After an hour of walking, the village finally came into view, and the girls quickened their pace, eager to reach home. Kalindi's house was situated on the outskirts of the village, near the beginning of the path leading to the well. Her home stood out among the others with its traditional sloped roof and two-story structure. Unlike most village homes, which were simple one-floor dwellings with separate rooms for different functions, Kalindi's house was larger and more elaborate. This was likely because her husband had been a wealthy man before his death, spending much of his time in the city to earn and provide for his family. His wealth had afforded him the means to build such a home.
But what good was this grand house when loyalty and respect were absent? The entire village knew what a monster he had been. The scars from his beatings on Kalindi's body were evidence enough.
Kalindi's house also had a backyard garden where she kept and cared for her cows. As we approached, a figure came into view, standing right in front of the house. For a moment, I paused, trying to place the person. The girl was dressed in a long skirt that flowed from her waist to the ground, resembling a gown, paired with a traditional blouse. Village women typically wore blouses with straps and a tied knot at the back; these blouses were backless and stopped just below the bust, with the skirt starting at the lower waist. Her dark brown skin glowed under the soft sunlight, and her even darker brown hair framed her face.
As we got closer, the girl turned around and smiled warmly, her grin lighting up her features. Both Nia and I shrieked in delight, shouting in unison, "Grace!"
I had known it! The familiarity I felt earlier was not misplaced—it was Grace. But wasn't she supposed to arrive a few days later?
Kalindi beamed at the sight of her and asked, "Grace, didn't you say in your letter that you'd be coming a few days later?"
Grace, who had just pulled herself away from Nia's overly enthusiastic hug, laughed. "Yeah, I did. But I thought I'd surprise you all. Judging by your faces, it was worth it!"
"Oh God, it's been so long since all four of us were together," I said, grinning.
After talking for a few minutes, Nia and I left to drop off the pots I was carrying. Kalindi's house was far from ours, and it would take us time to return. I couldn't wait to come back and pour my heart out to Grace.
Grace always stayed at Kalindi's house whenever she visited. The women in the village didn't approve of her profession, blaming her for their husbands' trips to the city. It wasn't fair. Grace didn't force their husbands to seek pleasure in the city, but the women treated her as if she were personally responsible.
Kalindi didn't care about the gossip or judgment. Her house, located on the village outskirts, offered Grace the privacy and safety she needed. And Kalindi, with her big heart, never hesitated to welcome her.
After dropping the pots at their house, Maya and Nia headed to Kalindi's. Just as they were about to step outside of Maya's house, her mother called. "Where are you going?" she asked, her voice sharp. Maya felt a jolt of panic—she knew there was no way out of this. She couldn't tell her mother that Grace was in the village, nor could she make up an excuse that would be believable.
Maya's mother always disapproved of Grace's visits to the village, believing that women like her had no place in their community. Before Maya could come up with a response, Nia quickly stepped in, her voice casual. "Oh, we just wanted to show Maya something at my house," she said, giving a glance to Maya for reassurance. "We'll be back soon."
Maya's mother hesitated for a moment, but then, seemingly satisfied with the excuse, she grumbled, "Fine. Just don't be out too late." With that, she hung up.
Maya let out a small sigh of relief. They had escaped for now, but Maya knew it wouldn't be easy to keep Grace's visit a secret for long.
Maya knew she had to come up with a good excuse to be able to visit Grace more freely. Before she left with Nia, she quickly turned to her mother. "Mom, is my brother home right now? What about Dad?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Her mother looked at her for a moment, then replied, "Your brother is already here. As for your father... maybe he's staying in the city with Nia's brother."
The moment those words left her mother's lips, Maya could feel the sharp sting of truth. She knew exactly what her father would be doing if he was staying in the city. Her heart sank as the weight of her mother's unspoken pain filled the air.
but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. It tore at her, seeing her mother so resigned, but Maya couldn't change things. She felt for every woman in the village, especially those whose husbands were constantly away in the city, seeking pleasure. But Maya also knew she couldn't challenge their behaviour. How could she? The men, especially the head of the village—her own father—held all the power, and they looked down on women as though they were good for nothing. Even with a daughter of his own, Maya's father believed that the place of women was secondary to the men's needs and desires.
It was a painful realization. Maya knew she couldn't fight this. Not yet. Maya could understand what was going on, even if she didn't fully want to admit it. She wasn't innocent. She knew exactly what could happen between a man and a woman when they were alone. At 23 years old, she was not a child. She had seen enough, felt enough, and understood more than most people would ever give her credit for.
