The Visitors

THE VISITORS. 

I was never excited about the fact that visitors came to our school and mostly from abroad and even in the news that on that particular day that a school from London was going to land at the Jomo Kenyatta international Airport at Nairobi wasn’t altogether great news to me. I had not even been put in the list of the people who were going to meet the visitors at about 8:50pm at the airport. Not that I minded it a bit, but because I appreciated the fact that I was going to enjoy my sweet sleep, without having to go out in the night. This was the Friday 23rd 2006.

The following morning was cold as at this time the sun is usually overhead at the tropic of Capricorn and not much heat left for the equator. I find it hard to believe that fact because at noon I saw the sun overhead as usual. Nothing had changed. However, this was the morning that the visitors were going to be arriving at school. We had to make every place clean to impress the visitors who were coming to learn the ways of the school so that they could implement them back at their school. It is something that we were proud of at school but as a matter of fact, I always thought that these visitors were just coming to tour the country and not to fulfill the primary objective of them having to come around. This is because they spent ¾ of the time visiting the tourist site and the times they spent in school were actually teaching a new came they called Tchouk ball- the most curious game I   have ever come across in my life. They were coming to teach and not to learn the ways of the school.

 I was deeply concerned about the dressing of the girls especially as they were in shorts, which were so tiny that I actually doubted that they were there. This doesn’t mean that I was not enjoying the sight (the opposite is true) but it was the cold of the morning that was making me concerned. It was too cold to dress that explicitly. The girls were beautiful and I had sworn to try a few lines at one of them but I soon found that I didn’t have the courage to kiss the knife. I thought that the boys with them would be too jealous if I approached one of them and so I did not want to create an attitude with the visitors and my mind told me to give up all together.

If the reason that was making me so concerned about their dressing was the fact that the were from a different continent, then maybe I was right because the whole of the group including the teachers were in jackets which bore the name of their school at the back but I can swear my head that to me they all looked like a football team just from practicing. The jackets resembled the track suits used in the training of athletes. I saw less of them on the Saturday and had actually decided that I was not going to speak to any of them until they got the heck out of our country. They had as usual gone to the ironic tour of the country.

I was surprised to see them in the Sunday service. I hadn’t seen them come and had actually forgotten that there was anything like the visitor in the school. Their white curious faces were watching me as I walked towards the altar to sing a song to the congregation of students. That was when I spotted them and realized that I had to introduce myself something that I loathed with all my being. They cheered when I was through (I have a beautiful voice) unlike the other fellow students who just watched me as I walked back to my seat. Some of them were tempted to clap by the fact that the visitors were clapping but I knew that this was not from the heart but from the mind.

It was one of the days that the controversial visitors were going to be spending most of the day in school but would still go out for some time. I decided to go as far as possible from the school to avoid the prospect of meeting any of the ladies. I can’t be stopped when one comes my way and that was what I was avoiding. I decided that town was the best option and I was going to hike to waste as much time as possible. I was not intending to be back to school before six in the evening.

I strolled on the streets of Nairobi. I had not even known the streets by name even after staying there for more than six years for they were given some names that I thought did not fit the country. I was wondering why one had to be named Haille Sellasie when we had some important people in the country and great times in history that would be perfect names for the streets to be reminding us from where we have come from. I got to the river road (that’s an example of what am saying) and a sight of some rough looking guys dancing to some traditional tunes attracted me. We had always been told of the evil things these guys could do if something was against the culture of the African.

It was a sect called the Anti-cultural loss Movement. I thought they were not justified in defending their culture. They were extremely aggressive with the ladies who dressed in trousers and went to the extremes of killing. At this point I came to conclude that they were just a bunch of thugs operating in the name of preserving the African culture. I watched their dance for some time but when the teachings began, I decided that it was the time to leave and find some more sensible things to listen to.

I walked on to the city and for once my idleness told me that the building must have been beautiful and I started to admire them. I think it looked idiotic. I can swear I hadn’t noticed that before. This bored me again and I had to look for something more captivating. Off I went into a cyber café and spent a greater part of my day. I walked down the stairs. I had been in a place that didn’t have much light and coming out again in the sun caused me to strain my eyes. Then she came panting and rough guys behind her. Nobody seemed to bother that these huge swords the Anti-cultural loss movement was carrying were going to be used to murder the innocent creature. That is the problem with Nairobi. You got into trouble as the other watched or moved on with their businesses as if nothing was happening.

