CHAPTER NINE

Early in the morning, Odinga woke up from the bed with the broom in his right hand and immediately began sweeping the compound while singing the sad song that worried his neighbors. He was still hurt by Kolumi's action and though Ogwang warned him not to reveal it out, he couldn't hide this from his uncle. He continuously thought that there might be a hidden cause of the fight, and the truth was only to be found between the two rivaling leaders. His heart beat so fast after seeing his uncle.

"Good morning uncle!" Odinga greeted.

"How are you my brother's son?"

"I'm not fine uncle. I have something that has been bothering me throughout the night and I really want to share it with you," Odinga replied.

"Continue my son."

"It's very unfortunate that our leaders have turned out into fighters. It's like comparing a staling too and a fresh meal. No one can easily believe about the hearsay that Kolumi fought against Ogwang yesterday. I observed it with my naked eyes and I attempted to get Kolumi arrested but Ogwang stopped me. This is contrary to the way of the tradition and I don't think that we shall be safe if nothing is done on this."

Odinga was very passionate about the tradition and he deeply knew there could be misfortunes that might affect the whole clan members following the disrespect shown by Kolumi.

"My son, you are growing. I don't need us to waste time on this discussion. I hope Ogwang must still be on the bed," Odinga's uncle ordered. Odinga didn't waste time hearing other words from his uncle. He rushed to Ogwang's home and began calling him from a short distance, away from the compound.

"Is there anyone insisted" Odinga asked blindly. "Who is this that sounds like Odinga?" Ogwang fearfully asked. He was still on the bed, sleeping when Odinga called out for him. Hed forward staggeringly woke up from the bed to come outside. It was very cold but Odinga walked bare chested. For cross-blooded Ogwang would not withstand the morning chill. He dressed on a thick jacket before appearing before Odinga. "Good morning Odinga," Ogwang greeted, quivering with shaky legs.

"I'm okay, but I'm here for a purpose. My uncle sent me to tell you to first reach out to him right now," Odinga informed. Ogwang didn't continue asking more questions and they all turned at once while moving to Odinga's home.

Odinga jumped forward as Ogwang followed him from behind. He moved on a terrible speed that Ogwang couldn't catch with his pace, so he left him lymping on the way. Ogwang had a swollen knee which could not allow him to move quickly and that was eminent of the fight.

Odinga thought of hurrying to finish cleaning the compound before the sun could brightly appear with the blowing wind. He kept wondering why Odinga never wanted to move together with him. In his heart, he keenly thought that Odinga's uncle could have already heard what happened between him and Kolumi, so as he moved, he kept thinking of how he was going to defend himself in case his thoughts bore fruits so as to escape from elders' punishment. He still had a mature love for Kolumi though he showed him a bad heart.

As Odinga's uncle opened his mouth to scare away the crowing rooster beside him, he suddenly saw Ogwang standing in the compound, opposite the kitchen. On seeing him, he produced a huge smile and welcome him with a calm look on his face as he said, "It's imperative to meet you my son." "Oh, thank you. I'm humbled to meet you too elder," Ogwang politely replied. Odinga rushed with two chairs outside and placed them in a big shade where they sat.

Since there were only two wooden chairs, Odinga sat on the bare floor and left the seats for Ogwang and his uncle.

"I have called you this early morning to address the weird issue which is circulating within our area. It's an abomination to the community to keep quiet over something that hurts one another. You had a terrible fight with Kolumi and you refused to report the case to me. I therefore don't need to hear your confession but to either accept or deny whether what I have said is true or not," the old man said, angrily sounding and faintly looking at him.

"It's true," Ogwang accepted.

"Since Kolumi isn't here with us, we cannot handle and clear this matter. In few days time, I will look for Kolumi wherever he I and summon you to the elder so that you may be cleansed, else you will perish," the old man crowned the meeting.

