Land of No Return Read online

  Jones frowned, stroking his salt and pepper beard. “You’re saying there no truth to what the children saw?”

  Joseph chuckled but Susan saw something else in his eyes. “You believe a monster lives in the cave?” They all chuckled at the table. Outside they could hear drums and songs being played.

  “Waiter!” Joseph Muku said as they stood up and followed him to an area where there was a bon fire and a local dance was being enacted.

  “What’s that?” Susan said, fascination drawing her closer to the dancing.

  “Professor, do you want to do the honours?” Joseph said, deferring to the professor. Susan rolled her eyes. Jones always wanted an audience to perform to and now he had one.

  Jones tipped his hat to them, “the dance is a recreation of the creation by Ruhanga from the Bunyoro myth.”

  “I thought the Bunyoro myth was just a legend?” Chloe asked, confusion etched on her face.

  “Myth alright,” Jones said. A bit far from them, the dancers were moving around a man playing the role of Ruhanga. “But every myth holds a grain of truth albeit small.”

  “But Chloe is right,” Susan said, forehead creasing as the light from the bon fire reflected in her eyes. Mark jabbed Chloe playfully as she blushed. “These creation myths were used to explain natural phenomenon. Take the Greek myths for instance.”

  Jones scowled and shook his head, hands ruffling through his grey hair. He seemed to be lost in thought, staring at the bon fire. The rhythm of the drums was so mournful.

  “Prof?” Susan said, jolting Jones out of his thoughts. Susan shared a look with the rest of the team who shrugged.

  Jones smiled, a resigned look on his face. “The Bunyoro myth might have been the imagination of some long dead Bacchwesi but there was an empire of Kitara no doubt.”

  “The empire of Kitara,” Jack whispered almost reverently as Susan scowled at him.

  “But I’m sure our guide here knows more about the Bunyoro myth than this old man here,” said Jones, a wry smile on his face as everyone chuckled.

  Joseph Muku took center stage, winking at Jack who scowled. The group was sitting down in a semi-circle. Susan noticed Jack had scooted closer to her and had his arms around her.

  “In the creation story, Ruhanga...”

  Susan placed her head on Jack’s shoulder and imagined the gods of the Bunyoro Myth as Ruhanga took on the form of Muku.

  Chapter Three

  Susan woke up and heard snoring beside her. She stiffened, confusion etched on her face. Did she have sex? She removed her covers and saw she was fully dressed. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  She turned to glance at Jack as he slept. There was something about him, she felt almost protective of him. She took in his chiseled black face, strong jawline. Damn what was she thinking.

  She heard knocking on her door and froze. What were they going to think?

  Jack woke, glanced at her and his eyes widened, “Did we have sex?” He said it as if he had bitten into a rotten fruit. Susan wanted to comment but the knocking came again.

  She snorted instead, “in your dreams. Get out of my bed.”

  Susan went to the door, tying a scarf over her head. She opened the door and stared at the smug face of Joseph Muku, their local guide. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, buttons opened showing his abs.

  “We’re leaving for the caves and I ah—" He paused as Jack poked his head, “oh I see, the deed has been done.”

  Susan snorted, rolling her eyes. “You’ve such a vivid imagination.” She grabbed Jack by the elbows and shoved him out of her room. “Your boy slept like a baby.”

  “Ooh!!” Muku said as he began to laugh.

  Jack scowled at Susan. “You’re like a sister to me.”

  Susan arched an eyebrow and raised a finger silencing them both. “Don’t you have a tour to plan?” She tilted her head at the two guys.

  Muku stuttered and said, “of course, Mademoiselle.”

  It was now the turn of Jack to chuckle as Muku shook his head his head and elbowed Jack on his way.

  Jack turned to Susan to say something but the look on her face was enough to silence him. She stared at his shoulders as he walked away. She knew she had probably hurt his feelings, but she was confused about him. Why did he sometimes treat her like she was his sister?

  She closed her door and got ready for the tour.

