Sometimes her mother had visitors, mostly supplicants who begged her for help with their crops or their families. This was the most exciting time for her as she was able to see people talk to them about the world and their lives. They could never understand why the daughter of a deity would be interested in the lives of mere mortals, but they answered her questions nonetheless.
Rumor soon spread of her beauty that was beyond what anyone had ever seen before. Dimena didn't feel comfortable with the men and women who stared at her so longingly, but they kept demanding that she be able to leave her mother and marry. While she didn't want to be subjected to the power of just another guardian, the idea of getting out of the same home she had always lived in, waiting on her mother, sounded wonderful.
Her mother said that she would only allow Dimena to marry whoever could bring back heavenly fire from Nzambi Mpungu, the creator god who stayed in the heavens. Many tried, but none succeeded.
Finally, there was a band of animals who were able to work together to bring the heavenly fire back to earth. Dimena silently cried tears of joy and pure relief as they entered her mother's throne room. She stood by her mother's side as she always did, ready to heed her commands. She couldn't help but think that this could be the last time she would have to stand waiting for her mother's decisions, owned and controlled by her.
"I deserve to marry her as I risked my life, almost being burned alive in the bamboo!" said the rat.
"But I pecked the hole by which we enetered heaven." said the woodpecker. "She should be mine!"
"But it was my quest! I am the reason she was rescued!" said the spider.
 |
| Nzambi Figure Source: Wikimedia |
"Well, if I give her to any of you, the others who do not win her will make her life miserable. I cannot do that to my daughter. So she will simply have to remain here with me. You are all dismissed." She waved her hand and Dimena's rescuers disappeared.
"Dimena, fetch me something to drink. Perhpas the juice from yesterday. On second thought, I want fresh squeezed juice. Why are you just standing there. Go!"
Dimena couldn't move. She couldn't feel. She didn't know what to think.
"How?"
"How what, my precious?"
Dimena tried to speak, but she couldn't find her voice.
"Speak up, Dimena. You know I won't tolerate mumbling."
"How could you keep me imprisoned here?"
"Imprisoned? Imprisoned! Ha! You live in a beautiful home with a mother who loves you more than anything. I am keeping you safe. The world is dangerous. You are too precious to risk. The world doesn't deserve you!"
"I'm leaving," Dimena could hardly believe the words coming out of her own mouth, but she continued anyway. "I will not stay here, your slave whom you claim to love. I will be free!"
"No you won't." And with that, the earth around Dimena rose. It envelopped her legs. She couldn't walk. "My only other other love, the earth will keep you here. Home. Where you will be safe."
Author's Note: This is based off the story How The Spider Won And Lost Nzambi's Daughter. In the original, we know nothing of the daughter except that she is beautiful. I thought it bizarre that the story mentioned how the daughter served her mother, even though her mother is a deity. So I decided to give her a voice, and imagine how the daughter would have felt I gave her a name and tried to explain why she would have remained with her mother after learning she would never be able to leave.
How The Spider Won And Lost Nzambi's Daughter: Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort by Richard Edward Dennett (1898).
Hello Jillian. How you told the story and the changes with giving more of a backstory to the daughter was an excellent decision. Beauty is a great motivator but for her to be seen and spoken to makes people and animals want her even more. The mother could be looked at in a few ways though. She could be looked at as she is keeping her safe because the world does suck. Or she could be looked at as being selfish and wanting her daughter to do everything for her even though I am sure she could get others to do it.
ReplyDeleteGreat work Jillian! I loved that you gave the daughter more of a voice in your story, but it definitely made it a lot more heartbreaking! I also liked that you gave the Mom a sort of justifiable reason for keeping her there. I respect that you didn't make the story happy ending (even though wow i'm sad now) and stayed true to the original intent! Great job!
ReplyDeleteThis was a really interesting take to the story, When I had first read the original, I admit that I didn’t put much thought in Nzambi’s daughter. I’m glad that you took that detail and made a whole story out of it. I really liked the direction you took this story and how you gave Nzambi’s daughter a miserable ending. It was a great story and I enjoyed it.
ReplyDelete