The 17 boys

"Why would you say so?" I asked.

"I don't know, but if the Ingwe was to choose a predecessor, don't you think it should be by the customs and not by his own volution?" Said Odumo.

"True, but is his own volution not the provision of the custom?" Weighed in another boy.

"There you go again, throwing us right back into the tangles on what the tradition demands of the Ingwe. Wasike, ask your father to weigh in." I said, turning towards the leader's spoiled son.

"Hey Dad, how does the Ingwe choose his predecessor?"

"I have been waiting for that question all along the walk.

I have heard you weigh on it and I would tell you for sure, your guess is as good as mine but one thing for sure the mask makes the ultimate choice, it might chose you," he said pointing towards one of the boys, "or you," pointing towards Odumo, "or you with your torn shots," he said pointing at me.

"How he chooses is definitely not left entirely on him, the best we can account for is the explanation he gives after he chooses and the explanation the chosen gives.

The current Ingwe, Ingwe Mukhongo was chosen a few years before I was born but his success story has been used since then to date to described an aggressive man built with a passion for his people, a symbol of compassion with a ruthless attribute to those who stand against his people.

Are you ready for his story?"

We all in unison said Yes, at least most of us.

"It was the 8th month, just like this one, word spread fast all over the Luhya community of the intention of the Ingwe to chose a predecessor, just like this one.

Every young man coveted for that position, every father tried to position their sons to take the position, those with influence tried to bribe there way or their relations way to the position."

He suddenly popes out his hands while saying,

"Then the unexpected happened."

"What!?" We all exclaimed, at least most of us.

"Kabaka Mtesa, the hostile king then of the Buganda kingdom raided, at such an unfortunate moment, a cunning king he was, he had sent spy's in our land who found out the Ingwe's hiding spot, he sent his entire army to the spot, an ambush.

The Ingwe, Ingwe Ingabi fought, he killed Mutesa's army in their numbers but finally the man in him was defeated, under the hostile axe of the Bugandans, his life was snatched from him, the land was left without an Ingwe, the land had been left without a mask, that night was the darkest night in the eye of the Luhya people, the man whose axe took the Ingwe's life was given high status in Mutesa's command.

No mask meant no Ingwe. No mask meant no predecessor. No mask meant no protector, no commissioner of aoths. The land felt bear, it was said that the Ingwe killed enough of the army that they had to go back to Buganda to regroup before making an assault.

For a month or so without the Ingwe saw the people always look over their shoulders. The situation was made even worse when the Ingwe slayer started sending threats through Mutesa's massager how they were planning an attack and if the Luhya community wanted to survive the attack we were to send back word saying that we surrender and that we would pay dues.

A baraza was called, the Democratic Luhya community vowed not to break or bow..."

"Sir, I thought we are led by a king, why do you say a democratic society?" I asked

"My son, never ever has the Luhya community ever been a monarchy, we choose our leaders except for the Wanga clan who ascribe to a king. We are going to the Wanga king's palace not because he is our leader but because the calendar has allocated the initiation to be carried out in Wanga, now you know." He said nodding towards me.

"Each clan mobilised young men, armed them with machetes, axes and spears to supplement the demoralised state warriors. So the day of terror came, the Bugandans army tried another ambush but this time round they found a prepared opponent, from the old to small kids armed with daggers. That war lasted for a week we lost many so did they. We gave our all but they proved stronger, when we were about to give in the unexpected happened, ask me what?"

"What?" We asked in unison, again at least most of us.

"Just when we were about to raise the white flag the Ingwe showed himself, from the rare in the open field battle to the front, he took the lead, he came with a new energy, motivated the warriors, he killed them in numbers, the land was angry, it used the Ingwe to get back to the Bagandans. The man who's axe killed the..."

"Sir, there is a man ahead, he's armed."

"Hult everyone."

We stood still, the man ahead was in all black heavy attire, behind him the setting rays of the sun, a machete in his right hand on his left a cage, with several small dogs locked in.

"A new war is about to begin. You say you have an Ingwe, let's see if he will come to save you." The man shouted.

"You do not scare us, a man is born but once bring it on." Responded our leader while taking out his machete hidden in his trousers, not even once did we know he had it. We all stood behind him.

The man shouted, "try this." Then cut into the cage's lock releasing the small dogs that came running towards us.

"Boys use whatever you can, don't show fear, they are just dogs, let's kill them."

The small dogs broke the pace and hesitated, they stop in there tracks, they were afraid of something, they were afraid of us, how?

