As he prepared to sleep, he still felt unnerved about what his new father had told him. He felt troubled all the more, concerned about his birth parents’ safety. He was glad that he now had a chance to live his dream. To be trained by an elite group of warriors just like he had dreamed of being a member of the Gorivas back in Matanda village, but what his father, the chief had just told him seemed to drown the feelings of happiness he had had earlier when the Vadhindi had been ordered by his father to train him.
He still had his father’s knobkerrie with him. It glistened even in the darkness. This was the only possession he had from his father; a simple tool which had been used to pound nuts and hard-shelled fruits and to chase away birds of prey. From his mother, to remember her by was the sun tattoo at the back of his hand. He lay back onto the thickly padded goatskin mat and pulled the knobkerrie deep into his chest in an embrace and fell asleep.*<
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Mighty Brahmuhn 14. Relentless
Hippo looked to be even more up for serious business when he greeted Tawana.Tawana had managed to grab hold of the black mamba’s head but that was after it had attempted to bite him thrice. He was now in a great deal of shock and wondered what kind of inhumane “training” Hippo had in store for him.‘I know you’re royalty, but when I’m training you, you’re a dog!’This insult caught him by surprise. His bladder betrayed him and let loose a few drops to the ground.Hippo led him around a mountain and they stopped in front of a very large boulder. It was the same height as Tawana but as wide as three Hippos standing side by side.‘You see that tree over there?’ He was pointing at a tree about a hundred meters from where they stood. ‘Every day, starting tomorrow, I want you to move this rock an inch a day. Failure to do that and I will give you five strokes on your calves with a whip.’His heart sank with fear and disappointment. He had heard that the training of the
Mighty Brahmuhn 15. Mandebvu : The Demonic Lion
After killing the mermaids of the Sungano (unity) River, Brahmuhn journeyed far into hostile lands, battling lurid and monstrous beasts and ruthless witches, plundering their treasures, but Brahmuhn, not really concerned about gold and material food for the flesh, threw them into the rivers or just dropped them along the path. He set free those wrongly imprisoned in dungeons for no reason…’Crowd of children: ‘And then what did he do?’‘And then…after a grueling seven day journey on foot, Brahmuhn stumbled upon a deserted cave…or so he thought…’Crowd of children: ‘What was in it?’‘The cave descended for another two miles and in the deepest part of the cave was the Great Nyame-Nyame…’ (The Great Legendary Serpent of Zimbabwe that is believed to have its dwelling in the Kariba dam).There was a loud gasp from the children.‘As soon as his foot touched the grou
Mighty Brahmuhn 16. 'We Are Gods!'
The rest of the team began rushing to his aid.Mandebvu sunk his teeth into Mamba’s throat before running off into another part of the bushes.Brahmuhn knelt beside Mamba. His throat was grossly wounded. Mamba only breathed twice before his eyes closed.In anger, Hippo pursued the lion, hurling his stones at him.‘My chief!’ Tortoise called out to Brahmuhn from behind the bush that Mandebvu had leapt from.Brahmuhn was broken. ‘What is it?’‘I have found the child.’‘Is she alright?’‘She lost a leg but she will live.’Brahmuhn clenched his fists in fury then he stood up. Cheetah had been kneeling beside him and also equally horrified by Mamba’s death. ‘Tortoise…’‘Yes, my chief?’‘Watch over the girl. Cheetah and I will kill Mandebvu.’ Brahmuhn and Cheetah sped in the direction Mandebvu and Hippo had headed.
