Zaire Lumi
Photo Credit: Nick Owour
ZAIRE LUMI by Aasha
When the child was born they didn’t tell her mother and father she was cursed. As soon as she opened her eyes, they saw what would be the end of the entire village. The child had one eye the color of the river, a deep blue that threatened to swallow her entire iris. The other was the color of snow, a phenomenon that only occurred up in the mountains thousands of miles away.
The moment the child let out her first cry, snow fell over the village. The summer crops were in danger, and the river started freezing up. The elders said the child would bring poison to the village if she was not controlled. Neighbors said she should be fed to the weredogs or thrown into the river but such acts were forbidden in Alamura. Everyone takes care of one another, there is no such thing as rich or poor. The old do not die alone and there is no such thing as an orphan. This was not always so in Alamura. The village was once crawling with demons feasting on every darkness inside. Citizens were disappearing, the village was divided, and every man was for themselves.
It was the elders who let everyone without shelter from the demons into their tent and protected them. Others followed suit and in just two months the village was demon free. The elders watched as they crawled back into the earth and the gods gifted them a fruitful river around the village for protection, rich soil to their deserts for farming, silkworms for their clothes, and trees that bore fruit. No one has seen a demon in a decade. But every month, a portion of the harvest is buried into the earth, an offering to the demons – dead or alive– for leaving them in peace and recognizing their change. The elders questioned their change when the child’s mother Magic Harara and her father, Peace Harara, brought her to their tent for her first blessing. Magic was a healer and doula. She’d cared for many babies but struggled to bear her own. It was her own mother, Freedom, who gave her afterlife to Magic so that she’d bear a child nine months after her death.
“I see your mother was right about her spell,” said Sayeh Water, the mother elder. She was scared, but a baby in Alamura was a blessing. A new life only made the village stronger. But even two days after the child’s birth the snow still fell and the villagers struggled to put tents over all of the crops.
“Yes, Mother.” Magic said bowing to the four elders, her husbands following her lead. “I will give her my mother’s gem when she’s old enough to wear it.”
“Place the child on the floor, mind the placenta.” Niobe Air, the father elder said. He kneeled on the floor as the other elders did the same.
Peace was holding the placenta wrapped in a blanket as Magic cradled the newborn sucking eagerly at her breast. The moment Magic placed the baby on the carpet she wailed, still hungry.
“She loves to eat,” Magic said with a laugh. A laugh that quickly died as she stared at the elders who watched the child closely. They stared as the hungry blue eyes with ripples of the
river within it moved violently as she continued to cry out for mother’s milk. The other eye had no iris but the elders knew she would have sight through it. They saw the strength in the fog. Magic had seen this look in the eyes of the elders before when she was a child. Because her mother was a midwife, she had been a doula since the age of nine. She’d witnessed the elders identify curses in newborns. She witnessed them make hard decisions. She’d witness them tell mothers two days after birthing their child that they'd have to give their child to the earth to protect Alamura. In return, Alamura would bless her womb with perfect children that wouldn’t have to die.
But they didn’t do that anymore. They wouldn’t do that to her. Not the baby her own mother gave her.
“That is the eye of a river that swallows all rivers. That eye is starving,” Akomi Fire said in Krikaya, a language only spoken amongst the elders and their apprentices. “The other is an eye of snow. Did it snow begin the night she was born?” Sama Earth whispered. She placed a dummy in the baby’s mouth to calm her cries.
“It did. But we’ve had snow in the summer before. Too many heat deaths last year. The gods answered our prayers.” said Sayeh Water.
“They didn’t kill our crops last year. Or freeze our river. The fishermen say it’s getting shallow. Less fish.”
“We haven’t had anything like this happen in years. It can’t be.”
“We know that taking your life away from the gods and giving it to another mortal is risky. But the curse-.”
Akomi hissed, “Don’t say that word so loud they will understand!”
“The curse would fall on the family!” Sayeh whispered, “Not the village. This is not an Alamuran midwife’s magic, this is something else. Maybe it is the father’s side. He is an outsider from a water village behind the snow mountains. We know nothing of his village, Halanila”
“That’s because he’s the last of his village. We don’t know anything yet. If we give this child to the God’s the entire village will divide again. We have to act like everything is normal we will watch over this family. If this is indeed a curse we will take care of it. We will pray for this child’s womb twins and triplets. She will have many children before she can notice that we have taken this one.”
