67 At The Cemetery (1/2)
The boom boom sounds of the drums, the hooting of horns, different requiems and the mourning of men and women covered the entire clan's cemetery. They all merged to demonstrate the immense grief the whole clan was going through, after they lost eleven people within a period of five minutes. Even the heavens seemed to be with them in this as the atmosphere turned cold and the sky was covered with dark clouds. Flashes of lightning kept on appearing on those clouds over and over again.
Ochieng' leaned on an acacia tree behind the people with his back, and his hands crossed on his chest.He was looking at the skies ruminatively. He was in tearsat the same time.
One of the people who died went by the name Onono Kenda. This was his childhood friend. When Ochieng' was seven, they played together when he was not with his father. One day they decided to go walk in the bushes of their clan andpick some wild fruits. While telling stories, Kenda told Ochieng' what the latter remembered even when he was leaning on that acacia tree that evening.
”Ochieng',” Kenda said, ”You know I am not like you who was born with golden spoon in your mouth. I want to work hard and be the greatest warrior in our land. I want to make my father and mother rich so that one day, they ride on horses and enjoy everything within and without our tribe. I want to be as strong as the great elephants so that if those Lang people think of attacking us, I will stand beside them to ensure that by the sweep of my sword, they are assured of a longer life, by the flight of my spear, they be witnesses of our tribe's indomitable power and when every arrow lands on my tough 'okumba' (or shield), their ceaseless protection is guaranteed.”
Ochieng' had learned that Kenda's father died three years later and his mother died when he was fourteen. The hardworking boy became blue. His strength and health started deteriorating. When Ochieng' came back nevertheless, Kenda's spirit was rekindled. This was especially so after Ochieng' told Kenda that even during their deaths, his parents wanted him to grow strong and protect Lu tribe, if he left himself to grow weak, he could be letting down his parents' spirits that were watching him now and then.
When they went to the shrine earlier that day, Kenda had even come to Ochieng' and whispered in his right ear courageously, ”We celebrate you today brother Ordainer, tomorrow we will be celebrating Onono Kenda.” Ochieng' only nodded with an encouraging smile. Kenda chuckled and walked away not failing to remind him to just watch and wait.
Ochieng' turned his head to where the ten bodies and one banana trunk lay and looked at a particular body and sighed bitingly, ”It is unfortunate he was still too weak to even run for his life.”
The body definitely was Kenda's. After looking at it for about three minutes, he decided that he would protect Kenda's only wife and his only son and child. Kenda was too poor to afford more than one wife. Having lost hope in life, he had done little to acquire wealth. Even the wife he had, had been brought to him because he was already old enough to marry but had no partner.
Ochieng' also looked at the other bodies sadly. When his eyes landed on the banana tree trunk that was laid not far from the ten bodies, he frowned a little before a young lady appeared in his mind. The lady was one who could make plants along the path she walked past sway and the butterflies of all kinds cascade in awe, for she was exceedingly beautiful. This young lady disappeared, thanks to a creature that resembled the one that ate the body of the person represented by that trunk.
In his mind, Ochieng' was seated on white sand at the beach oflake Luwa beside the young beautiful lady. They were watching the wavelets brought about by fish that jumped out of the water every now and then to have some air. The young man and woman harmonised perfectly such that they looked like they were dropped from the heavens. Even the birds were chipping mirthfully at their sight.
”Now that you are an Ordainer, are you going to leave me in Lu land to go and protect humans from harm?”
The young lady asked with a soft enchanting voice. She was looking at the young man intently waiting for his answer. She had been told several things about Ordainers by this man when they were free and other people through dreams. She knew of Ordainers' responsibilities.
”I can never leave your side my girl no matter where I go or what I do. The day I will do so is when I die.” He answered with a serious expression.
”Glad to hear that. But considering your itinerary, do you think you will afford to have me by your sideat the same time?”
”What do you think? That you will be pressing down on me?”