The Dancing Bride And Her Spirit Warrior - Episode 9

 

Vuyanzi phone beeped and she checked her phone. A message read, he has left the boma (compound), he will be out for an hour. Hurry. Vuyanzi set her plan in motion, she had only a little over one hour to get into Kweyu’s massive boma and the rescue the cheetah cub on the psychopath’s bedroom.

It had been a month after her last escapade in Kweyu’s boma to save rabbits from the cruel hand of Kweyu. She nearly lost her life saving rabbits from him . Vuyanzi had heard Kweyu bragging of how he was planning to keep a pet. A cheetah cub to be exact. How he got to kidnap a cheetah cub is still a mystery to her.

Vuyanzi remembered the thought of Risasi, Kweyu’s dog and felt sick. The dog was emaciated and constantly beaten. Vuyanzi could not bear thinking about how Kweyu would treat a wild big cat. She would not allow it.

So she had planned a rescue mission for the cheetah cub.

She had come up with a plan with Amina to help her get into the house. Vuyanzi would come bearing some vegetables from that market. Amina would welcome her in the house and show her Kweyu’s bedroom. Amina’s involvement ended their, Vuyanzi didn’t want her to get in trouble with her employer. Vuyanzi was then to pick the poor animal into her basket (the one she brought vegetables with) and get out of the house

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. Easy. After that she would take the animal to the wild animal rescue Centre at Nyati Animal Conservation. She would claim that she had found it lost in the road. She desperately wanted to report Kweyu but sadly nothing would be done and Amina would get in trouble.

Vuyanzi did her research well, she realized apart from a throng of friends of Kweyu, the house was relatively empty. Kweyu’s parents were in Nairobi most of the time and rarely came home. Kweyu was left alone most of the time, he didn’t have any siblings.

Vuyanzi had enough to go on with, she didn’t need to check the contact to know who had sent her the message. It was a servant at Kweyu’s father estate. Vuyanzi had met Amina when she had escorted a little girl home. The little girl was lost in the market near Vuyanzi’s grandmother stall, where they sold vegetables and fruits, sometimes dry fish. The market was a large congested place and it wasn’t common for children to stray away from their mothers. It had late in the evening when Vuyanzi was about to close when the little girl came in crying. Vuyanzi had asked why she was sad and the girl said that she had lost her mother in the throng of people milling around in the market. Vuyanzi’s heart felt for the little girl whose name was Saida and she was about four or five years old. She had on a small colorful headdress on her head, Vuyanzi guessed that Saida was a Muslim. Nyati town had a small community of Muslims who majorly lived in the town area and most likely around the mosque. When she asked Saida if she knew her home Saida said that she lived near the mosque, where she and her mother prayed. She asked Saida if she had memorized her mother’s phone number but the little girl said no. Vuyanzi decided to close early and help Saida find her way home before darkness fell.

It didn’t take long to find Saida’s mother Amina frantically looking for her daughter. The woman embraced both Vuyanzi and Saida tears flowing from her eyes. She had wanted to reward Vuyanzi some money as her sign of appreciation but Vuyanzi had kindly refused. At that time Vuyanzi didn’t know that Amina worked at Kweyu’s home as a cook. A few days later Amina visited the market and passed by Vuyanzi’s grandmother’s stall. That was when she told Vuyanzi she was purchasing some food stuff for Kweyu’s household.

That caught Vuyanzi’s attention.

 Vuyanzi didn’t like to use Amina for information but she couldn’t help but subtly ask Amina what kind of animals kept in his shed. That was all it took for Amina to start talking and talking she did. Vuyanzi found out that Kweyu had recently ‘acquired, a baby cheetah and it lived at the foot of his bed. No one was allowed to feed it except Kweyu himself.

That was when she set her plan in motion.

Vuyanzi was nearing the tall fence. Kweyu’s father like most wealthy men in her area built their houses on the edge of Nyati Animal Conservation. The green quiet environment was a change from the noise and dusty streets that Vuyanzi was used to. The only noise was that of dogs barking behind other looming gates and fences. She told the bodaboda man to drop her on the gate.

The watchman let her after telling him that she was dropping some vegetables for the family. He let her in but not after looking leeringly at her. Vuyanzi tried not to scowl. There were two cars siting in the front of the large house. Vuyanzi didn’t know much about cars but she knew those were expensive.

The house was beautiful a brick bungalow surrounded with beautiful wildflowers that were indigenous to the area. Vuyanzi quickly hurried into the home and was met a very excited and anxious Amina.

‘’Nobody is in, the bedroom is the last one in the hall. Past the bathroom on your left. It has dent marks on the door, caused by yours truly Kweyu when something doesn’t go his way,’’ Amina said sarcastically.

‘’Okay, I will be quick,’’ Vuyanzi chuckled. This was so easy, she would be in and out in less than five minutes, if all went well. She hoped. The house was beautiful inside the furniture modern and a huge wall television decorated the wall in the siting room.

She made her way to the bedroom and true to Amina’s word, the last door on the left had dents on. Vuyanzi pushed the door open and entered. Her heart was beating so hard. It was like entering the jaw of a lion. The first thing she noticed was the large bed, a king size she believed. It was well spread with gray sheets and a huge duvet was folded on the head rest. A huge dresser was seated near the window. Vuyanzi noticed that the room had a bathroom en suite. How nice would it be to have a bathroom in your room, she was sure the bathroom also had warm water. Everything in the room smelled of money and Kweyu’s nasty attitude. It was clean and had posters on near naked girls on the wall. Typical, Vuyanzi rolled her eyes. She could only see a few posters of bands and other paraphernalia she didn’t want to look at.

