Even Female Dogs Hunt

Even Female Dogs Hunt

By Aliker P'Ocitti

Prologue

No woman had ever divorced her husband to pursue an idea no one had ever heard of in Akurukwe Village.

The village is located 16 kilometers north of Gulu town and twice the size of Paico and Akonyibedo villages.

By the time Okwera married Lamwaka, Akurukwe village was a reputable food basket for the greater part of northern Uganda.

Unlike other villages, they had pioneered commercial agriculture at a time when other villages were still into subsistence farming for domestic consumption.

The village is surrounded by Unyama Hills and Amuru hot springs that gave the village a beauty that every village girl treasured marrying from the village.

Most parents preferred that their daughters married in this village because during dry spells and terrible harvests, Akurukwe village always had surplus to share with their in-laws.

While marrying from this village offered every family a lot of pride and bragging rights, Lamwaka had promised his mother that she would study until University then decide to get married to a man of her choice.

Her mother always spoke against arranged marriages and promised never to allow any man arrange any marriage with her daughter until she was done with school. She always lamented that if it was not because of her parents arranged marriage, they would not live in the poverty that now defined their lives.

Her only dream was for Lamwaka to at least complete her studies to break the jink of poverty in the family.

Unfortunately, she passed on from the two-decade war between the Lakwena rebels and government of Uganda while Lamwaka was still in Primary four.

A year after her death, Lamwaka's father would marry her off at 12 years to a man 20 years older after failing to fend for her education.

She would then bear for her husband, Okwera a daughter named Maa meaning Love and her excited in- laws renamed Lamwaka, Min Maa to literally mean the mother of Maa.

Min Maa, was a light skinned tall girl like her mother with a broad waist that made her fit well in her dress made of African fabric.

Her teeth were white and uniquely organized like the rows of maize on its cob with a gap right in between the two incisors that gave her an impressive smile.

Her daughter Maa, was a young tinny sickler, and every time she visited the only clinic in the village, she became more indebted and had to sell her meagre household belongings to finance her daughters medical bill.

Maa was born a sickler and regularly suffered from what the doctors called sickle cell; an ailment her youthful mother barely knew nor understood. All she understood was that her sickness could only be regulated but won't cure. If she has to live, Maa had to be taken regularly for medical attention as and when she gets an attack with a lot of pain in her body.

This time round, she had nothing more to sell and the clinic had refused to treat her daughter unless she was able to finance her medical bill.

Okwera, her husband had woken up and joined his friends in a nearby local bar, where he spent most of his time with his rascal friends.

While others, woke up to go to their garden, Okwera and his friends either met at the boda boda stage under the only Mango tree by the main road to Kitgum for idle talk or resumed drinking alcohol from last nights' unfinished stock.

Alcohol was all they lived and worked for and the villagers knew that, other than eating and sleeping; their presence at home had no purpose.

Okwera had taken so much alcohol in his life, so much that his body begun to swell and his skin complexion had become lighter and browner.

In many ways, he looked like an albino with plain skin texture on the fingers that showed veins in the arm that seem to lack enough blood.

His presence invited a foul stench of a mixture of fermented yeast and rotting flesh that accompanied him wherever he went.

The sight of Okwera was of a skinny frail tall man who walked with difficulty carrying unkempt hair and beard. His pot-bellied stomach looked like one suffering from kwashiorkor and he had to support himself whenever he has to stand on his feet.

It was the fifth year since the two-decade war ended, the war had taken its toll on the social fabric of the society.

Consumption of alcohol was the major preoccupation of most youths at the trading centers as opposed to a work culture.

Most women were widows after the death of their husbands and most men had multiple wives and concubines that they sexually starved with impunity.

The war had displaced thousands of residents who now lived in the slumps of the city while those who remained in the internally displaced camps set up by government to protect them during the war remained to live in the more commercial centers chose a life of unemployment with no livelihood skill instead of returning home to start farming.

Many of them turned to alcoholism and the few that had jobs sold family land to buy boda boda bikes to work as commercial riders for a fee like taxis.

A few had the humility of returning home to salvage the remains of their shuttered lives and destroyed homes and to begin life afresh, opening land and building new huts for their families.

Most of those who returned forfeited their education since there were few schools except around the abandoned internally displaced camps but those who returned to their original homesteads had no schools or far away schools.

That is why Min Maa's father sacrificed her education and married her off to a much older man to save him the responsibility of looking after her mother's death.

Attending to school meant he had to save money for her schooling needs like fees and school requirements for years to come. He chose the shorter path to marry her off when she still had dowry value instead of waiting for her to attend college and lose value in the village.

Most girls who had college education and university education ended up unemployed and unmarried since the local men preferred local women who had unquestionable loyalty and respect; while the educated asked too many questions and were so opinionated to give them respect. Since they earned money, their loyalty was questionable and they never lived in the village but kept moving from one place to another and never had time for their husbands.

The White Women

The first two white women to set their feet on Akururkwe soil were Kate Anderson and Becky McCain.

Kate was tall with a broad chest, brown long hair dropping to her back. She looked older and more superior as she regularly instructed the much younger skinny and much shorter Becky with thick black curled hair that regularly dropped to her face as she pushed it aside to gain sight.

Kate had worked for Women First in 3 different African Countries as Country Manager and Technical Advisor. All the 3 African countries; Angola, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe were countries recovering in the aftermath of long national conflicts.

Prior to her work in Africa, she was a divorced lawyer who made a name representing Lesbians and Gay rights in California.

Her role as a human rights defender introduced her to development work in Africa after a fellowship, she attended in Ghana introduced her to the plight of poor women in Africa.

Kate believes, as along as women depend on their men for their livelihood, they will never be free. So, she has over the years championed the cause, women for women solidarity movement so that women don't have to depend on men for their own survival but themselves.

Becky, was a fresh University graduate whose only experience in Africa was that she was fortunate to be a student intern with a Catholic project in Liberia and got introduced to women savings and investment groups through the catholic project.

After completing her studies, she returned to the catholic project until she landed on this new project in Uganda, East Africa.

Min Maa met these white women as she nursed her daughter at the only clinic in the village.

The two white women had visited the clinic for a project base line survey to investigate how the only clinic in the village was financed. As researchers, they wondered why other clinics could not be established in the village that seemed in need of better access to health services.

The two white women also questioned how the locals financed their medical bill and what happened if they had no money.

It's then, that Acii, a Nursing Assistant working at the clinic introduced them to Min Maa, as a person who was too poor to afford their health services and always paid by instalment.

This time round, she had been denied medical services because she is unable to pay prior costs incurred when her daughter was sick.

The two white women walked over to her as they talked in low tones as if they were whispering to each other.

"Hello Mum, how are you?" asked Kate.

"Fiinye" answered Min Maa with a moody twist on her face, rolling the pupil of her eyes up and down.

"What is your name?" asked the tall white lady with long brown hair

"Ana Min Maa" she answered, still moody and looking at them with strange inquiring eyes in the local language but guessed correctly as asked.

"Why are you here?" asked Kate

Min Maa turned away looking distraught and minding her own business. All in her mind was, what to sell to afford the clinic's dues.

"She can't understand your English" answered Acii.

'Ask her, what she is doing here with her child?" asked Kate

"Mego, I have been asked by this white woman why you are here" said Acii

"Was it not you who refused to treat my daughter because I don't have money? Leave me alone with my daughter" replied Min Maa.

"She has asked that we leave her alone since I refused to treat her daughter," replied Acii turning uncomfortably as she rubbed her elbow.

Acii explained to the White Women, why this time round she is unable to treat her daughter. She explained that she has not paid her previous bill when they treated her daughter. Acii explained further that if she serves her again, the doctor will deduct it from her salary.

"Tell her we are sorry to disturb her but as researchers, they are carrying out a baseline survey to find out what women like her do when they are unable to afford medical fees for their sick child?" said Kate.

"Min Maa, am sorry to bother you, I understand how you feel but this white woman says, they are here to talk to women like you who can't afford medical fees. She is asking what you are going to do now that you can not afford medical fees for your daughter" said Acii.

"Don't you come from this village? Why are you asking questions like a fool? You know very well that those who can't afford your fees go to Min Aber, the witch. Sometimes she helps but sometimes she doesn't. Even then, she will ask for a hen which I don't have."

Acii turned to the white women and her words failed her. Realizing that the white women were consulting each other, Acii ignored them and pretended like Min Maa had said nothing.

"Why are you acting strange?" asked Kate

"Nothing" replied Acii as she scratches her head uncertain whether to open up or not.

"Look, you have to be honest, I need to know what she said. I can tell she said something important," said Kate

"She said, she will visit a witchdoctor since she can not pay for her daughters medical bill," replied Acii holding her waist as she kicked red dust at the entrance of the clinic using her left foot feeling embarrassed.

Kate and Becky consulted each other and reached consensus. Both of them turned to Min Maa smiling.

Kate taped Min Maa on her shoulder to face her and said, "Sorry about your daughter. We will pay your daughters medical bill"

Min Maa jumped to her feet celebrating the news and ululated loudly with a sharp piercing voice to the ear forcing others in the clinic to rush out anxious to find out what had happened.

