Everyone told me to go to Kumbungu Damba celebration because he is a big Chief and the celebration would be big. Instead I went to Dalun, even though its further, it is where my women are and they invited me to come.
So I show up at Rabi's house. Rabi is the leader of the To Bom Yem VSLA group. Rabi gave me a black and white woven two yard to wrap around my waist and a matching piece to go across my shoulder. Then she wrapped my head with a white scarf and I backed baby Richmond Big and Strong.
So off we went to greet the Chief but we greeted the wives first and never got around to the Chief. This was m y favorite part. Walking into the Chief's compound, there are a number of thatch roof mud huts, one for each of the ten wives. The Chief is old, probably 100 years old and his wives ages range from probably 25 to 90? I'd guess?
We went into each hut as the women here getting ready for the celebration. It felt a lot like college. Being a Chief's wife, its like being a sorority. Everyone was getting their hair done, or their make up, or running to bath. Each hut had a four poster bed, closets full of clothes and cabinets full of decorative cook wear.
In one of the houses I met Sanatu. I totally forgot she was a Chief's wife. I have worked with her on the farms this past year. We came to greet her in her bra and underwear but no one seemed to mind. All the wives were so beautiful, each with pretty gold jewelry on and pretty fabrics with golden threads.
So then the celebrations start. On big circle of onlookers with dancing and drumming in the middle. Then Chief comes out with his entourage and they sit in a big group, all the Wives follow and sit in a line in the chairs of the circle. It just so happened that I got to sit next to all the Wives! Right next to Sanatu.
There were two other white girls there, I'm sure they are teachers or volunteers here for a couple weeks. They looked a little clueless. I sat opposite them with Rahima on my lap and Rabi to my right and as the festival went on I was greeted by most of the women in our VSLA group. Everyone loved my outfit.
Every time a Wife danced the people went crazy. One time a daughter danced, she was so beautiful, she wore this woven cloth of light blue, light yellow and gold stripes. She didn't even have the cloth sewn into a dress, it was just wrapped around her like a two yard, and she had yards of wrapped around her head.
Then they starting shooting off the guns and babies started crying and the sun started setting so I rode home.
On my way home I stopped by Coni's shop again, told her all about Damba. She said she went to Kumbungu but had to turn and come back because the bees were really bad and stinging people. In fact, people had to be hospitalized.
This is a crazy thing because Kumbungu Chief is known for his bees. Kumbungu has the bees, its their thing. At ceremonies, Kumbungu Chief takes bees with him in a pot. Coni said people were insulting him because he could not control the bees and Chiefs are supposed to have some kind of power over that.
Today I came into town and stopped for a coke at my friend Memuna's place. She said some wicked people had shot the hive at Kumbungu and disturbed the bees. She said no, Chief cannot control the bees but these bees that attacked, and the Kumbungu bees are different. She said the Kumbungu bees, you will never see, they do not come out. They are not the same as the wild bees. The Kumbungu bees only come out in times of war or trouble.
She said the bees have been with Kumbungu since "Chief, Chief, Chief, up until now. You understand." I nodded.
As I left Memuna's place she said "Friend, you are getting fat." I nodded.
Thanks Memuna.
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