New companion

She's made of a tree that grows in equatorial Africa, Guibourtia spp. (G. demeusei, G. pellegriniana, G. tessmannii). We call it African rosewood or Bubinga. It's a wood often used for musical instruments: harps, guitars, drums. We're going to make beautiful music together. 

She had been ordered by someone who rejected her, so she was a bargain at half off, and she's perfect for me. I love her long, lean elegance, her warmth and balance. I hope she had a rich life in the African bush. I hope she hosted generations of birdlife, a snake or two, maybe even a leopard purring in a dream. She fits my hand and my legs as if she were designed to my measurements. As she arrived on International Women's Day, I'm going to name her Flora, for Flora Nwapa, sometimes called the Mother of African Literature. Efuru is my favorite among her novels, a story of resilience and triumph.