THE FAMOUS HUNTER

,
2012
ALEX TAREMWA
The TransparentPublicationsLtd
11/13/2012
The Reign of
Magaagala 1

2012
©The Transparent Publications™ 2012.
THE FAMOUS
HUNTER,
MAGAAGALA
1.1 INTRODUCTION
In the year, 1957 is when
he died; what I can tell you
for sure is that when he
died; the sun was asleep
and there was no cloud in
the sky. It is by any
measure believed that by
the time of his death, he
had his eyes closed and his
heart was wide open.
Luke Magaagala was born
in 1907 to Peragiya and
Tashobya in primordial
Ankole kingdom, Western
Uganda. It was a hot
afternoon amidst the dry
season and the sky was
clear. For initiation to the
society, Tashobya kicked
the wooden door of their
banana fiber thatched
house and said to the world
in his own words. “World,
meet Magaagala; Magaagala, meet the world.” And it was just
a while after the introduction that clouds started to gather in
the blue sky and soon the warnings of thunderstorms and
lightening took charge of the situation until the rains settled
late in the evening.
For the parents and the settlers, this was a symbol that a
savior had been born and therefore all the praise and offerings
that night took place at the Tashobya’s. Elders of the clan,
well-wishers, and famous dancers in the village of
Kanyandatsi gathered around the fire and danced their
traditional dance. The young ones danced as their proud
fathers looked on and passed mockery jokes to their fellows
praising them or in turn joking over the beauty of their wives
and how beautiful their daughters looked as straws filled the
pot in which their favorite brew would be re-filled after a
short while. Kwete was brewed out of a specie of bananas
locally known as Embiire. These are the type of bananas that
these people fed on in the dry season due to less productivity
and hunger.
Kwete was a final product of a series of activities; a not so
long hole would be dug, then bunches of mature Embiire
bananas were put into that hole and covered until they would
ripen. After they were all yellow, banana leaves were cut and
laid in the already waiting hole. The yellow bananas were
hand pealed and squeezed this time by the young energetic
youth with their feet until they produce juice called enshande
to which water is added and then later distilled using the then
distillation methods and hence the famous brew.

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A while later, Tashobya
the host had been blessed
with the opportunity to
express his joy and
gratitude. He stood on his
stick together with his wife
Peragiya and thanked the
people for being there to
initiate the birth of the
blessed one. “For the past
month, he said I was
walking 8 miles to
Katengeto (a part of River
Katonga where these
people used to take their
herds for water during the
dry seasons) while my wife
was here masterminding
the attempt to bless the
world, I came back from
the river today and I found
she needed my help and as
soon as he was out of the
womb, the skies blessed us
with the shower. I do not
have to head for another 8
miles anymore; this is
because he has been born. I
shall call him Magaagala
meaning good timing. He
has come at the time when
we needed him the most.” He narrated.
Peragiya did not protest the name and neither did the elders of
the Bashambo clan from to which Tashobya was affiliated
and there grew Magaagala. As a sign of good will, Magaagala
was handed a spear and a stick locally known as Enkoni to
protect the herd of his father from attacks of wild animals that
were on the rise at the time. This was a traditional practice
that every newly born boy had to go through so as to groom
them in a brave and fearless way.
As time flew, Tashobya and Peragiya died in the same year
one after the other from different deaths all together.
Tashobya was struck by lightning as he was grazing and
Peragiya was run over by a buffalo months later. Tashobya
died at 79 years of age; he had grown such a wrinkled face
that kids would make fun of him every time they would meet
him while grazing. He used to walk on his long stick that he
used to threaten the kids off when they continuously made fun
of him. This stick however played other functions such as
support him when picking himself off his favorite stool that
he had by himself made out of a mivule trunk in the forest
around the river in his golden days. He also used the stick to
command attention from his fellow settlers mostly after they
started to continuously ignore him citing age reasons.
Peragiya on the other hand died at 64 and Magaagala was just
twelve when they both left for another world of the guardians
and they would be noted in the books as ancestors and parents
of the only remaining savior of the people.
It is from there that he took right over with the steady help of
the elders of the clan until when he was 15 years old. He had