As they reached Kalindi's house, Maya and Nia stepped onto the veranda, and their eyes instantly fell on Kalindi. She was flushed, her cheeks tinted with a rosy hue. Grace stood beside her, her presence calm yet undeniably magnetic. Maya could feel the tension in the air, as though there was an unspoken connection between them, something that hadn't been shared with others.
The two women exchanged knowing glances. Kalindi seemed both shy and confident, caught somewhere in between. Maya had a feeling that the evening would be filled with stories of Grace's time in the city and perhaps more than a few moments of shared secrets. Grace, always so mysterious, had a way of captivating those around her—especially when it came to the stories she shared from her world, a world that seemed so foreign yet fascinating to them.
Eager to learn more about Grace's thrilling experiences, Maya and Nia quickly sat down, their curiosity getting the best of them. Nia, with a teasing smile, leaned forward and said, "Come on, Grace. Tell us everything. We can see you're just brimming with excitement to share how this man approached you."
Grace smirked, her eyes glimmering with a mix of mischief and pride. It was clear she had been waiting for this moment, for the chance to recount the details of her most recent encounter. The air seemed to crackle with anticipation as Kalindi quietly watched, her face still flushed from the earlier conversation, while Grace began her tale, every word dripping with confidence and allure. Grace and Kalindi also sat across from Maya and Nia, the atmosphere charged with anticipation. Grace's lips curled into a knowing smile as she began, her voice smooth and steady. "So, I recently met a man... someone who was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He was unlike anyone I'd ever encountered. The way he treated me, it was as if my pleasure mattered more than his own," Grace said, her eyes gleaming as she spoke, clearly relishing the memory.
Kalindi listened to Grace, her eyes distant as if lost in thought. There was something in her expression, a flicker of something deep inside, a memory she could not escape. Her mind drifted back to her first night with her husband. She had been only 24 at the time, excited, nervous, and full of expectations. But what followed was far from what she had imagined. He had been brutal, not even considering that it was her first time, that the pain was more than she could bear. She had begged him to stop, her body trembling from the agony, but instead of stopping, he had slapped her hard across the face. The blow had been so forceful that her vision blackened, the sting of both the slap and the pain of the moment lasting far longer than it should have.
Her husband had barely acknowledged her after their lovemaking. He did what was necessary, then immediately went to wash himself, almost as if to rid himself of her touch. The coldness of his actions cut deep, leaving Kalindi with a hollow ache in her chest. The pain of that moment, the stark reminder that she was nothing more than an object for his satisfaction, haunted her still. It was a feeling she had never shared with anyone, not even Grace. Kalindi watched the two girls, Nia and Maya, with a quiet prayer in her heart. She silently wished that they would never have to endure the pain she had suffered—that their husbands would treat them with kindness, love, and respect. But deep down, she knew the harsh truth: such a hope was a distant dream. The reality for most women in the village was far from the ideal she longed for.
Grace's loud, playful words yanked Kalindi from her deep thoughts. Grace was describing how the man had been so experienced, how he had played her body like an instrument, guiding every movement, every touch, until she had been entirely submitted to his pleasure. Her words were vivid, filled with excitement, as she recalled every detail of that night, Her words made both Nia and Maya sigh in quiet pleasure, as if they were imagining their first nights with their husbands.
After a while, the topic quickly shifted to the man who had been pursuing Grace—he was different from the one she had mentioned earlier. Grace casually said, "Kie has been helping me manage my finances, and then, out of nowhere, he asked me to marry him."
The girls gasped in unison. They all knew that Kie had been interested in Grace since she was a little girl. At first, they had thought it was just a casual fling, but now, this—this was serious.
Nia asked Grace, "So, what did you say?"
Grace paused for a moment before answering, "I said no."
"Enough about me," Grace said with a smile, then continued, "Tell me about yourselves now."
Kalindi shrugged. "Nothing new, just village life."
Grace raised an eyebrow. "Where's Manny?"
"Manny?" Kalindi replied. "He's out helping with the cattle."
"You know," Grace said with a mischievous smile, "I took Kie's car with me. Want to go somewhere tonight?"
Maya looked at her skeptically. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"Dangerous?" Grace scoffed, her voice rising with passion. "That's just the bullshit made up by men to control their women. I saw a great lake just four kilometers away. We could all go there, swim, and come back before morning."
Despite the protests from Maya and Kalindi, Grace's enthusiasm was contagious, and eventually, they agreed. The plan was set: the four of them would sneak off to the lake at midnight to swim—unrestricted, wild, and free. moments like these are precious for Maya. The lake becomes her sanctuary, a place where she can breathe without the weight of societal expectations, family pressures, or village gossip. It's in these quiet, raw moments that Maya can connect with her true self, away from the constraints of her daily life.