Jasmine hadn’t said anything about sending some diamonds with Clare to pay them for their fine work with the Massai. She wanted them to continue to lead safaris for awhile and then find a piece of land and settle down and have some kids.
Chicken Charlie knocked on their hotel door and behind him stood Horn. Opening the door, Jasmine sensed right away something was wrong, very wrong. He would have never come to town if not for some major problem somewhere. She motioned them in and Charlie had to stoop to walk through the door. Slim wondered what was going on and sat back down and waited for his wife to tell him why they were here.
Charlie with his broken English relayed the message best he could. The jest of the story was the British government was going to declare the mountain where the Massai held their religious ceremony a national park for tourists. The British demanded the Massai meet with them next month in Nairobi.
Jasmine sat and thought about what she just heard. Her first thought was Clare and her father. She told Slim what the story was about and he suggested they contact Clare and Sean right away. They all left the hotel to the telegraph office. They sent the message and Horn sat there and would wait for a reply no matter how long it took.
A day later a message came back saying Clare and her father were making an appointment with the government about the Massai issue and to stand by for instructions. Again, two days went by and finally a message came for them to act on. It said for them to go to the mountain and set up a compound and don’t let the British government intimidate them. The message went on to say that Sean was coming back and he would have a lawyer with him to talk to the British office.
Jasmine was so happy and Slim was excited his partner was coming home. A fight was brewing and the British better watch out. The Massai were a formidable opponent. Not to mention Chicken Charlie and his son Horn.
First thing Slim had to do was cancel his safari. He went with Charlie to tell the safari guy he would have to find another guide. The guy was not happy and if it hadn’t been for Charlie’s presence, maybe Slim would have had a hard time with the irate American pampas ass.
Back at the hotel, Jasmine had been making plans for the trip home. Slim would stay here and wait for Sean. Charlie and Horn would go with Jasmine. Jasmine understood what Clare had said and would plan accordingly. The British government had no idea how strong the quarter million strong Massai were. They had thousands of years fighting would be people wanting their land. In the eighteen hundreds the Zulu showed the British the African people would stand and fight the white invaders to the end if necessary.
Jasmine and company left the next day with Charlie driving one truck and the other was left for Slim and Sean. They had filled the truck up with supplies such as first aid and food. Slim would bring the kitchen truck with tents and so forth if Clare and her father came back.
Almost two months later a ship arrived with Sean and a young looking lawyer from England. Slim was beside himself with happiness and so was Sean. They talked late into the night to catch up on their doings. The lawyer sat and listened and finally went to bed. He had an appointment with the foreign office and wanted to be fresh for the meeting. Sean told Slim that through the efforts of the Professor and Clare, the decision to make the mountain and surrounding area a national park, had been postponed for an investigation and an inevitable court case.
As usual with chain of command and red tape, the military had already departed to move the Massai out and take control of the area. A force of over five hundred men and assorted trucks for supplies were on the way from Nairobi at the same time as the lawyer was climbing the steps to the British government building. At around noon, after the meeting between the lawyer for the Massai and the government official from the foreign office, a runner was sent to tell the commander of the army force to camp a long ways away from the Massai compound and wait for further orders. The colonel who was the commander, scoffed at the bureaucratic nonsense and headed towards the Massai camp. The scuttle butt filtered down the line and the soldier’s knew trouble was brewing.
Back in town the lawyer filled Sean in on the day’s work. He would wire the story back to his office and wait for instructions how to proceed. Sean felt it was time for him and Slim to head to the Massai compound and meet with Jasmine and fill her in on the results of the first meeting. Horn would recruit some runners to carry forth messages as they came in. Sean had purchased a relatively new small truck to ferry runners back and forth.
The next morning Sean and Slim, like the old days headed to the bush and both felt a sense of excitement being together again on a safari. Slim had given Sean his rife back and both had loaded up on ammunition for the possible battle upcoming if the British commander took things into his own hands.
In addition to Horn finding runners, he was given the job of recruiting porters to carry supplies for a long siege with the British. They were to take a route not familiar with the British and avoid any contact with them if possible. Sean drove while Slim jabbered on and on about what they had been doing and finally asked Sean if he had met up with any relatives when back home? Sean, with details, told Slim his story and the subsequent meeting with Clare at the seedy hotel. Slim said, ‘Well, what is your plan now that you’re back here and your future wife is back in England?
Sean laughed and said it would not be too long before she was back in Africa right in the middle of the fight for Massai rights.
Two days later passing the marching British army without trouble, they arrived at the familiar compound to a waving Jasmine and Massai children. Jasmine gave Sean a hug and Slim stood there waiting for his hug. Jasmine asked them to come in and fill the elders in on what was happening. The Massai were following the progress of the British and knew exactly where they were.
That evening Sean, Slim and Jasmine sat with the elders with the whole compound surrounding them with concerned looks on their faces. In essences Sean said that the British courts would decide what to do, but the primary concern was the army who sometimes ignored the orders from the politicians. Jasmine tried to explain and the elders got the point that the army was the enemy.
