HOME AWAY FROM HOME-A HUNTING EXPERIENCE

Stomping and thundering sounds would come from the cow shed,as cows leapt onto each other, and fought in turns, throughout the night. Dogs chased and barked at them in turns.There was a general feeling of anxiety that engulfed the homestead, as the new friends, and herd of cows were welcomed.

Before long,it was cock crow,and the women got busy with milking and the village started getting back to life.Dogs started pacing up and down round the village,chicken started crowing at the top of their voices,and birds of all walks of life started their daily routine.Kalwan and Otuma had walked up to the middle of the cowshed before there was enough light.They were slowly inspecting the cows for any signs of illness,or ticks on their bodies.There was little or no sign of panic,as they zigzagged within the herds.Leipa was the first to pull out of bed,and he ran towards the cow shed.He went straight and greeted the old men,as he looked at the cows,scratching his eyes.Lerionka,and Moseka then followed,greeting the elders and then all boys moved towards the wall of the cow shed.Then Leina showed up,stretching himself as he joined the group.The boys were recollecting their hunting adventure,in low tones as they put their heads together.It was time to tell their fathers what had happened,before the gazelle they had hung on a tree would be discovered by other strangers or predators.After a long low toned conversation,Moseka was chosen to go and inform the old men of the gazelle,as he knew how to pass information diplomatically.He was in agreement,and he got off from where he was seating,and took careful strides towards Kalwan and Otuma.The two men looked up and discovered the young man walking towards them.A wide smile covered moseka’s face as he respectfully requested attention from the elders.Otuma cleared his throat,and asked him what the matter was.Moseka told the elders that they had been moving around guarding the homestead at night when they came across a gazelle,which they killed and hung on a tree within the plains.Kalwan was overwhelmed by the news,he had never thought his sons would find such brevity.Otuma was used to his sons killing small game,which mostly was food for the dogs.

Kalwan requested that the boys lead them to the tree where the gazelle was.They all rushed and picked their swords and clubs from the different  huts,and walked towards the plains.The gazelle had been on the tree all night,pouring blood to the ground.It was now very red on the ground.As they approached the tree,Kalwan sent back Lerionka to go and get a piece of lit   firewood.It was a moment of happiness as the elders praised their sons for an act of brevity.Moseka was told to climb the tree and throw the gazelle down.Otuma held on to the tree,and received the gazelle by its front legs as it dropped.He then moved it aside,put it on a green shrub,and cut the leaves so that they formed a green bed below the gazelle.From the neck downwards,they slit the skin to separate it from the meat.After removing the skin,Kalwan and Otuma separated the internal parts carefully,until it was all well slaughtered.Lerionka and Leipa lit a huge fire besides the gazelle.Otuma jokingly told Kalwan,’These boys have put up hell fire”.The elders laughed as they put meat on sharpened sticks facing the fire to roast.The boys watched in satisfaction as the smoke from the meat hit their heads,heading down towards the homestead.They all felt a wave of achievement sweeping through their nerves,as they recalled the events of the night.Occasionally,they would steal glances at each other,as if to say “Kudos!” to each other.

In a short while,Kalwan was piercing the liver into edible pieces.He handed over a piece to each of the boys and to Otuma as well.They chewed with gusto,as they all shook their heads in affirmation.It was sweet and fresh indeed.The women were busy in the homestead,milking cows and preparing to release them for the day.They could smell smoke in the air,and tried to look around for fire.The morning mist would not let them see any far,and the unseen smoke kept hitting their noses.Napolos was very vigilant,she noticed there must have been a kill.Leina was given roasted ribs to take to the homestead so it would be given to the young girls within the home,and the women too.A hind leg was roasted and also prepared for the women to eat.It became an impromptu feast,and what a way to welcome Kalwan and his children!Otuma kept uttering incantations in praise of the ancestors for such a gift.They both believed it was in good faith that they had reconnected after such a long while.

