THE QUEST

I heard the news earlier than most, my grandmother was always in my head, I had to see her last ceremony on Earth. I got into her room without anybody's notice and was searching, not knowing what for but I did search. Things neatly kept by aunties for inheritance distribution after the burial ceremony was complete. There was one thing in this room that belonged to me and couldn't wait the distribution time. I remember her words vividly. In a head turn just beside the very low-bed that was well made for her old age, neatly placed below the lamp-post was a photo, I took it fast risking tripping the lamp post.

At the anterior part of the photo my grandmother -the young version- smiling, her skin light than imagined in the black and white depiction. I do not remember seeing it before. I was desperate in the few seconds of working and could feel the sweat dribbling on my back, my mouth with a stale taste, an effect of medications without food. I flipped the photo while resting on the only stool in the room, it cried in agony even John was too much for it.

"the secret of an eternal life is to touch the speaking stone son".

"I have done it with cold hands and heart".

The words were written by grand-mama's hand and as I read them, I heard her voice narrating to include her famous gestures and poses. I raise my head from the photo which I had flipped again. On the mirror across the room, I saw my ghostly reflection while absorbing the words. I saw a face of an old man in his early twenties with black-dark hollow eyes just above prominent cheek bones and jaw lines. I lifted my free hand weakly caressing my wispy beards that had tried forming with poor support. In that haziness I heard the old nanny's croaking words and saw her smile on the shadow of my eyes, smiling that young-old smile.

I stood too fast for my knees and head stumbling into the living room where everybody important was, it was still early and most were drinking tea and talking, I ignored them and dragged outside with the same momentum I got out of my grandma’s. I heard some calls but chose to ignore, with tricks I had well mastered.

*

I had one task that of my salvation. Towards the speaking stone. I got to my room packed everything important in my goat-skinned traditional bag, my water skin around my waist-right and my ironclad knife on the left for fast withdrawal. The bag hanging in the right side, sandals tightly worn and an under pant that was easy for running. My cloths had a loose sense on me, I always wondered everybody felt the same and I had no privilege of my grandmother's -room mirror to see how less intimidating I was.

I got out and on the road. The road ahead is long and time short and I needed to get back before the burial ceremony. I had picked an apple on the way out and was chewing it reluctantly and singing. The dusty road north was empty, most were at the funeral and my daily companions were hazy, the effects of my daily drugs that I had well packed in my side bag. I felt the freedom and at the end of the road would make it eternal free.

With guards up Nana's addition was delayed and I could even think of my old first demon, the old red witch of the village that I had met only once in really life but a million times at my retinue. He always used a walking stick the stick that had tormented me all those nights making me unable to sleep without my pills ever since I turned eighteen.

"You should die you little witch, sickly as the drought-day antelope the earth is for the health". The hitting that followed was unbearable. He was the first person I started seeing and he was the reason of people calling me crazy. The injections I began when I was a little boy. After the old man my little brother happened, the incident was bad and since then I had begun to see all of them, in company with a fellow dead.

The companions took my time, weak today so I was the one dictating the adventure talking to whomever I wished to.

"You should have taken an arrow of a well-made rod" said the carpenter who had died in an accident one year ago, his head was half open and had one hand. "A knife is not enough". I ignored him and left him behind his half open head still talking. 

From the dusty farm road and now on the rough tarmac that turned right towards the peak of Odem, the more dangerous park of the road. I threw away the remaining of the apple and heard a cry "Noooooo......" of a child.

On the foot of Odem, I saw a lion, it was real not personal, you could see it in the way it breathed. Nobody was allowed to walk this road alone but this task was individual and I was willing of losing everything to touch the speaking stone "Ibwe leteta" called traditionally. The lion was sleeping on the north side of the road, I was walking on the southern, five paces away as slowly unnoticed by everything not even the tree - the fools around me were mimicking walking the same even the old stumping man with his noise making bones and stick, but it was a sound only I could here - I had stopped singing. 

The lion scary -breathing heavily- I couldn't take my eyes off. I stepped on something slippery on the road and startled it was a snake and I had moved too fast before it’s strike, I cried a strong cry and run as fast as my weak legs could carry me. The Lion roared and chased, I couldn't look back but today of all days I knew it was my day, the elevation of Odem steep, my heavy legs couldn't cope, the lion roared again I stumbled trying to stand but couldn't and decided to crawl all sweating and heavily breathing.

"Fast kaka" I heard my young brother, "save me please" crying as the day it all happened, they don't change and most of all James. At least now I would join them, die.

 Somebody or something touched my shoulder, they usually don't not when I had taken my pills. It was a warm touch and there was life in it. I closed my eyes waiting, extending my neck, no need to resist it needed to be fast, less pain.

*

I waited and waited and waited, nothing happened. Opening my eyes and was alone, completely alone in a dark place, as my eyes accommodated slowly realizing I was in a forest shade, stood up and felt the pain all over my body. 

