62.
“What do you mean?” “Best decorative awards
aren’t ones of gold. That’s stuff you buy. They’re won.
You customized it so that it records
BLING’s courage. Call it ‘Badge of Braves’. The fun
can come from ladders of accomplishment,
from ways to recognize our newfound skills
both practical and cattywompus,” glint
in mischief’s eye of wondrous future thrills.
“Kuchizi,” Stella said, appreciative
of how he’d snowballed tiny gift she’d made
into an avalanche initiative
to orient how Pioneers upgrade,
“I’d rather strive for items we define
than to adults our future goals consign.”
63.
A few days on, they found themselves at school
again before Miss Gumi, who was out
of sorts. Instead of standing, on a stool
she sat, addressing them. “This is about
a crime that I’ve discovered. Someone stole
a piece of precious jewelry husband owns.
You need to help me show that it’s a mole
inside who took it. Housegirls, it’s well-known,
cannot be trusted.” Her hard eyes teared up
as she wove tale she’d tell about the case.
“It happened in my house, while we two supped.
On upstairs windowsill’s long narrow space
we’d placed his wedding ring along with mine…
We take them off to eat to keep their shine.
64.
I finished maharagwe, got mine back,
left dishes for the housegirl, went to bed.
My husband soon found his had been hijacked
from off the ledge, and mwizi’d long since fled!”
She rubbed her eyes clear of their hue cayenne,
and stagily turned bare hands for kids’ view.
“I need a volunteer to help, spry men
preferred. Tour scene and prove to cops it’s true.”
The Afroasiatic Pioneers
locked eyes immediately and therefore smirked
as if they’d each embedded in the peer
the mission: to track down whoever lurked
and would so brazenly from teachers steal.
Next quest delivered: problem-solve the real!
65.
They hurtled up to ask, after the bell,
with word ‘upstairs’ perturbing Stella. Such
a term tripped acrophobic inner swell.
The fear, however, hadn’t Abu touched.
“Miss Gumi,” Stella said, “I’ll volunteer.”
The teacher passed her up: “Boys are in line.
Stand back a moment; don’t be galling, dear,
I told you that it’s men I’m here to find.”
“Miss Gumi,” posed Abu as next in queue,
“I’m spry and clever. Promise I can look
around your property for signs or clues
residually left by shady crook.”
“You’ll look and see it’s clear who culprit was,”
she said, no further word ’bout truth for fuzz.
66.
Ab nodded. Gumi said, “Come Ijumaa.”
Departing kids conferred. “Stel, we can go
this Friday after class!” “Save your hurrah.
I’ve half a mind to back out and not show.”
“That’s silly. It’s a quest, and gold’s at stake.”
“Help decent people? Sure. But she rejects
girls’ contributions. Why work for her sake?
A disqualification due to sex
is basically black-hearted, baseless both.”
“It isn’t conscious, Stella, simple fear
of danger – ’twas a crime scene – made her loath
to ask a girl. Boys are more cavalier.”
“Thanks for the lesson, Ab. You’re quite the knight
and clearly wouldn’t lose in a fistfight.”
67.
Stel brought best Iron Man glare to bear on Ab.
Absorbing mocking blow theatrically,
he rolled his eyes as apt riposting jab.
“Don’t hate the messenger. See actively
what others see. Where we live you’re not first.”
He sped past need for her assent: “Let’s bag
ourselves a criminal!” Adventure thirst
would override Stel’s ire toward schoolmarm hag.
Her negativity was useful for
adopting sharp suspicion as the lens
through which to view her classmates. Looking more
the truth is what stems from the searching act,
ignores affirming bias in found fact.
68.
It’s seen in life this pattern, off and on,
in which two people swirl into a new
reality constructed whereupon
assumption and misdoubt both misconstrue
the facts. Facts are themselves up for dispute,
but better as foundations for a truth
than slippery emotions. To refute
emotion isn’t possible. A sleuth
can differentiate the two, if asked
and given time and practice. That intent
gets lost beneath lies piled in leaden mass.
Such storytime turns throng toward lies’ dement.
This instance, Stel and Ab would both succumb
naïvely under untruth’s heavy thumb.
69.
Next three days’ searched suspicions yielded zilch,
despite review of every classmate who
had motive to have broken in to filch
the golden ring from Gumi’s Xanadu.
Some time near Friday hour unspecified
they zoomed across the village to inspect
the grounds on which the villain lurked outside
the evening of the crime. They rightly checked
the bushes ’round the property for tools
discarded, maybe hidden, by the thief,
for handholds on the wall or nodules
and other artificial-made relief.
