The neighborhood had been peaceful, where small boys and girls had interacted peacefully until teenage had caught up with them. The Mbango and Nzevu families had lived in a rather complementary manner. When it was time for the Mbangos to prepare farms for planting as well as when it was time for harvesting, the labour of the Nzevu family became invaluable to the Mbangos. The Nzevus were happy to earn money from the wealthy Mbangos.
The Nzevu family had four daughters and two sons, while the Mbangos had one son and two daughters. The children went to the same Primary School. The Mbangos were wealthy unlike the Nzevus who, from time to time, had gone to bed without food at. The Mbangos ate whatever they wanted and threw away the leftovers. They kept two well-fed dogs. Stories had always been told by the Nzevus that the dogs the Mbangos were steaks when meat was so rare at the Nzevus.
In spite of the hardship the Nzevu children were brighter in school than the Mbango children. The Mbangos were not amused by that kind of beating from a poor family. Their riches had processed them into the belief that they were better in every respect and should beat the Nzevus always in everything. Somehow, Nzevus had accepted their fate and treated the Mbangos as gods.
Trouble started when one, Makau, a Mbango son, was funded by his father to study Economics in India. Being the only son in the family, he had always taken advantage of his position to terrorize his sisters with all kinds of demands. Going to university and the wealth of his father had sunk into his mind and processed him into the proudest person in that village. His pride became a menace to all village girls. The most vulnerable girls were the Nzevus.
One day when Makau was on holiday and had only three days left before he flew to India for his studies, he raped Kaluki, Nzevu’s most beautiful daughter studying in high school. The terror left the Nzevus paralyzed and the damage left Kaluki permanently wounded. When Kaluki’s father confronted Makau’s father for explanation, Mbango backfired rather arrogantly and blamed Nzuvu’s daughters for playing sex in their movements. “Take Makau to any court,” he dismissed Nzevu.
The shocking news reached Mawia, Kaluki’s maternal grandmother rumoured to be a witch. Mawia lived deep in the countryside, over hundred kilometers away from Machakos were Nzevus lived. She invited Kaluki for consolation and cried tears while listening to Kaluki’s terrible story. However, after crying tears she warned, “Granddaughter, your beauty is going to betray you again. He’s going to repeat the rape when he comes, watch out!” When Kaluki threatened to disappear from that village Mawia said, “He’ll rape one of your sisters.”
Kaluki returned home without the answer on how to avoid another rape. For sure, when Makau returned home at the end of the year, he waylaid Kaluki and raped her again. Kaluki’s father threatened to shoot Makau with a poisoned arrow if he repeated the action. Two days after the rape Kaluki went for another consolation to Mawia. “We’ll do something about it,” Mawia told Kaluki. She prepared a special and armed secret belt for Kaluki and instructed, “Carry the belt with you always. Follow my instructions if he dares confront you again.”
Kaluki had become cleverer to avoid Makau. But soon she would discover that the hunter is always smarter than the prey. Just a day before the Christmas Eve, Makau cornered Kaluki somewhere. However, this time he was surprised when Kaluki subdued and said, “Makau, let’s do it properly; just give me time to prepare myself.” Makau relaxed as Kaluki went about the preparation. He was proud of himself that he had conquered her. Kaluki acted fast in the preparation. She removed the secret belt tied across her waist under the skirt then, using her nail she punched the cloth object tied to the belt, rubbed the powder over her hands and, while her heart boxed her repeatedly, she invited him, “It’s okay, now you can come.” She placed herself strategically for his coming. As he took his turn she touched his penis with the treated fingers then made unexpected twist that caught him unaware. She slipped out of his hands and ran for her life beating bushes.
It was a puzzle for Makau until the next day when his penis started itching. The itching gave him a sleepless night. By the third day the itching had worsened and blisters had developed on it. Eventually the blisters turned into small wounds. On the fifth day he sought doctor’s treatment. His doctor admitted that he was facing an unprecedented disease. It was then when Makau disclosed, “I think it’s witchcraft.” He explained graphically how it had all started and how abruptly the girl had grabbed his penis and escaped.
Makau leaked the news to his father when the doctor’s treatment didn’t show any signs of saving the penis. By that time Kaluki had disappeared from the village. Within a week Makau’s penis started rotting. The excruciating pain he was going through demanded hospitalization. The rot increased and expanded to other areas. Exactly after twenty seven days the witchcraft justice took its course by killing Makau. Makau’s death left his parents most devastated. Which Kenyan court would listen to their case about the witch?