"Do you think the lion would have eaten those bones?" somebody said, startled I looked behind to see the retinue there, resting under a shade of their own.

"What happened?" I asked. They all laughed even James.

"I think too much sugar in you made the mighty spare your life" said the old crony-witch. I could taste the sugar in my mouth, a fast change from low to high. "Just like always, being spared for other's sake".

I got back on the road it was still early I went to see of the snake that was dead and half eaten, almost my height’s length with a lion’s paw and blood trail towards the southern forest. Relieved. On to the peak of Odem towards river Jipe that crossed the valley. It was a long way to the river but I was filled with new vigor and a will to finish the road.

On the river bank the air was cold, a few fishing boats with some fishers preparing the nets, I moved -not walk- towards them, three men loosely dressed not feeling the cold breeze of the river. 

"Hello" I greeted. They all looked up from their work and away. 

"They are busy" said James, you better walk north to the bridge "you will lose time but won't risk the waters". I couldn’t reply didn't want to risk looking crazy to this people who I wanted a favor from.

"Hey" they said in unison, "who are you?". It was more of a song than a question.

"I am John, I want to cross the river".

"Cross then" said one of the men, so well in his singing speech.

"Can I borrow a boat".

"No" he replied, the others laughed.

"The river is dry and the crocodiles have moved far up-river and down, you might as well use the logs their" he said pointing, "If you are lazy enough to use the bridge".

I went to the logs. They were well cut with a place to sit and put my legs in, a single oar, I had done it many times before with my father and little brotherr. I got on and rowed the log-boat as good as a prominent fisher. My father was one and had taught me rowing before walking. The river was good as they said and, in a minute, I was almost half way with no signs of fish. The fishermen would wait until it was dark.

The river was a friend, it trap my companions on the shore behind. Looked back to but there was nobody there, searched but they were completely gone.

I turned and hit a log that was moving downstream faster than expected, tumbled into the water and lost my grip of the oar and log-boat, I sunk wet and drunk a few cup-full before regaining my balance and begun swimming towards the shore, I was a good swimmer but hadn't done it for so long and my weak body couldn't march the current so I only managed to stay afloat while being drifted down stream, hands and legs burn of acidosis, mouth tasted too sugary despite the urge of drinking more and more water. That is when I faced true fear. What if the emergency hits me there? What if the river drifts me more south towards the crocodiles? What if I couldn't save myself?

"It won't be the first person you couldn't serve" said grandmother who was floating on the river.

"Save me John, Please John save me" I heard James calling, reverberating in the back of my head, in the water and off the shores.

"Save me John" he sounded drowning, I started looking for him everywhere in the river. I would try and save him now, wont' loose him again. I remembered the day as vividly as it was yesterday how I had convinced James to go fishing and try to please father of our hard work. James had agreed and on we came to this very river. It was in the rainy seasons and fishermen were absent so we had chosen the best boat, the river was high and strong our small hands couldn't handle the torrents and, in few seconds, tumbled in. 

We were good swimmers then but the torrents were made for experts. Today I prevailed.

"Save me John, please" the last word swallowed in the torrents. I dived in and searched hard with new strength for my little brother, below the water was dirty and with fast waves, I hit a stone and almost fractured my weak legs but couldn’t give up, I searched and searched with the cries of James tormenting my head the others came in also hindering my view in the waters.

I got on the surface to gain a breath and was amazed of what I saw, too far south with multitude of dead men floating above water some were rotten to the bone, all those men that had been taken by this river and the current threatened to add me among them and my body was on the brick of complying. The shore was close, I gathered the strength to get there.

 “Please brother” James called.

“You can save him now” grandma said.

I dived in and all I found was a crocodile's gaping mouth, I jumped out. In the water yes but jumped, a strong jump that landed me on the shore. I run fast not looking back and was stopped by a crowd of my people. All armed ready to torment me for eternity. I had stored some pills in my pocket for emergencies and dived my hand in and took all of them and swallowed. Better die of intoxication than the torture that followed next. It didn’t help, the still stood their facing me. They started attacking with tools and with words, I cried but not even James felt sorry for me. Not even my old weak granny, her beatings were as strong and as painful as the old wizard.

"You couldn't save me again today,” said James.

"I could have died". 

"Are you that important than just trying". 

"But I did" Losing my breathe as I spoke.

"It wasn't enough". The pain increased, the pills weren’t waking. 

I decided to look for the Stone, it might help.

"You were never ready for the task son, the rock was made of the strong of spirit and cold hands" said her grandmother. Her voice true. "Turn back and leave, it’s getting late and we don't want you among us". That was more painful, she was the one that brought me all this way. Even the dead denied me and had thought my grandmother would be by my side. 

I turned to find an escaping room and leave and saw the speaking stone and heard.

"the secret of an eternal life is to touch the speaking stone son".

"I have done it with cold hands and heart".

I did.