“What do you believe, ‘Nkosi?”
The question was asked quietly, denoting a strong curiosity. He looked up from his enameled metal plate, at the man sitting almost opposite the fire from him. The night air was fresh, yet comfortable enough. The flames from the fire place flickered this way and that. The warm fire light splashed across the black man’s face that had asked the question, leaving the impression that his thoughts and curiosity flitted across his features. The black man was an ‘Ndebele, and the two had been firm friends for many years, reaching as far back as their first years out of school.
The sounds of the bush crowded in to fill the quiet contemplation of the white man as he thought of an appropriate answer. He loved waxing philosophical, however, when it came to doing so with Aaron, he knew he had to be a lot more focused, as Aaron tended to remember verbatim what Sean would tell him. Over the years, Sean had come to know that this subject would be taken up for many months to come.
“Aaron … I believe that a man should be able to be left alone to live his life the way he sees fit.”
Aaron looked into the fire while deep in thought, and then said:
“Gamshish, what if this man then goes around and kills people, because he too believes that he should be left alone to live his life as he sees fit?”
Sean looked up at Aaron with a twinkle in his eye. He knew that Aaron was being a bit of a trickster with that question, and had in fact, been waiting for something of that nature.
“Now Aaron, did you not understand the idea behind ‘alone’ ? … ‘left alone’ ?” A toothy grin broke out on Aaron’s face.
“You are too sharp for me today, Gamshish” Aaron’s voice had a fondness to it, and he looked down into the fire again.
Sean knew what Aaron had been driving at; There was a band of merciless killers that was lead by a man that was remarkably intelligent, and just as remorseless about his activities. Even during the conflict he had been known to be vicious in his approach to his ‘job’ as a platoon leader for bush excursions. Rumours had moved through the bush about this man, yet nothing could be proved outright. Sean had had a run in with this man, and his right hand, unconsciously, moved into his shirt and over the scar on his left shoulder/chest.
“Yes Gamshish, the Hyena’s Mouth. You know the man I am talking about.”
The Hyena’s Mouth … Aaron’s face looked hard in the fire light. The name was an adaptation of the fact that the Hyena is the only animal in Africa that can bite through the femur of a cow in one bite; Once you are in the “Mouth of the Hyena …” When he looked up at Sean his eyes held that smokey vague look that was typical of the people of the region, when they had something in mind, but did not really feel comfortable talking about it. Sean watched closely, and realised that Aaron had something on his mind, but knew the man well enough to leave it be for a while. Aaron had this method of sorting through things in his mind; quietly and deliberately, and after he felt he was sure about what was on his mind he would quietly bring it out to Sean.
Sean picked up the cloth next to him and used it to pick up the blackened coffee pot off the edge of the fire. He gestured to Aaron with the blackened pot, offering a cup wordlessly. Aaron looked into his eyes and smiled warmly.
“We are like brothers, you and I. My father said that we should have been born of the same parents, as we are brothers. You know me well. I know you well. We are family. I am my father’s First Born, but it is you that is always the one to act like the First Born. Everyone in the family always asks for you when we have things to fix.”
“Yes Aaron, but I always then come to you, and together we fix things. That is how it is. Has this been a problem for you?” Sean asked with concern in his voice.
“When I was young. Now … ? No, it is how things should be. So, you give me coffee letting me know you are ready to talk when I am. You see? It is how it is supposed to be.” Aaron’s voice hardened to cold granite. “My mother’s village was attacked three days ago.”
Sean eyes shot up and he looked hard into Aaron’s smokey eyes. Aaron rolled out what he knew, as he had come to understand the circumstances explained to him.
It seemed that while his mother and her sister were tending the fields in that village, the Hyena’s Mouth had taken his crew out toward that village and had pressed them very hard for food and supplies, taking more than they needed, leaving the village in a delicate position. Three young maidens had been taken too, of which one was Aaron’s sister. The traditional African families are big; The first thing to remember is that it is a polygamous culture and Aaron’s father had four wives. Every wife is referred to by all of the man’s children as “mother”, and this was his father’s second wife. Aaron loved her dearly, and her and all her children loved him. His mother had sent a runner to find him as soon as the Hyena’s Mouth was far enough away for them to retaliate.
