Chapter 1

The last crow of the cockerel signaled the final warning to those yet to finish their early morning chores. The sun was rising steady and its early morning rays could be felt by anyone outside at the moment. While the birds sang, the animals chewed on what was left of last night‟s dinner as they prepared for another outing in the fields. The villagers were not left out of the morning‟s activities. The farmers hurriedly prepared to leave for their farms, the herdsmen prepared to leave for the grazing fields before the sun sets. Indeed, it was daybreak in Boma village.

Every day break meant the beginning of a new day plus a host of challenges to overcome. But this particular day was going to mark the beginning of strange events in this once peaceful village.

Just before sunrise, Udago one of the men living in the outskirts of the village had been up. As he rushed to the river for a quick dip the sight of vultures attracted him.

“These vultures and their desire for flesh,” he said softly as he drew closer to take a look at the carcass on the ground. Animal carcass was not a new thing in Boma village, at times a cow or sheep would stroll away and fall into the river where they would drown and will be washed onto the beach. At other times a cow could be bitten by some of the poisonous snakes common in the area and would die from the venom injected into its blood by the snake.

Thus in the morning the villagers will wake up to discover one of their cows dead. Being very strong worshipers of deities, a live cow will be buried as a gift to Rorche their god. Rorche was the deity associated with protecting the people as well as their belonging, from all kinds of evil attack.

Udago pressed forward with the intention of identifying the object that had made the vultures to gather so early in the morning. The vultures were not unaware of the intruder moving closer to them.

As Udago drew closer the vultures continued to shift uncomfortably away from

what they perceived as danger preparing to take flight to safety should the intruder become violent. But the sight a few meters in front of Udago stopped him dead on his tracks. Instead of the usual tail and the hind legs, Udago saw human toes and torn clothing‟s. He screwed his eyes and came closer to take a better look.

I‟m sure my eyes are not deceiving me; it is a human being – a boy! With this reaction he ran back towards the village as fast as his legs could carry him.

This sudden action frightened the vultures badly and caused them to fly off issuing cries of protest at having been disturbed from what would have turned out to be a fantastic meal. Shortly after Udago delivered his news, it spread like wild fire. The men of Boma village gathered fast and began moving towards the spot where the corpse was sighted by their kinsman. The group was divided in their minds some felt it was true while other members of the group believed it was a false alarm and were already thinking of a possible punishment for Udago. A punishment that

will serve as a deterrent to any other person who might want to raise a false alarm in future.

“It‟s a corpse indeed and a boy too,” Ogadi announced on reaching the spot.

“Udago was right, it‟s not a false alarm,” Abokito added.

Accompanied by the men, Abokito and his men came forward to examine the corpse. “The vultures have not done much damage yet,” Abokito announced to the search party. “But apparently the boy has been dead for long and it is clear he had been killed” Ogadi added moving away from the corpse.

This fact was incontestable as there was a large hole on his chest.

“What is this?” Abokito asked the men with him.

“What is that? Ogadi replied moving back towards the corpse.

Ogadi was the second-in-command of the group, himself and Abokito had similar traits. Both men were good hunters and efficient herdsmen and the fruits of their hard work could be seen. Pointing to the hole on the

boy‟s chest, Abokito turned to look at Ogadi. “What kind of animal may have done this?” Abokito wondered.

“I don‟t know but there are many wild animals in this area,” Ogadi answered scanning the area as if the killer was hiding somewhere around.

Abokito was not convinced. “It‟s not an animal this is the work of a man,” he blurted out.

“Are you sure?” Ogadi asked “let us not raise an alarm yet, it‟s too early for that”. Looking around “where is Udago?” Abokito asked.

“I am here,” Udago said stepping forward. At this point the other men now fully convinced were pressing forward to see whose son the boy was.

“Udago, I want you to tell us everything that you know about this dead boy.” Ogadi demanded having received the mandate of his leader to ask. Clearing his voice, Udago once again began narrating how he had come out and was on his way to the river when he saw the vultures.

