The Bride Price: An African Romance (Chitundu Chronicles) (6 page)

Violet was not doing much that hot season, and she found herself running errands for her mother, going to the mercantile store and buying fabric for the children’s uniforms, picking out a print to make a new skirt, and a top for the choir tour. The choir would be touring two other countries, and she wanted to distract herself from the loss of her sister and the revulsion she felt for the man her sister had married. Festal was a predator, just like Uncle Dodge. Violet could tell that from his eyes. He looked straight at her when he spoke, which was not often.  Violet noticed how striking his eyes were in color and shape, with their curled lashes, and she had sketched them several times. She tried to capture the intensity of how the man looked at a person, and why his gaze was so piercing, but her drawings did not reflect his animal magnetism.

Violet obsessed on Festal and how her sister connected with him because her Uncle Dodge had just told her that Myrna was pregnant, and she couldn’t imagine how this had happened. She was considering a piece of lace when she saw the young clerk looking at her intently and she said, “Didn’t I see you at my sister’s wedding?”

“Yes.  I didn’t know your sister at all, but I had to come.”

“Was it the catering that interested you?  That is what my Uncle Dodge told me.”

“That is what he told me to say.  He knows I am interested in…I didn’t even know your name when I came.  Now I do. Violet, it is you that attracted me.”

“I am glad you said that.  I will mention to my father that you have a solid business.”

“I do not own this business.  I am waiting for the right partner to make my ventures worth the effort.  I want someone who can make something together with me, so that we are equals in life.  That someone I have not had time to think about or find, but now I have hope.”

Violet reached for money to pay for her dress goods, but Joseph shook his head. “These are a gift to you.”

“I could never accept a gift from a man directly.  What are you thinking?” Violet pulled three bills from her purse and pushed them across the counter, refusing to meet Joseph’s eyes.  She looked out the open door as he put her cloth in a brown paper and carefully folded it into a neat packet, tying it with twine.

“Violet, I have much to learn, but I am willing to be taught.”

She blushed as she left the store, just as the owner of the mercantile walked in the door.

“Good afternoon, Valoo.”

“Joseph, who is that palm of a woman?  Call me the next time she comes to the shop.”

“She is my future wife,” Joseph heard himself say. 

“Well.  Congratulations.” Valoo was puzzled at how he and his wife could have missed such a happening.  This girl was quality, and now Joseph might be thinking of leaving. Valoo decided he had better give the boy a raise to keep him in the harness a little longer.

“Joseph, I have been noticing how thorough you are with the inventory and the cleanup.  I appreciate your attention to your work.  I am going to give you a bonus at the end of the month for the extra hours you have put in.  My customers always ask for you when I make the buying circuit.  Keep up the good work.  By the way, when is the big day?”

“Thank you, Valoo.  You and your wife and daughter will all be invited.  We haven’t firmed up a date as of yet.  We have to consider the mother, you know.”

“Oh, yes.  I saw she was expecting.  Has the child come?”

“Yes. Another boy.”

“You have made an excellent choice of family.  Family is really all that matters in the long view.  Family and reputation. And tradition.” Valoo looked for a moment as though he wanted to add something to this list of instructions for life, but what it was eluded him. “Well, keep up the good work.”

“Yes sir.  Thank you again, Valoo.  You are a generous man.”

Later that evening, as Valoo handed his daughter the tickets and told her she would be going home to care for a dear relative who had fallen ill, he remembered what he had wanted to add to his advice.  Values.  Like Valoo.  Values.  That is what was needed for a successful life.  He would have to try to remember to tell that to Joseph.  Maybe at the wedding.

CHAPTER 7
JOSEPH’S HISTORY

Joseph began his courting of Violet by going over his history. He knew Violet would want to know all about him, and have information to share with her parents when they asked. As he could not write it down, he rehearsed what he wanted to tell them about himself, and if need be, he would have the church secretary write it out for him. As he thought about the decisions he had made so far in his life, he was positive that the choice of Violet would be one of the most significant he would ever make.

Joseph came from the region where the Kalahari begins.  His people were hunters and gatherers and had been for eons before the other groups began to take over the land.  He was tall and had a mind for figures.  At an early age, he could take inventory of what was in the granary, the
boma,
the garden.  While his brothers and sisters were busy herding goats and cattle, or wrestling in the sand, Joseph lined up sticks to keep track of his calculations.  It wasn’t long before one of the Indian merchants discovered his gifts and asked him to come and work in his mercantile warehouse.  Joseph often took yard goods or a tool for his pay, and then would trade or give them to local people in need.  By the time he was a teenager, the merchant offered him the position of store manager, encouraging him to travel with him when he made his purchasing trips.

Joseph loved to travel and while he did not attend formal school, he knew how to trace his voyages on a map and to record what he had seen by making a symbol in the margins. He also learned the price of goods.  He probably would have continued to work in the large warehouse store if he had not overheard a conversation between Valoo and his wife discussing the marriage of their daughter.

“We are going to have to get the money together and send Pearl back to India to provide a suitable husband.  I have asked my uncle to line up a matchmaker to work on behalf of our family.  I know it is expensive to put together a dowry, and she is young, but we don’t want her to fall for some
kaffir
that she comes across in the marketplace” Valoo told his wife.  The Valoos thought they were alone for the evening as he and his wife counted out the cash from the cashbox at the back of the store.  Joseph was tidying the dry goods shelves and could hear every word.

“Husband, I have had the same worry. I see her go to help do inventory and I am afraid the girl is not thinking about how many yards of cloth we have. There is no one here of our social status or class.  We may have difficulty in finding someone willing to take her if we wait too long.  She is already fifteen.  I was thirteen when we were betrothed.”

