HAUNTED BY THE PAST

Chapter Two

"Let it be, "Mahuge curtailed Amelia's excuse. Go and call Rabu and his brothers. We have a visitor. They should hurry up and slaughter Kagaju. Tell Mama Nduna and Wambui too. We have to prepare a nice lunch for my in-law here. Mahuge said, turning his head to refer to Tony. " Amelia hesitated. She has a strong desire to embrace her brother whom she hadn't seen for a year now.

" Why are you still standing there as if you are a sculpture? Move it, now!"He commanded.

In African traditional society, a woman was treated as inferior and was equated to property. She had to follow all the commands submissively without question.

Amelia gets up and almost motions to her brother's side, but Mahuge looks at her with a bad eye. She waves at Tony and diverts to the direction of the farm.

"So, how are your people?" Mahuge turns to Tony and commences their earlier conversation.

Rabu opened a small window on his small hut which was on the further end. His hut was separate from the other numerous huts surrounding the compound because he was Mhuges first son. In that regard, it was one of his many privileges in the family.

"I hope no one notices me. This foolish girl will plunge me into problems." He muttered to himself as he looked back and forth as if trying to avoid being seen by someone in particular.

In a moment, Rabu jumped through the window and shelved at the corner of his hut.

Mauda outstretched her neck and caught his sight. She walked an ounce forward and opened her eyes wide in bafflement as her mouth fell open. “This can’t be true!” She muttered and rubbed her eyes with her hand to clear her sight as well as her doubts. " It is real! It is Mahuge’s eldest son!"

She talked to herself and distended her eyes to watch the gut-wrenching scene. Her tension crept accordingly. The young man advanced to the spot where Tina was.

" Please, Tina, don't! Don't dissipate the breasts that fed you." She wished in vain.

Tina smiled amiably that in an instant her face gleamed as she rolled her luminous eyes. Her heart was thumping for him.

He drew closer, clasped her round the waist and pulled her close to his chest.

" I have been waiting for you," Tina said in a husky voice.

"I am here now, relax, dear."

They were engaged in an embrace. Tina became weak. His gentle touch always electrified her body and rendered her weak. It was always hard to control her intense feelings whenever she was in his sight. The young man looked into the lass's eyes and drew her a little closer. He imprinted his lips on her forehead passionately.

"I have to be on my way home," Said Kaija. Musa, his childhood friend and his two other companions looked at him with discontent.

"Uh, Why the rush? Duncan, go and bring another bottle. The merriment has just begun."

Musa said and beckoned his friend to sit down. Kaija hesitantly takes back his seat, but his mind seems distant. Duncan had always been a reliable friend since they were little. He, unlike Kaija, was lucky because he had male sons. Duncan rushes in and comes out holding a bottle of local blew and places it on the table in the middle.

"Since you insist, I won't refuse the offer for the sake of our friendship." Said Kaija with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Now you are talking like a man! That's the spirit, my friend. You don't have to confine yourself in your hut and surround yourself with a bunch of women."

Musa said with a deep sense of humour and chuckled loudly as if he found pleasure in the subject of women.

"Is he saying it to spite me because I don't have a son?"

At this thought, anger glinted in Kaija’s eyes and he lowered his head in exasperation.

Male children were leveraged for prestige in African traditional society because they extended their lineage. That was the reason why men married many wives.

"If only the gods hadn't disfavoured me. I wish…" He was in meditative contemplation until his friend, Musa, jolted him out with his ludicrous statements.

"Kaija, I admire you. You see," he turned to his two friends that were strangers to Kaija and pursued,

"My friend here owns many heads of cattle in his compound. Never underestimate such a man."

He told Duncan and the short man in his company and grinned.

Kaija knitted his eyebrows in a questioning gesture. His friend was provoking him.

"Cattle? Tell us how you worked hard to buy all the cattle. Is it your father's inheritance? He must have been a prominent man then."

Duncan asked Kaija as he poured himself another glass.