Dearest Diary,

History 101

Dearest diary,

A few months ago, if you'd have told me that I would be sitting in my study working my butt off and straining like a packhorse under a load of paper, just to get a week off, I'd have keeled over and laughed in your face.

Bear in mind that that would not have been an easy feat to accomplish especially since I was working so hard to establish my indifferent facade that I'd not have it broken by just a few seconds of inane laughter.

However, a lot has changed since then. Mostly, my perception of joy, forgiveness and spirituality as a whole.

Today, I actually value family and I am no longer trying to run away from them every opportunity I get, even when they accuse me of being a bold faced ninny with no aversion to prostitution in order to get just an ounce of male attention!

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"Hey,"

"Hi," I say, turning around in my seat to face my sister Shea. "What's up?"

"Uhm... Mum is asking to see you. That is if you are not too busy." she tells me awkwardly.

We haven't spoken much since that time yesterday and even though I'm nolonger that upset at her, I can tell that she still feels uncormfortable around me.

"Okay, I'll be there in a moment."

She nods as she moves to close the door behind her, but I stop her.

"Shea?" I call out and I hear her release a laboured breath. It's as if she knows what is on my mind and is now regretting not escaping fast enough.

"Yea?" she finally tells me, closing her eyes in exasperation.

"There is no need for you to walk on egg shells around me. I really don't hold anything against you."

"You don't?" she asks with a puzzled expression on her face.

"No. It's true that you got your facts wrong, but you're my sister and that is what is most important."

"Okay... Who are you and what have you done to Attara?"

"Very funny Shea." I tell her laughing."It's still me, but I found out the hard way that it takes too much energy to remain angry and unforgiving. In fact, it's downright poisonous and hazardous for the soul."

"Owky! I'm still not buying any of it."

"Fine. Just tell mum I'll be there in a while." I say eyeing the phone that has started vibrating on my desk. "Right after I get this call."

Shea nods and walks out, giving me the privacy that I need for my upcoming conversation.

"Hi dad." I say into my receiver smiling.

"How are you Attara? How is everything?"

"It's great." I reply truthfully.

"Even with your mum and sister there?"

"Yea. We've had some issues here and there, but we are ironing them out."

"Yea, Dominic told me about that." he tells me with a laugh.

"He did?"

To say the truth, I'm shocked.I thought mum's issue was another big secret as it turns out, it was not.

"Yea. You people think you can hide stuff away from me, but I have my ways."

"So you're not angry?" I ask him even more surprised.

"No. I've always known since I found that agreement, that your mum was our anonymous investor in the business."

"So that's where she took the money?" I speak thoughtfully to myself.

"Yea...and now she doesn't seem to have the guts to ask for it." my dad adds with another laugh.

"So the business is doing okay?"

"Yes it is. We hit a bump along the way, but it's now doing fine, especially with the float that her investment provided."

I nod to myself glad that everything is doing okay. My dad's business is what has supported us over the years, allowed us to live a cormfortable life, paid for my university education and soon, my sisters.

"You're planning to repay the debt?" my dad asks me.

"I don't have a choice dad and I cannot have her mistreating mum for it."

"You're right. A good name is better than riches. However, how will you explain it to your mum? She still won't face me about it..." he chuckles lightly, "...and you like to keep your stuff a big... secret."

"I won't. I will let her think whatever she will."

"That's cruel even for you,

Attara." my dad laughs.

"I'm not the one who knows the truth but still let's his wife squirm in apprehension." I fire back and he laughs again.

"You have a point there, but don't you think she deserves the punishment for being so sneaky?"

"Yea... and this is not being sneaky?"

He laughs again. I don't know what drug he's on, but he seems to be doing so much of that today.

"You've changed Attara. Before you would have jumped at any opportunity to punish your mother, but I must say, I am quite impressed with how sensible you've become."

"I am not sure wether to take that as an insult or as a compliment."

"I meant it as a compliment." I nod before moving on to the topic of my interest.

"So you'll have Dom send it?"

"Yea, but I can still pay her you know."

