In the chiefdom, things were far from normal. It was in chaos. Every villager was scared to death at the news of the return of the man-eaters. They relied on the warriors who practised their craft day and night for protection. Warriors who on the other hand despite their renowned bravery were more scared than they could admit. In fact, the mere mention of the man-eaters tribe made them feel like peeing.
What worsened the situation was the chief's state of health. He was ailing. He couldn't govern the chiefdom normally. A situation that forced his two sons to take over. They worked day and night to ensure the safety of the chiefdom. However, the eldest son, Gitahi knew that no matter how hard they worked to protect it, eventually, they would be defeated and would be left with nothing but one option. To surrender to the will of the enemy. Just like the neighbouring chiefdoms had done as no one would stand against the tribe. Something he was not going to allow. Not in his lifetime. And he knew what he needed to do to secure it. Something strongly forbidden in the chiefdom but he had a dark desire to learn; witchery.
Witchcraft was not a commonality among his people, but his neighbouring community--the Kamba--on the other side of the forest practised the art. That was why he was going to set out as soon as he could to go look for a witch as per Njeru's instructions. His best friend gave them to him before he succumbed to the poison induced to his body.
"My friend, when the man-eaters return, run to the Kamba village, speak of Mwende Musangi, tell them you're the son. That you dearly need their help protecting the chiefdom from the man-eaters. They will gladly help you."
The boys were but seven when it all happened. Njeru had forecasted it and warned his friend early before his impending doom. Gitahi didn't understand it at first but now that he was all grown, he understood it better. His friend had seen it all and gave him the key to secure the chiefdom that was to become his but was taken away from him before he could even be a warrior in practice. Gitahi dreaded that fact. He even dreaded it more that he was the one in line to sit in his place.
He made his way through the garden. He was going to see his newfound prisoner for a friend; Ndegwa. The man was imprisoned for getting involved with a witch and then helping her run before her execution was carried out. He had traded his freedom to save that which was considered an abomination. Something that intrigued Gitahi. He felt that they both had a similar desire for what was forbidden. They could understand their rebellious selves better. Thus making them fit to be friends.
Gitahi approached the cave where Ndegwa was imprisoned. The guards eyed him sceptically. They hated it when he went against his father's orders of not getting involved with prisoners. If they were asked, they would tell on him. But that would mean an enmity formation between them and the son who had happily promised them death by the spear if they didn't shut their mouths. Upon reaching it, they moved aside, respectfully bowed and opened the cave. He walked in and they closed it for concealment.
"My chief," Ndegwa bowed in respect.
Gitahi had told him severally to quit bowing but he seemed to always forget.
"How have you been?" he asked in concern as he sat next to him. He placed his spear beside him.
"I have been okay. Though my mind keeps thinking of her," he confessed solemnly.
He missed his love more than he admitted. It was slowly killing him. But what killed him more was the curiosity of knowing whether she has survived or not.
"I am terribly sorry," Gitahi apologised heartily.
Ndegwa smiled weakly at his concern. He was growing to like the chief's son. He also felt that they had a lot in common. Something he would use to get by his days in the dark cave.
"You said she was a witch," he started on the topic. Ndegwa nodded. "Did she practice the art?" he asked curiously.
"No," he responded honestly. Gitahi frowned in confusion. He knew the whole reason she wanted to be executed was that she had practised the art.
"Then why did they want to execute her?" he asked with interest.
"Long story," Ndegwa sighed.
"I have all the time to listen," Gitahi told him.
"She was born of a witch who was later killed when the witches were taken down. Her aunt raised her well, hiding her true identity and making sure she didn't indulge in the practice. She was so good to her that an always tempted Njeri couldn't bring herself into doing what her heart compelled her to do--" Gitahi interrupted.
"Practice the art," Ndegwa nodded in agreement.
