“Mũtungati wa Mbere” By Brian Njagi
Ũtukũ bwamamĩrue i ndwĩmbo cia ntaano. Kwarĩ kũgũkinya karũkĩĩrĩ rĩrĩa muundu jũrwaga na weerũ jugacindwa. Nthaka na akũrũ baaciogete ncherembe magũrũ cia kũringĩria ndwimbo cia uthi. Baakinya nthĩ bakauruta tĩĩri ĩkeerera ĩgũrũ kĩrĩ muundu. Ndagwata nguũ yakwa na ũguaa. Ndagwatĩra mũmero jwakwa jũtigaite mugambo ndegete kwina na akũrũ baarea beeraga ntũra yoonthe ntukũ ĩu biĩjĩ bigatanwa.
“M’Mugambi! M’Mugambi!” Ndaigua kanyua gakĩmbĩta kuuma nyuma. Kanyua ga M’Kanyaru. Twatanĩrwe kagita kamwe, mĩaka ĩna mĩthiru.
Imbi M’Kanyaru?
“Njũ nkũonie.”
M’Kanyaru athithinaga mwĩrĩ junthe. Rũũya rwenamaga mwĩrĩ ja ndũũjĩ siumĩte irĩmene. Kwarĩ na Thagana rũtere rũmwe rwa kĩreera area kĩrũũya gĩkĩnene kĩanamaĩra. Mũtonga na Kathita ciarĩ rũteere rũu rũngĩ.
Ũtĩetere ntaano ithire twĩte.
“Ntano i cia mwanka junthe.”
M’Kanyaru, i naa tweta? Ũtĩmbĩĩre birĩa ndeeta kwona.
“Waacia, kwĩ into bimwe biĩ ũũma biategwa.”
Ndaakira ndamũthingata na mũkiro jũu. Tũkĩgitĩĩra ithakene mũtwe jwancokia rĩrĩa twatanĩrwe.
Ndakari nthĩ ĩgurũ ye gĩtanda gĩakwa kĩrĩa gĩatumi na mĩare. Twarĩ gaarũne na nthaka ina irĩa ciatani ĩaka ithatũ mĩthiru.
“Watanwa umenye twarĩ tũkagucwa mono. Twendete mũtĩ jũtĩna nkobia.”
Bakatheka rĩu bagakunda ũũki kuuma kĩrĩ nkunĩki cia ikiri. Bagĩmpa mĩgambo ndageragia kũona ũrito bwa mantũ jaja jeeterete ĩndĩ ntoonaga ũũme bũrĩa bwarĩ o.
“Na twakũrũmia ũkarea weenka bai. Na kuuma naarua, wĩ mũkũrũ wa Kĩmĩĩru, chamba.”
Na gwakea. Aini baari bagũkũrũkĩra nja cia biĩjĩ bionthe na ini ndarĩ wa mũthia kũjũkua. Kĩrĩndĩ kĩarĩ kĩa antũ ja magana jaĩrĩ. Baina na bathũngũtha, nthĩ ĩkainaina ja nkoma yagwa. Ndaigua karuuo kagisema gatĩgatĩ ka magũrũ ndamenya naarua irĩo.
Twainĩrwa mwanka twakinya kĩrĩ muthithi o mbũrĩ. Au nĩo ntaano cia mwĩrĩga ciagĩtaĩrwa amwe na kũrĩwa kwa ndumwa.
Bakũrĩkia kwina, mũtaani aita gaciũ kĩrĩ mũgwati jwa mũcibi jwawe. Gitonga nwe arĩ wa mbere. Twakari nthĩ tũaramĩtie magũrũ na tũtegeete mbere. Kithũnũ gĩakwa kĩereretue kĩrĩ meetho ja nthaka na akũrũ barĩa bonthe barĩ o. Boonthe beeterete kũona nchabũ cietũ ikĩgwa. Mũtani areenama nthĩ agwata kanyamũ ka Gitonga. Ookĩria gaciũ akarikania ngũgĩ ĩrĩa yageeterete. Gateetera kaĩrĩ keenama na kĩĩrĩmwe gatema nchabu ye Gitonga nci! Kĩrĩndĩ kĩaringa gĩtuma na kwina nkũrũnki. Mũtĩ jwa Gitonga jũratigwa jwĩ kĩthũnũ, jũtĩna nkobia na jũkĩrĩĩra ndamu.
