X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - A FUNERAL, ITS RITES, AND THE DRAMA

Monday

It has been a while since we witnessed an inter-clan cultural meeting to decide a case between two clans, especially such a complicated matter that is deeply engraved in our customs as Bakyisu. For the record, people from the south are Bakyisu or Bakisu if one hails from Bududa and Manafa. Our siblings from the north are Bagisu. But even among them, there are some Bakyisu who migrated from the south and settled in present-day Bunambutye of Bulambuli. Therefore, when a complicated matter like the prevailing one arises, all Banambutye are summoned, including Wepukhulu from Bulambuli. Surprisingly, the majority of Bafukhula in this meeting are those from Bududa. Therefore, Walyaula, who is the area head, has to cede his seat to Mukhama in this particular case.

Tuesday

So what is the matter?

Wednesday

You remember the burial of Nalyaka where Wekoye stopped the rain? Well, it is our custom that when a person dies and is buried, the whole village condoles with the family for at least three more days after burial. From the moment a villager dies, or is said to have died, the whole village suspends digging until the rites are performed. After burial, we count three days and if the deceased is head of the family,  the widow and/or the children have their heads shaved clean, a goat is slaughtered, and among the customs, there is one important one called “khuwamba kyimiini,” which literally means taking to the hoe because kumwiini is the wooden hoe handle whose plural becomes kimiini. Therefore, until the third day and the kimiini feast is celebrated, the entire village hangs around the family, condoling with them and giving all the necessary support. The entire village literally takes over the affairs of the bereaved family until the kimiini feast. Everyone brings with them the food that feeds the village while they stay the three days.

Thursday

At night, we spend much of our time by the bonfire, but some wise people prepare a sleeping place out of banana leaves (kamasatsa). You can easily prepare and arrange your sleeping place during the day so that when nighttime comes, you slowly sneak in. 

Mabonga prepared his very well during the day. 

In the wake of the night, when he wanted to sleep, staggered to his spot only to find that it has been invaded and there were two people inside - a girl and man. He called out to them to vacate his place so that he could sleep. The couple inside just laughed and told him off. “I am giving you five minutes. Let me go and have one more sip of Nabalayo’s ingurre.” Ingurre is how some people call that local vodka. It is brewed and supplied by Nabalayo. Sometimes we refer to her by a Luganda name, Bituli biingi—we don’t know what it means, but that is it. 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Mabonga warned as he staggered away.

Friday

A few hours later, what started as a small fire blossomed into a flame that engulfed many surrounding banana-leaf-made structures that had been erected to house the people. And fire from banana leaves can spread so fast, but luckily the leaves cannot sustain a fire for long. Therefore, the injuries were minor save for Sakwa whose clothes were burnt. The other inconvenience was that many people were smoked out of their hiding places where they had sought refuge from the night’s chill. The fire started from the shelter which was being claimed by Mabonga, and when the it started, Sakwa and Agnes jumped out naked. They were saved the shame by the cover of darkness but still, that bright light from the burning banana leaves was enough to treat us to the spectacle. What we saw, we live to tell!

Saturday

“My daughter is too young to be sleeping around with that man,” Agnes’ father fumed after learning of what had transpired. “But who set the shelters on fire, if not Mabonga, your own son who is Agnes’ elder brother? After doing it, he vanished.” Talk is that Mabonga set the shelter on fire to punish the couple that had taken over his sleeping place not knowing that the fire could easily spread to other shelters. But some people could not believe that Mabonga, in his drunken state, the last time he was seen could pull off such an act, let alone be able to vanish. 

“Where is he then? He is the only person we cannot account for. So he is guilty of this, and his family must be held accountable,” Wakauna vibrated. “Let us go slow on this. Let everyone find where to sleep, and then in the morning, we shall know where to start. Meanwhile, Sakwa should be taken to the RC’s place for the act for protection until after this function when we shall be ready to handle this matter.” When Mzei Walyaula speaks, no one can cross his word. Therefore, we obliged.

Sunday

However. as the women went back to the house (where most were sleeping) to resume their night sleep, one of them realized that on the mat where the late Nalyaka had been placed before burial, there was someone sleeping and snoring loudly, covered in the same sheets the deceased had been laid on. Outrightly, knowing that she had come face to face with a ghost, the woman fainted. That was before the men were summoned to check only to realize that Mabonga, who was being accused of setting other people’s shelter on fire, had comfortably chosen to sleep in the most unexpected place.

As we sit here waiting for the Banambutye elders to arrive for the case to be heard, it is not Mabonga but rather Sakwa who is being accused of sleeping with Mabonga’s unmarried sister and yet this was his first act since circumcision. 

“How can you do that to someone’s daughter when you know that custom forbids you from marrying her?”

In our culture, the first act of sex after circumcision is a ritual by itself. The boy cannot perform it with a virgin girl; the boy cannot marry the girl with whom he does it and after the act, the girl is said to suddenly becomes pale, and no jelly can make her attractive anymore; that is why it is advisable to look out for an adult woman -
it is called khukhala kumulindi.

Till then, we shall keep you posted!