She rapidly spoke to herself throwing her fingers towards the sky and matching forward and backwards, thanking the God of her ancestors as she jumped up and down dropping her kikoyo from around her waist.

Acii picked it up and handed over her kikoyo with rings of tears in her eyes as she smiled at Min Maa.

"So, she understands English," Kate asked Acii.

Before Acii could answer, Min Maa replied," Small Small," She said. "I speak Engilis small small," repeated Min Maa smiling as she exposed her white teeth and broad smile.

After Min Maa's daughter had received treatment, she returned to thank the white women who had by them been speaking to other women by the Kituba tree opposite the entrance of the clinic.

Kate and Becky were enjoying a conversation with the women who sat on the red dusty soil to listen to them while others sat on logs supported by the Kituba tree trunks.

There was a broken bench leg supported by a big stone that Becky and Kate sat on as they conversed with the local women who had visited the clinic. Kate sat from the uphand side and Becky sat from the sloppy side that was supported by a stone.

"Senkyu Senkyu very many" said Min Maa to a broad smile by Becky and Kate accompanied by the local women who already knew her plight.

Unlike in the past when her needy situation bothered her; this time she knelt down and thanked them before the village women. Her village mates giggled and tapped on each other to signal the dramatic nature of Min Maa gratitude and her effort to speak English with their visitor.

After Min Maa was done with her gratitude, Kate asked the local women to form a semi-circle so that they could share with them an idea.

When the local women gathered in a semi-circle, Kate and Becky then introduced them to forming savings and investment groups with the intention to start their own businesses.

This is how Min Ma got introduced to the Village Savings and Lending Association that they later named Bolicup in the local language to simulate the sound the coins they saved would make when it dropped in their savings boxes.

The Association besides training women to save and invest their incomes, also offered adult literacy education for its members.

It's this idea of adult literacy that Min Maa deeply fell in love with, to restore her dream to be literate and learn how to read and write.

Besides, this experience opened her eyes that if ever she is to keep her daughter safe and alive, then she should be able to depend on herself, save her own money and invest to fight poverty in her family.

This was her mother's wish. So, she promised herself never to die in poverty nor ignorance of how to speak and write in English. Min Maa dreamt of a day she would be able to speak and write in English like her daughter Maa.

Sadly, after her mother's death in the war2, Min Maa was married off one year after she died at 12 years old and had Maa, her daughter subsequently.

The circumstance that Min Maa lived through made her mature up instantly as a mother and a strong-willed woman with a mind of her own. She was determined to pursue her dream to go back to school and never die in poverty.

She was aware that one thing was clear; if she is to ever realize her dream, one thing stood along her way. And that is, her traditional marriage to Okwera. But if being marriage to Okwera meant being married to his alcoholic lifestyle, then it made no difference; she was better off only with her daughter Maa and herself against the whole world.

If need be, she would rather divorce her husband, Okwera and face banishment but be ready to fend for her sickly daughter to ensure that she can afford her medical bills as and when she fell sick instead of holding the community tag of a married woman when all the man does is drink himself silly and hope to come home and find food ready on the table.

Besides, in her mind, her mother's only wish before she died was to see her educated and able to read and write so as to secure a good job and not live a life in poverty like her. If it means taking lifetime scars and potential death from the beatings of her husband, it is a dream she was determined to pursue to the end in memory of her mother.

Akurukwe Clan Meeting

In Akurukwe village, many people lived in denial whether Okwera, was a true son to Mzee Abanego because of his unique brown skin complexion and unquenchable appetite for alcohol.

Mzee Abanego's children were upright and lived responsible lives with their family but Okwera in particular was so unique in character and outlook. This made the villagers even ask more questions which received no answers.

All Mzee Abanego's children were dark, muscular and hardworking. Okwera was so lazy that his family married for him a wife because he was getting old and with no children.

Okwera was known for his acute derogatory tongue. He would not edit any vulgarity that came to mind. He was extensively so obsessed with abusing the vagina so much to the amusement of the children in the village.

In the absence of adults, children provoked him in his drunken state so that he can particularly speak about a woman's vagina and its pubic related area.

One day, after a heavy drinking spree; a group of village children provoked him to mention vulgarities. Okwera looked at the children and saw Kinyera, the son of Labongo; he laughed sarcastically and abused his grandmother's greying pubic hair to the amazement of the children.

Labongo, who was returning from his garden overheard him and asked in shock.

"Okwera, whose mother have you abused?" Labongo rhetorically asked.

"It is these children disturbing me" he responded.

In an instant, Labongo swung his fist like a propeller and hit Okwera in the mouth to the amusement of the children who ran away on seeing adults fight.

Okwera fell down with a lot of blood oozing from his mouth.

This is how Okwera lost his middle teeth. Since then he is unable to whistle in the night after a drink that was his trade mark appearance back home from a drinking spree.

This was the man, Min Maa was offered to marry at an early age to baby sit him as a publicly recognized failure in life.

Ten years later, Min Maa publicly divorced Okwera, the son of Mzee Abanego whose alcoholic lifestyle lead to regular beatings and insults on Min Maa to restrain her from getting involved in the Association.

While Min Maa took over the leadership of the Village Savings and Lending Association, her husband, Okwera, took to more alcohol in frustration.

His name was regularly mentioned in idle village gossip whenever a conversation on the Association came up in their gossip.

The men in the village castigated him for focusing on alcohol as his wife instructed their women to be disrespectful to their men and abandoned their family responsibilities to men.

While the life of a few women were getting transformed, a number of them harshly criticized Min Maa for luring their men using their money and feeding them on delicacies to abandon their families.

Despite all this concerns, Okwera drunk himself to unconsciousness twice until the elders of his family had to intervene to save him.

It was noted, that Okwera had fully lost appetite and was not eating; others noticed that he rarely returned home yet his wife didn't complain nor bothered.

The elders in his family worried that if no intervention was made, Okwera would die an abominable death like a wild dog by the roadside where he sometimes spent the night.

It is then that the elders called for a family meeting to find out the cause of Okwera's excessive drinking and reckless life style.

The meeting took place at Okwera's narrow compound that had not been swept for weeks and weeds had over run the compound.

The roof of the hut that served as the kitchen had collapsed and was sinking in, so Min Maa made a make shift kitchen by the hut incase it collapsed on her or her daughter Maa.

The wall to his hut was dropping off bit by bit and required a lot of fresh mud to renovate and seal the many holes created from fallen bricks that needed replacement. Okwera had not worked on his hut for three years.

At one time, his mother complained on making his wife climb the roof to mend it from leaking as if there were no men in the home but he just ignored her.

From the road side, the route to the compound looked like an abandoned path leading to an old garden yet that is where Okwera used daily as he returned from drinking in the night.

The grass along the path to his compound would overlap across the road such that if one woke up in the morning and passed through it, he would get wet from morning due before he reached the compound.

While there were no domestic birds at home, the wild birds chirruped on trees around the bushy compound and a few wild edible rats confidently ran through the compound with out worrying that they could be hunted.

To have the meeting, Okwera's brothers cleared a nearby bush in the morning and by 4:00pm, the elders were ready for the meeting and sat under the big Opok tree adjacent to the compound in the East. They sat in a semi-circle to have the meeting. The compound was dirty and had no logs or tree sheds for guests to sit under so they had to improvise.

While they sat in a semi-circle format, the Chief elder took a front seat and faced the others accompanied by Mzee Abanego, the head of the family. Okwera and his wife, Min Maa were forced to sit opposite facing each other but between the Chief and the other elders.

Six women were in attendance and sat behind and as always, they mostly only listened in unless they were asked to comment.

As fate would have it, Min Maa used this as the opportunity to denounced her marriage to Okwera before a council of elders of the clan.

In the meeting, Okwera accused Min Maa, of disrespect and going against cultural norms to demand that he must cook and wash dishes for the family if he is not interested in escorting her to the garden.

Okwera accused her further of pride and arrogance because of her new found wealth and being under the influence of two White Women who had bewitched her to believe she is equal to a man.

He also accused Min Maa of hiding her wealth with the White Women and that she was using the money realized from the garden to enrich herself and her own family.

In response, Min Maa accused Okwera of laziness and alcoholism. She likened Okwera's relationship to her to that of a bedbug that feeds one sided on human blood yet human beings cannot benefit from it.

In her brief strongly worded remark, she accused Okwera of not being able to make love to her in months because he is always drunk.

She asserted that as a matter of fact, she had lost love for Okwera and does not want him as her husband anymore.

Min Maa poked the elders by asking if there is an elder who can bring back her love for Okwera, to help their marriage.

She also accused Okwera of being jealous about her business. While she trades in alcohol, she had refused to give Okwera free alcohol every day as this would bring down her business.

As a result, Okwera was against the Association, yet it's the family's source of livelihood and Okwera is unable provide for the family. A fact the whole village knew.

The clan elders listened in shock and disbelief. Their jaws dropped and narrow sunken eyes opened to this nerving submission from a woman married in the family.

An incident of that nature had never happened in the history of the clan. Since there was no precedent, the elders had to consult to come up with a way forward.

