• Facts about the person’s life. • Things the person remembers. • The person’s opinions. • Memories of happy and unhappy times.
Activity 9: Read more of Phyllis Ntantala’s story
You listened to part of Phyllis Ntantala’s story in Activity 1. It ended with the words: “They were usually women from Mndundu and Rhamrha who were selling tobacco, baskets and pottery.” Now you will read more of her story.
Before reading Answer these questions as class to see if you remember the setting of the story. 1 Where was the author’s home? 2 Why did so many visitors come to her home?
While reading Take note of the following while you read.
1 Notice the words printed in bold. The Glossary will help you understand these words.
2 Take note of the words and actions that describe the characters in the author’s family.
Glossary
laden: carrying a heavy load
veranda: a covered area with an open front that is joined to a house on the ground floor
wares: things that are for sale
seldom: not often ensue: to happen
parched: dried out by very hot weather
Then these women would arrive, driving their donkeys laden with bags of tobacco, while they themselves carried their baskets and pots on their heads. On the veranda or under the trees their wares would be displayed and Tata would buy what he wanted while Mama would be looking at the baskets (seldom the pots, for we did not brew any of the homemade brews from corn). She, too, would pick what she wanted. While all this was going on, a warm conversation between our parents and these women would ensue. We, the children, would be busy making tea for everybody and getting food ready to feed the starving saleswomen. They, too, could not be sent away hungry. For us children these visits were a chance to investigate the wares that were displayed on the veranda and look at the interesting selection of goods that the women had brought with them. We were amazed at the choice of baskets and pots that were available, all in different sizes for all manner of uses. The women sometimes brought materials with them too. They would spread them out over the lawns where the bright colours looked like beds of flowers which brightened up the parched garden.
They would forget that time was passing and not waiting for them. Late in the afternoon would be heard “Yho! Is it this late already? It will be dark by the time we cross the river. We do not
34 Term 1: Weeks 3–4
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