After finishing eating and distributing meat for the homestead,it was time for the boys to drive out the herd into the wild for grazing,and the old men would have more time to catch up on their plans and past stories.Leina moved swiftly to a nearby bush and picked a few leaves from the “Oleleshwa” tree,to wipe his mouth and hands.He beckoned on the other boys to follow him so they could start the day.It was a a few yards to the gate to the cattle pen.The boys walked straight and opened the way for the cows.The bulls were already at the entrance,waiting for the time to move.After Leina pulled the twigs away,Pukoret the largest bull shook his long horns from left to right successively,as if nodding in happiness.He led the heard off into the plain green grass,with a mouthful bite at each stop.One by one,the cows followed slowly,with sounds of grass being cut rendering the air.Lerionka stood a safe distance to allow the cows to spread out into the fields.Kalwan and Otuma stood at a few yards away from the cows,looking at the sun as it kept getting hot and hot.Kalwan removed his sword,sharpened a small stick,and cut it into two to be used to pick their teeth.

As the cows went deeper and deeper into the fields,they started eating the shrubs around the green fields,until the sounds of bells started disappearing into the forest.The boys ran into the small huts and picked their spears and clubs,and ran fast into the forest.It was another long day into the forest,with the scorching sun rendering each minute unbearable.The boys were satisfied and would follow the cows slowly,ensuring none went out of sight.Lerionka went under a tall acacia tree in the middle of the forest,and decided to take a nap.He spread his red sheet on the ground,and put his right hand under his head for support.Leina and Moseka kept vigil of the cows as they fed more and more.Lerionka caught deep sleep,and the cows went deeper into the forest,he would hear no sounds again.He turned and pulled the sheet upwards exposing half of his legs as he slept deeper and deeper.Simba,the huge dog had followed the cow tracks.He smelt around,and saw Lerionka under the tree,deeply asleep.Wagging his tail,simba came to the spot and started licking Lerionkas legs.He felt the wet tongue moving on his knee,and he shot up in fear.In a sitting position,he realized that it was simba,their eyes met and they both felt a sigh of relief.Simba wagged his tail as he looked at Lerionka.Lerionka stood up,and led simba towards the direction cows had taken.They ran for a long while as they checked on the cows tracks at every point where there was sand.As they ran further into the forest,they found fresh cow dung.They knew the cows were not far,until they found fresh,almost smoking cow dung.Then Lerionka saw a white thing moving deep in the forest.On moving few yards further,they found Moseka and Leina moving slowly behind the cows.

CHAPTER FOUR:

(Hunting the hunter)

Days and weeks went by,and it was the sixth month.The clouds seemed to be swelling up,heavily pregnant with water.Otuma and Kalwan had shared a lot of their past stories and experiences,each day giving them a chance to remember a new occurrence once in their lives.They laughed heartily,almost at every engagement,a sign that they had had a long and healthy relationship.One morning,Otuma was sitting with Napolos in her hut.They were planning how to get food from Narok town to the village,as the maize they had gotten a month ago was almost running out.With the visitors in their homestead,the food would only last half as long.Otuma advised Napolos that she would ask his youngest wife Noolkisaruni for some money from a goat sale,and proceed to ensure she got some maize flour to push the now huge family until rains came again.Kalwan was seated outside the hut,looking at the plains that were now turning golden brown,though the grass was still tall enough for the cows to eat.His three legged stool shone back at the rays of the sun,as it suffocated under his huge frame.So many things ran through his mind as he shone his eyes directly on the plains.

Otuma bent through the huts door,and cleared his throat.On looking up,he saw Kalwans bald head move,and their eyes met.They both smiled wryly before Otuma asked Kalwan what he was thinking about.He shrug,and informed Otuma that his head was just moving from one idea to the next.Otuma informed him that he was planning for food to keep the family afloat next few weeks.Though this was music to Kalwans ears,he felt a little sorry for being a “burden”.Otuma told him it was all okey,and that it was a blessing to him and the entire homestead.As they kept talking in a humble tone and blessing the days they had shared,Napolos shot out of the hut like an arrow.She had her traditional bag made of skin tightly wrapped around her neck.She knew the sun would keep getting hot,and she had not less than fifty kilometers to walk before she would find public transport.Otuma looked at her and he asked her “Have you set out for the trip?”,”Yes my husband,let me go and do as instructed”.She answered as she sped off out of  the homestead.”I bless your journey and all that you are going to do,my better half”.Otuma uttered as he sprinkled drops of spito on his chest,a traditional way to bless loved ones.Napolos’ physique towered over the grass fields,and the further she went,the smaller her figure became for the old men,until they could no longer see her.The men were blessing each event,when Noorkituli showed up from the other side of the homestead,with a gourd full of fermented milk.She handed it over to Otuma,who shook it vigorously,before opening up the lid,which produced a loud pop sound.The two men poured the milk into cups,and drank softly as they looked at the field.