Being from Nairobi and brought up in the same culture, I also ignored the terrified girl. The fact that she did not look Kenyan increased my rate of not getting concerned. She was running fast but the thugs were gaining distance and I knew that the race was not going to last long before they murdered her. We knew of the things they did. They would cut her up into pieces and maybe leave her at the roadside for the whole world to see from the example. The police could not have come in time, as they seemed to have given up altogether on matters concerning this ACLM movement as they met in the open even after the movement was declared illegal.

Then something caught my attention. It was the jacket she was wearing. Jeez I had to do something. This lone girl hadn’t left her country only two days ago only to face the Kenyan thugs. She was a visitor at our school and so she was my visitor as well. This brought my feet to action. I had kept fit these last few days and running was not going to be a big problem.   I knew that following the girl was going to be crazy and I would be easily seen by the ACLM. I took another street and running as fast as my trousers could hold firmly to my body I waylaid her on the next street.

I was in good time. People on that part of the city were not aware of anything like that happening. I could see her running fast and the hooligans following closely behind. She was good and had started gaining distance. This would not however help her as these die-hards were in every corner of the city. I grabbed her as she passed and she screamed in terror. I thought she was running blindly as she did not even know the city. She thought that it was done and she had been caught.

“You from Flegg School?”   I asked

“No” she replied terrified

“Am here to help you idiot tell me the truth.”

She nodded. That was enough but there was no time for such questioning. Wherever she was from, she was in danger and needed instant help. I could see the men coming on the other side of the street sure to themselves that a member of the movement had done them a favor of capturing the ‘Evil’ tourist. I was no fool and knew these people well and what they could do.

“Let’s get out of here.” I said and the race started once more. This time, it was a bit safe for at least we knew where we were going. I intended that we headed in the direction of the school but that would have been walking right into the trap of the other dancing group of the ACLM. We ran across the streets causing some of the drivers to brake instantly but all we seemed to care was getting as far as possible from these men carrying their machetes high in the air ready to kill. I was also in trouble now and knew that I would not be spared in the massacre if I was caught.

I was surprised to find that we had been surrounded. They were not however expecting us to get away from the city. Then, I decided it was the time to lose them and take a rest for the girl was becoming progressively tired and slow. What inspired me in her was the will to live for at one time, I can remember her saying, “I know we will get over this.” She seemed to know that she was not now alone in it but we were both in it. We had to get away from the city and head to the west. They followed us to this direction. The moment we hit the forest, I knew that trouble had started at that point since I did not know the forest myself.

But one thing I was sure was that it would be too easy to lose them in the forest. About getting lost, that I would solve later. We crashed through the bush with about ten men in hot pursuit. After running for almost thirty minutes in the forest, I came to realize that these people were not going to give up.

They were just taking a walk round the city. They were enjoying the caressing warmth of the sun after being in their country which most of the time was cold. I think that was why they dressed in garments exposing greater percentage of the body. One girl from the group shouted, Flegg give me ‘one’. And they all slapped their exposed thighs and clapped to some rhythm. The girl continued, “Give me ‘two’. And the clapped on till their legs turned red at the point where they hit. I am sure mine would not turn anything even if I hit using a mallet.

After the ritual, the same girl continued, “Hey Honey tell them about the guy in the school we are visiting who could not learn such a simple thing.”

They waited for Honey to tell the story and make fun out of it but she did not respond. “Where is Honey?” another one from the group asked.

 “I last saw her at the KICC. I have not seen her since.” A small boy chipped in. The boys from our school who were taking them round the city and some of their boys and one staff members rushed back to check for the missing girl. Meanwhile, it was reported at once at school that one of the girls had gone missing. Mr. Kenyanya our director thought that there was no need for alarm yet for Kenya is the safest country you can be in the whole continent on matters concerning security. However, the visiting head teacher of Flegg School was very much disturbed. He was charged with the safety of the students even by the state and if anything happened, the blame would be on him. Mr. Kung’u however the staff from our school who was taking the round their tour encouraged them that everything was going to be alright.

The others were taken back to school by the bus. The search team reported nothing to be found of the girl. The police were informed and the search was getting hot on all sides. Her friends could not help crying at the loss of one of them, they did not expect the tour to turn out this way.

Losing them was cheap though as we just lay in a bush and the stupid killers who thought that we would keep running had to pass on their way. I felt relaxed but we had gone too far for me to know where we were. We lay there waiting for the field to be clear. She was breathing hard and her heart was beating frantically.

