Chapter 1: Sanzu Village
Rima lay sprawled on his bed in a dilapidated hut somewhere in the outskirts of the village. He wore a black faded shirt covered with zigzagging patterns and khaki shorts. He had jet black hair, bronze skin and a sharp pair of grayish eyes. Rays of morning sunlight peered through the gaps between the folded curtains spilling over his childish face.
'Sometimes I wonder if anything is real, considering how vast the heavens are, I wonder if I am of any significance at all'.
"Rima, Rima lets go, Grandma Hathor said to go pick herbs for her near mount Inyanga, aren't you excited", suddenly a gentle voice is heard just outside of Rima's small hut. "I'm coming in. I hope you're not still sleeping again".
"I'm surprised you learned to announce yourself Maka and not just bursting in as usual ", Rima responded. He was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling of his small hut which was covered in a layer of soot and spider webs. Propping himself upward, he stared at Makanaka who had just came in with a wry smile plastered on his face. She was now putting away his dirty clothes and doing a little cleaning.
"Hey! Hey leave those roots….. They are… important medicine"
Makanaka turned to look at Rima with a questioning glare.
"It's true they are for strengthening the bones", Rima quickly responded as if afraid she would find out he was lying.
"What the hell are you doing anyway?" said Rima as he grabbed the roots from Makanaka's hands.
Makanaka was a year older than Rima, who was fourteen years at the moment. She wore a simple black knee length dress which also had zigzagging patterns around the edges, pockets and neck. Her feet were covered with small cow-hide boots, further accentuating her bubbly outlook. She had a thin figure and coils of leaf brown hair which plunged over her shoulders. Her bone necklace swayed gently back and forth as she finished organizing his things. A set of dazzling, angel-white teeth gleamed as she blew gently on dust covered cupboards. It didn't take long; since Rima lived with his older brother who didn't have many possessions.
"You know I can do that by myself right", said Rima sounding a little exasperated.
Makanaka's enticing, constellation like dark eyes gazed at Rima.
"But you never do, humph", she replied. "Where's big bro Zenze?"
"Out hunting…again", replied Rima his expression turning slightly gloomy.
"Ok lets go", she said dragging Rima behind her as she ran outside excitedly.
"At least we can take a break from gogo Hathor's history and geography lessons", Rima sighed dejectedly whilst putting on his brown sandals.
It was early in the morning, golden rays spilled over the maize fields and the early morning dew drops hanging on the Mango trees sparkled with a kaleidoscope of colors, making for an entrancing scene. Shouts and sounds of whips could be heard in the distant as heard boys got ready to lead the cattle to their grazing grounds.
"Goodbye Mombe, I'll be out for a while", said Rima while exiting the wooden fence surrounding the small hut.
"Mooooo", the small calf issued a bellow as if in response to Rima's words. It began tugging at the small vine surrounding its neck as if it wanted to follow them. It's struggles where futile since the vine was tightly fastened on the thick mango tree's trunk.
"Why did you name a cow? And why such a name?" asked Makanaka puzzled.
"More importantly why does that little guy look more like a buffalo than a cow? Where did Zenze say he found it again?"
"Deep inside Inyanga Mountains", Rima responded.
Makanaka led Rima to the middle of the village past the hollering street vendors and vegetable markets.
They quietly made it out the village gate; which was made out of a bunch of huge tree trunks embedded together; luckily it is always opened unless in times of war. The whole village was surrounded by such poles for protection against attacks from wild beasts and bandits alike.
Just outside the village were filled grassy plains with only a few shrubs and bushes here and there. There were some goats going about their business grazing on a few green patches of grass, the bells hanging around their necks clanging as if to notify the shepherds their locations. The azure sky was without a cloud in site.
There were multiple dust roads leading away from the village but most of which led to the nearby villages. Choosing a small winding road leading north of the village, they started their journey. This particular road led to the Inyanga mountains which were barely visible from the village entrance.
Makanaka had a grass woven basket and inside was a gourd filled with maheu and a small packet of salt. In Rima's hands was a slingshot made from a tree branch and a rubber like tendon.
"Why do you always dress like an old woman?" asked Rima as if it was his first time noticing Makanaka's pink head wrap and white cloth wrapped around her thin waist covering her slender legs. These were things usually worn by either married woman or old ladies in the village.
"What, does it bother you? I'm an old soul" Makanaka responded in a matter-of-fact-kind-of-way
"Old soul my foot" Rima responded.
"At least I'm not the one dressing up like a beggar" She retorted with a furrowed brow as she stared at Rima's faded T-shirt and short.
"Come back home, grandma and the other kids miss you. Did you leave because of me?" she asked with her head slightly lowered.
"Obliviously", Rima responded almost immediately with a hint of anger.
"That bastard Zenze is not taking good care of you. I'm going to beat him up" said Makanaka suddenly.
"Keep dreaming" Rima responded in a deadpan manner.
"Look at that herb" Makanaka said her eyes shining brightly as she stared at a purple plant growing along the side of the road. It was about 10cm tall and had four leaves with bulging white veins running along the leaves. It looked extremely bizarre as if it had real blood flowing through it.