Kalwan licked his lips,and put the cup down on the ground.He looked towards Otuma who had looked up,swallowing the milk in gushes down his throat.Otuma sighed deeply as he also put his cup down,and wiped his mouth using his fingers,before he called out to his friend. “Pakiteng,lets go and visit Nkiti,our old time brother.” Kalwan’s eyes shone with anxiety. He remembered when Nkiti was a young worrior.He was as brave as a lion.One day,as it was done traditionally,boys were to test their brevity by killing a lion.Whoever would be first to spear the lion would take the mane.The  last one to spear it would take the tail.Ten boys from Erusiai and enkidikirroto villages set out at dawn,and walked towards “Enatarie olkiteng”,an area well known for lions.Lenkoko,who was a big boy,led the battery of boys through oloonkabobok over to Ntulele and then they traversed the small Melili hills to Enatarie Olkiteng.Oloompala who was The eldest of Otuma’s sons,was named by his grandmother like that since he loved reading,and would collect and hold written papers against his face,anytime he saw them,even though he couldn’t read.He kept shaking in an almost vibrating shiver,as the urge for the escapade swept over his body.His eyes turned red with anger,and he kept mum for most of the journey.They had walked for more than five hours,and they needed to rest,before they would begin their search for a lion.Lenkoko saw a huge fig tree that stood alone in the middle of a small plain.He headed towards it,with the other boys following keenly in a straight line.When he got to its shade,he pitched his spear on the ground,and sat besides it,wiping sweat from his forehead.Oloompala,Ntikise,Koyei and the other boys sat each next to the other,with spears keenly pitched in the same spot.It was time to plan the next move,after taking enough rest.In turns,the boys sighed and looked at different directions,as the wind kept blowing through the trees producing a whistling sound. Lenkoko stood up and cleared his throat authoritatively,as he pulled his short crossed shukas which were tightly held at the middle by a leather- made traditional belt,which held his sword and sheath tightly close to his right hip. He started talking as he pointed his long stick to the group.“We shall all start by praying to our ancestors to guide and protect us.The fight is tough,and people have at times lost parts or all of their bodies to the lions.We must not surrender,and we shall all keep our eyes on each other.Stay away from the spears lest you fall prey,and ensure you target the common enemy before releasing your spear.” There was total silence,as all the boys looked sharply at the ground,not moving their heads.Lenkoko’s eyes were glued on the group,as he slowly walked and sat at his position.

Ntikise who had for long looked at his spear,got up and put his right leg across the left one,a sign of relaxation.He held a short club on his right hand,and started talking. “I want to second what our brother has said,lets all be swift but careful in this adventure.Whether you get the head or tail,you remain one of us,so lets protect each other.He chanted incantations and requested that they all move towards the forest,to begin the day.The boys got up in turns and moved towards the eastern side of the shrubby forest,a safe distance away from each other.Lenkoko looked afar into the forest looking for any signs of movement.The long walk led them to a huge gulley,and over to a small plain with large eucalyptus trees.Their spears reflected in turns as the sun hit them in between shadows of trees.After a little while,Lenkoko ordered all of them to stop.They came to an immediate halt,and they all held their breaths as they listened keenly.Ntikise heard a long cracking sound,like a huge dry skin being pulled along fresh twigs.He pointed west,and all the other boys looked there,while still holding their breaths.They could almost hear each others heartbeats,in the silence.

As sure as a cock,Lenkoko led the group to the western direction,avoiding passing in the shrubs,not to make any noise.There was a stranger in the offing,only that they couldn’t tell who or what it was.Step by step,they moved deeper into the forest.They would stop and listen deeply,to identify the movement.In turns,they would lick their middle fingers and point them upwards to locate the wind direction.They were supposed to ensure the wind would not take their smell to the stranger and hence they would walk on the direction where wind was headed.Slowly,Lenkoko approached the cracking sound ahead of them,which would also stop in turns,as if it was becoming suspicious. The shrubs kept becoming shorter and shorter,and the boys were almost getting out into a huge almost dark forest,which was cold and wet on the ground.It had a huge canopy that rendered clouds invisible.Lenkoko and Ntikise held onto their spears above their right shoulders,and they came to an indefinite halt.Lenkoko had spotted a huge paw track on the mud.The small group had opened up,now each boy stood strategically at the edge of the shrubby edge of the forest.

