Acacia - Secrets of an African Painting

by Paul Bondsfield

CHAPTER TEN – MBOKU BECOMES A MAN

  The next day, we started to travel in small numbers and in staggered groups arrived at the mines over the following weeks. To save time it had been decided that instead of pretending to hunt we would approach the white men directly and ask for work, ensuring that we bargained for a good wage. To accept a lower offer would be to raise suspicion amongst our employers and amongst other workers who were not part of the plan. We were also given a secret code with which to identify others working towards the same cause, but told that death would await any who gave the code away. Death would also await anyone who spoke of their work to any other, who through fear or laziness didn’t smuggle stones or gold from the mines. There would be one worker in each mine who would oversee all within that mine and make sure that there were couriers ready to take the stones, every night, back over the river to waiting warriors who would then transport the treasure to secret workshops all over their lands.

  When I reached my assigned place of work, I was staggered at the size of the operation. The hole in which men toiled looked like so many ants in a nest and was enormous, bigger than I ever could have imagined. When I was told that the hole used to be a hill, I was even more in awe of the work that had produced such a mine. I surmised that the greed of the white men must indeed be great, for only then could they have been driven to make this mark on the land. As I looked at the men in the town, I wondered how the stones could bring them happiness. I could not understand how they could be fulfilled without the wealth of cattle and without the thrill of battle. They were indeed a strange race of man and I was glad that I could see no good in them, for it would make it easier to work against them in the coming years.

  I started working deep in the hole itself, hauling quantities of rock to the top and depositing it in piles to be sorted and processed. I soon learned what to look for and how to recognise the rocks more likely to hold the glittering stones. My day started before the sun rose and ended only when the sun once again dipped below the land for the night. I found it easy to hide small chunks of rock about my person as I was now dressed as a white man as I had been instructed. Despite frequent searches, I was never found out, as the network of warriors always knew when and where the searches would take place.

  One day when I came to the top of the hole, there was a young white man standing there, just looking down at the workers. I felt a hatred for all white men but hid my feelings most of the time, so as not to be discovered. For a reason I could not understand though, I felt that this man was dangerous, that our paths would cross again. I stared at the white man hard so I could memorise his face, as I wanted to know him we they met in the future as I was sure we would. The world of the spirits was close to me that day I realise now but it was only later I shuddered at the thought of it. The man stared back at me and as I gazed into his fearless eyes his face relaxed and he spoke; “I see you”. He had shown me respect and I was confused. The spirits in me that day spoke of hate and warned of danger but his words made me think I would one day be forced to make a decision between a man’s urge and the spirits’ desires.

  I soon drew the attention of Langalibelele, the most senior warrior present, who was nearing the end of his time in the mine. He had been here for five years and would soon move up the chain of command and be able to live back in Matabeleland with his people again. As with all of us, his instructions were clear; he must complete his task here before he could ever go back. One day he drew me to one side and told me that I was to take over his position at the mine and would be responsible for the hundreds of warriors working there.

  I was overjoyed at this news, but managed to hold back my emotions and simply accepted the task from Langalibelele with dignity and the promise of total loyalty, as a true warrior should.

  Once I was in place as the leader of men at the mine, I began to wonder how the task was progressing from all the mines and how much treasure had been amassed. After all, they were removing only small pieces of rock at a time from the mine and there was no real way of knowing how much contained diamonds until it had been processed at the workshops in Matabeleland.

  When I had organised the couriers for the coming month, I made the decision to send a message requesting information from the indunas, who were surely running the operation. I wanted to find out how well they were doing and whether they had been removing the right kind of rock. So far, to my astonishment, no one had asked this simple question. As far as I knew, they might have been stealing worthless rocks for the last few years.

  I waited one night for the couriers to arrive at the appointed place and told one of them of the information I sought. The courier was reluctant to request anything from his next in line, but with some pressure, finally agreed to see what he could do.

  The following night, I waited again for the couriers to arrive and asked the same man if he had asked for the information. The man was obviously scared to talk to me and said that he wanted nothing more to do with my requests and questions. If I wanted to find anything out, I should go myself, although he advised that it would be better if I did nothing. If there was anything wrong, then I would be told.

  Although this made sense to me, I was intrigued to know why the courier had been so scared. After all, weren’t they all working towards the same result? My question was merely to ensure that they extracted the maximum diamond bearing rock rather than waste precious time transporting rubbish across the land.

  That night, however, my question about the source of the courier’s fear was answered. As I lay in my bed sleeping, a shadow moved amongst the huts, searching for my quarters. I was awoken with a start to find a hand across my mouth and an assegai to my throat. I couldn’t see my assailant’s face in the darkness, but the voice that whispered in my ear put fear into my heart and I lay rigid listening to every word.