In their ruling then, the elders suggested that she either listened to her husband's instruction or she was banished from the village.

Min Maa before the elders, swore to her life and ancestors that she would never drop out of the Association, even if it meant banishment because it opened her blind eyes to see a bright future of a life of plenty.

She likened poverty to a sin and the Association was the only salvation to a blessed life.

"This Association is like my husband, it provides for me and offers me a future, how can I abandon my future?" she had argued.

"Since Okwera has promised me death, I would rather die than drop out of the Association to continue with Okwera as my husband" she swore.

This really irritated the clan elders and mothers who had been quiet all along. They protested this level of arrogance and preferred that Min Maa gets a beating besides banishment.

"If any one put their hands on me, I will report you all to government. Okwera has never missed food since I joined the Association, how do you want me to feed him?" She asked in a high-pitched voice of a person on the verge of wailing.

After the war, government had opened a new department in Police for women and children whose rights were abused.

Min Maa had heard of them from her adult literacy classes at the Association. Now, she knew it could save her and implored the elders to restrain themselves or else she would report them to police and they would be arrested.

Anyone who abused rights of women and children were liable to imprisonment for not less than a year. And they knew it after one of their own Mzee Okot beat his daughter in law to discipline her according to customs and she ran to police. His sentence in jail shocked everyone, when he died in jail. The elders heard this and confirmed that this was exactly what was frustrating Okwera and motivating his reckless life. Min Maa was living by a different set of rules and out of their control. It made more sense to them when Okwera said, she had been bewitched.

Indeed, they lamented; whatever comes in the shape of this Association must be so bad that if it continued it will ruin their tradition and culture and women would step on men in the clan. To avoid this bad omen, the consensus was thus banishment from their clan.

Okwera's mother Karolina, a humble polite woman rose up to vent her disappointment and frustration with events in her son's life. She was one of the most respected mothers of the clan and considered to be reputable in the village.

In her family, her words made a final ruling and the men learnt to respect it in hindsight. She looked so bitter and at pains to express herself as tears slopped from her face.

Nodding her head in rejection of what her daughter in law just professed, she cleaned her tears with the back of her hand and turned to face Min Maa.

There was an eerie silence and you could hear your neighbors rumbling stomach complaining of hunger.

"My daughter, I am the one who welcomed you to this compound. I have loved you as I have loved my alcoholic son Okwera. I have listened to all the insults you have mentioned here to us who raised Okwera; thank you for feeding my son for all these years," she said sarcastically.

Karolina raised her dress and opened up her nakedness before the clan elders, and turned to Min Maa and placed her bare hands on her private parts and cursed:

" If the same bare hands that touched my private parts are the same hands that worked dowry to marry you; and now you have abandoned my son Okwera because you don't love him because he is lazy and an alcoholic, then may you never find the warmth of a man again in your life. May no man ever respect you in marriage for as long as I live. This men we call our husbands all have drunk alcohol, all have fallen short of our expectations as wives but we have maintained the family to look the way it looked when we welcomed you." She further cursed and limped away.

In a rage of anger, Okwera picked a meter-long stick that was used to measure the length and breadth of the meeting area during the clearing of the meeting place to hit Min Maa's head but he staggered and missed it narrowly and fell down from his own motion.

Min Maa instantly wrapped Maa to her back and tied her using a lesso that she was using as a wrapper around herself and hurriedly walked away in protest.

As she walked away, she kept on in defiance mode swearing at the top of her voice not to leave the Association and never to love Okwera again.

"I will never leave the Association. You can now get married to your alcohol if you like," she ranted.

"Why treat me as if I don't have a family? Was it impossible for you elders to invite my people to this meeting? Or it was your plan to kill me?"

She left as elders cursed and jeered at her in protest for disobeying them. A few women moved towards Karolina to console her as a group of youthful men held Okwera not to commit an abomination.

Chapter One

Lapwony Candano and his wife Mego Lakica were the immediate neighbors of Min Maa. As a graduate of Senior Four, he had enrolled as a licensed teacher in the only school in their village.

That night, Candano was seated alone at his Wangoo. He kept his mind on an idea for so long and didn't realize the fire had gone off and the smoke had engulfed him. Lost in his thoughts, he never realized his radio had developed a malfunction and was making a lot of noise as if its battery was going down.

The moon was so bright and one could easily see the wide compound over run by grass. No one seem to have cared to mow this compound in a while.

To the East of the compound were two old granaries with crumbling roof tops. Beneath the granaries were wood stumps that were previously used to tie goats but there are no signs of any goats anymore. The mud on the granaries are equally falling off. It looks like no one had visited the granaries in a while. The compound looked abandoned and lifeless with inactivity.

In the compound, were six graves of different sizes but non looks like for an adult. Two of the oldest graves were cemented but the rest were molds of earth heaped like a potatoes plantation. Could this be the reason for the lifeless inactivity in this compound? No one knows except the two residents of this compound who have lived in it through the two decades conflict.

The door to Lapwony Candano's hut was made of wood and tin from cooking oil containers supplied as relief food aid during the days of war when people lived in internally displaced camps (IDPs). On it is written: Donated by the people of America -USA.

The grass roof on his hut was rotting away and seem to leak. Part of the grass of the hut is covered with taplin polytene distributed by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) during the days in the camp to sun dry food stuff after an harvest. Now it is used to prevent the roof from leaking.

Lapwony Candano was not mindful of the empty seat his wife Mego Lakica left next to him.

Mego Lakica was dressed in an old torn gomesi that had lost shape. The buttons had all fallen off and she had improvised by tying knots together on her shoulder leaving her chest bare and her thin tired breast swung from left to right as she walked around taking care of household evening chores.

Her feet were bare and her heals had openings like the cracks on her aging wall that has not received repair in years.

Lapwony Candano is seated on his Rwot Onino Chair from wooden frames but majorly made of hard clothes that sucks him in like a sleeping baby on its mother's back listening to Radio Kabii.

His favorite T-shirt written on: "Poverty and Misery are brothers" was hanging over his shoulders. He looks emaciated and marks of poverty makes him look much older. He jeered and spat towards his wife's empty seat.

The radio presenter was playing a song by a popular local artist Lakwany. Lakwany sung using a thumb piano(nanga) and like all nanga playing artists they are always bitter and focused on social injustices and vices of society.

On radio, is Lakwany's most popular song Rubanga wa nen peke literally meaning we don't seem to have a God. In this song he lamented about the problems his society faced over the years. Despite praying to God numerous times, nothing seem to change; the war is not ending, new diseases like Ebola that kills in a day is now a plague, famine is also hitting his village hard and people are dying like rats in dry season as bushes are set to flames in preparation for the new planting season.

The song ended and a radio announcement came through by the presenter. In the announcement, Government was inviting all women of Coo Pe village to attend a meeting at the Sub County headquarters.

In the meeting, they would discuss the new project Bolicup a women's Village Savings and Lending Association (VSLA) program.

Women would be placed in groups and trained on how to handle their finances. They would be encouraged to save their money weekly and borrow with a small interest rate from their own savings. Further training would be on how to start a business and mange it.

The Project Manager of Women for First, a Non-Governmental organization in partnership with government of Uganda signed that announcement.

The warm evening fire at the Wangoo-night place blacked out and produced irritating smoke. Lapwony Canadano jeered again and switched off the radio. "What is this thing call Bolicup that our wives are being recruited to join?" Lapwony Canadano spoke to himself. Every radio station is asking women to join Bolicup, Bolicup Bolicup everywhere!

"Mego Lakica, if your feet ever leave this compound to any Bolicup meeting, I will serve it for dinner" Lapwony Canadano shouted at his wife.

Mego Lakica had stopped picking plates, cups and sauce pans that were used for dinner and was listening to the radio attentively from a distance. Irritated that her husband, Lapwony Canadano had intentionally switched off the radio; she snapped.

"Why would I not join other women in the meeting?" Mego Lakica responded "Am I not a woman? in a dejected voice. She dropped all the plates and saucepans she was carrying and held her waist, standing at ease with both legs above the very saucepans she had dropped.

"Look at our lives in this home, it's long since our bellies welcomed flesh in this house, everything we have was freely donated by NGOs. I don't understand why you still call yourself a teacher. Nothing good ever comes from that school. Now, when another NGO wants to help us, you want to stop me from attending their meeting. If I had not attended other meetings of NGOs what would we have in this house other than that bicycle you inherited from your late brother?" She quarreled in a loud tone as if intending the neighbors to know about their misunderstanding.

Lapwony Canadano, picked the bottle of Gulugulu waragi that he had been enjoying tossed it to his mouth to take a last sip only to realize not much is left. His throat made a sound and he closed his eyes and clenched his fist to the bitterness of the waragi.

Before he placed the bottle down, he positioned the bottle to the moonlight and glanced at it to confirm it was no more; balanced his head in disbelief then threw the bottle on fire that had gone off emitting only smoke.

It was very dark, Lapwony Canadano stood up and staggered as he walked to his hut but before he entered his hut, he shouted at his wife again, "Tomorrow heaven will receive a visitor in your names" He then entered his hut and banged the door behind him.

