"Oh gods!"
Makedde dropped the staff and the cord unwound like a clock spring. He and Metutu ran into their father's quarters. The chief was bent over her still body sobbing brokenly. "Neema! My precious Neema!"
Makedde, Metutu and their father huddled together and wept. Makoko came in. "What's going on here?"
He came to the bed and stared with horror. Her face was cut and bloody, but on it rested a final look of peace. He fell to his knees and took her hand. “Mother!”
Metutu put his arm around Makoko. “She said she loved you. She said she knew you loved her. We couldn’t leave her to get you.”
The memory came back to Metutu. “Have courage,” Asumini had said. He knew now what she meant. Indeed, he could feel her silent presence like a cool wind, giving him strength when he needed it most.
He reached out and grasped Kinara's shoulder. "Father."
"Yes?"
Metutu swallowed heavily. "It pains me to say this, but I must. I cannot take your place as Chief of the council. Aiheu has given me a gift of healing which I cannot ignore. He has called me to be a shaman, and that is what I must do."
His father looked at him wordlessly, and Metutu's jaw began to tremble. "I am sorry, Father. It was a bad time to tell you."
"Do not apologize, son." Kinara drew Metutu close and embraced him. "Metutu, she was very proud of you. I am very proud of you.”
“Really, Dad?”
“I don’t say it unless I mean it. The hand that heals blessed by God." Metutu took his hand and gave it a little squeeze. "Makoko will one day take my staff and follow in my path. But you, my son, will bear a staff made in Heaven, and all who see you will know you are a child of the stars. Brightly they will shine for you. Be the best you can be. And wherever you go, or whatever you do, remember that my heart goes with you."
CHAPTER 20: IN WITH THE NEW
"Oh lazy Pishtim, how long must we pray for rain!? Your chosen people are made foolish in the sight of them who say you are not the god of gods! They mock us and say, 'who is their god that cannot make the rains fall in due season!' Rise up and make the rain come down! Put an end to their foolishness, that you might be known as god of gods, light of lights, and strength of strengths, even among the heathen."
That evening, High Priest Kasisi came to console Kinara after the manner of his faith. “There is a large thorn in my heart,” Kasisi said. “I suffer with you. But Pishtim is merciful. To his chosen ones, he brings pain in this life that in the next we face him with our debts paid and our souls free.”
Kinara immediately took exception to this. “I have never known my Neema to sin. In fact, she has spent her lifetime giving, giving, giving and getting very little in return.”
“Yes, but my brother, I only meant....”
“I know what you meant. But if anything, Pishtim owed her something. She had no debts--she was cheated out of her old age. Cheated! She is dead because I killed an innocent friend!”
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” the priest said. “I will come back later when you have settled your mind.”
“Don’t bother, all right? Just go pray for your own sins and leave me alone!”
Kinara was surrounded by too many painful memories in his home. Kasisi’s visit only pushed him faster toward Makedde’s tree.
“Son! Are you home??”
“Father?”
“Oh thank the gods!” Kinara struggled up the side of the tree to where Makedde sat grinding herbs.
“The backache again?”
Kinara’s jaw trembled. “My heart this time,” he said.
“Dad!” Makedde embraced him tightly. “Thank you for coming. You honor my house.”
Kinara wept on his shoulder. “The priest was by. He had the nerve to suggest Neema’s suffering was earned. Earned! I ask you son, do you think it was earned?”
“Oh gods no!” Makedde frowned. “I hope you straightened the old fool out!”
“Perhaps too much. I spoke rashly. Just how rashly depends on your answer, so speak very carefully my son. Are illness and death Aiheu’s punishments for sin, or do they often happen to the innocent?”
Makedde gave Kinara a little pat. “Dad, bad things happen to good people in this world of pain, but the kingdom of Aiheu is ruled by love alone, and there is no suffering. Pray to him, and even here in this land of suffering, he hears everything you say. Sit and face the earth and repeat my words.”
Kinara knelt and touched the ground with his forehead.
“Into your hands accept her spirit, she who filled the earth with beauty.”
“Into your hands accept her spirit,” Kinara stammered. “She who filled the earth with beauty.” He burst into tears. “Please God, whomever or whatever you are, be kind to her! Oh please! Pull this thorn from my heart!”
Makedde put his arms around his father and began to sob.
A quiet moment passed, then Kinara said quietly, “I want to give my life to him. I know now that there is no Pishtim, there is only Aiheu. Will he accept me?”
Makedde kissed him. “Before you ever believed in him, he believed in you. Before you ever loved him, he loved you. And before you ever accepted him, he accepted you.”
Kinara took Makedde’s hand very tightly in his own. “As God has accepted me, I must accept others. There must be freedom to worship as we see fit.”
CHAPTER 21: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
High Priest Kasisi called an emergency meeting of the council. Without Uwezo and Doya, Kinara was helpless when the scribes came to summon him none to gently to appear.
Kinara had been the focus of many council meetings, but never before had he seen so many cold stares and curious leers when he walked into the circle. And the most icy of stares came from the High Priest.
“I answer the call. Now what is required of me?”
“Only one thing,” Kasisi said. “One very important thing. The most important thing.”
“Cut to the chase,” Kinara snapped.
The High Priest said, “It is fine if other peoples rebel against the True God, Pishtim. But not the people he has chosen as an example to the world. If they are not loyal, they will be punished. Their wives will sicken and their children will die. That there is no chief with the right to rule that does not willingly cry, ‘Great are you, Pishtim, God of Gods, Light of Lights, Creator of the Universe!’” He comes toward Kinara. “Already your wife has died for your lack of piety. And do not think the grief will end there if you will not pledge your loyalty. But even now, all could be forgiven if you will take my sacred rattle and swear your allegiance to Pishtim.”
He started toward Kinara and held out the rattle. Kinara took it and said, “Listen all of you. I speak before the gods my unbreakable oath.” He looked at the severe smile of triumph on the priest’s face. “I, Kinara, chief of the tribe, tell my OLD FRIEND Kasisi that he can go STRAIGHT TO HELL!”
Kinara smashed the rattle on Kasisi’s head. When he fell back, a couple of mandrills rushed to lift him up. There was a hush in the crowd. An ant toiling on a leaf cutting could have been clearly heard.
“There is no God but Aiheu!” Kinara boomed. “God of Gods, Light of Lights, Creator of the Universe! Blessed be the father!”