‘Or get shot! ’ Guthera added.
Matigari, Guthera and Muriuki were resting on a hill. It was dark, but Matigari knew all the paths. They headed for the mugumo tree where Matigari had hidden his weapons: the AK47, the pistol, the cartridge belt and the sword. Far behind, they could still see the flames as they leaped into the sky.
‘So deep a darkness is always closely followed by dawn, ’ Guthera said.
‘Yes, it is nearly dawn, ’ Matigari answered. ‘What is that song we used to sing?
If only it were dawn,
If only it were dawn,
So that I can share the cold waters with the early bird...
Dawn is here, and the sun has long risen — ’
Before he had finished the song, they heard dogs barking.
‘We are being followed, ’ Matigari said. ‘But cast away your fears, be prepared, for this is only the beginning of many hardships ahead. ’
‘Where are the dogs barking from? ’ Muriuki asked.
‘They are in the valley behind us, ’ Matigari said.
They walked down the slope in silence. Behind them they could see the flickering of the policemen’s torches. The torches drew closer and closer, all the time shortening the gap between them.
"If we hurry up we might get to the mugumo tree before they catch up with us, ’ Matigari said, trying to instil hope in them. ‘Once I wear my belt, none of them will be able to cross the river, even if they come in thousands. ’
The hunt lasted the whole night. Soon the horizon was painted with the first hints of dawn. Matigari, Guthera and Muriuki were very tired. The river was not far off now, but the dogs were closing in on them. Between where they were and the river was an open space.
‘If we manage to cross the river you see over there, ’ Matigari said, ‘the enemy will never be able to touch us. There in those forests and mountains we shall light the fire of our liberation. Our first independence has been sold back to imperialism by the servants they put in power! ’
They suddenly realised then that they were being tracked from every direction. The pack of dogs behind them looked like a flock of sheep. Matigari remembered how Settler Williams and his friends had gone fox-hunting long ago.
‘All they need now are horses to complete the picture of a hunt, ’ Matigari said, trying to figure out how they were going to cross the stream.
‘Oh, look! ’ Muriuki exclaimed. ‘They have horses over there! ’
Indeed, on their left and on their right were mounted police, accompanied by a pack of dogs. Behind them were more policemen on foot, also with dogs.
‘We are the foxes, ’ Matigari told them. ‘We have to run like foxes now. Don’t run in a straight line. Try running from side to side. Are you ready? OK, let’s go! ’
They dashed into the open space and made for the stream, across which their lives awaited them.
And then suddenly the whole world was filled with the sound of gunfire.
Guthera screamed and fell to the ground. Matigari and Muriuki threw themselves on to the ground too, but were not hurt.
‘Keep crawling! But remember, not in a straight line! ’ Matigari urged Muriuki. ‘Muriuki, cross the river, and bring me my AK47 from under the mugumo tree. Try to do your very best to get back to me. ’
Muriuki took off. He ran in a zigzag manner. At times he fell, and rolled over, but he still got up and ran, heading in the direction of the river. He crossed it.
Guthera was still screaming. She had been wounded in the right leg and it was bleeding profusely.
‘Go! Just go! ’ she told Matigari. ‘Leave me behind. Let me die. Let me die. ’
But Matigari lifted her in his arms and carried her towards the river. The dogs, the soldiers and the horses drew nearer and nearer. Gunshots could be heard, ringing from all sides.
Matigari seemed to be protected by some magic power, for the bullets did not hit him... It was as if on reaching him they turned into water.
Before him was the river. It was so close... a few more steps ... The dogs were barking just behind them.
The swishing and swirling of the water reached Matigari as it flowed by, A step more,,. and he would be swimming in it... Just one more...
The dogs leaped on Matigari and Guthera. They crowded around them. They tore at their clothes, their flesh. But not once, not once did Matigari let go of Guthera. Their blood mingled and it trickled into the soil, on the banks of the river.
The mounted police and soldiers came racing towards them. Even the soldiers on foot came running towards the big catch. Matigari mustered all the strength he could and, still holding Guthera in his arms, he crawled on his knees, pulling behind him the pack of dogs that were growling as they fought for human flesh.
Matigari and Guthera fell into the river.
Drops of water splashed into the air, wetting the dry earth by the banks of the river.
The dogs hesitated at the river banks, their tongues dangling out of their mouths. Some licked the blood on their muzzles. A few others were growling as if announcing to the world: Sisi mbwa kali2
And suddenly lightning flashed, and a peal of thunder rent the sky. At first a few drops of rain fell, one here, another there. Then a deluge came from the skies.
The whole army of hunters had now arrived at the water’s edge. Some of the soldiers were still on horseback, others still on foot.
They were very angry, really bitter with fate; the reward of £5, 000 was drifting away somewhere in the swirling river.
They walked along the river bank, hoping to see the bodies of Matigari and Guthera floating on the water or else lying somewhere on the banks. Were they dead or alive? Who was Matigari?
The rain poured as if all the taps of heaven had been turned on full blast.
To this day, rumour has it that the torrential rain that fell was what put out the fires that had earlier consumed the houses. Across the land, children came out to sing:
Rain; Rain,
Let me slaughter you a calf,
And another
With jingle bells around the neck!
Everywhere in the country the big question still remained: Who was Matigari ma Njiruungi? Was he dead, or was he alive?
Under the mugumo tree, Muriuki dug up all the things that Matigari had hidden.
He took out the pistol and the cartridge belt. He counted the bullets. Then he took the AK47 and gazed at it. He dug up the sword and laid it to one side.
He put on the cartridge belt across his chest over his left shoulder, so that it hung on his right side. He passed the strap of the sword over his right shoulder and across his chest so that the sword lay on his left side.
Finally he picked up the AK 47 and slung it over his shoulder.
He stood for a while under the mugumo tree.
And then he heard the sound of hoofs nearby. His heart skipped a beat. But it was only a riderless horse. It galloped past him. It stopped for a brief while and gazed at him. Then it disappeared into the forest.
Muriuki watched the rain as it fell. His glance swept the banks along which he stood. He looked across the river and beyond to the other valleys, other ridges and other mountains.
Far, far away, he heard the distant sound of the siren as it called out to all the workers.
He recalled the night of the workers’ strike. And suddenly he seemed to hear the workers’ voices, the voices of the peasants, the voices of the students and of other patriots of all the different nationalities of the land, singing in harmony:
Victory shall be ours!
Victory shall be ours!
Victory shall be ours!
Victory shall be ours!
* * *
1 Maendeleo ya muafirika maendeleo ya wanawake (Kiswahili): ‘African people's progress, women’s progress’.
2 Sisi mbwa kali (Kiswahili): ‘we are fierce dogs’.
Matigari Page 17