Mũtani enderea na Kinoti amwita nkobia rĩu ankinyĩra. Kĩruuo kĩa mũnunko jwa ũũkĩ na marwa kĩrandiga kuuma kĩrĩ kanyua ka mũtani. Ndoona njara ciawe ikinaina. Mũtani okĩĩria gaciũ. Gaciũ keenama nthĩ kagĩĩta gatĩgatĩ ka magũrũ jakwa. Ndaigua mũrimo ndeenda kwina. Mũrimo jwa kũgĩta ndamu yũũgĩa mwĩrĩ junthe. Mwanki jwa mwĩrĩ juunthe jwacemania gatĩgatĩ ka magũrũ jakwa. Kĩrĩndĩ kĩenderea kwina nainya gĩtĩkwenda kũmenya mathĩna jakwa. Irĩo ndaigĩrue kanyua kamwe gatĩgatĩ ka rwĩmbo gakĩgondoka, “Agũtemwa! Agũtemwa mũtĩ!”
Mĩragi, tũciũ na imee birĩa biakamati biona ngũgĩ ĩĩnjerũ. Kĩrĩndĩ kĩaũmbũkĩre na kĩrĩmwe ja ng’ombe siene rũũjĩ. Mũtani atarĩ na gwa kũmatũkĩra. Ntubia nawe amami nthĩ ndamu ĩkiura gatĩgatĩ ka magũrũ ja maumago ja ng’ombe. Augaga mbu ja mtũ ategete gĩkuũ. Ntaijĩ nakĩene. Mbu yawe ĩramerua i mpara ye kĩrĩndĩ ye kũrĩia. Ndĩkũrũngama ndatega nyuma ndoonere mũtani aiti ngũo. Mũthaka ũmwe mũnene amũgwete kĩbara amũkabira o. Mĩkiia ye ndamu yakari ja mĩri ye mũti.
“Mũteme mũtĩ ja ũrĩa atemana!”
“Ii mũteme! Tema!”
“Bũgantema! Bũgantema itũ bu antũ bakwa!”
Antũ bawe batarĩ au. Ntukũ ĩu mũtani na mũtanwa bakwĩrĩre amwe na batĩna mĩtĩ.
ũgwĩtaĩta ndoona twĩĩtĩte rũtere rwa nja ye M’Rubane, mũkũrũ wa Njũri Ncheke. Twagita kamũuro geetagwa Karĩĩthi twaitia kĩbari.
Magũrũ ja M’Kanyaru jatakiraĩria nthĩ. Jaburũkaga rwĩro inya mwigua jũntĩngĩ mũmunta. Irĩo ndoonere tweetĩte gwa M’Rubane, mũkũru o Njũri Ncheke.
“Uuui tũkũthira!”
“I naa baumĩĩte baba?”
“Ii nkoma iji!”
“Nkoma ĩtĩ nguũ. Baba i nguũ ntune batũthingata kuma ĩriene.”
“Ndaugaga Koomenjũe nabaurare baathira.”
M’Kanyaru athingata njĩra ye nyunjurĩ twaumĩra rũtere rwa nchuku. Aitia igũrũ ndamũthingata.
Mbere ndooneere mĩtwe yaantũ. Yoonthe ĩtegete mbere jaka ĩkũrombera rũthingo. Ndĩkũthingata meetho na mĩromo ĩrĩa yoorotaga ndoona kĩrĩa kĩamakagia antũ. Kwarĩ na muntũ umwerũ ja mweri mbere ye nyomba ya M’Rubane. Eekĩrĩte kĩguo kĩng’ana mũgũta jwa ng’ombe. Arĩ na mareru jamaĩru jatenderi ja ja nthenge. Mũtundu ju jwarei ja mũthirinya jwa ng’ombe. Meetho jawe jarĩ ja rangi ye ĩgũrũ. I jaka nthĩgũrũ yatũraga au ndene.