Sean pointed out that if a battle occurred and if a large number of the army were killed or wounded, the British would have to send more troops and overwhelm the Massai with cannon and manpower. He tried to make them aware that the British were very powerful and the Massai must use other methods to thwart the advancing army. The elders after Jasmine explained the words Sean said, looked at each other and mumbled between them for what seemed a long time.
Then the oldest elder told Jasmine what to say to the white friends of theirs. She relayed the message that for them not to worry that for many years the Massai has faced many challenges.
The old man smiled and Sean felt more comfortable now as the British probably underestimated the Massai. The old men retired to the eldest man’s hut and it was many hours later before they finished their meeting.
Sean and Slim, after the meeting with the elders went to the kitchen truck that was now set up and dinner was being prepared. Jasmine said not to worry too much about the soldiers as the Massai had powerful spirits behind them. The whole compound for that matter was much the same as when they were there before. Kids running around and the men were grooming to look good to one another; and the women moving about doing their chores as smoke started rising from the huts preparing dinner.
After darkness fell behind an orange setting sun to the west, Sean and Slim sat with Jasmine talking about Ireland and England. Sean told them, ‘My relatives are all but gone. Very hard times all over the kingdom showed in the empty faces and bellies of the people. Few animals were left as most had been either eaten or sold to keep alive. I never saw anyone smile or laugh all the time I was there.’
Slim hung his head thinking about his family who were all gone or scattered to the winds unknown to him where a shirt-tail relative might be living. His family now was Jasmine and Sean. He felt proud that he was going to be a daddy and looked
on with pride at his wife and future child kicking around every now and then to let someone know it was alive.
Late that night a runner came into camp and went into the elders hut. Unseen by anyone he exited and ran off down the hill back where he came from. The elder’s woman came out and went to another hut and returned to her own hut. The young Massai warrior went to three other huts and soon all four of the men were sitting in the elders hut. An hour later the four men came out and disappeared into the mountains behind the compound.
The next morning early, Sean went up the creek to wash up. All was quiet and peaceful. Sean loved the early cool mornings in Africa. Just a few months ago he was freezing in a house with rain pouring down every day. Occasionally snow fell at first to his delight and there after much to his dismay. The streets turned from clean white to dirty black in no time. Now he thought he would like to stay here forever. Clare he thought, as he dried his face with a hand towel, had to postpone her university project and although she said there was plenty of time to do it, he doubted she would get back to it for a year or more. Maybe she could do it here he wondered to himself.
Walking back to camp, he heard a little commotion. He quickened his step and found out the elders were in a conference with a group of Massai warriors. Children were running around playing war games with mock spears and making all kinds of young warrior sounds.
Slim and Jasmine were standing back of the circle and she was whispering into his ear when Sean walked up to them. Slim quickly filled him in on what he knew. He said the British soldiers were about a six day march from camp.
For the rest of the day all was quiet and normal. Cattle were taken out in the morning and brought back that evening. Charlie sent word that he wanted Sean and Slim to see him outside the compound after dark. Meeting him outside the gate, Charlie told them about the British marching towards the Massai. His scouts had picked up some interesting things about them. One was that the men looked like they had no heart for this job and the other one was that the wagons carrying the supplies were lightly guarded at night. Sean thanked him and asked him to keep him informed of the progress and hurried back to talk to the elders.
Chapter 12
Clare and the Professor was busy seeing bureaucrat after bureaucrat. They both knew that a compromise was the only salvation for the Massai. They had done all they could for the moment and they made plans to sail to Kenya on the first available ship bound for Africa.
It was mid-winter and not a lot of passenger ships were going to Africa this time of year. One old cargo ship with a load of mixed goods was departing in a day or two. The professor talked to the captain and after paying more money than usually required booked the two of them to South Africa.
Clare spent the entire time excluding eating with the captain in her cabin. Rough seas and poor facilities and a cabin that smelled of old sweat and urine, made the trip nearly intolerable. She spent the time, when not being seasick writing in her journal an outline of future study of the Massai. She had also packed her journals from the first visit and planned to write her thesis in Africa on a ranch she and Sean had talked about buying. That’s what kept her going on the miserable trip to South Africa. Finally, docking in South Africa and taking a train part way up to Kenya, the professor bought a truck in Tanzania for the rest of the way. He hired a driver and a companion to go with them. Clare made sure they had extra tires and petrol for the long dusty ride to Kenya.