For the time that he had been talking, Odinga kept a continuous mumbling in support of his statement. Being someone who released the cat out of the bag, Odinga had to indispensably rescue Ogwang from drinking the lemonade juice of the two norms of Lango tribe. One might think Odinga's heart was bad towards the two leaders because of his relentless struggle to make them harmonize but he just felt irritated for having watched them in a fight so he needed to satisfy them. Odinga's uncle hadn't yet known that Kolumi had already disappeared from the camp as he talked with Ogwang. It was when he instructed Ogwang to convince Kolumi and come along with him to his place so that they could look for possible ways to have the matter solved without being subjected to the boards of different elders, which he thought would induce them into humiliation and loss of dignity. In his heart, he knew what he said wouldn't come true but just to soften Ogwang's heart so that he would find Kolumi wherever he was.

"Most of our elders will soon die and leadership will be left in whose hands if the people in whom we entrusted have begun groaning in confusion like this?" Odinga asked in dissatisfaction. Ogwang's mouth was shut throughout the meeting but his physical outlook signified something sensational. He nursed it in his heart and never released it to them.

"No uncle, Kolumi escaped back to the village after the incident, so he is no longer in the camp," Odinga interjected. The old man silently shook his head in agony after hearing such. He barely believed and asked, "If it took for us two weeks to reach here, how did he travel and reach the village within a day?"

"Okay uncle, he boarded the cargo truck that was heading to was taking the food to the care center in Ladigo village."

It appeared like Odinga was talking on Kolumi's behalf. He defended him in all ways because he knew was the fire setter after being warned not to reveal out the incident. Kolumi's disappearance from the camp was a total surprise to Odinga's uncle. He silently growled at Odinga about the kind of generation he would be nurtured in. As a retired leader, he had nothing to do, he accepted to advice Ogwang or forward him to the elders incase he failed to abide by his pep words. Now he had to plan with other elders who had remained in the village to have Kolumi summoned before them. How would this be done? He was the only elder from Ladigo who had traveled with other young men and women to the camp. Has it been that there were two or three elders from the village of Ladigo in the camp, they would have called Kolumi back and performed the ritual in the camp. But since it was only him as a chosen elder by the village board of elders to lead his fellow clan mates through the traditional ways in Barlonyo, it wouldn't be possible to discipline Kolumi before him.

The following morning, he summoned the all people in his zone for an abrupt meeting. Only children remained in their various homes while both men and women suffered with coldness on their way to the meeting ground.

They followed the agitating sound of the bell which had been rung by Odinga as an instruction from his uncle. Though their neighbors heard the bell, the norm barred them from joining the outdoor gatherings. The traditional meetings were held per clan and sometimes in a micro family lineage. This was a general traditional concern, so all people needed to attend. How would Ogwang feel about Odinga for having betrayed him?

Since the previous meeting, he never had any close interaction with Odinga till todays after attending the general clan meeting.

The submission of Odinga's uncle in the meeting was vastly selective. He coherently observed the choices of words he used in the meeting. He also had the wish that he needed to protect Ogwang from people's reactions which he priorly knew wouldn't please him.

"The hours are bitterly narrowing for the garden work and I need not to let your day to go plain without executing your various daily planned duties. I have called you to merely tell you that we have one of our members who is missing and the circulating rumor reveals that he has gone back to the village. I therefore need to select one strong woman and a man that will be chosen from amongst you so that they send my message to Owele; the village chief of Ladigo," said the old man.

Odinga immediately raised his left hand and when he was picked, he said, "I will represent men."

Everyone clapped their hands to appreciate him. Just after him, a young spinster from the crowd stood up and said, "I will ask represent women." People's hands waved in an applause of her devoting spirits. He then finally ended the meeting reminded the two representatives to remain behind for a briefing. People soon departed to their respective homes as Odinga remained behind with Akumu for the orientation.

He re-appreciated them for their cordial attitudes and encouraged them to keep the same spirits whenever they would be called for. Odinga keenly knew what they were going to do in the village, so he never bothered to explain to explain more to them. Instead, he instructed them, "Go and tell Owele to summon Kolumi before elders. Let them ask him what caused him to leave the camp without my consent. If he accepts that he fought, let the elders perform the cultural rituals as required. Stay there and witness that everything is done before you get back to the camp. Though Odinga's uncle had already retired as the village chief, the village members still respected him for not only the good things he did during his leadership as the clan's overser his censorious moral attitude that saved the village from various vagaries.