“I will arrange to get her a ticket for next week.  We will wire my uncle and have him look after her until a match is made. You tell her she is going to visit a sick relative to give comfort.  I can forward him the dowry to seal the arrangement.  He knows what we want for our family in a mate.”

The gist of the conversation was that they needed to get her back to their homeland so that she would marry a proper husband, and not find herself tying up with a
kaffir.
  Joseph had heard this derogative before, but he had never applied it to himself.  Valoo and his wife had shared meals with Joseph and he had spent much time with Valoo on road trips and in guest houses along their travels, He never thought himself less than this man, except in age, wealth and experience.  Now, he realized he needed to go out on his own and set up his own business.  He did not share this information with Valoo, but was even more polite and deferential to the older man than he had been before.

Joseph volunteered for more tasks and sought advice as to how things were done.  When Valoo asked Joseph about his plans for future, Joseph would tell him his goal was to learn everything about the business, for Valoo was so knowledgeable.  In this way, Joseph learned the skills from a man who had started out with nothing and made a fortune among the middle class Africans in the community of Blancville. Valoo was respected by members of the community and the governing leaders, giving money conspicuously to well-known causes, such as the resettlement benevolence and the hospital guild.  Privately, Joseph knew what Valoo really thought of the people and their potential.  Joseph resolved that he would be a person with integrity in his business dealings, and his home life.  Joseph joined the Presbyterian Church and began to give some thought to his social connections, as well as the idea of meeting a woman of virtue to help him succeed in his goals of being an independent business owner.

CHAPTER 8
JOSEPH VISITS CHITUNDUS

It was the following Monday when Joseph decided to make a call on the Chitundus, parents of Violet, his impala woman.  He left them a note at the church on Sunday, penned by the church secretary who had also helped him write out his history, and they agreed to meet with him on Wednesday following market.

Joseph ironed his shirt twice to make sure he would make a good impression.  He spritzed his jacket with aftershave, checked his shoes to make sure they were polished, and checked his pants for lint. Then he made his way to their home on the outskirts of Blancville.   He took the bus so he would be fresh on arrival, not realizing their driveway was three hundred feet in length, and a dusty track at that.  On the way, he checked himself a couple of times to make sure he was not sweating and that his hair was not dusty like the powdered beignets at the bakery.  He carried with him a small set of photos of his family.  There were also a few photos of the Brahmin cow at Myrna’s wedding.  Another was a sunrise over the Zambezi with the double rainbow and the cascading water between two nations.  He didn’t know what he was going to say, but put it all in the hands of fate, and Violet.  If she had any interest in him, she would have said something to the parents.

When he arrived, Bishop Chitundu had gone out for an emergency in the village. He had been called to mediate between the parties.  Mrs. Chitundu apologized and invited Joseph in.  He was glad to talk to her alone.

“Mrs. Chitundu, I am Joseph Leibitsang.  I am wanting to be the husband of Violet and the father to her children.  I have seen your family, and I want to be a part of it. I work in provisions, that is, I provide.  Here are some pictures of my family. Last week, I attended the wedding of your oldest daughter. I had to come because I am in love with your daughter Violet and I wanted to see you all.”

Beatrice looked Joseph in the face. “Please, call me Beatrice. As you can see, we are a large family, and growing larger. I am missing my married daughter very much.  I cannot have another leave me so soon.”

Joseph glanced shyly at Beatrice. “I am a man who values family.  I have several brothers and sisters. I will not take your daughter away. She will be here to assist you whenever you need. Here is the design for the house I will build for my wife. She will have a room for her parents and family to come and stay. I will build it close to you so you can walk between houses. Family should stay close. I also expect to provide for my extended family as we will always have supplies and provisions for them. I keep a close eye on the markets and buy before there is famine. My plan is to open my own warehouses once I have a partner to share with me. I want that partner to be your Violet.” Joseph let out his breath after this long and practiced appeal. Beatrice handed him a cup of tea with a smile. He drank it and thanked her for her hospitality.

“I will put in a word for you with Mr. Chitundu, but only after I have a chance to talk with Violet. Thank you for coming, Joseph Leibitsang”

Joseph had made his case, and Beatrice had agreed that she would put in a word with Mr. Chitundu.  As he left, he recalled the fragrance of mangos and the immaculate polish on the traditional floors, the vase of lilies on the table, and the colorful yellow antimacassars on the arms of the chair.  The clock on the wall said 11:00 when he arrived, and 11:00 when he left.  Somehow, he liked the lack of punctuality in the household, where natural rhythms took precedence.  Most of all, he appreciated that Dodge was nowhere in sight. 

As he walked back down the long, dusty driveway, Joseph thought over the conversation.  The ground had been laid for staging an understanding.  There could be no formal engagement until the father determined that the girl would be adequately supported, that a bride price was negotiated, and that nothing was rushed.

Beatrice had been resigned to her daughter Myrna leaving the area because she had already been away at boarding school, and her absence had become a reality.  The possibility that Myrna was pregnant and that the father of the child had paid a hefty bride price made acceptance of Festal more palatable, also he was of their tribe and knew the customs.  They would always be welcome in his home, even if he lacked some of the social polish of an educated man.  For Violet, a child who had always been close to her mother, the biggest argument in favor of this young man Joseph was that he was direct.  He intended to keep close ties with the family and not live far from them.  Violet would be cared for, he had shown the mother his plans for a house with room for her mother and father to come and stay with them whenever they wished.  He wanted a family,  He had made a success of his business and was just waiting for a partner in order to become an independent merchant.

He had served his apprenticeship and could aid the family with the products he had access to.  He did not mind having a wife that had little formal schooling.  He said he recognized in their home that she had been trained in what mattered.  Joseph was in good health, he was not a womanizer, and he wanted children.  He said he was not the owner of the store where he worked, but he was the owner of his future, and he wanted to marry for affection and stability in the family.