AWAITED
ANGELO GRANT
From little date seeds, great things are born. Everything’s gone as planned. As per custom. Away from baby’s father for all nine months. Stayed with parents. The whole room’s been polished with cow dung, right? Yeah. Been alone since just now because I started to feel it. It’s coming. Mother, grandmother, and little sister. I wish he was here but again, as per custom. He can’t wash like they can anyway, he’d just get in the way. I can see this being excruciating but I can’t wait. Here she comes. The greatest pain I’ve felt in my lifetime—but it is well worth it. I just want to hold and be held. I deserve to at this point. But she’s held over the fire hanging, navel and all. Has it been an hour yet? And every day until it falls from her belly?
EFE OSAZUWA
It needs to drop now. The hour’s up, finally. She’s taken down, for now at least, and finally. Finally, I can hold her. It was three more days until the cord dropped. She’s one of us now. Her family, our family, files in to celebrate. There he is! It’s been so long… I can be held now. We embrace until he has to go and bury the cord. Give thanks to the ancestors. Her name..? We decided to name her Lindiwe. Yes, “awaited”. Now that she’s here, the village is behind her - she’s going to be great. If you don’t initiate the youth, they will burn down the village. I’m ready to become a man. I’m so close. I’ve done everything I needed to. As a boy, I made sure I was good and hardworking and always listened to my father. He had to choose me for the fanadu this time around. But… wow. This has been hell. But I guess there’s no other way.
39
