Читать книгу Amulets and Feathers: A Story from the collection, I Am Heathcliff - Leila Aboulela - Страница 7

TODAY I SET OUT to avenge my father’s death. I took his dagger, the one with the two points, and I filled a pouch with poison leaves. I put on my brother’s clothes and his turban so I would not be recognised. I hid the shells, feathers, and cowries deep in my pocket – I would only need them when I arrived in Gobir. I looped my amulet on a cord and tied it around my neck. I did not feel afraid.

My mother was alone in her room. She would mourn my father for months, not scenting her body or wearing gold. From outside, I heard her praying. She wanted to dream of him, to see how he was in his new life. But he had not yet visited any of us in a dream. I did not go into her room to say goodbye. She would stop me. She would say a young girl had no business travelling beyond the outskirts of town.

In our courtyard, I looked at everything – at one of our goats heavy with kid, our water pots with their reddish-brown colour, and the coop where the pigeons fluttered and cooed. I looked at the ashy remains of yesterday’s cooking fire. I picked up my little cat. She knew who I was, she was not fooled. I kissed her and said, ‘I will not play with you today or give you milk. Even tomorrow I will still be away.’

In the marketplace, I pulled down the sash that was wrapped around my turban and covered my mouth. I walked fast so that no one would recognise me. I bumped into my friend Aysha, her hair in corn rows. I almost cried out, ‘Aysha, you have plaited your hair at last!’ But she brushed past me and did not notice who I was.

Bello was buying guava from a seller, but he happened to glance my way. Unlike Aysha, he stopped and looked again. He started to follow me, and I pretended not to hear him. ‘Maryam,’ he said, ‘it’s you, isn’t it, Maryam?’ He looked like the village idiot, gaping and shadowing me.

At last I said, ‘Bello, go away and don’t tell my family that you have seen me.’

He started to ask one question after the other. ‘Where are you going? Why are you dressed like that?’

Bello and I had left the marketplace by now and were at the outskirts of the town. There was hardly anyone around. I stopped under a tree and we sat down. I moved the wrapper from my mouth and said, ‘I am going to Gobir to avenge my father’s death.’