25 His Arrival (1/2)
After everything was done, Ochieng' and Apeleka were ready to leave by noon. Nyangini and her family were reluctant to let them go but Ochieng' insisted. He took out a 'hono' fruit that he bit for Opiyo sometimes back and cut it halfway with a knife. He tossed one half to Nyangini and asked her to help themselves with it. Of course he told her the fact that just a tinge of the fruit would be enough to help someone, so that she could use it economically. He left out the regeneration part. That could raise their greed.
...
They climbed the horse that was well fed by Yamo and fled. They used the short cut, Jakony singing from time to time.
At Odindi Clan, the Chief's compound,
Chief Ong'am sat on his three legged stool looking very sad. Ten clan elders that sat near him weren't any different. Their clan was currently in topsy-turvydom. The chief's eldest son, Otieno Okumu wanted to overthrow the chief and many people from the clan were supporting him. The chief had insisted on retaining the seat until his youngest son came back. He could only hand over power to Okumu only if Ochieng' didn't want it.
The chief had thought of giving up but after he got the message from the dead Elder Anyona, he became affirmative and decided to continue clinging to the stool until Ochieng' was back. This worsened the Odindi clan's predicament as many people were dying. Even in today's meeting, he was to have thirteen elders but three decided to stay away because they were already tired. To be more precise, they were ambivalent.
The day before this meeting, Otieno Okumu had given a warning to the chief to vacate the stool by dusk, lest he slaughtered the chief with all the clan elders that supported him the next day. Very many warriors were by Okumu's side and Ong'am couldn't seek help from the tribe headquarters. This was because he had to use a warrior as a messenger to do so. Okumu having made some of his warriors guard the clan, who could dare do anything against him.
Today, chief Ong'am sat with the ten clan elders waiting for their end. His loyal soldiers were with him as well. His eight wives including Achola Nyakune sat in their shacks with their hands resting on their palms.Nyakune obviously couldn't show that she was supporting her son.
The chief could not suspect her because her son was living away. In the Lu tribe, a son could only have his hut in his father's compound when he was still young and depending on the parents for survival. When he was grown enough and had his own family, he had to go to a land that was given to him by the father and set up his home there. The hut he was staying in while in his father's homesteadwas scourged. Okumu and a few other chief's sons had gone to their own homes.
”I greet you all the cl...” After a long silence, the chief stood up and began but was cut short when he saw his son Okumu walking regally to his compound, behind him was a group of warriors with swords in their hands. The chief and the ten elders felt their hearts skip a bit. They knew this was their end. Even the few warriors that were with them perspired uncontrollably.
The chief and the elders were powerful warriors while they were at their prime. Now, they had to be trepid before a group of young men just because they were too old to fight. Ong'am was even in disarray because he personally trained that ungrateful son of his to become the man he was.
”Have you made up your mind, father?” Otieno asked in cold blood the moment he arrived before his father.