The Three Witches of Bhangu

Mama said that if I didn’t come home before dark I wouldn’t make it home again. I was lucky that warm humid night.

 She always warned... “Meu filho (my son) be careful...there are strange things that come out in the night. Naughty children disappear all the time. Listen filho be home before the sun hits Bhangu Mountain.”Mama sometimes took it too far. So I didn’t listen. I played by the river with my friends. By the time my mother’s warning rang through my mind, the sun was just about to reach the mountains peak. We all scattered in a state of hysterical laughter screaming and shouting at each other to corre! (run). I lived the furthest away and ran as fast as my little legs could carry me. They felt heavier and heavier as the sun went down, the crickets and distant roars of the animals in the wild. My pace quickened again when I heard a ruffle in the bushes, I told myself I’m almost home and shivered at the beating that was to come when I got home.I was a few huts away from my house when I was old man Kimbu’s house. He owned all the businesses in our little village.

 I found it weird that the adults always said that ‘he got around’ even my mother with her friends used to talk bad about him. Something was off my body frozen halfway through and I felt something pull me back the way I came until I was behind the big boulder. I peeked out and saw the most peculiar spectacle that I’ve ever seen. I saw three big round big round women dancing, jumping, dancing, and chanting round and round his house. Their saggy skin flapping and slapping around wildly as their breasts hit their chins.

They started moaning and convulsing in a way that I’ve seen the movies and my prick became stiff and uncomfortable in my dirty shorts. I was curious, even though deep down I knew, I got caught I would be taken, fear crept up and chilled me to the bone that same fear held me down as I took another peek  from the boulder. I remember the stories now. These women were witches! I wanted to call out to Mr Kimbu in warning but my mouth was shut tight. It felt like hours before each lowered their voices and in a single file they entered through his door without opening it.

I had to rub my eyes a few times because I couldn’t believe what I just saw were they spirits? I froze further when I heard Mr Kimbu scream, and then there was dead silence, even the crickets and creatures of the night. I felt like running and screaming but I really had a heavy feeling that someone or something was holding me down and covering my mouth. Not soon after they each came out one by one holding something bloody in their hands. I saw these things from pictures at school even at home. The one in the front had a heart the other his tongue and eyes and the last held his penis tightly and was breathing heavily holding it up in the air, a white cream and blood leaking from the tip. Each cackled and ate the parts right there and then. I felt sicker and wanted to vomit as I watched them savor every bite as if in ecstasy.

My lungs felt like I was breathing blood and it hurt every time my chest rose. It was pitch black where I stood and his lantern barely reached the front gate. I prayed that they would not come this way because I was sure I was going to scream at looking at their bloody mouths smiling in triumph. Each then got in a semi circle and disappeared in a plume of smoke. When the heavy feeling left and I didn’t stick around to make sure they were truly gone. I ran and ran afraid to shout out just in case they will pick me off. Soon I saw my mother’s fierce look and I have never been happier I got the courage and screamed out for her. She must have noticed something on my face because she dropped her whip and ran to me, meeting me halfway in our little yard. I felt hot but she asked why was sweaty and cold.

“I saw three naked tias mama!” I shouted she paused. I told her what I saw and her eyes bulged out the sockets. She screamed out and started calling the neighbor, everyone became curious and brought out torches and spears and katanas, whips from their homes. She screamed for the men to go check Mr Kimbu’s house and they lead the mob to his place.  I was afraid to go back and but I clung to my mother for dear life as, the rest of the women gossiping among each other, whispering and speculating. I saw one of the witches among them but I didn’t even look her in the eye pretending to be another curious neighbor wondering what’s happening. By the time we reached his house the pungent smell of blood permeated all around you. Nobody could breathe without getting a lungful of bloody smelling air into them.

A wail was heard among the women and that was the driving force for the men to kick down the door of his house. The light from the lanterns and torches cast shadows that scared me further but my mother moved closer to the house like everyone else. All curious to know what’s inside? The men came out and shook their heads clicking their tongues and crossing their arms. They each spat on the floor and started throwing the torches at the house, setting it on fire. Maybe it was cruel fate because I looked into the window by his room and I saw him Mr Kimbu looking directly at me while his body was behind him looking mangled, glowing orange from the fire. He gave a slight nod before the flames engulfed him and his body.

Since that day...I never strayed far from the house and whenever I saw the sun halfway through the sky I didn’t care what I was doing, I left it and I ran home, for I feared I would never see my mama and brothers again.

_PasopNegra