“Don’t worry,” I told her. You will be alright with me.”

“If I may ask,” who are you?” she was trying to ask that question without sounding patronizing but I could tell that she still didn’t have my trust.

“Stan. From the school you are visiting.”

“Who were they?”

“Anti-cultural loss Movement.”

“But I had done nothing wrong.”

“It was your short.”

“They wanted to rape me?”

“No they don’t rape, they kill. They kill mercilessly.”

“And what are we going to do now, by the way am Honey.”

“Honey? Is it a nickname or is it…………

“No, it is my name.”

It was one of those names I had never heard of and it reminded me that we were getting too many in the world and we needed unique names. Sometimes I think that we will have to name people after the animals and then after the days then years, months and centuries just to get names for them. I had my handset and was going to use it to call Mr. Kung’u. Just then noises came once more and several ACLM were coming towards us combing the forest for signs. I sometimes think that these guys are on drugs. I could not understand why they should keep following us because the girl was in shorts unless they were on drugs.

We had to start running once more and they were hot on our tracks, as one of them had spotted her in the forest. It was easier for me to hide but her white face and the mass of golden hair dangling behind her kept showing and selling us out. We kept losing them but each time one would say, “There they are.” Night came as a relief to us as hiding in it would be easy but it turned to be the other way round. They kept coming and their chances of winning increased as the dark increased.

“I cannot run anymore.” Honey said.

I knew that this was true and unless action was taken she was going to get us into trouble. It was better dying in the city than in the forest. The thugs spread out so as to cover a large area of searching. It was then it came to my notice that they had guns also. This was going to be harder than I thought. I borrowed Honey’s hair ribbon.

“What for?” she asked.

“Our ticket from here.”

“To home?”

 “No, just out of here.” I did not want to give her false hopes. She gave it to me. We waited. He came closer. The others were very far. They would not hear if he groaned just slightly. I was not going to allow him to make even that groan. He had a gun but he was careless. I followed him, a stick in my right hand and the ribbon in the right. The stick came down on his head. It was so hard that he didn’t make a noise. He simply sunk to his knees. The ribbon did the other part of strangling the life out of him. I don’t know whether he died and didn’t care to find out.

 Honey wanted us to carry the gun but I decided that it would be better if the police found it. It would be used to identify the holder. We moved on. It was very dark but we didn’t care. One thing was sure. We were lost and we would continue getting lost if those hooligans kept following us. They spotted us another time and we had to run further this time up a hill. Honey begged me to leave her behind and escape alone but that didn’t get in me. We had come too far together to give up on her. This time I was sure that they would win but the roar of a lion in the forest diverted their course. We had to run away from two enemies but that had at least diverted the more intelligent of the enemies.

This time, they were completely lost. We did our best to get as far as possible from the lions. Honey was scared but I told her that these were day hunters. They just needed not to be disturbed. This time, I got Mr. Kung’u on the line. They were missing two people. A local student and a girl from the overseas. I told the story being as brief as possible. He gave the head teacher the phone so that he could confirm that Honey was actually there.   She assured them that though scared she was alright with me.

“And where are you?” Mr. Kung’u asked.  

“I don’t know.” Was all I could say.

This left them feeling completely hopeless especially when I told them that the ACLM was still on hot pursuit. The message was communicated to the whole school and the students from Flegg School felt a bit relieved but still scared when someone told them what the ACLM could do. Mr. Kenyanya thought that it was too early to inform the Flegg School headquarters in London. We slept under the bushes in forest or rather Honey slept and I kept watch. She also kept watch part of the following morning as I took a nap. Mr. Kung’u kept contacting me to keep tracks of our whereabouts. He informed me to report any strange feature so that they could easily trace us. But he got one response from me; it was all forest and nothing else to be seen on sight.

This communication didn’t last long since that morning, the ACLM saw us another time and they tried surrounding us. We went down to a swollen river and swam down the current such that this time, we completely lost them. They never expected that anyone in his right senses would attempt the swollen river inhabited by the African man-eating crocodiles. But we did and swam easily down the current. Needles to say, in a hurry to get away, I lost my handset and that was the end of the communication. We were completely lost in the pitch-dark forest with no one to try to guess our whereabouts.

