Bonnie pulled the yams out of the fire; they were already cooked and had a faint aroma.
The women hid all the tools and the iron pot in a secluded spot so they wouldn't have to go through all that trouble tomorrow. Each of them held half a cooked yam in her hand, munching on it, not thinking of taking it back for the children.
Bonnie took the lead in eating, and the children, who had worked hard all day, also deserved to treat themselves. With Bonnie setting an example, the other sisters-in-law followed suit and started eating as well.
They smeared their faces with the black ash from the yam peel, looked at each other, and burst into laughter.
As the sun set, the women, their laughter echoing, rowed their small boats home with all their might.
Were you tired today? Yes, I was! Were you happy? Yes, I was really happy! Happy from the bottom of my heart!
Once home, the sisters-in-law transformed into busy little bees, tending the fire, cooking, and cleaning. But today, they no longer felt wronged, no longer wanted to scold the children, and no longer complained about their husbands for not being able to help.
The work is the same old work, but it's been completely different, and I'm doing the same things again. But I don't feel tired at all; I'm so happy, I even feel like singing a few lines.
The sisters-in-law secretly vowed that no matter how hard or tiring it was, they would not give up halfway, and even if there was no harvest in the fall, they would not regret it.
The picnic lunch today was simple, but it made them feel like they were themselves, not someone's wife or someone's mother; they were simply themselves. They drank soup heartily and ate cornbread with gusto, without worrying about whether the children were full or if the men were getting enough to eat.
This lunch made many of the women start to reflect on whether they should treat themselves better.
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