Summary

In Chapter 3, as the Remembrance began, wajinru “flapped their tail fins . . . on Yetu’s command” (27). She told herself she could and would “be their savior” (27). Remembering entailed reminding the wajinru. They only had to be prodded to remember. Yetu began transferring the memories, passing on the ancestors’ stories. The pain overcame her, though it “didn’t . . . belong to her” (28). She wondered if the pain of the living wajinru was greater than “the pain of the ancestors” (29).

Together, the wajinru moved deeper. They became frantic for more memories. Yetu guided them, feeling sorry for those who felt the pain most deeply. Though tired, Yetu felt free from the memories “for a little while” (33). She wondered if the process would kill her. She wondered if her death would be “for the best” (34). She longed for escape. The more rememberings the wajinru received, the more shocked...