In the darkness and the cold of the night, the engraved houses on the small patch of flat land looked like tombstones in a strange grave yard. high up in the mountains "Mphala!" Her face and body excited me, and made me forget that I was afraid. I held her soft warm hand. "Mpala, can I Shhh Quickly, she pulled me over to a place beneath Inoe's dilapidated, old house "I saw Inoe threshing rice this afternoon. For her age, she's incredibly strong!" I said. "Yes. she is. But don't touch the Che, the mortar she uses for threshing it, or the Kli, the pestle. "Why not?" "Just because there's no need to. said Mpala, trying to hold back her laughter. Her shoulder shook with it. "ow! Bad boy!" I held her shoulder and bit it softly. ouch And then I woke up. The cold went straight through me to my bones. And my memory of the dream had faded away. I pondered on it, Was that why the spirits of the village had been angry with me? Were they reproaching me for my impertinent fantasies?