In his hut blinded by darkness, he struggled to find the position of the pillar from the central Odugu tree trunk pillar that held the roof. He staggered with his hands all stretched as if he was blind and stumbled over books he had been marking and figured out the position of his bed. He had been marking his pupil's books on his bed before dinner was served and had left them scattered on the floor next to his bed.

He held the edge to his bed and dropped lifeless on his bed bitter that his wife no longer listened to him.

The bed was made of four strong but short tree branches that formed a Y shape and on its rectangular four frames were straight edged tree trunks to support his weight. The mattress was made of cotton wool and hand tailored.

"Why is it that this NGOs only want to register women? Why are they not consulting us, their husbands?" Lapwony Cana lamented to himself in a frustrated tone. His speech was slurred with a heavy tongue from the weight of his waragi. Before he knew it, he was deeply asleep. His Wife could hear him snore from a distance as she placed all the plates, cups and saucepans in the store.

Chapter Two

It was Friday morning and the time was 10:00 am, the Sub County Office was closed and there was no indication of the possibility that the Sub County Chief would visit his office.

The Sub County Office was approximately 100meters away from the main tarmac road that lead to Elego border market.

The window to both rooms were all broken. Peeping inside, one could see an empty table and chair in a dusty room.

On the chair is a coat that had also accumulated dust and belonged to the Sub County Chief. Could he be around? Mego Lakica wondered.

The compound is so bushy that no ones feet can be seen except for under the biggest tree where meetings took place.

"There is a coat on the Chair in the Chief's Office, don't you think he is already in the market center? "Mego Lakica asked.

"Don't even fool yourself, it's the way of government officials nowadays. They leave their coats in office to mislead people to think they are within office while they are in the market drinking alcohol and dating in the morning" responded Min Maa.

"I expected this meeting not to take long, I am concerned it may take up the lunch hour and I have not prepared lunch for Lapwony Canadano. If he comes back from school and finds no food, he will break my limbs today."

"Mego Lakica, this kind of meetings normally takes the whole day. This big people say leaders are never late they are just delayed. You will not have enough time to even prepare supper in time." responded Min Maa

"Then I have to give up this idea of the meeting because my husband has been against this meeting and I could not ask for his permission to attend.He had warned me that he would beat to kill if I attended this meeting. Now, I am even unable to prepare his meal. I am as good as dead today" replied Mego Lakica.

"You can not walk away from this meeting, you have already taken time for the meeting; your husband is educated, he will understand this things.? replied Min Maa

"I cannot and will not be a member of the association unless I am filling for divorce. I said my husband is against all this idea of the Village Savings and Lending Association. Talking about it is like abusing his mother's anus. It seems you don't understand the wrath of Lapwony Canadano when he is against an idea. He criticizes the idea because it seeks to serve women and not men yet the men are rightfully heading every household. He thinks this project will make women to become heads of their households and not listen to their husbands; those who don't have husbands will becomes prostitutes." remarked Mego Lakica.

Just as she was completing her sentence, a brand-new white Land Cruiser CD 421U car drives into the Sub County compound.

In the front-seat next to the driver is the Sub County Chief Mr. Megolonyo smiling from cheek to ear like a child enjoying a first ride in a car.

In the behind seats were Kate and Becky. As they stepped off the car, the women groups jubilated and started singing songs of praises to their visitors.

The Sub County Chief Mr. Megolonyo directed his visitors to the women and excused himself to open his office.

He was dressed in an old-fashioned Kaunda Suit that has been well ironed. He hurried back with a Visitors Book dusting it on using his handkerchief and blowing air through it to make it clean.

At this point, swear was running down his armpits and had created a map on his shirt.

Megolonyo delegated three women to borrow chairs from a neighboring homestead as it was the practice whenever his office had guests.

It took approximately 45minutes for the ladies to get back with chairs. The Sub County Chief on returned authoritatively inquired why they took long.

Auma the market vendor replied, "Can't you see you are the only man in this meeting? The men refused for their chairs and we had to bribe them for the chairs; they were busy drinking alcohol and gossiping about our meeting."

The jubilation ended and the women used their wrappers as seats on grass which looked very comfortable.

The guests were seated directly under a big Mango tree on chairs made of wood. The guests took out time to admire the innovation to make chairs from curved tree branches. They took turns to take their pictures on them and that of the women.

Mr. Megolonyo cleared his voice and every one observed silence.

"People of Coo Pe village, I bring you greetings from the Chairman of the District. He was to be here but delegated me to represent him." He opened his remark

"In the last five years, government of Uganda has initiated poverty eradication projects (PEP) in more than eight districts but it did not include our district. Today, I introduce you to new friends who intend to complement government in fighting poverty in this village. Their plan is to make every household rich."

Women clapped and jubilated in appreciation as Megolonyo talked like a politician to impress the women who had a low opinion of his office.

"Government has reached an understanding to work with this Women First (NGO) to empower women. Every woman who owns a Kitchen in every household qualifies to join this project and must register. Even if your husband has two or more wives, every wife will have to register on their own so that every household is empowered to fight poverty." He asserted.

The women giggled and a few clapped to the news that seem to favour all women and brings them all together as one.

He reiterated that the NGO had reached an understanding with government to give out small loans to any woman who are saving any amount of money with them. The women were therefore expected to start businesses to invest the loan they have received to make more money hence getting out of poverty.

Mr. Megolonyo in a very pompous and humorous way then invited the guests from the NGO to speak to the women groups.

There was jubilation everywhere as women shouted in joy to welcome their visitor.

Kate rose up to speak on behalf of their organization. She spoke with an outstanding American accent and most of the words were lost in her nose.

Mr. Megolonyo periodically asked her to repeat herself as she was barely audible. In her speech, she gave a history of the organization that is registered abroad and has been involved with empowering women in Africa for more than 50 years.

She focused her speech on the benefit of empowering women as empowering the whole community. That is why they focus on every woman who owns a kitchen. Every kitchen is responsible for a particular number of people in every household.

She asked them to form groups so that they can offer them trainings on how to do business; and how to use the loan they will receive and how they will save and pay back.

It was a short speech but Mr. Megolonyo was the interpreter and Kate only spoke English. Most of the local women never understood basic English so Megolonyo spoke at length even on things that were never mentioned to impress the women.

He even asked the women to always support government programs because it had a big plan for them to make their lives better.

It was getting late and Mr. Megolonyo opened up the meeting session for questions and feedback from the women.

Everyone was silent, no one moved nor changed the position of their seats until Mego Lakica raised up her hand for a chance to speak.

She thanked everyone and went straight for her question. "Why are our husbands not invited for such meetings if it will empower everyone in the community?" This got a mixed reaction with others grumbling as others nodded aloud in agreement.

Another lady Jacinta rose up without being permitted and asked, "In our culture, women don't own money and don't trade in the market or by the road side. Trading and owning money are for our men. Now, you said we will become rich by taking a loan how will we be able to pay back the loan?

"If you give money to our women who will have sex with them? asked Matata. Everyone burst out laughing and as others rebuked him and sent him away.

They were surprised that Matatata a known drunkard in the community was in attendance and was against the idea.

Many people considered Matata mad and could be under the influence of evil spirits. He was always drunk, dirty and vulgar in his speech. A number of women clapped and chanted in agreement with the question.

Min Maa then raised her hand and was granted permission to speak. "I have been part of this Association in Akurukwe village where I was previously married. That is why, I was excited to be part of the mobilization team. Before, I left Akurukwe, I was considered a wealthy woman, now I want to start again. Let's join hands and fight poverty. This program also involves adult education for you to learn to count your money." Min Maa encouraged.

Some convicted members clapped their hands while others murmured in disapproval of the issue of adult education.

A lady got up and asked," why then did your husband run away from the wealthy woman?

A lady seems to aim her question to doubt Min Maa's assertion.

Before she could respond, Mr. Megolonyo silenced her with his facial expression and gestured her to ignore her concerns.

At this point, the guests had realized there was a challenge. They expected the women to holistically embrace the project but noticed that they were undecided.

The tone that the Sub County Chief Mr. Megolonyo was using to calm them down at every question was more worrying as it just inspired the women to disown the project.

Becky then rose up and said, "Most of your concerns have been raised in previous places where we have worked. When you empower a woman, you also empower the man because he will benefit from the outcome of the loan. The children will go to school, they will even have a better-balanced meal. The children will afford medical services, " responded Becky

She then concluded by asking the women to form groups and identify a leader who will help to mobilize them for trainings.

She also argued that most of their concerns will be addressed during the trainings and that they should not worry because their NGO love them to be married and only want them to be happier in marriage without poverty.

As she was concluding her remarks, Min Maa noticed that Mego Lakica had disappeared. It was getting to 6:00 pm and she had escaped to prepare a meal for her husband.

Mego Lonyo then proposed Min Maa to be the leader of the new Association and argued that she at least attended primary five and has experience in the project.

While others clapped in approval Lanyero,spoke without being granted permission.

"How do we accept a divorced woman who failed in her marriage to be our leader? The men will think we want to be divorced like her. They will accuse us of prostitution." She argued.

