Chapter 10

It all started like a rumour and gradually the news spread round the entire Boma village.

“What is this news I am hearing?” Abokito asked his wife.

“What is the news my master” his wife replied.

“Ah-ah, have you not heard that Romi the daughter of Ajuba is missing?” he queried.

“Say no more my master,” she replied feigning surprise. Actually, she too had heard but since her husband had indicated his intention to disclose some news to her which she had suspected had to do with the disappearance of Romi she now feigned ignorance and rather allowed her husband to be the one to break the news instead of vice–versa. Coming from the men it was always a great piece of news but from the women it would be treated with contempt and dismissed as gossip or rumour. In most cases the woman could

get a beating for spreading false news but if she were lucky that her husband was in a good mood she got a warning, which constituted a wagging of the finger with some stern words.

“You mean, you‟ve not heard that Ajuba‟s child has been missing?” Abokito asked again.

“My master I am hearing for the first time.”

Abokito sat silently for a while staring into space presently he came back to himself.

“There will be trouble in Boma village such that no man has ever experienced and till the killer is exposed no man in Boma village shall have his peace,” he vowed with the fury of the hunter that he was, Abokito got to his feet and was on his way to the village square when he ran into Mumba and Jumbi both men were discussing in an animated manner and did not see Abokito approach.

“I greet you all,” Abokito said

“The Gods be praised,” Mumba said on seeing him. “Anything new” he asked.

“Yes, Jumbi was just telling me what he saw today.”

“What did you see?” Abokito asked. At Mumba‟s prompting Jumbi narrated his story for the second time.

“That‟s the evidence we need to bring Tikayo to book. I‟ve always suspected that man right from the moment my son disappeared,” Abokito said.

“Take it easy let us form a squad that will watch him,” Jumbi counseled.

“We should not do anything rash the rope is almost finished and in no time Tikayo if he is the killer will be in our net and the whole village will know.”

With this wise counsel Abokito‟s plan to sack the chief priest was shelved. Together with three other men they formed a surveillance squad that will expose the killer and they also took an

oath of silence. This was done without the knowledge of the chief and the men.

Romi‟s body was discovered that very evening by the men who had gone in search of her. They found her corpse lying on one of the paths that led to Boma village. Like some of the other bodies discovered too, Romi‟s chest had been cut open and her heart and liver were missing

“May Rorche helps us catch the doer of this evil,” one of the men said. The other men chorused their agreement in the presence of all the men including Tikayo and the chief priest, Romi, was buried in the bush with a prayer from her father urging her to pursue her killer and not to allow them a moment‟s peace.

“One day we shall know the killer of our children and wives and he will die a slow and painful death,” the chief priest swore.

Dejection and desperation descended on Boma village like a heavy cloud of dew.

Nobody was sure of anything again, mothers were afraid to venture out talk less of sending children to run errands. If women who were grown up could be overpowered and killed the children stood no chance at all because they were always carefree and never observant. Things got so bad that most of the men in Boma village were now running errands for their wives. No woman or child ever went out without being accompanied by the head of the family. Errands were timed to coincide with the presence of the men and as a result of this trend many families started eating their evening meals late.

While the rest of Boma village was gripped with fear the story was different in Tikayo‟s house. His family members went about as if the killer related with them on first name basis. This development led to most villagers pointing accusing fingers at their chief. Tikayo was not perturbed by this development in his domain, he

believed the men would get tired soon and roles will reverse again but he was in for a big surprise. The surveillance continued.

It was in the midst of the desperation and fear that Abokito and the other five men swung into action. Their plan was a very simple one, everyday two men would quietly sneak out from the village early in the morning and would take up vantage position on the treetops. Each man covered a different path seeing the various families as they went about their chores for the day.

The men having been adequately furnished with provisions remained at the top hidden from the view of people below. The only time they ever came down was if they had to answer nature. It was risky dozing as you could fall down from the top and may likely end up with a broken limb. While the men for each day were at their point watching the remaining men took care of their chores and families. Their family members having been warned never asked questions on the whereabouts of the head of their homes.

For almost three weeks nothing changed in Boma village the men still ran errands for their families while no killing was recorded either. But the men were not fooled and they even went to the extent of warning their chief of the danger of sending his children on errand.

He laughed, “My children, nothing can happen to them,” he boasted “in fact they‟re the only children brave enough to walk about freely in Boma village”. The men realized it was useless arguing and so they left their chief alone.

It was during the tenth week of their surveillance that the mystery finally ended, and Tikayo nabbed as he attempted to kill his son. The end for Tikayo had come sooner than any of the six men thought but for Tikayo it was no surprise, as he knew his luck would run out one day. Way into the tenth week, he had noticed that the men were holding out longer than he had anticipated and to worsen his case the desire to eat another human liver was almost consuming him. These men are holding much longer than

I thought, he observed. But I need liver right now, Tikayo reminded himself. Well since the women and children are protected then I will beam my searchlight inwards. By killing one of my child, I would satisfy my desire for the time being till I get another victim. Having resolved this, the die was cast. One of Tikayo‟s sons will pay the price so that his father will satisfy his craving for human liver. Thus that fateful morning Abokito and Mumba were already in their positions, from their vantage position they watched the various families go by including the chiefs wives and children. Then shortly Tikayo appeared with his cattle followed by one of his sons and they took the path manned by Abokito.

