THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Princess Ouzie was beautiful and proud. She had almost tried to kiss the man she thought was beneath her. When he asked what she was trying to do, she just jumped into her big bed and concealed her entire body from head to toe with her big blanket. She was consumed with shame and self-loathing. She could not sleep the whole night. She turned and tossed in her bed. The worst part was not getting caught in the act but the constant desire to still kiss him. She imagined kissing him and dreamt of it when she slipped into sleep. It just made her sick to her stomach.

After the rather interesting events that took place the night before, she got up early in an attempt to avoid her husband. She had her breakfast and left the palace in a hurry to visit her best friend, Lesedi. Her feelings for him frightened her and she did not know what humiliating stunt she would pull next time around him. She may strip naked for him. Who knows? She needed to talk to someone. She did not want anyone to know of her whereabouts and left the palace without any of her bodyguards.

Meanwhile, after Dofa was defeated, the Hanfus (kingdom of brave men) agreed to live side by side in peace. King Sinkala of Hanfusu explained that his actions were the combined effects of being under a spell and constantly being under the influence of Dofa, the crocodile. King Doji of Gamufie agreed to a peace agreement that increased trading activities between the two kingdoms; marriages between the two kingdoms was started to cement peace and King Doji promised to attend the Oja (fire festival) of Hanfusu. These were all signs of a period of long lasting peace between the two kingdoms.

Meanwhile, two other kingdoms were planning something interesting against the peace agreement between Hanfusu and Gamufie. Ebo (kingdom of clever men) and Nkulu (kingdom of wise men) were distant neighbors of Hanfusu and Gamufie. Picture this; Gamufie is at the center. Hanfusu was the western neighbor of Gamufie and Akotso (the kingdom established under Ako’s tree) was Gamufie’s eastern neighbor. Ebo bordered Gamufie on the north and Nkulu was Hanfusu’s western neighbors.

The king of Nkulu was a distant cousin of the king of Ebo. Power on earth is never lasting but man in his constant forgetfulness desires power with every bit of his/her being. The Nkulu king was a ruler with a sickening desire for power. He consulted with seers and soothsayers and a prophecy was revealed to him. “A kaazi (literally means a nobody) will someday unite and rule the world,” was the prophecy. “A kaazi, the gods forbid it!” shouted the king of Nkulu. He discussed the prophecy with his cousin and the two relatives decided to find and kill this kaazi before he becomes king or worse, ruler of the world. There were just a few obstacles. They did not know the name of the kaazi. They did not know where he was born and they certainly did not know how he looked like. But when they heard about the kaazi who wielded the sikan nifanum (the five-edged sword); when they heard about how this kaazi was able to defeat Dofa, they knew he was the one – the kaazi who will unite and rule the world. 

The two kingdoms prepared their armies but they needed more men. The wielder of the sikan nifanum is believed to be invincible. They discussed the prophecy with King Sinkala and all he needed to hear were the words, “A kaazi will someday unite and rule the world,” to make a decision – the decision to help Ebo and Nkulu destroy this kaazi he too identified as Kinwa.

Kiwakaazi really enjoyed his sleep that night. She is finally falling for him. It had been long and it seemed impossible but he has finally won her heart. His patience has paid off. He came down from their room and asked one of the maids where his wife was. She answered, “I think she went out. I am not sure.” Kiwakaazi had a bad feeling. He asked, “Did she go alone; without any of her bodyguards?” The maid was not certain. Kiwakaazi immediately demanded to see her bodyguards – a dozen of them. He was very furious and asked why they allowed the princess to go out unguarded. They did not have answers. They thought she was still inside. They never saw her leaving the palace.

Hanfusu (kingdom of brave men), Ebo (kingdom of clever men) and Nkulu (kingdom of wise men) had another ally – Arinze son of Lord Okoro. Arinze also really wanted to become the king of Gamufie. He wanted to have Princess Ouzie. He hated Kinwa and brokered himself a deal. He would help the three kingdoms kill the king and crowned prince of Gamufie and in return, he would become the king of Gamufie and husband of Princess Ouzie.

Kinwa commanded all twelve bodyguards to go out and look for his wife and that they should not return empty-handed. And oh, if she suffers any injuries, they will all be killed. Yes! Kiwakaazi was a fearful leader. Only his wife did not fear him.

The guards, afraid of what the crowned prince would do combed Gamufie as quickly as they possibly could. Three of the bodyguards chanced upon four men carrying a coffin and on their way outside Gamufie lands; possibly towards Hanfusu. Two women led them and were crying. Their story was that their brother had died. He was a native of Hanfusu and they were returning his body home – a very touching story. The guards still demanded to see the body inside the coffin. The women argued that it was a taboo to expose corpse. The departed will not make it to Gbeleshie (Afterlife). When the three bodyguards insisted, the four men suddenly dropped the coffin, drew swords and fought the three guards of Gamufie. The guards successfully killed all four men and successfully captured one of the women. After the exchanges, they opened the coffin. Princess Ouzie’s body was lying peacefully inside the coffin. Her wrists and ankles have been bound by strong ropes. They returned her home to her loving husband.

