Nervous Conditions: Chapter Seven Summary & Analysis

On December 23, Babamukuru, Maiguru, Nyasha, and Tambu go to the homestead for Christmas. Chido gets out of going. Nyasha pouts about having to go, which makes Tambu fear another bloody scene. Maiguru tries to talk to Nyasha, but Nyasha insists that family isn't important since Thomas and Tete Gladys aren't coming for Christmas. Maiguru is sharp with Nyasha and looking back, Tambu believes that this is because Maiguru didn't want to go either.

Babamukuru insists that Nyasha has to go and everyone prepares for a fight. Surprisingly, Nyasha agrees and the family heads off with Anna and as much food as will fit in the car. Maiguru grumbles that a half an ox is too much meat. Her grumbling at Babamukuru is unusual, so Tambu wonders if he actually did buy too much meat. Maiguru says that her issue is that when Babamukuru provides so much food, everyone expects her to cook and serve it. Babamukuru chuckles, says that Maiguru has Nyasha and Tambu to help, and then happily reminisces about his boyhood.

The homestead looks rundown. The thatched roofs are falling in, there are holes in the walls, and the once sanitary latrine is coated in excrement. Tambu asks Mainini a few days into the visit why she doesn't clean the toilet, but Mainini shrugs and tells Tambu to clean it. Tambu does with Nyasha's help, but they use the bushes anyway.

When Babamukuru's car rolls up outside the house, only Rambanai and Netsai greet their visitors. Netsai explains that Mainini is lying down, while Jeremiah and Takesure are out. Babamukuru is shocked; he apparently asked that Takesure and "that girl," Lucia, leave the homestead a while ago. Lucia herself appears and explains that Takesure and Jeremiah are drinking. Babamukuru ignores her, but Lucia continues. She asks where Babamukuru wants her to go and laughs about going anywhere with Takesure.

Tambu wishes Lucia would be quiet, as her situation is serious: Tambu's maternal grandparents have always been very poor, and it didn't help matters when Mainini got pregnant and went home with Jeremiah. This meant that Mainini's parents couldn't claim a high bride price for her, and Lucia was deemed a witch for not also marrying. Nineteen years later, after Nhamo's death and yet another miscarriage, Mainini asked that Lucia come to the homestead to help. At the same time, Babamukuru sent Takesure to the homestead. He has two wives already and isn't finished paying off either, but he doesn't like being married and doesn't want to work. Soon, Lucia was pregnant with Takesure's baby.

Lucia insisted that the baby is Jeremiah's, which Jeremiah says isn't true: he waited to have sex with Lucia until after she was pregnant. Regardless, he still thinks it'd be wonderful to take Lucia as a second wife, as she's bold and spirited. He thinks he's powerful enough to control her, given that he already broke Mainini's spirit. He attempted to make this case to Babamukuru and cited that if Lucia's baby is a boy, it'd be very good. Babamukuru, however, wouldn't hear of Jeremiah having two wives and living in that kind of sin. He insisted that Takesure and Lucia leave, and Jeremiah, fearing Babamukuru, agreed to make them. Lucia's presence is proof that Jeremiah didn't obey Babamukuru.

Lucia greets Maiguru warmly and then leads her to the house, while Babamukuru unlocks the trunk. He imperiously asks Lucia to help carry things and to be respectful, but Maiguru brushes off his reproach. They all carry provisions inside, and then Mainini calls out from the bedroom. Tambu goes to her and tries to deal with Mainini's displeasure that Tambu didn't greet her first thing. She asks the polite questions about Mainini's health and wonders how she can behave so differently with Mainini than she does with Babamukuru and Maiguru. She wonders briefly if she'll start standing up to Babamukuru like Nyasha, but pushes the thought away.

Babamukuru and Maiguru enter the room. The adults greet each other, and Mainini makes rude comments about believing that her in-laws wouldn't come. When Mainini notices that Maiguru is sitting on the floor, she sends Tambu to fetch a chair. Nobody wants to sit on it but finally, Nyasha moves to the chair. Everyone scolds her for not properly greeting Mainini, so she gets down to hug her aunt. Mainini teases her about her full breasts and asks when Nyasha is getting married. The adults talk about Nyasha's future, which annoys Nyasha. Finally, Lucia interrupts and begins the formal greeting process.

Tete Gladys and uncle Thomas surprise everyone by deciding to come for Christmas after all, which wreaks havoc with the sleeping arrangements. The eight unmarried women end up sleeping together in the tiny outside kitchen while the married couples take private rooms. Tambu explains that the holiday wasn't truly a holiday: there were 24 people to feed, fetch water for bathing, and do laundry for. Tete Gladys, being a patriarchal relative, isn't expected to help, and four of the thirteen women are under age four, so it falls to Maiguru, Nyasha, Tambu, and the three house girls to do all the work.

