The Pot Breaks at the Door
This is what happens when you don't listen to your grandmother.
Your grandmother will teach you the phrase ‘isiongo yatikhila khumuliango.’ When you’re ten, you won’t think much about pots breaking at doors. After all, what do grandmothers really know about life? She’ll say it’s a warning, but you’ll think it doesn’t concern you, since women carried the pots. So again, what do grandmothers know about life? The phrase roughly means ‘the pot breaks at the door,’ but, like most translations, it can’t capture the emotion and weight of the original words, just like the ending of this story.
It will begin with four cups of coffee early in the morning.
You will wake up so early, before dew settles on grass and leaves. It will still be hanging in the air, masquerading as mist. The moment you step out of your tent, the weather will scream ‘go back to your blanket, you idiot!’ but you will not listen. You will
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