The grasshopper, dictyophorus spumans, perched on the red oat grass. The large black eyes and the thick antenna gave it an alien look. The waxy exoskeleton made the red and black color on the legs stand out even more. The body was covered with yellow and brown dashes. A swift side move and a jump away made it disappear off the grass leaf.
The red oat grass, or rooigras in Afrikaans, stood four feet tall. Summer had produced large red-brown spikelets on branched stems. The fire resistant grass grew along the dirt road. Occasionally, a cow pulled a bundle of grass out to lazily munch it with its soft brown mouth.
The dirt road had vibrant red clay dirt. The iron content made it red. Rain water had carved little streams into the road bed. There were no tire tracks, only a gazillion sandal or bare foot steps from the close knit villagers. They walked to tend to the farms or gather. Only very occasionally, the villagers wandered to the nearest village. The sky was deeply blue with out of place fluffy clouds that provided everything that they needed.
Mackeda kneeled on the floor of her mud hut. The base of her palms pressed into the dough batter. Her body rocked back and force to use her weight to fold over the dough. The cooking stone was a bit rough and uneven, yet flat enough. Blue minerals were embedded in the white granite. She hummed along a song to cheer her day with a smile. Hair locks fell into her face from the earnest work.
"Today is the best day of my life, because I had the visit of a saint." "All my sins and sorrows vanished, when I saw the saint's feet." "The fruits of my good actions came to me all at once, when I met this saint." "All my accumulated suffering turned into bliss, when I simply glazed at the feet of this saint."
She wore a knee long dress with a colorful blue and green pattern as only women in Africa will do. The top of it hang in one inch thick straps from her shoulder. The straps left her athletic arms free for the daily chores. Although, she wore a tank top beneath the dress, her Nubian boobs were insinuates by the exposed sides. The exposed sides showed the hanging tissue that suspended her boobs.
Her toes were curled under her kneel. The toes splayed out with the little toes having come free. The feet were washed and deliberately clean and fresh. She had an easy smile on her dark brown face. The kinky hair was tamed into tight braids with a couple fluff pieces having escaped.
Kabaila was her eight months old son. He was wrapped into a bundle with blue clothes. Somehow, his right leg had become free. The fingers of both hands were pulling on his free foot, while he happily babbled with his toothless mouth. Cute, big baby eyes starred onto the ceiling, unaware about the connection between his toes and where he was looking.
Rafiki, her five year old, was running outside after a bird. The bird had, with great misfortune, chosen to enter the village. Three boys were running after it in high spirit. The Vitelline Masked Weaver ran a bit, fluttered up onto a hut or bush, and paused for a moment until the boys had caught up. The bird was mostly yellow with a black face that had red-brown boundaries. Rafiki was dressed in pale camouflage shorts and a blue t-shirt with the logo of a Western NGO. His biggest assets were his white teeth and eyes that beamed the excitement of playing outside.
Knowing her family happy around her in the village, Mackeda kept toiling in the mud hut. With locked elbows, the arms were pushing down on the dough. The warm sunlight fell through the window onto her arms. Dust particles in the air reflected the sun blindingly bright. The warm sunlight teased the brown color to radiate in her otherwise dark skin. Her arms were slender and athletic.
Her dress was tucked under her butt and over the heels that she was kneeling on. Her gluteal muscles were firm and compact like that of a young girl. The dress hugged her butt closely to reveal the butt cleft. The feet were right under her butt. The top of her feet had the colorful brown, yet the bottom was a light gray. A sharp edge divided the different colors at the edge of her feet. The feet had only soft juicy folds that young women have.
The village shaman bowed into the room. He was a good forty years old. A few feathers and ornaments hung on his body. His face had furrows and tattoos that told his life's essence: part magician, part drunk, part beggar, and part revered ceremony master at celebrations. His shins were bare and painted with white chalk. The eyes were dark.
"Mackeda, there is dark magic around the village. You are a young and tender girl, a weak match for vile spirits."
"Oh, powerful shaman, I believe the evil spirits do not dare tread on the same continent as thou powerful shaman treats." Bright cheery laughter like the sun itself flowed out of Mackeda. "Here are some flour patties. Have as many as you want."
She elegantly rose to her knees by first rolling back onto her soles in a squat and then standing up in a smooth motion. She lifted the straw-woven basket with dirty clothes. Her body tilted sideways to lift the heavy basket. The village shaman was immediately consumed by his attention to the flour patties. Outside, she placed a circle of twirled black fabric on her head. That was the coaster for the basket to be carried on her head.
The village having only a dozen huts, she was quickly in overhead high reed. A maze of opaque reed grew along the village creek. Only knowing the paths by heart granted safe passage through the reed thicket. The reed had thick long leaves that caressed her arms and lower legs, as she pushed through the reed.
The ground beneath her was soft and moist. It sank a little under her skinny flip flops to contour to her feet. Occasionally, a sharp beam of sunlight shot through a gap in the reed. It burned and tingled pleasantly on her skin. She was almost in a trance from the tactile stimulation of diving through the reed. Occasionally, thick frogs walked out of her way. The thick long legs with the five star pointed feet would alternatingly stretch out to push the frog into the shadow.
After ten minutes, she reached an idyllic place in the creek. The creek fell down a two foot rock. Beneath the gurgling fall was a pool with hip deep water. Comfortable large round rocks invited for sitting down. The ground was thick and clay like. With every step, the water was squeezed out of the ground. Yet, one would not think in like mud would do.