Another suggested that Mego Lakica was elderly, married and her husband is educated as credentials to be their leader.

The whole meeting clapped and celebrated but she was not there, she had hurried back home without them knowing.

A lady informed member how much Lapwony Candano was against the idea and it's the reason Mego Lakica had to abandon the meeting.

Most of the women whose names were proposed turned down the opportunity to be the leader of the women's group.

They worried that it will have a negative impact on their marriage. Some of them already have co-wives who had already refused to attend the meeting.

Mr. Megolonyo noticed and didn't want to embarrass his guests. He turned to Min Maa and made an eye expression nodding his head with a cunning smile to corporate.

Before Min Maa could understand his sign language, Megolonyo had again nominated Min Maa and a consensus was generated while others scorned her.

The giggles offended Min Maa because she was nominated because she has no husband but since she had nothing to lose, she accepted.

In any case, she wanted the loan for her business.

The meeting ended and women hurried to the market to shop a few things to prepare supper for their families. They chatted aloud as the walked back home.

Chapter Three

The first Friday of the month was Market Day. There was a bee-hive of human activities at Oweka market. The crowd in the market were like a can of worms moving over one another.

Every stall was occupied and had customers negotiating rates for a fair deal.

The cultural norm of the Acholi people never allowed women to get involved in trade. But the number of market women more than quadrupled that of men.

At the Eastern side of the market were a dozen of boda-boda men at their stage. They took shelter under a big Kituba tree waiting for customers. It's the same place where everyone using a boda boda was dropped before joining the crowd in the market.

At the boda-boda stage, were only men on their bikes gossiping about the White Women attending the market day. They chit chatted about women ruling them in their houses because of the white women's crazy project.

A man whose mouth pronounced only vulgarity and profanity was hired to keep announcing on the megaphone about the arrival of the white women. He had a naturally loud irritating voice that every one noticed, who was behind the megaphone.

Periodically, he ridiculed men who kept swearing at him and mentioned a few vulgarities to amuse women in the market.

The biggest Kituba tree towards the western side of the market was the bar section. Majority of people in that section were men in women owned bars.

The men sat in large circles around a pot with straws in the mouths enjoying the traditionally nutritional Lacoyii alcohol. Two pots of Lacoyii drink and a jug of hot water was placed in the middle to refill whenever required.

A few sipped from small tiny glasses and minced their eyes as they swallowed the bitter Lira Lira liquor commonly referred to as- kill me quick.

The men disagreed with each other over the ox and oxen that the White Women were bringing for all the women groups in the VSLA.

In protest, others vowed to use it to marry another more disciplined wife for as long as it was kept in their kraals. They argued that a kraal like every home has only one husband who owned everything in it.

As Min Maa joined other women in the market, a group of women started jubilating her arrival as others joined in singing praise songs of "The White Women" and described her as the ones that had magic to transform the village. The ones with magic to make men listen to women.

No sooner had she sat down, seven truckloads of ox and oxen could be seen making its way to the market. It moved at a snail's speed as women jubilated and shouted at the top of their voices.

The trucks stopped approximately 10 meters away from the market at the open school compound under two big Mango trees in the outskirt of the market.

Seats were already arranged for the visiting guests that included but not limited to the District Health Inspector, the District Veterinary Officer, the Chairman Local Council One (L.C. 1) and Three (L.C.3).

The Sub County Chief arrived in the company of the White Women in a white new Landcruiser V8 CD 462 U vehicle. He was dressed in a black Kaunda Suit and matching black shoes as if to define dooms day to fellow men of the village.

A young beautiful and skinny white woman jumped out of the Land cruiser and started taking photos of the women in the market, as they jubilated and danced towards them. Excited women posed for photos for them to express their joy of seeing the White Women.

The meeting was immediately called to order for the handover ceremony. The women mobilized themselves in their groups of ten and their team leaders all had a list indicating names and savings over the months by the women groups.

When all was set, the L.C.1 welcomed everyone to the handover ceremony. He also encouraged men to come closer and attend the meetings for development of their community. Not a single man in the big circles and boda boda stage moved. Instead they grumbled and one Ochan, a known drunkard belittled the Chairman L.C.1 for failing to marry his wife. Ochan encouraged the Chairman to use the ox from the White Women to marry himself a wife. This excited a number of men enjoying their drinks and they laughed out loud to irritate the Chairman.

The L.C 1 welcomed his guests and confirmed security as normal with no incidences in the last couple of months except for men beating their wives.

The L.C 3 welcomed the White Women and their projects. He mentioned how the project was changing the lives of the women in the village. He also encouraged the White Women to bring a project for the men.

Kate on behalf of the white women was brief. She thanked everyone especially the leadership of Min Maa.

She congratulated the women on their increased number in the market and implied that it meant more women are now empowered with money and employed in their businesses.

The women jubilated even louder and danced to a familiar song gwok madako bene mako lee by Lakwo, a local artist literally meaning even a female dog can hunt for the family.

After the handover ceremony was over, seven women groups of 10 members each received an ox and oxen.

Before the meeting could come to an end, about 5 bulls started misbehaving and refusing to be directed where to go. The bulls seem to resent their new owners. They started running around in different directions jumping as if it was bitten by a bee, tossing its tail in the air.

This caused a stampede as other women ran away from the rebelling bulls in fear. There was more pandemonium as the women failed to hold the bulls by its ropes nor tie them to a tree.

Min Maa immediately with the help of the L.C1 and L.C.3 came to the men drinking and asked for help.

The L.C. 3 urged the men not to embarrass their visitors and help their wives take the ox and oxen home.

The men rejected this request flatly and celebrated the indiscipline of the bulls. Another man comically said, "Even the bulls are in solidarity with men protesting the idea of this White Women."

The men burst out laughing and poking the Chairman and Min Maa on their dilemma.

They encouraged the bulls to continue by shouting at it making them wilder. The men poked Min Maa for saying men and women are equal. They asked her to now go and lead her women group to take the bulls home.

Another attempt was made by the L.C.3 to talk to the boda boda men to help their wives take the ox and oxen home. The boda boda men laughed off at the Chairman and asked him whether there were no white men to help their wives take the cows and oxen home.

They reminded the Chairman who picks taxes from them that they are businessmen and would only help them if they got paid.

They then charged exorbitantly and asked them to pick from their savings and pay them according to the distance to each home.

This inspired the men who were drinking to ask for a ransom if they were to help because they also needed more drinks.

The white women looked on bewildered in disbelief that men would fail to act like gentlemen but prefer to act insane not to help their own wives to get the ox and oxen home.

The White Women critiqued the men for being insensitive and unwise. This only amused the men the more as they realized this was offending the White Women. They poked them the more and asked the trucks to take the ox and oxen to their homes.

The women bitterly complained and cursed at the habitual stupidity and irresponsibility of the men of the village. They accused the men for hypocrisy and laziness and spent all their energy in alcohol instead of digging.

As the visitors drove away, the Sub County Chief who had been quiet all this while warned the White Women that if no project is brought for the men, they will sell all the ox and oxen and the women would do nothing about it.

He argued that culturally, if a woman was married in a family all that was in the homestead belonged to the men. Women were as good as property of the men since they paid bride price.

At this point, the White Women had all turned pink and could not hear that argument, they asked the Sub County Chief to shut up and they all drove away in silence.

Chapter Four

Min Maa's hut looked new after a renovation with new grass roofing. The different layers of grass were creatively tied together and placed to its roof giving it a unique new outlook.

The wall was well painted with writings and pictures in different colors.

The floor freshly plastered with cow dung had no cracks except that it was not leveled.

A stranger would imagine the hut belonged to a newly married bride and groom starting out a new life in the village.

Min Maa bowed down as she passed through her door and walked out of the hut stretching herself like a baby from a deep slumber. She cleared her eyes with her fingers and looked around for the temporal stands where clean cups, plates and saucepans were drying up beyond the reach of the goats and chicken in the compound.

She had been enjoying the cool breeze of a new hut renovated with support from profits she had made from selling alcohol after picking a loan from the Association.

"Maa, are you done with washing the cups and plates that we used for lunch?" "Yes Mum, it has dried already on the temporal stands where you asked me to place them," answered Maa

"Great, now pick your 10 litre jerrican and pick for me the two new 20litre jerrycans, we have to fetch water early enough before my customers arrive."

"Okay Mum," answered Maa.

She ran with the excitement of finally being able to use her new jerrican to fetch water. She felt proud of her new 10-liter jerrican. She had been waiting for the opportunity to show her friends at juka well her new jerrican.

She knew that her peers are still using big saucepans to fetch water which was very inconveniencing and most times the water would spill on them and make them wet.

Such big saucepans had black eroding layers resulting from fire wood cooking points and would leave a black mark on anything that got in contact.

But now, she had a new jerrican to fetch water with a lid and she could balance it on her head without holding and she won't get wet after fetching water.

Mother and daughter set out to fetch water at juka well; they passed by a group of boda boda men under the Olam tree shed without noticing.

Maa is explaining to her mum what she learnt from school to the excitement of her mum who had been smiling all along.

