THE MZUNGU CURSE

She sits on her bed crying to herself. A shell of who she once was.happy and beautiful. But now people avoid her.they say that my mama has the mzungu curse.they say that’s why daddy left us alone. That’s why they made us live in the evil forest. Mama’s cries bring me back to reality. She is shivering heavily and so is her breathing. It sounds like uncle John’s donkey which is always tired.I look at mama and a teardrop comes from my eyes. Mama says”my daughter don’t waste your tears for me…” She coughs a heavy cough.it rocks the whole of her body until the bed shakes.then she goes quiet. My thoughts go back to the past events when mummy started getting sick and thin.daddy would beat her up saying he was being mocked for not feeding his wife. When the witchdoctor came he said Mama had the mzungu curse.I didn’t understand them….how could brother Paul the only mzungu around, curse mama? He was a nice man who always gave us sweets….. Eventually papa chased us……I heard the door opening. It was brother Paul the mzungu. Mama was still asleep. “How’s your mother doing? “She just slept ” he moved over to her side and then he made those drawings he makes on his face and stomach like a child and covered mama in her blanket. “Nina.your mama has gone to heaven …” I didn’t know where heaven was or how mama got there but I felt sad that she went there. Brother Paul told me about AIDS.told me of how papa had put it in her and how it got into him.it confused me.it still does.will someone explain to me the mzungu curse?