"She restrained herself. Until she met me. We lured each other into darkness and sin. When I was with her, she wanted to practice it cause I was all in for it. But when she thought of her aunt, she would stop and keep restraining. Everything went on well until the repercussions of our sins visited on a bright sunny day. She was pregnant with my child. When her aunt learnt about it, she acted out of fear of dishonour and disgrace. She sold her true identity to the Council. Of course with added allegations of witchery practice."
Gitahi did not like the sound of that. Sure it was a crime to see a woman before marriage, but to accuse her falsely was also a crime.
"She sold her to a death sentence?" Gitahi asked as if he hadn't heard that part.
"She did it without flinching," he told her.
"Who is the woman? She does not deserve to live in peace. What she did was so selfish of her," Gitahi said in disappointment.
"I'll get to her eventually," Ndegwa's anger was almost surfacing.
He dreaded that woman with a passion. She would pay. It didn't matter to him that he had committed the crime of seeing the woman before marriage and that he was going to commit another one by killing the aunt.
"You're a true rule breaker, my friend," Gitahi tapped his shoulder. Ndegwa smiled wickedly at the compliment.
"When you're rebellious, you tend to get the best," he argued making Gitahi laugh. The words were like balm to his soul. Rebellion was his drunken portion.
"It's time to get that beast out of me," Gitahi said with an evil grin. It spread from him to Ndegwa. The latter was enjoying it a whole lot.
"Vow to me, you'll be a friend for better for worse," Gitahi suggested.
"I vow to you. Friends for better for worse," Ndegwa promised.
"Soon, I'm planning on going to Kamba village. I'm going to look for a witch there who can help with our current predicament. You said you helped Njeri run back to her original home, was it that place?" he asked curiously.
"Yes. Perhaps she'll be there if she survived," Ndegwa responded. The mere possibility of her not having survived was a gnawing rodent to his heart.
"I'll take you with me," Gitahi promised.
"You're serious?" Ndegwa asked enthusiastically.
"I am," Gitahi nodded sincerely.
"Thank you, friend. I'm looking forward to the adventure," Ndegwa said with a cheerful heart. "Does your father know?"
"About the finding a witch plan? No. He thinks I'm going to see a potential bride from our relatives on the other side of the hill. Obviously, he wouldn't condone my plans. He's more than willing to let me leave especially when he knows that doom could unleash anytime with the arrival of the man-eaters."
"You're wicked, my friend," Ndegwa commented. Gitahi smiled wickedly. "Do you know why he hates the art of witchery and its supporters?"
"He says they are dangerous and an abomination," Gitahi responded.
"The story behind it is ugly. You may not believe me," Ndegwa told him.
Gitahi searched his face thoroughly. The fact that Ndegwa knew too much was another reason that he liked him. The man had seen and heard a lot and he wanted that too.
"Tell me the story," the curiosity in him demanded.
"There was a witch by the name Mwende. She hailed from the Kamba village," he started.
"My mother's best friend. Wife to the great chief Kahiato and mother to my best friend, Njeru," Gitahi said in recognition.
"Yes. Your grandmother was a midwife," Gitahi nodded in agreement. "When Mwende was pregnant with Njeru, she tried to kill her by strangling her to death as she was giving birth."
"Why would she do that?" Gitahi asked with a frowning face.
"She was against witchcraft and intermarriages. And the birth of children from intermarriages between our tribe and those of the Kamba meant the birth of more potential witches. She never wanted that. She preferred if the tribe remained pure and not blemished. When Mwende got wind of what she was trying to do, she used her power on her. Being an old woman, it was easy. So she cursed her to die of a disturbing and prolonged ailment." Gitahi swallowed as he scooted closer to keep on listening.
"Your father learnt about the curse and he rebelled against the chief. He blamed him for her death after five years of misery and agony. He told him if his wife wasn't a witch then his mother wouldn't have gone through what she went through. He started hating on the witches and since your grandmother was also part of the Council, he took advantage of their grieving to incite them. With time, he was able to turn the Council against the chief and his family, the practise of intermarriages and the art of witchery."
