the lost years

chapter 5

A year had passed by and in Makuti village; things remained the same, young girls still being married off to old men for the purpose of giving birth and continuing with the creation work mandated to them, for those that believed in God, but for those who were determined to pass on their customs to the coming generation, they believed many children were a blessing from their Nyasaye (God) and a sign of good deeds they had done to please their ancestors and a reward bestowed to them for obeying Nyasaye. Some village elders who were believed to be close to the ancestors would gather to offer sacrifices to the ancestors in appreciation of the continual of life in the village, by pouring blood of the sacrificed animal on the ground in the belief that the ancestors would drink it, the born child is then held high by one of the esteemed village elder facing the sun and given a name, it is believed if a child cries after they are named, shows they do not accept the name, but if the child keeps quite then  the child’s spirit accepts the name, and usually the children are named after the ancestors, usually the ones that had good characters to bless the child born.
One morning, on a Saturday, while Atieno and her parents were seated in their laro(space outside the house), Patiko’s wife, Nyagowara, as she is usually called, nobody ever knew her real name, so everyone called her by this, entered their compound in a somber mood and she seemed fidgety with a sullen face, hurriedly walking towards their direction, immediately Atieno and her family knew there was something wrong. When she approached them, she delivered the news of Awino giving birth and she was on her way to see her and her child because there was a problem when Awino delivered, that was how the messenger delivered the news early dawn and from how Nyagowara described the news, she implied something bad happened but she could not point what it was or place her finger on it till she witnesses it by herself. Her voice was warped in worry with a glint of pain as she describes the news about her daughter. Sipora offered to accompany her but she refutes the offer saying it will only slow down her journey if they are two, given the fact Sipora loved gossips.
Awino was married to an old man, fifty two to be precise in the next village; you have to cross River achak and climb a small hill, got Agulu (hills) to reach her homestead, they were four wives, her being the fifth wife, had given birth to her first born. From what she observed, the four wives were not able to give birth to a baby boy, she was their only hope. When her stomach started bulging, they knew it would definitely be a boy at last. Awino was exempted from going to the shamba when the husband, Odiyo found out she was expectant, she was given all sorts of herbs in the hope she would give birth to a healthy boy who will be the heir to all the wealth in the homestead and carry on with his father’s name. Awino never had a troubled pregnancy and that she was thankful for, until when the time came for her to give birth, she bled to death and sadly gave birth to a sick child who was already infected with the deadly virus the villagers believed to result from chira (bad omen).
When the day was over, the whole village was slowly being cloaked in darkness as the sun began to set, Atieno came back from her second trip from the river, holding the handle of the bucket she was expertly balancing over her head, she heard screams coming from her neighborhood, she fastened her paced to find out why there were sudden chaos in the once peaceful village. What might happen, are they the raiders who usually steal cattle for sale, but this usually happen at night, nobody in the village was sick, no that she could remember of anyone, her father Opuko was well when he left this morning to attend the chief baraza, even though he drinks to the brink of death, she believed that changaa could not kill somebody, so what might cause the screams coming from the neighbors? As she neared her homestead, she remembered this morning when Nyagowara left to visit Awino, is the baby Awino delivered okay, are they safe? Is it Awino, is she okay? Is she… oh, no, no, no! She mentally wailed, no! Awino cannot die, right? Maybe she passed out and she will be okay in no time, right? She mentally consoles herself.
The screaming continued, and as Atieno neared her home, the screaming could be heard coming from the direction of Awino’s neighbor Oboro, the village herbalist, and it is believed that nothing could affect him since the villagers believed he was blessed together with his family so Atieno knew nothing could happen in that homestead. When she got home, she transferred the water she was carrying to the daram (water tank) in the kitchen and ran towards where the noise was coming from, towards Awino’s home, she arrived at their gate and it is where the noise was coming from, with the village women calling Awino’s name, and right there and then, she lost it all. All the strength she’s been holding, all the thoughts of visiting Awino when the school closes vanished. Just like that, just that minute she lost all she’d been holding up, to live the life that was given to her by the ancestors
“Oooh mama! Awino toti, Awino sifa (praise), eeh! Uuuuluuuluu! Uuuuuwi! Iiiiiish!” Nyagowara was screaming like a banshee, crying hysterically, and rolling on the ground, with snort mixing with tears trickling down her exhausted face. “Death is cruel, oh Awino mama, oh baby! Aiii toti (AN/Awino’s nickname), aaaai!” She continued wailing with her voice dripping with remorse as she rolled on the ground over and over, the village women who were by her side comforting her left her as they could not hold her on the ground, Nyagowara needed to mourn her only daughter and even with the strength of five strong women renowned in the village could not contain her. Atieno stood far from everybody, and stood near the big stone between the kitchen hut and the main house, here, they used to stand telling each other stories they were told by their grandparents or gossips from all over the village that were spread by one and only Sipora, watching bewildered, with her jaw hanging wide in shock as people mourn her lost friend, even people who didn’t know her personally were bawling their eyes out in solidarity to the lost of their migogo (a girl)
“Awino, you’ve disappointed me, you promised to be my only friend and go to school and be great people!” Atieno mumble, she screamed but the sound only came out as muffled whimpering, with tears trickling down her worried face, she clutched her chest that was beating with painful beats in an attempt to stop the pain, but instead, tears continued falling, and the beats becoming more and more painful with every minute, how did it happen, she asked herself mentally, she only saw Awino when the year was ending and she promised when the school ends she’d visit her. How did things change just like day change into night, how did it happen? She continued asking herself questions she could not find answers, she leaned towards the rock to give her support to her already limping body. She clenched her fist unconsciously, eyes gazed down with her heart swelling in pain and confusion, still wondering how things only change from bad to worse when it comes to her, she knew people die, hell, she lost her late aunt three years ago but she still couldn’t wrap it in her head that death could take her only closest friend from her.