The Dancing Bride And Her Spirit Warrior - Episode 13

 

A tall silhouette of human being, a man. He was standing still facing her direction, his intense gaze on her. Looking directly at her, Vuyanzi held her breath, everything around her stopped, time and the mumbles of her grandmother and Tabu turned into distance drones. She tried to squint her eyes to see more clearly but the darkness was too much. Her heart beat so fast and she feared it would jump out of her chest . Her fingers were tingling with a foreign feeling, she was itching to touch something. To touch him.

Vuyanzi….

Vuyanzi, come to me it sung more. Vuyanzi was totally sure the figure was calling out to her obviously its calling by your name. She tried to move towards him but she was held back by an invisible force, a force that tried its hardest to stop her from going towards the owner of the voice.

The figure did not move and Vuyanzi had a feeling that she was looking at the same thing person who had been at her grandmother’s fence several nights ago. He had the same mystery aura that radiated in the dark. Vuyanzi was surprised to see his eyes glow, but it must have been for a second because, the glow had dimmed or she had imagined. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs that seemed to have formed in her head and looked again but this time the glow was not there

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. Definitely imagined it, no human being had glowing eyes.

With the day she was having it was not surprising she was seeing things or hearing.

The strangest thing about the whole encounter was that Vuyanzi felt like she was connected to the figure, like she knew about him and he knew about. It was the feeling like a warm blanket wrapping you in the dead of a cold rainy night. Comfortable and warm but then the feeling was accompanied by something else an undercurrent that was stronger than the first one Vuyanzi had never felt before. She didn’t think she was ready to face that feeling.

‘’What are you looking at?’’ Tabu’s voice knifed through her misty thoughts and Vuyanzi turned her head to look at her cousin.

‘’What?’’ she asked distractedly. She ignored Tabu questioning gaze and looked back at the shadow but alas, it had disappeared.

‘’Tsk tsk Vuyanzi we already have a crazy person in the family,’’ Tabu said referring to their shosho earlier antics, ‘’we don’t need a new one,’’

‘’I am not crazy Tabu,’’ Vuyanzi huffed and looked back at the chief’s house hoping to see the figure but it had disappeared together with the voice and the vortex of emotions it came with. Vuyanzi didn’t know why she felt disappointed.

‘’You are crazy, what do you call a person who hears and see’s things that don’t exist. You fainted in the farm the other day citing not remembering how you collapsed. All this things show that you are almost losing your marbles.’’

For someone who hated her, Tabu was so invested in her life considering she had been observant of everything that happened in Vuyanzi’s life.

‘’You need to get a life Tabu, stop sniffing around me and my business,’’

‘’What life? Running in and out of Kweyu’s house with those filthy animals? Am warning you Vuyanzi don’t drag my boyfriend into your messy schemes,’’ to say Tabu hated animals was an understatement. Her cousin hated everything that had fur and feathers.

‘’Maybe you should keep a tight leash on your boyfriend. Maybe he’s the one who can’t keep off my ‘messy schemes’ ‘’ Vuyanzi knew she had hit below the belt, but she had had enough of her cousin.

‘’Why you little…I will get back to you Vuyanzi just you wait and see,’’ Tabu threatened.

‘’Not now Tabu, your father is here, let’s get this day over and done with,’’

Uncle Liyai and their grandmother were standing beside the chief. It seemed that Lishevi’s act had worked and the chief would see them at last. Uncle Liyai had a upset look on his face, he looked from Vuyanzi and Tabu in a disappointed fashion clearly not amused by them. Vuyanzi wondered who else she would disappoint today.

‘’What seems to be the problem Lishevi, you know you can always search my council any time after all I am here to serve you,’’ Chief started. He was an older man with a head full of white head, his eyes were aged with wisdom and he always managed to make you feel important, like  you mattered. Vuyanzi had several encounters with him in the cultural center. She was part of a traditional dance group and her team was known to perform dances whenever they had guests from outside the town or whenever the town was having celebrations. He had always regarded highly but that seemed like it was going to end. Thanks to her jealous cousin, Vuyanzi could not help but scowl at Tabu who promptly sneered back.

Her cousin brought out the worst in her.

‘’Come lets hold this meeting at the lawn,’’ the chief herded them a distance from the house.

They all went to a shed stylishly made of makuti leaves and special mud that could only be found near rivers and streams. The walls had intricate drawings of masks and drums drawn by smoked candles, Vuyanzi marveled at the art for a moment. Such drawings were commonly made during traditional circumsion season which happened after every four years in the town. Those were the best times in the town.

‘’So Lishevi what seems to be the problem’’ the chief asked once everybody was seated, one of the chief’s daughters who they went to school with brought up some hot tea and edibles like fried cassavas. Vuyanzi salivated another thing she loved about the chief was the endless supply of delicious food. Her stomach grumbled in appreciation.

