Chapter 8 Anyaga
There are seven Anyaga clans. Rwenji, Ihuruto, Mbogo, Rwathi, Weru, Rwamba Ituge, and Igunyambara. It is not auspicious to belong to the seventh clan, they are known thieves and wizards. But the same could be said of certain members of the other clans. On this day mzee Mwaki Runo was taking a casual stroll along the bushes just outside his home. If he stared back he could just see his senior wife Wanjugu preparing the evening meal in her thingira. He walked, engrossed in thought. Every now and then he would shake his head, and sigh heavily. Mwaki Runo was a worried man. His son's contingent of warriors had not returned from the hunt and it was now over two moons ago. Not like Kwaria Mwaki to take that long on the hunt. He sighed again deeply, glancing irritably at the path ahead, which now branched. One path led to the village square, the other to homesteads. He decided abruptly to visit his friend Nyaga, an agemate. They had tasted the knife together and therefore qualified to call each other "Wakine". He knew that the other was well aware of the worries facing them; after all, several elders had seen their sons head off into the forest that fateful day. Indeed the abnormally long hunt was the talk of many in the town. Idle gossipers! He though angrily. His feet shuffled as he headed in the opposite direction to the village square. Yes, a visit with Nyaga would do him good, he thought. Worries shared more than once each day felt less. His feet raised small dust clouds as he trod the much walked path. To his left children played at war games. They used small bows and arrows with blunt ends. The village seemed bustling with life as often happens before dusk.
Shortly he came to a turning, and there were hedges on either side of the path. He walked on and ahead, the path split once again. He took the left turn and strode on. After a few minutes of walking he arrived at a home that was surrounded by a hedge of kariaria, a shrub that produces a milky substance when cut. He did not favor this shrub himself, preferring musomoro, one that produces small black fruits, delicious to the tongue. But eating too many of those black fruits could lead to black dung. He smiled at the wistful direction his thoughts were taking. He entered through a small gate and just inside the homestead he paused and shouted "Wakine!" There seemed to be activity around but he could not see his agemate. He could see two of Nyaga's grandchildren playing on some grass. They stopped their game to look at him. A dog lay curled lazily nearby, head tucked near the tail. He strode in further and put his head into the opening of one of the huts. It was dark inside, but empty.
"Wakine!" He shouted again and this time an answering shout came from the direction of the cattle paddock. He meandered around the huts heading that way. As he neared the paddock, he saw his friend supervising the milking, being done by Waciuri, his eldest daughter. He had a big smile on his face. "Wakine!" Nyaga roared back and the two shook hands heartily, clapping each other on the back as if they hadn't been together just the previous day. The home owner ordered stools to be brought and they made themselves comfortable just outside the main thingira. Snuff was brought out from a long pouch and passed to Mwaki Runo, who mumbled thanks. He upturned the snuff box, letting several nodules to splay onto his open palm. He took a pinch of snuff posed his head at an oblique angle and applied liberally to the right nostril. He repeated the maneuver with the left. Then he sneezed loudly several times. "That is good snuff" he said, wiping his nose, tears streaming from his eyes. "mmmh, I have heard that snuff from the mountains of buffalos to the west is the best". Answered his friend.
Nyaga did not use snuff, preferring his pipe, which was dented with age. After he had lit up and the other had applied several more doses of snuff, Mwaki Runo cleared his throat. "Nyaga, you know that you are my brother, it is just that you ran away when we were young" he begun. "Yes indeed I did" the other said, puffing strongly. Wisps of smoke curled furiously around him, giving his face a peculiar look.
"I am a worried man. My son has not come back and it's now two moons. Where do you think these boys could have gone"? He stared at Nyaga as if his friend could produce his son.
"We have discussed this matter before, wakine" the other said. "I told you the last time that the team with Kwaria Muniu is an exceptionally brilliant team and your son is among the best warriors we have. Why do you worry? He angled his head, looking at his friend. Before he could speak more, nyaga's wife came up with a gourd full of sour milk and two horn cups. She bent a knee and proffered a horn to her husband first. "Taste this milk for me my husband" she told him, "tell me if the cows are being fed well!" The husband grunted an amused smile on his lips. She filled the gourd with milk then turned to Mwaki Runo. "How did you rise my second husband", she said, beaming with amusement. Mwaki Runo smiled at her. "I rose well mother of waciuri, you look well today".
