For the better understanding of this hekaya, let me explain to you my origin and two of our cultures, with respect to my tale. I’m a conc Bukusu, hailing from the promised land of western part of Kenya. The first culture that we practice is that whenever someone dies, an animal has to be slaughtered so as to appease the dead. Failure to do so would lead to tales such as this. The most preferred animal in this case is a bull.
The second culture is that of circumcision, which was introduced by Mango himself. Mango is the man who killed the big ‘flying’ snake that used to kill people during the time of our ancestors. It is believed that the snake would fly to the heads of people and bite them from there. This prompted women to carry their luggage from the heads so as to avoid such demise. So Mango hatched a plan to kill this snake and he succeeded. When asked by the elders on the reward that they could get him, Mango suggested to be circumcised as a sign of bravery for his antiques. Hence from that day, circumcision was introduced in bukusu land as a sign of bravery.
White men came and suggested that the practice could be done from the hospital but we refused, saying that hospital was for cowards. A real descendant of Mango has to face the red hot knife, on a chilly morning while facing east. In preparation for this day, the initiates would roam around villages to the relatives’ homes inviting them to the big day. And by roaming I don’t mean just walking. In their hands they held metals that we call chinyimba which they used to knock against other ring like metals on their wrists as they danced. this process is called khuminya…….please allow me to skip more details on this and mix the languages since naona mnaanza kusinzia.
The month was of July, circumcision month of august was fast approaching so practice zilikuwa zimenoga. Practice hufanywa usiku on the roads after super and that place crowds with all calibers of youths. Some use this opportunity kupewa slices while others use it kuiba maindi za wenyewe kwa mashamba. Sasa on this day tumekula sapa na tukaenda kwa simba, the small house that a boy is built after initiation. It had rained that day. Mum had a feeling that we would go to those practices so she warned us against it, akaambia bro cz hujua yy ni kichwa ngumu akitaka kuenda aende solo mm aniache kwa nyumba. Some coaching was all it took for me to follow him. We had a female dog called Lucy, hiyo doggy ilikuwa kali hadi ilikuwa imetupandisha cv kwa village. It once attacked me ka nimevaa gumboots ikazirarua raruraru! The dog had a tendency of following us whenever we left.
Sasa sisi hao mimi, bro na our Lucy tunaenda Kuminya. Kumbe bro had other plans…and I was never surprised. Kumbe jamaa alikuwa ameagizana na kunguru kupewa slices, all he had to do was kuenda kwao amtoe. So we never went to the celebrations, instead tukaenda kwa kina kunguru. Now one thing with boma ya kina hao madem was that the father was a staunch Christian. His son, a brother to the girl we were going to see had died a few years back but him being a Christian akakataa kuchinja ng’ombe akadai prayers was enough. Elders tried to advice him but mzee asikie wapi. 3 months after the death of the son, people started claiming in hush tones ati ghost ya uyo jamaa imeanza kutembea kwa barabara.
One case I heard my uncle’s friend telling him vile alikutana nayo akitoka zake kulewa. It was around 11 pm usiku. Jamaa na bike yake black mamba anaendesha tu polepole akiimba na kutukana potholes zenye zlitaka kumuangusha. The guy was a neighbor to that boma and there was a common route that was used to follow before uingine main road. That route was also our way to kisima, tulikuwa tunaenda kuchota maji from. So the man kukaribia kona flani kwa hiyo route, he noticed someone standing by the roadside. From his explanation, the guy was abnormally tall and thin but amevaa kitu kama kanzu ya white. Pombe zikapea jamaa courage ya kukua mkali na akauliza in harsh voice ‘We ni nani kuma nyoko’……no reply….’we ni nani na nisiulise mara ya pili’……no reply….the creature was just standing still.
Jamaa akajifanya anatafta fimbo kwa carrier ya bike….that’s when the creature turned to him na kuchapa salute……iyo kanzu ikainuka juu na kurudi chini polepole na ikadisappear. Uyo jamaa pombe zilimuisha akadandia bike na kuikanyagaaa……akafika place akaona bike inampeleka polepole akaruka chini na kuanza kukimbia on foot leaving the bike to find its way. Upon reaching his gate nyumbani akapita na hiyo gate ya miti. Bibi yake kumuuliza what’s wrong jamaa anajibu tu na heavy breathing. Morning ndo alienda akachukua bike yake na akapata imespoil sa alikuwa amepelekea my uncle amuundie akimpa story……that was his experience, let me go to mine.
