“This is the assegai,” Amahle says. Standing in the middle of Suzy’s and mine living room, an assegai spear appears in her hands. It is tall. I have never seen one so close.
“Wowwwww!” Joy whispers in awe. “What a weapon!”
“Don’t touch, Joy!” Suzy says as Joy leans in.
“I’m just watching from close by! I’m not touching it!”
“Walt, Suzy,” Amahle asks. “Does it look like an assegai or does it only feel like it?”
“Oh, it looks like it,” I say.
“It’s even painted in different colors. How could you create something in colors, Amahle?” Suzy asks this because Amahle has been blind from birth and has never seen colors. Her own dream is completely dark and devoid of light.
“That is strange,” Amahle says.
“Show me more!” Joy demands.
“The assegai is a mighty weapon,” Amahle says. “But Shaka created an even better one.” The assegai in her hand transforms into a smaller spear. “The shorter spear is less cumbersome, less heavy, and used to… kill better.”
“Wowww!” Joy is in awe of this one as well. “Shaka was cooooool!”
Amahle laughs. “You are a little warrior, aren’t you, Joy?”
“Yuh huh!” she says.
“Then look at this,” Amahle is caught up in Joy’s enthusiasm. The spear is replaced by a shield as tall as Amahle. It seems to be made of animal skin on the outer side.
“No waaaayyy!”
“And did you know,” Amahle says excitedly. “That when the White Man came with his guns and bullets, Shaka discovered that if you dipped the shield in water, it could withstand bullets.”
“What!” Joy shouts.
“Is that true?” Suzy says, also in awe.
“Absolutely. This shield was a bit bulletproof.”
“That’s amazing,” I say.
“Amahle, please please please please please let me hold the assegai for a while!”
“Joy, you promised!”
“I’ve been practicing with Dad soI can touch things I like and not make them permanent! Pleeeeze!”
“Joy!”
“And if I mess up and make it real, just ask Dad to destroy it! Pleeeeze pleeeze pleeze!”
Amahle considers it, and then says, “Okay. Just for a minute. Don’t make it permanent.”
“Yaiii!”
Joy is happy but inside I get a deep sense of foreboding.
(To be continued…)
—Told by Grampa Walt