Hemingway Adventure

Series: Hemingway Adventure
Chapter: Chyulu Hills, Kenya
Country/sea: Kenya
Place: Chyulu Hills
Book page no: 180

Chyulu Hills, Kenya

Comedy spear-throwing. Young Masai warriors cracking up.

One of the boys speaks good English. Instead of sending him out with the cattle his father sent him to the local school. He says it is very important to look beautiful.

‘Who is the most beautiful here?’ I ask, hoping to stir up a little local rivalry. It backfires.

He indicates several of his companions, ‘We are all beautiful.’ Then he turns back to me. ‘Except you!’ He breaks into a toothy grin, the others into fits of giggles.

In the background I see the old man who circumcised the boy weaving unsteadily amongst the huts. He is rewarded for his work with as much beer as he can drink and already has the third or fourth bottle of Tusker at his lips. No one talks to him. I ask an older Masai about him. He says that circumcision is always done by the poorest people, usually from another village.

‘Is he good?’

My friend is philosophical. ‘Some are good, some are bad.’

His own circumcision took over an hour. He nods across to the hut where the boy lies. ‘He’ll be all right in five days.’