Nervous Conditions Chapter 4
Babamukuru takes Tambu to the mission school where he is the headmaster. The ride in his car is thrilling to Tambu, as she imagines the unknown that is ahead of her. Her conflicting emotions toggle between the belief that she will live like royalty, as opposed to tempering her own excitement, aware that perhaps she is expecting unrealistic things. She wonders where she will sleep, whether sharing a room with Anna, the housemaid, or with Nyasha. Tambu hopes it will be Anna, as she has known Anna and enjoys her company, but feels that Nyasha has fallen too far from traditional ways, and shares little in common with her.
Tambu recognizes this as a milestone in her life, realizing that while she stepped into the car as a peasant girl, she has now taken the first step towards the transformation that will turn her into an educated and successful woman who can lift her family out of poverty.
Upon arrival at the mission, which she has only seen through the verbal descriptions that Nhamo (known for his exaggerations and outright lies) had verbally described, she is awed by the modern home, which even has interior plumbing, with cold AND hot water. She is amazed to see that cars--- two of them--- have their own building, and she is overwhelmed by the seeming opulence of the home.
She is offered food, a tantalizing array of sandwiches and sweets and fruits. While she secretly desires to eat every item offered, she wants to avoid the appearance of greed or need, and only takes a single cookie.
Tambu is shown to her quarters, a bedroom which she will share with her cousin Nyasha. While Tambu and Nyasha had been close friends at one time, Tambu has reservations now, after seeing how much Englishness her cousin has adopted. This apprehension is further fueled by observing the disrespect that Nyasha expresses towards her own mother, which Tambu does not approve of.
Analysis:
Tambu is now living the duality of being both a peasant girl, but living the life of what she believes is near-royalty. She anticipates her own changes towards sophistication, but still fears losing touch with her Shona heritage. She does not fully understand, though, that her own criticism of Nyasha for “forgetting” her Shona and embracing British culture will now become a struggle of her own. Even on her first night at Babamukuru’s home, she is unaware of how the new customs work, and chooses to remain aloof, as though they do not matter to her.