"It is this man who has been feeding me well"; she smiled at Nyaga, who pretended not to have heard." "It is because she recently bore my father", Nyaga said proudly. It was well known that Nyaga had tried for a son for many years without success. But fate had finally smiled at him after four daughters. He had named the little boy Njiri, after his father. He was very protective, but at the same time wistful, lacking a warrior old enough to be in the field.
She left the men to their talk. Mwaki Runo shifted on the stool, trying to get a more comfortable position for his buttocks. The sour milk tasted good in the late evening. The two drank in silence for a while, listening to the coming twilight. Crickets and other night insects began their choir. "No one is disputing that Kwaria Muniu is a great war leader but what if he was ambushed…." Runo continued their argument.
"Stop looking for a disadvantage", his friend told him. Let us give them the next few days and then send a squad out".
They talked for a few more minutes, and then Mwaki Runo asked leave to go. The two left, walking back towards the village square. Before they reached the first turning a youth came running to them. He told them that they were needed at the council hall. Apparently the warriors led by war leader Kwaria Muniu had come back with important information. The council was to be convened immediately. The two elders looked at each other, relief plain on Mwaki Runo's face. They headed at a brisk walk for the council hall.
The journey took them across numerous homesteads, past the village square, onto sparsely populated brush. The council hall was a large building consisting of wooden planks raised a meter from the ground. The roof was close thatch and the main entrance big enough to accommodate two elders. Clearly they were among the last to arrive. Mwaki Runo could see warriors in various states of relaxation around the hall. Quite a number of elders had arrived, and women were busy distributing food and sour milk. Some warriors seemed to be missing and others were injured. Mwaki Runo's eyes scanned the crowd anxiously in the fading light, looking for his son. His heart sank, as he couldn't see him. Mzee Nyaga gasped suddenly in surprise, his eyes fixed on one of the spears a warrior was carrying. Runo followed the direction his friends' eye was looking, and had to stifle an exclamation. Those were definitely Maa-rati spears. Their distinctive curved blade could not be confused. It was as he had thought. The warriors must have had a fight with the Maa-rati . Oh where was his son?
They cornered a young warrior, who seemed be in a hurry to go somewhere. "Where is Kwaria Mwaki?" his father asked, anxiety making his voice squeak. "Where is your assistant commander?"
"They diverted to the home of Mukwa Njugu", the young warrior replied.
The two elders sat down in relief. It was not that Mwaki Runo was a coward. He knew casualties could be suffered when warriors went to face the wild. He told himself it was just that Kwaria Mwaki was his first born. Yes that was it. At this moment the elders began trooping into the hall. There were important matters to be discussed, and dusk had already rolled in. Blazing torches at every few intervals served as the only light. The elders were packed into the hall. Mwaki Runo looked around.
Anyaga were ruled by a council of elders, and decisions were usually voted on. However as in all gatherings there were opinion leaders, men of wealth, whose words were listened to keenly. There were also the woefully poor, who rarely spoke in such gatherings. And when they did speak, none seemed to take their words seriously enough. And then there were the orators, men skilled at convincing other men with the spoken word. Whenever such men stood to speak, a hush would descend on the gathering. For their words were like soothing music, and their logic deep. Such men tended to be well known.
Kago was such a man. He spoke and men listened. Looking at him however, you might have dismissed him on the spot because he was short, no higher than five feet four inches. However when he spoke your opinion of him changed. He tended to open most meetings, and he did not disappoint.
Lifting up his hands for silence he adjusted the cloth on his left shoulder. "Elders of my people, I salute you"
"thaaaaai" the other elders intoned.
"thaaaaai thathaiya ngai thaaai" he uttered
"thaaaaai thathaiya ngai thaaai" the elders responded.
"thaaaaai thathaiya ngai thaaai"
"thaaaaai thathaiya ngai thaaai" .
"thaaaaai thathaiya ngai thaaai"
"thaaaaai thathaiya ngai thaaai" .
"May our crops never fail…!
"thaaaaai" the elders responded
"May our women's wombs ever be fruitful…!"
"thaaaaai" the elders responded
"May our warriors ever be successful in battle….!"
