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“You must remember your roots, Nyinamwiru.” Susan stared at her withered mother as she clasped her hand. “You must never forget who you are. One day your past will come calling and you must heed the call, my daughter.”
Memories assailed her as she stared upon the settlements before them.
“This is impossible,” Muku said beside her as they were herded by the warriors behind them. Around them, the strangers eyed them suspiciously.
Women with their faces painted, midriff bare hid their children behind them. Susan felt her heart thumping even as she held Chloe who was still whimpering from the death of Mark. This was a dream, her mind was telling her. Yet here they were, a whole civilization from the past was here. How was this possible? She had read Jules Verne as a kid and yet this was surreal. How could an entire civilization be sequestered away from the world like that? In front of her Jones was still in awe. He couldn’t help but make comments about the historical inaccuracies in the myths of the Bacchwesi. Beside the professor, Jack had gone quiet. Susan felt a foreboding in her gut. Jack’s demeanor had changed once they had come out of the cave. Everything about his body language was like a cheetah ready to spring upon its prey.
Directly in front of them was a huge wooden pavilion. Susan glanced back. Mount Elgon was behind them. She reached for the amulet around her neck and paused when she realized it wasn’t there. They were ushered into the pavilion where they came face to face with the king, a descendant it seemed.
Spears at their back prodded them to kneel. Warriors lined the way to the king who was dressed in his battle like regalia with a skull hanging around his neck. His face was painted, giving him the look of one who was perpetually awake.
One of the warriors stepped forward and said something to the king who stiffened slightly when a warrior pulled out Susan’s amulet.
“What are they saying?” Jones whispered.
Muku swallowed, looked around fearfully as his eyes met Susan, “they are looking for the owner of the amulet?”
Jack swore as his eyes met that of Susan.
“I knew Susan’s heritage had something to do with the Bacchwesi but I didn’t know it would be this big.” Jones whispered.
Jack hissed at the professor who arched an eyebrow as the warriors glanced at them at the mention of Bacchwesi. “Is that Bantu they are speaking?”
Muku nodded and glanced suspiciously at Jack. He kept glancing at Susan, a questioning look on his face. The warrior who had the amulet was still in deep conversation with the king. The king said a name ‘Nyinamwiru’ and there was a collective gasp.
Susan felt her ears pounding as her heart was thumping in her chest. Her throat felt dry as the king’s eyes settled on them.
“What’s happening?” Chloe asked, her voice hoarse from crying.
Professor Jones Harrison’s eyes widened as he glanced at Susan, shock on his face. “You are a descendant.” He whispered, awe on his face.
Both Muku and Chloe could only stare in shock at Susan who couldn’t look them in the face.
“Oh no! They will kill you if they find out.”
The lead warrior levelled his spear at Muku and said some harsh words in old Bantu.
“Tell them it’s me.” Jack said to Muku who shook his head.
“No!”
The warrior said something to Muku who stiffened. “The king is a descendant of Bukuku.”
Jones swore, a helpless look on his face. “They will kill her if they find out.”
“To hell with this,” Jack sprung up, putting the warriors on alert. “Tell him I challenge him.” Muku translated his request.
The king said something in Bantu and Jack glanced towards Muku. “He has accepted your duel.” Muku said, glancing fearfully at Jack, a newfound respect in his eyes for him. “It is a fight to the death.”
Jack stiffened and raised his chin, staring defiantly at the king. “I accept.” The warriors tapped the butt of their spears on the ground.
Jones ruffled his hair. “This is a bad dream.”
The chief warrior spoke rapidly in Bantu, and they were led out from the pavilion into a wooden structure where they were locked up.
Susan approached Jack, confusion etched on her face. “That was very stupid of you to do.” She said, tears stinging her eyes. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“You forget that a gentleman must always save the damsel.”
Around them the group had gone silent.
“This is not a game, Jack.” Susan said, “you could die.”
Jack stepped back and leaned against the wooden prison. He closed his eyes. “There was no other choice and how in the name of God does Joseph understand Bantu? I thought the language was dead.”
Susan stared hard at Jack. She knew he was trying to deflect her questions.
Muku shrugged. “The Bacchwesi were our ancestors, plus I took some courses in the dead languages.”
Jones had been very quiet, a frown on his face. He turned to Susan. “The name the king mentioned ‘Nyinamwiru?’” He glanced questioningly at Susan who shrank under his gaze.
Susan exhaled. “My full name is Susan Ndembe Nyinamwiru Williams.”
