Nervous Conditions: Chapter Six Summary & Analysis

One of the most shocking things about the mission is the number of white people. They're all missionaries, and therefore different than the "wizards" that Tambu's grandmother experienced. These ones want to give and spread God's light in Africa, not steal emeralds. Tambu says that the natives treated the missionaries like deities. Today, she says, there are fewer white people and they're expatriates, but they're treated much the same since they're still white.

As a teen, Tambu likes the missionaries much better than she liked Doris. However, some of them are very strange: they speak Shona more than English, and a few of them have children who grow up speaking Shona and learn English in school. The majority of missionaries, however, send their children to the Government school in town. This presents other issues, as the missionaries pray against the government.

One of Nyasha and Tambu's missionary friends, Nyaradzo, has two older brothers. They attend a special school in Salisbury where, purportedly, both black and white children can go. However, there are more white than black students, as the fees are so high for black children. Most students at the mission, except for Nyasha, want to go to schools like this. While Nyasha and Tambu agree that there would be more "life" in the form of cultural activities, Nyasha remains firm in her belief that "life" would come with consequences. Fortunately for her, Babamukuru can barely afford to send Chido, so sending her is out of the question. Tambu secretly wants to go to a multiracial school.

Chido goes to school with Nyaradzo's brothers. Nyaradzo's father arranged for Chido to take the entrance exam and drove him to Salisbury himself. Chido, being a promising and peaceful boy, was given a scholarship. Nyasha believes that Nyaradzo's father pulled strings to make this happen.

During Tambu's first year at the mission, Nyasha sits her first set of public exams. The exam would screen her out of the school system, though she doesn't have to worry much since Babamukuru is the headmaster. Nyasha maliciously threatens to fail her exams to make Babamukuru look bad, but she works harder than ever at studying and grows thin and drawn. When Tambu talks to her about it, Nyasha confesses that she's nervous and afraid. The only one who isn't worried about Nyasha is Babamukuru, who thinks her constant studying is proof that there's hope for her. Nyasha passes, though they don't learn this until after the Christmas holidays.

Tambu is very excited for Christmas, as Babamukuru is allowing her to stay at the mission for a few days and then accompany his family to the homestead. This means that she'll get to spend time with Chido, who is handsome and kind. By the time Chido arrives home from school, Nyasha is sleeping and eating again, and they're all looking forward to attending the school Christmas party. The evening gets off to a bad start, however, when Nyasha is ready first, and Babamukuru doesn't recognize her. He thinks that her dress is too skimpy and only backs down when Maiguru admits that she bought it for Nyasha.

Chido, Tambu, and Nyasha giggle all the way to the school hall. Tambu isn't excited for the dance; it's loud and hot, and she still doesn't love dancing. She spends the first ten minutes feeling anxious until she finds her friends. Dancing safely in a group, Tambu begins to feel the music and discovers that she's a good dancer. She shows off for her friends and then dances with everyone she can. By ten o’clock, Tambu is exhausted and relieved when Chido says it's time to go. Nyasha is reluctant, and her dance partner walks her home, the two of them dancing the entire way. At the top of the drive, her date remembers a new dance he has to teach her.

Chido and Tambu wait for Nyasha for a while before slowly walking down the drive. Chido insists that they can't go inside because Babamukuru is still awake, so they peek in the window. They come face to face with him, and he ushers them inside. Chido tries to say that Nyasha is talking with friends and will come soon, but Babamukuru walks out of the house. Tambu and Chido race to their rooms. Ten minutes later, Nyasha walks into the bedroom and starts to change.

Babamukuru comes in a few minutes later and wants to know why Nyasha was out so late. When she says she was talking to friends, he catches her in the lie and says that she was out with a boy. Nyasha doesn't immediately back down and admits that he was teaching her a new dance. This shocks Babamukuru, and he asks Tambu to leave the room, but Tambu can feel the atmosphere growing dangerous. She wakes up Maiguru and when they return to the bedroom door, they find Chido there as well. He whispers that Nyasha is a fool for standing up to Babamukuru.

Inside the room, Babamukuru accuses Nyasha of being indecent, but she refuses to cave. She says that whatever Babamukuru is accusing her of, she did it. This makes Babamukuru even angrier. Nyasha insists that because she doesn't worry about her behavior, he doesn't need to worry either. Chido tries to step in, but Babamukuru accuses him of letting Nyasha act like a whore. Nyasha asks calmly why she should worry about what others say when her own father calls her a whore. Babamukuru strikes her across both cheeks and sends her flying onto the bed. He says he's going to teach her a lesson so she won't disgrace him.

Nyasha backs away, begging Babamukuru to not hit her. Babamukuru hits her again and Nyasha punches back. With this, Babamukuru throws her to the floor, hitting her and banging her head into the floor, while Nyasha screams and fights. Maiguru and Chido try to pull Babamukuru off of Nyasha, but he insists he'll kill Nyasha and then hang himself. He threatens to kill her if she doesn't go away. Silently, Nyasha walks outside. Tambu follows her and they sit by the servants' quarters. Nyasha smokes a cigarette.

Tambu thinks that Babamukuru's behavior is shockingly similar to Nhamo's treatment of her: both she and Nyasha are victimized only because they're female. Tambu thinks that even heroes like Babamukuru do this, and even though Nyasha is too strong-willed and disrespectful, she's still in trouble merely because she's female and therefore inferior. Tambu the narrator says that if she'd been more independent, she might've come to a conclusion but instead, she didn't want to think too hard. She was afraid that she'd discover that she didn't recognize herself, so she tries to be as good as possible to stay on track.

Tambu can't understand why Nyasha feels so threatened at the mission and suggests that she wait until she's older to fight. Nyasha believes she'd forget what she's fighting for if she waited. She says that she was comfortable in England, and that's turned her into a whore now. She thinks that she needs to make sure she's adjusting to the right things, and says she's done being inferior and good.

Chido joins the girls and calls them back inside. He puts out Nyasha's cigarette and begs her to not upset Maiguru anymore. Nyasha asks if anyone cares about her needs, but Chido says that she's the daughter. When Tambu and Nyasha get back to the house, Nyasha walks right past Maiguru's outstretched arms.

Nyasha spends the next week alone and withdrawn, while Babamukuru spends the week out of the house. He lectures Nyasha and gives her fourteen lashes. Tambu worries about Nyasha, as she senses that Nyasha isn't just sulking because she didn't get her way. Tambu doesn't quite understand why Nyasha is upset, as she has a very clear view of right and wrong thanks to Sunday school, but she's worried that Nyasha is retreating and detaching from the world.

Maiguru sees this as well but doesn't know what to do. One day, as she and Tambu eat lunch alone, she tells Tambu that Babamukuru was waiting up to let the dogs out on the night of the dance. She insists he wanted to make sure they were home, and now, Maiguru says she's afraid because his and Nyasha's feelings are so intense. That night, Tambu talks at Nyasha in the dark and tells her about her cornfield, Jeremiah and Nhamo, and what Maiguru said. Nyasha insists that she's not a plaything for Babamukuru to control. When Nyasha starts to cry, Tambu climbs into bed with her.

Nyasha starts her period the next day, nine days early, and tells Tambu that she wishes she'd had sex. The girls giggle. Tambu worries for Babamukuru now that Nyasha is better, though she admires Nyasha's resilience: Tambu believes that if she'd hit Jeremiah, she would've killed herself.