Today was the day the truth would come to light.
I had invested a lot to find the answer, an answer that would only cure my curiosity.
Well in advance, I prepared myself. I braved the cold tropical forest, intertwined with its rainy Character, before you expect it, it dropped.
I had identified 75 irumbis spread across the Luhya nation.
Informed by the articles, 'the first boy out of the Irumbi gets the first chance to the mask.'
Where is the mask? What does it look like? Who holds on to it? What does it do? Who gets the first chance to the mask?
This questions rang over and over in my head. I needed answers, I really needed answers.
To all identified irumbis I mounted a camera, by the closest tree at the entrance.
Wait, could the ritual of the mask still exist or did the white man manage to eradicate it? Let's find out.
The month of the mutiti was here, boys allover the Luhya community were going to the forest, for their initiations.
I moved back to my improvised lair after mounting my last camera.
My lair comprised of three television set keeping track of the unfolding events at the irumbis with a laptop for its memory, set just outside the Kakamega Forest.
With a juice in a light armless plastic cup. The events unfolded.
The door to one of the irumbis opened, a boy's head popes out he investigates then steps out, a man comes to him talks to him then hands him something, he places it on his face nothing happened he threw it back.
Another irumbi's door opened, a boy came out, the same man presented something again nothing happened.
Thirteen minutes afterwards another door opened.
The man was there again. How did he manage to be in the irumbis at the right time. The distance across the forest yet he effortlessly arrived in the right time.
Another door opened. A boy came out following a bat from the irumbi, the same man was there, they spoke. The man went to his knee and presented the mask, for the first time I saw the man's face.
The boy took the thing with two hands. He seemed to understand. He raised it towards his face.
I edged closer to the television, recording. Is this the moment?
The thing leaped to the boys face, he tried to pull it off he could not. He was visibly in pain.
Hair started to grow rapidly on his skin. His skin visible forming large spots on the hairy skin.
This Irumbi was hardly a kilometer away from where I was. I had to see this.
I took my Xray darubini rushed out, took out my dirt bike keys, kick started it and off. I left the bike about 100 meters to the spot and ran to the spot cautious.
I hid behind a huge fallen tree trunk. I looked, the boy was not there but the man was, he looked me straight in the eye, had he seen me?
The boy came back running, what a magnificent creature he was like a leopard cub that stood on two, a tail beautifully stood alongside the back. I was so engrossed that I found myself standing. I had found it, the mask, it was right in front of me. Not told, not heard, not read, I saw it, the mask.
Incredible.
I looked again, he looked me straight in the face, is he seeing me?
I ducked under my hiding spot.
I looked.
He wore the mask, a magnificent leopard formed around him.
What a sight.
The boy touched his face. He hugged him.
The man/leopard ran off.
I had seen it but had my curiosity cured?
I stood to head back to my layer, to review what I had seen.
I turned.
There he was, the man/leopard, right behind me he stood, I don't know how long he was there, but he was.
I didn't hear him come nor walk but he was, in full glow, the magnificent creature spoke.
"My blood, what you seek you have found."
"How do you know what I seek?"
"129 years ago, a boy curious was chosen an Ingwe mulindi was there, just like my fore, Ingwe Mukhongo, his Mulindi saw him.
You are Bola's mulindi."
"What?"
"No man stands in isolation, so does the Ingwe, Ingwe trusts one, mulindi, chosen among those with the most interest in the mask. Look around you do you see anyone competing you in the quest for the mask?"
"No."
"You are the mulindi, musambwa will bring you together, it already did."
"What am I to do?"
"What you do will determine how the earth will respond."
"What is my job description?"
"Help the mask grow but hold confidentiality at heart."
"My job description, as a mulindi I won't do much, but I will do the mask one better."
"Being?"
"The mask will have a lawyer in its corner."
"Do you but confidentiality."
With that he took off. One would pass that for disappearing.
Tonight I came full of unanswered questions, some were answered but I started my dirt bike with more questions ringing over and over.
