Seven men inside the tiny hut squeezed to make space for the newcomer, sweating profusely from the hot humid state inside the hut. Even though the house was already fully packed, they still managed to make room for the new guy.
Outside, the scorching sun continued hitting the earth with vengeance, for surely it wasn’t your everyday sun. The kind of heat it was emitting was kind of absurd and the elders were beginning to think that maybe they had wronged the gods. Omwami, the youngest man inside the drinking den, coughed and muttered something, uncomfortable with the silence. He drunk from the pot with his huge straw noisily, and one of the other elders, Nyakambi, stared at him disgustedly. Nyakambi quickly apologized and said nothing else. Having being inducted into the elders circle just last month, he wasn’t sure he even knew what was expected of him.
“The problem with you young people,” nyakambi begun, “is you are too jumpy. You people are always impatient and you think the whole world is at the palms of your hands. For example omwami, what is the worst that will happen if you just sit back and enjoy the busaa peacefully without any worries? Life is stressful enough as it is.”
The other elders nodded in consent, with some putting in a word or two to show their agreement. Omwami realized that he was tensed and slowly tried to relax his body.
Outside the cries of children could be heard, howling dogs did what they did best, women laughed and gossiped and the world went on with its business, oblivious of the eight men huddled together and their plans.
“We cannot allow our women and children to die,” Omwenga said suddenly in a hoarse voice.
“We cannot,” the others said in unison.
“It has not been an easy year. Our cattle have died, our plants have withered, some of our people have even died. Our wives don’t have the milk to feed the little ones. Times are tough right now.” He paused and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Nyakambi belched loudly and shuffled his feet. He nodded at Omwenga to go on.
“Last week, a number of houses were burnt down from a fire whose source nobody knows. The puzzling part is that these houses are built far apart but the fires began at the same time. We are yet to know the cause.”
“This must be a plot by the kiogoro people. Ever since we stole their cattle-“
“Shut up!” nyakambi roared, his whole body trembling, his mouth twitching dangerously. “How many times shall we tell you not to interrupt an elder when they are talking?? How many times? Do you know the effect of your words if say; someone was passing outside this hut? Steal their cattle you say. Did you go to steal those cattle? Who saw you? Watch your mouth young man,” nyakambi said while wagging a thin finger towards omwami. “Nobody stole Kiogoro’s cattle. We do not know who did it either. That matter is closed for ever. Do you understand?”
Omwami nodded anxiously, eager to please the old men. He had just shot himself in the foot again, and he knew it. He cursed himself inwardly and wondered why he always put himself in such situations, though he had a feeling that Nyakambi wasn’t very fond of him. He made a mental note not to talk again the whole evening.
Nyakambi took in a deep breath, telling himself to calm down. He felt that horrible feeling that warned him of an imminent heart attack and he willed himself to steady his nerves. He shut his eyes and breathed out slowly. He didn’t know where that outburst came from. It had shocked him as well as it had shocked the others. He had seen the look of surprise in their eyes, plus the tiny look of contempt in Gekara’s eyes, even if he tried hard to hide it. Gekara, his old rival, almost enemy. They’d fought many cold wars amongst themselves since they were young; from wives to property to popularity contests. They had a grudging respect for each other, for they knew each other strengths and weaknesses. It was also better the foe you understood than the friend you did not know.
“Someone else should take on from here,” nyakambi said resignedly, suddenly feeling very tired.
Omwenga cleared his throat.
“Nyakambi, do not get worked up now. This is not the time. We understand you are growing old, who of us isn’t? Also, we all know that what we are undergoing is a huge test, because it’s been a long time since we went out to fight.” He paused for effect.
“War?” omwami asked incredulously, forgetting the promise he’d just made to himself. Luckily for him, no one jumped at him.
“War?” omwami asked incredulously, forgetting the promise he’d just made to himself. Luckily for him, no one jumped at him.
“Yes, we are gearing up for war. Your generation has not been tested in any battle. How sad. Do you see these men seated here? All of them have fought. Hard, long and difficult wars. Some were stupid; others came unawares while some were carefully thought out. Wars we thought we shall never come out of alive, but we made it. We fought countless battles and we won all of them. Most of our peers died a long time ago, others disappeared and we are the only species remaining from that era. But you, what battle have you ever fought? You are a weak specimen, the young men of today. We are not even sure you can take care of your women and children, let alone take care of yourselves.
Is it any wonder that your wives despise you? Who respects a man who has not been tested in battle, a man who has not proved his worth and skills in a battlefield? And you wonder why some of these men are beaten by their wives, and their children speak up to them. You are the most disrespected generation of men and it is not without a reason. You cannot hunt for your own food, you do not have the strength to even please your women, no wonder they are now straying to other villages for marriage purposes.
You are a disgrace to man hood. “
Momanyi, the most quiet and observant of the elders, frowned and said nothing.
“That is why they must go out and fight.” Gekara said quietly. His old nemesis Nyakambi nodded and their eyes met. He gave Gekara a secret smile and Gekara smiled back. The message between them was very clear; it was nice to agree on anything for the first time in their life.
“Yes you shall go out and fight. Tonight.”
Momanyi took the straw and drank from the pot noisily. Unlike the case with omwami, nobody gave him an evil eye or even said anything.
“If they must fight, let them prepare adequately. Give them at least a month or so to train and know what is required of them. For Anyika’s sake, the god of war, some of them don’t even know how to hold a spear properly. That is how rusty they are. They might be a disgrace but they are still our children. We don’t want them to die.”
“I understand your worries Mr. Momanyi. However if these youngsters are to fight, we must give them the advantage of surprise. The kiogoro people are not a pushover. If anything, they have produced some of the best warriors that ever graced the earth. They should not know that there is danger. If we say we are preparing for war word will get to them. We must strike tonight and we shall strike hard.”
Mr. Momanyi said nothing, although the disapproval clearly showed on his face. He chased the flies that were flying around noisily and managed to smack one.
“Sorry to interrupt you elders. But I think I might be missing something here. Does it mean that we are to fight a war we do not need, that has no reason behind it, all because you want us to prove our worth? To show the world that we can fight? Is that what you are saying?”
“You are missing nothing young man. That is exactly what we are saying” Nyakambi snarled.
“Be gentle to the young man,” Omwenga said warmly.
“Young man? You call a 48 year old a young man? At his age I had six wives and my children could easily form three battalions! How many wives do you have?”
“One,” Omwami said as he hung his head low, tail between legs.”
Ha ha ha ha ha aha!!!!!” nyakambi roared infectiously and the other couldn’t help but join in.
“I had 12,” Momanyi said after a while with tears rolling down his cheeks. Coming from him, this elicited more laughter.
Despite himself, omwami felt like smiling, but he dared not.
“If it’s a reason you want,” omburi said after the laughter had died down. “Kiogoro burnt our houses. They burnt our houses and stole our cattle.” The rest nodded enthusiastically.
“This is what we shall do……”
7 Comments
by Anonymous
good piece…
by winnie araka
thank you and thanks for stopping by
by winnie araka
stopping by, or passing by? English be hard haha
by James Mungai
nice one
by winnie araka
james Mungai thank you, I appreciate u sparing ure time.
by Anonymous
great narration,it an old time story that really discuses current generations
by winnie araka
thanks a lot for checking it out.
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