I could feel him breath. Feel his heart beat raise. Adrenaline flow. The hour had come. Mushevi (the circumciser) Called. I heard him. The first whistle was blown. He called again. I drew closer. I made him feel my presence, hairs on the back of his neck stood and fell as if bowing. His breath grew intense and rapid. The second whistle was blown. He closed his eyes and started shaking. I felt him. The land felt him. Everyone by now knew that the season had started. I could hear women start singing in the villages, I drew even closer. At the river bank, he stood, his assistant behind him, whistle in hand.
The assistant chanted, " Ingwe Mkhongo"
"Ingwe weru Mkhongo" (our Ingwe Mkhongo) continuous.
Mushevi shouted then called again. I stepped out of the shadows into the glow of the moon. Mask on. Across the Isiukhu river. The whistle was blown the third time. Mushevi made out a cry and started shaking violently. He opened his eyes with a start as if waking from a nightmare. Our eyes met. He raised 'Mutiti' and struck it continuous, the small drum gave a pitch continuous rhythm. He sang.
Mbwambo ombo amboh,
Woi mbwambo amboh,
Mbwambo ombo amboh,
Woi Mbwambo amboh.
"Ingwe, Mweli wu munane yuku.(Ingwe, The eighth month is with us.)
I am ready to make the boys men.
I am ready to make the boys worth your presence.
I am ready to connect the boys to the land
I am ready to teach the boys the pains and sacrifices of a man.
I'm ready to stand as the bridge in this right of passage.
May you and the spirit of the land guide me." He concluded.
"Both man and land knows where your heart and mind is. Nature approves. The land is looking forward to being introduced to her son's. I'm equally eager to know the next Ingwe. May your hands steady, May the spirit of the land we believe heal the boys, May the boys courage carry your name. Go and do good." And into the dark.
He handed the assistant the Mutiti and continued singing.
Msatsa watukha
Khwenyanga khulola,
Ahh-woiye Khwenyanga
Khulola,
Msatsa watukha
Khwenyanga khulola,
alena mwene yinjili Irumbi.
The assistant joined in the song as they walked towards the villages out of the forest under the spectacular full moon overhead.
I listened after them until I heard them step out of the forest. I listened hard and intense, I could feel several heart beats around me but none were human. One heart beat made me stop in my tracks. That was an animal in distress, it's breath was faint, hardly moving, I could not tell the animal's location because it's heart beat was so slow and faint and his scent not in the air. Something was not right. Faint steps could be heard. Definitely, something was not right. All senses alert. A cloud of his smell fell over my head. His fur, his blood. He was so close. Yet, I did not see or hear him come.
"They are here." He said.
Standing right behind me, his massive stature casting a shadow over me. Not turning, I asked.
"Who is here?
Who could possibly make the mighty lion tremble?
Who is this that sent the mighty lion through the tsavo, Mara into the valleys of the Wanga?
What would make the lion cross the rift?
What is a lion doing in the tropical forest?
Why would the lion, the big cat, look for the leopard?"
He inhaled, I heard his knees crack, then exhaled heavily. He collapsed, I turned to see his shoulders drop, I stretched out, held his hand, pulled up slightly, held the right side of his head with my right hand, then his chest with my left hand. I lowered him to the ground. Muliru (The tropical rainforest) invited the rain, the land anticipated with thirst, it made me smile. I felt the clouds release her first drop, I stood, moved to the spot it would hit, then raised my head. The drop hit me on the forehead, splashing upwards then soaking into my face, I heard several drops hit the ground around.
"We have three minutes to get you to Irenji." I told the motionless Simba.
I listened, put my hands on the ground and listened. Looking for a heavy heart, a bigger heart, a bigger beat. I heard heavy beats, I had stumbled into a family of elephants. They were at the water point. It would take any of them forever to get here. I need an agile animal. I heard an impala chew, she couldn't help even if she wanted to, because I could feel a heart grow in her. So I listened again. I heard a Zebra's beat. Again, why was the Zebra out of the grass land? What was it hiding from? I stepped down hard thrice. I heard him raise his head, he heard me, I stepped thrice again, he made a move but was unsure. So I stepped again. Curiosity build, he came running.
I removed Simba's mask, it was smaller than mine, it only covered his eyes. His body stature slightly taller than me, but way smaller without the mask. I had reduced the mighty lion to just a man. The fact that the mask allowed me to remove and keep it, made me feel honoured.
The zebra reached where we were, he looked me straight in the eye.
"Milembe.(greetings.peace)
You are a distance away from home, friend.
Welcome to the Muliru.
my friend here is injured, he needs help.
It's urgent, he carries a massage that made him cross rivers, valleys and the rift to deliver.
If it weren't important I would not be asking.
Please help me carry him to safety."
He huffed, smelled the air, stumped his right, front leg then huffed again.
"I smell danger, I can't help you.
I smell a cat, a lion around. I value my life and would not risk it for a man's survival."
"You know that the tropical forest is my tough, would you help if I guaranteed your safety?"
He raised his right, front leg and dropped it once. I said thank you. I carried the man and laid him across the Zebra's back, then lead him deeper into the forest, towards Irenji. At the sick hut, I found Achesa's apprentice. The dogs started barking from their kennel. I carried the man off the Zebra's back into my arms, thanked the Zebra and told him that I owed him one, then released him. I still had a minute or so before the rain. I took the man into the hut, then took off towards the palace for the meeting.