Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Historical Fiction

Life is so hard in this part of the country, nobody ever ventures out of the village and those who were brave enough never returned. It was in this village of Tagazi, in West Africa that a tribe of no fewer than eighty people reside. Everyone knew everyone as was the custom of African societies. The tribe consisted of farmers and blacksmiths. The rest were either woodcutters or hunters. Food was scarce, the last time it rained was twenty moons back, disease was everywhere and death was knocking on almost every persons door. 

It was in the village and era that a beautiful baby girl was born to the family of Shakarazi, a well respected farmer in the village. Having lived for seventy two years without a single child from his first wife, he decided to remarry and his second wife gave birth to a baby girl the following year. Shakarazi was very happy even though the mother of the child died in childbirth but at least the child survived. 

He celebrated her birth for one full week and palm wine and kola nut was shared throughout the village. He named her Xalena- the beautiful one. Indeed her name followed her for she grew up to become the most beautiful in the entire village. 

As years passed by Xalena grew up to be a well mannered child and a modest one, she cared for the people around her and loved those close to her. Her stepmother was the closest person to her, she loved Xalena like her own and gave her everything and her every attention, she groomed the girl to become a respectable person, she was loved by everyone in the village, old and young. Shakarazi was growing older and older with no other child except Xalena to inherit his little property, it bothered him a lot but he never said a word because he loved Xalena more than anything. On her Fifth birthday, her father fell ill and on his dying bed he called Xalena and the stepmother and advised them thus: 

"Xalena, you have been raised beautifully and wonderfully by Razi and i will forever be grateful to her. She saw a child without a mother even though it wasn't hers, she raised her like hers. God will reward her abundantly. Respect her, look after her like she did after you, love her and care for her for she is no longer young. She is all you have and you are all she has. Protect one another never allow the devil to come between you two. For though not related by blood, you are mother and daughter now, today and always. I love you very much and i will forever be with you right here (touches her chest where her heart lies) whenever you need me, just look deep into your heart." With that Shakarazi took his last breath and died while holding Xalena's hand.

She hugged his body and cried so hard Razi had to pull her away when the caretaker came. Razi held her tight as they both sobbed hard. His body was buried in the small compound of their house and life moved on but Razi and Xalena were more than sad, it wasn't easy for them when his immediate brother inherited his small property and moved in with his family of two wives and six children who were rather spoilt to top it all he married Razi and adopted Xalena as his own child. 

Zhari was a cruel human being and so were his wives and children, who were thoroughly ill-mannered. He built four more huts and a dilapidated one hut, he ordered Razi and Xalena to move into the hut and his wives occupied Razi old huts which were rather spacious than the hut meant for the animals. They never complained, Zhari had no sympathy for his brother's widow nor only child. Xalena was made to do the entire household chores and errands that her hands became hard and callous while her feet became hardened. She became very thin and Razi fell ill.

The year Xalena turned Fourteen, Razi died. She was heartbroken but also happy for Razi for at least no pain will ever reach her again. She fell ill since Xalena was six and was stuck in bed for eight years. Razi was buried beside her husband and that became Xalena's favorite place in the whole world. 

2 YEARS LATER...

"XALENA!" Zhari bellowed. That girl was going to be the death of him why did he even bother to take her under his wing? That he cannot answer. This is the fifth time this morning his first wife is complaining about her. He raised his voice to call her again when she entered the room and fell on her knees before him. Looking frightened..so innocent and very beautiful. Had he not been her uncle he would have taken her as his wife himself. 

"Why in the world must you always enter my room running, you have no manners, right? I thought I told you never to barge into my room like that ever again? Don't ever speak when I am talking! You have no respect for your mothers, right? That stupid woman raised you like this? What a waste of sperm you are." He noticed how she raised her chin when he mentioned Razi and she looked so beautiful. The next thing he did was slap her for making him very attracted to her. She fell down and curled into a ball. He spat on her and left. 

Xalena curled up and kept quiet, minutes later her aunt snickered and kicked her twice on her ribs before leaving the room. She cried silently before picking herself up gently thanking God, it was aunt that kicked her not her uncle, had it been he was the one her ribs would be swollen by now like they normally do when he does that. She touched her ribs and felt nothing but numb pain. She smiled sadly and stood up then left the room. 

Outside, the house looked deserted but that was how it normally looked the moment Uncle Zhari leaves then her cousins both boys and girls leave immediately. Minutes after the two wives follow after listing all the work she must do and pinching or punching her once or twice. 

She picked up the pots and arranged them in front of the gutter and fetched water in another pot and sat down to dish wash after that she swept the whole house and washed some clothes. When she was thoroughly tired she went to the back of their house and sat down in front of her parents grave. 

She talked to them for while and told them how much she missed them. She sobbed for only God knows how long before she eventually curled up in front of both graves and fell asleep. Xalena slept without a care in the world for the first time in a while. 

Little did she know that fate had more in store for her...