MEMENTO ROCK

Impregnating my sister

Day of days came along. This was a week later after the death of her father. Life had changed more than we expected. Our love was now seen bright that Nyamindi admired such. 

After breakfast she advised us to go and get blessings from grandmother. As her words were always wise. I resolved to take time and give her thanks abundantly for caring for me in my infantile age.

We drove out of the gate and left security power on. This was to avoid any entrance of stranger. I was at the middle of Lightness, the driver and Nyamindi our mentor in the front seat. We drove along Nyahururu-Rumuruti road smoothly in a red sport car.

Soon we arrived at Gatundia Shopping Centre victoriously and excited to know that Lightness was an expert in driving. I directed them to the way that led to my former home.

The area had rained heavily the previous night and the Melwa road was muddy. We resolved to walk and leave our car in the Centre. We drove towards the petrol station where we packed it next to a combined harvester. We started to walk slowly joking and laughing friendly. For that, it was hard to distinguish the lovers. Mellifluous hymns that Lightness sang with turned my happiness to somehow pessimistic. I became paranoid.

An inner vision started to replay the day that my parents alive, how my mother sung was replica to hers. It made me entrenched to the journey and for several times Nyamindi caught me as I walked out of the muddy road.

The love in me started caressing my heart bringing a megalith mind obstacle. The beautiful scenery turned to the funeral day of my father and beloved mother. I could now hear the chicken behind our home in those days clucking early in the morning.

Starts of fears appeared in the midst of sunny sky and cool winds from western, this made me to stop sudden. 

“Stop playing in the mud’” Lightness said laughing loudly. I got scared to find I was standing in dirty waters. I had started to lose my sense. It was laden with a lot of things and sweet event that passed about eight years ago.

I closed my eyes as if praying to try and dismiss the thoughts and they were gone. I felt as if born again.

As we walked we came across the house that was ours, those years. I stopped Lightness and Nyamindi to narrate the story of my life.

“I was born here some years back,” I started feeling confused. When I looked at Lightness her eyes had started to redden. “I grew here until an age of nine years when my parents were killed by raider. My sister Ann died two years later.” I told them.

“What!” Nyamindi yelled. 

“I was changed my name from John to present Stephen soon after this…” I hesitated, as I was empty of words. Just then, Lightness turn to me crying! She run towards me fearfully. She stopped hardly a centimeter away. 

“Are you my brother John King’ori? She asked in fainting voice.

“Are you my sister Ann?” I replied with a question.

“Yes, I am brother” she answered in confusion. Tears of happiness were flowing hotly down her cheeks. She hugged me.

“I was told that you died so they cheated me my brother!” 

I found myself kissing her with the joy. We could not believe that we were once related by blood. This made Nyamindi to faint right away. She landed on the mud like a tree with a splash!

We had to take her immediately to the Health Centre and she was fine. We then proceeded to the blessings journey. Just not believing that the vision was a message.

When our grandmother realized this she fell on the ground and died. She could not stand such a shameful experience that left uncle deaf. The news hit the county with great strength that our maternal relatives were left mouth open deeply.

Nothing can separate the true love. “I love you my dear sister” I told her as we stood on a megalith just next to the falls where waters of Ewaso Nyiro hit the ground in Thomson Falls, Nyahururu. This was our memento place that reminded us everything that once happened. We deserved to stay with love paying in mind she was pregnant…

Were we to marry after all? Was I to call her sister or beibz? How could we live as sister and brother? Then life, a drama. Play your part wisely to get what you deserve!

GLOSSARY.

Beste- Friend in sheng

Mwiko- cooking stick

Cline – lift for taking the coffin down the grave

Cucu-grandmother

Tata- aunt 

Murara- piece of ugali that was cooked previous night 

Bina-foodstuff sold in shops ready to eat. They are soft.

Ngai-God in kikuyu.

Mandazi-foodstuff prepared in hotels with flour baking powder and sugar sometimes.

Nauko-there

Fundi- person who constructs, mason or carpenter. 

Munene-senior 

Mwalimu-Teacher 

Hayawani-Animal

Vibaruas-manual works

Jembe-hoe

Mûrûthi-lion

Kîeja-house built for young kikuyu men.