It was believed that whoever the gods wanted dead, they first made them mad. It was only a week after his madness when Kalikokha was found in Mwakikunga, floating. Mwakikunga was the largest lake the Kambuwa kingdom was blessed with. Nobody knew or wished to know the cause of his death. There were fishermen that found him floating and informed the whole village. Upon hearing of the death of his twin brother, King Kalijoza, in grief ,went with his officials to see for himself.

There they carried the body of Kalikokha and conducted the funeral ceremony. From how his body looked, there was no proof that Kalikokha had been beaten and thrown into the lake. To tell the truth, nobody outside Kalijoza and his mother cared to know what caused Kalikokha’s death. The villagers believed that the gods themselves had put an end to his life. They said the ancestors weren’t happy with him, therefore he was punished for his sins. These people truly believed that early death was something sinners were usually rewarded with.

After the burial, King Kalijoza mourned his twin brother for a whole week. During this time, the king fasted and prayed, and he didn’t eat anything or meet with either the officials or elders. The king prayed and begged God to receive the lost soul of his brother so they could meet again in another life believed to come. King Kalijoza was a very strict religious man. Everyone adored him for he had a very good heart. This was the main reason why villagers themselves were fond of him, unlike mad Kalikokha.

Years later the king happily got married and the whole village celebrated with their loving king. After staying in their marriage for a while, his wife got pregnant and later she bore a son. It was a day of mixed feeling as the king’s mother died the morning before his wife gave birth. The born child was then named Abuna meaning ‘a gain after loss’. The king, together with his wife, loved their son, Abuna, dearly.

Years passed and the king ruled his people with kindness and integrity. The loyal couple sent their son, Abuna, abroad to study medicine. While studying there, Prince Abuna fell in love with a foreign girl known by the name of Arielle. The two loved each other, so they made love, and as a result Arielle got pregnant. Afraid of his father, Abuna decided not to break the news to him. He knew this would be a disgrace to the king. Their customs did not allow the prince to marry a foreign wife.

The Kambuwa kingdom was known to be full of people who respected their ancestors and their traditions. They believed that allowing a foreigner to sit on the throne could not please their gods and ancestors. They wanted both their king and queen to be of their own tribe so that their culture would not be diluted. During his holidays, Abuna tried to find a way to tell his father but he had no courage every time he thought to do so. Since Arielle had fallen pregnant while at school, she never visited her home again during her holidays. She too was afraid of her foster parents.

Her folks were farmers in the village. They sent here away so that she could get education and change their story. She knew they depended on her, therefore she decided not to break their hearts with the news. She lied to them that she had continuous classes and no holiday. With the help of Abuna, she rented a small apartment near the school, and Abuna employed some people to take good care of her. There she was not short of money and lacked nothing. Abuna promised to disclose everything between them to his father but he had no voice whenever he tried to tell King Kalijoza.

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Tell us: Why was Abuna afraid of telling his father about the pregnancy?