21/12/2023
PROLOGUE
Ogwama and the ogres
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ogwama-ogres.../dp/B0C6W5JNQW
The children walked briskly with their water bowls skillfully balanced on their heads.
“Ah, Mwaura,” Wangechi grumbled, “walk faster, it’s already getting dark.”
Wangechi was anxious to get home. She was especially complaining to Mwaura, the youngest brother who lagged behind. The evening was particularly special, as it was the full moon, the time of the month when the children’s grandmother visited their home. She would always make them mihogo for dinner, their favorite meal and later narrate captivating stories that always astounded them.
From up the slope, Njoki saw her grandchildren round up the corner that led from the stream with their bowls full of water. She had prepared the children’s meal in haste knowing full well their hunger for mihogo nearly equaled their attentive ear for her stories.
“That was very quick, my little ones,” she cheerfully said to her grandchildren as they set down the bowls of water. The children were the apple of her eye. She was overjoyed by their radiant faces full of life and carefree attitude of youth.
After a hearty meal, the children sat around the fireplace facing their grandmother.
“Thank you, grandmamma,” Wangechi said for the mihogo.
“Thank you, grandma,” the rest of the children repeated after their elder sister. Invigorated by the meal, they anxiously looked at their grandmother for yet another of her enchanting tales.
With deliberate movements of old age, Njoki sorted out some dry sticks from a pile that lay by the corner of the hut and set them on dry chips of wood. Then she tipped a growing ember on the chips. The fire slowly came to life, illuminating the children’s eager faces that solely focused on her. Once she had the fire burning, Njoki sat down beside the fire and began a new story.