  “COME ON,” SAID MUKU, hands on hips as he chuckled. “Young people of now have no desire for exercise and yet want to go on a tour to the famous Mount Elgon, huh?”

  Professor Jones Harrison snorted as he adjusted his glasses. “And I suppose you don’t even break a sweat?” he said each word punctuated by a breath. “That’s why the treadmill was invented young man.”

  Muku chuckled and shook his head. “We’re almost at the mouth of the caves.” He said then scowled. “Where some kids said they saw some ghost warrior.”

  Behind the professor, Susan was sweating profusely, she kept slapping mosquitoes.

  “Here take this,” said Jack, handing her an ointment.

  Susan murmured saying her thanks.

  Further behind, Chloe and Mark were taking selfies. Joana the model was posing for her camera man as she sometimes shot Jack a sultry look. Susan pretended not to notice but she was not going to fall for that. For some reason Jack seemed to reciprocate the model’s advances. She knew he was probably getting back at her for humiliating him.

  “Ah finally,” shouted Muku as he neared an ancient cave.

  Jones took of his hat. “It looks quite preserved. Africans sometimes don’t value these historical sites.”

  “This will be perfect!” Joana said as she stood before the mouth of the cave and arched her back, posing for the camera. She licked her lips as she stared at Jack. Susan saw their interaction.

  Muku’s eye met Susan and seemed to say I told you so. She felt blood rush to her face as her pulse pounded in her ears.

  Boys will always be boys, she thought. She saw the sympathy in Muku’s eyes and looked away. She wasn’t some broken thing to be comforted. Jones was still admiring the mouth of the cave, commenting on the pristine nature of the cave.

  As for Chloe and Mark, they stole kisses when the professor wasn’t looking. She envied them.

  “Mark over here!” Jones said as Mark broke away from Chloe and rushed forward. “Record this.”

  Susan stood aside as Jones began to talk about the cave and its discovery. Her mind wandered to her late mother and some of the strange things she had said to her before she had died.

  The professor had allowed her on the trip partly because she had let it slip about her Ugandan heritage. There was a reason why her name had two initials. She had been crying when her mother had told her about their heritage on her deathbed. She snapped from her thoughts as Muku said something about them entering the cave with their lights. A twig snapped on her right and she turned her heard and screamed when a strangely dressed woman rushed at her and grabbed her hands. Susan froze as the woman began to speak to her in Swahili. Jack was the first to pull her away, her face full of terror.

  “What was that?” Susan said, heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to breath.

  “That was interesting,” Jones said, shaken but attempting to sound nonchalant. Everyone was quiet, shaken at the strange turn of events. “My Swahili is rusty. What at all did she mean?”

  Susan turned to Muku and stiffened when she saw the look on his face. It was like a man who had seen a ghost. “Joseph?”

  Muku shook his head making a sign of the cross.

  “What did she mean?” Jack asked, rubbing the shoulders of Susan.

  Muku inhaled, expelling a breath, “she said Ndembe will meet the past.” He stared hard at Susan whose face had gone blank.

  “What does it mean—” Jack asked, his stare shifting between Susan and Joseph.

  Muku pursed his lips, glanced at Susan and shrugged. “We need to get inside the cave. The sun will go down ver
y soon.” But not before Susan saw the stare from him. We will need to talk about this.

  “All this drama just makes me want to enter the cave,” Joana said, pointing at the cave with a manicured finger.

  “Shall we?” Jones said as he glanced at Muku who nodded.

  The group filed in to the cave, their high beam torches illuminating the walls of the cave. They all paused, transfixed by what they were seeing.

  “What the hell?” Joseph Muku said as he stiffened, terror on his face.

  Chapter Four

  The group stared in shock at the sketches on the walls of the cave.

  “This is impossible,” said Muku as a scowl deepened on his face. “These sketches were not here the last time I was here.”

  Jones frowned, glancing between the sketches on the walls of the cave and their local guide. “You’re sure you didn’t have too much to drink?”