  ‘Mlimo prophesised that we would do what we now do. The message from the spirits has been passed down through the royal household to the most senior indunas to be enacted. Every warrior is here to serve the prophecy, and so serve the word of the spirits and the king. A warrior who needs to question his instructions could be accused of treachery and will be dealt with as a traitor in the traditional way. His family will be killed, his property taken, and he himself beaten to death by the royal executioners. Do you need to question your instructions, Mboku?’

  I was truly terrified now. I knew of the fate that would befall those deemed traitors and I thought of my mother and father, along with my brothers and sisters to whom this fate would also apply. My eyes were wide and staring as I felt the sweat on my brow trickling down my face as I shook my head in denial of any question.

  ‘That is good Mboku.’ The voice was no less threatening, but I knew that I would not die that night.

  ‘Heed my words my son, as you have worked well and you should continue to work as before. The task is succeeding, but there is much to do yet.’

  With that, the hand was removed from my mouth and the point of the assegai was lifted from the base of my throat. I looked up quickly, but the hut was empty. I wanted to see who the messenger had been, but my nerves kept me where I was for the remainder of the night.

  In the morning, I pondered the events of the previous night and wondered why an innocent question had been treated in such a harsh way. I had wanted to help the task and improve production of the diamonds and yet my superiors felt it necessary to strike fear into my heart in order to keep me quiet. I also had no doubt that the threats I had heard last night would be carried out if I persisted in enquiring into the workings of their endeavour and that only my good work so far had allowed me to live to see the sun this morning. But I could not understand why this should be, why I had been pushed back into place so firmly. Although the tradition of the warrior was to obey all commands, I also knew that the only way to progress was to prove yourself in battle and as far as I could see, I was fighting the battle now. I was sacrificing much to be here doing the task I was doing.

  These thoug
hts ran round and around my head as I worked that day and by the time the sun started to set, I had made up my mind that I needed to find out more. The only way to do that was to head back to Matabeleland and discover what I could for myself.

  I made my move several days later, leaving the safety of the town and heading north under the cover of the night. I wanted to find out how this plan worked and why I had been warned off in the way that I had. After all, I had just been curious and had been trying to help improve productivity for the tribe, so a simple message from the indunas would have been sufficient to keep me quiet. Why then was there the need to scare me in that way? What was happening to make someone go to so much trouble just for me?

  I headed for the place where couriers met workers. Keeping out of sight, I began to follow the couriers north, away from the mines. They travelled for several hours until they reached the great river where a shallow and slower moving section allowed them to wade through the water to the far side. After just a moment’s hesitation, I followed, keeping my head low to the water, with just my nostrils above the surface. Once on the far side, I rested for a short time before once again picking up the trail of the couriers. My years tending herds of goats had taught me much about tracking the unwary through the bush, whether by day or by night.

  The sky was just beginning to lighten the horizon when I caught up to the men once again. They were waiting at the base of a small hill, nervously looking around, as if waiting for someone. I heard them talking softly to each other and strained to hear what they were saying, but without success. They waited for nearly an hour. I was lying hidden and silent in the tall grass some distance from the hill, while the couriers were getting more and more agitated at the apparent late arrival of whoever it was they had come to meet. The light had changed from the early morning softness of sunrise to that brief period of darkness before the sun finally pushes up into the sky.

  Then, I started as a pair of feet appeared close to my head. I froze with fear, as I was sure I had been discovered. The sweat started to run from me as I waited for the shout that would accompany the feel of sharp steel of an assegai or spear piercing my flesh. I screwed my eyes tight and waited for death, but it didn’t come. After a few moments, I opened my eyes and saw that the legs had gone. Cautiously I raised my head, still sure that my end would soon come, but as I looked over to where the couriers had waited, I saw two other figures. I crept from my hiding place, making sure there were no other men around as I moved. I nestled down into a shallow hole a little nearer the group of men from where I could hear their conversation.

  The couriers were obviously scared witless as their voices trembled and squeaked with the stress they were under. The other men, however, spoke quickly and confidently. They told the couriers they needed to be quick about splitting the diamonds, as they were running late and didn’t want to be missed. As I watched, I could see that the couriers had spread their haul out on the ground and all the men were checking what was there. In the end, the two newcomers split the pile in two and put one half into a bag they had there for that purpose. The couriers remonstrated that they had been left with too little and that they would be suspected of stealing the stones themselves. It was no good, however, as the others just ignored the pleas and turned away. I waited a little while longer. During which time, the couriers started off again with heads bowed and bickering with each other about what had transpired.

