Initiation

By Eky Ntulo

The rock felt hard, cold and rough as Nzuu sat there quietly trying to steady his nerves. He remembered his grandmother’s caution not to rush, but to be careful, patient, wait for the right calls, and listen for the ancestor’s guidance. He thought about her now. Her wise old face had been warm, but expressionless as she gave him her blessing and prayed for the ancestor’s favour over him during the initiation. That was why he was here. To take the test that will turn him into a man. How he wished that he were still a young boy, playing with his friends as they looked after the cows. All they had to worry about then were hungry lions, leopards and other wild animals that might threaten the herd! This was the big day that all boys eagerly looked forward to, yet equally anxiously dreaded. Nzuu must prove to the clan that he was now a man!

It was early evening the sun would soon be setting over the hills. Nzuu had often sat on this rock with his friends and watched the sunset. Somehow everything looked different today, almost as if the world knew about his initiation. Everybody in his village knew that today was his day. He had been preparing for it since the last moon. Two of his best friends had already faced their test and had passed. They were now men and had stopped hanging around with the “boys”. They seem different somehow when he talked with them. He couldn’t say exactly what had changed in them. They wouldn’t tell him anything about their tests and they were supposed to be his friends! Did he really want to be like them? Did he even have a choice in this matter?

Nzuu’s heart missed a beat as he heard the first call. He stood up quickly forgetting his grandmother’s advice. He was about to face his first challenge! Should he turn back, he wondered as his heart began to pound. He could always take the test next year or some other time. His grandmother would understand as she always did. He turned round and realized that it was too late. The challenge was right before him. He had only one option, to move forward and face it. He seemed to be aware of every part of his body as he began to climb the steep rock in front of him. An old man sat on the ledge holding a beautifully carved walking stick. He too was from the Gyeera Clan. Nzuu could tell from the markings carved into his walking stick and the similar markings on his face. Stumbling, Nzuu made it to the ledge where the old man was sitting. The old man got up as Nzuu approached him. Their eyes met and locked. Nzuu could not tear his eyes away from the old man. He was afraid of what the old man was about to do. The best thing was to keep his eyes on him. He seemed familiar to Nzuu, though he could not remember where he had seen him before.

“I am Lunga,” the old man said. “I am your first challenge.”

His voice was deep and loud in the quiet evening. It echoed in the mountain air making Nzuu jump. For some absurd reason, he had not expected the old man to speak. Nzuu remained quiet. For the life of him, he could not imagine what sort of challenge the old man could present. He began to calm down as he realised how easy it would be to win a race or fight against the old man. His calm was short lived as Lunga lifted his stick motioning for Nzuu to sit on another ledge that protruded out of the rock over the cliff. It did not look safe at all. Could Nzuu trust this old man? Was he really part of his initiation ritual or was he just some mad man playing out a fantasy? Nzuu hesitated as the doubts flooded his mind. The fear and anxiety returned. Who was this old man? Who was Lunga?

The answer seemed to place itself in Nzuu’s head. Lunga was the first elder of the Gyeera Clan. He was supposed to be dead! The words shouted themselves in Nzuu’s mind. His head began to pound and he wiped his sweating hands down his side. He was in the presence of an ancestor! As these thoughts raced through his head, he realized that Lunga could hear them too. Nzuu struggled to get himself together. Was he dead too? What is happening here? No one had said anything to him about dead people! Well ancestors had been mentioned all the time, but it had not occurred to him that they would actually show up as part of his initiation!

Nzuu reached out unconsciously to touch Lunga but quickly withdrew his hand as he felt burning like fire on his fingers. Lunga motioned again to the ledge. As Nzuu moved nervously towards the ledge, he remembered his grandmother’s caution. There was no way out of this; he had to face the challenge. Apprehension and fear made him tense. He was sweating in the cool evening mountain breeze. Would he make it through the test? Would ever become a man?