SALAZĀ'S JOURNAL
It rained heavily one night when I heard whispering and saw a young, concealed woman, only a few years older than me, holding a baby. She saw me peek through a window.
"Is this the home of Mother?"
I nodded warily.
"You are Salazā, yes? The Protector?"
Protector? I guess I'm something like that.
I nodded again.
"I was told to gift this to you, as a thanks," she placed a cloth-wrapped parcel at the door.
"Me?"
I climbed through the window, wanting to see.
"Do not spill blood you do not need to," she said. "Please take care of her. Her name is Ntsako."
I saw the note on the basket that read Ntsako.
"It means happiness. And I hope she brings you that."
"I'm sure you'd bring her that."
The woman revealed a morose face.
"Please, Protector."
I looked at the baby's twinkling eyes, one light, one dark.
"I'm not sure if we can."
The woman put the wrapped baby on the floor and sped away.
"Wait!" I called.
The baby began to cry. I held it, trying to hush it while sneaking it in.
Surely enough, the rest had woken to find me cuddling the baby of dark skin and light hair.
"That's what our child would look like," said Shaka impassively.
I quivered, not used to him saying such things. Everyone else was also stunned that he spoke so firmly, without a hint of diffidence.
When Shaka did seem to realize what he had just said, he cringed away and hid his face, embarrassed. We all chuckled, and even the baby did too.
It was only Mother who just stared without a word.
"Here," I lifted it.
Mother took a pause, held the child, yet quickly gave it back.
"I don't want this child here," she said. "She brings evil."
"She's not evil," I raised my voice, the first time I ever had at her.
"I never said she was."
She looked to my sisters and brothers, seeing how they stood beside the baby protectively.
"You want to keep her?" she asked us.
We nodded. She looked to the baby, who reached out its tiny hand to her, but Mother ignored it.
"I'll open my home, but I will not be the one to take care of her. It's up to you all."
That's how Ntsako became our last sibling.
We all couldn't believe that mother thought this sweet, little baby would bring evil.
But we soon found just how right she was.
X