Memoirs of an Unsung Legend, Nemeso

Chapter Five. Mhepo’s marriage and the birth of Nemeso

21 Chapter Five Mhepo’s marriage and the birth of Nemeso ack at her parents’ home, Mhepo continued to grow physically, and her elegant beauty dazzled many potential suitors. The problem was how the young men would propose to her, as she was deaf and also stammered. Chief Pfupajena’s coronation after the death of his father took place before he had married or had a child. He married short thereafter at his young age, because it was believed that a wife helped in cementing the chief’s rule. That explains the significance of the Shona proverb that a home is incomplete without a woman. Good leadership meant having a wife who would assist with many responsibilities including providing the chief with comfort and advice. Chief Pfupajena was attracted by Mhepo’s beauty and hatched a plan to win her. One day, the community organised a beer party to help weed the fields of chief Musikavanhu. Many people came to assist. Mhepo took her small hoe and went to weed in her mother’s groundnuts field on her own. She often did this, as she appeared frustrated at seeing other people laughing at what she could neither hear nor respond to. Elderly women were sitting in the shade playing with children. Those days, old women were highly respected and could not be allowed to perform hard work like weeding. On occasions such as beer work parties, their duty was to play with the little ones. Meanwhile, others began seriously weeding chief Musikavanhu’s fields. One could see only dust spiralling up into the sky. The elderly women sitting in the shade were B 22 ululating, and men were whistling. One of the elderly women was so impressed with the work that she ran to the fields and broke into a song titled Vana kuhondo (Send children to war). Leader: Gurayi hweeeiyewoye! Gurayi hweeeiyewoye! Chorus: Vanogarotumira vana kuhondo Hereiye kugarotumira vana kuhondo Nhaka tinorima L: Gurayi hweeeiyewoye! Gurayi hweeeiyewoye! C: Vanogarotumira vana kuhondo Hereiye kugarotumira vana kuhondo Nhaka tinorima L: Madzimai musaringa kuno Mukaringa kuno munoona pagere zvirombo Zvisvikarudzi marovamwoyo Shashiko nenhawamaringa zvazorora Watarira tikuona nemborera paziso C: Vanogarotumira vana kugondo He he ha! Vanotumira vana kuhondo nhaka munorima As they continued weeding, people were inspired and motivated by the battle song – even though the theme seems quite serious to us these days. People would turn out in large numbers to partake in this ambiance at beer work parties. 23 Not only did they enjoy drinking, but also singing and dancing. Even chief Pfupajena on this occasion went about his business as an ordinary person. He took his hoe and joined others to weed the fields. After working for a while, Pfupajena saw Mhepo alone weeding in her mother’s field. He pretended to be assessing Musikavanhu’s fields and walked to where Mhepo was. Mhepo saw the chief coming and only smiled at him and continued with her work. The chief did not know what to say and started uprooting the groundnuts behind where Mhepo had weeded. On seeing this, Mhepo could not comprehend and started yelling at the chief. This attracted the attention of other villagers. Incidentally this was the first time Mhepo started to speak. The elderly women ululated, and others also showed a lot of joy with this development. It was clear to everyone that this occurrence was symbolic in the sense that the chief’s and Mhepo’s ancestral spirits had agreed there be a union between the two. There was no doubt, as previously traditional healers and diviners had been summoned to deal with Mhepo’s problem but to no avail. Efforts were immediately underway to take Mhepo to chief Musikavanhu as his wife. Mhepo was taken to the chief’s home to be his wife. Pfupajena meanwhile arranged to pay the bridewealth to his in-laws including a herd of cattle. People approved of this union since Chief Pfupajena had helped Mhepo to talk, and besides he had been so generous to Mhepo’s parents. The fact that Pfupajena assisted Mhepo to talk when even famous traditional healers and diviners had failed helped consolidate his fame and respect among his people and beyond. After her marriage, Mhepo fell pregnant. Meanwhile Mhepo’s parents decided to bid farewell to chief Pfupajena 24 and go back to Chipinge, their homeland. Rains had been falling everywhere ensuring good harvests, and famine would be a thing...