Less than three yards from where Lenkoko and Ntikise stood,short grass moved vigorously in a wavy line,before there was calm.Lenkoko got down bending his left knee.He peeped through the grass,and saw a brownish heap of a  stranger moving through the grass.Oloompala produced a wailing sound,as he jumped high over the shrubs and leapt onto the wet ground under the forest.The lion had already sensed their movements and had started preparing to fight.With his mane fully raised,the lion roared in a hoarse voice that shook the trees in the forest,pouring drops of water off the trees.Lialo,who had all the time kept calm could not hold his breath anymore, he jumped over Lenkoko,and landed less than a yard before the lions hot breath!Lenkoko sprung up and sent his spear dangling like a shooting star, onto the lions right shoulder.Lialo seconded him and sent his spear on the lion’s mane.Oloompala was watching keenly from a short distance, he got hold of his sword and moved forth as the lion opened his mouth wide, looked at the sky, and produced a huge roar, significant of giving up in a battle. All the boys knelt down and let the roar fly over their heads like a kite. With spears hooked on its body like two aerials, the lion could hardly move. It collected its huge body and tried to reach out to Lenkoko.On the left side, a huge ditch that had for long been used by warriors to slaughter and cook stolen cows, looked up at them.Oloompala moved to the brink of the ditch, and tried to hit the lion with his sword, while holding on to a small stump at the edge of the ditch. The lion slowly turned and their eyes met! Oloompala sensed danger! He looked down and saw a small sizzling light way about a hundred feet below. He could not risk jumping in there. The lion was looking for an escape route. He pulled his body together, and staggered onto the stump oloompala was holding. This pulled oloompala down the ditch and the lion came springing past his back! On realizing that oloompala was falling below him, the lion hit him on the left elbow, almost opening his chest from the back! Oloompala grinned at the top of his voice, putting Leipa and the other boys at risk of following him. They stood on the edge of the ditch looking down, astounded of what to do next.

The bush below the ditch held Oloompala abreast while the lion fell to the ground, in a thud! He lay on the bushes bleeding, as the lion turned from side to side in pain. The boys ran round and found a low part of the ditch, and they got in to rescue oloompala. Leina and Leipa used their sheets which they wear to prevent cold, to carry oloompala. He had become weak and had bled substantially. They carried him through thickets and off to a bare ground looking over Ntulele shopping centre. They laid him down, picked some succulent leaves traditionally used as a pain killer. Leipa crushed the leaves, and poured the green fluid onto and around the wound. Oloompala grinned in pain, but they comforted him. It was the beginning of a long journey back home in search of further help for the patient and to announce the victory.Lenkoko and Lialo carried the patient in the sheet while Ntikise went back to cut off the lions mane, and braces made off its skin, as a mark that they had killed a lion. It was a sign of brevity and readiness of the boy to graduate into manhood. It took minutes before they all rejoined the trip home. Through valleys, flat plains and long stretches of bare land, they took half the day and got home at almost dusk. They had carried their kin in turns, and he kept on turning and writhing in pain. The sheet had gotten wet with blood. Ntikise ran fast into the homestead, got a huge pot and placed it at the home entry. The boys each came and looked inside the pot, before proceeding to cross it into the homestead. It was believed that by doing this, the ancestors would protect them from harm and spirits from the dead lion. It was a mixed feeling of happiness and sadness as the boys were received home by their mothers. The old men had gone for an evening walk and were yet to arrive. Napolos put a jar of warm water beside Oloompala as he lay in Nasieku’s hut, on the big visitor’s bed. She took a soft cloth and washed it round. It was so bad that Oloompala would try to cough and it would be heard from his back. Ntikise tied a piece of the lion’s skin shaped like a bracelet onto Oloompala’s arm, a sign that he was the hero in that escapade. Over a long time,undergoing treatment using different herbs,he regained strength and got healed. It was time to get back to normal life. His left side kept weak, and he could not carry heavy things. The boys resumed their village life of hearding,and going for small hunts of rabbits,gazelles,and at times warthogs as food for dogs. Many songs were sung in praise of the boys, in their measure of contribution. Oloompala was the village hero, and would be feared by young boys, and the village at large. This was a great act of brevity.