In a very short story it is difficult to develop fully rounded characters. This is especially so here, where most of the prose focuses on describing nature and other issues relating to the drought. Perhaps the best developed characters are the two little girls. Although their lives are very simple, Head cleverly humanizes the girls by describing them both times they appear as imitating their mother by playing with home-made dolls. The symbolism of the dolls (rebirth, motherhood, and innocence) is a masterstroke.

Themes

Man vs. Nature: There are essentially two types of Man vs. Nature story: those where man seeks to control or harness nature, and those where man simply tries to survive the effects of it. The tribe in this story (and presumably their government) lack the know-how and/or resources to mitigate the effects of drought. They must learn to live through it or die in the process. There is some early foreshadowing of the latter as we learn that at the beginning of the summer a number of men went out of their homes and hung themselves.

Dashed Hopes: After six years of drought the summer begins with promising, although not inundating, rainfall. Interestingly, there were some aspects of traditional tribal culture still being observed at the time of the story. The villagers must wait until their headman officially proclaims the beginning of the ploughing season before heading out to their farms. There is a practical side to this. Not all of the villagers are farmers; many are cattle herdsmen. During the dry season the herdsmen can graze their cattle anywhere, including over the farming lands. During the ploughing season, they must keep their cattle away from farming land. One of the first families to leave the village was that of old Mokgobja. The family excitedly clear their land, make other preparations, and wait for the rain… and wait, and wait, and wait!

Dealing with Desperation: There are several options available to the family in dealing with the situation they find themselves in:

1. Tough it out. They haven’t yet planted their seeds, have two goats left, and own a donkey cart and presumably a donkey. They may be in a position to survive until next season;
2. Trust their luck. Cheats and charlatans (and maybe some witch-doctors who know real magic!) are making a fortune selling spells and charms to the other villagers. Perhaps they will be lucky where others have failed; and
3. Ask help from a god.

Before commenting on the next theme, it is appropriate to correct a common misconception in relation to the storyline. The author writes that the two woman (Tiro and Nesta) broke down under the strain of waiting for rain. Many readers interpret these words and the women’s nightly wailing and frenzied dance-like movements as signs of madness or hysteria. This is not the case. As indicated in Head’s New African magazine version of the story (see above), the women are performing a Botswanan rain-making dance; most likely a go fetlha pula. In other words, they are pursuing option 3 above. This dance and the chants involved are probably what stirred the ancient memory in Mokgobja’s mind. As the dance is part of tribal culture, it may also be a factor in the women and Ramadi agreeing to what comes next.

Culture Clash: This brings us to the climax of the story, where the two girls are sacrificed to the rain-god. In interpreting the actions of characters in a story like this, it is important not to judge them solely by our cultural standards and beliefs. Consider the following:

1. At the time of the story, Botswana was a strongly patrilineal society and, as the family patriarch, Mokgobja’s wishes would have been hard for the other family members to ignore. He was also one of the oldest members of the tribe, and therefore likely to feel closer to their traditional gods than any new god imposed from the outside. For deeply religious people the world over, belief in their god(s) is absolute. The more Mokgobja thought about the situation, the more convinced he would have been that the ancient ritual would deliver rain;
2. Child sacrifice has been practiced in Africa for thousands of years. This is particularly so in the Sub-Saharan region where, even today, witch-doctors still carry out hundreds if not thousands of them each year; and
3. The response of the other villagers, as expressed in the last paragraph, puts Mokgobja’s actions into true perspective: All the people who lived off crops knew in their hearts that only a hair’s breadth had saved them from sharing a fate similar to that of the Mokgobja family. They could have killed something to make the rain fall.