THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

The day finally came for Pako to teach the weakling who called for a meeting to unite other weaklings against him a lesson. The weakling kept his arms behind him like a good boy. Pako should have trusted his instincts when he felt something was wrong. The weakling was not as terrified as he expected. But he simply brushed his good instincts aside. “A single short, skinny boy posed no threat,” he thought.

About two days ago the weakling had been told an interesting story about how things work in the animal kingdom. It was his grandmother’s way of explaining how things work in the world. The weakling did not get it at first but he wanted to win so badly he thought about his grandmother’s story all night. He thought about the story so much that he had a dream about the same story and when his dream ended, he had an epiphany. He woke up with a smile. He had cracked the code. He had unveiled the mystery of this universe. He had understood his grandmother’s story. Pako may be big and strong. He may be terrifying and mean. He may stand for all that is bad and cruel but like all living things, there is something or someone he is probably afraid of.

 Pako frowned and took very quick steps towards the weakling. His right fist and right hand ready to kill the weakling after just a punch. Pako still wondered, ‘Why is he not running? Why is he standing with his arms behind his back?’ Pako got close enough. He screamed, you know that long “ah” sound people make right before they throw a punch, and, while his right arm was moving backwards the weakling’s right arm was moving from his back. The weakling bent his knees slightly and threw something in an urn towards Pako.

Pako was an only child whom lived with only his mother. Rumor has it that his father died fighting to save his son from a lizard-like monster that tried to eat Pako when he was just five. Pako saw the monster and he was crying. His father walked in and died after killing the monster right in front of his son. Ever since that day, Pako developed a deep-seated fear for lizards. Very few people knew about Pako’s fear but somehow this determined weakling found out too. He caught a lizard and kept it in an urn and when Pako attacked him, he threw the lizard at Pako.

The lizard landed on Pako’s face. Pako could no longer attack. Mighty Pako fell on his back and started screaming, “Get it off! Get it off my face! It is chewing off my face!” The lizard was long gone but Pako scratched his own face with his claw-like finger nails. The weakling shouted, “Look… great Pako squealing like a girl!” He laughed and all those around him laughed too. They all laughed at big and strong Pako.

Pako could not believe it. This was what he used to do to people. He had a real taste of his own medicine and it was too bitter. He looked around and when he looked into the eyes of the weakling who had just defeated him without lifting even a finger, the boy said, “Now you know how it feels like.” Pako got up and walked back home. People were still laughing at him. He felt terrible. All the time he called that boy weak. But that weak boy was not afraid of a lizard. He was brave in his own way. After he was shamed, he could not sleep properly. Time passed and Pako became very quiet. He would just sit or stand at a place and stare into nothingness for a very long time. Once in a while, he would jump and shout, “The lizards are coming!” People concluded he had lost his mind and avoided him. His mother took him around the world — seeing one specialist after another and he still did not improve. They finally took him to the Central Empire where he was receiving treatment from a healer. There were signs that he was getting better when the Central Empire changed and changed him in the process. Pako became Kuntunku (the reptile lord). He controlled the very thing he feared and kicked out the fear of it.

Inside Adopedan Deila was running with all her might towards Kuntunku. Kiwakaazi’s kafunde was heavy. She could not carry it. She was tired after losing Kaki’s powers temporarily. Her body was weak and yet she felt some new kind of power causing through her body. This power gave her strength to carry the heavy kafunde. This power provided the energy to run with the kafunde at her greatest speed towards the dwarf. How was this power awakened?

All it took was for Deila to remember just one incident; the incident on the bridge towards Nhutudan (home of the manipulators of elements). The incident that convinced her that helping Kiwakaazi was the best decision she made. He carried her while she turned into a beast and into stone. He neither feared the beast she was becoming nor did he allow her weight to stop him. He did not fear even when he was being chased by the collapsing bridge and darkness. He did it all for her. She would save him even if it were the last thing she did.

Kuntunku’s (the third dwarf’s) favorite pet was first to regain consciousness. It was however too little too late. Deila simply pointed the kafunde and pushed it as far as she could past the mamba’s body. She let go and sat on the ground. She looked around and saw the reptiles disappearing one after the other. First, it was the chameleon, the lizard followed and then the crocodile. And finally after the mamba had disappeared, Deila saw the third dwarf. The kafunde had successfully been driven through his neck and he was bleeding. He tried to say something but only kept on spitting blood. His feet started changing and it did not take long for him to become a kafushii (stone mummy).

Victory was Deila’s. She was still sweating profusely. She got up. She could finally breathe a sigh of relief but it was still not over. She turned her head leftwards towards the hour glass — only a few grains left. She started running towards Kiwakaazi. She was still feeling faint but she pushed on.

She saw about four or five separate bodies of Kiwakaazi. She shook her head and run towards him. She lost her balance and fell. She looked at him and got up once again. She walked and fell. She crawled on her knees and on her stomach. She got up and run until she was near his body. She tried to lift him. He was also very heavy — twice as heavy as the kafunde.

