More Lost Files and A Question Answered

My best friend has just finished reading my novel, “Where the Sky Meets the Sand”, and she is full of questions, all of which I have enjoyed answering. And which gave me the idea that maybe you have the same questions and I should give you the answers. So here’s our first question.

Who is Tangwes?  Was she inspired by an orphan you met while in Africa?

Tangwes is a little girl who shows up late in the book, if you haven’t gotten that far. She is a little orphan living in Ruth’s village.

In the first version of the story, part of the deleted files I’ve been sharing here, Ruth had a friend named Tangwa and a sister named Kangwes. Ruth’s Maasai name was Kasirimo (all Maasai names I found on the internet, but decided not to use because I didn’t feel I had enough knowledge of Maasai names to use them in the final book).

Here is a scene from when Tangwa is in labor.

      “Tangwa, I’m here,” Ruth knelt next to her friend and grabbed her hand. The small room seemed filled with women, some chanting quietly, a few doting on the young girl who was writhing in pain.

      “Ruth, it hurts so bad,” she cried, gripping Ruth’s hand with all the strength she had.

      “Don’t be afraid. The baby will come soon and the pain will stop.” She didn’t know what else to say or do. Someone reached over and mopped Tangwa’s forehead with a wet rag. 

      “I’m so afraid.”

      “Don’t be. Don’t be afraid.” Tears started down Ruth’s cheeks. What else could she do? Why was her friend in so much pain? She had been around other women giving birth and they remained silent. Were they really so much more stoic than Tangwa or was there something wrong?

      She turned to the woman who was between the young girl’s legs. “Why does it hurt so much? Can’t you help her?”

      “Ahh, something is wrong, but there is nothing I can do. Baby will come when it is ready,” the old woman answered.

Ruth had seen her deliver babies before and there had never been anything wrong. This was her best friend, someone had to do something for her. She looked around the dimly lit room in desperation. She counted four other women, besides the mid-wife and herself. The fire in the center of the room gave off just enough light to see by, but at the cost of extreme heat. She thought that she would pass out from it and couldn’t imagine how Tangwa could possibly not do likewise.

“Please, you have to help her,” Ruth pleaded with anyone who would listen.

“Maybe you should wait outside,” her mother ran her hand across Ruth’s cropped hair. “The others will help her. She’ll be ok.”

Ruth tightened her grip on her friend’s hand. “I can’t leave her like this.”

“Come, now,” her mother pulled on her arm. “Say good-bye. You can see Tangwa and the baby in the morning.”

Tangwa’s screams had subsided and her body was still, exhaustion setting in. Her hand let go of Ruth’s.

“Tangwa?”

“It’s ok, Ruth. The pain is better now. I am so glad you are here. I’ll be ok.” She even began to smile, but it quickly turned to a grimace. “Really, I am ok. I will see you after the baby comes.”

Ruth placed the back of her hand on her friend’s sweat-covered cheek. “In the morning.”

     "In the morning.”

I guess if the orphan Tangwes was inspired by anyone, she would be a combination of two little kids I’ve met in my travels. 

The first one is Sandra who I met in Mathare slum on our first trip. Her mother had AIDS but was trying to work to support herself and Sandra

 The other girl was from my trip to Peru, one of the little kids who lived in the prison with her mother. We took all the kids out of the prison for a day and the one little girl really bonded with one of the male volunteers who was with us, teasing him and loving to be teased back, hanging on his arm all day. So, yea, I guess she was Tangwes too.

If you have any questions for me, shoot me an email, message me on facebook or post a comment here. Please don’t ask anything that would spoil the plot for someone who hasn’t read it, though. Such as, “in chapter 43, why does the earthquake have to kill the boy?” Don’t worry, there is no earthquake, but I can’t tell you what happens to the boy. You have to read it for yourself! 

And one last thing. If you have finished the book, I would really appreciate your honest review on Amazon.com, if you haven’t already written one. Thanks!