What she didn’t see was the little cheetah cub.

She put the basket down and bent on her four to look under the bed. It took her a second to see it. The poor animal was cowering at the far end of the bed, far away from Vuyanzi. Her heart was tugged. Vuyanzi slowly reached her hand under the bed to bring the cub out but she was nipped. The little cub had claws. It was going to take coercing to bring him out, Vuyanzi decided. It was a good thing she had come prepared. She reached inside the basket and retrieved a dry fish she had taken from the market place.

The fish had been motivation enough for the cub to come out. It was a sad sight. Just like Risasi the cub had not been fed, it appeared to be not old than six months, its normally lustrous coat was dusky and it didn’t shine. Vuyanzi managed to pet it gently only to touch a chain around its small head. Kweyu was an animal. How could he be that cruel? Vuyanzi started looking around for a key to unshackle the chain.

She went on the dressing table, the drawers and even checked under the bed but nothing. Where was the key? It was then she noticed that the cub was chained on the foot of the bed. If she lift the leg of the bed, she might release the chain. She would have to find another way of releasing the chain on the neck. After heaving and lifting the heavy bed, Vuyanzi was able to release the chain from under the bed. As she was enticing the cub into the basket Vuyanzi was startled to hear sounds coming from the hallway.

‘’Kweyu, you are back early,’’ Amina’s voice was loud and startled. Clearly, Amina was trying to signal her. Vuyanzi almost dropped the basket with fright.

‘’This is my house, I come whenever I want and leave whenever I want, mboch,’’ Kweyu’s voice was full of loathing.

‘’I am still cleaning your room, you can’t go in there,’’ Amina continued in still a loud voice. It was clear she was shouting for the benefit of Vuyanzi. The voices sounded very close. They were walking towards the bedroom.

‘’Move mboch or I will push you,’’ Kweyu continued. Vuyanzi quickly hid under the bed, the basket carefully tacked under her arm. She didn’t want to squeeze the small cub.

The door bust open and Vuyanzi saw Kweyu’s booted legs move to the wardrobe. She could still see Amina’s legs on the door way pacing as if looking to see where Vuyanzi was hiding. Kweyu was clearly searching for something in the wardrobe as he flung his clothes on the floor.

‘’Where did I keep it? Hey mboch, have you seen my hockey stick? I have practice after classes next week.’’ Kweyu was addressing Amina.

‘’It’s in the animals shed behind the house,’’ Amina answered quickly agitation in her voice even though she tried to keep calm. Vuyanzi tried to subtly look around under the bed to see if there was the said hockey stick but there was nothing. The place was very clean courtesy of Amina evidently.

‘’No I remember leaving it here, ever since that mshenzi Vuyanzi stole my rabbits, I keep it here with me in my room, practicing how I will swing it on her head next time I get her.’’ Kweyu continued, he stopped his movement as if contemplating.

 Mshenzi, Kweyu had the audacity of calling her mshenzi while he was the one running around imprisoning animals. Vuyanzi had a strong urge of showing herself but held back. The most important issue was to get the cub to safety fast.

‘’What are you waiting for? Check under the bed…’’ Kweyu demanded. He was growing frustrated.

Amina bent and checked under the bed, her eyes colliding with Vuyanzi’s. After a subtle nod, Amina rose up.

‘’I don’t see it,’’ Amina said now confidently. Kweyu stormed out of the room mumbling under his breath leaving Amina with the mess he had left behind. Amina bent down and whispered to Vuyanzi.

‘’don’t move till I come back,’’ Vuyanzi nodded.

Vuyanzi didn’t know how long she had stayed under that bed before Amina came back and gave an all clear sign.

Vuyanzi managed to sneak the cub out of the compound without the watchman suspecting anything. Once outside the gates, she let out a huge breath.

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

. Phase one was over, now she was onto phase two. She had to get the chain off the cheetah’s neck. She checked on the cub and noticed that it was still purring slowly, munching on the fish.

She knew that if she took the cheetah to the reserve with the chain in the neck questions would be asked about the contraption. Questions she was sure she didn’t have the answers to. No matter how much she wanted to come clean about Kweyu and his cruelty she could not. It would lead to a chain of events that she didn’t want.

First of all, Koni would be enraged to find out that she had reported him, the reserve wardens would come for him, and possibly he’ll be arrested and sent to a juvenile detention, maybe which would straighten him.

Or not.

He would be infuriated and his father would not bear to see his son in lock up, being the big man he was he would ensure Kweyu is released back to the society leaving her to his vicious fury.

Her grandmother would scold her, probably even hit her if she found out that Vuyanzi was sneaking in and out of Kweyu’s compound. Lishevi would then report the matter to the chief who would open investigations on the whole matter and that is if Kweyu’s father would not have managed to buy off the chief. Either way Vuyanzi would have to face the wrath of her grandmother.

Vuyanzi did not fear her grandmother’s anger but she didn’t want to worry her old shosho. So her not knowing of Vuyanzi activities was better and that meant not revealing her escapades.

She would look for a way to release the chain from the cub’s neck and take it back to the animal reserve.

She just had to find a way. She was lost in her thoughts she didn’t hear movements behind her.

‘’Vuyanzi Amani, today I have caught you,’’

Kweyu. Her hurt dropped to her stomach.

He had indeed caught her.