SALAZĀ'S JOURNAL
Next, we met a boy of wide, jaggery-colored eyes and skin shaded like sandalwood paste.
He was a thief who tried to steal Mother's purse while we were watching jesters and dancers performing at the market center.
"Who do you think you are, you little shum?" I shoved him against a wall.
"You better let me go or I'll—"
I punched him out cold and pulled back Mother's purse. When he woke, he saw all of us standing around him, snarling our teeth.
Mother broke through and stared at him. He gulped, saying nothing.
"Boy," she said softly, but firmly. "What did you need with the coin?"
"Nothing," he said, panicking. "I-I-I didn't mean to take it."
"Yes, you did," said Sjino.
"Quiet, girl!" he shouted.
Sjino flung a sandal at him, and I chuckled with the boys.
"Children," Mother said.
We bowed our heads. Mother stared at him, waiting.
"I-I-I was trying to buy a ring for my ama."
The kids snickered, and I joined only for us to silence at mother's glare.
"Your ama?" Mother asked. "Who might that be?"
"The lady in lavender who always gives me bread in closing at the bakery."
"Lahra?" I laughed, thinking about the twenty-something beauty who was courted often. "You're about eight, yes?"
"So? She's beautiful. I'll buy her a ring, then she'll give me bread whenever I want."
"That's not how marriage works," Sjino shook her head.
"How would you know?"
"Because I was almost in one, unfortunately. And my one sounded a lot more promising than yours."
"Sjino," I said, gesturing to his drooping head.
"Fine," she sighed. "If you want a wife, you need to understand what being a husband is. And you're not going to learn that by robbing your mother."
"She's not my mother."
"Trust me. If you stay around her much longer, she will be."
And on that day, the boy followed us home. This made our chopping of vegetables go exceedingly fast.
"What's your name?" Silio asked.
He shrugged.
"That's okay," Shaka nudged him. "Sala will give you one."
"I don't mind giving this shum a name. Oh. How about Shum?"
He rolled his eyes at the Amari word we used for a little trickster.
"Go away."
"How about…Shummie? Shump? Shu—"
"Stop."
"Wait, I got. Instead of Shump like sshamp. How about sshoohmpa? Yes, Shumpa!" I snapped my fingers.
"Forget it."
"I like it," said Sjino.
"You do?" he blushed.
"Hmm-mm," she smiled. "It's got ooh in it. And you'll never worry about anyone else having your name."
"Shumpa," Silio and Shaka said together, nodding at him.
"So?" I winked at him.
He smiled.
"Shumpa it is."
X