‘’Chief, my granddaughter here has been bullied severally by Kweyu. The other day he choked her up and today he beat her. I mean look at her, she is an innocent girl…she would never hurt anyone. Why would that boy think he could hurt her,’’

‘’Shosho, I don’t…,’’ Vuyanzi started trying to stop her grandmother.

‘’Shut up you know nothing,’’ Lishevi stopped her, ‘’Chief I wanted to go directly to see Mzee Magumba but he is not in town,’’ Mzee Magumba was Kweyu’s father. ‘’I respect your council so I came directly to you. My granddaughter doesn’t have parents, her uncle and I try our best. Is it a crime for one not to have parents’ chief?’’

‘’No it’s not a crime Lishevi. How about we hear from Vuyanzi what she has to say, have a cup of tea, it is good for you,’’ the chief said pushing a cup of tea towards her grandmother.

‘’Vuyanzi speak up, is it true Kweyu choked you and beat you up’’ Uncle Liyai prompted her. Uncle Liyai was a very calm man, he rarely raised his voice and was ever polite but today Vuyanzi could see that he was trying his best to reign his anger.

‘’Uncle I…yes. He didn’t beat me, he…um pushed me and I hurt my knees,’’ Vuyanzi said.

‘’That is a very serious accusation. Did you do anything to provoke him?’’ the chief asked scratching his beard and in deep thought.

‘’Does it matter chief, that boy can’t go around chocking girls. Its plain wrong,’’ Lishevi splattered.

‘’Did he choke you?’’ Uncle asked as if not believing it.

‘’Yes uncle,’’ Vuyanzi admitted shuddering remembering that day.

………………………………………………

‘’Koni stop pacing,’’ Manute placed a hand on Koni’s shoulder, ‘’Come down you can’t do whatever you are thinking,’’

‘’What, tearing Kweyu up piece by piece or breaking this wall down and going to my bride. She needs me now,’’ Koni flexed his jaws, his teeth were tingling the canines threatening to drop, his claws were probing against the shoes that Dembe had insisted they wear. They were to dress officially if they were to make a good impression on the leader of Nyati town.

The chief was a good reasonable man and had welcomed them with an open heart. He seemed thrilled at the idea of Nyati Anima reserve to be under new management citing that change was good. It would also help to boost tourism in the area, the main economic activity in the area

He did not expect to see his bride, Vuyanzi and her family in the chief’s boma. Her voice had called out to him in the wind. He had stepped out of the house but kept in the shadows silently watching. It had taken everything in him not to go to her. Seeing her now that she was awake was exhilarating. She was attractive, medium height with a graceful body of a dancer, her ugly dress did nothing to hide her beauty. She was frowning at her cousin and they were arguing about something.

Suddenly she turned and looked directly at him, her face full of wonder and questions. Koni could feel her trying to go to him but the remnants of Guma’s portion was still in her system holding her back. Koni had to give it to the old man, very few people tried to keep a bride and a warrior apart. It rarely worked, the portion Vuyanzi had taken was strong but it would fade away.

Koni could not go to her because he was still in his beast – man form. In the presence of his bride, it was hard to control his beast; man and beast fought for control. Like now he could feel his hair growing and the seams of his dress shirt busting, he was shifting. She couldn’t see him like this, she would be repulsed, he thought with a frustrated groan. Normally it was easy to shift between man and animal but not in the presence of his bride. His beast become uncontrollable. He could manage to hold it back. Manute that it was only a phase and he would go back to his normal form soon but Koni was growing impatient. Soon was not soon enough. He had a second mind of visiting Guma for advice but he stopped himself.

Rainmakers and spirit warriors did not mix well.

 Patience, my love, patience. Koni wished he could steal her away from everything around them. When she looked at him everything around them stopped and disappeared except them two. This feeling was strange to Koni, new and he liked it. His life surrounded the Big Cats group of companies but right now it seemed like he had found another purpose in life, his bride.

Koni, am here.

Their connection was broken when her cousin approached her. He took that chance to slip back inside the house, before he swept her away and disappeared inside the caves of the animal reserve.

After their impressive report about the state of Nyati animal reserve the wildlife service seemed to be impressed and offered the organization a deal.

Baraza la Wazee had been contracted by the Wildlife service to take over management of Nyati animal reserve. It was part of the new government programme to outsource some of the services of Big Cats group of companies who were experts when it came to anything to do wildlife, tourism and animal rescue. Baraza la Wazee the central body of the company had tasked Koni and his team to take control of Nyati animal reserve. It was the perfect cover for their operations as it was easier to monitor the movement of the amanani in the area.

