Kushira vukwi

When a wife leaves home, she goes to only one place if she  wants to continue calling herself by your name - her maternal home. And she never always had left right leaves. In fact every time she came the father would quickly want to listen to the wife why the aged daughter is around. Did she bring sad or good news. Did vasanji get a funeral? Why is she around? This is incase she was not invited to some function at home. It is unlike now when women leave their husbands to come and g'warang'wara in home matters. Keep by the rod of your husband, dear sister.  

So on this leave the wife speaks good news to the father in the house or goes to see an elder brother, or a clan mate who equally expect news when she is around. 'vasanji varagenda hango hano mugamba zuri. kwetegeke.' And  all would go frenzy, 'nakutangirihai?'

But the father takes a comfortable sit, more proud in his heart, more accomplished. Let the women fumble, after all, they enjoy it. Are not hens that he sees running after crickets and nematodoes in the field? Is the rokeyo not full of vibanana and matemwa gi kisigame, siarumuri and inangungwa? They struggle with zitiiru every time, heavy to fall. They won't finish, even if the whole in law clan came. Rivoywa, Ingumba and Kisudi was well harvested and the ibusaa is sour. A worthy woman is not that who wants to debate with men but she who makes productive the corners of her garden.  He stirs his stick and avoids the eye of his daughter - respectable woman who has gained worth at her home.

And the husband was such a man. The day he came to introduce himself, escorted by his father and a friend he was a man yet to prove himself. Now with a son with his wife, he did what men were required to do - sit down with your father. 'Mwanage, virori yivi vizie. Kwenya kuvuri kororeka soni.' And the son, having grown grazing, milking and treating the miandu, agrees without a word. He seeks his peers, tells them the way, they know that before the first cock, they should be Ivukirima heading to Imavi. He breaks a rushiora stick and hands them, vakomere zing'ombe. He is not needed on the day. He shall but stay at home and wait for those who went to come back.

As rosy fingered dawn sheds light on immortal Earth, the daughters of  Imavi vadidikanaa yiyi niyi because all they want is maximum respect. Nothing is left for granted. Some stretch and tip toe looking where cows shall arrive from. They are expectant. Only light meals are on fire, the heavy ones kept hot in the pots.

So cows are stopped by the kirivwa. These gentlemen have long walked, sweated, thirsted and crossed  many rivers yet they do not rush to ask water or make noise. A child or youth who had already seen them runs to alert. And women pretend they were never expectant for they can't be seen. Musakuru of the home walks to welcome  them. He greets, gives them his sorries for the journey and takes the hold of the cows. He takes the rushiora to mean received and directs the cows mukego. There as he ties them, he hears ululations and singing. People hugging, hands greeting loudly in the air and all that. Viha vaduchi. There the cows will be for sometime, they must urinate in their new home.

Not much is talked on this day. It is more of a woman's and childrens day. Shortly the tables are set and mouths are fed. Relatives and friends to the home arrive as invited. Key people are aunts to this girl being paid cows for.

Now, depending on the hand size, that is the cows brought, the family may be stretched to want to feed them more. Here happens that sisters to the husband becoming proud to reject some hen meat. Meda vinama, meda! The family needs to obey.

At the men's table, they speak of distance tales. The heavy rains that swelled Izava, the chief who died, the coming circumcision. They fill themselves. They ask the cow bringers to add more on their plates, they need refill much. Till everyone takes a back sit on maagore to signify satisfaction.

Time to leave, celebrations do not last days. Only mourning. Women are loaded, they did not eat everything on the plate. They left children at home. The men who were with cows are as light as wind and would be first to reach home. The daughter should leave altogether, she has no business at home. Several vihinda are wrapped well. Hens, meat and cooked vichima well put there. They are hopeful that muheso would follow them. They give thanks to the host and they are replied...'mugende vurahi'.

At home, where a table has also been set and a few relatives invited, they wait to know. As the able men report back that vagendi vurahi, they give thanks and wait for the women and children. It is the children who would be telling their friends, 'olaaza yira, mh, mapera gitinya ni manene, manene, manene. Kuzii ndii, kuzia ndio....kunina kiguru, ku ni ihare!' and men would be attacking the meal brought. Mukana yakareta kirindwa hango!