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.“The prince is to teach me now,” she adds, turning towards me and leaning closer, but not close enough that we touch.Unmarried men and women rarely touch, unless absolutely necessary.Well, in public, that is.No one’s to know what happens in private.“Yes, of course,” I choose to say, enjoying seeing Chacha squirm, glaring at us with eyes that say he’s sure to revenge against us, while we and Muiya burst out laughing, promptly swimming away, leaving him to his new interest.Chapter 6My father’s throwing a party for me tonight to celebrate my coming out to society.Everyone is excited about it.It’s all my saro members have been talking about for days on end, now that the dry summer season has given way to the short rains season.The party was originally to be held during the dry summer season, but father got ill again, his heart, and the whole family was in sombre moods.I’d nursed father, and completely refused any mention of the party for my honor, even though he’d kept insisting that it ought to be held while the nights still promised to remain dry.He’d gotten better again, thank the spirits, but the rainy season would soon be knocking on our doors, and with it the planting season.The planting seasons are one of our busiest times, as busy as the harvesting seasons.All warriors over twelve and all married women in our kingdoms work on the lands.First they tile it for days before the onset of the long rains, so as to loosen the soils.Then the day the rains first pour down, the planting begins, and the overall planting tends to take place during the first two or three days at most, as this is the short rains season and not much planting is done.The main planting is done during the long rains season which can take about three to five days, depending on the size of the family and how much they depend on their crops for food and livelihood.After the first busy days of the short rains season, the family is generally idle again, as the only thing left to do is herd livestock, a job left to the men.The women have settled to free time activities like molding pots, tending flower and vegetable farms and weaving or repainting their houses, while we run around sweeping the compound, and keeping clean the kitchen and main dining hall that we now eat in because of the rains.People soon get bored of their meaningless tasks, free afternoons spent with my saro as is customary are lazily spent doing nothing but talking, as the weather does not allow for much else.It’s not a season typical for partying, and that is why father’s idea to hold a party is most welcomed.He’s the only one with a hall large enough to hold the number of young warriors and maidens that shall be in attendance, the large royal gooti at the end of the royal courtyard, as a party like this is of open invitation to all eligible, and the fact that it’s a king’s invitation will see to it that most if not all maidens and young unmarried warriors in the four brother kingdoms attend.I hate the fuss being made about it.I knew father would do something like this as he did the same for Matinde and Weigesa.In fact he’ll make no stops as I’m his youngest daughter, and this is the last of such parties he shall hold.The best musicians in the kingdom have been commissioned, as well as a visiting harpist from a Northern kingdom in the region, the Moreno Kingdom, shall be performing with our musicians, and has been training with the band of Bakoria musicians for days now.The best of Bairege banana wines have arrived, as well as the best matured millet mead that warriors seem to prefer.Neighbouring women have helped to offer our family help in preparing enough food to serve the couple hundreds of youth that shall be in attendance.All water tanks have been filled with the help of neighbouring children, despite the fact that it has been drizzling all morning.The band starts to play at midday a lively jig, and me, my sisters, my cousins and nephews and nieces of our age-set of initiated but yet unmarried youth start off the party dancing around the band in the royal gooti, as it’s wet outside and no one wants to smudge their painted feet with mud.Our neighbours are soon to arrive next, and mother once again does a sweep to chase our way my youngest of relatives that oughtn’t be here.My younger brothers get spanked a few times, and my young cousins get threatened, and with that we are left alone to our party.I hate being a host, mainly because I have to remain close to the door, and welcome each and everyone that attends.The large building we are in acts as the kingdom’s assembly hall where it’s leaders made up of the council of elders and military leaders like the Wasacha and Isamura meet with the King to discuss matters pertaining to ruling the kingdom.It’s also in here that father meets with his warriors whenever they are called to assembly, right before they set out on their training drills together.Although they live furthest from us, the Bairege are the first to arrive after members of my kingdom
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