The Outcast – Episode 23
The Outcast – Episode 23
Written by Amah
I was in my chamber the following morning when my brother, Mukeh came to call me that Pah needs me, i quietly left my room, wondering what will happen now, has mother already spoken to him, what was his respond, what will Pah do to me,
As I got to him I saw Riko was standing behind him as usual which means he was going out…
“Pah, I’m here… you sent for me…
“Yes… get ready we are going out… I’m attending the gathering of the men, as the head of the tribe leade… and I will be speaking to them… I’m taking you along so that you can watch and learn…no knowledge is wasted…and you are not too small for such gathering…because someday you will take my place in their midst…quickly get ready let’s be on our way…
I hate it when Pah keep repeating that… all that he cares about is making a name… becoming very important man like himself and having a mark in the sand of time… whenever he wants to talk to me I already knows what he is about to say…because is repetition of what he has being saying to me since I was still a boy…
As we started our journey I started wondering if mother later spoke with him, I have not seeing mother that morning before leaving with Pah, she was suppose to talk to him over the night like she promise.
If Pah is cordial with me it just means that he doesn’t know exactly what that is going on yet, Mother has not spoken to him yet,
me and Riko walked behind Pah and I later whispered to Riko who was walking beside me, if he by any chance saw mother entering Pah’s chamber or talking with him…he shakes his head and whispered back to me that he has not seeing mother since yesterday after we finish our talk under the olive tree, Riko said since then she went into her chamber has not being out. I needed to ask Pah, I cleared my throat loudly before asking him
“Pah…I have not seeing mother today…wanted to go and check her before you called…she has not come out from her chamber by the time we left…is she alright…did she happen to speak to you about anything…
“Your mother has being acting strange since yesterday…i asked her if she was alright and she said yes she was fine… but something is bothering her, she refuse to come out of her chamber…I have to go to her to tell her I was going out to the men gathering and she bid me farewell… her eyes was reddened with tears, I don’t want happened, because she has refuse to say, when I return I will get to know what bothers her…she was in my thought right before you asked of her… do anyone of you know what could have being eating her up…what was she suppose to tell me…
“sh…she was suppo…..i mean I thought she told you about her worries…sshe tells you everything Pah, so I thought she has spoken to you on why she has being so quiet…
“I will get to know whatever that is bothering her immediately I return back… have you gone to check up on Marie about your reason for rejecting her… you are a man of honour, Mbazi, I expect you to do things right and in order, since you return from visiting your bride to be, you suppose to have gone over to her place to visit and to let her know your reasons of not making her your bride, those are things honourable men do…you can’t be doing things anyhow and be expecting result…no..it doesn’t work that way, there’s dignity when you do things accordingly, I spoke to her father and he understand and respect me, so it wasn’t much of a problem despite he would have being happy to be my in-law, he has always looked forward to that…and I wanted him to be because he is a good man but I don’t want to impose such thing on you, is a life time thing and I want you to be with who ever your heart finds peace with, I want you to be happy with the woman you love, and like you said is Kumar, your chosen bride to be…despite I have seeing her yet but I know she will make an excellent wife… time is running fast, do the right thing and settle down with her quickly…is very important because you are my first son and the son of my right hand…I devote so much time, energy and resource training you because I want you to be the best in your time…hope you understand me…Mbazi
I replied him and rolled my eyes, just tired of him trying to perfect my life into his way, i can’t have a normal conversation with my father, if a conversation is going on smoothly he will just chirp in the make a name thing, be a honourable man and the rest…it can be tiring because very soon when he finds out what I and Zila has done, the whole advice on how to live my life will be a waste to him…
As we got there he started the meeting speech as usual, he spoke and addresses, I heard him even talk about the outcast, cautioning people to keep far away from the forbidden, I tey to shot my ear and focus my mind on something else, I was not even concentrating on all the things they were discussing anymore, very important things and people occupied my mind, like Kumar, Zila and Ladi, the outcast generally, how will they be redeemed, all the step I’m taking to see if I can be with the woman I love and give Zila what she so much want which is having Ladi beside her and living her life in total freedom, I just hope I’m fighting a just curse, all the things they were speaking was just going in from one ear and out from another, I couldn’t wait for the meeting to be over,
And when it was over we entered the road again back home, Pah asked me if I saw the way he handled the whole meeting and how he speaks with authority to the gathering of the men, I replied him affirmative, he asked me to stop and visit Marie and speak with her since I couldn’t do it the last time, he urged me to go despite my resistance, he said he wanted to go home to mother so that he can find out what the problem is with her, I knew mother will tell him, mother is only having difficulty facing father with all the information I laid at her feet, she needed to process it first before being able to speak to Pah, I know mother is having a very hard time, she has probably sob through out the night and prayed along too, I know my mother, I know whatever comes out of this I would never love her less, I will continue to love her dearly even if Pah get enraged and unleash terror, mother will forever be cherished…
I walked silently and alone to Marie’s place, I sat at the visitors lounge outside the house, as they went to inform her of my presence, she later walked down quietly, her face was ashen, sadness was written all over her as she stood in front of me, my heart ach for her, I totally wish she will understand, I stood up and try to hold her two hands I was thinking she will refuse but she didn’t at first but later pulled off her hands,
“I’m sorry Marie…i am really sorry to hurt your feeling…i always wanted to tell you there was somebody else but I didn’t know how to go about it… that was why my Pah came to speak to your father…I’m so sorry if I hurt yo…
“What do you mean by “if you hurt me”, Mbazi I shamelessly opened up myself to you…I revealed my feeling to you..i sketched out our future together, whenever I know I was going to see you I take extra time to dress and make up for you… remember the last festival ..i put extra effort to dance for you…I didn’t dance for the cheering crowd but for you…you Mbazi…I practically live for you..i couldn’t just wait for us to be together because I was already counting days… how would you do such a thing to somebody that loves you and turn other men down just because of you… I thank the god that it was your Pah that came to see my father, if you have told me by yourself that you had somebody I would have shamelessly broken down right before you…because it really hurt, I thought you love me too, you were always smiling with me and looking at me like I was a diamond, I thought there was a spark between us, I asked you the last time I saw you returning from a journey if you found the wife you seek, that day I was with Jarina, but you never say an I took it to be a no, you once told me I was beautiful and I am every man’s desire… I cherished those words and felt so special…despite I have heard it from several others… I never knew you were flattering me, I’m almost trying to get over you and here you are again, looking at me as if I mean something to you…
“You do mean a lot to me Marie… I don’t flatter people..i say the real thing whenever I can…Marie when I say you are beautiful and you are every man desire I meant it…every word of it..