“M’Kanyaru…Ũũjũ i mũraĩka?”
“Mũthaka ũrĩa agũtaũra amwĩtĩre mũchũnkũ”
“Mũchũnkũ? Ja ĩria rĩrĩa rĩnyiagia maketha?”
“ii.”
“Antũ beetũ, mũgeni weetũ nakwenda kuuga mũgambo.”
Gwakirwa. Mũchũnkũ asiũkĩria na muraagi jwawe. Aarei nkũrũnki ya antũ barea baingĩ barĩ au. Asokia njara nyuma akira kagita.
Imbi eeterete?
“Mbuga kagũcwa mĩgambo kĩrĩ meetho jeetũ.”
Akũrugũra kanyua ndaigua ja muntũ ena nchooma. Mĩgambo yawe amiina ja rwĩmbo rwa ndwa. Aambĩria gũtumĩra njara ciawe kũorota. Akarakara akaigwatithania. Akaorota matu rĩu akaorota kĩbara kĩawe. Akĩrĩkia atũorota. Akira.
“Antũ beetũ, mũgeni weetũ eetagwa Carlingstone, kana Iigarĩkomboki. Ariuga eejĩte gwetũ na weega na ntharimo kuuma kĩrĩ Mũrungu. Atũmi ii mwana o Mũrungu Njesosi gũtuunjĩria.”
“Mũrungu atĩ na mwana! Muntũ ũũjũ i mũrongo!” M’Nyagu agondoka akinainagia mũragi jwawe.
“Mũchũnkũ ũũjũ ena thũũ. Inaa Mũrũngũ aitĩre mwekũrũ keenda oona mwana?”
“Mwĩre acoke kwao tũtĩkwenda mantũ jawe!”
Ndĩ au ĩgũrũ ye nchuku ndoona mũchũnkũ agiikia njara mũukone jwa mũrĩngĩti jwawe. Aita kamũti akarĩkĩĩra kanyua. Kuuma gĩ kanyamũ kaangĩ karĩ njarene aita kamũtĩ gakanini, akaringithia kĩrĩ kanyamũ karea ka mbere mwanki jwagata kamũtĩ. Gwakirwa. Meetho jonthe jategete mũchũnkũ agwete mwanki na kamũtĩ. Twinthe tweeterete na mũrigaro. Aikia kamwaki kau kĩrĩ kamũtĩ karea karĩ kanyua akagwatia.
“M’Mugambi…”
I nkwona. Kira twone…
Mbere ndĩkia kuuga ũrĩa ndaugaga mũchũnkũ akindũka toogi.
“Wuui! Nakũya kanyua!”
“Orieni mwanki jũu!”
Ndathũngũtha nthĩ rwĩro ndaita gĩkiri nchukune ndeereka kĩrĩ kamũuro ga Karĩthi. Kĩrĩndĩ kĩonthe gĩkĩringaga kanyua kĩmaki nyuma ekwa. Ndataa rũũjĩ rwĩro na ndaitia na gĩkĩri gĩakwa ndaitia. Mũchũnkũ arũngami o area ndamũtigĩte. Aciia kamũtĩ kaĩrĩ akindũka toogi. Ndamũminyĩra rũũjĩ kanyua na kĩ rĩmwe, o rĩĩ mũtaũri angwataga.
Mũchũnkũ Iiga akũrĩkia kũtheka, na meethori jakũrĩkia kwĩnama aantega akeni ambĩta na njara. Ndeeta kĩrĩ we nkoro ĩkĩndigaga. Angwata njara ambĩka rũtere rwawe na rwendo, rwendo rwa ndene.
“I have found my first altar boy, my first disciple.”
“Mũgeni weetũ ariuga akwona mũtungati wawe wa mbere.”
English translation “The First Disciple” by Brian Njagi
Brian Njagi is a 22 year old undergrad student, a copywriter and an actor. He recently published a poetry anthology, Breathing Poetry and also co-founded Story Zetu, a literary blog in 2011. His works have also appeared on Storymoja and Essy Oscar Journal. He writes in Kimeru, Swahili and English and hopes that one day he will find the key to the House of Ideas.
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