 Even the ACLM this time had to give up on us altogether as we never saw of them again. Hunger caught up with us in the forest. I got Honey some wild fruits to eat but these were not enough. She was soon taken by fever for sleeping in the open and we spent two days without moving, as she was too sick and getting poor quality food that could not keep her going. I was getting worried myself about her state of health and didn’t want to lose her after coming that far and putting my life in danger. She noticed that I was worried on the second morning of her illness.
        “You worried about me?”

“Of course I am especially with no one to tell and lost in the middle of nowhere.”

  “I think you should not worry about me but you have your country to worry about if these are the things that you people face. As for me I think you have done your part and my illness should not worry you Stan. And guess what?” she smiled and grasped my hand, “Even if I die, and go to a far place, I will write your name on every star so that the Angels may look up and see just how much you mean to me.”

I smiled with her but I felt that I needed to let her know that I wasn’t intending to let go on her that easily. “You will not die gal as long as I am standing on my feet.” I gave her some bitter herbs I had seen my grandmother use to heal Malaria. They were not used for treating fever but they worked miracles as the fever was over by sundown. She had thrown out at the first taste of the herbs but she eventually swallowed the rest. That was what I admired most in her; the will to go on.

 The following morning was a one to continue looking for a way out it was no longer running away but looking for way out. We were not going to live for long under such conditions. The ACLM had in the meantime given up looking for us but I knew they would look for all means to make sure that they fixed at least me if not the foreign girl. We had not seen them for the two days that Honey had a fever. Four more days through the forest without seeing a soul except meeting several hyenas and buffaloes, found us on a village. The people there were kind and gave us food and a place to rest for two days but we did not seem to agree on anything. Neither of them could speak Swahili or even English the only languages I knew. There was no one with a mobile phone to contact Mr. Kung’u and at the end of it; we had to follow a path into the forest without still knowing where we were heading to.

Honey almost gave up but I kept her on her toes. She loved my jokes at least and she jokingly said that if she did not make it she would miss my jokes at least. We moved on with enough food from the village. The only thing I knew about the village was that it was called Katikilo and nothing else. We had to be careful lest we met the ACLM and chose to travel mostly during the night on the paths and under cover of the undergrowth during the day. We only allowed few hours of sleep.

In the city, the police had very little clue to know our whereabouts and so their search was just a formality. The story had been told in the papers and Radio Stations one of the greatest mistake the School had done according to me. If I had the means, I would have stopped them from announcing it anywhere using the press. They had gone to the extent of publishing our photos on the papers. This was going to make it very easy for the ACLM because as long as we were missing, they knew that we were still somewhere in the forest and would come to look for us. The other problem was that they had given out our photographs and even the members of the ACLM could easily recognize us if we entered the city.

 We climbed a hill in the third week of our being in the forest. I think we were getting used to going without enough food and water as Honey was complaining less about food or water. From the hill, I saw one of the best sights I could swear I had ever seen. It was the city. I pointed it out and Honey reached and hugged me tightly and too long for my system’s comfort. She looked directly into my eyes and I saw something that I had never seen before in her. That warmth in her deep look. “I knew we would make it.” She said tears flowing free from her eyes.   She never made an effort to wipe the tears. I had nothing to say. I was too exited partly by the hug to say anything. She reached again and hugged me. This time I thought I was going to go nuts but I held together.

By six in the evening, we had gotten to the edges of the forest. Honey started becoming impatient about seeing the others but we had to wait and get into the city in the dark. It would be too disastrous to be seen again after coming this far. I could swear that if such a thing happened, I would just wait for the bloodthirsty thugs to take my life. I would never run again. As the city lights started going on one by one, we entered the city and proceeded to school. But something had to be done about Honey’s dressing lest she attracted more attention something that was not intended then. We had to do a little robbing, but what Honey called politely ‘Borrowing roughly’. I found it funny but we did ‘borrow roughly’ a raincoat from a traveler. I put my finger on his throat and he thought it was a gun. “Make a sound and I will surely pull the trigger.” I said.

I could hear Honey almost giggling at the faked robbery. She put on the long raincoat and covered her head with the hood. We rushed from the scene in a hurry and took a ghetto route to the school. Even the watchmen at the gate did not recognize us as we slipped into the school. We wanted to raise as little attention as possible. Even my fellow students seemed to have forgotten that there was a person like Stan in that school. Maybe it was the fact that since Mr. Kung’u lost contact with me, nobody expected to see us ever again.

