What it takes to be a man by Mawande Kamsholo Episode 6 I was always told that everything happened for a reason. But I never believed that to be true. Because is there a reason why we must suffer with pain, losing those we love while some souls live in vain? Good men suffer while atrocious men prospers. If so, I will never understand the world, or maybe I choose not to understand the world. It brings us joy to break our hearts; makes us invincible to crush us; helps us climb the highest mountain to throw us down, the world builds to break. I personally dont see the reason why. I woke up to a teary Sappo singing, a song I havent heard like in forever, the sun was already setting and the light was really low but l could see the last rays of sunlight reflecting off her tears as they flowed down her cheeks. I felt my eyes start to water too. It brought discomfort to my heart to see her act like this, she was the younger one, yet she was the one rocking me in her arms while she sang me a song, a song my mother sang to me when I was still demanding bedtime stories. I sat up and instantaneously two arms flung around my neck and a hair filled head was thrust into my neck. Sappo wait you hurting me, I managed to speak despite the pain the arms were inflicting. You know that I will always hate you no matter what, just dont die on me please. She was not listening and I was suffering. Luckily Mawande came to my rescue, pulling Sappo off me, who finally had mercy on me and finally let go. I took a few minutes to recover and to see the gang was sitting around a giant black three legged pot in a wild growth with plenty of trees and other large wild plants. The pot seem warm from how Lwazi kept rubbing his hands on it but there was no fire, or any traces that showed they had been a fire. Mawande must have seen my inquisitive facial expression when he answered my question. Lwazi and I stole it for supper, I could tell it was not his proudest moment. We didnt have a choice. What it going on? I was really confused. Why would Mawande out all people steal? We once spent 3 hours in supermarket freezer because of his goody to shoes ethical principles and that wasnt the first time either we suffered cause of his principle. Lwazi was no stranger to theft because of him we once smoked a 20 pack cigarettes in primary school. Well, let me see. The men that were chasing us returned with Tanaka and I at the gate, AJ and company were just in time to catch them licking their chops. A nasty fight began. Sappo and Nana returned from the vegetable patch, helping Ziyanda pick veggies from the garden but Mayoyo grabbed her as a souvenir when they retreated back to their village. Uhm... Let me see. Your grandmothers dead and your aunt was going to kill all the cows in the kraal but was stopped by an orange snake. All her spectators that were watching her axe the cows to death run for the hills, she just whipped out a snake of her own. Then whipped out more when our dads returned from the chiefs house. Mawande explained in an either sarcastic tone or he was really finding it hard to believe what he explained really happened. Your aunt is a serial killer, a nerve wrecked Lwazi sobbed, and we next, if she could just find us. The sun was almost down and it was getting really dark. Tanaka sat leaning on a tree with his knees arched and Nana sitting ground with her legs extended and used her arms to support herself as she was slightly leaning back, these were the materialistic of us and couldnt imagine the extra difficulty they were going through. Lwazi was by the pot and Mawande right next to him. Here we are in a village we didnt what is was called, stranded in a wild environment while there is a mad woman who calls herself my aunt who is searching for us, with snakes. We were as good as dead! We gonna die! Lwazi said in a cool voice and the air chilled. Because this time he was right. As if struck by an idea I stood up and announced we had hope, I kinda got a bit carried away but I had just remembered what my grandmother said, the cow must remain alive so your enemies can never find you. Which was why my wicked witch aunt was on a killing spree today at the kraal. I know I didnt believe her but we had nothing to lose because we were dead meat either way. If you dont have a secret lair with a helicopter and real food, not the bull monkey and banana stole, just sit down and shut up, Tanaka said dryly. We have already accepted our fate. And I decided it would be a wise idea to not tell them I expected a cow to keep us safe. When we got to the cow kraal, we struggled to open the zinc sheet nailed onto a wooden frame kraal gate because of the noise it made each time we unwind the wire. After a few occasional cricks and squeaks from the gate, we were inside with the most quiet herd of cows, which made me a little