“so what happened…if that was true why did you chose another woman…is she more beautiful, is she a royalty just like you… is her father as important as your Pah is… tell me why…because I have thought of different reason and I just couldn’t arrive at one…rumour has it that her name is Kumar…and she has some special healing power, she was the same lady that gave you the medicine that cured your mother… was it because of that…because you saw she was special, or was it because you thought you owe her for healing your mother and decided to marry her instead…why …why did you chose another…tell me…I deserve to know why you chose this Kumar girl over me..
“in truth Marie…you are more beautiful than her, your beauty can’t be compared to her because she is just a plain and ordinary lady without a name…Kumar is beautiful in her own little way, it wasn’t just about the beauty thing it was more of being connected to her on the first day I set my eyes on her… she didn’t heal my mother…but I got the leaf that healed her from her clan…Kumar is just different, you are special in your own way Marie and Kumar is also… and to tell you the truth without shame because I know very soon everybody will come to know of it… Kumar…Kumar is an outcast…
“hahahahaha that’s very funny…I’m not in the mood for this expensive joke…Mbazi don’t start an unwanted joke with me…because is not funny…
“Is the fact, I don’t joke unnecessary…you should know me that I hardly throw jokes even with my brothers… I’m very serious here Marie….and I’m not ashamed to say it because is just a matter of time it will be heard everywhere in our tribe…
“hold on…oh may the gods forbids it…the gods forbids you having anything to do with a forbidden person…you mean you chose a forbidden soul, ugly outcast…with ferns and blood shot eyes and vampire teeth over me…you chose evil over good…light over darkness…I know your Pah is not aware of this…. because he will never let such an abomination in our tribe especially with his own son, his right hand son… whom he holds in higher extreme… Mbazi if what you said is true then you are a disgrace to your house hold and the entire tribe… your Pah will never forgive you…and this land will mark you off…i see why the gods did not approve of our union because they knows you will bring shame instead of fame to this me…you are a complete disaster going somewhere to happen…and it won’t be on this tribe…Mbazi you are a waste to your family may the gods deal harshly with you if you dare get entangled with an outcast…
“Okay…Marie…enough of calling of names…what is done is done…allow the gods to be the judge. Don’t throw dice yet on me…I will peacefully and gladly walk out of this tribe to live among the forbidden people, who are more honourable and more accommodating than the people over here, the outcast are just people like me and you… they are wonderful beautiful souls, Marie I use to be like everyone here, believing everything we were told about them until I had an encounter….it totally changed my perception and my belief, don’t judge people base on what you heard about them, get close and make sure you see for yourself before you judge… I’m going home to go and face my judgement with Pah, would you like to watch me get crucified then you can come along, I don’t know what the out come will be but it will be worth seeing…and before I forget Zila also lives among the outcast…she has also found love and she don’t intend coming back to this hateful land that cast people off because they have more power than the victim… take the words I just gave you round, you seem to like rumours, gossip with your friends about it and it will never ever change anything, it will even push me more to the outcast, may the gods do to everyone what they have intentionally done to others… am still sorry for choosing another over you… I know you won’t mind anymore because already I’m a disgrace, anyway, in truth you are beautiful Marie and you will find another man who will love you and you will also love him return…he will bring you fame and honour…
I walked out on her standing with a confused face and looking at me with full saddened and disappointed eye,
I headed home, when I got home the sun was down already, evening has settle down, there was a heavy noise, An argument was coming from the house, somebody was crying…and it was Mother…Pah was in rage…
I just knew then mother has spoken to him, it was time to face him myself…time to be probably disown..i already know my fate in this…Marie revealed to me how people will act if they hear of it, if Marie could be so bitter about me and the outcast then Pah will be even be more than anybody can imagine…the time I fear the most is here..the hidden secrets has finally being revealed..
To be continued
courageous heart