“And what of the Earth? So much damage has already been done.” Sama Earth said. “We will name the child what it is; a river stronger than snow. We have to let the gods believe that we see this as a blessing and recognize the power the child has.” said Akomi Fire.
The mother of the child had protective tears in her eyes as she held her husband’s hand. She loved Alamura with all her heart but she had the heart and body of a mother now. She held in her arms an extension of her, Peace, and her mother, Freedom. That’s why the gods gave her such a special baby because she came from such a powerful life. Her mother had always been a gift. Everyone called her mother Malema meaning ‘mother who creates mothers’ in Alamuran.
The blue and white eyes surprised her but it couldn’t be a curse. Her mother was not touched by demons.
“Don’t cry, Magic. The child is alright. The gods have given us a name.” Sayeh Water whispered.
“Zaire Lumi Freedom”
The river that eats all rivers amongst the strongest snow shall provide freedom.
Zaire was crawling by the time she was four months old. By then she was already the size of a ten-month-old Alamuran child. The elders would visit every two days to check on the child, Peace, and Magic. Sama Earth even made the two-day journey to visit Magic’s father Storm up in the rainforest to see if he knew more about Freedom's spell. Storm lived in the rainforest to care for the animals he came to visit for three months at a time every year after Magic was married. All Storm knew was that in order for the spell to work Magic had to be infertile for the spell to work, not impatient. If she had been fertile during the spell then Freedom’s lifeforce killed the children waiting with the gods to be in their family and a living child could manifest that anger.
But several midwives confirmed Magic’s infertility so they had no reason to question her further. Especially when five more healthy Alamuran babies were born into the village despite the weekly snow and food shortages. When the demons were roaming there were no new babies. That was one of the first signs of a village curse. Zaire was also a happy baby. The dimples on her dark skin deep when she smiled and waved at villagers whilst wrapped up on her mother or father’s back in the markets. Even the ones who stared at her eyes in disgust couldn’t help but smile back at the child. It was important that Zaire wasn’t ostracized by the community because an ostracized child would spark division. Especially in her generation.
“It’s time to put Zaire in nursery school.” Sayeh said to Magic during one of their home visits. “She’s ready.”
Magic scoffed as she placed Zaire on a floor bed in their tent, “But Mother she’s only six months old. The baby classes start at nine months and even so, I’m not ready to have her away from me for so long.”
“There is not one child that looks like yours in Alamura, Magic.” the elder said watching as the midwife training shrank.
“The village is already talking. They think she has dark magic.”
“But she doesn’t. She’s just beautiful and kind. I want her to stay with me.” “Your child is going to school so that when she’s talking and walking the other children’s parents will allow your child and future children to talk and walk with theirs. I will see to it.” “We’re trying to protect her.” Magic said.
“So are we. We need the village to see the blessing your child is. That she is a manifestation of her name given to her by the Gods. Not a curse.”
To Peace and Magic’s surprise, the plan worked. Zaire was a joy in the nursery and everyone loved her. Everyone saw how beautiful and bright she was. Zaire had a community. But still the snow continued, the crops were shortening, the trees bore less fruit and the cows were
giving less milk. As the child grew the village suffered, But it didn’t scare the elders until Zaire’s first birthday.
When Zaire turned one years old a sickness spread across Alamura. The first one in five years. The last had turned villagers young and old grey and cold. They died quickly almost like their hearts just suddenly stopped functioning. They never found a cure, the God’s seemed to just need Alamorans in the sky. And Alamorans needed more ancestors. But the new sickness was different. It killed six villagers in their sleep. It tore apart the respiratory system, melting it almost. The child’s father was the village embalmer and confirmed it that morning. The elders had never seen anything like it before. And It was Peace’s work during the first sickness since the demons left that led to the elders’ approval of his marriage to Magic. But that morning everyone was after his daughter. Zaire had a large party planned. Everyone knew about Zaire’s birthday. And that’s how darkness arrived.
