The following day was sunny and some how windy. The sky appeared in its amazingly blue color with only some dark and dispersed clouds flying and trying to gather.
Pateh was on his way to their meeting ground—Mboud Sapo’s house. His friends used to laugh at him for not always being a fast guy. He was shy. As he was walking, he was thinking about the most efficient way to catch the donkeys they would use for their trip to Sare Bojo. He thought of the village’s main Well, where most of the domestic animals meet to drink from the big troughs. He smiled and became proud of himself. He was going to give one of the best courses of action. He would gain more respect from his friends.
He reached Mboud Sapo’s house and met him seated waiting for his friends. He had already gotten the ropes they would use to catch the donkeys with.
“Mboud Sapo”
“Nam, Pateh”
“You left the ‘’hiro’’ early last night. What was wrong?” He asked.
“Nothing, I was just tired and sleepy,” Mboud Sapo answered.
Pateh Smiled and said, “ It was strange anyway when you said you were going to sleep and it was just midnight.’’
“I was helping my dad off-load bags of groundnut when we dispersed yesterday. That really made me tired. By the way, where are rest of the boys?’’ He asked.
“I have passed by Bah Kunda, but I did not see Chondi. Perhaps he was in doors. I know they will be around very soon.’’
Pateh and Mboud Sapo were discussing while the other boys were also heading to the meeting ground. They formed a queue along the pathway heading to Mboud Sapo’s house. Their discussion was mainly centered on the Fural.
“Mboud Sapo,” they simultaneously called his name as they reached.
“I heard your voices when you were around Dem Kunda. You people are very noisy,” Mboud Sapo said jokingly. They laughed as they shook hands with him and Pateh.
“Heh, heh the cooking pot is calling kettle black. Mboud Sapo is telling people that they are noisy.” Chondi said while laughing. The other boys also laughed. They joked and mocked one another for some minutes before Mboud Sapo would finally raise the topic of discussion.
“ I heard that the Fural will start just after dinner—around 10pm to 11pm. So, we need to get set as early as possible.” Mboud Sapo announced.
“We don’t necessarily have to be there early. The early arrivals are normally the small kids who would dance until they become tired, then they would sleep. They don’t yet know the sweetness of love. We are big boys. We should wait till 1am or 2pm,” Chondi stressed.
“You’re right Chonz. We should not reach there early. In fact, most of the girls would not be there at that time,” Pateh affirmed. “I would suggest that we trap the donkeys at the main Well. We can meet there at night,” he added.
“Pateh is now a tactical planner, he now speaks up. Those who keep quiet normally have the best ideas,” Mboud Sapo said with a grin on his face.
The rest of the boys nodded and said “It’s a great suggestion indeed.”
“We can’t have a better plan,” Mboud Sapo added.
“Let’s meet during the hours of dinner to catch the donkeys. Many people will not be at the Well at that time,” Pateh said with a high sense of self-esteem as his friends accredited him for his brilliant idea.
“Ok, no worries, but we should all be there on time. None of us should be absent. Some donkeys are very agile. Catching them can take us a long time,” Chondi raised.
“Don’t worry. Who’ll not participate in the dance that brings joy to us all?” Mboud Sapo added. It was already after 5pm. The sun was about to set, and the comfortable evening breeze blew slowly. The boys dispersed, each taking the pathway shortcut that led to his house.
It was some minutes to 10pm; women were busy preparing “lachiri” for dinner and Mboud Sapo walked and passed his younger sister who was in the kitchen.
“You are going out and you know it is time for dinner,” his sister, Penda, told him.
“Leave my share for me, I will be coming soon,” he replied.
“I will not leave anything for you. You adequately know that it’s time for dinner and you are seeing me wash the bowls, yet you’re going out,” she said while she was still bending down and holding a plate.
“Don’t play with me Penda. I will go and we shall see where the power lies,” he said angrily. He left because he didn’t want to waste time.
“Ok, just go. I will in fact report you to mum.”
“Don’t stop there. Report me to the Alkalo if you wish,” he retorted and continued walking.
Mboud Sapo was the first to go to the Well. He went with his ropes, but he tied them on his waist and pulled his shirt down so that they could be invisible. He found many donkeys drinking from the troughs. He noticed that his boys were not around, so he was loitering around the premises of the Well.
Chondi was on his way, but very closed and Pateh and the rest of the boys had already left their houses.
Chondi whistled in their gang way of whistling as he reached. Mboud Sapo also whistled back. They saw each other but not very clearly. It was dark. They walked and approached each other.
“Where are the rest?” Mboud Sapo asked in a very low voice.
“They must be on the way, let’s wait a bit. They will soon be around,” Chondi replied in a low voice too.
“Ok. Do you see that donkey, the one between the sheep and the goat?” Mboud Sapo asked.
“Yes, I have seen it. It seems to be very stubborn, but it runs fast. It is the Alkalo’s donkey.”
“We can catch it when Pateh and the rest come.”
Pateh and the rest were at the other side. They simultaneously whistled. Mboud Sapo and Chondi whistled too. They met. They did not greet one another.
“I was showing Chondi that donkey. It is on the other side of the trough.” Mboud Sapo pointed at the donkey.
“Pateh and others nodded and said, “yes,” together in a very low voice.
“Let’s try to catch that one, here are the ropes.” He removed the ropes and gave an edge to Chondi while he held the other. “We are going to surround it while it is standing and the rest will make sure that it runs in the direction of the rope,” he continued.
“Let’s do that quickly before it will move,” Pateh said.
They managed to catch two donkeys, one owned by the alkalo and the other by the village’s hunter. They had already taken a cart to the road that led to Sare Bojo. They did all their necessary preparations and headed to their longed destination.
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