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grown into an energetic
and proud young man that
when he was at the well,
he won all the wrestling
competitions he used to
have with his fellow
teenagers after their herds
had just been filled with
the water. It’s from such an
experience that he picked
the inspiration of brevity
and courage that he
boasted of like his father
did in his golden times.
Like father, like son.
Magaagala picked fights
with his fellow teenagers
on every little single
occasion he would find
convenient to throw a
punch. He had no courage
to quit even when he
would clearly know that he
would lose. All I can say is
that for any matters of the
heart, he had found what
he loved to do most. He
loved fighting more than
whoever invented it; even
when he was on often
occasions talked out of by people out of his age bracket.
Magaagala still loved what he did, he without any further
consultations refused to pay any attention to anyone who
stood before him with such words “what you’re doing out
there is not what your father would have loved to see you do.
He always had an immediate response to such statements
whenever they were raised. “Like you know what he loved
most?”
Until when he was out of the adolescent ages, Magaagala did
not opt out of his fighting arena. He realized later that his
energy could be more productive for him if he engaged it in
more productive ventures that just fighting. Like they said
while a boxing game is shutting down, Magaagala threw the
towel and decided to man up his behavior. He took full
participation in a more risky venture however!

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1.2 MAGAAGALA’S
FIRST BUTCHER
Buried deep in sleep,
Magaagala’s dog started
barking amidst the night
and he didn’t seem to
figure out anything outside
by just his natural instincts.
Kyoya, the dog instead got
fiercer by minute which
instigated Magaagala to
jump out of his wooden
bed, get his car tire boots
on, reach for his spear by
his bed side and pick a fire
stick from his kitchen for
purposes of light and set
outside his hut to find out
what was the matter
disturbing his dog, Kyoya.
As soon as Magaagala
swung his door open, he
was shocked by the shining
moonlight that out proven
his idea of the fire stick he
had picked for light. He then dropped it right there and moved
out to meet his dog which obediently led him to where it
sensed the enemy with much more enthusiasm generated by
the support he provided. “Shhhh….shhhh….catch
them….shhhh” was Magaagala’s cheer song that gave Kyoya
the support he needed.
Sooner enough, Magaagala got the Kraal where he found a
hyena feasting on a recently calved calf and again, Kyoya was
right; he had had something unusual. Without any hesitation,
Magaagala raised his spear and hit the hyena right in the chest
and that was all for Mr. Hyena even though most of the
innocent calf was already in his tummy.
This murder was a breakthrough for Magaagala that the entire
village of Kanyandatsi laid at his feet and thanked him for the
courage he exhibited. They called him all kinds of names
praising him and asking him for his continued protection from
the vast wild animals that did not only attack their herds but
also were a threat their lives. They revolved on an example
when a buffalo mercilessly rammed into his mother on a
Sunday afternoon as she left a village meeting at the Kateete
fire place.
As any other youth could have become, Magaagala always
walked with his chest in the air and even on his toes because
his heels were always raised by the praise songs the village
always sung for him. He was the small god of that time for he
was worshiped and carried shoulder high like harvest in
September. He was loved and baby held among children, old
men of the clan, and women, and husbands of that time. Even
the men who should have at least envied him for taking up the

