Venus of Khala-Kanti by Kingué Angèle;Hartley Christine Schwartz;

Author:Kingué, Angèle;Hartley , Christine Schwartz;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1864083
Publisher: Bucknell University Press

As usual, Bosco reacted instantly, while several people, still in shock, appeared to be seized by a sort of paralyzing inertia. Dazed, they were circling Bella’s body. “If her father were still alive, Boualo’s head would have fallen already,” they said. The crowd parted to make way for Dama, Bella’s mother. A neighbor tore Mialo from her arms and moved away from the scene. Dama collapsed onto her daughter, lifted her torso, then immediately raised her head and cried out, “But she’s not dead! She’s not dead! Her heart’s still beating, someone bring me some water, we need a car, do something, Bosco, do something, we need to take her to the hospital!”

“I already asked Essia to go get my motorbike,” said Bosco.

As if she had not heard Bosco’s response, Dama continued her internal dialogue.

Then she declared with maternal certitude, “Yes, yes, I know, she’s still alive.” Bosco didn’t dare tell her that he’d sent the motorbike to fetch the police, instead of taking Bella to the hospital.

Dama kept on splashing water on Bella’s face. She had had someone bring sheets, in which she wrapped her daughter. The motionless Bella now lay on a mattress set directly on the ground. A few yards away were her two arms, immersed in the basin of fresh water she had drawn that very morning. Obeying an irrepressible instinct, Dama started rocking her daughter. She sang to her the lullabies of childhood while the crowd stared at them with indecent curiosity, captive witness to a private ritual.

Drawn by the noise of an approaching vehicle, everyone rushed to see what was coming. But recognizing the sound of his motorbike’s engine, Bosco announced this was Essia on his way back from the police station in Big Maéba.

“Let’s hope their car is following him,” he added.

Indeed, Essia was accompanied by a man everyone immediately mistook for a medic.

“What’s happening here?” he asked, parting the crowd.

The sight of Bella’s bloody body brought him to a standstill.

“Oh my God!” he cried out, looking terrified.

Bella’s mother, whose dress was covered in blood, asked him if the police van was coming.

“The van wasn’t at the station, but I asked that my colleagues follow me here as soon as they’re back.”

Dama threw herself at the policeman who, taken by surprise, rocked backwards.

“Then why did you come?” she shrieked, “Why did you come? You don’t know where the van is? I know where it is, your damn van. It’s in the bush buying game and plantains for your wives while my daughter is dying! And you didn’t think to commandeer a car? Weren’t you told someone was dying?”

She was pummeling him as she spoke. Two sturdy fellows had a hard time prying her away from the policeman.

“Calm down!” implored Bosco. “Calm down!”

“I’m going to report this lunatic; she’ll see what happens when you assault an officer of the state!”

Hearing these words, Dama once again rushed toward him. All the hatred she felt for the people who controlled her existence as a market woman in the capital returned to her in force.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.