  The comment drew a chuckle from the group.

  Muku shook his head and opened his mouth to retort when Jones raised his hand. “Chloe, get over here.”

  Chloe donning her spectacles, joined the professor, “do you think these sketches were drawn recently?”

  Cloe bent down, illuminating the walls once again with her torch. She bit her lip in concentration. “These sketches are old.”

  Muku shook his head. “I know what I saw, and these sketches were not here.” He noted Susan had gone deathly quiet, clutching something around her neck. “Are you okay?” She nodded as he saw Jack giving him a hard stare.

  Jones edged closer to the sketches and frowned, “interesting how whoever sketched this was trying to tell a story. The Bunyoro Kitara history has been very elusive to us historians.”

  “I thought the Bunyoro Kitara was a myth?” Mark said as he had been very reserved all this while.

  At the mouth of the cave Joana had refused to enter after seeing the sketches.

  “The Bunyoro were real. You may have heard of the Bacchwesi or Chwezi. Though the history of the Bunyoro is steeped in myth. The empire of Kitara tells the history of a warrior like people.” Jones flashed his torch at the sketches as he began to move deeper into the cave. “These sketches tell the history of a princess. This is strange.”

  The cave tapered to a dead end. “I thought the cave went on further,” Jack said as he turned to give a hard stare to their guide. “Are you sure you brought us to the right cave?”

  “Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?” Muku said testily as he shoved past Jack. “This cave should have gone on further. This is new and I don’t like this.”

  Susan had been withdrawn throughout the journey in the cave. The sketches were reminding her of the things her mother had said. She had thought it was the ramblings of a dying woman. She tightened her hand around the amulet hanging around her neck. She felt the eyes of Muku on her and saw the concern in his gaze. Jack frowned when he saw the glances between them but said nothing.

  Jack got close to the professor, and they began to have an animated conversation. Behind her, Chloe and Mark stood close to each other taking solace in their proximity.

  “You seem lost in your thoughts?” Muku said, pressing for a response from her.

  Susan simply smiled, fingering the amulet. She frowned when she saw Jack point out something at the dead end of the cave and glanced at her.

  “Okay, that’s strange,” said Muku, “doesn’t it seem weird that Jack and Prof. are both looking at you?”

  Susan frowned. She noticed the professor signaling her to come forward. She approached them apprehensively with Muku shadowing her.

  “Can I have your amulet?” said Jack as a frown deepened on Susan’s face. Confusion etched on her face. Behind her the rest of the group were perplexed as well.

  “Ah, what’s going on here?” Muku asked, glancing suspiciously at Jack and the professor. The professor seemed to see Jack for the first time.

  Susan hesitated. “Please?” Jack’s eyes seemed to plead. She finally relented and handed it over. Jack took the amulet and placed it inside a cleft in the wall.

  “How did that get there?” Muku said, an even deeper frown on his face.

  “I always knew your heritage would come in handy one day,” Jones said.

  “You know this is where something bad happens when you twist the amulet right?” Muku said with a tight smile. “And why is an amulet from Susan fitting into that cleft?”

  “It’s complicated,” Susan replied.

  “I don’t think we should go down the rabbit hole,” Muku said, “I believe the kids saw something terrible.”

  “Old wives’ tale,” said Jack. “I thought Ugandan men were brave. I was wrong.”

  Muku swore, eyes hardening. “You’re so full of shi—”

  “Enough! This is a historic find. You have no idea the years I have spent on this.” Jones said, his speech silencing them. He nodded to Jack to go ahead.

  “Here goes nothing,” Jack said as he twisted the amulet clockwise in the cleft. They all waited with bated breath.

  “Phew!” Muku clicked his tongue, “well I—”

  A grating sound was heard as if gears were moving beneath them, and the ground under their feet caved in. They plunged downwards, their screams reverberating around them as they fell into a pool of water.

