BLOOD LEGACY

CHAPTER NINE

Many, Many years ago in Chisoti village, something atrocious happened that each and every person who had heard or witnessed it never wanted it to be mentioned again.

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Like each day, 26 year old Chovu returned from the field with his younger brother Mapulanga. They were the closest amongst their siblings. They had two sisters and one older brother who was the next in line to become the chief. The siblings were known to have gotten along with each other perfectly especially when one was in trouble.

Chovu and Mapulanga reached their house and found their sisters preparing supper for the whole family. Their elder brother was talking to their old sick father and was not to be disturbed.

“They are talking again?” Mapulanga looked at Chovu.

“They always talk these two. I wonder what they talk about huh,” Chovu added.

“We know he’s the next in line but we all want the attention.”

Chovu laughed, “Look at you, like you’re a teenager crying for attention. He’s probably being molded into becoming a good chief.”

“Better than him i guess.”

They continued talking and laughing until one of their sisters came to tell them that supper was served.

“Grace!” Chovu called her before she walked away.

“Yes brother,” she answered.

“How’s mother?”

“She’s well.”

All the time Chovu and Grace talked, Mapulanga didn’t look at her one bit. She also never looked at him. Chovu didn’t notice this as he was busy inquiring about his mother whom he had left not feeling well in the morning and as per tradition, a male child was not supposed to enter the mother’s quarters under any circumstance.

“Okay you can go, we are coming,” Chovu dismissed her.

Mapulanga yawned, “I’m hungry.”

“Let’s go eat.”

They both went to eat. Their elder brother joined them. Unlike the two of them, their elder brother was always serious especially after having his regular talks with his father.

“So we are going to eat in seriousness,” Mapulanga joked.

“Let the king be Mapulanga,” Chovu added holding his laughter. “Kingston is in no mood to joke around.”

Kingston nodded and chuckled, “Why can’t you all just shut up?”

Chovu and Mapulanga looked at each other and bursted into laughter. The three brothers ate their supper. Chovu and Mapulanga were eating happily while Kingston seemed to have been bothered by something. They finished eating and all went to their father who told them stories about bravery and kingship. Chovu would always be bored by such stories. Mapulanga was intrigued while Kingston never seemed interested as well.

At midnight, they left their father and each went to their sleeping quarters. Chovu was tired and directly went to sleep. An hour later, he was awoken by the sounds of the night but what startled him the most were the footsteps he had been hearing for the last one year. Mostly, he would hear them at 1am. Like always, he decided to ignore them and went back to sleep.

Early in the morning, Chovu woke up. The sun had not risen yet but that was the perfect time to go to the field. He got out of the hut and looked around seeing only a few women at the vast yard. Others were on their way to the river, others sweeping and the others god knows what they were doing. Amongst the women, he saw his mother and was happy to have seen her up so early looking well. He approached her.