Mornings begin with heating water for the adults to wash, which takes hours. Then, they cook breakfast and boil tea on Maiguru's Dover stove. After cleaning up, the girls have to fetch water from Nyamarira. When the girls get home, it's time to cook the next meal or wash dishes. Maiguru works constantly, as, being the senior wife, it's her responsibility to make sure that the food lasts for the full two weeks. This means that she has to ration out the meat, which is only a problem because it won't all fit in the small refrigerator. It starts turning green after a few days. When Tete Gladys insults Maiguru's cooking, Maiguru begins cooking a special pot of refrigerated meat for the patriarchal family members.

Just after the new year, Babamukuru calls a family meeting to discuss the issue of Takesure and Lucia. It includes only the patriarchal family members and Takesure. Babamukuru begins by going over the facts. He then asks Takesure why he didn't leave after he was told to do so, and Takesure says he would've left if Lucia hadn't refused to go with him.

Meanwhile, the women and children sit in the outdoor kitchen, furious. Mainini rants that the patriarchs are going to make it seem like Lucia impregnated herself on purpose and says it's unfair not to include Lucia. Patience agrees and Lucia, boiling with rage, tries to get Maiguru to take a side. Maiguru sidesteps and refuses. Tambu notes that none of the women could recognize that by taking these extreme sides, their fear of the situation and of their differences make it even harder to relate to each other.

Maiguru distantly says that the matter doesn't concern her, as neither Lucia nor Takesure are her family. Mainini asks why Maiguru is even in the kitchen if she's not going to side with the women, but Maiguru reminds Mainini that she invited her. She insists that Lucia and Takesure will have to deal with the consequences and excuses herself to go to bed. After Maiguru leaves, Mainini sneers that Maiguru is proud, unfeeling, doesn't care for Tambu and killed Nhamo.

Lucia tries to calm Mainini, but Mainini won't have it. Mainini insists that Lucia doesn't know how to restrain herself, since she slept with Takesure and Jeremiah. Then, Mainini insists that the women only listened politely to Maiguru because she's educated and rich. Mainini says that she also has a mouth and she won't be quiet, and accuses Maiguru of being a witch and stealing children. Mainini turns on Tambu and says that if Tambu is too good to eat vegetables or use the latrine, she can go to Maiguru and eat meat.

Lucia manages to convince Mainini to go to the house to listen in on the meeting, and the two of them leave. Patience follows and Tambu wants to follow, but she's afraid of seeming disloyal to Nyasha. Nyasha is gone, and Tambu doesn't know when she left the kitchen, but she's glad to not have to explain her mother's words. Later, Nyasha insists that both Mainini and Maiguru are suffering, though Tambu insists that Maiguru can't suffer.

Maiguru passes through the meeting and Babamukuru gives her permission to continue through to the bedroom. The rest of the women gather and whisper outside. Takesure resumes his tale and says that Lucia refused to leave with him. Lucia tries not to laugh. Babamukuru takes Takesure seriously until Takesure accuses Lucia of bewitching Jeremiah's children. Lucia stomps into the room, calls Takesure a fool, and grabs him by both ears.

With Takesure's head held at waist height, Lucia addresses Babamukuru. She asks if Takesure is truly a man when he spews this nonsense, and makes Takesure admit that he's never seen her practicing witchcraft. Throwing Takesure back on the sofa, Lucia says she didn't leave because Jeremiah is a terrible husband to Mainini. She says he wants everything but doesn't want to work for it, and she couldn't bear to leave her sister with him. Lucia says she's going to leave and take Mainini with her, and refuses to stay and talk about it.

Back outside, Tambu worriedly tells Lucia that if she takes Mainini, Tambu will have to come back to the homestead. Lucia laughs and assures her this will pass. In the house, Babamukuru reprimands Jeremiah for making such a mess. Tete Gladys suggests that this would all be fixed if Jeremiah would behave sensibly. Takesure suggests medicine while Jeremiah lists the problems of the entire family and suggests they hire a medium to drive out the evil.

Babamukuru is incredulous and disappointed that Jeremiah would make such a sinful suggestion. Calling the room to attention, Babamukuru says that he has a solution: the issue is that Jeremiah and Mainini are living in sin, so he wants to throw a church wedding for them so they can be married before God and stop God from punishing the family.

The next morning, Tambu shares everything she heard with Nyasha. Nyasha is pleased for Lucia and amused about the wedding. She asks about the ceremonies that Jeremiah proposed, but Tambu can barely describe them since they don't perform them anymore. Tambu tells the reader that she saw this as progress, but Nyasha doesn't see it the same way. Nyasha makes comments about the horrors of people becoming colonized and their debate ends. Tambu carries breakfast into the living room, where Gladys and Maiguru are giggling about Babamukuru's reaction to Lucia inserting herself. Gladys asks whether a wedding or a cleansing is a better cure for Jeremiah's self-indulgence and dissolves into laughter.