When I lived In The Land Of Hills and Valleys

Short Story By Najin
One day, while I was 15 years, I had an issue with my Ma'...I had commited an act of disobedience...I was already a young man, not a big boy, if you understand what I mean. My friend had encouraged me that we go to Honi river, the portion where the Amboni road passes. We wanted to swim, dive and also catch fish. It was a Saturday and I had the duty, on that particular day to milk the cows in the afternoon, which as you know, is a religious obligation. Njagi and I left at 11 in the morning. The waters of Honi were very clear that day, the sun was very blight and very warm. Although I had never come across a heated swimming pool, the spot we chose was working like one! Up the spot, we threw the lines, attached to baits, all improvised. We ended up catching two fish...well my friend did. We resumed our most important sport of the day....I was so excited...we dived, somersaulted and waded in our newly found pool. Njagi was a great life safer and trainer. I never wanted to go home...the experience was just fantastic. Everything else was forgotten...even when we decided to go back home, it wasn’t because I had other duties in mind but the pool heating device had to to take up other duties...it was sunset and the sun, as you know, does not wait for two young men ( never mind the King ) . Anyway, to cut a long story short, we eventually got home at I was ready to start sharing the big news with my siblings..maybe with my mother too....
I was reminded of the milking duty, not by a sweet pleading voice...but by a Mutaathi stick across my back! Before I could take cover or reconcile what had come into contact with my fresh, another swipe across my arm...and another on my back. Then my instincts signaled to my slow thinking mind that a 'war' had already been declared, or counter-declared by my Ma'. Two things saved me from total annihilation...darkness - because I ran into the night, which hid me from her sight. The second thing was my legs...I believe if somebody had timed me with a stop watch, I could have broken every splinting record that existed in all Olympics, both indoor and out door.Well, I never ever returned to Honi river again...my swimming lessons were suspended. Dont ask what happened to my friend Njagi. Every time I would pass by Honi river near Mweiga Town, I could only point at the waters with a finger.
{One of my readers sent me this story,I enjoyed reading it:).Thanks Najin}