By this day, another son of that Christian man had passed too and people started saying its cz the man refused to sacrifice a cow sa iyo ndo chanzo ya mikosi. The second sons death pia alikataa kuchinja . Sasa sisi tumekaribia iyo route, na the moon is shining, trying to shame the noon sun. On that route tukaskia walevi wawili wanakuja wakitembeza bike zao wakiongea kwa sauti. Bro akadai tujifiche kwa vichaka wapite kwanza and that’s what we did. Soon they passed na tukarudi kwa kabarabara. My bro alikuwa amevaa his favourite rain coat, boots zingine apo siezi describe na mkononi ako na rungu. I was not armed, I trusted my bro and lucy for protection.
Sisi tuko hapo tunapiga hesabu za kuingia boma tuite dem, cz she had told bro yeye hudoze kwa jikoni na dadake mdogo, tukaskia lucy anaanza kubweka. Tukashangaa kwani iyo doggy imechizi? Soon iyo mbweko ya Lucy ikaanza kusound ni kama inalia….you know venye mbwa hubweka ikiwa na uoga. Funny thing ni mbwa inabweka ikisonga nyuma reverse, imekunja mkia. Tunaulizana nini mbaya na that’s when we saw them. My fellow villagers amini msiamini we saw two tall guys, I don’t know how I can explain their heights ndo mpate picture. One was in white kanzu while another was in a black one. As if that was not fascinating enough, their mode of movement was strange. White kanzu guy alikuwa anabend mbele, black guy anamruka, the black guy pia anabend the black guy anaruka as they headed towards us.
Sisi tukadhani maybe hawa ni walevi wengine acha tujifiche kwa vichaka wapite. To our surprise hizi vitu zinaruka ivo but hazisongi……as in they looked like wanarukana wakikam but wanabaki palepale. Mimi nikakumbuka story uyo jamaa alikuwa anasho uncle yangu na nikajua tumepatwa. Bro akanisho turudi kwa barabara hawa wanaeza kuwa night runners wanataka kutushtua. We are descendants of mango na running away would make him turn in his grave. We faced the red hot knife sasa hawa ndo watatushtua? By this time Lucy alikuwa anabwekea uko juu maze akizidi tu kureverse. Bro akanisho nishike one end of his rungu yeye akishika the other end. Two reasons would explain his decision ya kushikilia iyo fimbo, one was hao wasee wakikaribia whoever that will be in a better position to strike ataipokonya tu na kugonga hao washenzi. Two was to ensure that you know when one succumbs to fear and takes to the heels. At least utaskia fimbo ikiachiliwa na pia ujipange venye unajitetea. There n there brethren those things just disappeared.
Bado tunashangaa niaje tukaona lucy anatukujia mbio akilia na kubweka in the same tone, as if crying for help. Speed iyo mbwa ilitupita I cant even fathom to describe. Mimi nliskia tu ka upepo kananigonga shwa!!! Nikanyamba. Kuangalia juu place mbwa imetoka ndo tukaona hizo creatures kumbe zilienda side yenye doggy ilikuwa. That’s when it downed on us that what we were dealing with was not to our measure. Let Mango turn to his grave, ata akitaka afanye uko summersault but this was understandable. I held to the rungu tight calculating my next move, little did I know kumbe nlikuwa nimeachiwa rungu solo. All this time I had been thinking niko na bro apo kumbe the guy had gone. I would be in better position to explain to you how bro vanished but I would be lying. Sijui kama ali tip toe, alikimbia ama aliburuka. All I know is that he had diasappeared.
Now brothers and sisters, picture a situation where Uhuru, Ruto and their bodyguard are in a function alafu kiumane na the first one to run is the bodyguard (Lucy) then Ruto (my bro). what do you think Uhuru would do……stay tuned.