Blood Legacy – Episode 9

Blood Legacy – Episode 9

© Brian Ngoma

Many, Many years ago in Chisoti village, something atrocious happened that each and every person who had heard or witnessed it never wanted it to be mentioned again.

****

Like each day, 26 year old Chovu returned from the field with his younger brother Mapulanga. They were the closest amongst their siblings. They had two sisters and one older brother who was the next in line to become the chief. The siblings were known to have gotten along with each other perfectly especially when one was in trouble.

Chovu and Mapulanga reached their house and found their sisters preparing supper for the whole family. Their elder brother was talking to their old sick father and was not to be disturbed.

“They are talking again?” Mapulanga looked at Chovu.

“They always talk these two. I wonder what they talk about huh,” Chovu added.

“We know he’s the next in line but we all want the attention.”

Chovu laughed, “Look at you, like you’re a teenager crying for attention. He’s probably being molded into becoming a good chief.”

“Better than him i guess.”

They continued talking and laughing until one of their sisters came to tell them that supper was served.

“Grace!” Chovu called her before she walked away.

“Yes brother,” she answered.

“How’s mother?”

“She’s well.”

All the time Chovu and Grace talked, Mapulanga didn’t look at her one bit. She also never looked at him. Chovu didn’t notice this as he was busy inquiring about his mother whom he had left not feeling well in the morning and as per tradition, a male child was not supposed to enter the mother’s quarters under any circumstance.

“Okay you can go, we are coming,” Chovu dismissed her.

Mapulanga yawned, “I’m hungry.”

“Let’s go eat.”

They both went to eat. Their elder brother joined them. Unlike the two of them, their elder brother was always serious especially after having his regular talks with his father.

“So we are going to eat in seriousness,” Mapulanga joked.

“Let the king be Mapulanga,” Chovu added holding his laughter. “Kingston is in no mood to joke around.”

Kingston nodded and chuckled, “Why can’t you all just shut up?”

Chovu and Mapulanga looked at each other and bursted into laughter. The three brothers ate their supper. Chovu and Mapulanga were eating happily while Kingston seemed to have been bothered by something. They finished eating and all went to their father who told them stories about bravery and kingship. Chovu would always be bored by such stories. Mapulanga was intrigued while Kingston never seemed interested as well.

At midnight, they left their father and each went to their sleeping quarters. Chovu was tired and directly went to sleep. An hour later, he was awoken by the sounds of the night but what startled him the most were the footsteps he had been hearing for the last one year. Mostly, he would hear them at 1am. Like always, he decided to ignore them and went back to sleep.

Early in the morning, Chovu woke up. The sun had not risen yet but that was the perfect time to go to the field. He got out of the hut and looked around seeing only a few women at the vast yard. Others were on their way to the river, others sweeping and the others god knows what they were doing. Amongst the women, he saw his mother and was happy to have seen her up so early looking well. He approached her.

“The Chief’s wife,” he called her.

She looked at him, “I’m your mother Chovu.”

“Before that, you’re the Chief’s wife,” he laughed. “How are you today?”

“I’m fine, how are you my son?”

“I’m fine too. Apparently, i seem to be the only man awake in this place. Mapulanga knows what time we are supposed to be going to the field and he’s still sleeping.”

“Wake him up.”

Chovu turned around but was stopped by his mother.

“Have you talked to Kingston lately?”

“No, what’s wrong?”

“Your father was complaining that he doesn’t seem to be well. Your father is worried. Talk to him, find out what’s bugging him.”

“I will talk to him after i come back in the evenings, I’m sure it’s nothing. Tell father that Chovu has it handled already.”

His mother smiled at him, “Sometimes i wish you were the first born.”

“You’ve said that before. I’m your second born, deal with it and I’ll never be chief in this village,” he laughed and walked away leaving his mother.

Chovu walked to Mapulanga’s hut. He called him twice but Mapulanga didn’t respond. He decided to enter because that’s what he loved to do. Upon entering, he saw something that made him froze. He couldn’t believe his eyes he just let out one single word unconsciously

“Ma!”

His mother heard him. She saw him by Mapulanga’s hut all stiffened up and got concerned. She slowly walked to the door and immediately she saw what he had seen, she fell to the ground and passed out.

Two women saw her falling and ran towards her. They reached and knelt before her while Chovu was still standing. One of the ladies also saw the abomination.

“Is that Grace!” She yelled.

Grace and Mapulanga were laying on a blanket all naked. Apparently, they were deep in sleep in each other’s arms shamelessly.