  After they had gone, I stood up from my hiding place and looked in the direction of the two thieves, for that was surely what they were, wondering who they were and where they were going. I wondered too how long they had been taking stones in this manner and whether there were more than just these two involved. I suspected so and that this was part of a much bigger plot to hide away a fortune in diamonds. These men were Matabele too, so what did they want with white man’s treasure? They couldn’t buy cattle with it and if they bought from the white man, they would surely be found out by the rest of the tribe. I puzzled over these things as I started tracking the men into the bush.

  I walked for the next two hours until I came to a dry riverbed. In the centre though, there was a damp patch where the men had dug for water, which reminded me of my own thirst. I started to dig in the same spot that had been already disturbed until only a few inches down, I found the level of the river and started to drink.

  I felt the crash on the back of my head only a fraction of a second after I registered the presence of someone else, but by that time, it was too late. I briefly felt a warm stickiness flowing from my head and down my neck before everything went dark and the world ceased to be.

  When I woke several hours later, the pain in my head kept me from lifting myself from where I lay and the light hurt my eyes too much to open them too far. Gradually though, I managed to peer around and assess my surroundings. I was lying in a stand of mopane trees and guessed that they were the same ones I had spotted earlier on the other side of the river bed in which I had been attacked. I was glad my attackers had not wanted to move me too far; at least I had some idea of my surroundings and possible ways to escape. As my senses came back to me, I tried to move my limbs one by one and found that I was securely tied and could not move in any way at all.

  ‘Ah, my young friend, you are back with us again, that is good. I had wondered if Nozi here had hit you too hard. You have been asleep for nearly a whole day now.’

  The voice came from behind me and I strained to see the man who spoke. However, the effort was too great and I soon felt dizzy again, so gave up.

  ‘Don’t worry my friend, you will see us soon enough, but for now we wait, for there is one who comes to speak with you.’

  I tried to talk, but was too weak and my mouth was too dry to utter a sound. I relaxed, sensing I was in no immediate danger and knowing I would need to conserve such strength as I had for whatever was to come. I wondered at the identity of these men and who was it that was coming to speak with me, and on what subject? My mind raced as I lay there, but no answers were forthcoming, nothing made any sense.

  It was dark when I opened my eyes for the second time and I shivered in the chill, night air. I could smell food somewhere nearby and felt the empty pit of my stomach that had not seen any food for nearly two days now. I raised my head. This time, I was glad that the pain was not as bad as looked round to see who was there. One man had his back to me and one of the others I did not know, but he instantly recognised the last of the three men sitting near the fire enjoying their meal. It was Lotshe, the senior induna who had devised the whole plan. What was he doing here with these thieves? He was surely loyal to Lobengula, although the meeting here proved otherwise. Lotshe was stealing the stones for himself and deceiving Lobengula and the other indunas. I let out a startled sound as he realised the enormity of the situation and the three men turned to me as one. The shocks were not yet over as the third man’s identity was revealed. He was Langalibelele, the chief warrior from Kimberley who had told me about the whole scheme and who had told me how much he trusted me and how well I had done.

  It was Lotshe who spoke first. ‘Ah, my young warrior, you have given us much to think about and provided us with some worries too. You have only my friend here to thank for your being alive now.’ He put his hand on Langalibelele’s shoulder as he spoke and smiled at the warrior.

  ‘Why would you spare a life such as mine?’ I spoke to both men, mystified as to the reasons I had not been killed before now.

  ‘You have attracted the attention of several of my men in your short time at the mine. As well as Langalibelele, here I have received reports from Shangani and the witchdoctor who saw you into manhood. Langalibelele has said that you could be a great asset to us and help a cause greater than you could imagine.’

  ‘What cause could be greater than fulfilling the prophecies of Mlimo?’ I asked scornfully. ‘It is obvious that you intend to somehow defeat the king with the wealth you have stolen.’

  ‘Ah, I see the reports I have had on you are
true.’ Lotshe laughed out loud at the impertinence of the youngster. ‘If you had not been tied like a goat to a stake as you said those words you would have died swiftly in any other circumstance.’ Lotshe looked at me thoughtfully, stroking his chin, his eyes betraying the thoughts that flew through his mind.

  ‘As you are tied tightly, though, I must conclude that you are either very stupid or very brave. No matter, events yet to come will show which of these two you truly are.’

  He gestured to the man whose identity I didn’t know, to untie the ropes that bound me, leading me to guess that this man was the lowest ranking of the three. As my bindings were loosened, I stretched my cramped limbs and rubbed where the rope had restricted the blood flow to hands and feet. I watched as the man moved back to sit by the fire. I sat for a few minutes in the same spot without moving, thinking that it would be better to be fully recovered from being tied if I were to make any move of escape. I surreptitiously looked around, peering into the darkness. I saw nothing further than was illuminated by the pool of light thrown off by the fire.