2012
most beautiful part of the
chorus in the best songs
instead came to him asking
if there was any medicine
he used to catch these
animals.
Magaagala never shunned
them away at any time
even if he always fancied
working alone so he could
have the thanks and praises
come to him. He agreed to
work with them and they
created a BFF (Best Friend
Forever) team of sending
to hell every single wild
animal they considered a
threat to the environment
they lived in including
snakes and wolves. Even
when they did this as a
team, the praise still came
to Magaagala, the initiator
of the idea and the
mastermind of its success.
The winner always took it
all in the Kanyandatsi
society.
Hunting turned to be so
much fun for Magaagala
and Kyoya who at this time had found companionship from
other hunting dogs in the field. He reminded me of the 21st
Century socialists we meet in bars and drinking halls.
Magaagala understood that if he quit the hunting activity, it
could turn out to be his worst nightmare both for him and the
society he lived in at large. He found a hundred per cent of his
food from hunting because he ate meat from very single
animal they could kill. As the leader of the platoon, he
commanded the most assault force of the hunting attack that
when it came to dividing the daily catch amongst themselves,
that pleasure was always his. He made sure that even the dogs
get the share they deserved; he was as impartial as rain man
and the mumbling numbers in the Rain Man movie in the
early 1980’s in Hollywood.
Before he had set out to hunt with Kyoya, there was a lecture
he always gave it. He would pull out of his hut a majorly
handmade stool that his father (RIP) had made by himself
from a mivule tree across the Katonga river and place at door
way and call up his dog.
Kyoya, come over here and be seated; we’ve got some
things to discuss. Without hesitation would wag his
tail, shake himself of the dust and seat by his from and
hind legs right in front of him and then bark at him as
a go ahead, I’m listening signal.
As you can see it is yet another long day for us. He
would start. So I expect the finest of your character. If
any of the local bitches is in heat, she will remain so
without any assistance on your part as part of the
concentration and non-distraction purposes.

2012
If Magaagala got
extremely boring in
his lecturers,
Kyoya would start
by scratching
himself in his hind
quarters and then
pay more attention
as required of him.
He did this on
different occasions
and there would
interrupt
Magaagala. “And
that cannot be the
response to
everything I tell
you. And lastly, no
violence.
Kyoya found hunting
amazing and fun. It was a
midsummer athletic
program that he always
missed at home with his
master. After a long day of
work, Magaagala and
Kyoya would both return
home to rest for yet
another long day was
ahead of them. This went
on until one evening when Kyoya was tempted to go hunting
without his master and he was butchered by angry baboons in
cold blood amidst the forest.
Funnily enough, Magaagala did not notice that Kyoya was
missing for at least two nights. This was because he had not
worked on both occasions as he was overcoming a stomach
problem from the buffalo meat he had eaten the day he last
went hunting. It gave him a running stomach and stomach
ache that he couldn’t take to the field.
After he recovered on third day, he didn’t hear any noise from
his dog. His suspicion immediately began. In his mind, he
thought Kyoya had gone outsourcing for bitches and he said
to himself. “I’ve always warned him from accepting walks
from people he calls his friends. It’s high time they had
stopped walking my dog and in future, Kyoya should politely
decline all such invitations.” He will return before nightfall
I’m sure; he thought to himself but it didn’t.
The night was short for Magaagala despite the fact that it was
the only night he had spent without stomach pains, he spent it
all thinking about the dog; Kyoya. He still couldn’t find it in
the morning. He had no choice than to go grazing without it.
He directed his herd to the Ogden forests and there is where
the news broke. The herd he was grazing all of the sudden
took a different direction from the intended and they seemed
to have been following some lead like the police tracking
down a criminal. It was the herd that led Magaagala to the
body of his dog that was rotting in the middle of the forest at
an area widely known to possess the highest number of
baboons.

