults fellow students especially girls and the two are never in school or class.” Principal Jagne Questioned the boys. “For how long have you been to school this term?” The boys hesitated. He turned to their father. “Your boys here suspended themselves for two weeks without coming to school; I am now officially suspending them another 2 weeks and they should not be seen around our school premises. And if they come back without any change they will be expelled for good.” Maga’s Reaction “School! School! School! What is this hillbilly about school? I did not go to school my elder brother did but I have a better life than him. Let’s go school is not by force.” He blasted. “Good riddance to bad rubbish!” The teachers posited. At Magi’s House Jaa protested. “You have to intervene. What’s wrong with your brother to recuse his sons from school because they are beaten by teachers?” “What are you asking me to do, go and talk to my recalcitrant brother? Hell no! You see what has happened when I tried to correct his boys when they were caught red-handed stealing by the bush path. This is the path he chooses for his sons let us just pray that Allah open his eyes before it is too late. For the time being let us mind our business. Prepare the dish I ask for I am famished.” Magi posited. “I am ready.” Jaa posited. The Siblings T.J danced to Papa’s flute, she has become a great dancer. I.J came and hit her buttocks. “So you left your soup pot at the fire to burn and comes here dancing to Papa’s flute, didn’t I tell you that this flute will put you to trouble someday?” T.J rushed to put down the pot. Papa protested. “I.J why didn’t you put down the pot before coming to protest?” “I did I just want to harass her.” T.J came back laughing. “She put it down but just came to trouble me.” The girls danced to the flute. Two Years Passed The boys are now grown up men playing draught behind their house, very irresponsible as their parents continue to feed them. Baks He is one of their type residing in the village, he came for his stuff. “Give me my stuff.” He asked Lama. “Give me money.” Lama retorted. They struggled. “Give me stuff.” Baks requested. “Give me money, you did not pay for your yesterday stuff.” Lama posited. Sap She parted them. “Why are you two friends fighting?” “Mama! He took my stuff and refused to pay me.” Sap scolded Baks. “Why should you take stuff from your friend and refused to pay him? That is undone.” Maga He became sarcastic. “When did you start selling clothes or other merchandise?” “I am talking to mama and not to you.” Lama told his dad. Baks held fast Lama’s trousers as Papa left them with Mama. The Siblings with their Friends The girls went to the stream to fetch water. An admirer of I.J confronted them. Essa He came to the village from the city to visit his grandparents and said he loves I.J. Essa knelt down in front of I.J to declare his love. He took out the T-Shirt he is wearing. “Take it from me; I can get another one when I return back to the city. Say yes. I love you I.J, you are the fairest maiden in this village. You are the ‘queen’ of my life.” The girls teased I.J and asked her to give Essa a chance. She scolded them. “You are also maidens, can’t one of you give him a chance.” “But he did not ask us it is you that he prefers.” “Let us go.” I.J commanded. The Men Lama and Yerro are at the ghetto (an unfinished building) at the end of the village. Here they batter, sell and smoke Indian Hem. “No money no business!” Lama yelled. To be Cont. ]]>
