The Legend of Hombarume (Legends Series, #1)

31.

Nhakayedenga looked around a little more then frowned at his workers' efforts. The blazing sun and the lingering thickening clouds were a harbinger of heavy rains yet the fields weren't ready still.

He was never one to compromise and he never for once even thought of taking it easy on his workers. His yield was at it's highest, the most across the land, all the way to Makura. The wealth he had gathered from his father's land was incredible and it would have not been so if he had been as easy going as other workers of the land. Eventually all would be passed down to Nakai and so forth.

Many of the accomplished men of the realm resided in Makura, the land of endless merriment. Nhakayedenga could not be one of them of course, he was connected to the field like a mother is to her unborn child. Even if the fields had not tethered him to the village, he wouldn't have left still.

Deep down, he felt like moving to another village meant getting another life, one that wasn't so predictable. The truth of the matter was that he felt lucky, blessed to have a life that he could control, moving the pieces around to wherever he wanted with little or no consequence. In a different life he wasn't sure he'd make it, so he decided to stay where he was safe. Like any other prisoner of the mind, he shackled himself to a comfortable reality and the success of his farming made it's agony easier to endure. Slowly, he disregarded all his dreams, one by one and by the time his farming success was widespread, everything else was blurred.

The one person who had fuelled his ambition before was gone. She fled during the night with her young son, to be exact. All of it was arranged by him, of course. She needed her freedom, something she would surely never have as long as she was the wife of the Chief.

Nhakayedenga laughed alone in his deserted field as he recalled briefly entertaining the idea of running with her and Chaminuka, the idea was perfect until Nakai crossed his mind, then her mother, then the anger of his in-laws and when it got to Banga hunting them to the ends of the realm, he needed not entertain it any further. Thus, he whisked away mother and son in the middle of the night, saying goodbye to his true chance at happiness. His consolation was that he was too old for adventure anyway, that he only had a few good years left in him.

Today, looking at his imperfect fields had made him think back to that night. Everything was half done, not so thorough as it usually was when the season came, but instead of feeling angered by it, instead of rallying up his men, he felt empty. What is left to achieve here, he thought. The void that was left in him that night was widening. All these years he had tried to fill it with his work but he could try no longer. What was left?

The question was getting harder to dismiss. Excuses were running out. It was easier for him to ignore everything else that was happening in the village than to let this go. It wasn't easy for him to accept that he was unhappy.

The clouds had thickened considerably while he was enslaved by his thoughts. The sound of distant thunder also brought about the voices of women hurrying around in anticipation of a storm, but he knew that there was no storm coming, not even a drop of rain.

His life was reduced to a severe dependence on water from above. Of course everyone needed rain one way or another, but his was not a need, it wasn't really even about the rain either. It was an unhealthy obsession with results, an endless loop that was ruling his life ever since that night. It all brought him back there, no matter what route he took.

***

'Amai, I'm off to see Sekai,' Nakai said.

Her mother eyes her doubtfully then answered in a tired tone.

'Zvakanaka, mwanangu.'

Nakai turned back slowly as she suspected that her mother would have something to add. Surely she wouldn't let her go that easily.

'Nakai, mwanangu. Whenever you see the vultures circling, just know the prey is about to be ravaged,' she said.

'Munorevei nhai amai?'

'Be careful, my daughter. All the strange happenings, everything occurring in the village, they are signs of an impending disaster. I won't let my daughter be the prey, hence why you should stay away from that hunter of yours.'

Nakai let out a sigh then eyed her mother. That hunter of hers, a man who had been "mukuwasha" for as long she could remember had now been reduced to some hunter. How things changed so quickly.

'Don't worry yourself, mother. Sekai's brothers will accompany me back, I'll be safe.'

'Very well, greet her mother for me and wait while I fetch bananas for her,' she said.

The worry on her face did not subside, it was still etched on there, waiting for her to change her decision and stay home. Even if her mother hadn't highlighted it, she wasn't sure she wanted to see Hombarume anyway. After his famous encounter with Pomerai, peoples views on him had changed, no doubt. Some said he was a hero for trying to slay a murderous beast while others claimed that he was a murderer himself for trying to kill Pomerai out of jealousy. Perhaps her perception of him had also changed and perhaps he himself had changed.

Glossary
Zvakanaka mwanangu - Very well, my child.
Munorevei - What do you mean?
Mukuwasha - son in law