Nervous Conditions Chapter 2

Tambu’s childhood is explained further, during the elementary school years, before her brother had gone off to the mission school. Here, she and her brother both attend a rural school, with Tambu being a year behind her older brother.  

However, money becomes problematic, and eventually the parents are unable to pay tuition for both children, and Tambu is pulled from school. Nhamo continues to attend, and his parents struggle to even raise enough money for that. But the choice is clear, in that if they can afford to only send one child to school, it will be the male.  

During one conversation with her brother, Tambu expresses the point at which she no longer cared for her brother. He tells her that she would not be able to receive an education… because she is a girl. Tambu says, “My concern for my brother died an unobtrusive death.”  

Tambu expresses her strong desire to continue with formal education to her father, who finds the idea ridiculous. He even expresses a measure of anger at her request, believing it to be disrespectful to even suggest such a thing, thinking that Tambu expects her father to pay for it. His belief is that she should continue with menial labor, as that is a woman’s place, until a time when a man might be willing to pay a dowry for her hand in marriage. He disapproves of her goal, but eventually relents, based upon the promise by Tambu that she will finance her own education. Her father’s confidence that she will fail, as suggested to him by her mother, leads to his relenting, if only for the entertainment of watching her fail.  

Tambu cultivates a plot of land on the family fields, a half of an acre that her mother allows her to cultivate. Tambu grows a small crop, beginning her work each day long before the sun rises. She reflects upon the farming skills taught to her years before by her grandmother, when they cultivated a garden together. Tambu also recalls the history and other knowledge shared by her grandmother as they tended the garden, including the explanation of how “wizards” had come to the land, white settlers and slave traders, who took away land from the native people. She mentioned that others had come later, who looked similar to the wizards, but were holy, and brought education to the Africans. Babamukuru, at age nine, had been the first in their family to attend school provided by these missionaries.

Tambu’s garden is successful, but upon discovering that Nhamo is stealing the fruits of her labor (and giving them away as gifts to schoolmates), she confronts him at Sunday School, and instigates a physical fight. She is reprimanded by Mr. Matimba, a teacher.

Upon her description of why she attacked Nhamo, Mr. Matimba feels bad for Tambu’s plight, and offers to help her sell the remaining maize. A few days later, he takes her on her first-ever ride in a motor vehicle. He takes her to a nearby village where tourists pass through, and he helps her set up to sell maize on the street. However, very shortly after beginning to sell, a white woman becomes indignant at what appears to her to be a man forcing a young indigenous girl to sell maize. The white woman makes a scene out of this outrageous appearance of child slavery, and feels a moral obligation to offer a cash donation to Tambu. This donation turns out to be enough to cover Tambu’s education costs for several years.  

Tambu is immediately smitten with the money, and asks Mr. Matimba to give it to her. However, Mr. Matimba wisely knows that such a windfall could easily be spent frivolously, so he insists that the money be deposited with the headmaster, thus ensuring that her education would be paid up for many years to come. This also had the effect of preventing Jeremiah from taking the money, which, as anticipated, he later argues as belonging to him. Jeremiah fails to take the money, thus ensuring Tambu’s education.  

We learn more of Babamukuru’s five-year educational stint in Britain, and that his wife, Maiguru, was also offered a scholarship there. While Babamukuru’s elderly mother (who he was very apprehensive about leaving) recommended that Babamukuru and Maiguru’s children remain in Africa, where they would feel at home, the final decision was made by Babamukuru that the children, Chido, and his sister Nyasha, would accompany him to Britain.  

Upon their return, great fanfare is given, as to a hero returning triumphantly from a mission. Jeremiah and Nhamo are selected to meet Babamukuru and his family at the airport. While Tambu desperately wants to accompany them, she is denied this honor, due to her subordinate position as a female. Her father told her that it was natural---her duty--- to remain at home, and prepare for the return celebration.  

Much preparation is made for the return, and through various means, money is found for a feast to be prepared.  

Analysis: 

By going back in time to Tambu’s younger days, we see the argument that Nhamo was privileged but unappreciative given more evidence. He has been selected for higher education simply because of his gender, in spite of many shortcomings he possesses.  

We see, by comparison, that Tambu’s desire to seek higher education is proven by a strong will to work. In spite of financial difficulties and a lack of enthusiasm from her father, Tambu demonstrates a willingness to work very hard to overcome these obstacles.  

Nhamo still finds other ways to antagonize Tambu, however. His lack of respect, a by-product of his assumed superiority, inspires him to steal the fruits of her labor.  

Yet, caring individuals do exist, as we see in Mr. Matimba’s efforts to help her sell the corn that was not stolen by Nhamo. A white tourist casually gives a sum that is small to the tourist, but large to Tambu, thus opening doors for Tambu to finance her continuing education.  

We are shown some of the history of Babamukuru and his family, and understand some of the reasons that Tambu so strongly desires to further her own education.