Muku whistled as Chloe’s face went blank. The professor passed a hand across his face unbuttoning the collar of his shirt.
“They will kill all of us if they realise Jack is lying to them and that you are the real descendant.” Jones said.
“What’s the deal with her name anyway?” Chloe said, tears in her eyes. “Mark didn’t have to die.”
“Mark died because the warriors acted in self-defense.” Jack replied as Chloe burst into fresh tears.
Susan shot him a withering look as he clammed up. Muku glanced at Susan and licked his lips. “Tell me more about your roots. Maybe I might glean something from it to bargain our way out of here.” Susan closed her eyes, bracing herself to release a burden she had kept for so long. “My mother like her mother before her, passed on the tradition to me. I know most of you have heard of the myth of Nyinamwiru. I will let Prof tell you of the myth and I will take it from there.”
Outside the sun was setting and they could hear drums. Susan saw a strange look in Jack’s face but pinned it down to their circumstance. Were they in a different dimension?
Professor Jones Harrison fingered his salt and pepper beard. “The story goes that when the Bacchwesi founded the Bunyoro kingdom, there were led by a king called Bukuku. He wanted to rule forever on the throne so when he was told that his daughter Nyinamwiru would birth a boy that would dethrone him, he became furious and fearful, and plotted ways to have her killed.”
“Isn’t that the story of every king?” Chloe interjected.
Jones smiled. “But fate smiled on Nyinamwiru as the king was advised against killing her daughter. Legend says she became pregnant and escaped from the palace. History doesn’t really tell us much about what really happened. In some versions a god sneaks her out.”
They all looked to Susan who had pursed her lips.
“Well, the myths was right on one thing. Nyinamwiru did give birth but knowing that her father would kill her child connived with her maids and a trusted friend Lumumba, a clay potter. He was entrusted with the child and now you know the end of the story.”
“Sad thing the world will never get to hear of this,” said Muku, a sullen look on his face.
Chloe sobbed, “I don’t want to die in this shithole.”
“We all agree on that. None of you will die here.” Jack said with certainty, surprising all of them. The comment brought fresh tears to Susan’s eyes.
“But why?” Chloe asked as they all turned to her. “It’s not like Susan wants the throne, right?”
They all looked towards Susan who shrugged. “I have lived my entire life with this cursed knowledge. I can’t let Jack die in my place.”
Jack snarled. “You’re crazy. You can’t go up against the king. You are not ready yet.”
Susan frowned, confused at his statement, “What do you—all of sudden you want to die for me?”
“You don’t understand. It is my—”
“Enough!” Jones said shocking all of them, “Joe, is there anything we can do to get out of this?”
Muku contemplated the question. “Unless Susan reveals who she is.”
Footsteps approached their cell, and the gates were unlocked. They were herded out of the cell. Outside the night sky was clear. How far back in the past were they or were they in a different dimension? Susan contemplated as they headed towards a spot. The Bacchwesi had formed a ring. Two spears were stuck into the ground. The lead warrior stood by one of the spears directly facing them. He was naked save a cloth covering his loins. His muscles rippled across his chest. Jack went to stand by the second spear, his back to the group. Susan felt her heart hammering in her chest. Behind the lead warrior, the king sat there stoic, surrounded by his warriors.
Jack removed his top, muscles bunching together as he flexed them. The drums which had been playing stilled. The fire played across his features as he turned to face the group, a similar amulet hanging around his neck. Susan frowned. Jones and Muku swore. Jack bowed his head to Susan and nodded at her as her eyes stinged with tears.
“I don’t understand,” Susan said, hand to her mouth as her emotions overwhelmed her.
“This changes things,” Muku said, “your boyfriend has his own skeletons in his closet.”
Susan shot Jones a hard look, “I didn’t know, I swear to God.”
“Well, it seems you have a guardian after all.” Joseph Muku said as Jack gripped his spear.
Jack levelled his spear at the warrior and spoke in Bantu and turned sideways to address Susan.
“Oh no!” Susan said, choking on her tears as trepidation crawled up her spine.
The warrior facing Jack stiffened and turned to his king who had a furious scowl oh his face. His eyes blazed with fury. Around them the crowd had began to murmur. The lead warrior gripped his spear and bowed to Jack.
Jack did same and raised his spear and shouted, “To Nyinamwiru!”
The combatants circled each other, gauging each other’s weakness, the drums rising in tempo and the warriors circled each other like two lions and then they rushed at each other. The Professor and his group gazed on, their heart in their throats.