She grabbed hold of his left hand and dragged him on the ground. The distance between where he laid and the lake was farther than Deila expected and it was just about twelve feet. She looked at the hour glass again. Just some four or five grains remained. She might not make it. She stopped trying to move him for a while and took in a deep breath. She exhaled, grabbed hold of his left hand and dragged him with everything she got. She was dragging him and walking backwards towards the lake. She focused on the hour glass while she dragged him. “I will make it before the last grain falls,” repeated Deila.

Now, let’s return to how the Southern and Western Empires were founded by the twins. Attawaazi needed Lomnava (come and experience love). That kingdom was needed to complete his plans. It was where the capital of his empire would be built. He bribed one of the servants of King Sesenyo’s palace to poison the King’s seven sons. The poison did not kill the boys. It made them sick. No cure administered worked on them and Sesenyo was advised to consult Nana Okra Tutu I (Attawaazi). Attawaazi was kind to help but Quaazi Sesenyo had to vacate his throne and give up his land to Nana Okra Tutu I. To make the people of Lomnava think of him as one of them, Attawaazi married one of the daughters of Quaazi Sesenyo; changed his name to Gameli and adopted the title Quaazi. He changed the name from Lomnava to Nyansapofie (City of Intelligence) ruled by Quaazi (The most intelligent) Gameli — the first emperor of Nibooman (Western Empire).

Meanwhile, Chief Atuk of Ugan in the south had called for a meeting. He had received a message from Queen Sinti of Gambua. The message was an invitation to join her army in the war against evil. Chief Atuk and his soldiers had a good laugh about this. They were not the good guys. They were not even the bad guys. If there was a word worse than the word “worst”, that would be Atuk and his followers. Bakaazi had gained the chief’s trust and was invited for this meeting. Only he did not laugh. Chief Atuk noticed it immediately and asked, “Baka (short for Bakaazi), what is on your mind? Speak!”

Bakaazi advised Chief Atuk to join the war. He knew Chief Atuk wanted to rule the entire south and to him, fighting in this war will lead them to glory and soon to ruling the entire south. One of the soldiers of Chief Atuk argued that, “Why join the war when we can wait. Gambua would lose and even if they should win, they would be weak. Chief Atuk can attack and defeat Gambua after the war.” Everyone agreed with this soldier but Bakaazi said, “Trust me Atuk. We stand a better chance of winning if we should fight alongside Gambua. The bad guys never win.”

So, Chief Atuk and his army joined the war. Bakaazi was there when Nanazi and Siyata took on Zuba and his dark army. He fought in that war. Who could have guessed this, right? During the first exchanges, he was almost killed but Atuk pushed him out of the way and was stabbed. He died and after the war, Bakaazi was no longer welcome in Ugan. He however had a small army of his own; the prisoners he saved and trained.

The love masters, Princess Siyata and Nanazi invited all the chiefs and kings of the south to Gambua. Some of these chiefs and kings will be thanked for helping defeat Zuba and his dark army and the rest were to be invited to join a new empire the love masters wanted to build. Bakaazi attended this meeting too. It is said that the guards would not let him in. He fought and injured many of them just to get in. He fought in the war too. He was a man without a home but he helped Gambua win the war. There was no way he was going to be locked out of such a meeting. He was therefore the last person to arrive. He burst through the gates covered in blood with only about three other soldiers.

Nanazi said, “You finally arrived.” Siyata said, “We have been waiting for you.” The love masters did not start the meeting. All those who had been invited including the new chief of Ugan who hated Bakaazi was present but Nanazi and Siyata would not start the meeting. They begged their guests to wait for one last and important guest.

The future king and queen of Gambua went on their knees before Bakaazi and called him Jaazi (the hard working Emperor). The kings and chiefs exchanged suspicious glances. “What is the meaning of this?” asked the king of Kilianki. Nanazi answered, “This man is destined to become the Jaazi (Emperor) of the new southern empire.”

The chiefs and kings were not really pleased with this announcement so Bakaazi had to speak. He told the kings and chiefs that he knew how they felt. He left home because he was heartbroken by his father’s decision. He was surely the one next in line. He should have been named Kaaziwe (Crowned Prince) but instead that title was bestowed on his younger brother, Feitu. Each one of them feels they deserved the title Jaazi more than he did. And they were completely right but if they would give him a chance he would work hard for them. He would work hard day and night to unite and make the southern empire prosperous. To him, it would be the greatest honor to be named Jaazi — a title he interpreted as ‘The servant of the southern people.’

Some chiefs and kings rose to their feet and gave him a standing ovation. His speech was very touching. They accepted him as Jaazi and the work to unite the south commenced. The new empire was named Jumapafie (the lands united through hard work) and its capital was changed from Ari to Nitsuman (the city of hard workers). Unfortunately, Jaazi Bakaazi could not complete the great work of uniting the south before his death. It was his son and successor, Sasu Basabasa I who completed the good work he had started. Some historians therefore claim Sasu Basabasa I was the founder of Jumapafie during the Saharaifa (Saharan Civilization) but I say it was Bakaazi.