VISA NA MIKASA …………ATA N’KWAMBIYE 6!

To continue with my story on the Majini, today I will take you south of Shanzu, to Serani Primary School. While Majini of Shanzu were bandiya, manufactured by humans, the ones in Serani were real. These are the real entities of different dimension. I am talking of the ones that some own them as pets. The ones that occupy some houses and put some demands on their owners of what they want. I know of a house in Kisauni owned by Majini. Mwakimako don’t ask me where is this house because I will not cooperate. The house is always empty, but then, every year a ceremony of some kind is done outside the house and some chinjaring take place. Mangoma hupigwa mpaka chee. I also heard there is a similar kind of a house in Old town too. When you ask, “ Jamaa nyinyi mwasema hii nyumba ina wapangaji, mimi siku zote naiona tupu.” You will be answered that to the untrained eye, it looks empty, but to the experts this house is totally occupied, with no more rooms for more. I heard that some people tried to live in such haunted houses and they woke up in the morning outside the house, with their vikois and lessos hanging on the kishungi cha mpilipili. How true this is I don’t know.

Going back to Serani, here is what was narrated to me. It is believed that serani has its own ‘natural security guards’ who keep watch of the premises at night. These guys that guard the school are believed to be Muslims too. Somehow, due to the much absorption of the whiteman education, the school authority decided not to believe in these guards; and those that did probably were not satisfied. The school authority decided to hire a night watchman, to look after the school, when everyone in the island are busy attacking their delicious dinners at home. This decision came about after there had been a lot of reported school robberies. Muhammad ibn Yusuf, this happened before we joined the evening classes at Serani. The securicor, or choko dindo as they were locally known, was a Mkamba. Everyone loved him. He was very nice, to both the teachers and students. Nobody had difficulty approaching him for help, and he was always willing to assist.

One day, for reasons that only he knew, he decided to come to work drunk. Remember that I told you the Majini in Serani are believed to be Muslims, and one thing Muslims don’t like is alcohol. At around ten o’clock at night, the school was empty except for one teacher who sometimes sleeps at school. He is the one that narrated the story to some of us. My friend Mutiso, was in the seventh heaven. He was singing one Kamba tune after another. The one Kamba song that I know was “Wanengwa ndululu, nicha mulengete….” But it was not released then. I am sure if it was he would be singing it too. Mutiso could not walk straight. He was wobbling, and hopping some imaginary holes. Then a called breeze hit him and he stood aloof. He started talking to his invisible friends, “ Mimi nilitsikia ati kuna masetani hapa, lakini siwaongopi.” Kidogo, KIBAO. Mutiso turns around to see who slapped him but there was no one. “ Heeee, wacha muchesso.” He started turning around in search of the source of that slap. KIBAO! “ Wee !!!” another KIBAO. Mutiso was now hysterical. The few slaps that he received had sobered him. He was evidently shaking now. He started talking to the invisible guys, “ Aah njamani mimi nawaamini, nilikuwa nafanya muchetzo tu. Mutsinimalitse ntafandhali.” He started pleading and crying at the same time. Somehow he must have made the majini really angry, because now a barrage of slaps came from all direction and he was getting slapped non stop. That is when Mutiso remembered that there was a teacher in the staff room. He rushed to the staff room wailing and his hands above his head. “ Oo mama loooo, Setani Setani, Mwalimu saidiya. !!!!!!!” The teacher heard the noise and rushed towards the door. He reached at the same time with Mutiso. By now Mutiso’s pants were soaked with urine and he was shaking so much that he could not make a complete sentence. “ Mwalimu…. Saidiya…… Napingwa vimbao, lakini tsioni mutu….. Ni shetani tu… Nanjuwa ni shetani tu……” The teacher looked at him and asked him if he was drunk, Mutiso at first was hesitant but then confessed that he had few elephants, and may be one or two kopos of the local 1kg. Cowboy or Kimbo, or maybe Blue band. He was not exactly sure. To make the long story short, the teacher instructed him to take a shower and change his clothes. He also instructed him to have wudhu, which Mutiso was very much willing to do. I heard that after that night Mutiso asked for a transfer, which was given to him after his employers confirmed the story with the teacher.

Said Nuweisr

Toronto.