“On seeing the vultures I was curious” he said, “I came closer only to discover it was a human corpse and then I ran to the village to notify you all” Udago concluded.

Nodding his head in reaction to Udago‟s story, Abokito turned to the men. “You and you there,” he said pointing at Jumba and Mumba.

“I want you to go to the village and tell the chief that his attention is urgently needed,” Abokito paused and waited for Jumba and Mumba to take their exit.

“Well men of Boma village as you can see the dead boy is Halima Atanda‟s son, the widow whose husband died twelve months ago” Abokito informed the men.

Some of the men shook their heads in pity muttering incantation invoking the gods to protect the whole village from such gruesome murders in future.

“But who really killed this boy?” One of the men whose name was Toma asked,

“It‟s an animal that killed him,” one of the men replied.

“Animal indeed,” Toma sneered. “Then that animal must be very skilful with a knife as to carve such a hole on his chest” Toma said sarcastically.

Ogadi smiled and nodded his head like a redneck lizard while drawing hard on his pipe. “This kind of brutal killing has never been witnessed before” Ogadi said exhaling smoke, “we must find out how and what happened here and also put a stop to it, tomorrow it could be another villager‟s child or even wife‟ Ogadi warned.

“May the gods forbid that it should happen again,” Toma prayed.

Tikayo arrived the scene of the killing like a windstorm flanked by the chief priest and Mumba, Jumba brought up the rear. The chief was about asking a question but the wailing of women as Halima and some women sympathizers from the village who had also arrived to take a last look at her son interrupted him. The sight was too much for her to take she passed out but was immediately revived. Two tragedies in such a short time was a great abomination.

“That is not my son” Halima said on opening her eyes “my son is not dead, he will return to the house when he has finished playing with his mates Atandaa–a–a where‟re you?” She screamed.

“Take her away” Abokito said to the women. Halima refused to budge.

“Why should I go and leave my son, I must take Uriji with me can‟t you see he‟s all that I have?” She burst into another round of wailing. This time the women succeeded in leading her away. In Boma village women were not allowed to touch dead bodies not to mention participating in the actual burial. It is a taboo and any woman who violated this order will have her hair shaved and will be isolated for three months.

While the wailing lasted Tikayo watched without interest and as soon as Halima was taken away.Tikayo cleared his voice and began to speak.

“Men of Boma village something terrible has happened to us,” he began. “May Rorche never allow it again”. The men chorused their agreement to his prayer.

“Maybe the gods are angry” the chief priest chipped in.

“Then we must offer a sacrifice to Rorche for protection,” Tikayo suggested. “Any way I‟ll advice that you all watch over your families like the mother hen protecting her chicks” he advised.

“I know we shall catch the killer sooner or later,” Ogadi said.

A burial team was raised on the spot and equipped with digging implements the four man team moved towards the burial spot to commence digging. It was a taboo to keep the body of any one who died mysteriously for a long time.

“Men we must be careful with this corpse and let‟s hurry the burial so that the evil spirits hovering over the corpse will go away” Abokito said.

When the digging of the grave was completed the body was wrapped in a mat and the men walked round it three times each, smacking their chest each time.

Then Ogadi with the permission of the chief priest stepped forward stopping a few

inches from the corpse began to render a farewell message.

“Uriji son of the late Atanda twelve months ago your father died and was buried. Today you too have embarked on this journey to another land,” he paused for a while “we‟ll miss you even as you„ve left us so early we know that something or somebody has caused you to go on this journey and as we bury you we hope that as you unite with your father – the great hunter together you‟ll hunt down the killer so that he does not kill more. We pray you and your father to watch over us who remain and with Rorche‟s protection may this never happen again”

As Uriji‟s corpse was lowered into the ground, the men stamped their feet and clapped their hands until the last earth was dropped.