The First Woman

‘Promise me you will pass on the story of the first woman – in whatever form you wish. It was given to me by women in captivity. They lived an awful state of migration, my grandmothers. Telling origin stories was their act of resistance. I only added on a bit here and a bit there.

‘The minute we fall silent, someone will fill the silence for us.’

If we acquiesce in hiding our bodies, we allow the myths to stay.’

humans were like that; they turn their shame into anger.

it does not matter how many sorrys you say: sorry is not doing it again.’

First, though, I’m going to university to be free. Free to do things I could not do at Aunt Abi’s – go out all night and dance myself dizzy, get drunk, get rid of this hymen before I get married.’
‘No virgin goat for Aunt Abi?’
‘Would you take home a car without a test drive?’

‘Look, Kirabo, parents are designed to make us feel let down at some point, especially as we get older. That way we promise ourselves to be better parents. It is evolution. You are going to be the best mother ever.’

Because women are brought up to treat sex as sacred while men treat it as a snack.

‘It is not rubbish, it is just that…women don’t need their fathers to inject them with energy to ask for their rights.’

‘You should only have children you can bring up on your own. Too many women are trapped in bad marriages because of children.’