Chapter 138- Homecoming
Khisa had returned to Lusimba.
As he passed through the city gates, the sun cast a golden hue across the land, and the people rose in a chorus of cheers, ululations, and praise songs that echoed from the market stalls to the highest rooftops. The air was thick with the scent of roasted maize, wildflowers, and fresh soil—home. The old chiefs and new ministers lined up in full ceremonial attire, their staffs adorned with feathers, beads, and iron rings that clinked with each movement.
His mother stood at the forefront, her hands folded before her, tears silently streaming down her face. When Khisa dismounted, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as though afraid he might vanish again.
"You’ve returned," she whispered, voice cracking.
"I’m home, Mama," he replied, his voice hoarse.
Behind her, the women who helped raise him came forth—Aunt Wekesa, Mama Nali, old Granny Sefu. They clung to him, weeping openly, their joy unrestrained.
"You still have the same eyes, my son," Granny Sefu said, cradling his face in her gnarled hands. "But you carry the eyes of a man now. A king."
The Shadow Guard received the same welcome. Parents, siblings, even distant relatives broke into tears, embracing them with trembling hands. Ndengu fell into his mother’s arms, both of them sobbing. Nia’s father lifted her off the ground, laughing and crying all at once. Simba stood quietly while his brothers draped an honorary goat hide over his shoulders.
Zuberi’s father, a retired hunter with faded tribal scars, held her face in both hands. "You survived. That’s all that matters."
Ndengu’s mother pulled him into a crushing hug, whispering, "You were always the strongest of us. But you still have your father’s heart."
Traditional Luhya customs were performed in their honor. Drummers beat sacred rhythms. Women ululated in high, rising calls. A warrior’s dance—khuya luno lwa musinde—was performed to bless and welcome back those who had faced death. Calabashes filled with honeyed millet beer were passed around, and children danced, mimicking the warrior stances of their heroes.