CHAPTER NINE

Early the following morning, Sekai was awakened by Takadini's cry of hunger. She arose, placed a few twigs on the embers and then allowed the baby to suckle. By the light of the flame which leapt and danced, Sekai saw various dried roots and leaves dangling from the rafters above her head; other dried specimen were suspended from the pegs driven into the mud walls. There were also several calabashes and gourds arranged on the ground along the walls. These, she believed contained medicines. Sekai at once guessed that baba Chivero was the tribal healer. She shivered at the realization that she had slept with all those strange medicines, and ancestors knew what else, around her last night. Suppose she was bewitched to become baba Chivero's slave?

Gradually the sounds and noises of the community filtered through to Sekai as the village came to life, and people went about their tasks. In the bellowing of cows she could distinguish the mooing of those calling their calves to ease the discomfort of full udders, from those that were merely hungry. Calves mooed in answer to their dams. She heard the shrill crowing of roosters challenging one another to the right to mate with the hens which were sending out their provocative mating calls. And of course there was the whistling and whip cracking of the herd boys driving their beasts to pasture.

Sekai lovingly wrapped her son to her back, gently opened the door and cautiously peeped outside. The sun drenched village which she saw was not vastly different from the one she had fled only twenty - four hours ago. It was bigger, perhaps with sixty huts arranged in groups along the slope overlooking a lush valley through which a stream flowed sluggishly. This was indeed a beautiful place in which to live and rear children, Sekai thought. While she was viewing the scene, the old man limped into her range of vision from behind his hut.

"Good morning baba Chivero," she said, stepping out into the sunlight and dropping to her knees as she greeted him. "Have you slept well?"

"Good morning my child. I have slept well if you have slept well also"

"I have slept well, sekuru," Sekai replied rising to her feet.

"And your son?"

"He slept well Baba"

"There's is food in the hut, eat what you need," said the old man. "In a little while I shall go to visit my friend Chief Masasa. I will present your case to him, my child."

"Thank you, sekuru," replied Sekai.

She returned to the hut and began working. Soon she took a calabash of sour milk and a lump of sadza to baba Chivero where he was leaning against his favourite tree. It was an old gnarled 'mazhanje' tree whose trunk had been charred by countless summer fires and cleaned by generations of mud carrying termites.

He waved her away saying that he did not wish for food. Ten years ago Chivero had built his homestead around that tree and kept the fire away from it. Now they, he and the tree, were old friends. The old man had the uncanny feeling that his thoughts were clearer; that he arrived at solutions more quickly, when leaning against the old tree. Maybe it was only a feeling but Chivero trusted it.

The problem before him today was a weighty one. Two lives were in danger and probably the harmony of the community as well. He would use all his skill and experience to save both, if possible. When Chivero believed that he had thought through the trickiest part of the problem, he called Sekai to him and told her to remain inside the hut until his return.

Around mid - morning, Chivero set out on his journey to the homestead of his friend and Chief, Masasa. They had known each other from childhood. In their youth they had fought in some battles against the Shangaanis. Also, they had both lost wives and children in some of those enemy raids against their former village. After the last and most murderous one of those raids, some twenty years ago, the remnants of the villagers, led by Chief Masasa and Chivero the n'anga had moved to this isolated valley.

Chivero found his old friend dozing under a tree which grew beside his hut. He clapped his hands to announce his presence as well as to greet his Chief but as it was not an official visit, he was not too formal. The two old men chatted for a while about trivial everyday things like the weather and their cattle. Lastly they talked about arrangements for the forthcoming test of manhood for the year's batch of youths.

"Ah," began Chief Masasa "this will be the third since we came into this valley. We two may not be here to witness an other, five years from today. I have set the meeting to be here three sunrises from now. There we will make final plans. Amuya Tatenda and her women helpers will hold a meeting at the same time also. But my friend, you did not come to my compound so early mere to talk. I know you well. What is walking in your head?"

"my friend and chief, you know that 'what you think secretly is like the journey of a dog'. I have come to share a problem with you in the hope that together we may find a solution," said Chivero seriously.

"My ears are those of a gazelle seeking the direction of the hunter, my friend, they wait for your words."

"What would you say if I told you that I have taken a young wife? And..."

"I'd say 'can a burnt worm-eaten stump spring to life again?'" Masasa interrupted with a chuckle.

"....and that she has given me a son?" concluded Chivero.

"I'd say 'someone has been ploughing your field for you and producing fruit for you," laughed the old chief merrily. Chivero koined in the laughter. "But seriously, old friend, come to the point. I'm sure it was not your intention to make me laugh so early in the morning! But I warn you" he continued between fits of coughing laughter "they say that sometimes a one legged man feels such stirrings in the stump, he believes the missing piece has returned! Don't be deceived by any stirrings, my friend, heh, heh, hee!"

"Well, seriously now. Yesterday in the evening while I was gathering firewood, I was approached by a young woman carrying a child and infant barely three days old. She said she had ran away from her family and had been travelling for the entire day except for a brief stop."

"And where is she now?" the Chief asked.

"She is in my cooking hut ; no one else has seen her yet. She is asking permission to remain and become a member of our village. She is young and sturdy with the promise of producing more children, my friend. If I was younger, I myself would take her but this dog has lost all it's teeth," concluded Chivero with a wink and a chuckle.

" And why did she run away from her people?"asked Chief Masasa becoming more business like.

" Because of the baby. It is...'sope', and she refused to allow them to send it back to the ancestors. So when they decided to try her, she ran away."

"Now, that 'really' complicates matters, Chivero. In any case, you as our n'anga and a Councillor know that I must call a meeting of elders before she can be accepted."

"I know that," said Chivero testily "but I hoped that you would try to speak on her behalf."

"Now why should I do that, old friend? I have not even seen her yet," the chief said, looking keenly at his old comrade. "Crows are nervous but how many have you killed?" he added.

"Because we two have suffered so much and know such great losses, we can be merciful, my Chief. Also remember the rules of the ancestors relating to strangers who are helpless and seek our aid."

"Chivero, if I did not know you well, I'd say this young woman has bewitched you, my friend," said Masasa with a twinkle in his eyes. "But I'll try to get the judgement in her favour. Now let me summon my advisors to the meeting before we gather at the 'dare' this evening."