"thaaaaai" the elders responded
"thaaaaai thathaiya ngai thaaai"
"thaaaaai thathaiya ngai thaaai" .
Prayers completed, he surveyed the elders. "We have come in response to an urgent summons by the commander of the fire regiment. I am told he has an urgent message for us from the Maa-rati people."
At mention of the feared Maa-rati elders shifted uncomfortably. The hall became a jumble of conversation as questions were asked and no answers given. Kwaria Muniu strode to the centre of the hall and surveyed the elders. No man was allowed into the hall armed but he carried his knobkerrie, one hand gently caressing the hard knob as always.
"Elders of my people, I salute you"
"thaaaaai" the elders intoned.
"I have been given a big responsibility to deliver a message to you. He paused for dramatic effect.
"But first I must give you the background information". He proceeded to give a quick narrative of how the warriors had come into contact with the Maa-rati. Everyone listened spellbound.
"The message I was given by samut the Maa-rati seer is this, that the people of these territories are about to be faced by a bitter war. Warriors from the lands of the south are coming in the hundreds of thousands, all bent on one thing. To destroy the inhabitants of these territories."
"We must therefore be ready, but more importantly; we must ally ourselves with other peoples who share our domain. Together, we must defend this land, shoulder to shoulder, or perish! He says the Maa-rati will welcome all those who would stand with them. We must all defend these territories of our forefathers or cease to exist as a people," Muniu concluded.
If the squabble before had been loud, this was a royal din. Everyone seemed to be talking at the same time, and no one listening.
"Quiet!" Roared elder Wango. He was a wealthy and respected man. A hush discended.
"You have heard the words of our illustrious son, the son of Muniu. The field is open for discussion but let us listen to one at a time!"
Elders sprung up but the first was Gachora wa Ngunjiri. He was also a wealthy man with a huge farm near the edge of the forest. He was moreover a renowned trader in tobacco, and it was well known that his trade took him to Maa-rati territory often. His head was almost bald, but a few straggly white hairs showed.
"Anyaga, senior elders, my people. What the son of Muniu has said is a weighty matter. The Maa-rati have been our enemies for many years but now we must unite together and crush the common foe!" He paused. "I do however have one question, what happens during and after the battle". Who commands? We all know that an army must think as one, under a single commander. Are we prepared to put our warriors under Maa-rati command?
Elder Wango sprung up quickly, seeing from the corner of his eye that Kago was about to stand. "Our warriors will never be under foreign command. Our own son, Kwaria Muniu will command the forces."
Kago stood up. "Elders I salute you once again. We are not dealing with the core issue here. The war we have been told about seems to be a winner take all battle. We cannot therefore lose, or we disappear as a people. I say we throw aside out petty differences with the Maa-rati and join together."
Many elders shouted agreement. Some nodded their heads. Then elder Mukungu stood. "My people I salute you."
"thaaaaai!" Was the response.
"Most of you know how deceptive the Maa-rati are…indeed it was just the other moon that they abducted Kui the daughter of Kamau and we have not seen hair or nose of her since. I say we strike the enemy on our own and leave the Maa-rati to their doom!"
More noise was made as elders argued fiercely. Some seemed in agreement with elder Mukungu. An aged elder called Kamau wa Njenga, rose. He was the father of Kui who had seemingly been abducted. He tottered to the centre of the hall. Sorrow, it seems, had aged him. The hall went quiet. It had never been proved indisputably that Kui was abducted by the Maa-rati.
"I have shed many tears over my daughter"…..he begun. You could see the struggle to keep his composure on his face. "It is not conclusive that the Maa-rati took her, but the matter before the council is bigger than any individual. It goes to the heart of survival of our community. I say we join with the Maa-rati!"
He tottered slowly back to his seat. The council applauded heavily.
Mzee Kago stood. "Fellow elders, this is a matter that must go to the vote."
He looked around. "Who stands to agree to the joining of our men of war with the Maa-rati for purpose of defense of our homeland?"
Men began standing, one after another. After a few minutes only Mukungu and a few elders were still seated.
"Majority have stood, and we are now joined with the Maa-rati. A message must be dispatched at once to tell them as much. But I suggest more. A meeting of select elders of both communities to iron out issues of command and training."
Such meeting shall be convened eight days from now.
"thaaaaai!" everyone responded.