are no longer. The Buler has a plan to improve the lot of women and give them jobs previously for men only. And he has already started to implement his plan; there are women assistant ministers and managing directors of the banks. The Buler has called on all citizens to keep in step with Baby D…” Maritha paused and then stopped, as if she did not really want to come to the next part of the message.
“And then she said that the dead or her ghost should be told that
Vinjinia was very angry with her for suggesting that her husband was growing a second mouth at the back of his head,” Mariko said bluntly.
“That her husband is not a two-mouthed ogre or any other type of ogre.”
“The cap that Tajirika wears was a special gift from the Global Bank, and in any case it is now a fashion in the West. Even she, Vinjinia, was now regularly wearing a scarf on her head as demanded of women by the apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians and the apostle Peter in his first letter to the world.”
“Yes, people should give Baby D a chance to grow.”
“The times of rumors and sorcery are gone, gone forever.”
“And then we heard the car in the yard rev up.”
“And the Mercedes we had seen in the yard came past the gate and hooted
“It was Tajirika saying
“He had come for a change of clothes, Vinjinia told us.”
“Very busy with the business of the nation, she added.”
“And she was about to slam the gates shut before our very eyes…”
“Saying that she had another meeting…”
“When Gaclgua suddenly came running and screaming…”
“That his sister Gaciru was stuck in the Lake of Tears.”
“Vinjinia screamed with terror and started running down the garden that sloped from the yard, with Gaclgua following behind.”
“We, too, followed.”
“I have never seen the likes of what I saw down in the valley below,” Mariko said.
“A group of duikers were suspended in the air in the act of leaping so that from a distance they looked alive and at different stages of the act,” Maritha explained, pointing a finger in the air as if even now, inside her house, she could still see them.
“And the birds, too… frozen in one spot in the sky as if suspended by the setting sun,” Mariko added, also pointing a finger at a scene visible only to themselves.
“Yes, because the setting sun sent orange rays to where the animals hung suspended in the sky”
“On the surface of the lake were many more creatures also trapped at a standstill.”
“A hen and its young ones. And a cock running after another hen.”
“And just as it stretches its wings to mount…”
“Wonders will never cease. Ducks, too…”
“See that cat about to jump on that mouse…”
“What about that dog with its mouth open, barking silence at the birds in the air?”
“And those two goats and the cow with its young following behind, and in the middle stands Gaciru, their daughter,” said Maritha.
“Frozen in the act of running.”
“A shadow.”
“A human silhouette.”
“Like Lot’s wife.”
“Except that Gaciru had not yet turned to stone.”
“Or to a pillar of salt.”
“We found Vinjinia by the lake.”
“And their boy… Gaclgua.”
“Both crying for Gaciru… calling out endearingly, Ciru, oh, our Ciru.”
“And Ciru does not hear, does not turn.”
“They are both afraid to touch the lake.”
“We said…”
“Let’s pray” they now said in unison, and Maritha and Mariko knelt in their house and started singing the prayer they had sung in the valley.
“It was then that I heard something make a movement in my belly” Maritha said, still on her knees. “A strange thought came to my mind, and I started laughing.”
“Why is she laughing at a time of tears? I asked… but when I saw how she was laughing I also started laughing,” said Mariko.
And now, as both recalled their laughter, they started laughing in earnest all over again. They were back on their feet, still laughing, then sat down, still laughing, and it was with difficulty that they were able to stop themselves.
“A glance at each other and we would resume laughing,” Maritha said.
“We went on laughing walking down toward the lake, but in truth…” added Mariko.
“Not of our own will; we were under some unknown influence.”
“When we reached the bank of the river we dipped our feet into the murky quagmire,” they said in unison.
“And there we stopped…”
“See that cat…”
“See that dog…”
“See that cock…”
“See the cow…”
“And more laughter till tears started flowing down my cheeks,” said Maritha.
“And me, too… tears of laughter,” added Mariko.
“And all this time Vinjinia and Gaclgua are looking at us, amazed…”
“And we were wondering why they, too, were not laughing…”
“And then we saw Vinjinia faint…”
“And Gaclgua bent down to attend her…”
“And our tears of laughter continued to flow…”
“Down into the lake…”
“Now it was our turn to be amazed,” they said in unison.
“When our tears of joy and laughter touched the still waters…” Mariko continued.
“Everything that had stood frozen began to move,” Maritha said.
“The duikers completed their leaps to the other side and disappeared.”
“The bird flew away”
“The cat and the mouse resumed the chase.”
“The dog barked noisily at the birds.”
“And the calf followed its mother, mooing for milk. And the goats…”
“Come, come, little mother, don’t be afraid.”
“Gaciru turned around.”
“And she started walking to where we were,” Maritha said.
“She walked on the water, did not sink…”