Min Maa instantly paused and started eavesdropping on to the conversation behind them. They were gossiping about how her life has changed lately.

She could hear Ayoli, a boda boda man who drinks waragi once in a while at her home say, "this prostitute has been bribed by White Women to introduce prostitution in the village."

"But I was told Canadano is nursing intentions to propose to her," remarked another boda boda man.

They giggled and clapped their hands in excitement to the joke.

"No one takes what Candano says seriously. All he knows is how to speak English and get drunk" replied Okeny, another boda boda man. They all join in uncontrollable laughter.

By this time, Min Maa and her daughter had slowed down their walking pace to hear what the men were saying.

Maa looks at her miserable mum and asked, "mum is it true that you love all those men who come to drink at home?"

In shock, Min Maa stops and instantly gets infuriated, "who told you that nonsense?"

"A boy told his friends while I was listening in school. He said the reason why I have new uniform is because you love all those men who drink at home and they give you money. I was so angry and cried a lot today in school" Maa reported

"It's not true my daughter Maa, I picked a loan from a new women's group and improved on my business. Those men come because I bought chairs for them to sit while drinking alcohol. This is how I am making much more money than we used to, when we were in the other village. Ignore them and don't let them bother you. They are only jealous" replied Min Maa.

There was some silence as mother and daughter negotiated their way to the well skipping water logged spots on the road.

"Be careful my daughter Maa, the path here is so slippery as we slop to the juka well and the grass is even taller than you. Don't get hurt"

The path was steep and slippery with tall grass covering their faces. As they walked in silence, Min Maa kept on thinking about the boda boda men and what her daughter is going through in school. She felt like running back to fight the boda boda men but her daughter would witness her fighting. She had warned her daughter about fighting and didn't want Maa to see her fighting.

As she cleared the tall grass to allow them move faster, she could see Mego Lakica from a distance. She had not noticed she is the one coming to the juka well.

Her eyes were all fixed on the two new 20-liter brightly colored yellow jerricans. She was bewildered and her mind kept on asking questions with no answers. As they got closer, she noticed it was her friend Min Maa who had come to fetch water.

"Ooh my sister, it's long since we last met. How have you been?" asked Mego Lakica.

"I have been very fine. Yes, we last met many months ago at the Sub County Offices. You disappeared and we looked for you but you were nowhere to be seen. We wanted you to be our leader."

"I am sorry my sister, I had to leave to prepare dinner for my husband."

There was silence between the two friends. Min Maa could see all the sadness flash back on her face.

"Did he dare beat you?"

"My sister, let's not even talk about it. How is the training going on?"

"My sister Mego Lakica, all is well. You know, it's not true that the Association does not want husbands to get involved. The reason why they are asking for women to register is that in our culture men are allowed to marry more than one wife. If they are to accept the husbands to register, they may be tempted to neglect other women and serve only the favorite wife. But if both his wives receive the loan at least every member of the family will benefit including the least favorite wife." said Min Maa

"They are encouraging us to plan together and work together with our husbands in a family investment and even have the same bank account because it becomes easy to pay for the loan if you work together," emphasized Min Maa.

"But last time you said the life of people in the village where you got married did not change. So why do you want us to join if our life is not going to change?"

"Listen Min Maa, I was misled. It depends on what you do with the money and how hard working you are. Look at me now, all the men in the village drink at my home. I bought new chairs for them and they sit arrogantly on it while abusing me and the Association. Come and see my house, with the profit I got last month, I have renovated my hut."

"With all this rapid development, do you think you still need a husband? asked Mego Lakica.

They all burst out laughing uncontrollably like adolescent girls at the water point.

"Of course, I am a human being and I still need sex." Again, they burst out laughing as they calmly slap each other on the shoulder.

Min Maa turns and realizes Maa was already fetching water in her jerrican without paying attention to them.

"Maa, please fetch water and go home. Our customers are about to arrive. Tell them to wait. I will be there shortly."

"Ok Mum, help me place it on my head."

Mego Lakica sternly looked and admired the young girl with her new jerrican and as she walked away, she said," at least you have something new in your home."

"You too can change the quality of life in your home. The trainer taught us that according to the laws of Uganda, men and women are all equal. What the men can do, you can as well do. Just register and change your welfare and that of your husband."

"You don't know how much Candano hates to hear that man and woman are equal because his family paid bride price for me" replied Mego Lakica.

"Look my sister, not everything cultural is correct. Even the elders are not sacrificing to the gods for bearing twins like they did in the past because they realized it is not realistic. It is not wrong for women to have money. It is not wrong for women to do business like other women around the world. For as long as you use the money to support your family. Your husband looks like he may change his mind because he is educated. Lately, he never misses to come to drink at my home because of new chairs. When he sits on it, they call him Mr. Headmaster and he laughs his head off."

"I don't know but I will try. My husband is so critical of all this Women Association thing. Last time, he beat the hell out of me for not having his food in time and accused me to the elders for disrespect and indiscipline," complained Mego Lakica

"While I thought the elders would support me, they encouraged him and warned me that if it ever happened again, they would encourage Candano to pick another wife. They said, in any case, there is nothing am doing than filling the toilet in their home. I wish the rebellion had spared my children. It would have inspired me to be like you."

Min Maa realized it was getting late and his customers would be asking for him especially the ones without money today. She had permitted Maa to sell Alcohol but Maa was never permitted to give out credit in case she forgot. Besides, she had to regulate her own credit not to risk using up the capital of her business.

"Am sorry my sister, I have to leave. My customers must be arriving any time now. As you know I am so busy lately. Let's fine another time to talk."

They both turn to fetch water. Min Lakica holds her big saucepan and uses it to fetch water. As she dipped her saucepan in water, it dirtied the water leaving behind the black dirt from the firewood used in her kitchen. She used her fingers to block an open spot at its base from leaking on her making her wet but missed the point and it started to drip on her making her wet.

Maa had already filled her mother's double jerricans. Unlike in the past when she would place her water saucepan on her head, she just lifted them with both hands and started to walk back home.

As Min Maa got to her compound, she noticed her customers were already seated waiting for her.

One of them shouted, "what exactly have you been discussing with Mego Lakica at the Juka well? Do you want her to join the Association?"

They all burst out laughing at the joke.

"Candano will skin you alive if he finds you with his wife. Already you heard what happened," they teased her.

Min Maa noticed that her daughter had innocently informed them that she left her having a discussion with Mego Lakica.

"But those are co-wives, they should learn to co-exist and love each other" Again they all burst out laughing as they ridiculed her.

Min Maa took offense and shot back. "If you think you are in your homes, speaking to your women, I will chase you all from my home. I am not anybody's wife. If you are not here to take waragi, leave now"

One of the customers ridiculed again in a low tone," I told you this Association has made our women big headed. Now she has enough money, look at the demeanor with which she speaks to us." The rest giggle at the joke as she brought them more waragi and continued to flirt with her.

As they flirted with her, she poked them to bring their wives to the Association instead of falling in love with a divorcee taking care of herself. Someone answered, "you should tell that to Candano" Again they all started laughing and this time it included Min Maa.

Chapter Five

Candano was ready to leave for school but something kept holding him back. He kept admiring himself on the mirror to ensure his hair style was just as he wanted.

Canadano kept a lot of hair; unlike others who combed their hair backwards, he combed his Afro hair style to the left. He created a straight line on the right side of his head by separating the hair to create a line on the skin of his head and most of the hair went to the left. He now looked like the old post-colonial African leaders.

Dressed in his hard-brown Khaki Kaunda suit with two pockets to his chest and another two to his abdomen.

His trouser was tight and well pressed with a special emphasis on a line that dropped from his waist to his feet.

Canadano had spent considerable time the previous evening, washing, drying and polishing his shoes himself to the surprise of his wife. His shoes were black and shiny after hours of polishing that a fly would see the image of itself on his shoe.

From a distance, his wife looked on bewildered at the new attention her husband was placing on his looks and public image.

She wondered why this time round, her husband has decided to iron for himself and polish his own shoes. He spent more than twenty minutes on the mirror admiring himself and combing his hair with particular attention.

"Do you intend to be the new Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) for your school?" asked Min Lakica

"Why?" replied Candano

"Since yesterday, you are paying particular attention at how you will look in the school meeting." inquired Min Lakica

"A teacher of my kind, must look smart all the time. It's just that I have not been comfortable with how my clothes are ironed and my shoes polished, so I decided to do it myself," responded Candano.

"Well, it just reminded me of when I had just met you as a young girl. You looked smart and clean. I could not keep my eyes off you. Now look at us...hmmm let me keep quiet…"

Before she could complete her sentence, Candano interjected. "I have to go now. It's getting late."

He knew this conversation would end in a quarrel, so he picked his old bicycle that he inherited from his late brother and left for school. It was rare that he used his bicycle to school.

At school, he kept himself alone in the staff room doing nothing in particular and waited for that moment when all the parents and teachers had settled under the tree to announce his arrival with a majestic proud walk into the meeting. He put on a serious face that one would imagine he is the Headmaster.

