.....FROM ANOTHER MOTHER!!

The exam results were out for the O level certificate and with lots of excitement after getting good grades I rushed back home to share the news with my family. On arriving I noticed everyone was gloomy and sad. We had a visitor from Western with a sad news.
Solo had died that morning and my sister was left a widow. Mixed feelings of both sadness and exams results for me. Well nobody even remembered to ask how I had faired and I didn't mind. First things first and I had to join in on the final celebration of a life that had been my in law and a friend.
So we quickly head to vihiga Western province to grieve with my sister. On arrival we find the home packed and full with each person handling his own responsibility. Then as I put my bag down and prepare to sit,he walks in.
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He is the elder in charge of the funeral programme. He loudly shouts at me "Peter what is this? how do we operate here now? I just ordered you not to step away from the store and to guard the slaughter area. These people are bad they can disappear with a whole bull through the fence. seems you don't understand villagers because you stay in Nakuru."
We are all surprised by this kind of remarks and he still stands there ordering me to follow his instructions.
Then he leaves in a hurry to go report to Mama Jane the old lady of the home. Meanwhile we are left whispering to each other about this elder's madness.
Moments later Mama Jane comes lamenting and quarreling in Luhya language saying things I couldn't make up, all I got was Peter this Peter that oooh Peter.
Just at this moment one woman who sat in silence all along realizes the confusion and saves the day. She uses both Luhya and Kiswahili to explain.
"I have seen him and got confused too. It's just their voices that are different but seriously this is not Peter. Actually he is a visiting mourner from our in laws "mashemeji" and has come with the others."
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"Where is Peter?" this is the question I had in mind all through the drama.
We sat close to my sister listening to her sad narration of the tragic demise of our beloved brother in law. Just then a mourner came into the homestead wailing and screaming in a Maragoli dialect. Every one of our hosts left the room wailing and rushing out to welcome the newcomer.
Smoke filled the whole place from the "mahengere" mix of beans and maize that was being boiled and the beef and "ugali" that marked a big event or funeral.
From a distance we heard the local "musalaba" church playing their drums and jumping up and down as they sang;
"Luwereee Luwere! Luwere! Luwere khulangwa Kuche Luwere! Luwere! Nyasaye akhulinde...aleluhya"
This is a song that never misses in any Luhya funeral meaning "you will leave everything and go back to God as you came bare handed and wishing your soul well and peaceful rest."
As the band sorry the church choir sang, the locals made a train like formation behind them and everyone was dancing with their shoulders and kicking their legs backwards. I almost forgot I was in a funeral.
Just then I noticed a young man shaking and singing along as he clapped too. He was at the far end of the choir with the other hosts. Then my brother Willy who was standing next to me tapped me and said mmh well I don't know what is going on but for sure that is you.
I stood still looking at "the me" and he also having spotted me stopped.
He came over to say hello and to our surprise almost everyone stopped their activities to look at the two strange twins. That was me and Peter my brother from another mother.

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NB: Photo by Western Kenya bullfighters.