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Before They Came

Sitting here with my daughter between my knees, I braid her hair; One by one I place the lucky cowrie shells in her hair. I hear the call and response in my village. The roll was being called. This gathering was different, “the drums tell us we must gather to meet”, as we will have guest to greet.
" Habari-Ghani” -'' What's the news'' The news is, strangers are here, to look for wives, they want to take us away./

The news is, our ways are not their ways, Father says we girls must go away to have a better life. /
                                                                                                                      
 “Your husband died and no one in this village will marry you”: 
My father said;You have also have a daughter, you must think about. 
Father spoke again: I have many other daughters, and I cannot take care of you for life.!/

As I arrived in this new land, My Husband, was not really my husband:
He treated me as a maid with wifely duties. I took care of my daughter
Until she was age fourteen – Then he sent her away.
I cried myself to sleep at nights and dreamed of Africa my home and how things were before  
“THEY CAME”./

Things were fine, right before they came; We had our own way of solving problems.
Sometimes, I would get lost in thoughts that felt so real. It seemed as
I could smell the wood burning on the open fire, I longed to dance in moonlight with my sisters,
I wanted to eat again from coconut Shells; I wanted things to be the same as the were;/
                           Before they came.!
I could smell simmering pots of love cooking. 
The pungent scent of burning wood and coconut shells....
I remember bathing in rivers./
The Joy of weaving our love in baskets.
It has been Five-hundred years, and I am still here in this new land, holding onto memories of sun filled oceans./
Trying hard to hold onto the times of happiness...Before they came. These things are deeply embedded “Mamas Laughter”,” grandmother’s wisdom” by blood, these things came with me on this journey./
For dear life I am holding on to our ways, unashamed, I long for my African life, my culture, and my happiness....” Before they came”!
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