As he got into the meeting, everyone was surprised with the serious face he carried besides being so smart. Someone mentioned, "I think he has also picked the loan" and his clique burst out in uncontrollable laughter. He kept a serious face, as he looked around his face got in contact with that of Min Maa. Immediately, he switched his sight to his friends at the back.

A rumor had been doing the rounds that Candano was seriously interested in Min Maa but she is his wife's best friend besides being a very complex and difficult woman. To make matters worse, her new found empowerment makes her very unappealing to men in the village.

She spoke her mind so easily on men and her independent ways makes men very uncomfortable. Yet she was looking much younger and more beautiful with the money she is currently making from her business.

The headmaster Mr. Okwonga called the house to order and asked a member to start the meeting with an opening prayer.

In his opening remark, Mr. Okwonga thanked the parents for believing in education and trusting them with their children.

He encouraged those who had not completed paying fees to own up and complete their fee dues.

He also cautioned parents of the candidate class to ensure their children don't miss coming to school and they should report in time.

"It's harvest season, you parents are fond of holding back your children from coming to school until the harvest season is done. This will affect the concentration and performance of your children" remarked Mr. Okwonga.

"Am seriously concerned about the number of male parents who visit the school. Most of your husbands are drinking alcohol back home and never come to attend school meetings. Very few attend, which is not good. Kindly encourage your husbands to attend school meetings if our school is to develop" reiterated Mr. Okwonga.

"And now that you are electing leaders, be mindful of who exactly can offer the school and its parents and teachers' leadership. Who can guide us to prosperity?" Mr. Okwonga completed his speech.

When, it was time to nominate potential leaders for a voting process; three men as required were nominated to the jubilation of most parents seated behind heckling and talking throughout Mr. Okwonga's speech.

But Jascinta, a member of the Association raised her hand and nominated Min Maa to the protest of most men.

They objected sternly and even protested that they would quit the meeting because the Chairman had asked for only 3 names and there was no need for a fourth person. The men seated at the back then created a scene in protest and pretended to walk away from the meeting.

Another objected that she is already so busy leading the Association and as a single parent, the work will overwhelm her," he argued.

A voice from behind with a mild sarcastic voice said, "how about Lapwony Candano?" and the wild noise from uncontrollable bouts of laughter by everyone in the meeting could be heard from a nearby market that was 500 meters away.

Even Candano, who had kept a serious face could not avoid smiling to this joke. He knew who exactly mentioned his name. This was his gang that enjoyed alcohol every evening at Min Maa's place.

Mr. Okwonga ruled,"I know some people here take this meeting like they are in their local bar, I will have the four persons mentioned to compete and they are to move to the staffroom to allow people vote freely.

A member suggested that they should campaign before moving to the staffroom to blind them from knowing who did not vote for them.

Mr. Okwonga permitted the campaigns.

The room was like a shouting competition with derogatory statements on Min Maa from all corners of the room. One would imagine, a candidate by the name Malaya existed yet all this were aiming at Min Maa to refer to her as a prostitute.

An aunanimous voice from behind said, "Running a bar is not like running a school.

"Go and sell beer" These wild comments kept on for more than 10minutes.

The reference to the word Malaya made women uncomfortable and they begun to fight back.Whispers could be heard as the women consulted each other and the men kept making noise.

"She will sell our school" echoed another

As the rest giggled and poked her hoping that a man could be entrusted to lead the parents and teachers in the school.

The men focused their campaign on having many women and children as a sign of responsibility and major stakeholders of the school.

Another accused Min Maa of abandoning her marriage and she was back home to confuse their women to abandon their husbands.

At this point, mens voices attracted children from the village to surround the class they were using as if expecting people to fight.

Concerned women wondered why some of the men were so loud and were sweating yet they were doing nothing at all until there was a unique smell but the women were not sure where it was coming from and what it was.

The Headteacher once again called the house to order for campaigns to begin and the noise subsided like members were expecting an announcement from the Headteacher.

"Fellow parents, I am a single parent with only a daughter in this school. I will have more time to serve you with undivided attention, Min Maa opened her speech." She campaigned.

"Many of the men here shouting are also my customers, I can tell that others have walked into this meeting with Waragi mixed with coke."

The room grumbled while others jeered and expressed disgust.

"Since I am the one who seels it to them, it means they spend more time in the evening with me. I will use the opportunity to update them on progress in the school and to mobilize them to attend school meetings. I will deny selling alcohol to those who have not paid school fees for their children." She argued.

On this note, wild cheers and chants could be heard from both women and children who were at the window attending to the campaigns.

"I dropped out of school in primary five but can now read and write as a result of the Association that many of you don't like; unlike those competing with me." She hit out at her opponents.

At this point, the women of the Association took over chanting slogans and calling out the Association as they celebrated the confidence of their leader.

Two ladies ran forward and started dancing shaking their bums to the sound of a folk song and eventually carried shoulder high Min Maa as they chanted more and more.

"In any case, when I am attending meetings, my bar business will be closed so you will be inspired to attend meetings," She argued.

She then donated two new Chalk Boards and two boxes of Chalk.

This generosity shocked everyone with gratitude. She certainly won the elections as the first female Chairperson of the school's Parents Teachers Association (PTA).

This automatically made her the most influential women in the village. This gave the women's Association more status and sense of presence in the village.

In her acceptance speech, she encouraged parents and teachers to join the Association. Min Maa testified how it had changed her life and that of her family.

"If you join Association, you will be able to start a business and pay for your children's fees and school requirements" she had argued.

The noise made by the men at the back could not make the voices and speeches of the other male competitors heard.

One of the competitors refused to campaign, he only mentioned that since they all live in the village, they knew who was more hardworking.

Another refered to being polygamous and offered that this were his leadership credentials. Besides, he teased Min Maa that he was more of a stakeholder in the school than Min Maa because he pays fees for four kids unlike Min Maa who only pays fees for only one child.

Many parents especially women clapped and celebrated when Min Maa won the elections. It was a clear indicator that men were changing their minds on the role of women and their competences since many of them voted for her.

No one could imagine a woman in the village more so a widow to be the new Chairperson of the school PTA.

The meeting ended and members walked back home discussing the significant role Min Ma was beginning to hold in their community.

Chapter Six

The news spread like wild fire in a dry season. Mr. Okwonga, the Headmaster of the school had joined the Association.

He was the most respected gentleman in the village to join the Association. A lot of men received this news with a lot of mixed feelings.

Mr. Okwonga's wife had been abducted by the rebels in the last stages of her first pregnancy. Too many theories and speculation had circulated the village about her fate.

Many people believed after a decade that she had died in a war that took place at the border as government troops engaged the rebels not to cross into a neighboring country where they took sanctuary to regroup and attack Uganda.

Another view was that, she developed a miscarriage and while in the neighboring country, one of the commanders had taken her up as his third wife.

Others believed she died while enduring labour pains in the wild bushes as they walked their way to the neighboring country. The rumor was that rebels abandoned her by the mountains with an elderly woman who could not walk to look after her in case she delivered.

The rebels believed; it would be a bad omen to kill a pregnant woman. In any case she could not walk any more.

No one had seen that elderly woman again. Whether, they were eaten by wild animals or they died of hunger. No one could tell.

However, Mr. Okwonga swore never to marry again until he could confirm whether his wife and child were alive or dead.

Okwonga's wife Akumu was from the royal family. To marry Akumu, Okwonga's family had to hunt a leopard for its skin as customary norms dictated to marry a princess.

It's over a decade since his wife was abducted by the rebels and Okwonga has never moved on. He lives by himself despite the recommendation by the clan that he re-marries.

Since Min Maa was now the leader of the parents and teachers in the school, Okwonga invited her often to school meetings.

The meetings became so often that village rumors went around that meetings between Okwonga and Min Maa had become too often and irregular that it was now antagonizing Min Maa's business.

The village believed something fishy was taking place but Okwonga was a very principled and respected man in the village. His reputation was above this speculation and he was doing a commendable job at the school.

Candano's crew that enjoyed alcohol every evening at Min Maa's home joked that Okwonga and Min Maa were planning to auction the school to the White Women that brought the Association to the village.

It was alleged, they would force the school to take a loan to build better structures and fail to pay for it. The White Women would then take the school as a loan collateral.

All this was in support of Canadano their friend whom they believed was seriously in love with her. They also warned him not to take Okwonga's principles for granted or else he would lose Min Maa to his boss.

They had noticed how irregular she attended to her business and how her daughter Maa had become the sales lady.

Maa always sold them alcohol until her mother returned from her errands. She had learnt how to count money. This offended Candano's crew so much especially when they wanted alcohol on credit. This credit service could only come from Min Maa.

On one particular day, Okwonga invited Min Maa to school for a meeting. Min Maa felt funny since the learners were for holidays.

All their meetings were during the school term and with other members of the committee but this one in particular required only her presence. Other committee members and the agenda of the meeting was not disclosed.

Min Maa out of respect for Okwonga did not object to this call nor question the unique nature of the meeting.

On arrival in school, she found Okwonga busy marking scripts of learners. They discussed the great performance of the learners as he marked.