  ‘You must not think of escape, my friend.’ Lotshe spoke again. ‘You would not make it past those umohlo trees before your life would end. There is more to the darkness than you can perceive with your eyes.’

  Again, I peered into the darkness, seeking a movement or a shadow that may confirm Lotshe’s words, but again could see nothing. However, I decided it would be foolish at this stage to push my luck. I stood and turned towards the men around the fire, whose faces glowed golden in the flickering light.

  ‘Come here by the fire so that we may talk.’ Lotshe said, indicating a place across from him in which to sit. ‘You must be hungry by now, so share some of our food and let me explain what we are doing here and why your life has not yet been forfeit.’

  I picked two things in that sentence on which to concentrate my mind. The first was the growling in my stomach and the prospect of food after so long. The second was the word “yet”.

  I moved across and sat between the stranger and Langalibelele, reaching for some of the meat that was cooking on sticks over the flames. I bit into the flesh hungrily, for the moment, not worrying about anything other than filling my belly. Instinct told me that for the present at least, I was in no danger and that I would be allowed to eat my fill before anything further happened. After a few minutes, I slowed down my chewing and looked up at the other men.

  ‘So, what is it that you are doing if not stealing the king’s treasure?’ I risked a violent reprisal for this question, I realised, as I was now free of the ropes. Again, instinct told me where the boundaries of safety lay, for now at least.

  Lotshe paused before answering, I imagine pondering again on my impertinence and whether he should just kill me now. He obviously decided to ignore my arrogance for now and said, ‘We are working towards a new future for the Matabele people. Lobengula was brought to power under false pretences and deserves to lead us as much as the jackals that are the Shona deserve to lead us. He is bad for the people and is blind to the ways of a world that is changing all the time. The white man is coming and nothing will stop him, not all the impis of the Matabele together will stop the white tide from sweeping across the land, even if we had the sticks of fire with which to fight them. They are trained to fight in a different way to a warrior and could use their knowledge to beat us again and again. We will not survive if we try to fight them, we will be driven back to the mountains and our numbers will dwindle until even the jackals will be able to rule over us.’ Lotshe was speaking with a passion and I was transfixed by what he said. It was treachery, the like of which I had never imagined and I knew that somehow I had to get back to the king and warn him of this plot. In the meantime, I had to be careful of what I said. I sensed that I had come close to displeasing Lotshe before. To accuse him of treachery would surely mark the end of my life.

  ‘So what is your plan then?’ I asked the induna, ‘how will you change what cannot be changed?’

  ‘We do not wish to see the people of this great nation defeated and ruled like dogs by white men or other nations,’ he said, ‘so we have to pretend to work with the invaders, gain their confidence, let them get close, and then strike from within.’

  ‘Surely that is the plan you devised in the first place.’ I was genuinely confused now. ‘Was that not what Lobengula was going to do?’

  ‘Yes, you are right that the plan was as you have said, but Lobengula changed his mind and decided to strike first. He wanted to go to the white man, cross the Limpopo, and fight them before they could reach us. He wants to buy guns now and fight soon. Only by restricting the flow of stones can we stop him destroying us all.’

  ‘How do you know that his plan would not work? How do you know that you are right and he is wrong? I was close to anger now, as treason was treason no matter what excuse was given for its existence. I had to calm myself though or I would give away my real thoughts about this plan through the fury that would show on my face.

  ‘We can only know what history has told us. Each time, the white man has fought against the tribes, he has eventually won and he destroys without thought, as a good warrior should. We have to be clever to survive and learn the lesson of patience from the wild creatures that only live if first they kill.’

  I was silent at this. It was what Shangani had told us before we arrived at Kimberley and somewhere inside I almost began to believe in Lotshe’s words.

  ‘What is your reason for letting me live for this long then Nkosi?’ I said, deliberately using the word for lord to signify my acquiescence.

  Lotshe smiled at this and relaxed somewhat before answering. ‘We need young and clever warriors to help us and you are both these things. Your mind and your strength can combine to help save the Matabele people from defeat. One day, your name will be spoken by the people as they sit round their fires. They will speak of you as one who was brave enough to follow the right path and one who fought for the very existence of their nation.’

  These fine words served to soothe my turmoil for the moment. As I sat there across the fire from Lotshe, I wondered if the induna was indeed right and if I could become a hero to my people in the way I had been told just now. I knew however that whatever the truth of the matter, I would have to be as strong and fearless as I had ever been in order to survive the coming months.

  THE PRESENT