2012
Magaagala without any
further investigations
concluded that the baboons
were responsible for the
death of Kyoya and
therefore had pay by the
same currency. He
declared a one man war
against the baboons in the
Ogden forests. It was
without doubt the worst
choice he had done for he
let his emotion decide for
him instead of consulting
the elders first.
The elders and those who
understood the history and
geography of the area tried
to talk him out of his
decision without success.
Because of his diligence
and courage, Magaagala
refused to listen to the
elders. He instead broke
them off the chain of
information flow and fell
out of their favor. He
didn’t listen to anyone for
any reason whatsoever. In
fact he made this clear to his favorite partner in the hunting
profession, Kisembo.
Kisembo had travelled from a distant land with a message
from the gods of his land warning Magaagala from attacking
that forest for any reason. He carried a scribe which he read to
Magaagala after he refused to open it claiming that he wasn’t
interested. It read
“Greetings from the gods from the Toro kingdom. We
had about the sad news of your dog’s death and we
want to extend to you our sincere condolences. We
have also leant that you are planning an attack on the
Ogden forests seeking retribution for the death of your
dog. How we wish we would be in support of that
motion. Many years before the 9th birthday of your
father, Your grandfather had died of the same cause
he was seeking revenge for an animal from the
leopard family had brutally murdered 6 of his goats
on daily basis. When he refused to listen and went on
his mission, he never returned. Your father had the
same in mind but never achieved it before his sudden
death. We wouldn’t want you to follow the same
footsteps. Come to us in case you need any help.
Magaagala took over from there; come to us in case you need
any help? And he laughed for once. So what would be the
topic of that conversation? He reluctantly asked Kisembo.
Before Kisembo could respond, Magaagala added. Tell the
gods of your tribe that I’m not interested in that kind of
conversation. If my family was destined to die by the Ogden
forest kind of death, then I guess that is just the way it goes. It

2012
is like the Egyptian belief
that before you are allowed
into the Egyptian heaven,
you are asked to answer
two questions. First, have
you found joy in your life?
And secondly, has your
life brought joy to others?
So Egyptians who are not
allowed into the Egyptian
heaven at the end of the
day have a certain
destination they are
destined for. This could be
my destiny. Have you ever
had of something called a
point of no return Mr.
Kisembo? That is exactly
where I’m right now so go
back and inform the people
from where you have
travelled, that you arrived
a little late for a mind
changer. I’m going in all
by myself.
Before he left, Kisembo
had just a word to say to
his fellow hunter. “I
wouldn’t do that if I were
you.” As he climbed up his
horse to travel back to his kingdom, he added another word.
“Think it over brother. This could be the last decision you will
leave to regret your entire natural life.”
To beat opposition, Magaagala set out to destroy the forest in
the night so that by the time the skies get rid of the shyness,
he is already done with the massive destruction. And at
exactly 4 am in the morning, Magaagala had his shoes on, his
sharp machete and spear on his shoulder and a fire stick
which he used to make fire amidst the forest to keep him
company. With his energy, Ogden forest was at his mercy by
the time it clocked 6 am, much of it was already weathering
on the ground. He always boasted of his energy and power but
none of his fellow settlers had ever seen it at work. This was
the debut of the tangible work of Magaagala’s power.
When Magaagala got tired, he always came and sat on the
other side of the fire and listen to his instincts. They always
asked him a set of questions; what if you are wrong? What if
95% of the natives of Kanyandatsi are right? He never trusted
them at all; he never even tried to reason towards that kind of
direction. He never imagined the consequences of slashing
down the only forests that the ancestors of the land on which
he dwelled had failed on various occasions to slash. He was
rigid and catholic in making. He was radical and imperialistic.
After 24 hours of hard work, Magaagala had floored the entire
forest, butchered about 4o baboons and he fed on antelopes
and other animals he came across. He was desperate and
depressed for he did this without any external hand from
anyone for any reason. This is not because no one wished to
work with him, it was just because they evaluated that the