I was standing right behind the leader, a long stick in my hand, some boys were holding stones, the largest boy of us all, Odumo, surprisingly was holding a broken machete.

I heard heavy steps behind me, I turned, I almost jumped out of my skin, I was stunned just like the rest of the boys not knowing what to do, run, scream or attack.

"Worry not boys," whispered our leader.

"The Ingwe has sent us his dog."

Behind me stood a massive black dog, towering above all boys except Odumo, it saw the danger we were in and came to our rescue, it made its way from behind us to the front then faced the small dogs growling.

It launched, meeting the dogs half way, aiming for the head, neck and backbone, tossing dog after dog, after landing none stood up again.

A heavy metal cage was dropped behind us. Behind us stood two men who had been carrying a cage between them suspended on two long poles, broke the locks and more dogs were released behind us, we turned facing them. The leader moved to the rear and ordered for attack leaving the first dogs to the Ingwe's dog.

Those with stones started throwing them, those with catapults aimed, those of us with sticks, daggers and broken machetes waited. Before the dogs got to us, again the Ingwe's dog intervened, jumping right over one of the boys into attack. Ingwe's dog by now had received several bites to the hind limbs, under belly and would have sworn his balls were bleeding, it now looked more tired and worn but determined to protect us, had he been a man a warrior would be a lesser name, he to date is my hero.

This was a calculated attack, we had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, locked in, a steep hill on one side and another to the other, the only way through was by the road so it was fight or die.

Another set of men came with a cage, attempting to replace the first dogs. This time around the order changed to, 'don't allow the men unlock the cage.'

We attacked, running towards them, launching whatever we gat towards them, I threw my stick which landed across the face of one of the men, he fell to the ground a mistake on my part. Now thirty meters to the cage. The standing man managed to cut open the cage. Not armed I picked two sharp stones one for each hand. One of the boys threw a stone that landed on the standing mans face, our leader swung his machete and split a dog's head into two, it was on. Those dogs were aggressive. One launched aiming for my head, I sandwiched the dog's head between my stones each on the eye. A dog leaped for one of the boys neck he blocked with his left hand then slit the dog's throat with his dagger still clutching to his arm. Odumo swung his machete, it cut into one of the dogs backbone, before he could pull his machete out, another leaped for his chest, I saw it, he saw it, before it got to him I instinctively swung my right hand hitting its back head with all my stone with all my might, it fell to the ground, Odumo looked at me and nodded. Just after the nod was over another dog leaped into the air from behind and beat Odumo's back neck, he fell to the ground, he stood right back up holding his neck.

"It bit me." He said

I was dumbfound, not knowing what to do or say, after all it didn't make sense, why didn't the dog go for the kill, it just bit and let go?

I turned, behind I saw the first men attacking the Ingwe's dog, one with a spear the other hacking the dog with a machete.

Almost everyone had been biten including our leader, dogs dead in their numbers, but now we had to deal with an assault in front and behind.

"Retreat, make for the trees." Barked our leader.

I made for the nearest tree, the tree hosted several of us including Odumo so I asked under my breath,

"How you doing?"

He didn't say a word, but looked confused.

We all made for the trees except the leader who stood firm and ready to protect. Surprisingly the dogs did not attack, they just took off to different directions. But the men did. They were five in number, five against one on the ground, two advanced first. One threw a spear, our leader ducked. It stuck into the stem of our refuge tree. The other swung his machete towards him, he ducked then hacked the assailant across his chest but before he fell to the ground, the assailant hacked our leader across his belly, our leader went to his knees holding his stomach. Wasike shouted ' DAD' from the tree. The other assailant picked the slain assailant's machete and prepared to cut off our leader's head, he was right below me, I snatched Odumo's broken machete and jumped from the branches planting the machete into the assailant's head, he fell with a thud. Another came running towards us, a machete raised in the air, shouting,

"That was my brother, you will die all of you, I don't care about the plan you must die."

There and then, I understood, I knew I had bitten off more than I could chew, so I waited for it. A man dies but once.

He swung towards me, I rolled on the ground, before he swung again Wasike landed on his back hard and swiftly slit his throat with a dagger, he fell to the ground, turning uncomfortable and panting hard then died.

We raised our leader up to his feet then stood side by side with Wasike, a dagger in his hand me with clenched fists, the tables had turned, it was now three to two. The remaining assailant's looked at us then said, 'you will die anyway." then took off.