A Girl Named Disaster

Nhamo wakes up in the boat, unsure where she is. She guesses she’s on the Musengezi River. The current is strong, and she struggles to keep going. Grandmother said the journey would only take two days, but she already needs rest. She rows to land, lies near the shore, and remembers Grandmother’s tales about the people who once lived along the Musengezi.

Nhamo notices a hole in the boat and tries bailing out the water. She takes Mother out of the pot once she’s done and tells her about the journey. She knows she’s stalling, but fears returning to the water. Her fear worsens when she sees hippos nearby. Unable to continue rowing, she decides to spend the night near the shore.

Nhamo continues her journey at dawn. When she sees the hippos again, she leaps into the water and the boat starts drifting away. Finally, Nhamo retrieves the boat and escapes the hippos. Feeling lonely, she starts telling Mother stories. Suddenly, she wishes she had “never left home” (97).

Nhamo feels better the next morning. She tells herself the hippos won’t hurt her and decides to teach herself to swim.