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consequence of such a
reckless action could be
costly to the society they
belonged too.
As it is clear that in every
society one has an
importance they play,
Moses was the equivalent
of a rabbi in the
Kanyandatsi people. He
was the source of all the
knowledge and whatever
he said was final. One a
somber evening after the
elders learnt of
Magaagala’s action, they
hurriedly ran to the bar
from where Moses sipped
a few cold ones. The
saluted him and asked if he
had a minute for the issue
they had at hand was way
too important to wait.
After minutes of
convincing Moses, he
allowed them a few
minutes.
He couldn’t believe what
his ears heard. He had only
one word to say to the
elders after the lot he had listened. “Well comrades, if all you
just said is true, we are as good as dead.” But I’m hoping that
all of that was false. “You wouldn’t want to know what
possible outcome could arise from starting a war with the
gods, would you.” Moses asked the elders and they all replied
by nodding their heads. So let’s all go home and stay with our
children, possibly it will start from there.
What was it that Moses referred to as “it” in his dismissal
message? That was the question that the elders failed to
answer as they parted ways to their homes.
At this time of the evening, Magaagala was returning
congratulating himself for the job well done when he
accidentally bumped into Moses the rabbi and before he even
extended his hand to greet him, Moses demanded to know if
he had done it and Magaagala did not know what. “Did you
do it? Moses asked. Did you actually cut the forests down? I
don’t care about your response but wait until four days and
four nights go by, you will see what will happen to this
village.
Magaagala said to himself; whatever will come will be dealt
with. There is nothing that I can now do to reverse the action.
I was seeking revenge and I have gotten exactly what I
wanted. With little sense of strategic foresight and maturity of
judgment, Magaagala sheepishly walked away through the
Kyaaka hills across the valleys and there he was at his hut.
However tired he was, he tried to go and inspect his herd to
confirm if the situation is under control.
Even as he walked through the Kraal, he still had the same
feelings and instincts that asked him the same questions all

2012
over again. “What if I were
wrong? He wondered to
himself. If I am wrong, I
win. He consoled himself
as he left the kraal after
commiserating with the
situation that everything
was intact. The situation
was as always and nothing
apart from the forests had
actually changed. He then
went inside his hut to sleep
comfortably to wait for the
next morning.
Having had a seemingly
long day when added to
the fact that Kyoya was all
a dream to cut his nights
short, Magaagala slept for
all the four days and nights
that Moses had promised
him to wait for. He was
alarmed by public outcry
and noise outside his hut
calling him out.
Everyone from the
neighborhoods was there
in person to cast their
complaint to one once their
hero now turned villain
Magaagala. They accused for having caused having caused
the death of the produce and food the village was supposed to
feed on for the next couple of years and he had to shoulder the
responsibility of providing for these families until the gods
invoke a decision to overturn their action.
Finally Magaagala heard what his instincts were trying to
communicate to from the start. And guess what his response
was. “How I wish I had trusted them.” How I wish I listened
to the voice within me that warned me against my actions on
several occasions. The situation was getting out of hand for
Magaagala but whom did he have to blame, himself. His
action didn’t bring Kyoya back neither did it save village
from the baboon invasion. After a couple of days, the forest
that Magaagala had solely cleared was looking intact like it
grew on the most wet and fertile are in the Congo Basin.
It was the Baboon’s time to seek retribution now. They didn’t
have to do much though for their anger was easily satisfied.
They invaded the small gardens that the natives had made and
made a playground of the little food and gardens that the
natives counted on. Every single edible but grown crop went
under the control of the baboons. The village could do
nothing less than simply look on. They could do very little of
possibly nothing to save the situation. The only person who
could take the things all back was the sole individual who
messed it up, Magaagala. But the thing remains that he didn’t
know how to?
The individual who was praised, worshipped, and widely
known for the good deeds was now at the center of a
primordial criticism for doing one bad thing that cost the

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village the only thing that
could lead to their
migration from the land
they treasured the most.
Magaagala had been the
pride of that area from the
day he kissed the ground,
through adolescence and
now when he had
developed into a fully
developed nourished
individual who didn’t
know the values, virtues
upon which his society was
built.
They say that tough times
teach us the most
important lessons of life.
Magaagala had now
reached this time to learn
the lessons that life had for
him. It was now that he
understood that there are
two types of growth, one
that is nourished by values
and the other that is
nourished by songs of
praise and worship. He
learnt that public opinion
was a reckless force of
power that could influence wrong doing owing to its
anonymity. He also learnt that for institutions to work they
must in one way or the other be tempered by specific norms
and values because institutions are always ambivalent in the
sense that in the absence of strong traditions, they may serve
the opposite purpose from the ones intended. How would he
have learnt this when instead of building a relationship with
the elders, he always walked like he had springs in his legs?
After weeks of torture from the gods as anticipated by the
elders, Magaagala decided to visit Moses, the Wiseman of the
clan to inquire if there was a way he could appease the gods
and revoke the action they had taken against the natives and
the village at large. If it were possible, Magaagala wanted that
he solely take up the pain on the behalf of other people for
this was his decision not any other persons’. To his
heartbreak, Moses the equivalent of the rabbi said that the
action of the gods could only be reversed by sacrifice. He
referred Magaagala to the sorcerer for more information
concerning the items that the gods could demand of him.
However, Moses added that Papa, the sorcerer was expelled
from the village after he was suspected to have caused the
loss of rains and water decades ago.
“I don’t think that he will be of help even when you find
him.” said Moses.
“So where do I find him if I need him? Could you have any
whereabouts of his existence?” Moses nervously replied.
In the forests of Kabingo is a little hut that was elected by this
man you need to find. This is about 200 miles from here so if
you need to find this man, you need to prepare in advance for