bit less nervous. I had set sight on a white brown cow when a light switched on at the house and didnt really have the time to get the other cows out of the way so I hauled a nearby cow and guided it out. Now that we had a cow the guys wanted to know the plan. The cow is going to protect us, I know I could have lied but what the heck and they needed to know they truth. As long as this cow is alive we will be fine because they wont be able to find us. You know guys, Im actually not mad. We were going to die anyway, even though now we gonna die much faster being protected by a cow. At the end of the day death is death. You know what? I have a better plan, why dont we knock on that freak of a nature womans door, that way we can even die faster. We could also stand in a line so she can kill us one by one, and maybe if we ask nice enough she could let us decide how each of us wanna die. Oh! Oh! Here is- Lwazi can you shut up? We all scared alright. Lets just keep it cool. Mawande saved the day, cause the stares I was getting kinda told me my aunt would have one less person to kill if anything went wrong. Dude, you and your cow want some time to pray or something? Because if your plan doesnt work guess whos on the menu? You! And I always wondered how you taste, Lwazi added. After Lwazis comment everybody grumbled in protest to my relief. Okay maybe we should go away here, the air here is not good for everyone standing here and I dont know what his on about because I meant the cow. Before we were even done on the issue our cow who turned to be a bull started moving and no one could stop it. We tried stopping it but it just kept moving like we were just a breeze blowing it back. We had no problem with the stupid cow moving but it was moving in the wrong direction and straight for AJ and Mayoyos village. And that brought back something that had slipped my mind - Ziyanda! We had been walking all night and definitely regret not eating whatever that was inside of that pot we left back there. The cow just kept moving and we had resigned to just following. We had crossed the giant trench hours ago but still we couldnt see any houses ahead or huts. I hoped for my sake that the old woman was right or Id strangle her the moment I got to heaven because I dont think Id last long with these blood thirsty strangers. Seriously, youd swear they never seen me before. Then the cow turned off the road and dragged us through all sorts of things that the darkness prohibited us to see. At the onset of dawn we were at a big very lake and not mention how exhausted and sleepy we were walking all night. The lake was surrounded by big boulders and on the other side was another dusty gravel road leading out to another village. Next to the lake was a big open field of grass until distant hills shielded what lied beyond them. Guys, I think this thing was taking us to Ziyanda, Nana pointed at a figure approaching the lake. Sappo sprinted ahead and Nana followed, Tanaka and Lwazi slowly walked towards the lake in a manner that reminded me of zombies. So the boy she was planning to kill was you and this was the cow they couldnt find. Now all thats left for us to do is find the chief and I have a feeling that road leads to his village. But there is something you said, I think this was the only cow the chiefs ancestor are willing to accept? Why would the chiefs ancestor need to accept a cow from you? Lets just hope you related, otherwise... Hmm! Hey, uhm... Did I mention Im glad Im not you? For someone who lost a father you sure full of jokes. The fool was tell me something that I really wanted to not be true. I thank the Almighty, Im not you. Maybe I will share the good news with the others. How does he do it? He had already pieced out everything to figure out the last piece, and he had a valid point. I just told him about the dream and his already connect the dots with just it. What if told him about that person I thought was Ndubula and what the old woman said. Hed figure out everything for me and wed be all out of here in no time. You dont have a clue, dont you? He laughed at my lack of knowledge of the Xhosa culture, which I really didnt have. I will have mercy on you. There isnt much that could be done with a cow in the Xhosa tradition, in initiations goats and sheeps are used; in cleansing ceremonies goats are mostly used; welcoming rituals are mostly goats and sheeps but if the ancestor demand a cow, then you use a cow. But if you not a relative to the chief, the most popular use of a cow in the Xhosa is when someone wants to asks someones daughters hand in marriage. Then again, you have one cow so there is still hope you royalty. Mawande - the best man. {The}CrucibleOne...[>^¥^
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 21:21:30 +0000
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