Mighty Brahmuhn 17. Dark Clouds
It had all happened so fast. Brahmuhn now stood above Mandebvu, his faithful knobkerrie in his hand, hanging by his side. Shumba was beginning to regain consciousness.Cheetah slowly walked towards Brahmuhn with leaves pressed tightly on his wounded shoulder trying to limit blood loss from it. ‘You have done it, my chief. The menace is dead.’Brahmuhn’s face melted in relief. He said, ‘My people can now be at peace.’‘Never before have I seen such displays of power, my chief. You are indeed the helm of greatness.’‘And that shall be his title.’ Shumba said standing up.‘What do you mean?’ Cheetah asked him.‘That shall be our chief’s title; “Brahmuhn…His Greatness”.’As they walked back to the village, they wore faces of gloom. They had sown big banana leaves together and laid Hippo and Mamba in them and were now dragging the corpses into
Mighty Brahmuhn 18. Whispers
‘When, your greatness?’ Shiri asked him sounding desperate.‘When I am done grieving, Shiri. When the Vadhindi, the soldiers and my people are done grieving.’‘But even grief is meant to be temporary, my chief,’ Dombo tried to reason with him. ‘The Ndebele could attack us whilst we are still “grieving”. ’‘Dombo is right, Your Greatness,’ Gumbo said, ‘if the Ndebele find us in such a vulnerable state, I’m quite sure they won’t wait for us to finish grieving.’‘So what do you suggest?’Dombo cleared his throat pretentiously, ‘I suggest we mobilize the army fast and strike them hard and scatter the dogs into hiding.’‘Is that a unanimous suggestion?’ Brahmuhn asked eyeing Gumbo and Shiri.The two nodded simultaneously.He grabbed his knobkerrie from beside his throne and stood up. ‘I’ll have to think abo
Mighty Brahmuhn 19. The Ndebele
Brahmuhn had gathered the Elders in his throne room once again.‘Your Greatness, you summoned us?’ Dombo asked.‘I have decided that it is best to attack the Ndebele.’The three Elders looked surprised. ‘Really, Your Greatness?’‘Yes, Dombo, and I’m sure it’s best we all put our grief aside and focus on the enemy at hand.’Gumbo cleared his throat, ‘But why have you decided to accept our advice, Your Greatness because with all due respect- you’ve never “needed” it in the past?’He sighed sharply, ‘Well…that’s because in all these years you have been advising me this is the only good advice you have ever come up with.’The three all looked insulted but had to disguise their feelings.‘The rest of the advice you have ever given me was just folklore and donkey dung.’ He grabbed his knobkerrie, got up and left.&lsq
Mighty Brahmuhn 20. Preparations for War
Brahmuhn was sitting on his throne, all alone in the room. Besides the grief for his father, Chief Kindi and his two comrades, Mamba and Hippo, he was also meditative of the impending war which would take place the next day. The third Elder, Shiri, came in walking in hurried paces. ‘What is it now, Shiri?’‘My Chief, it is very urgent…’‘You know very well that you cannot consult me in the absence of the first or second Elder.’ Brahmuhn sounded very irritated. He had grown weary of the Elders. He had always watched them as a child when they provided his father with “advice” and never really saw their importance and therefore never grew to tolerate them. He began to see their services as irrelevant to the chiefdom.‘Forgive me, my Chief but I have to tell you this.’He sat up straight. ‘Then out with it.’He knelt at his feet. He was breathing heavily in anxiety and he was ne
Mighty Brahmuhn 21. The Great War (Part I)
He suddenly woke up with a start. He was sweaty all over. He realized that it was just a dream but this same dream had reminded him of his vow. His promise that he would not see death until he had killed Chief Mbada.*The anticipated day had come. At Brahmuhn’s side were Cheetah, Tortoise and Shumba and behind them were a thousand Chaponda soldiers clutching their spears and daggers wearing faces of courage and fearlessness. They were all standing on a small mountain and below them, across a small shallow river was the Ndebele army. In number, they were three times that of the Chaponda army. Brahmuhn turned to his soldiers. ‘Men! The time has come to test the limits of our power! The time has come for us to victor over our triumph and triumph over the victory!’The men roared loud in great courageousness.‘The time has come to end it all! After today, not a single Ndebele fool shall corrupt our ears with their funny clicks
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