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the long journey ahead of
you. No one has ever
gotten through that forest
alive so however much this
is your problem, I would
strongly advise you not to
think in that kind of
perspective. Moses
narrated.
Magaagala pretended that
he wasn’t listening and he
mentioned just two words
before he left to his hut for
preparation. “I’m afraid
that is the direction that
I’m strongly heading
towards” he then moved
out of Moses’ hut. The
situation had worsened in
the village of Kanyandatsi
that even the wetlands,
wells, and natural water
sources had dried up yet
chances of receiving even
a one drop rainfall were far
from their reach. The
natives’ hopes were
bestowed in Magaagala for
survival and restoration of
the old order.
As he was leaving the village gates for his long journey,
Moses the wise man and other 2 people who knew what it
meant for an individual to travel alone to such a distant land
asked Magaagala if they could come with him. However,
Magaagala responded to them in a polite but parabolic saying
“a one man’s war is fought solely. I can’t afford to take the
village most influential men for sacrificial purposes to the
forests of Kabingo” stay here and take care of your families
and hope that everything will turn out good. He said. Let
those who don’t have children come with me but if you have a
family, I mean no disrespect but this isn’t your mission.
Since Moses and the other two old men had prepared for the
journey, they gave their roasted potatoes and bananas to
Magaagala as a sign of good luck and hoped that everything
would turn out good.

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1.4 THE MISTERIOUS
JOURNEY
Well stocked with the
essentials he needed,
Magaagala exited the
village gates and set into
the wilderness on a
mission to save the village.
He wanted to make right
the wrong that he did that
turned disastrous for the
entire society. He set out
on a quest to clean the
mess he brought to his
society. Would he make it
out of the forest that no
one had ever made out of?
That was the question that
lingered on the minds of
every individual back
home in Kanyandatsi.
Magaagala travelled by
foot for the first 20 miles
and camped at the Mpuga hill for a night. While there, he
shared some of the meal he had packed for himself before he
decided to keep moving after gathering a little more strength.
He walked for two days and two nights to reach the
mysterious forests that he only heard about in the narrations
of his father and the elders in the community he had hailed
from.
To his surprise however, he saw completely different features
from those he heard in the fairy tales. The area was sparsely
populated with hardly a single house in about 70 miles and
even those that dwelled there could in one way of the other
have a relationship with the reasons for which Papa the
sorcerer he was looking for got expelled. “Be aware of people
you find there,” he remembered what Moses had warned him
about. Hence, Magaagala couldn’t not make any inquiries
about the whereabouts of Papa even when it was the only
option he had at hand.
The sun rose from the hind of Magaagala’s head and
apparently, the same sun was setting right in front of him yet
the subject he was looking for was nowhere near him. After
acknowledging the fact that he had walked a series of times
across the forest to no avail, he decided to hunt for food, make
a fire, and take a rest before the next search could commence.
No sooner had he put his head down to rest than he started to
hear strange sounds that even as a professional hunter, he
could hardly interpret. It is time, he thought to himself.
He then rose from the rags that he had made for a bed and
start to analyze the situation. The voices increased by minute