“It has to be her! She brought the snow. She took our crops! She took our fish!” “It’s the eye I know.”
“We should have never let the father in, it was him all along.”
“They should all leave!”
The elders heard all the commotion outside of the family’s tent. Their arrival demanded silence. The pandemonium was dismissed. The crowd bowed at the elders and sat down on the floor to listen to what they had to say.
“We have had a sickness spread since the demons left our village. We should be scared and we should be worried but the anger we have in us should not be directed toward the embalmers who have cared for our living and our dead. We should pray for Zaire to have the return of the plague end on the anniversary of the very day she was born.”
“But Mother last year she brought us snow.”
“And we had zero heat deaths that summer didn’t we? Now, we’re going to bless the child and the dead. Pray that we beat this one just like the last and then celebrate them all. No one will be exiled and any more violence towards the Hararas will not be permitted.”
It was Sayeh Water who carried the child into the river surrounding the village with her to do the blessing. Zaire’s tiny body clung to her tightly as she went deeper into the river until it rested just under her breast. The other elders joined her in prayer as did the villagers who decided to observe. Zaire looked at everyone curiously as they prayed, the toddler had never been around so many people. The child started laughing towards the end of the blessing but it was no baby laugh. It sounded like a hyena circling its prey. A few villagers stopped praying in shock but the elders continued, they were with the gods. So they didn’t hear the villagers screaming as fish started to float at the top of the river, motionless.
Magic saw the danger in this and made a run for the river, but a villager stopped her grasping her arm tightly.
“Mothers, fathers don’t you see? She’s poison to this village. We have lost our fish!”
“We will have eight fishless weeks for the sickness to be rid by morning.” Akomi Fire said, “She is fruit to this village.” The elder didn’t believe his own words as he said them. Something had to be done.
The elders were so afraid of another division that they gave the gods ten years of their own lives to take the sickness away that day. They heard the child laughing like a lost spirit as their years were taken away. She was mocking them for doing all the dirty work for her. The elders got an eerie feeling that things were only going to get worse.
Slowly The elders decided to transition baby Zaire to homeschooling four days a week with them so that they could access what was in her and hopefully destroy it. But they found nothing in the child except curiosity, water, and snow.
They came to the conclusion that the blessing and exchange were too much for the baby and it was their fault for having her in the water as they did it.
They were wrong.
When the child was five, it would blizzard twice a week. The Alamurans were in coats in the winter instead of the usual fall clothing. Everyone in the village worked as a farmer part-time to maintain the crops and keep the animals alive. It was a change but very few blamed the child. She was a good girl, who accompanied her mother to work and tried to make everyone smile. Even the children whose parents forbid them to play with her wanted to be her friend. Zaire wanted everyone to be happy she cried for hours when her friend, Castle, broke her ankle in the playground. Zaire came to Castle’s tent every day to read her a book and show her what she missed out on in school. Zaire was loved, that’s why till this day it’s a mystery how fast that love disappeared.
One night, the river went completely dry and Zaire’s river eye was bright and deep as a blueberry filling with water. It happened in the night when almost everyone was asleep, except the lovers. Seventeen-year-old Starlight and her boyfriend, Tenzin, were outside her tent watching the stars when they heard a deep growl surrounding the village. They stood up and could only watch as the river disappeared. The wildlife was left to die in the damp earth that had been their home.
Starlight told her parents who happened to be the village head chefs. With their job in jeopardy, her parents, Skye and Raye went to the elders tent in the middle of the night. On that particular night the elders were having a communal dream about the child. She stood in the river surrounding the village covered in several feet of snow. Her legs were abnormally long as she stood above the waves. She laughed like she had on her first birthday and opened her mouth. Her mouth stretched wider and wider as she laughed. Then all of the village began to fall into her mouth. The villagers were screaming and calling out to them as they fell into the child’s mouth that was starting to fill with blood. The blood poured out across the land and everything turned into a desert again.
When they woke it was certain; the child had to go. The communal dream had never lied. This warning had too much weight.
“I killed the last one. I’m not doing it.” Sama Earth said.