The students from Flegg School were gathered in the assembly hall. They seemed to have lost the touch of life in them. Despite the fact that all of them were there, only one or two was speaking quietly as if they were afraid of the dark. It was now three weeks since Honey had disappeared. They had later been told that she was in the hands of a student from the host school by the name of Stan. Their head teacher had actually talked to her on the phone and she had said that she was going to be alright. But it was now three weeks and even the police had not found anything to say about the two disappeared students. Three weeks was too much for someone to be still living in the forest with thugs on hot pursuit. They had reported at home the disappearance of Honey and everyone was worried. Their stay time in the country had expired and they did not know what to do.

I pushed the door to the hall open. Everybody turned to look in the direction of the door. The far end of the hall where they had gathered was lighted but the part near the door was dark and even then, they could not tell to whom the two shadows belonged to. Honey was too excited and she ran towards the light. She stopped to allow them time to recognize her but no one moved. She removed the roughly borrowed raincoat. It seemed that everybody got into motion. They all wanted to hug her. The rest of the host school was not around as they had attended compulsory preps. There seemed to be commotion for almost thirty minutes. I never moved at the door but stood watching the excitement. The girls cried the head teacher could be seen almost going mad in joy. He would never forgive himself if he was going to go back home without one of the students.

Then their minds seemed to move at once to the figure at the door. Honey walked towards me. She stopped and covered her face as if she had seen me for the first time. She cried like one who was in pain. She decided to release all the tension she had carried for the three weeks in tears. I came close to her and she suddenly came after me. She threw her hands around me and cried all along. The others had gathered to see the drama unfold. She seemed to express all that she could not in the forest. I could tell that it was the joy of being safe with the others that was causing her to react so. She credited it all tome but I thought that she had a great part to play in our return especially the psychological part of it.

I was hugged so much that I almost chocked. They called the school administration and the news spread through the school. I got a welcome from my fellow students but I got amazed at the stupidity of some who thought that I had enjoyed my time.

 “All alone in the forest with her for three weeks?” one of them had said. I just told him how I thought of him.

During the party that followed the return, I felt very sad. Some realization that I was going to be in constant trouble with the ACLM for the rest of my life. They would not rest till they saw the end of me. Honey and her schoolmates would be heading home the following day and I would be left in the hell alone. Honey was quick to observe that I was not enjoying in the dance especially and she took me out of the hall for inquiry. “Stan, put on a happy face man. I never saw you put such even in the forest.”

“Honey, you do not understand.”

“What don’t I understand?”

“Come with me.” I took her to the school gate and we hid behind some hedge. “Watch over there. What do you see?”

“I just see watchmen.” She answered.

 “Look more carefully.” I insisted. She did. I could see her face twist in terror. She had seen my target.

“The ACLM.” She said terrified. I had known that they were going to come after me even this far. One of the watchmen was a member but we could not tell which one. I knew that one of them must be involved with the ACLM, as it was not once that I had seen the men come to talk at the gate. We tiptoed back. The ACLM was already informed of our return and they would take no time in hitting.

Honey expressed my fears to the head teacher and it was not a surprise to me the following morning. I was not even given time to say goodbye to my family. I found myself in the plane together with the other members of the Flegg School on our way to London. I was at least away from trouble for now. It was the thought of going to exile this first that was disturbing me but I had to run away from the inevitable death. I would come back after the ACLM had forgotten my act. The Flegg students were glad to have me as their companion home. They made me retell the story repeatedly. They never seemed tired of it. They also enjoyed the jokes. I think I am gifted in that area.  

There had never been a day that I had not sung my favorite song. But on this particular day, everything seemed alright except that I had not sung the song in praise of my motherland. I always started it but somehow after singing the first three lines, I seemed to forget that I was supposed to be singing and found myself doing something all strange and my mind drifting far. I was safe in this place they called home but to me it was all Babylon. I could not see the reason that had caused me to come this far. I was in exile and not due to some political problem but running away from thugs.   Maybe I could bear the prospect of being away and actually glad to stay away from the political instability for as long as my life could last.

It was the reason for my exile that was disturbing me more than anything in this world of white people. Not that I hated them, in fact, they had been very kind by getting me out of my country where I would have faced inevitable death in less than two days that I was going to be at home. I was running away from a group of thugs. Thugs? What a reason to run away from ones country? Why should someone run from his country because of thugs? They were the ACLM who were dealing with preserving the African culture or at least that was what they said but in the actual sense, they were just a group of thugs out to cause trouble. They had vowed to kill me and I was sure they were going to live to their vow. They had the support of some powerful government officials and that was why even the police could almost do nothing to stop them though they had been declared illegal.

