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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
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Izava Walk : Wa Mmakaya

Wammakaya is a place that once was inhabited by thick guava bushes and misorongo. Undergrowths of vikemiakemia and zinzagayago were many. Rutavati made paths called lung'afa. Lung'afa is such a path that a person cannot easily pass through. Time has seen them cut, burnt, die and extinct. The fit for survival Mr. Eucalyptus doesn't grow better Wammakaya.

A beautiful kind of grass adorns Mmakaya's bottom. Bare feet enjoyed the carpet. When mama gave us a break from wood fetching, she'd have seen mmakaya with 300 or so for a thin tree. Mmakaya would be very philanthropic to add a msorongo. Had the leaves been of value, nothing would stop them from being carried home.

One vivid day, those days when the household had no food, Milly and I went kotenya. We were busy trying to get sticks of firewood where Parapiku had made a fence. He is also called Malongo. When he saw us, he threw his panga towards us for he could not catch any. I looked Back and the motion Milly was in is a picture in my mind. Whether we went home terrified or cooled to pick firewood elsewhere is what I can't recollect.

I can also recall how Joshua could climb huge trees mukivanda cha Kibisu and only go home soon with respectable but countable dry branches. I was weak in climbing. Legs trembled, height fright, a poor son of woman. Joshua had a carefree sister called Leah whom swum with us in Izava.

Kibisu the politician borders Mmakaya. He took power from Mudavadi senior in 1969. For thirty shillings I'd clean a large area of his compound in his retired years. Mama used to pick tea there. His thick kivanda was clear without undergrowth. The water from Wandovo spring flowed open. What used to make it a mystery for the young is not there. Dense bushes were fearful to approach.

Something more about Malongo is that he used to sell firewood. Mama could have bought instead of having children roam valley bottoms. Malongo also had a wife or a friend I may say called Reside. Reside was mad, walking along valley bottoms. She picked stuffs on the road. She talked to herself. We called her Reside wa Marongo. Don't ask me more.

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