“We don’t have to kill her. We just have to make sure she doesn’t return.” said Akomi Fire “And how do you suggest we rip a screaming five year old from her mother and father, cast her out of the village and make sure she never returns?” she asked.
“We bind her from the village with magic.” he said, still shaken from the dream he’d tried to cast spells in to make it all stop.
“Introducing the child to more magic could potentially give her more magic.” “And why would that be a bad thing? She wouldn’t be a threat to Alamora anymore.” said Sayeh Water, fresh tears in her eyes at the thought of sending the girl out there all alone. She loved Zaire the thought of the child dying alone in the open broke her, but to let the entire village die is wrong.
“If she survives she’ll return and kill us all.” Niobe Air said. His voice was firm, but he didn’t truly believe his own words. He wanted to believe in the new Alamoran way and didn’t want to return to a land of demons.
“Sama did you come across many animals when you ventured to the child’s grandfather?” asked Akomi Fire
“Yes, all the animals have gotten bigger, even the prey. You suggest we leave it to them to take care of the girl?”
“It’s more ethical than slaying her in front of her parents,” said Niobe Air. “What’re we going to do about them?”
“We can’t lose the mother. Magic is to be the next Malema, it’s forbidden to alter that. She must birth the next Malema too.” said Sama Earth. “With Peace.”
“She’s already aware of that. She’s already teaching the child the practices of a doula at home.” Sayeh Water said.
“It has to be you Sayeh. The child is attached to you. The moment she is in your arms you must take her to the gate. We’ll handle Magic and Peace. Remind them their Alamoran-” Raye whispered from outside their tent, “Excuse me Mothers, Fathers. There is something you must see.”
The drought did not scare the elders as they knew it was a warning from the Gods. The moment the child was removed they’d bring it all back. The moon was full and bright above the village that night. The Gods were watching.
The elders sent everyone back to bed before approaching the Harara’s tent. It was their intent to keep the operation discreet but word spread across the small village fast. The whispers could be heard. They did not bother waiting to be invited in and entered the family’s tent. Magic and Peace were sleeping in a separate chamber closed with a curtain in the back of the tent. The child usually slept in there with them but on this particular night, it looked like Zaire had snuck out to draw with her new crayons and fallen asleep on the floor. Wrapped in the blanket Magic knitted for her before she was born.
Looking at the child you’d never think she was a threat. She was baby-eyed and still shining, her long ginger locs always falling out its messy bun, her hands and feet were still chubby, her mother still had rubbed mango butter into the rolls on her long legs. She still demanded milk before bed and wore a cloth pamper to bed. She still ran after butterflies. Running around the village with her blanket and her kite after her lessons she’d play with the other children and give flowers to their parents. Everyone couldn’t help but love her. But in Alamora, fear is more powerful than love.
“Hi my little lightning,” Sayeh Water said to the child as she rubbed her belly. Zaire smiled at her elder, her dimples still as deep as they were when she was a baby. The child bowed to her elders, smiling deeper at their praise to her before Sayeh lifted her onto her hip.
“Mothers, Fathers.” Magic said as she entered the front of her home. She bowed quickly, “Is everything okay? Did Zaire run to your tent again? She hasn’t been sleeping through the night lately. I’ll take her back to bed.”
“That’s not what brings us here. Please wake your husband.” said Akomi Fire. “Okay well at least let me take my daughter to her bed. She’s going to the farming class with the school today so she should be well rested.” she tried to go around Akomi Fire and follow Sayeh Water but he stopped her.
“Magic? Mothers, Fathers.” Peace quickly bowed to the elders before stepping beside his wife. He and Magic conversed in his mother tongue Halan quickly before he took his wife’s hand.
“Where is Zaire?” he asked firmly. Peace is bigger than all four of the elders and though he knows it’s forbidden to fight them he’d do anything for his family.
“Tonight we had a communal dream. It was a warning-”
“No!” Magic shouted, “It’s not Zaire, there’s nothing dangerous about Zaire!” “She ate the entire village. Drank the entire river which was frosted up. Almora was a desert once again. And a few minutes ago the entire river went in. The Gods are warning us.” “Everything was changing before our daughter was born! Where water is drying in the south it’s rising in the North! It’s not her, it's the land!”
