The Expert

On the way home from market today, Uncle gave me a chewing gum. I popped it in and started to crush it with my teeth. The juices filled my cheeks. My but it was tasty. 

I moved the gum way back in the corner of my mouth and pushed my fingers against my cheek to feel its soft lump. All the way along the path, I chewed and chewed. Soon, my cheeks started to feel like they wanted to take a rest.

The sun was still high as I came through the door of the manyatta into the dark of the inside.  

Mama was sitting on a low stool, fixing food. Slowly, my eyes adjusted and I could see her face.

“Mama," I said, “Did you have chewing gum when you were little like me?”

Mama smiled. “Oh, yes, Namunyak, but back then we got it from a tree in the bush.” 

“Mama," I said, “How did you know which tree gave you chewing gum?” 

“Ho!” said Mama, “My big brother, Kepher, taught me when we went into the bush to watch the goats.” “But, Namunyak,” said Mama, “I am not an expert chewing gum chewer, you know?” 

“No?," I said. 

“There are experts out there among us Maasai,” said Mama, “For example, my brother.” 

“Uncle?” I said.

“Eeh,” said Mama. “My brother was a chewing gum expert. He could chew his chewing gum for three months!”

“Three months!” I said, my eyes wide. 

“Yes,” said Mama. “You know, inside the manyatta, there was even a place he could put the chewing gum to save it for the next day- on the upright stick right next to the cow hide where he slept. And the next day when he put it in his mouth, it tasted fresh as ever!”

“As fresh as ever!” I said.

“Sometimes,” said Mama, “He could put his chewing gum right here to save for later.”  Mama pulled her ear lobe forward to show me the spot. Mama’s ear lobes each had a hole as big around as my wrist. The rims of her ears and the hanging loop were covered in a rainbow of beads and earrings of various kinds. I didn’t see any room for storing chewing gum behind her ear lobes.

“Kuak!” I said, “Uncle must have really been an expert.” 

“Eeh,” said Mama. “He was. But you know what made him the most expert, Namunyak?”

“No,” I said.  

“You are clearly not an expert, like he was,” said Mama, “because when you chew, I can hardly even know you have anything inside your mouth.  When uncle chewed his chewing gum, everyone could know. You could hear a loud sound like “crack…kuak…chak!” And you could really see his mouth working. My but he was an expert.”

Ho! I thought. Uncle was really an expert. Making those noises all day long for three months! 

I swirled my chewing gum around my tongue. I pulled it back between my bigger teeth and chomped hard. A loud “kuak” came shooting out through my lips. 

My face spread into a big grin. I looked up at Mama. Her hands never stopped flying around the dishpan, mixing the flour and water for the chapati. She shot a glance my way, a little smile pushing at the edge of her mouth. "Namunyak, perhaps you are becoming an expert," she said.

This story- based on an explanation from my neighbor of gum chewing among the Maasai.