The princess was unconscious and remained so for three days. Kiwakaazi was enraged. Princess Ouzie’s bodyguards were pardoned but not those who tried to kidnap his wife. The captured woman spilled the beans. She divulged secrets about how she and her two friends had been paid to help kidnap Princess Ouzie. They were paid by Arinze whom was an ally of Hanfusu, Ebo and Nkulu.

While his wife recovered, Kinwa called a meeting. He sat next to King Doji dressed exactly like King Doji and sitting on a throne similar to the King’s on a raised platform. Twelve chiefs and about twenty-four elders sat in a semicircle around the King and crowned prince. A man holding a staff with an eagle carved on one side stood on Kinwa’s right. Kinwa said, “My chiefs and elders. You have all been called here today to discuss an important matter. What the Ebos, Nkulus and Hanfus have done is unforgivable. I am waging war on the three kingdoms.” The elders and chiefs exchanged glances. I am guessing they thought, “This man must be crazy.”

One elder rose to his feet and bowed before the king and his prince. He raised his head and spoke: “Great son of Zakaru, Kinwa! May your reign come swiftly! I understand your plight. You love your wife and you cannot bear to see her in that condition. But war is not the answer. It will do more harm than good.”

A chief also rose to his feet and added, “Brave Kinwa! Gamufie is still recovering from the war against Hanfusu. We can’t possibly fight against three kingdoms and win. That is impossible!”

Kinwa rose to his feet. He said, “I am grateful and thank you for your advice. But my mind is made. Gamufie is waging war on the three kingdoms.”

One elder rose to his feet and shouted, “King Doji, say something!” All eyes were now on King Doji. He sat in his throne in silence for a while. Kinwa’s head was turned to face the reigning King, Doji. King Doji sighed and answered, “I am sorry my chiefs and elders. But I cannot disrespect the crowned prince. He is exactly the man I wanted as husband for my daughter. Do whatever you want to do, Kinwa.”

 Tete was by then the commander of Gamufie’s army. A fierce army he personally trained and named Sakatsatsu (Red Ant Army). He sat on a bench outside the hall where the meeting was ongoing. His legs were shaking. He was slightly frightened. He had never commanded an army in a real battle and he was afraid of failing. He buried his face in his palms and prayed the elders and chiefs will convince Kinwa not to go to war. The door creaked and Kinwa stepped out. Tete rose to his feet and asked impatiently, “What did you decide?” Kinwa answered, “Ready the Sakatsatsu (Red Ant Army).”

The battlefield: Gamufie as expected was outnumbered. All hands had to be on deck. Kinwa and Tete both had to fight. Kinwa was injured. One Nkulu soldier successfully cut Kinwa on his back forcing Kinwa to his knees. Tete rushed to Kinwa’s side and killed the Nkulu soldier before he ended his brother. Nine men quickly surrounded Kinwa and Tete. One of the nine shouted, “Surrender! It is over!” Kinwa answered, “It is never over until I say so.” Another one of the nine said, “Kiwakaazi, hero of Gamufie. You are not a god. Surrender and we promise to grant you a quick and painless death.” Kinwa answered, “It is you who should kneel at my feet and beg for mercy.”

Tete could not believe his ears. “What is Kinwa trying to do?” he wondered. Then, one of the nine shouted, “Finish them!” All nine men attacked at once and all nine men were blown away by a very powerful force. They all fell far away from Kinwa and Tete. One of them lifted his head and asked, “What in the name of the gods is that?” Tete had his eyes closed and when he opened them, he looked terribly shocked and frightened. He muttered, “Kinwa….”

It was the second time the world was seeing such a creature — a rahasi (guardian of hell). A thick black vest similar to the skin of a goat covered his body from just below his neck to his feet. Running parallel from his left shoulder to his waist were two other colors; red and blue. His eyeballs were red. The fighting stopped instantly. Those close to the Rahasi suddenly felt their skins covered with goose bumps. Kiwakaazi, now turned Rahasi roared.

Princess Ouzie recovered. Her father visited her and shared with her some disturbing news — her husband is currently away on the battlefield. He has not only gambled his life but the lives of many brave Gamufie soldiers just because his wife was abducted and injured. She was unconscious and the fear of her never opening her eyes. The fear that he may never see her smile or laugh again made him so mad that he waged war on three kingdoms – a war Gamufie he is sure to lose. She sat up and asked, “But why father? Why did you not stop him?” King Doji smiled and answered, “Because that is what I would have done myself. He is exactly the kind of man I wanted for you.” Princess Ouzie lowered her head.