“I think you’d need the wingspan of Yao Ming
to climb this,” said Abu, “Hey Stel—where’s BLING?”
70.
With pause on the investigation, they
refocused gaze to ground to find the beast.
Five minutes’ searching made them no headway.
“He’ll turn up. Let’s go in,” Stel said. They ceased
the hunt. “Miss Gumi, hodi! Hodi!” called
Abu traditionally as a knock
on door, permission to be guest. From walled
two-story rich abode clicked heavy lock.
Their teacher nudged it open, peered with thin
eyes into dying light. “I’m here to dig
into the heist.” “Yes. But, you’ve brought a twin
and I don’t think it’s task that’s really big
enough for two. Can you stay out?” “No, I’m
his partner and we’re both here solving crime.”
71.
Four seconds and an exhalation hence
the metal door swung open, kids went in.
Stel hadn’t been in house near this immense.
Was it for showing off or housing kin?
She scanned the room and found that window bars
prevented any entrance undesired.
Collected wildlife relics in glass jars
stood on cloth doilies. On walls Stel admired
three megafauna’s taxidermied snouts.
She wondered what price such mementos fetched:
Stel felt Miss Gumi’s husband must have clout
(or cash) for having house that cloudward stretched.
“As
you can clearly see, the house is sealed.
There’s not a chance the crook came from afield.
72.
It’s evident the culprit was inside,
which means the housegirl.” “But you said there’s more.”
“Oh did I? Yes, of course.” “You had implied
that all of this occurred on second floor.”
Indeed she’d shared a second story, so
she took them up the stairs. “That’s where I said
we put the rings.” Bars spaced enough for crow
to perch and snatch them. “Miss Gu, you’re misled:
a rogue could climb the wall outside and steal
two rings set here.” “There’s little there to hold!
They couldn’t. It’s apparent girl concealed
the ring somewhere so she could sell the gold.
Agreed? Yes? Good. Let’s end our little trip,
I’ll take you—AAH!” she screamed. Pup screeched back, YIP!
73.
“Don’t worry Miss, it’s just my pup. He snuck
his way inside and up the stairs,” Stel guessed,
since looking out she saw the gate was stuck.
He’d hopped up where Miss pointed, sniffing nest
of decoration there. Miss spat at dog,
with cobra stare of predator on spree
to add to trophies. “Nenda or I’ll flog
you, too, Stel! Mungu! Get this savage flea-
encrusted ball of fluff off countertop
before he breaks the – Easter – eggs I’ve bought!
If I catch him, I’ll pay first barbershop
that’s willing to give shaving him a shot.”
The kids were taken back by forceful tone,
not knowing she no animals condoned.
74.
An undeterred BLING meanwhile bounced around,
in yipping pandemonium toward host
in whom he sensed hostility. “My hound
has not a flea,” said Stel, then turned to ghost
as quickly as she could. She hooked Abu
and booked it down the stairs, BLING close behind.
Once clearing outside gate, triadic crew
took respite to calm down. “Why she maligned
your BLING’s beyond me.” “Me too.” “She was crazed.”
“But not at the beginning of the scene.”
“Did we do something?” “Dunno. I’m amazed
she turned so quickly sour from serene.”
“She must not represent our country well
while traveling with husband’s clientele.”
75.
The nighttime breeze blew softly, gently though
it carried not a single lightning bug
to cast a fonder light on inked tableau
of three disheartened souls in need of hugs.
The mood, thanks to their hasty exit, drooped
as low as branches overhead where dwelt
a hundred mangoes. “Ab, did you see cooped
up in those jars the claws and bones and pelts?”
“Yes, and the dozen Easter eggs she showed.”
“You think those were an imitation?” “They
weren’t painted. Those were nature’s hues and glow.
It felt like some museum from far away.”
(The real museum they’d tour was yet five years
and thousand leagues away, of dams and weirs.)
76.
On path back home Stel carried BLING. The walk
was easy but she felt possessive since
Miss Gumi’s glance transmogrified to gawk
and she said words at which Stel’d took offense.
“I’m not inclined to help her after that,”
said Stella. “Let it go, Stel. She was thrown
when BLING crept up.” “That’s not what fell most flat.
It’s that her story doesn’t seem her own.
No housegirl under such oppressive rule
would dare her life to take a ring. And why
right then? She’s been there years. And why at school
did Gumi bring it up? We can’t rely
on her account.” “But you can’t prove the crime
was otherwise…” “I can! We’ll learn to climb.”
77.
“To climb? You’re joking. You hate heights.” “I do.”
“You also saw there aren’t handholds outside.”
“If we get good enough we could find you
appraised them wrong. They’re small.” “Your hands would slide
right off of them.” “So you’re an expert now?
