My grandma is either less resourceful or age has caught up with her. The main reason as to this is that when i was young, she played the role that is being played by the TV in our current days. We tuned to her stories each and every evening after clearing our plates.
"Kiang'ombe is a hill full of mystery", she blurted out. I have lived here for more than 200 years (that is exactly what she said, i am not very sure whether she has an idea of what is 200 years), but this hill still amazes me. Your dad was exactly your age when "mubeberu" (colonialist) had declared "Emangenesi' (the state of emergency). Don't mind how she pronounced some of the English terms, but they still linger in my mind as fresh as swift air. The breezing cold was drilling their chests as hard and deep to their bone-marrows. Trees made a subtle swing from one side to the other, pumping and accelerating the moving air from Kiang'ombe down to the people's frail bodies which were skimpily covered. The whistle had been blown and some could mistake it with the cockcrow as it was very early in the morning. My grandma held on to her "acting lastborn" (because she bore many others after him) shivering loudly like a spoilt machine.
"If you do not know where your husband is, we are leaving with you for "more questioning". As from now step besides your hut we are conducting a headcount", the governor announced as the chiefs and village heads translated in vernacular to the poor peasants who were just coughing helplessly. He held onto a "huge gourd that produced hefty noise that could be heard from one ridge to the other." That is how my grandma explained that object people use to announce with during demonstrations, i honestly also do not know its name.
My grandma knew very well that whatever was called "more questioning" was just like applying for your own death certificate. Therefore, she would rather die fleeing than die hopelessly like a flee in front of the colorless man "mubeberu." The entire settlement was surrounded and it was hard to escape, she clearly knew that her husband was among the ring leaders being targeted and he was not at home. She quickly decided to become the Recce Squad and put her life in eminent danger. She took to her heels facing the thicket that was behind her hut. Unfortunately, one of the soldiers identified her and informed the rest. The commander told them to leave the one lost sheep and concentrate with the rest 99 which had been found. However, the entire village saw a looming opportunity and scampered into different directions disorienting the continuing headcount. The soldiers had no option other than running after the villagers. The hot pursuit led them to the famous, the outrageous, historical Kiang'ombe hill. My grandma was the Kipchoge Keino of the day, leading the race with several meters. "Hahahahha", i interrupted her with a laugh, "grandma these old legs can run", i joked. "You idiot, you think i have been old forever", she replied with a snare.
Kiang'ombe saves the day
As they continued running with soldiers on hot pursuit, my grandma made a sudden halt. The entire village stopped but their inertia of motion made their stopping horrible. They clung into each other like a herd of sheep when the leader stops. She had remembered that they had entered deep into the forest of Kiang'ombe. There are numerous tales about Kiangombe but this one was amazing.
The place she was standing had a huge coverage of dry leaves which scattered all over denying them the visibility of the ground. She advised them to swerve and take an alternative route to the other side. Some were reluctant but decided to follow her, anyway. This gave the soldiers a chance to catch up with them and they decided to follow the route that my grand ma had despised. This was shorter and they could get a chance of surrounding the entire village with ease.
Believe it or not, their shortcut, it was a place that had a deep well that was covered by the numerous dry leaves. The well was filled with water but the leaves could not allow any person to notice. The first soldier who attempted to step on the coverage his whereabouts are not known till today. This is not the biblical story of Moses and the Red sea but my grandmother and the Kiangombe hill. The soldiers had to retreat with fear of more mysteries. For more, keep up with vinniewatz.blogspot.com
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