Bamboo Grove by the Brook

Part 11 - Quest for Answer

So, from where do we start, Uncle D?' A startled Derrick looked up to see the smiling face of Logan. She was holding the door of the study open with one hand and on the other, she was carrying a bowl. More young faces were peeping from behind her. Before he could say anything the children burst into the room.

'Mama Njeri cooked her special chicken-vegetable soup for you. She said you needed strength.' Wanjiru paused. 'And the rest of us are here to help you.'

'Robin called us to say that you were doing a bit of research. That's when we thought of joining you. You see, it's not your problem alone, Uncle D.' Logan said.

The aroma of the piping hot soup suddenly whetted Derrick's appetite. He had forgotten to take lunch. Most of his afternoon was spent at the library or calling his friends long-distance; friends who had knowledge about the supernatural. One of them even had done research on mythological plants in different cultures. None of them could shed any light on the problem. Some of the books he had carried home from the library were now scattered on the table in front of him.

'Shall we go through the list together? Maybe we can make something out of it.' Peter proposed.

Suddenly Derrick felt the greyish cloud that shrouded his soul evaporating slowly. 'If only Mama Njeri was here! She could give some valuable inputs,' he suggested.

'Well, for your information, she will be here soon with a surprise.' Wanjiru winked mischievously.

'Let's start with point number one, Uncle D. What is that bizarre plant?' Peter stated enthusiastically.

Derrick flipped the pages of a hard-bound, large, old book with a reddish-brown leather cover. Pages have turned yellowish at the edge. 'I borrowed this from the reserve section for just one night. It is a book on folklore, myths, mythical creatures, and superstition of different cultures around the world.' He finally found the page he was looking for. 'Here it is. Have a look. This tree in Japanese folktales is called Jubokko.'

Jubokko is a malevolent tree in Japanese folklore. It survives on human blood and hence is said to appear in places where there had been a lot of blood shade, such as a battlefield. The soil around the tree, if examined, is found to contain blood. It absorbs humans and their faces appear as knots on the stem.

Peter was reading out loud while the rest were leaning on the page. 'Wow!' He exclaimed. 'Didn't the stem appear gnarly and knotted?'

'Yes, it did. And Dr. Odiambo said the calcium content of the bark was unusually high.' Derrick added.

'Hey, look at this,' suddenly Shawn shouted excitedly. He was reading the page while the others were talking.

Jubokko is associated with another creature called Kinoshimobe who drags the body of the human victim to the tree. Jubokko then entwines its roots around its prey and drags it inside the lower trunk.

'What's a Kinoshimobe, Uncle D?' Shawn asked when he finished reading.

'Kinoshimobe is a type of humanoid that is made from plant material. They have chlorophyll for blood and bark for skin. They are responsible for bringing the victim to the trees. During the day they are dormant; it's only at sundown that they become active. They cannot speak but can make a sound similar to the creaking of a branch.'

'Too many similarities.' Robin sighed.

Suddenly a sound startled everyone. There seemed to be a knock on the window-pane. Alarmed, all the heads turned in unison towards the source of the sound – an open window, facing the backyard. Sometimes in the evening, the wind had picked up and the weather had become a little stormy. One of the boughs of a huge Jacaranda tree was swaying wildly in the gust and banging against the window. Dread crept over Wanjiru like an icy chill and numbed her brain. Logan looked at her friend and saw pure terror in her eyes. 'You silly! It's just a branch moving in the wind.' She touched her on the shoulder.

Wanjiru gulped hard. 'Gosh! I am on the edge. My nerves are all jittery. Sorry, guys let's continue.'

'It's a plant in Japanese folklore. How can it come here?' Shawn asked.

'Evil existed in every corner of the earth. It knows no boundary. Only that they are known by different names. Maybe this thing existed here too.' Nobody noticed when Mama Njeri entered the room. She walked over to the couch by the window. 'People didn't know about it, but, that doesn't mean it did not exist.'

'I think so too, Mama Njeri.' Derrick muttered.

'Why do you look so worried, Derrick; worried and morose? Worry makes you weak and that's when it can get to you. These things feed on the fear and darkness in your soul.' The old lady's wise words were ringing in the silent room. In that place by the window where half her face was in the light and the other half in darkness, Mama Njeri resembled the embodiment of the ancient wisdom that remained hidden in the heart of Africa.

'You are right Mama,' said Miranda who had followed her shortly after. 'Nikki was scared, very scared. That may be the reason her dream was invaded.'

'It's during the sleep that our soul is most vulnerable. At least that's what my grandmother used to say.' Mama Njeri said rather dejectedly.

'Our second point was that whisper which both Nikki and I heard.'

'Anything in the book about that?' Peter inquired.

'Nothing much. Though I haven't heard it clearly, Nikki said they start out low, and then the pitch increases. There are definitely words; unknown words.

'About that third point that you noted – could that be Kinoshimobe or something akin to that?' Shawn questioned Derrick.

He shook his head. 'It cannot be. They are described as humanoids and what we have seen is a smoky apparition that seemed to have some consciousness of its own. I need to investigate this plant further.'

Derrick put up his hand to stop the cumulative enthusiasm in mid-sentence. 'I do not think that is a good idea. I cannot allow you to go to the grove with me; not after what happened to Nikki.

'There is nothing you could have done about Nikki. It had already marked her.' Mama Njeri paused to take a deep breath. 'Take the kids with you, Derrick. They have keen eyes.'

It was quite late at night. Derrick took a cup of coffee and sat on the couch where Mama Njeri was sitting earlier in the evening. She had prepared her special dish to cheer everyone up. He always enjoyed Githeri and Nyama Choma and he had not known anyone preparing it better than her. He leaned back and looked heavenward. Between the leaves and branches of the Jacaranda tree, in the serenade of black, lights of the stars are a choir that sings in an infinite pattern. He felt an innocent in-born spark in his soul. His eyes needed this music; his soul needed comfort because he was afraid to be alone in a face-to-face with his fear. He knew he could be lost too if he fell asleep.

Note: Githeri a traditional Kenyan meal made with maize and legumes. Vegetables and meat are also added.

Nyama Choma is grilled goat meat. Considered the national dish of the country.