NYU Black Renaissance Noire Winter/Spring 2012 | Page 20

For a number of days after that Chata
could not understand why Rendi
had changed towards him and why he
avoided playing with him. But that did
not last long because Zwanga wanted
them back at the workshop at the same
time. Whereas at first it was only Rendi
who had an obligation to be there and
learn from the master as the first-born
son who would carry on the tradition
of carving and blacksmithing that
included goldsmithing, Zwanga now
decided to have Chata also work with
him formally as an apprentice. So the
boys once more became inseparable,
despite the reservations of Rendi’s mom.

18

Right from the beginning Zwanga
observed that Chata was keen to learn
the distinguishing properties of the
various metals in the smithy. He came
to work quite early in the morning,
while Rendi was still asleep. Chata was
always reluctant to leave at midday
when Zwanga thought the boys had
had enough of work and training for
the day. Though he was a tough
taskmaster and overworked these boys
as a way of training them, he had to
force Chata out of the workshop
because he needed time alone to forge
implements and weapons without
being disturbed by chattering boys.
He was also keen that the boys should
learn other skills out there in the wild
that only peers could teach. He was
wise enough to know that boys their
age needed to play in order for them to
develop into real men.

Rendi looked forward to those moments.
He found the smith very constricting.
He wanted to be free in the bush and
trap animals, an art that he had mastered
thanks to Chata. He envied his siblings
from his father’s junior wives who had
no obligation to follow their father into
working with wood, ivory and metal.
They had instead pursued other interests,
mostly in farming and cattle-ranching,
and were already serving apprenticeships
with uncl W>( F&