Right now Koni wouldn’t care about the amanani or anything else, he had to get to his bride. She was out there and from the stories he was hearing there was someone who was causing her distress. Thanks to his enhanced senses, he could hear everything that Vuyanzi’s family was talking about. Her grandmother, the one forcing her to take the repulsing potion was clearly a drama queen but had the right to be worried about her granddaughter. Her uncle was clearly concerned about her niece. Her cousin was a bit bitter. He knew about Kweyu, whom Vuyanzi referred to as a lunatic, but he had a problem with Juma.

Who in the world was Juma?

He really needed to do an extensive research on his bride. He didn’t like surprises and it was obvious this Juma was a big part of his bride’s life.

‘’The more I listen to this old lady the more I like her,’’ Sudi chuckled ‘’you are going to have a handful with this family Koni am actually feeling pity for you. It won’t be easy to get to your bride I fear. You have to get through the mother hen first,’’

‘’You shouldn’t eaves dropping on peoples conversation Sudi it’s not polite,’’ Dembe said from where he was standing studying a portrait on the wall. It was of a woman carrying a child on her back with a water pot on her head walking towards sunset.

‘’Polite? With the way they are shouting the whole town can hear them. I don’t need to hear using my superior ears,’’

Koni’s phone rang and he punched the received button ‘’Koni this is bad, more elephants have lost their tasks. This time its five young males. They are getting bolder,’’ Dume said referring to the amanani activities in the area.

‘’Where did this happen?’’ Koni asked grimly, his mind momentarily slipping from Vuyanzi. He had a job to do and he needed his wits about him. He could not let the amanani get better of him.

‘’A distance away from the caves, I think they are hiding in the rocks,’’ Dume’s somber tone came through. Koni put the phone on loudspeaker so that all the brothers’ could listen on too.

‘’That is true, the last carcasses were found near the caves too, they must be hiding in there,’’ Manute said.

‘’Let’s think about this for a minute guys, these sounds like a set up don’t you think,’’ Sudi asked now serious, ‘’Why would they conduct their killings near the caves, they know we are onto them, they want to trap us,’’

‘’Sudi might be right, the Amanani have never been very smart but at the same hand they have never been reckless too,’’ Koni nodded in agreement.

‘’If we go after them blindly we might fall in their plot,’’ Manute crunched his knuckles grudgingly as if he is burning with anger, ‘’the tunnels and caves inside the reserve are extensive and it might take time navigate through them all,’’

‘’Dume does anyone else know about this, the game wardens?’’ Koni asked.

‘’No. I was here first I redirected the wardens to the other end of the reserve the minute I smelled the presence of the amanani, I awaited your directions first,’’

‘’That better, let’s keep this among ourselves first. meet us at the reserve boardroom we will discuss our way forward there,’’

‘’How is it going with the chief?’’

‘’Everything is going fine here, with the chief backing us up it will be easy to transition,’’ Koni assured Dume.

‘’Okay see you in a bit,’’ the call ended.

The chief had to leave them to attend to Vuyanzi’s family. They were left in the sitting room with heaps of snack and tea courtesy of the chief’s wife.

Read " Jabali's Redemption " by the same author ( Razia Iminza )

. Koni and his brothers preferred meat (fresh meat) but they decided to indulge the hospitality of their host. The only problem was that, the chief’s wife was more than eager to refill their cups every time they were empty. Koni didn’t remember the last time he had so much tea.

They prepared to leave and the ever present chief’s wife appeared as if she was waiting.

‘’You are already leaving, we were just serving supper,’’

No no no more food, Sudi complained telepathically and for once Koni agreed with him.

‘’Thank you Mama Elizabeth, we are full and appreciate your offer but we have urgent matters to attend to.’’

‘’Oh you don’t say, then let me call the chief to see you off, are you sure you don’t want to wait for supper. I prepare the best mushroom soup around here,’’ Mama Elizabeth

Mushrooms! No please no, Koni lets go before she offers vegetables, Sudi was literally crying and Koni chuckled. Their main diet was meat and their worst food was vegetables.

‘’That is very kind of you but we will have to turn it down,’’ Koni tried to let the old lady down kindly as possible.

‘’Okay, let me get the chief,’’ their host relented.

………………………………………………………..

Vuyanzi watched as the chief ushered his esteemed guests to their parked cars. They were four men dressed in black suits, tall and well built. Since darkness had blanketed the land she could not see them clearly. They spoke with hushed tones but Vuyanzi could hear the chief laughing. They shook hands and sped off, leaving behind a trail of dust.

Someone was in a hurry.

‘’Maybe now the chief would focus on us now that mheshimiwa is gone,’’ Lishevi said dryly

‘’Shosho, I don’t think those were politicians,’’ Vuyanzi said, there was something about them that she could not pin point. Something strange.

‘’They must be, who else would it be,’’ Tabu observed.

Indeed, who else would they be?

Hey Ebonites,

A new chapter. Tell me what you think...

Will the chief confront Kweyu?

Will Koni be able to control his shifting? and what will happen to Juma?