“Relocation in the summer is a death sentence. None of our children or elderly would survive. They’re not strong enough to ward off the animals.”
“So you’re going to kill my child? My child, who is to be the Malema after me?” Magic cried “She’s five years old if she was a curse we would’ve known sooner.” “We wanted to be wrong, child. We wanted so badly to be wrong.”
“I’ll go with her. I’ll take her to my father in the rainforest but please please please Mother, Fathers don’t kill my baby.”
“She cannot be near our water source. She’ll swallow it. She’s drought.”
“No she’s not, she’s our daughter! You’re not going to kill her!” Peace yelled “We’ll all go with her. We’ll never return.”
“It is forbidden and you know it. I don't know what customs you come from but successors don’t abandon their roles here in Alamora. You both have a duty here, you cannot abandon Alamora and betray our gods.”
“We’re parents first. You will not hurt our baby!”
“It is decided. The child leaves now. If you plan on causing more of a scene than you likely already have then I can put you both to sleep with my magic right now. If not, you can pack your daughter a bag and say goodbye at the gate. She will go alone.” Magic burst into tears in defeat, “After all my mother did for Alamora… you’ll kill the last part of her.” she cried
“I won’t forget this.” Peace said. It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise.
Magic and Peace packed the child a backpack with food, clothes, milk, and water. Their hearts were broken. There really was nothing they could do. If the elders were right another drought would tear apart the land and bring disease to the village.
By the gates of Alamora, Sayeh Water was preparing the child for her inevitable death without telling her. She told her she was selected out of all the other children to go on a special mission to find a fish.
“You have to follow the river with the bright yellow fish inside the jungle. When you get to the end of it then you know it’s time to come home to your mommy and daddy.” “Then they’ll come pick me up?” the child asked. Sayeh Water had dressed her in a red kaftan and brown pants.
Sayeh held back tears as she nodded, “They’ll bring you back home to us.” she kissed the child’s forehead and cheeks.
Magic and Peace approached the gate. A few of the villagers stand outside their tents watching the whole ordeal. A mix of emotions on their faces. It’s been years since this has happened; the children have never seen a villager get exiled. Let alone the five-year-old girl who went to school with the seven-year-old class on Fridays.
The child ran to her mother and father happily laughing when her father lifted her up into his arms. “Daddy I’m going to look for a fish!” she happily told Peace in Halan. Peace held back his tears for her sake but Magic couldn’t help it.
“Oh yeah? Are you gonna do a good job?” he asked.
“Yeah! I’m gonna follow the river. Mama look! Mother Sayeh River put crystals in my hair for protection!” She spoke Alamoran to her mother. Shaking her head to show her mother the dangling rose quartz and amethyst hair jewelry in her locs.
“How pretty,” Magic whimpered as she took Zaire from her husband. “Mommy has something pretty for you too.”
“You crying Mommy?” the five-year-old asked as she played with her mother’s ankle-length locs.
“Mommy’s just so proud of you. I can’t believe how big you’re getting!” Magic sobbed. “How old are you now? Ten?”
Zaire giggled, “No Mommy I’m five!”
“You’re five years old now. You remember who gave you to me?”
“Grandma Freedom! And she gave you this!” The child played with the bright glowing pendant around her mother’s neck. The last remains of Freedom's life force felt like the hugs Magic looked so much.
“That’s right. And now it’s yours. Grandma’s gonna keep you safe okay?” Magic took her necklace off with her free hand and handed it to Zaire. Peace tired it behind the child’s neck. Zaire smiled as she watched the pendant glow bright blue and purple. It was big in her tiny chubby hands and a little heavy on her neck but she didn’t care.
“Hi Grandma!” the child kissed the pendant making Magic only cry more. Five years old was too young to lose a child. And Zaire was the child Peace and Magic prayed for. They saw Zaire as a victim of the curse just as much as the village. But it was their child who would have to die.
“It is time.” Akomi Fire said. He and Niobe Air started to unwind the main gate. There’s one bridge over the river and another gate spelled with magic to keep demons away. The child was small enough to fit through those bars.
