The Muchwezi
By Aine Susan
“Whispers” – taunting whispers shook the earth; with rumors of a coward turned hero. Divergent stories of the man who could tame beasts traveled across the lands, striking fear into the enemies, and bending knees before any blow had to be struck; for the nation from which such a great man arose could only cause untold tyranny to any human who stood in their way.
“Aaargh!!” a deafening scream tore through the dark cracks of the forest thicket. Katabani had truly underrated the fool. He wailed like a scorned widow, envisioning the tales that should have followed the beast’s attack; pain, rivers of blood from crushed skulls, endless fields of trampled grain and most of all; the boy who couldn’t defend his village, despite his idolized bloodline.
He pulled the hair on his head, almost scratching out his own nails. All he wondered was, “What had changed?” The coward was too slow, too agitated to grip his own weapon, and too uncertain to take the final swing at any life.
His hopeless cries morphed into maniacal laughter, revealing the crowns of his molars; as he remembered the way his heart leaped with excitement whilst he carried the wild hive on a stick, chasing the terrified beast. He’d imagined a great beginning to the downfall of a dynasty that thrived on the unspoken grief of their victims.
Unbeknown to the little tyrant, one would think a triumph such as this would bring only joy among one’s own people, but even blood runs cold when the flames of an unfueled rivalry are finally ignited. Labongo and his brother had been placed on the scales from the time of their youth.
In every instance, Labongo looked down on Gipiir and Gipiir looked up like an adoring fan, the scale had suddenly balanced with tales of the warrior brother; ‘Gipiir and Labongo’. Songs and testimonies of their might echoed beneath the shadows of so many fireplaces. All Labongo could do was feign a dull slide of the lip to the side of his face; a face that burned with envy, for his tales of conquering lands followed meekly behind those of the beast-slayer. The warriors had been away for days, but the distance between them and home wasn’t enough to escape the tale. Suddenly, his victories weren’t only his own; they proved his father’s greatness perhaps, for raising two men so well.
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEDNESDAY
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