It was already late evening and they needed to begin the journey to the village. It was such a mildly cold evening since it had rained in the neighboring camp.

They all dressed on heavy jackets and carried along with two blankets in their woolen bag. As warm blooded youths they had much curiosity to achieve the mission by any means no matter the kind of transport they would use. They didn't have any penny to either help them buy food along the way or board any truck on the way.

"We are your children and always follow your command. We lay our hands before you to seek for protection along the way as we move to the village. We are not following our needs but rather the desire of our elders as you said children must always show respect to their elders so as to succeed amidst strive for a fruitful destiny. Lead us through the darkness and the broad daylight as you promised to those who obey you," Akumu humbly prayed.

Odinga's knees remained down as Akumu stood before him while burbling in prayers. At that time, Odinga's uncle was still in the kraal, checking on his cattle. As Odinga and his counterpart began to move, they met him on his way back home. "Where are you going at this late hour?"

"We are on our way to the village," Akumu politely answered. After hearing Akumu's response, the old man remained silent for a moment and undeniably said, "There hasn't been any successful night journey in the history of our clan. It's wiser to spend a night here and restart the journey early in the morning." Akumu first nodded while Odinga smiled in contention of his uncle's words.

He removed the woolen bag from Akumu's hand and started following his uncle. Akumu had no any other option except to adhere with the old man's customary wisdom.

She quickly ran after Odinga while shouting, "Wait for me please." Odinga stood and waited for her as his uncle continued moving. They kept advising each other as they followed the old man's footpaths and their discussion was majorly centered on discipline.

"I have never opposed my uncle's words since he started taking care of me when I lost both of my parents in the guerilla warfare. I always see other children arguing with their elders and sometimes I wonder if such children could have really undergone through any traditional training. Listening and doing what one wants doesn't mean that you lack a sense of direction, but rather to avoid showing disrespect.

"Thank you my brother. We shall be valuable as long as we remain committed and proactive to our elders'words. I slightly hesitated to come along with you because I had much interest to leave for the village," Akumu confessed. She silently thought that Odinga's statement was an indirect correction for her heavy hearted feeling. Her long absence from the village members made her unsettled after being chosen to lead the female catagory for Kolumi's case.

On reaching home, Odinga rushed to the stream to collect some water for domestic use as Akumu remained preparing food in the kitchen. With a sibilant voice, Akumu kept taunting the strayed birds as she stood in front of the kitchen's door. As soon as Odinga returned from the stream, he filled a bucket with the water and carried to the bathroom for Akumu, but as a respectful young lady, she refused to take a bath with that water and begged Odinga to first bathe before her. In the meantime as she waited for Odinga, she quickly served food in one plate for both of them and left the remaining portion inside the saucepan for Odinga's uncle. After seeing Odinga getting off the bathroom, she hurried with a three littered jerrican of water and swiftly cleaned herself. What else could they do apart from sleeping? Though Odinga's uncle wasn't at home at such a late hour, they wouldn't wait for him to come back for them to take a rest. He had gone to his neighboring friend's home and sometimes he spent the night there, so with this experience, Odinga couldn't allow themselves to be punished in coldness as thy awaited for him to come back.

So after jointly eating, they took a nap for only five hours after which Akumu woke up from the bed and started the arrangement for the village. Before doing anything, she woke Odinga from the sleep. They all entered outside together and began their preparation. Odinga's father was still on the bed as they continued with their preparation. When they were now set to go, Odinga called for his uncle from the door side. He hardly opened the door when he heard Odinga's voice.

"We are now starting the journey, but we don't want to leave before informing you," Odinga said as he stood in front of the door.

"Thank you my son. I pray that the spirits of our ancestors reign and protect you wherever you go. Remember to come back as soon as the rite has been performed, and you should also protect your sister from the hands of the ruthless man eaters," he cautioned as the two candidates turned their back to begin journeying. Akumu handled the bag and Odinga held a long stick as they moved. Inside the bag, they had stocked some edible foodstuffs which would be help them on the way.