The Bride Price: An African Romance (Chitundu Chronicles) by Suzanne Popp

Myrna had a moment of dread, until she saw him training them to accept this tiny antelope, making clear to them that this was part of the family when they started to lunge for it. Soon they realized they were to protect it, so it would be safe from them and any predator that might come near the yard.  “Click” was the sound of its tiny hooves on the pounded floor, and the Xhosa language of the hunters that had brought it to their home. Myrna wrapped its feet in dampened cloth to keep the fawn from slipping on the slick floors.  It would come to her each morning to be let out, then bounce around the yard with all four hooves off the ground. It always nestled behind Festal on his mat at night. Myrna took his gentleness and affection with the antelope as a good sign that he would be tender towards their baby. She couldn’t wait until the baby was born.
    When Winnie Kafuma realized she had missed meeting Myrna, and her husband warned her against delving into the Phiris’ business, she resolved to go and visit Flo, owner of the Big Banana Bar and see what she knew of the woman.
    Flo was at the bar having her hair plaited when Winnie stopped by unannounced. Flo did not have any information to share about Myrna, as she had never met the woman. Winnie did not mention Festal, so no information was gained. She did question what interest Winnie had in her, and put a note in her memory to avoid any controversy with this woman, as she seemed to have an agenda in mind. Flo did not care to have her appointment with her hairdresser interrupted; this was her time to be pampered and catch up with the local news. She offered her visitor no drinks, and in a short time, Winnie left.
    Winnie stopped by the Phiris’ herself a month later. Neither of them was at home and she noticed a chameleon in the arbor. She could not reach it, but it was an animal her husband would like to have for his fetish medicine. She would drop by again and ask Myrna if she could have it. That would be a chance to form an opinion of the woman and make up her own mind about her worth. The community was so easily swayed; she was tired of hearing her neighbors sing the woman’s praises when she had done nothing to earn them.
     
    Winnie waited until Festal had left for work, then knocked at the Phiris’ door. “Hello. I am Winnie Kafuma, wife of the local healer.”
    “I am Myrna. Come in.”
    “I see you have a chameleon that has climbed into your arbor,” Winnie said, looking in the direction of where she had seen the lizard.
    “Yes. She has been there since I arrived.”
    “My husband would like to have it for his medicine.”  As she was talking, the duiker bounced into the sitting area, and Winnie took note of this totem animal. What was it doing here? Did Myrna have special powers? It walked up to Myrna and she stroked it as she talked.
    “I will have to ask Festal if it is all right with him.”
    “I thought you were an educated woman that could make up her own mind.”
    “I can, but I value the feelings of my husband. It may not be to his liking for me to give away a creature that is important to him.”
    “How can a chameleon be important to a cattleman?”
    “I don’t know. But I know I like to be included in decisions. Perhaps we can give you one of her offspring as she is ready to deliver.”
    “It is not important. My husband has many potent ingredients to use.”
    “Thank you for understanding. I enjoyed meeting your daughters very much. They are lively girls.”
    “Yes. That is a good description. I am going now.”
    “Be safe.”
    Myrna told her husband that evening about the visit. “I thought I warned you to stay clear of that woman. She is bad news.”
    “You did warn me. She dropped by unannounced and asked for the chameleon for her husband’s medicine. I told her I would ask you.”
    “The answer is ‘No’. We both enjoy the creature. Why should it be killed?”
    “I agree. I like its chubby cheeks. I will not encourage