Is this your ‘cavalier’ side coming back?”
He grinned. He wanted fun, no matter how,
and taking Stella’s bait was easy tack.
If proving Gumi wrong would vengeance make,
and on the journey yield new worlds of trees,
then Abu would this friendly challenge take
and relish in discovered canopies.
“I’m in. Let’s both compete for Monkey Crest
for Pioneers who swing above the rest!”
78.
When next day broke, as sun cast sky in lime
and peach and purple, scarlet, daffodil,
and blue, with silver molding to enshrine
each puffy cloud, the kids stood, half the thrill
arising from their predawn sprints from bed
to prearranged location where they’d start
to train to loose their anchor to the tread
of feet on ground, to master callused art
of climbing. Rope in tow and harness formed
from clever threading through a pair of slacks
they’d eyeleted, then roped, then darned. Adorned
with makeshift minimum, Ab’s look there lacked
much credibility. Gusto was all
they needed, Stella hoped—and not to fall.
79.
As Stella sidled up to chosen tree
they’d use to calibrate their starting strength,
Abu raked up some greens, abundantly
amassing floral bed of width and length
sufficient to remove the pain of plunge
they knew would happen more than once. Their health
required that falls be broken by this sponge
of twigs, vines, leaves, ferns, moss, all verdant wealth
so easily available in woods.
With safety checked and rope belayed from limb,
their bodyweight on tether’s swing withstood,
the joy of starting new things filled to brim
their smiles and their attitudes. “We’re here
to write our legacy as Pioneers!”
80.
Without belaboring each shimmied stride,
suffice to say they progressed rapidly.
Their midday record height was right beside
the midway fork of tree, where sap slid free
from knot suggesting wound from long ago.
“I think we’re on the track,” Abu called out,
“to make it to the top.” “Well, tally ho!”
rejoined belayer’s joyful skyward shout.
Enthusiasm often gets the best
of kids engrossed in playtime wonderment.
At least, it did on this day, as wee pest
like whirling ash from fire flew under, went
in swirling eddies ’round him. It transfixed
once landing where its feet touched sap betwixt
81.
the two thick spines conjoined at trunk’s midpoint,
where ants reopened gash that pooled with juice.
Gray dragonfly now stuck there at the joint
flapped wings hard, futilely. Beats couldn’t loose
from perch. Its past midair complexity –
fly’s tacking way through cliff winds – had impressed
Abu, who stretched. “My thumb can flex it free
if I just let this handhold go.” He’d wrest
trapped soul with little nudge. His outward lean
sent Stella’s spine a-shiver, fearing that
a minor slip would cause his quick careen
toward earth! (And possibly foot past the mat
they’d diligently made to break a fall
but hoped on hope they’d use not once at all.)
82.
The fear became reality as bark
stripped off the limb that levered Abu’s feet,
his body dropped in unexpected arc.
With all his might he pushed, prior to the cleat
dislodging from its perch, toward where the bed
was sitting twenty feet below, its edge
five feet away. He wished he’d further spread
the pad of plants before he climbed, and pledged
that if, when hitting ground, he did survive
he’d never make the same mistake again.
The THUD! that struck as frame to ground arrived
brought water to Stel’s eyes, which saw there, then,
unmoving body strewn across the brink
of ground and bed. She found her heart then sink
83.
in dread she’d lost her other self. Regret
swept through her body, tears welled up, she choked
away expected crying, but a sweat
of fear and sorrow broke out, unprovoked.
And in the silence even BLING stayed mum,
his canine sense suggesting something flawed.
Then all at once Abu launched himself from
the ground, and spooked them both, broke through façade
that he’d been hurt! To Stella’s clear relief,
he asked, “Bad joke?” with grin while dusting off.
“I’m bruised, but couldn’t pass up giving grief.
It’s just six meters, hamna noma,” scoffed
Abu at Stel’s overt concern. “And hey,
that dragonfly—I saw it fly away.”
84.
They called a pause to climbing, sat to talk,
and debrief what they’d learned. “The limits of
our arms suggest we’ll never glide like hawks,
but still can scurry ’tween the trees above
pedestrians.” “I’m not sure that we’ll feel
the strength to climb up Gumi’s wall,” Abu
replied, “still think that someone climbed? Grate steel
prevents a hand from entering.” “That’s true
downstairs, but on the second floor’s enough
space to squeeze smallish arms in.” “Oh? Okay.
I hate to say it’s really looking tough
to prove that wall was climbable.” “One day
is all we’ve tried, and look how we’ve improved.”
From terra’s grip they’d not yet be removed.
85.