Masiopo Leaves Poem by Mulunda Silingi Phelix Nasiombe

A tale from Kaptola
Told by a storyteller from the hills
And from the slope
And from the plains
Yes, ask them all and they will gather here.

who have ears to hear and stomachs to laugh! Come!

For I have a story from the days when our feet were small, our dreams were enormous, and our beds knew secrets that our mouths could not confess.

Dreamers, beware!

For not every journey to heaven requires wings, and not every angel comes with a trumpet. Some come wearing red T-shirts, while others come carrying a message from the Almighty!

Listen!

I remember my Class Three friend, Simiyu, a boy whose tongue was never tired of storytelling. He could take you to heaven before breakfast and bring you back before the school bell rang.

One morning, he called me aside.

Simiyu: Phelix! Phelix! Come closer, my brother. There is a dream I have not told you!

Phelix: Eeeh, Simiyu! A dream? Then release it! For a dream locked in the chest is like a goat tied in a kitchen—it will disturb everyone!

Simiyu: Listen carefully. Last night, I dreamt that I had been airlifted to heaven, just like Elijah!

Phelix: Heee! Elijah of the whirlwind? The man who departed without saying goodbye to his neighbours?

Simiyu: Exactly! But when I arrived in heaven, God called an angel and instructed it to discuss my return to the world.

Phelix: Return? From heaven? What had you done?

Simiyu: Silence, Phelix! Let the storyteller finish!

The angel approached me.

Eeei! What a strange angel!

It wore a red T-shirt, long enough to cover its entire body!

And when it opened its mouth, it introduced itself:

"My name is Wafula Omonya Kiptoo! "

Children of the village, imagine!

An angel with a name known on earth!

I was surprised, but my tongue remained imprisoned.

Then the angel spoke:

"Simiyu, you must return to your family. Your mother is crying bitterly. Her tears are threatening to drown her heart. If you remain here, she may cry herself to death.

Therefore, my son, choose your road! You shall return to your mother either as a DOG or as a HEN! "

Phelix: Eeeeh! A dog or a hen? And not even a human being?

Simiyu: That is what the angel said!

Phelix: So, which road did you choose?

Simiyu: I looked at the dog.

I imagined the cold nights. I imagined stones flying from angry boys. I imagined people chasing me from their doorsteps.

I cried out:

"Eeee! Never! I cannot return as a dog! "

I chose the hen!

Phelix: A hen? Why a hen?

Simiyu: Because a hen lays eggs! And what mother would refuse eggs from her own child?

The angel nodded.

"Very well, Simiyu. Lay an egg! "

I bent down.

I struggled.

I pushed!

And lo and behold!

The first egg came out!

Eeei! The miracle of heaven!

The angel looked at me.

I looked at the egg.

Then I tried again.

And behold!

The second egg emerged!

I smiled.

I remembered my mother.

I imagined her joy.

I said to myself:

"Ah! My mother will be happy. Let me produce one more egg, just to make her happier! "

I gathered my strength.

I bent down again.

I pushed!

But before the third egg could arrive—

PAKA! PAKA! PAKA!

Something landed on my back!

A sting! A sharp sting! A sting from the world of the living!

I opened my eyes!

And who was standing beside my bed?

My mother!

Not an angel. Not Wafula Omonya Kiptoo. Not even Elijah!

It was my own mother, armed with a stick, administering heavenly instructions from the bedroom!

Phelix: Eeeeh! What happened, Simiyu?

Simiyu: My brother! I woke up to discover that my mother was flogging me!

I had not laid eggs!

I had been laying something else!

I had defecated on the bed!

And not once, my brother!

Twice!

Twice on a bed I shared with my sister!

Phelix: Ahaaaa! So the angel's second egg was actually the second deposit?

Simiyu: Phelix! Do not laugh at another man's misfortune!

Phelix: But, Simiyu, what about the third egg?

Simiyu: That is when my mother interrupted the heavenly examination!

And that, children of Kaptola, is how a boy who dreamt of becoming a hen returned from heaven with two deposits and a beating!

Eeei! What a journey!

What a journey!

From heaven to the bedroom! From Elijah's chariot to mother's stick! From heavenly instructions to earthly consequences!

And what shall we learn from this tale?

Children, listen!

Not every dream is a prophecy. Not every angel is coming to take you to heaven. And not every egg that comes out of a hen is meant for breakfast!

Sometimes, the body speaks a language that the dreamer does not understand.

Sometimes, the bladder and the bowels hold meetings while the mind is travelling to heaven!

And sometimes, the greatest angel in a child's life is a mother standing beside the bed with a stick!

Eeei! Dreamers, be careful!

For when nature calls in the middle of the night, do not mistake the call for an invitation to lay eggs!

And if you dream of flying to heaven, remember to check whether your body has remained safely on earth!

That was Simiyu!

A dreamer of Class Three. A traveller to heaven. A reluctant dog. A productive hen. And a victim of earthly correction!

This happened at KAPTOLA, where childhood was innocent, dreams were limitless, and some lessons were taught without textbooks!

The elders say: The mouth may travel to heaven, but the body remains answerable to the bed!
Or even to the Masiopo leaves
Or the Mang'ulie perfume
Let those who have ears hear!

#AfricanOrature #KaptolaOnlinePrimarySchool #ChildhoodMemories #AfricanStorytelling #Literature #Folklore