Check out the previous part here – Presage of Downfall Chapter 1 – 3
Alistair Karume moved quickly after coming out of Ting Shark’s office and bid Mugo goodbye. He also took the letter he was to take to Mugo’s wife and tucked it safely in his back pocket. He stood at a junction unable to decide which route to follow.
There was this murram road that went to the town. If he followed it then, it would take him two villages away from his village. Thus, it would be a long and tiring journey. The other was just a mere path that passed through the Witeithie forest.
It was Not all That Safe in The Forest
It was not all that safe in the forest since there were several marauding animals in it. The advantage of using it was that it would directly land him in his village. He opted for the latter irrespective of the dangers it posed.
The quarries had fallen far behind him, as he made big strides towards the dense forest. Notwithstanding the unreliable rainfall in the area, the forest was healthy perhaps because several streams were passing through it.
Karume had no luggage on himself, so he felt light, which meant he would be able to walk faster. He had dark kinky hair that he hadn’t bothered to comb. He wore a black, short-sleeved t-shirt that was partly covered by the heavy jacket he wore. The trouser was faded denim jeans that were torn on the knees.
His face was thin but the features of youth like the strong jawline were still present. The tall man walked throwing his legs quite carelessly and his hands swaying. At first, it looked as if he was the only living creature in the dense forest. Well, as he moved on, foolproof evidence that there were other creatures – big and energetic – showed up. Big tree branches looked badly mangled and animal waste was scattered all over.
Inside the Forest
Songbirds adorned the evening air with their daily melodious tunes, which not many human beings stopped to appreciate. Sometimes the path narrowed dangerously to the point of extinction. Karume did not lose courage. He trekked on high alert for the slightest indication of danger. In some places, huge tree branches infested with caterpillars hung dangerously low posing a threat to his height. He bent where necessary.
A Strange Noise
Suddenly he heard it; a strange noise coming from ahead of him. He stopped to listen readily to flee in case of danger. The voice was very distinct now, caterwaul! Caterwaul! Caterwaul! Karume laughed loudly as he recognized the sound. It was the howling cry of a tomcat searching for anything to eat, or perhaps a mate. When he came close to it, it stopped howling and looked at him. At the same instant when Karume saw it, he broke his continuous steps. It was a big black one with sharp eyes.
“Bad omen,” he muttered to himself and continued walking.
Sometimes when one was lucky, one would hitch a lift from Ting Shark’s lorries, but not his car. This only happened when the lorries were taking building materials to the town. He came to a glade where the trees were scattered.
Some powerful, money-hungry individuals had decided to cut down the indigenous trees for timber irrespective of the side effects to the environment. Here he felt a bit safe since he could see all around. However, this was an unwise assumption. In Africa danger lurks at every corner and death is a companion of the oppressed Africans.
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