Chapter 1

Once upon a time, there was a mighty Chiefdom in the Southern Africa known as the Kerma Chiefdom. It had a powerful chief known as Zulu Kerma. Chief Zulu had a new wife named Amina who used to be the great warrior of the Zulu clan. Which is what pulled Chief Zulu towards her and led to their marriage a year ago.

Chief Zulu had three other wives besides Amina who went by the names Graca, from Malian Kingdom, Winnie came from Kuba Kingdom while Lydia came from Bamun Queendom. Graca had three sons with the chief who were five years and three years apart respectively. The oldest was twelve, the middle one was seven and the last one was four years. Winnie had two twin boys and Lydia had a one year old son and was again pregnant. Amina was not yet pregnant seeing she was still the new makoti(wife) of the chief. Normally they had to wait for the previous younger wife to conceive two or more kids before they try to have more babies.

Later that year, Lydia gave birth to a healthy baby boy though the chief wanted a baby girl to keep his six sons on the leash when they get out of the line cause it has been heard that if the chief has sons only, then the clan and the entire chiefdom will fall. Boys always want to make thier own rules and girls have the power to turn the world around.

Chief Zulu and Amina tried having kids from then. Every night, everyday, they would try to conceive. Over and over and over and over and over again until they finally gave up.

The chief announced to everyone that his youngest wife could not conceive and he would be picking a wife from the maidens in his clan who will then conceive a baby girl for him.

Since the day the chief announced that his wife could not conceive, people in the clan started mistreating Amina. In some way, she had turned into a laughing stock. Everywhere she went, they would point at her and laugh their heads off. Of course she had no say even though their status were different. She was the chief's wife while they were just commoners.

One day, she had heard enough, after hours and hours of village people laughing at her, she ran to the river that divided Kerma Chiefdom from Mizo Queendom where she cried and cried.

After crying her eyes and heart out, she yelled to no one other than the gods, "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?" When she got no reply, she yelled a little louder than before, "WHY CAN'T I HAVE KIDS!? WHAT WRONG HAVE I EVER DONE TO DESERVE SUCH CRUEL PUNISHMENT!?"

Still no reply. Clearly the 'gods' are punishing her for something her past self did.

After three hours of chirping birds and soft sobs of Amina, it slightly started raining but since she loved rain so much, she started rotating in circles with her head facing the skies. The rain stopped as soon as it came but leaving her with a smile that was surely contagious. Then, suddenly she was thirsty. She bent over the river and filled her stomach with the river water. After burping, she started making her way back home with uplifted spirit. She herself didn't know if it's because of the little 'dance on the rain' or the river water she drank. But either way, she got to their hut and helped the other wives prepare food and warm water to wash their husband's feet when he gets home.

Their husband got home later that night once the food was a little cold and the water was ice cold. The problem was that the chief had a young slim looking girl on his side. Probably the chosen girl to bare baby girls for the chief. The wives' guess was correct as the chief told them that the new wife's name was Lilithu. And they were ought to call her 'Queen Lilithu' and the date for the marriage was set for three days from today.

This hurt Amina very much but something in her told her she should just let it go. They are not worth her sadness.

A week later, Amina was moved to the 'out-of-the-circle-hut' where she will be staying at. Alone.

Seven months passed with Amina still living alone in the hut. She did not complain when no one, not even her husband came to check up on her. She did not cry when she fell sick with an unknown sickness. Some days she would feel cold but when she put on her coat she would get extra hot and vice versa. When she was hungry, she would eat but the food would come right back up causing her to vomit.

She did not complain cause she was able to pass through all that on her own as the greatest warrior of the Zulu clan. Well, past greatest warrior.

Later that night as she was preparing her bed, she had stomach gramps and felt nauseous. She left what ever she was doing and walked to the well that was just a few metres from her hut. After drawing water, she hurriedly walked to the coals that still looked good enough to boil some water.

Fifteen minutes later, the water was warm so she poured some in a plastic cup and the rest in a washing basin. She took a towel and threw it in the water before pulling it out and twisting it to remove excess water. She placed the lukewarm towel on her lower stomach and breathed out in relaxation when the gramps slightly stopped but the nausea was still there. Just at the back of her throat. She took the cup of water and drank most of it before the cup fell from her hands as they grabbed her stomach and squeezed it.

She fell to the floor with her knees while she clutched her stomach tightly. She rolled over till she was laying with her back. Her clothes were wet with sweat while her forehead also had sweat covering it.

After an hour of pain and crying and pain and more pain our Amina clutched her stomach tighter and pushed whatever it is out. Soon, her tiny hut was filled with cries and cries. Not only hers though. It was something like an infant crying for his or her mother. So Amina supplied even though she was still shocked to how she delivered a baby in her hut. On her own.

No one in the Zulu clan delievered a baby during cryptic pregnancy, it was normally acknowledged as a denied pregnancy since the gods would not agree with it. So ofcourse this shocked her also. She smiled while taking the baby in her hands. She looked so much like her father. That pointy nose and pouty full lips along with pointy tiny ears.

At this point, Amina was crying while looking at her baby. The clan must've heard her cries though they did not show up. They must have also heard the baby cry so she had to make a plan for her baby. She can't grow up in this kind of environment. So as a loving mother that cared more for her baby than for her own happiness nor her motherhood, she used her favourite doek to cover the baby and her old one as a cusion. She folded it three times before putting it nicely in the picnic basket. She walked out of her hut to the Ikiwo river and kissed the forehead of her baby.

"Oh my Luna.You will shine just like the moon, Luna." she whispered to the baby before placing the basket in the river then held it for a few seconds before pushing it away.

She then walked back home with a broken heart already missing her baby. The pain of losing your baby is unbearable. Even that is an understatement. At least her baby won't be made fun of just because her mother could not concieve. Which is still what had Amina ruffling her head for answers. But who could answer her if her conscience is also as shocked as she is?