Making the Mark. Miroslava Prazak

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      Boys Lead

      Two days after the Jamhuri Day celebrations, I was walking home from the wedding of a research assistant from a previous field season, Helen Motongori. She had confided in me her fears in linking her life to a man who would take her far away to Dar es Salaam. The 5-kilometer hike offered plenty of opportunity to reflect on that and the events of the past few days. Tired from participating closely in the myriad elements of a marriage celebration, I was happy to reach the marketplace as the sun sank and the tropical darkness almost immediately swallowed up places and people. I was even happier to find Joel Wantahe waiting to escort me home, given that Nyankare market is the domain of drunks and thugs during the dark hours of the day. As we threaded along narrow paths invisible without moonlight, Joel Wantahe gave me a bit of good news—the initiation season had been declared on again, and the first eight candidates (amanaanai) were to be circumcised the next morning.

      The amanaanai represent the eight generation classes (amakora) in Kuria society. Always the first to be operated on, these boys are a bellwether for the initiation season. If their operations go well, the elders of the secret council declare the season to be open. We continued home and found everyone excited and chattering about the imminent celebrations. As the news spread, we could hear people filling the market. Around 7:30 in the evening, we heard the candidate from the neighborhood take off with his group of escorts, chanting, singing, and shouting. They were off to Tanzania, to a place near Kiribo. In the market, people were jubilant—singing and dancing, blowing whistles, screeching, trilling, and carrying on. We could hear them all evening as we prepared and ate dinner, and late into the night.

      But not everything felt right. People were wondering whether only the Abarisenye (the junior house) were circumcising or if the Abakehenche (the senior house) were joining them, too. Rumor had it that the amanaanai were from the junior segment, which was surprising since the usual protocol would be for the senior house to go first. The initiation season continued to be fraught with tension. Everyone was hoping that none of the amanaanai would die or have to be taken for treatment—that would surely result in the initiations being called off. With the season opening, numerous considerations weighed on people’s minds.