2012
and soon enough,
something had to come out
of the sounds. A more
audible voice that
demanded to know what he
was doing in the forest. His
mouth ran out of words
like water in the desert. He
stumbled for a while until
when he gathered the
energy to utter out
something; “I’m here to
seek Papa’s help” he said.
He is a sorcerer that was
unthoughtfully pushed out
of his land back from
where I have travelled. I
need him to help me undo
the spell that has tied my
people in suffering due my
actions.
And who are you? The
seemingly faint voice
demanded.
I’m Magaagala a hunter;
son of Tashobya and
Peragiya of Kanyandatsi
which is found 200 miles
from here. With all due
respect Mr. whoever you
are, I don’t think it is fair for me to walk for two days and two
nights so that I can get here to answer questions. Now would
you be kind enough to lead me to where you think I can find
Papa? Magaagala kept on calling but the voice had been
buried into the wilderness. He didn’t even understand what it
was from.
After a period of blessed silence with no one to break the
deadlock, some animals were not happy with the fire that
Magaagala had set. They planned on how well to put it out
which woke Magaagala up only to find himself encircled
amidst the gang of baboons. The animals whose cousins had
more recently led to the death of his dog. What would you do
if you were him? Kill them and make the gods angrier? Even
when they kept provoking him, Magaagala kept a deaf ear
until a savior blended right in?
The baboons fled after the sight of his presence. Which
creature could this be that has dispersed these little
provocative animals? An elephant this time I guess.
Actually not Mr. Magaagala son of Tashobya and Peragiya of
Kanyandatsi. I beg to please light my cigarette with your fire.
Who are you and why did you save me? Those animals could
have killed me, couldn’t they?
You ask too much. What would a young man like you be
doing in the middle of a forest at such a time? More over this
forest of all forests. Did you think this over before you
actually carried yourself here? There must be more witches
that undo spells surely, where you are from.

2012
You must be Papa that I’m
looking for. Because how
else could you have known
me, my parents, my village
and my intentions in this
nightmare forest? Please
tell me it is you. Please.
Stop chasing ghosts’
young man. Papa died over
a decade ago and I don’t
know how I can be useful
to you in any other way
than telling you to walk the
same distance that you
walked when coming here
and tell your people that
you failed your quest and
so you should be sacrificed
if the order is to be
restored.
Well, is that so?
Magaagala reluctantly
replied. So what do I tell
them if they ask me who
sent them the redemption
message? Another ghost?
You are taking your eyes
off the ball young man.
You have limited time and
the clock is ticking. Before noon tomorrow, your herd will be
starved and dehydrated. Not only yours, but the others’ too.
Make whatever business you have in this forest as fast you
can to save your village.
Magaagala didn’t not have the opportunity to ask any more
questions. His time was actually up. He needed to decide
whether to go back to his village or to continue his quest
hoping that he could by any chance meet the intended person.
And from what I remember, he took the second option on the
agenda and walked deep into the forest. He walked until he
ran out of water and food. He ate the fruits but to no avail.
After a while, Magaagala lost consciousness and to his
disappointment, he woke up in a perfectly built shrine with an
old man watching him closely. His first words out of the
twilight were “Papa, Is that you?” and the response was…;
Yes son I’m. I am the only son of Nsibikye the legendary
healer and sorcerer who ever lived on the land of
Kanyandatsi. And you are Magaagala son of
Tashobya…..blah …..blah…..blah. I know all about your
unheard of sin and I can assure you, it’s a tag of war. Finish
the beverage I made for you out of the mivule back and you
will be fell much better ready to start.
Start what? Magaagala foolishly asked as he saw the bottom
of the pot in which his beverage was placed. Indeed it was
helpful to him. He got off the bed made of sticks and grass
with ease. So when do we get started? Magaagala asked
again. And the response was follow me as the old man started
walking again. Inside him, Magaagala was like not again but a