When the gates opened fully the elders and villagers gasped in horror at what they saw in the mountains; demons. Huge four-legged demons the size of dinosaurs traveling in a pack. When they get that big in the mountains that means they could be even bigger in the jungles and forests. They could be lurking at the bottom of the rivers. They may have left Alamora but they didn’t leave the land. The child would never make it.
Before Magic could wail, Peace kissed her lips and whispered,” She’s not afraid. Don’t make her afraid or she’ll never make it. She’s smart, she’s quick, she can swim and she can climb trees.”
“But she can’t fight! She can’t hunt, she's a baby!”
“She’ll be fine.” Peace pulled a folded cloth from his pocket and kneeled down to Zaire’s level. “I was supposed to give you this on your tenth birthday but since you’re going on a special mission you’ll need a special weapon eh?”
Zaire nodded with a smile and sat on her father’s knee as he unfolded the cloth revealing his sword. The blades only appeared when a button in the middle was pushed. Zaire had only seen her father train with it and was never allowed to touch it.
“Thank you, Daddy!” Zaire squealed as she put the wrapped sword in her backpack. “See you soon.”
Peace gave Zaire a kiss and the child kissed his nose. Then she kissed her hand and placed it on his right foot. The gesture was a sign of respect in his village when a child leaves their elders at home.
“I love you Zaire Lumi.” Peace said before kissing her one last time.
“Come my baby,” Magic said as lifted her daughter into her arms. She turned to the elders as she held her daughter’s head to her shoulder, “I’ll walk her and come back.”
The elders nodded not wanting to cause any more drama as more and more villagers left their tents and watched. They were going to have to start the morning off with an announcement and prayer. Then everything will go back to normal. Everything will be okay.
Magic hummed a lullaby to her Zaire as she carried her to the fence. “Zaire look at Mommy.” There was no fear in the river-snow eyes Magic fell in love with for five years. Just excitement and adventure
“You’re a blessing, you hear me? Never let them treat you like a curse, a burden, or a disease. You’re magic. You’re our greatest gift. Grandma knew that’s why she sent you to me.” Magic kissed her daughter and held her close.
“I love you so much. And I love the way you always loved everyone here even though they weren’t always nice. I wish they gave you a better chance.”
“Maybe when I bring back the fish they’ll change!” Zaire said before kissing her mother’s cheek. “I love you, Mommy! See you soon.”
When Magic put Zaire down, the child kissed her hand and brushed it against her mother’s right foot like she did her father’s. Then she waved at her father and the other villagers. Her shiny eyes and smile bright as the moon.
Zaire blew her parents a kiss before stepping through the second gate and walking into the jungle. She didn’t even look back.
Magic wailed freely then after running into her husband's arms. She shook her head at the villagers looking at her with disgust and shock.
“This is not the Alamora that opened their arms to everyone in need of help so they would not die alone. This is not the Almora that swore to never kill another child! My mother died to give me my Zaire and you took her away from me because of an inevitable drought? This is not my home! Don’t bring your swelling bellies and babies to me! I quit!”
“You know that is forbidden!” Sayeh Water said.
“You gonna kill me if I don’t work? I’m not the only midwife here. Namandi would be happy to take my place-”
Zaire’s loud screams and cries cut Magic’s screaming off. The sound was coming from the sky, the village looked up and saw the silhouette of the child in the claws of a large were eagle above the jungle. The two of them struggled. The child kicked and kicked. The eagle screamed. Peace and Magic watched in horror of what they thought would soon be their daughter's end.
The eagle squeezed the child with its claws and her cries stopped only to erupt a piercing scream from the eagle. It threw its head back at an irregular angle and fell letting the motionless child go.
For the first time in five years, the snow came to an end. The river began to rise. But the villagers would soon see that blessings do not look like blessings when they come from the belly of fear.
Aasha
My name is Aasha (pronounced ah-a-sha) and I am muslim Indo Trinidadian Indigenous writer and illustrator from Harlem New York. My family is from Bengal, East and West Africa. I have been writing since age five and I would like to be a professional writer, illustrator and filmmaker in the future.