The Legend of Hombarume (Legends Series, #1)

42.

The criers had finally stopped and soon, it would be time for the masquerade performance. The legendary masquerade showcase started from the stream where they would be heralded to the square by some more drum players and young men doing war cries.

The first two in the front were on high stilts, rippling off to the square like waves of running water or grass on a windy day. Their faces were painted white except for their eyes and lips where a combination of red and black had been done. They wore turkey feather headdresses that also flowed with the wind from high up where the stilts had put them.

Their bodily attire was unlike any that was worn by the villagers. It consisted of frilly, stringy material, put together to cover their entire bodies , moving around, swishing but never revealing their bodies, porcupine quills decorated their necks and their feet were bare except for the beads that jingled with every movement.

They tread on with immense vigor and energy, one would have thought they would topple over from their stilts but they raged on, chanting their high praises to the ancestors, their land and the people who cheered for them on the way to the village square.

On their immediate sides were drum players who also wore garments of the straw-like material, with beads strapped to their feet as well, jingling as they moved along, their drums clutched to their bellies so that playing them while they moved would not present any difficulties.

Behind them were other masquerades, not on stilts like their leaders, but chanting loudly as though they were possessed by spirits of old. Their feet kicked high up, showing flexibility that many did not possess. They flung up red dust in the air every time their feet went up and the crowd cheered even louder.

These ones had frilly material on their arms and feet and it waved around as they danced to the drums. There was about six of them behind the men on the stilts and behind them were the men singing loudly in their deep voices, giving the entire showcase a liveliness that was unparalleled.

When they finally arrived at the village square, the crowd was already enormous, hoards of people all waiting for the amazing entertainment they'd been anticipating for quite a while now. The sparring circle had already been marked and decorated, denoting the extent of the ring, past which the fighters were not allowed to go during a match.

The people of Rujeko village had already formed a circle around it, while others stood in the back doing everything else that needed to be done. As soon as the masquerades entered the sparring circle, the traditional first round of beer would be distributed among everyone who would partake.

Some of the people would soon be dispersed when the Chief finally arrived, he'd have to be seated just across the circle where he'd see all the action unabated by any of the enthused people who were cheering wildly right now when the event hadn't even begun at all.

When the Chief came, a certain order would be expected to be maintained while the ceremony proceeded smoothly. He would say a few words to begin the event after the masquerades had finished their showcase.

***

Ushe watched the palace servants set up the Chief's throne bit by bit after the masquerades had performed in the ring and left everyone in awe. They prepared the ring again while the crowd was already abuzz and waiting for the festivities to begin. He was grateful for everyone who participated in the contest, although he himself would never do so. The sparring contest was a high energy, intense sport that required the strength and zeal that he did not possess and he wasn't ashamed to admit that.

His friends Hombarume and Dererai had those qualities in abundance. Dererai had the agility that rivaled that of the other fighters while Hombarume had techniques that everyone else did not have. Simba, his lost friend also had an incredible speed during the fights, which led him to prevail to the final rounds the same summer he mysteriously disappeared.

Dererai let him drink from his pot before everyone else did, before the traditional first gourd of the season was blessed by the Chief. Ushe hoped that it wouldn't be long, that the old man would just make a few remarks and let the villagers do what they had come here to do, be merry.

The crowd was still tame enough, waiting for the beasts to enter the ring, then all hell would break loose. All the men and women listening tentatively to Revai announce the Chief's arrival would soon not listen to anyone's orders.

The village square was adorned with impeccable decorations today. The village drums droned on, at just the right tempo, just the correct rhythm to keep everyone enticed, so that they would never lose interest before the great festivities even began.

Looking at the Chief, all Ushe could ponder about was how he almost sent Hombarume into exile for a crime that he did not commit. The head of the village was known for his stern ruling for sure, but what he had almost done in the case of Hombarume and Tapfuma was show that his son mattered more than the justice for two noble men of the village.

The maidens were now passing the gourds around; each and every man had to have his gourd before it was blessed. Somehow, today the gourds were passed after the masquerades left the ring, which was quite odd. The energy of the crowd instantly changed.

There was only one thing loved more than beer at the event and it was the men throwing fists at each other, trying to win the tournament. Dererai made sure that today beer would flow like the Rujeko river. He wanted people to relieve the stress from the tragedies of the past few days through indulgence.

It was quite a potent pot, Dererai had done a stellar job this time. Ushe wouldn't have though that he could ever surpass himself but he actually did it. The villagers were now enjoying the beer more than the Chief's speech and some of the people were even murmuring amongst themselves that it was time for him to go. After a while he did leave and the competition had to begin.

Firstly, there was a round of doubles. This meant that in the ring there would be two sets of fighters battling each other. One round and the losing team is eliminated, if it happened that one person on the team lost while the other one won, the two losers would be eliminated while the winners would become a team.

The next round was another set of doubles. This round was different from the previous one in that a team had to work together to win. There was no single person elimination in this round. After the team rounds were over, it was one on one. The tree would be slowly pruned until only the best of the best were left and had to battle for the grand position. This year, it was promising to be a competition like no other.