Okwonga excused himself and went to the store. While in the store, he had kept milk tea in the flask that he had prepared before Min Maa arrived.

He had also fried cassava and bought pan cakes to escort their milk tea for breakfast. This delicacy was unique as compared to their normal meeting menu. Besides, it was not even a Sunday but a week day.

Okwonga picked a well knitted mat that was offered to him as a gift by the White Women for accepting to be a leading figure for accepting to join the Association. He knew this would impress Min Maa since she was obsessed about the Association. (refer to the mat when Min Maa will accept Okwonga)

He lay it under the beautiful Umbrella tree that had produced a great shade. The morning breeze was windy and sunny. The sun was bright and the rainbow seem to imply it may rain sometimes in the day.

The aroma of the tea was very compelling even when the flask was tightly closed. Okwonga had prepared it with lemon grass and it produced an impeccable appetizing aroma that made a satisfied man think twice whether or not to have tea.

After setting up the mat, flask, plates and cups in a fashionable way like in big hotels. He looked at it and smiled. It looked good and exactly how he had planned it.

Okwonga remembered there were two pillows that a local vendor had brought as samples for sale but were in his office.

So, he walked back to pick it up and invite Min Maa for breakfast.

Min Maa had over waited and felt uncomfortable. She wondered why Okwonga had invited her and what he was doing that would take this long. She begun to worry and wish she had remained in her garden. But she remembered, she promised parents and teachers she would have enough time to serve the school since she was not married and didn't have anyone to account for her daily routine.

As these thoughts simmered in her mind; Okwonga returned all happy and full of smiles.

"Why the big smile?"

"Nothing, just some thoughts in mind." Okwonga lied.

Okwonga stretched himself behind the oldest cupboard in his office and pulled out two nice pillows with beautiful African made pillow covers.

"Why do you need pillows at this time and why are they here?" inquired Min Maa

"Please follow me and I will show you something" responded Okwonga and his voice cracked aloud in an opportunistic laughter.

Min Maa could smell a rat. Okwonga was acting so nice and funny. He could be planning a surprise or something, she needs to prepare herself.

As they approached the beautiful shade of the umbrella tree, the breeze from the lake nearby made her shiver. Yet the sun was out and so bright. She felt like sun bathing herself a little but Okwonga's walking pace had increased.

On arrival, Min Maa asked, "what is happening here?"

"Please let's sit down on these pillows and have breakfast as we talk. I have something to tell you."

"Why would you make me breakfast? I don't understand men in this village who think my ways are changing like that of the White Women but still prepare breakfast for me. Why didn't you ask me to make for you breakfast, I am a woman," reasoned Min Maa.

"Look, the White Women asked us to share roles between men and women. I decided to surprise you by making for you breakfast.

Besides, I am used to being alone and doing things for myself. Which is why I have invited you here," replied Okwonga calmly.

"Okwonga, I am confused. Why have you invited me here? Why are you putting me in all this drama as if I am an adolescent? I need to get back to my garden, I cannot be here for all this drama."

As she was completing her sentence, Okwonga had sat down on one pillow and opened the flask of milk tea. He dragged a mug towards her pillow seat and smiled as he begun to serve her"

"No no no, please don't serve me, let me serve myself at least." She protested as she brought herself down.

She served herself but realized it would be disrespectful not to serve him so she picked his cup and served him.

"How many spoons of sugar should I serve you?"

"Two spoons of sugar" he replied and smiled. He realized his trick is working out when he noticed she was seated right next to him ready to take tea.

"Can I pray? asked Okwonga

"Sure, you can pray" replied Min Maa.

"Lord, there are many people who don't have what to eat but today we have what to eat. Thank you, lord.

There are many people who have what to eat but don't have appetite, kindly grant us a good appetite.

Lord, there are those who are lonely and lack people to commune with but today you brought me a good friend to commune with me over this meal.

Bless what we are about to eat, bless our hearts and minds so that we continue to understand you and praise you in Jesus' mighty name. Amen."

Okwonga had closed his eyes as he prayed but realized on opening it that she had not closed her eyes nor prayed with him. She was sternly looking at him and her face expressed anxiety.

Okwonga, opened the plates that had cassava and started eating. His face became serious too which again made her uncomfortable.

"Why all this…..?

Before she could complete her sentence, Okwonga turned to her with a smiling face. His deep voice became even much deeper.

"What can't you see with those beautiful eyes you have on your forehead?"

Lost in her imagination, Min Maa picked her cup of tea and sipped it.

Okwonga immediately realized, Min Maa is the kind for straight talk and logic. Playing romantic and seducing her feelings could turn to be a challenge as love brings out all the village in her.

The duo kept silent for about two minutes as they concentrated on the delicacy before them. Okwonga intentionally kept his eyes away from her and carried a serious face to develop the attitude required to drop a strong message. He knew her mind had more questions but these questions would only derail his plans.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Min Maa, I don't know how you feel after all these years without a husband. As for me, I feel so lonely. I once swore never to marry until I can tell the whereabouts of my abducted and conscripted pregnant wife. But nature is calling. From the time, we started working together, I developed a strange spirit in me. This spirit makes me feel like being next to you all the time listening to you. This same spirit makes me jealous when I see a man with you. My heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach when I saw Candano escort you back home. I love you Min Maa. Give me a chance to love a woman again and make my ancestors happy. Give me a chance to give Maa a brother or a sister. Give me a chance to return the dowry that the family of your former husband are reclaiming from you. Please, take this very white beautiful handkerchief as a sign of my love for you and permit my people to visit your people."

By the time, he completed his remarks; Min Maa was standing with face turned away from Okwonga. Unknowingly, the pancake she had bitten was still halfway in her hands.

In her mind, Okwonga in the village would not qualify for a handsome man but what is an ugly man if you compare him to his intelligence and principles. What is an ugly man if you listen to his powerful speeches and I guess you may listen to him for the rest of your life.

Min Maa certainly felt moved with his speech especially when he talked of giving Maa, a sister or a brother. She felt moved when he referred to reimbursing dowry from her former husband's family; a debt her family had not been able to refund and a subject of ridicule to her family since then.

Something in Min Maa loved that he made her tea and was ready to share roles besides joining the Association. She knew it would win her more respect not in the village but to her white donors too as very exemplary to the village. ( refer to it when she accepts his proposal)

But Min Maa knew she was not ready. She had given up on love. Min Maa was uncertain her family would welcome this news since everyone was against her quiting her marriage. Min Maa was not sure what this would mean to her daughter who will soon be an adolescent.

Min Maa wondered if this was not all about her progress with the Association. She finally found her words to speak.

"Okwonga, I cannot receive your white handkerchief. I am sorry. I am already married to a clan and my family will not welcome you. I am not ready to elope nor begin a new life. If all these opportunities from the White Women has attracted you to me like most men in the village, please leave me alone. I have had enough problems. If my work in the school gives you problems, please let me resign. If you feel like love again, there are so many young girls who will be proud to look up to you as a husband and take better care of you.

In this village, I am considered a prostitute and husband snatcher. What if your wife returns? What will this village say of me even before she doesn't return? They will think am laughing at her grave. Please leave me alone. I already have enough problems. Am sorry, I cannot take your handkerchief." Min Maa ranted.

While she spoke from her heart, something in her hated how it felt. Her mind wondered whether she did the right thing. Her mind wondered whether he was hurt because it was not in her intention to hurt him.

After, observing her in silence for more than a minute, Okwonga said," I know I have fallen short of my promise to this village never to love until I know the fate of my wife. I understand your dilemma. We are all victims of fate. I will take back my handkerchief and keep it for five more years. I will never see another woman but if one day you get the same feelings as I, please bring me those beads at your waistlines to sooth my pains. I will give you back this handkerchief with love and pride of our endurance. I do hope someday, we will choose to be humans and live above our cultures. We will ignore our cultures or allow culture to tolerate us, the way we are. I still have hope that our story is a story many ancient years were told of the competition between culture and love.

In all those stories, love won and culture lost. Thank you for listening to me. I need some time to myself but I also need to let you know, if after five years, you will not take my hand, I will not allow culture to win, I will take my life so that love can win and that you will know that I loved you to the point of death. I would rather face death than be banished by men of culture.

"Let me walk you back home."

"No, I will walk myself. Thank you."

She turns and walks away as fast as her legs could carry her. She did not want him to see tears dropping down her chin.

Okwonga kept his eyes glued on her back as she walked away. From a distance, he could see her choking as she cried away her pain. He felt pity for her. He could see her use her lesso wrapper to clean her face.

Suddenly, she started running and would not stop. Okwonga wanted to run after her but his energy would not allow him. He felt weak and frail. He sat down on his pillow, holding her pillow to his chest and felt so miserable a very disappointing encounter with Min Maa. He didn't see that coming. He didn't believe Min Maa would turn him down but, in his mind, he realized if it was not because of her circumstance, she would love him after all.

The Catholic bell inviting people for mass rung and woke him up from his sad day dream. He realized it was already 4'O' Clock. He knew Fr. Ogen was inviting christians to pray.

His mind wanted him to go and pray but he walked past the way to church and returned to his home. Alone and lonely.