The other woman shouted, “Heeeeeeeee!”

Grace and Mapulanga woke up to Chovu’s eyes on them. Everyone was awoke now. Chovu couldn’t move but thought of the footsteps he had been hearing the previous months. Grace quickly grabbed the blanket and ran out of the hut leaving Mapulanga standing with nothing to say.

Chovu stepped back in total confusion. How could this be happening? He had heard stories about brother and sister having sex but he never thought that would happen to his family. All the strength he had woken up with was defunct.

Everyone was talking about it and by the time it had clocked 7am, all the women at the river had known about the abomination that had befallen the Chief’s place. What shocked everyone even more was Mapulanga and Grace’s response when they were summoned by the Chief.

“I love her and she loves me,” Mapulanga said holding Grace’s hand.

“Let go of her hand!” The chief yelled. “What nonsense is this?” He looked at his wife and Chovu who were present.

“But Pa i love him and we are going to marry each other,” Grace clinged on to Mapulanga.

Chovu was disgusted and couldn’t look at the two.

“If you aren’t going to let us marry each other, we are leaving,” Mapulanga added.

“Mapulanga can you hear yourself?” Chovu asked facing down.

“I don’t care what you think but our decision is final,” Mapulanga and Grace stormed out of the hut.

They left everyone speechless. Their mother was weeping uncontrollably while the Chief was inwardly cussing himself as to what he did to deserve such an atrocity in his lifetime. Chovu nodded and looked around.

“Where is Kingston?”

“Yes, where is he?” The mother stood up. “I’m going to check his hut.”

“Let me check on him,” Chovu said.

“No, I’m going,” she left.

Chovu followed her while the Chief remained. He saw her reaching the hut and when she opened the door, he saw her falling down. He rushed to her and when he got there, he wished he was never born. Kingston was hanging on the hut’s woods roofings in the air, he had killed himself.

Unfortunately for the their mother, that was how she died too.

A year later, the Chief passed on due to depression and Chovu became the Chief. After what had happened a year ago, Chovu and his remaining sister never wanted what happened to be ever be mentioned again in the village. Anyone who was found gossiping about it was punished until everyone stopped talking about it. The reason Kingston hanged himself, no one ever knew but some said he either did it because he never wanted to become chief or he knew what Mapulanga and Grace had been upto. Where Mapulanga and Grace had eloped to, Chovu never knew and he didn’t care.

Those who knew what had happened on that day called it the Darkest Day In the history of Chisoti village.

****

Ben and Devi drove into a small yard somewhere in Chawama compound. They got out and looked around. They were not sure if this was the place they had been trying to locate for the past six months. Devi stood watching Ben knock on the door. The door opened and a woman came out.

“Hi,” Ben waved his hand.

“Hello,” the woman stepped outside closing the door behind her.

“Is this were Mapulanga resides?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Ben, that’s my colleague Devi.”

“Why does he look like he had been ran over by a truck?”

“He was involved in an accident. Is this where Mapulanga lives?”

The door opened and a slightly old man came out of the house, “Whose looking for me?”

Ben smiled, “Nice to meet you Mapulanga,” he looked at the woman maintaining his grin, “You must be Grace.”

“Mapulanga and Grace, the infamous siblings,” Devi joined them.

*******

Naveen Patel had just come back from his trip when he went directly to his father’s house. Upon reaching, he found the old man in his chair drinking some coffee.

“I got the message, whose taking us to court again?”

The old man stared at him for some seconds and answered, “Who else? Your Ex Whore? Erica Hamuumbu.”

Naveen sat down deep in thoughts.

“I thought the Huumubus would give up but here they are, back again, after 6 years. I’m sure Hamuumbu is behind this. That sick old man. Even in prison, he is still scheming, I’m impressed.”

“Old habits die hard. I can take care of Erica Dad.”

“Don’t. I did a quick background check on Erica and she’s broke, like literally has nothing. She’s surviving on that man named Jean. Apparently, they have a child together,” the old man stared at Naveen. “If she’s doing this on her own, then we can settle this by offering her some money.”

“How much we talking about here?”

“K15 million.”

“That’s fair.”

“I have Anderson already working out some things. It won’t even go to trial trust me. How’s that project of yours in that village?”

“Good.”

“I hope you’re doing everything legally. I don’t want Any more attention to my business name.”

“Don’t worry dad, nothing will taint our business name,” Naveen said confidently.

To be continued

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