2012
beggar has no choice. It is
a rule of the game. He had
to pick himself up and
move behind the old man.
Back home, indeed the
cows were starving and too
were the people. Think
about the children and the
old. It reminded me of a
biblical account in the old
testament when God
commanded prophet Elijah
to arise from the area from
where ravens fed him to a
much poverty and hunger
stricken area where the
widow that God had
commanded to feed him
had a little flour and water
in the jug left to share with
her son and they would
wait to die. They really had
lost hope in Magaagala;
some thought the forests
had swallowed him
because the waited for him
with no response.
The only few people with hope like Moses, still trusted that
Magaagala would do it well for his village and trusted that
Papa would still be alive and willing to help. What they didn’t
know was if Magaagala could find the only man in whom the
entire hope of the village was bestowed. And this was the man
that Magaagala was still following closely.
He led Magaagala to the real shrine and ordered him to sit
obediently and keep silent. “Where were are is the land of the
gods, they are watching us even as we speak. Do not speak
unless you are spoken to. Is that clear? Otherwise, you’ll walk
back to Kanyandatsi empty handed. Then the old man open a
new dictionary with languages that Magaagala could not
understand. For about 12 hours, this kind of dead silence was
practiced.
It was at this time that settlers in Kanyandatsi could hear the
sound of water flowing from where it previously had a path.
Remember the saying that water never forgets where it has
ever had a path. And in the sky, signs of rainfall were visible
again. A clear indicator that Magaagala had done it for them
again.
It is done. The old man broke the silence. You can go back
home hoping that you have done what your people hoped that
you would for them. Extend my regards to Moses and those
who still know of my existence. Since I work for no payments
and you are poor, I can see you, please go home. I’m sure
they are eagerly waiting for you.
“Not without you.” Magaagala replied shortly. That is the best
I can do to show you how grateful I’m for what you have not
only done for me but also for our people. Taking you back

2012
home is all I can do to
thank you. Please come
with me, I will make
everyone know that if it
wasn’t for you, we would
all be dead by noon
tomorrow. And what
would the old man add?
When do we get leaving?
Let me my cigarette one
more time and we can get
gone.
1.5 THE HEROES
WELCOME.
The journey that
Magaagala had walked for
4 days seemed so short this
time round. They walked
back home in just one and
a half days. The noon that
was proclaimed as the hour
of death found both
Magaagala and Papa at the
gates of the village and a
huge gathering awaited
him as if it were November
11th in the United States of
America what the Veterans’ Day is celebrated. It looked they
had lost someone and they had not moved on. The crowd was
such an expectant one.
Before he could say anything, everyone wanted to have a
hand on the young man who has travelled to the forests
proclaimed for evil that no one ever made out of them but
managed to beat the myth. He could not carry on the burden
that the individual that did most of the work almost went
unnoticed. This is when he silenced the crown to tell them his
story and he managed to make it was all because of the efforts
of the old man who now stood next to him. The people could
believe their eyes for those who had seen him before his
expulsion. Moreover, for those who hadn’t, they were
wondering who the great grandfather was? He had a bunch of
hay for beards and he looked like he had not seen water for
centuries.
Social order was restored, Magaagala did not only tame two
new dogs Jack and Jerk but also got married to a beautiful
wife and had a family with her. Her name was Stella. This
was after the coming of the missionaries to there are hence the
English names. Magaagala was baptized and named Luke and
not everything from that day never went back again. You
can’t believe your eyes when you visit this place now. It is all
modern and no signs of any bushes like there used to be. I
wonder whom the gods took under their spell for clearing
their forests now.
All I know is that Magaagala (now Luke) died of an arrow
when he was 50. He left two sons and a daughter under the
watch of their steadily growing mother, Stella. Both Gaston

2012
and Ronald went to school
and Edith remained home
for she was still young to
join them.
In the year, 1957 is when
he died. But what I can tell
you for sure is that when
he died; the sun was asleep
and there was no cloud in
the sky. It by any measure
believed that by the time of
his death, he had his eyes
closed and his heart was
wide open.

THE FAMOUS HUNTER

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