Hello Readers! I'm pleased with the reviews I'm getting! But as always what writer doesn't wish for more! Any way! Here's the next chapter please Enjoy!
~Disclaimer: I own nothing but Noksu and the other characters I mentioned in earlier chapters! Also I don't own the song which is from the King and I!
"Noksu, Ningependa kwa wewe kukutana na mtu, hii ni Raven (Noksu, I'd like for you to meet someone, this is Raven), Raven this is Noksu, she is my sons chosen bride" Akili spoke as she led the two young women towards one another. Raven smiled at the young girl. She was beautiful no doubt. Her head shaven and her skin smooth. She reminded Raven of the supermodels back in America. Her eyes were a warm inviting brown, like chocolate.
"Hello, It..is...nice to...meet you" Noksu said softly her English slow and broken.
"It's nice to meet you too" Raven replied softly, wishing she new more Swahili, the woman before her looked uncomfortable. That's when Raven got an idea and felt utterly dumb for not remembering it before. "Akili, I'd like to try something with Noksu, if she doesn't care, something with my magic, I think it will help me understand you all and learn faster"
"She says that you may" Akili said after a minute of conversation with Noksu. Raven approached and pressed two fingers to Noksu's forehead and then chanting as she moved the fingers to her own, a small trail of power connecting them.
"Unafanya nini? (What did you do?)" Noksu asked Raven looking at her
"I made it so that I could understand you and you can understand me. Don't look so afraid, I can only understand you when you speak directly to me" Raven said smiling. Noksu smiled at her in return.
"Je kunisaidia na Kiingereza changu? Napenda kufundisha mtoto wangu lakini mimi si nzuri sana (Will you help me with my English? I wish to teach my son but I am not very good)" Noksu asked looking at her
"If you help me with my Swahili, how old is your son?" Raven asked looking at her
"vigumu wiki mbili (barely a fortnight)" Noksu answered smiling at her, she could tell she would come to like this girl.
The days in the village passed quickly for Raven, and before she knew it three months had passed. She was now fluent in Swahili and loved teaching the children English, and surprised the other villagers with the other languages she knew. Soon she was teaching the adults useful phrases in French, Spanish and German. Noksu had taken to helping her teach as well, the two were always seen together now.
"Raven!" Esarosa said as she and Inali ran over with the other village children "Teach us another came! Please!"
"Alright, stand in a circle, Rosa stand in the middle. Now we are going to sing a song ok" Raven said joining the circle of children "Ndege katika ngome ya, wala kuja nje, katika jioni ya alfajiri, sima na swala akaanguka, ambaye anasimama kai va nvuma sasa, now while we are singing we are going to spin around and when the song stops Rosa you try and guess who's behind you ok"
"Ok" Esarosa said allowing Raven to tie the cloth around her eyes and the children began to play the game.
"Wewe ni mama mkubwa Raven, wewe ni hivyo asili pamoja nao (You are a great mother Raven, you are so natural with them)" Raven smiled at the woman who moved to stand next to her. She was the cheif's son's chosen, Noksu, her husband-to-be was away with the other warriors completing their right of passage. She had a young son who had become great friends with Inali.
"Asante Noksu, ina maana sana kwa wewe kusema kwamba (Thank you Noksu, it means a lot for you to say that)" Raven said moving to help her carry her laundry back to the hut.
"Raven, Napenda kuuliza kitu ya wewe (I wish to ask something of you)" Noksu spoke softly, Raven sat the dress she was folding down and looked at her friend "Utakuwa ni mama wa pili Kamau? (Will you be a second mother for Kamau?)"
"Napenda kuheshimiwa (I would be honored)" Raven answered hugging her new best friend. In many ways Noksu reminded her of Starfire, yet they were also very different from each other. Raven then returned to helping Noksu fold her laundry. "lini wapiganaji wa kurudi? (When will the warriors return?)"
"siku yoyote sasa, ni lazima kupata kijiji ya kwanza (any day now, they must find the village first)" Noksu replied, this tribe never stayed in one place for very long. They didn't want the missionaries or anyone who would try and change there way of life to find them. At the moment only Raven and the two children were not native born. Raven had been told there was one other, but he had been there since he was very young and was going through the right of passage with the other warriors
"Raven, Raven! Kuimba sisi wimbo! (Sing us a song!)" The children chorused as she walked through the village. They followed her, helping her carry her things. Raven smiled at them and laughed
"It's a very ancient saying, But a true and honest thought, That if you become a teacher, By your pupils you'll be taught. As a teacher I've been learning, You'll forgive me if I boast, And I've now become an expert, On the subject I like most..." Raven sang smiling at the children, her students. She had learned so much about them and their culture just by listening to them. "Getting to know you!"
"Getting to know you, getting to know all about you. Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me. Getting to know you, putting it my way, But nicely, You are precisely, My cup of tea." Raven sang causing the children to giggle. She had explained to them about tea and let them all try it before, it had been one of their lessons "Getting to know you, Getting to feel free and easy, When I am with you, Getting to know what to say, Haven't you noticed, Suddenly I'm bright and breezy, Because of all the beautiful and new, Things I'm learning about you, Day by day."
"Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you. Getting to like you, Getting to hope you like me. Getting to know you, Putting it my way, but nicely, You are precisely, My cup of tea." Raven sang smiling as the children joined her in their song "Getting to know you, Getting to feel free and easy, When I am with you, Getting to know what to say, Haven't you noticed, Suddenly I'm bright and breezy, Because of all the beautiful and new, Things I'm learning about you, Day by day."
"Getting to know you, Getting to feel free and easy, When I am with you, Getting to know what to say, Haven't you noticed, Suddenly I'm bright and breezy, Because of all the beautiful and new, Things I'm learning about you, Day by day." The children sang by themselves giggling as they did so. The other villagers smiled at the children. Though Raven wasn't born here she was quickly becoming appreciated. She managed to keep the children out of the way and entertained in a positive way while the women cleaned and did their daily chores and the men worked.
"Getting to know you, Getting to feel free and easy, When I am with you, Getting to know what to say, Haven't you noticed, Suddenly I'm bright and breezy" Raven sang smiling, not even noticing the chief, Sarki glaring at her. Though his words were kind to her when she first arrived she could tell he didn't trust her and he didn't trust her magic. From talking to Akili, the man didn't trust any magic outside of the kind the Master had and even that was a stretch. "Because of all the beautiful and new, Things I'm learning about you, Day by day."
"Ni kupata giza! Kukimbia pamoja nyumbani sasa, tutaweza kucheza tena kesho! (It's getting dark! Run along home now, we'll play again tomorrow!)" Raven said ushering the children back to their mothers as she found her own and walked them back to Akili's hut. Raven found it odd that Akili didn't share a hut with her husband but Akili had only told her that Sarki had many wives and she didn't get along with any of them. She was his first wife and gave him his son but her duty to him was done and she moved out.
Well there it is! And the game that the children play is actually a Japanese game called Kagome, Kagome. I translated the lyrics from Japanese to English and then from English to Swahili so it might not be exact. Also I changed a couple of the words (I can't remember what they are) to lion and antelope so that it would reflect what the children know! The translation is below:
ndege katika ngome ya-Bird in the cage
wala kuja nje-Don't come out
Katika jioni ya alfajiri-In the evening of the dawn
simba na swala akaanguka-the lion and the antelope fell
ambaye anasimama haki ya nyuma sasa-who stands right behind you now
I hope you enjoyed!
~Redshadow17