"No. I want to do this. Take it as my investment in the company."

He pauses, but I am sure he's thinking about it.

"Okay." he finally relents and I breath out a sigh of relief.

My mind wonders to David's business proposal and I perk up as another idea strikes my mind.

"Dad...I was thinking. How about extending the business to imports and exports. It can help with the shortages."

"Where is this coming from Attara?" he says, his voice taking on a stern note. His tone of voice does not faze me and I am aware that I am no longer talking to my dad, but the businessman within him."

"I have information purporting that we have an untapped fruits and horticulture market here in Kenya, that is, if the proposal I am looking at is anything to go by. It got me thinking and what's better than importing and exporting organic fruits and vegies? People will stop buying clothes and all that stuff long before they give up on food."

"You have a point there, but I find it too risky especially the part of handling the produce in transit. Also take into account the regulations involved.Those alone will take too much of my time and energy and I can't afford to do that now." he replies and smile falls.

"However, Your cousin and I can pull some strings and connect you with some existing companies which are already in the business." he tries to pacify me. "It's should be easier, since they have already complied. Once you do that, we can handle the distribution for you, or you can sell directly to them. That should take some burden off your shoulders."

"That will be great dad! Do that and I will handle things on my end."

" And remember Attara, before anything, Research, Plan..."

"Yes dad, I remember. I'll do exactly that."

"Good. I'll remind Dominic about the agreement and same goes for you. Don't forget to seek legal redress before any major agreements."

"Okay dad. I'll remember that as well."

We say our goodbyes and I hang up the call to seek my mother out.

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"Mum?" I call out as I enter the living room. My gaze falls upon two strangers lounging contentedly on one of my cream leather settees and I freeze in my tracks.

"Attara! Remember Grace and Caleb? They're your cousins. You used to vacation together when you were younger."

"Uhm...Hi?" I wave shyly as I take the seat that is farthest from them.

"Don't you remember us?" The young man says with a smile and I shake my head as anxiety continued to build in my chest.

"Of course she doesn't remember us. She was so little back then." The lady who's name is Grace, tells him, all the while fixing me with a reassuring gaze.

"Technically speaking, you were all very young," Caleb says and a sneer forms on Grace's lovely features.

" Pfft! Oh please! You're only seven months older than me, so that that makes you young as well."

Confusion crowds my mind and my forehead furrows as I turn to confront my mum with that piece of information.

"I thought you said they were siblings."

"Nah. She wishes, I mean, hakuna vile anaeza kaa poa kama mimi." Caleb responds and my gaze flies back between them. My mother chuckles, nodding at the statement and an offended Grace gives him a sharp poke to the ribs using one of her elbows. I weigh in on the drama still feeling very confused and slightly apprehensive, the fact that I now know that they're my relatives doing nothing to shake off my anxiety.

"Hapana. We are not siblings. Sisi ni macuzo." Grace tells me, stringing in some Sheng which is a form of Swahili slang.

"Yes, Grace is your auntie Teresa's daughter." My mum addsas she takes a sip of her strawberry flavoured green tea.

"Wait, I thought she was the one in Germany?"

"No, that's auntie Tabitha. Tunaishi Kiambu, plus auntie Tabitha hana watoto."

"Oh okay. What about you Caleb?" I ask, turning my gaze on my other cousin.

"He's auntie Asterid's son. They live in the US." Shea says as she drops a tray with various snacks on top of my massive glass coffee table.

"You remember him?" I ask her with a look of surprise.

"No, they told me, right after I started asking the same questions that you now are." She says seating with a bag of marshmallows in her lap. " By the way, how many siblings do you have mom?"

"Eight." our mother replies as she sets her cup down.

Shea's mouth falls wide open, her eyes morphing into saucer shapes, as her gaze turns to our mother in question.

"You're kidding me!" She says, popping a marshmallow into her open mouth.

"No, she's not." I reply, tapping into the knowledge that I had to dredge up in order to write my first book.

"Our Grandad had two wives, it was very common back then."