 After he roared, no one could see him. No one could hear him. His opponents were being picked and killed one after the other starting from the nine whom first surrounded Kinwa and Tete. Tete rose to his feet and commanded the soldiers of Gamufie to move back and stay together. They rallied behind Tete and watched in fear while Kinwa single handedly reduce the numbers of Hanfu, Ebo and Nkulu soldiers.

She blamed herself. If only she had been honest to herself and to her husband from the very beginning, he would not have gone to such lengths. She made up her mind. She will go to the battle front and confess how she feels to her husband. Gamufie may lose the war. Kinwa-si-kaazi (The great king whom was a kaazi) may die. But before he dies, he must know how she feels about him. She loves him too.

 Princess Ouzie arrived from behind the Gamufie army. She noticed the Gamufie soldiers looked enchanted; enchanted by something. She pushed her way through bodies of soldiers and arrived at the fore. The Ebos, Nkulus and Hanfus were confused. Some were fleeing the battlefield. Some were being killed by something that appears and disappears very quickly and others were holding on firmly to their weapons and shaking. Then, the creature stopped and looked directly at her for a while and continued. One Hanfusu soldier shouted “retreat!” and they all took to their heels.

Princess Ouzie turned left and met Tete’s face. She asked, “What was that?” Tete answered, “That was Kinwa. Princess Ouzie suddenly turned pale.  The man she saw did not look like Kinwa at all. He had become a monster; a ruthless monster that was chopping down human beings like trees. It was horrifying. They tried to stop her but Pricess Ouzie was stubborn. She ran in the direction of their enemies yelling, “Stop! Please stop!” But he could not hear her. He was too busy chopping off the heads, arms and legs of men. He was spilling guts and bathing in the blood.

Kinwa appeared before one Ebo soldier. The soldier was petrified. He begged for mercy shouting, “I have a family! Please do not kill me!” Kinwa aimed for the Ebo soldier’s abdomen and the peculiar sword was already on its way when Princess Ouzie pushed the man out of the way. She got stabbed but was lucky. She wore a protective armor and besides, Kinwa tried stopping himself when he saw the face he was about to stab – his beloved Ouzie.

Kinwa began to shake. The internal turmoil was clear to everyone. They were surprised at just how brave the princess was. She tossed the sword aside and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She was crying when she said, “Please stop… I am begging you to stop. I am fine now. I am alright so please stop.” She will neither stop crying nor let go of her husband.  Slowly, the thick black vest that covered his body receded until only a short black thread hung around the hilt of the mystical weapon. He let go of his cursed sword and his shaking stopped. He raised his arms and wrapped them around his beautiful wife. The two embraced each other and the great leader Kiwakaazi for the first time was seen sobbing like a baby. She whispered softly and sweetly in his ears, “I Love you! I love you very much!”

The man whom was showing Kiwakaazi this interesting past about his ancestor quickly turned to him and said, “It is time for you to go back but heed my words; only the power of …” Before the man could finish his sentence, a loud and deafening whistling sound made it difficult for Kiwakaazi to hear.

Kiwakaazi asked in a loud voice, “What power?!” But he was not going to get his answer. Bright light shone and his vision was also impaired.

He suddenly woke up. Once again he was inside a cave. Kaki stood at the entrance of this cave. When she realized he was awake, she came closer and said, “You are finally awake.” “Why do you ask? For how long have I been asleep?” Kiwakaazi asked. “You have been asleep for almost two days now,” she answered. He sat up and tried to remember what happened. He could only remember as far as running to Kaki’s side. The rest was cloudy. He was about to ask her what happened when she interrupted by saying, “Don’t tell me you do not remember what happened.” He just sat there and looked at her completely bemused.

She said, “Fine, I will tell you. Five shinkos were about to kill us. They all pounced on us at the same time. You clasped your hands, closed your eyes and muttered some strange words. What were the words… um… Yes, I remember! Oogu Jaka Tumi Sore! They sounded familiar but I can’t remember when and where I heard them. Anyway, when you opened your eyes, they were glowing and your entire body too turned to light that surrounded me. When the other shinkos touched it, they were transformed into stone mummies. After their transformation was complete, you appeared and collapsed as usual. It reminded me of Nomposuro’s worst nightmare, Srabalala (the light plague).”

He (Kiwakaazi) did that. There was no science to explain that. His entire body changed to light and not just any kind of light but light that was able to defeat five fearsome beasts. To a man of science, that was impossible and Kiwakaazi would have stated that too. But now, he was not sure. He was thinking. All he could do was think until Kaki interrupted his thoughts.

“Can you move?” asked Kaki. “Huh?” responded Kiwakaazi. “I asked if you can move?” asked Kaki again. Kiwakaazi was now looking at her and noticed not only her face but her neck and shoulders have also been changed revealing the dark skin of a beautiful black woman.   

 “Yes! I can,” answered Kiwakaazi while he rose to his feet. “Good, it is time we found you the weapon.” said Kaki.