Tamura was very impressed at Mabige’s regular maintenance of the grave, and when they got there, the grave was cleared of all the weeds and grass and looked like it was always being kept tidy. Mara drew closer and sat on her parents’ grave in silence. Tamura asked her if she was okay and she just nodded without saying a word.
Tamura walked off with Mabige to look at the farm and to discuss his crop while Mara stayed seated and whispered to her mother in the grave, "Mama, I miss you and Papa too, but I know that I will see you sometime soon. I have a secret to tell you, I know you can’t tell anyone. The Angel of the Lord visited me early one morning and told me to pray for the people in our village and the other villages too.
“I got scared and wanted to speak to someone about it, that is why I came here to see Mama Haga and I am telling you as well because the Angel said the Lord told him to tell me that if I do as he says, I will see you again in heaven.”
She paused for a minute in case someone was listening to her conversation and continued, “That would be good, Mama, in fact that would be very good because I miss you so much. I think of you on my birthday and wish you were here to make me pancakes and bake me a cake. The queen baked me one for my seventh birthday and I ate with my friends, especially Shula, she is really nice and I feel as though she is my own sister and not just a friend.”
She continued, “Tamura and Baka can’t make proper pancakes like you used to. I just tell them they taste good to make them happy. I have so many friends now in my new school, which is like a shed built from straw and twigs and we sit on wooden stools and we have small desks made of wood as well. The teacher is very nice and she is teaching us to read, write and count as well.”
Mara carried on talking and said, “I really like it there and I have many dolls to play with and my best friend, Shula, she is really funny, she makes me laugh a lot. We live with King Gama in his palace and many other people and Tamura likes princess Leona very much and I think they are going to get married, she gave me her nice dolls and she has lots of them, beautiful ones with ribbons on their hair and…”
At that moment Tamura called out to her to join them as they should be preparing to return to Goza. Mara grudgingly stood up and said her goodbyes to her parents and stood there for a couple of seconds and said, “Bye, Mama, and bye, Papa,” before running off to join her brother and Mabige. They looked at the neatly kept field as though it was prepared for an exhibition.
Mabige explained that he was tilling the land in preparation for the rainy season which was around the corner so he could put his seeds in the ground. He intended to plant red beans, corn, cassava, pumpkins and sweet potatoes.
At the bottom of the field was a stream of water which he used to water the vegetable patch as these are essential for daily food supplements. He had tomatoes, peas, potatoes, yams and sugar canes. These plants needed constant watering and therefore, it was ideal to plant them nearest to the water stream.
After showing them the field, they all headed back home to prepare for the journey back to Goza. Tamura couldn’t wait any longer as he was missing Leona terribly and promised himself to go back and hold her in his arms for hours.
Mara was more interested in seeing Mama Haga for a last chat about the prayer and to agree on when Mama Haga should come to Goza to see her about their mission.
Mama Haga promised to come and visit and Mabige overheard them and shouted, “And so will I come too, just to escort Mama Haga that’s all.”
They all looked at each other and laughed as they knew who Mabige was really going to Goza to see. After all was said and done, the pair bid the Hagas and Mabige farewell. Tamura and Mabige hugged each other for a new friendship had begun between them overnight and the pair got on like a house on fire, much to Papa Haga’s delight as he loved Tamura like the son he never had.
While Mara was sitting and talking at the graveside, Tamura and Mabige had discussed that Mabige should come visit Goza and meet Beko, to see if he liked her as he was desperate for a wife and was feeling the loneliness much more strongly as he was now in his thirties and wanted a family of his own like his older brother, Papa Haga.
Papa Haga had been married for many years to his childhood sweetheart, despite not having any children, but were both deeply in love, even after all those years of marriage.
Tamura gave him the directions and told him to come and see him anytime and that the king and his people would not mind him hosting Mabige any day.
They were all nice and hospitable people, more so now after the summer fete, where they opened their home to strangers and found it a rewarding experience. Mara hugged Mama Haga so tightly she didn’t want to let go and the two promised to see each other very soon. She went and gave Papa Haga a big hug and a big kiss on his bearded face and started scratching her face