"The Council supported him in his rebellion quest. He wanted to take down the chief's family, every witch and every child born to a witch. After that was done, he would take over the chiefdom and rule according to his rules. No practice of witchery. No intermarriages. Failure to which was punishable by death. Though that was not easy to execute when the wise chief Kahiato was still on the stool. That was why it took him seven years. And it would possibly have taken him more were it not for the loophole that emerged. The chief was sick and he decided to take the opportunity."
"His seven-year-old son Njeru, being a forecaster, foresaw it. He saw your father and the council coming against their family through his mother's best friend, your mother Wangari. Quite a strategy if I might say. She would poison the family to death. So instead of letting that happen to his family, he went to his pregnant mother and helped her run. But he was late in helping his father, he was dead by the time he arrived in his hut. His illness had taken him. In distraught, he let your mother carry out the plan on him before they discovered what he had done."
By the time he was done, Gitahi was pacing the cave. He had thought his mother to be the best woman the earth could ever offer. It seemed like she had skeletons in her closet. And his father, he was more than he showed him. It was all overwhelming and he didn't know what to do with the information other than getting mad.
"She poisoned and killed him," Gitahi said in anger. "She killed my best friend."
"Her greed for power which was incited by her husband blinded her," Ndegwa told him.
"Mwende could have used her power to stop them," he suggested.
"She was pregnant with her second child. She couldn't have taken all of them down. It would have killed her," he told him.
"I always knew my father was cruel but I didn't know my mother was no different," Gitahi said in a pained voice.
"She was good until your father filled her brain with his mediocre ideas," Ndegwa tried to defend her.
"I feel so stupid for not knowing any of it. I was seven back then and perhaps I should have seen it," he cussed.
"You were just seven. I was ten. We couldn't have figured that. Be grateful to Njeru for figuring it out through his gift. He saved his mother and sibling even if no one knows whether they survived. He could have saved his father too. And now he is about to save the chiefdom."
"You're right. He sacrificed himself to save what is his. I'll not let him down," Gitahi vowed.
"If you must know, your mother died of a curse. It was not a natural death," Ndegwa revealed to him. It shocked him.
He knew his mother died a natural death. Everyone else knew that. Or maybe it was just what his father made him believe. The latter was more likely to be the case.
"Who cursed her?" he asked curiously.
"That's the problem. I do not know. Nobody knows," Ndegwa responded honestly. Everyone knew that except him. His father had lied to him and his brother.
"You're sure she was cursed?" Gitahi asked in case he hadn't figured that right. Ndegwa nodded.
It was too much truth to know in one day. He didn't want to believe it even though he knew that deep down he wasn't lying. He could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth. He rubbed his hand on his forehead as he tried to comprehend everything.
A guard approached. He hated that he was coming for him. Perhaps his father or brother was requesting for him. The guard bowed in respect and then delivered a message.
"My chief, your father is requesting for you."
"I'll be there right away," he told him.
The guard rose and left. He heaved a heavy sigh, huffed and tapped his friend.
"I'll be back for more."
Ndegwa nodded.
"See you later," he told Gitahi.
Gitahi majestically walked out of the cave. He had to pretend that he hadn't just learned so much that had been kept away from him. Once outside, he felt the fresh air and midday sun soothingly burn on his skin. He needed it. Whatever he had learnt was heavy. It needed to be processed carefully.
He gave the cave one more look before he proceeded. He pitied his friend. He hadn't felt the sun burn on his skin for a month. But soon he would feel it. He would make sure of that. He made his way through the garden. The weeders giving him side glances as they pretended to work. Especially the ladies. He was a man who caught their eye and every lady wished to have him for themselves. Though he wasn't interested in any of them. In fact, he had never fancied a girl from the chiefdom. A fact that mesmerised instead of scaring him. He always believed that there was beauty beyond the hills and ridges of the chiefdom.