  Susan gasped for breath as she resurfaced and heard a whimper. “What just happ—” She turned and screamed when she saw the caricature of a tall man, face painted, body sculpted like a god with a loin cloth around his waist as he levelled a spear against them. More of them began to surround them. Stalactites above them illuminated the cave they had fallen into.

  “Oh shit!” Muku said when he spied the strangers.

  “The Bacchwesi!” Jones whispered, almost reverently.

  Then a shot rang out and one of the warriors fell.

  “Noo!” Muku shouted as chaos broke out. Mark had a pistol in his hands and was firing off rounds as Chloe covered her ears, screaming. Susan couldn’t breathe as she saw a warrior heft a spear and threw it as it impaled Mark in the chest, the pistol falling from his grasp.

  Muku shouted in a language and the warriors stilled. One of them came forward, spat, and levelled his spear against them. Susan stiffened but said nothing.

  “What are they saying?” Jack said, simmering aggression in his eyes.

  “We have to go with them if we are to survive.” Muku said.

  Susan put an arm around Chloe who was sobbing and hyperventilating. She glared at the strangers and the professor who seemed to be in awe of them.

  The warriors led them out of the pool and towards an opening in the cave as sunlight hit them in their faces, blinding them.

  “What the—” Muku said and paused, mouth opened in shock.

  Jack’s lips were pursed as he glanced around, rage in them. Susan saw it and prayed he wouldn’t do anything foolish to get himself killed. The group stared in bewilderment at the mouth of the cave from which they had emerged.

  “The Bunyoro are still alive. How incredible!” Jones said, “This will change our entire perception on the history of Kitara. I wonder where we are. Some said they were aliens. Some said—”

  Susan stared hard at the professor. “Mark is dead and the only thing you care about is some long-forgotten history and your fame?”

  Jones stared back at her and seemed to come to his senses. “I’m—”

  Susan raised a hand, “You’re a jerk, you know that right?” Jones paused shock on his face. “Always wanted to say that to your face.”

  Jones was about to retort when a warrior poked his back with a spear. They group crested a hill and came to stand still, awe and shock on their faces as they gazed at the settlement before them.

  “Holy shit!” Muku whispered.

  Chapter Five

  “You must remember your roots, Nyinamwiru.” Susan stared at her withered mother as she clasped her hand. “You must never forget who you are. One day your past will come calling and you must heed the call
, my daughter.”

  Memories assailed her as she stared upon the settlements before them.

  “This is impossible,” Muku said beside her as they were herded by the warriors behind them. Around them, the strangers eyed them suspiciously.

  Women with their faces painted, midriff bare hid their children behind them. Susan felt her heart thumping even as she held Chloe who was still whimpering from the death of Mark. This was a dream, her mind was telling her. Yet here they were, a whole civilization from the past was here. How was this possible? She had read Jules Verne as a kid and yet this was surreal. How could an entire civilization be sequestered away from the world like that? In front of her Jones was still in awe. He couldn’t help but make comments about the historical inaccuracies in the myths of the Bacchwesi. Beside the professor, Jack had gone quiet. Susan felt a foreboding in her gut. Jack’s demeanor had changed once they had come out of the cave. Everything about his body language was like a cheetah ready to spring upon its prey.

  Directly in front of them was a huge wooden pavilion. Susan glanced back. Mount Elgon was behind them. She reached for the amulet around her neck and paused when she realized it wasn’t there. They were ushered into the pavilion where they came face to face with the king, a descendant it seemed.

  Spears at their back prodded them to kneel. Warriors lined the way to the king who was dressed in his battle like regalia with a skull hanging around his neck. His face was painted, giving him the look of one who was perpetually awake.

  One of the warriors stepped forward and said something to the king who stiffened slightly when a warrior pulled out Susan’s amulet.

  “What are they saying?” Jones whispered.

  Muku swallowed, looked around fearfully as his eyes met Susan, “they are looking for the owner of the amulet?”

  Jack swore as his eyes met that of Susan.

  “I knew Susan’s heritage had something to do with the Bacchwesi but I didn’t know it would be this big.” Jones whispered.