They wanted me for the simple reason that I had helped Honey escape the trap they had set for her. It was true that she had been dressed ‘explicitly’ that is according to them but she was not an African and thus free to dress as she pleased and they had no say in it. The fact that she was a visitor at our school had given me the guts to take the step that almost cost me my life. They had helped me escape my country but it started hitting me that I was better dead than in exile for such a simple reason. The government was supposed to have dealt with such cases. But how could they when they were in the middle of it. It always surprised me that these guys from ACLM met in the daylight in the middle of the city even after being declared illegal. I tried once more to sing the song in praise of my motherland.

While I was at home, I always thought that the song was a bit boring and sycophantic, but these thirteen months in exile brought out the real meaning of the song and it turned out to be my favorite, but the problem was that the things it said about our country were not true; actually just the opposite hence did not apply.

Honey came into the room where I sat drifting into the land of my forefathers. She was always sweet and caring. I did not want at any one time to make it evident to her that I was thinking about home. I knew that she would not let me leave under any circumstances even if the ACLM announced that they had forgiven me for the ‘shameful act of betrayal’. One day, I had told her openly that I wanted to go home and face the ACLM but she pointed out that it would be sacrificing myself.

“They will kill you the moment you appear.” She had said.

“I think that will be better for me.”

“Then am coming too.” She said taking by surprise.

“You need no come. I am the one in trouble not you.”

“But I started the trouble and if it got to be finished, then I have to play a part. In any case, I was the one to die not you.” I realized that she stressed the last two words in imitation of what I had said. Thirteen months I had been living with honey and her family. They were all kind and it was no different from being at home only that it was not home after all. She came into the room and looked around as if she had not seen me.

“Stan, you thinking about home?”

“Why should I not. It’s no fun being away for so long.”

“What about the ACLM? They are no fun either.”

Honey was convincing and I found myself agreeing with her. I knew that this business of agreeing with whatever she said might end me up in that place for the rest of my life.

 “Can we go for a walk?”

“Of course we can.” There was nothing I appreciated like a nice walk around the city. I also liked meeting Honey’s friends. She never got tired of telling them the chase with the ACLM and she made me feel like the superman of the year. But this day I could not tell what the problem was. Maybe I was thinking too much about home leaving no room for enjoying such praises. Although I had agreed to take a walk with Honey, it was just for the simple reason that there was nothing else I could have done. I wasn’t even enjoying the walk. She seemed to notice this and she tried to cheer me up. She hit me lightly and the raced into the street. The intention was that I was going to race after her. We had done this kind of thing for a long time and so I knew what to do.

I knew she would not run far but I deliberately kept my speed at bay so that it would continue for long.   We ran from one street to another. I had caught up with her several times but each time, she would slip through my hand and escape again. This game brought us into the outskirts and took a lonely street with dustbin and back yards. The sun had a brassy look and the clouds seemed as if they had been disturbed with a rough object. The sun seemed to slump low in the sky like a guard bored by his usual routine of watching over the inhabitants of the solar system. I was almost catching up with her but she stopped suddenly and I bumped into her.

She was staring into the open with her mouth agape. I stopped to watch too. I could not believe it at the first sight. I brushed my eyes with the back of my hands to get a better view. He was dressed in traditional attire. He was evidently an alien of this country. On his legs, he had jingles that jingled rhythmically with his steps. Power was evident in every step his lean hard legs took, in every breath his deep broad chest took and in every ripple of the flank muscles. He was walking away from us as if he had been watching. I felt my heart skip a few beats. I had to finish what I had started.

These visitors will now understand that it means a lot to us that they spoil our culture shamelessly and escape without notice. Our girls were spoilt. We could cub that from home but doing it in their own land would make them know how serious we were about preserving our culture. He came to where we stood. Honey looked at him speechlessly. He stared back at her with the kind of look you get from your pastor when he discovers that you have been stealing from the offering bag. He took my hand and hugged me lightly.

“Good work son.” He said.

Honey ran from me like I had farted. She should have noticed how easily we escaped the ACLM back at home. That never happened unless they wanted to let you go. This was the best chance to get us in their own motherland. “You are one of them!” she shouted at me as the man pointed the sharp machete at her. He would carry back her head as the trophy.

“I am sorry Honey,” I told her. “They say that all of us from the Central part of the country are ACLM. I think they are right.”