Tales from the Hood: Witchcraft is Real

So today I was drawn to a memory of some of the shenanigans from the hood. It was a hot October Day in the 90s. The country was faced with a drought and there was no water in the hood we walked far to find water mostly to the industrial area, old and young we were forced to carry whatever container we could to come back home with water as anything made a difference.

On that material day, there was a drizzle of water from the hood communal tap and word spread like wild fire that there was some water at the tap we all congregated at the tap and stood in line praying that the water does not run out and everyone gets a chance to draw atleast some drinking water.

The hood is divided into sections and each section has about 20 households, at times when there were water blues representatives of a household represented their respective section regardless of whether they were in line or not.

After weeks of not seeing water, tempers would easily flare at the tap. While we all sat angrily admiring the crew from the other section draw water. One of the alleged witches from the hood came to the tap. To get this, one needs to understand the nature of the hood. 

In the hood, everyone makes it their business to know your business. The hood has people that poses extraordinary investigative skills. When a new member moves to the hood even if they were coming from another country within a week it was known by all how those people lived their lives and what they did where they used to stay and often these stories had to have a scandalous twist, but that’s a story for another day this one is about the witch from our section.

She arrived at the tap in all her glory, used to being feared and having her way she walked to the hosepipe and demanded that after the bucket was full they should give her a chance so that she secures some drinking water. Unfortunately, the section representative of the crew that was first in line refused and just told her to wait her turn and immediately bickering ensured.

The fight escalated and almost became physical save for the good Samaritans that tried to hush the number one in line but she wouldn’t have it. In anger the Hood Witch turned around and looked into number one's eyeballs before telling her that Uzachiona!(You will See). The words Uzachiona always sent a chill down everyone's spine because it was a direct threats that implied you would experience bad things. 

The number one in line was however, unfazed and told her to get lost and that as far as she was concerned God was in control. The Hood Witch, glared at her and then told her “Kaleza kazakulila lelo” (Lightening will strike for you today).

It was a dry hot October day and so number one in line scornfully said she would wait for the rainy season then. When the hood witch had left, everyone from the section advised number one in line to go  and apologize as well as beg for forgiveness but number one was adamant and refused to succumb to what she termed as empty threats.

An hour later number one is line went home but returned 20 minutes later wild eyed screaming and yelling. True to the hood witch’s word, with no nimbus clouds in the sky Lighting had struck at her house dropping a guava tree and killing her ducks. She was widow whose livelihood was the ducks she kept and sold. She cried and insulted to which the witch asked her, do you want me to finish you off now? Number one in line walked away as the rest of the hood trembled in silence whispering “tenze taba uza aba amai sibosobelela”.