"Attara is right. Take my uncle for instance. He had three wives and over twenty children!" Our mother tells us.

"What?" Shea's mouth gapes a second time and she falls into a fit of laughter. "That is so crazy!" She adds amidst her laughter.

"It's true." I tell her."Polygamy was and is still widely practised in many African societies. It may not be as rampant as it did before mostly due to the spread of Christianity and Westernisation, but many people still hold strong to that culture, allowing for non-monogamous arrangements to continue."

"How do you even know all this?" My sister asks as she reaches out for another biscuit.

"I read."

"Attara is right. Having wives and children, back then correlated with wealth and stature. I've heard of some chiefs and elders who had up to ten wives during the pre-colonial times."

"Cool.' Caleb says and Grace turns a pointed glare at him. "Hey, I was just saying." He defends himself. I ignore the pair and turn back to my mother.

"Colonisation changed that, right?"

"Yes, the missionaries and European settlers brought a lot of changes to Kenya. People started going to school, they converted to Christianity and adopted Western culture. With it came monogamy and after a while, family planning was also introduced."

"What made grandpa behave differently?" Shea asks with a frown on her face."I thought he was a Christian."

"He was. However, even though most Africans joined christianity, they never completely left the old way, returning to it when things didn't work out for them."

"What do you mean?" I ask on my sister's behalf.

"His marriage to your grandmother started out as a monogamous arrangement but she failed to give him sons. As a result he was pressured by his family to marry a second wife, mostly because sons were really important back then. Unlike today, a woman could not inherit land, it was always divided between the sons. If a man failed to produce sons, then his land would pass over to his nephews or surviving brothers. "

"I don't get it, Auntie Irina. There's only grandma

What happenned to the second wife?" Grace is the next to ask a question.

"Her name was Beatrice. At the time she was married, my mother had six daughters already with your auntie Valery being the youngest. She conceived and gave birth the following year to twin boys."

"Uncle Frank and Fredrick? Caleb asks and my mum nods.

"That's right. Their birth was a blessing and everyone was so overjoyed."

"Including grandma? That woman practically overthrew her!" Shea snaps, wearing an irritated expression.

"Shea, things were really different back then. Co-wives usually treated each other as sisters. They did everything together, including farming, cleaning and even raising their children."

Shea makes a noncommital noise and I can tell that she's still not satisfied with the explanation.

"What happened in the event that the co-wives didn't get along?"

"It got ugly. At times witchcraft practised with it's main aim being to either ruin the other wife or charm the husband into their arms."

The others laugh, but I don't find it humourous. It sounds funny but I'm sure the victims would beg to differ.

"That's Eight. We still haven't accounted for one." I point out as my mother continues with her story.

"Yes, the same year your grandmother conceived again and had a child. This time a son."

"Uncle Rob?"

My mother nods.

"Two years after the birth of the twins, Beatrice conceived again, but she got sick..." She says with a lot of nolstagia and a sad look glazing her eyes. "It was a really bad year and Beatrice was not the strongest of people. I don't know what possessed her to do it since we all loved her and we thought that she was happy." She pauses to wipe a stray tear and we look on, enraptured by the now sad tale.

"One day, mother came from the market to find Beatrice gone. We looked for her everywhere, but we could not find her. When our father came in that evening, he wore a sad look. He called mother aside and mumbled some things to her. I was too young to understand everything, but I remember mother's tears and Tabitha and Georgette's screams..." She trails off, with a far away look in her eyes and ocassionally, she winces as if she's relieving the entire story in her mind.

"Later on I was told that she was found in the forest, hanging from a tree branch and with the rope that we used to carry firewood."

"That's horrible." Grace wails and we all nod our heads in silent agreement. My heart clenches and sad tears well up in my eyes as I look up to ask my last question.

"What happened to the baby?"

My mother sniffs back her

tears, before lifting her head to answer me.

"It didn't have a chance. She had been hanging from that tree for so long, that the eigth month old fetus could not have survived.The doctors cut her open and that's how they found out that it was a boy."