A Long Walk

Sunday May 3, 2009 - Some interesting Masai cultural items came clear to me these past days. I spent some quality time with Mwololo and Fred, the Masai. We walked from 9 a.m. Saturday morning until about 4 p.m. We went up and down hills and rocky terrain, climbing to the top of some rocks called “the tooth” in Kimasai language. My legs are dead! But again, the time spent in conversations, learning about the culture was well worth it.

We began by Fred talking to me about coming to stay in the manyatta once again. We had a great time a week ago, because of or despite the torrential rains that fell while I was there. Fred says that if I stayed there tonight, we can’t sleep in the same house. His father (age - mid to late 80s) is staying at his house now. You need the full picture to understand this aspect of Masai culture. Fred’s dad has 4 wives. One of the wives is Fred’s mother. His father’s wives were “booked” by Fred’s grandfather. In other words, the marriages (Fred’s mother included) were arranged and timed for an additional wife every couple of years. The wives live in adjacent houses and the husband visits one of the four each night or for a period of nights. Now when Fred’s father visits the house of Fred’s mother, Fred sleeps with his brother Jackson at his house. Jackson is married but his wife is pregnant and when she is pregnant, she sleeps with her mother. Jackson sleeps with Fred. It’s musical beds almost every night. They are so used to it. So last night, Fred slept at my house. He laughed, a Masai sleeping in a house of luxury. Well, the electricity was out and the water has not run in five days. Not much luxury except for my iPod, which he loves. And so again, as it did the last time I slept at Fred’s – it rained hippos and elephants all night long. In fact the motorbikes weren’t running to take him home this morning. He had to walk a long way.

We talked about the possibility of Fred’s marriage being “arranged”. It is possible. Fred’s father has not yet “booked” Fred’s marriage(s) because Fred wants to finish school. If Fred’s father dies (a possibility) before the marriage has been arranged, it will not happen and Fred will choose his own mate. If Fred’s father arranges the marriage, Fred will abide by the decision, as did Fred’s many brothers. Fred estimates that he has about 18 brothers and sisters (many of them step)

We walked and talked some more and came upon a herd of giraffe, about a dozen zebra, some wildebeest and antelopes. It always amazes me to see these animals roaming free.

This is Fred’s fourth day of walking. Last Thursday he was summoned to an area called Thicka to help drive 300 head of family cattle back to Athi River, now that the rains have begun. That means he stays with the cattle all day and night, sleeping under the stars. Fred said that they woke up at about 5:30a.m. to see two leopards about 20 yards away, watching the cows. No cows died. In other news, when Fred was out with the cattle, he got a call from the Athi River manyatta to tell him that his cow was killed last night by a hyena. We had just heard the hyenas a few nights before. They waited until the men had gone for the cattle and then attacked. The hyenas do not fear women. The animals got some of the intestines but some of the folks from the manyatta were able to salvage some of the remaining parts to eat.

Some other bad news. The father of the pastor (preacher) who sometimes drives me on his motorbike was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road with cattle. He is in a coma and has some broken bones. He is in Kenyatta Hospital in Nairobi, not the best place in the world. (No lie – sometimes you are not alone in your hospital bed at Kenyatta. They double up there too!)

Tomorrow I hope to book a bus ticket to Turkana with “tall” Ben. I’ll let you know when I am going. Go ahead and Google “Turkana”. It may be the origin of our species. I can’t wait.