Clare marveled at Lake Tanganyika which during the now dry season was a sight to remember. Thousands of birds of many colors took off and landed with regularity. Pink long legged flamingos by the hundreds taking off would turn the day color into a faded pink as they passed by the sun setting to the west. They camped by the lake and by the end of the next day, turned to the east headed for Massai country. Clare was getting anxious to get there as they pulled into the small town and stayed the night at the fat lady’s hotel. News greeted them as they ate dinner with many towns’ people hanging around trying to catch a tad bit of news. Clare found out Sean and Slim with Jasmine were in the Massai compound and the British army only at last report, a few days march to Massai camp. Clare had trouble sleeping that night even after a much needed hot bath. She tossed and turned and had some bad dreams involving Sean in a fight with red colored soldiers. She woke up before daylight and washed her face. She went down to the kitchen to find the cook just putting some wood into the stove.
She was hungry for the first time since she could remember. Her clothes hung from her body like empty sacks of flour hanging on a wall. Soon coffee was ready and she sat down at a small table and drank the strong coffee. Her father came down soon after she sat down and had a cup of tea. A half hour later, a plate of eggs and sweet potatoes arrived hot and steamy. Clare wolfed the food down and ordered some toast and jam if they had some. No jam was available, but honey was offered and she greedily ate the local honey. Her father remarked about her bad manners and she said with a mouthful of toast and honey, ‘Father this is the first time I’ve eaten without throwing it all up half way through.’
He smiled and said he would get packed up for the last leg of the journey and went to his room. Clare had already packed her things and went outside to a dawning day that promised to be hot and dusty all the way up to the Massai camp.
Back at the Massai camp, Sean was worried about the approaching army. The Massai seemed not overly concerned and Sean wondered what they were thinking. Still unknown to Sean, the five Massai that went to the mountains returned late one night carrying some large containers of something fluid. Five fresh Massai took the burden from them and left through the gate headed for the approaching army. The army now had been reported only two days march from the compound. The word came back the convoy was lightly guarded and that offered the Massai an opportunity to sneak into camp late at night. One day’s march away, that night, the five Massai sneaked into camp with the containers of fluid and poured the contents into the water barrels hanging on the sides of the transport wagons.
None the wiser, the next morning all the soldiers including the officers filled their canteens with water and marched off. Officers were on horses and the men marching behind them. After they stopped for lunch, drank some water and filled up their canteens again, some weird things began to happen. The officer’s horses started walking like they were drunk. The officers beat the horses with their whips, but to no avail. The sun was beating down on the overdressed army and each soldier drank heavily of the unknown liquid. The tainted water was from the Massai.
Much later, when the professor was in Nairobi, he made a report to the regional governor. The story reported was when on their way to the Massai camp, they encountered wandering incoherent soldiers without their red coats on and no rifles acting very crazy like. The soldiers paid them no attention and all seemed to head for the small town. Officers were observed acting the same way as the other soldiers. They were laughing and acting drunk, with no horses seen, they were raving about getting ready for attack!
The professor said they kept driving until no more soldiers were seen and not so far up the trail, horses were seen lying on the ground baying and rolling on their backs.
Trucks, wagons and supplies were left like some ghost spirit had swept through the convoy. A salvage company found rifles lying all over the place and red coats by the hundred scattered for miles down the mountain trail. Upon returning and the major reporting to the camp commander, the major was to address his men and have them forget what they saw under penalty of jail. Of course the papers caught wind of the story, but thought it too bizarre a story to publish. Consequently, it was covered up and the Massai national park issue was put to rest for a later time.
The upshot was the professor who was regarded as a man of much renown in the science arena, was far too dangerous to report the truth. So, the Massai went back to grazing their cattle and the professor and Clare met with Sean, Slim and Jasmine along with the Massai elders for a reunion celebration. The Massai were very g
rateful to the white father and his daughter for their support. That night a ceremony was given in their honor and the next day, Sean and Clare were married according to Massai culture. They would later renew their vows at a church in Nairobi.
The professor stayed with the Massai for the next year and to this day no better view of the Massai people is recorded for the record. He was later knighted and spent the rest of his life lecturing about the Massai and visiting his daughter and grandchildren who lived in Kenya.
Slim and Jasmine bought the adjacent property to Sean and Clare’s.
Epilogue
When Matt returned to Nairobi he discovered when he was cleaning his rifle that both barrels were plugged with some white rocks. He put thoughts together and smiled inwardly. He left Africa and went to South America where he bought a cattle ranch and married a girl from Argentina.
Red River Red and Too Tall Toby spent their days gathering firewood for the bath house in exchange for room and board.
Sean’s aunt and uncle found his money under the pillow and his aunt and uncle lived for many years happy with his periodical gifts of money. The uncle until he died thought Sean was his son and told everyone until they all finally believed him.
In later years, Sean and Slim occasionally went out on safari guiding special friends of Clare’s father. Mostly they were scientific safaris rather than hunting big game.
Authors note
Mt. Kenya is Africa’s second highest mountain at 17,000 feet. To the Massai and Kikuyu tribes Mt. Kenya is the home of their deity or supreme being: Nagi. They worship their god with traditional prayers and sacrifices. In Massai and other tribes the name Nagi means: Mountain of Brightness.
Sacred White Rocks Page 9
