The chosen men simultaneously said, “We will go with you!”
“Good,” said Chief Bongo, and he continued, “Then one of you go and report back to Tamura to inform the king, as he needs to know who is going with him. The rest of you, I want you to keep watch over everyone when we are gone; that is why I chose one weak and one strong person to go with us so that the compound is left with the strong men to protect the queen, our wives and children and our homes. So guard them well.”
Realising they have been given an even bigger task and an honour, the down-casted men seemed to have found their exuberance all of a sudden and shouted simultaneously, “We will defend our families, our homes, our children and our queen, we are warriors and fearless we stand!”
Cynical Mama Mondo overhead the chanting from her house and she said to her daughter, “The way they are chanting, it’s like it is almost certain a war is going to break out in two days’ time!”
Her daughter chuckled and said, “They are all looking for something to make them feel important, or, at least, useful.” Her mother just shook her head and didn’t say another word. However, in her quietness, she had a cold chill run down her spine and thought, What if we are sitting here and war breaks for sure and we are taken by surprise by the enemy and get killed in one swoop? She quickly dismissed the thought and started humming to her favourite folklore song.
“Mother!” Beko said.
“Yes, what is it?” asked her mother.
Beko continued, “You know I was just thinking, do you think that I will get married to a warrior one day, someone who will be there to defend me when I am in trouble, someone I can depend on?”
Mama Mondo replied, “Well, my child, you are so beautiful that you should be getting married in a few months’ time. Mark my words, someone will just come and sweep you off your feet; but if he is a warrior that will be an added bonus, however, I would prefer it if he was good enough to work hard and take care of you and your children, as your father did. In my book, that would be good enough!”
Queen Eleaza was delighted at the thought that the king was going away for the first time in time immemorial. She felt he was spreading his wings far and wide and felt this was a wonderful attribute of a good king to show good neighbourliness and an opportunity to spy the neighbour’s land too.
She, however, felt a tug at her heart that she was going to miss the king dearly. Annoying as he was, the two were inseparable since the day they got married. She wished she could accompany him on this journey but felt the king needed to test the waters first in case of any hostility from unsavoury neighbours or people he might encounter.
She felt safer in the confines of her home and the compound, which was surrounded by their caring subjects. The queen began to think of all the things she was going to take advantage of doing during the absence of the king, and the thought filled her with excitement. Leona came out of her room looking for her mum as she felt a strange sense of uneasiness over her father’s plans to travel out. She had always been very protective of her father. She had tried in vain to dissuade him from going to a strange place. The king had chuckled at her protest and said to her, “That’s rich coming from someone who has been bending my ear from age five that you want to travel and see the world one day! I am just going to the skirts of Goza, not even leaving the country for goodness’ sake!”
Leona protested, “I am just saying you should be careful, that’s all. You have hardly as much as gone to the woods a stone’s throw away, let alone going to another village full of strangers!”
“I am hardly going it alone, am I, princess? Just be happy for me that I am going to see other folk to extend our friendship. So relax, nothing bad is going to happen to me, just take care of your mother and your brother while I am away, okay?”
“Okay, Papa,” said Leona with a sense of responsibility.
Chapter 19
On the day of their journey, Tamura, the king, Chief Bongo, Chega and Makada left Goza as early in the morning as possible to try and evade the heat of the daytime hours. The donkeys carried most of the men’s supplies. One of them would carry the king as well should he get too tired along the journey.
As the Goza early birds bade farewell to the king and his group of men, they began the day the usual way with porridge on the fire and the domestic animals being led away to graze by the younger boys. The women going to the well to fetch water, some going to the river to wash their dirty clothes and children getting ready for school. That morning Mara was desperate to get out of the house to see Beko before leaving for school so she could tell her all about Mabige.
She ran out of the house barely having touched her breakfast. Baka assumed that she was in a hurry