As the sun changed position, things change dramatically below. Tikayo had watched his son take charge of the cattle all morning while he rendered minimal assistance. Deep down the urge to get a liver was burning deep in him, lifting his eyes he observed his son‟s position and waited for the right time to strike. From his vantage position, Abokito

watched quietly and positively hoping that things would play out accordingly thus putting an end to this surveillance business. Spending the whole day watching people move to and fro was telling on them seriously. Abokito was still lost in thoughts when he heard a cry of pain below him. Tikayo with the speed of a tiger had attacked his son intending to land the club on his head as that would have killed him instantly but he missed by inches hitting him on the back. The boy‟s cry of pain and surprise brought Abokito out of his reverie even as Tikayo struck again this time the blow connected and the boy remained on the ground having lost consciousness.

Abokito could not believe his eyes, “Let me wait and see what he will do next. He didn‟t have to wait long as Tikayo whipped out his dagger and was about to cut open his son‟s chest.

“At last so Tikayo is the killer,” Abokito said, shocked at the scene below him. “Leave him alone,” Abokito shouted from the top of the tree. Tikayo didn‟t think the voice was real and was beginning to cut into the boys chest

when Abokito shouted again descending from the tree at the same time. From the other path, Jumba added his voice too because from his position he had seen Tikayo attack his son. Tikayo did not bother to run for he knew he would be hunted down before the next day.

He remained rooted to the scene of the crime like a statue.

“So you‟re the killer?” Jumba said, as they reached Tikayo. It was more of a statement than a question.

“So what if I am the killer?” Tikayo asked defiantly as he lunged at Jumba with his dagger. But the younger man was faster he stepped out of the way and followed it with a blow that sent Tikayo crashing to the ground.

“So all along it was you,” Abokito said. “You are the killer who takes away the liver of your helpless victims”.

The shouts and commotion that ensued attracted the attention of villagers working in some of the farms. Tikayo despite his setbacks remained unrepentant. “What have you all come to see?” he shouted at the villagers. The people stared at him perplexed.

“I killed them all and ate their livers and hearts and how delicious they were,” he boasted.

“Kai, shut up,” Udago shouted landing series of blows on his head.

“You savage, beast, evil spirit that had been tormenting Boma village, now we‟ve caught up with you at last,” Udago said, advancing forward in a menacing manner but Jumba restrained him. But more beating was still coming Tikayo‟s way.

“How could it be?” Mumba asked, in amazement

“Please somebody tell me it is a bad dream,” Joba said but nobody answered him. The villagers gathered around him merely stared totally perplexed, overwhelmed and speechless.

“To think that it was our own chief that had been our problem – our own chief who ate his subjects without any remorse,” Abokito lamented speaking for the second time since accosting Tikayo. The men standing beside him nodded their heads in agreement

“And he was always suggesting sacrifices to Rorche,” Joba added.

“Is that all?” Abokito asked. “He has been at the fore front on the need to sacrifice even going to the extent of giving the cows needed for the job to be done.”

As the villagers already on the spot continued talking about what had happened, more people continued to arrive from the farms and surrounding bushes.

Not satisfied with the way things were, Abokito pushed through till he was standing face to face with Tikayo after observing him for awhile, Abokito looked into the sky and shook his head, “No wonder we could not catch the killer,” he said. “So where did you bury my son?” He asked looking down at Tikayo. There was total silence as if the people gathered stopped breathing for a while. Tikayo laughed in a deranged manner.

“Did you say your son or are you not willing to know how I killed all of them? Your son indeed why don‟t you go into the bush and look for him” He shouted back. Abokito responded angrily and fast, landing series of

blows on Tikayo‟s face before the men pulled him away.

“Leave me let me deal with this cannibal,” Abokito screamed as the men pulled him away.

“Don‟t worry the laws of our village will take care of him”. Ogadi said in his baritone voice immediately the people froze Ogadi examined Tikayo carefully and hissed. “Take him to the village square” Ogadi ordered. Immediately, four able bodied men pounced on Tikayo binding his hands they brought him to the village square.

While the commotion lasted, Ntumba – Tikayo‟s son that was rescued earlier on from being slit open by his father stirred, Ntumba had been attacked by his father who clubbed him into unconsciousness. His groaning attracted some of the villagers nearby everybody had been so engrossed with Tikayo that they forgot about him, in fact nobody paid Ntumba any attention. Thus his groaning now forced some villagers to come closer.

“The boy is about coming out of his unconsciousness” one of the villagers said.

“My head-o,” Ntumba groaned, “Ahhh my back,” he moaned further.

“Take it easy,” another woman counseled. “You should thank the Gods for delivering

you from your evil father.”

Eventually Ntumba remained on the ground and was no longer moaning. As Tikayo was about being bound to be taken to the village square, Ntumba managed to stand up and after a couple of groggy steps he stabilized a bit. Quietly and gently Ntumba made his way to the farm to inform the entire family of the latest events in Boma village.