The River Between Summary Chapters 1- 26
Summary
Chapter 1
A river flows between the two ridges of Kameno and Makuyu in Kenya.She tells him not to run away, calling him "Teacher." This excites him. They talk about the river, being alone in their family, and the bravery of Muthoni. Waiyaki muses that maybe Muthoni did find something true. He steps toward Nyambura and tells her he loves her. She feels joy and sorrow, and she does not resist him holding her. He asks her to marry him, but she says no--even though she wants to. Her father will not approve, she cries, and rumors are already spreading. She runs off. Waiyaki walks away slowly. Kamau emerges from his hiding place, burning with rage, jealousy, and humiliation. He had always loved Nyambura. Now Waiyaki is his rival until the death. Chapter 20
Waiyaki travels from ridge to ridge with his message of education. The elders embrace him and his passion never dims. He does wonder how to get more teachers, though, and he finally approaches some men who had just graduated from Siriana. At home, the Kiama is gaining power. Its message is to keep the tribe pure and to fight for the land that had been taken by the settler, the government, the missionary. The Kiama wanted people to take the oath, and the people were glad Waiyaki had taken it.
Thus the old rivalry continues. Waiyaki sees himself in the middle and is committed to reconciliation, especially as things are worsening. Waiyaki's guilt at not having said this earlier eats at him. He must bide his time, though, and wait for the right moment. Waiyaki works hard. He often thinks of Nyambura. One day, Kinuthia comes to him nervously and says some people are saying he is one of Joshua's followers now and he was seen in the church. Others say he wants to sell the tribe out to the white men. Waiyaki laughs at this calumny. Kinuthia is still serious and finally asks if he is going to marry Nyambura. Waiyaki is shocked. Kinuthia presses on, saying he is the symbol of the tribe and is born again in its might. People take the oath in his name. He had best be careful not to let his name be his ruin. Waiyaki calms him and says she would not marry him. A few weeks later, he meets with an elder who praises his father and grandfather. Waiyaki glows with pride, but then feels a sense of foreboding as Kinuthia's words come back to him. Christmas is approaching, and it coincides with the tribal ceremonies and rituals. Many come to talk to Waiyaki, but he is losing contact with them because he does not participate in the rituals. One day, news spreads that one of Joshua's followers' huts was burnt. This makes Waiyaki think of the Kiama, and with a shock, he realizes he never should have resigned. Its power is everywhere. Chapter 21
Nyambura thinks about Waiyaki all the time and wishes she could be with him. She wonders why she said no to marrying him, but it is difficult to rebel against her father. She vacillates back and forth, but she fears her father knows something. Her mother likes Waiyaki because of Muthoni, and she prays for him to convert to Christianity. Nyambura goes to their place by the river but it no longer soothes her; she also knows Waiyaki will not come. When she goes home, Joshua sternly asks where she was and with whom. She says she was with no one, and he accuses her of lying. His voice is filled with malice, and he threatens that she must never be with Waiyaki. Nyambura's mind cannot be quieted. She has lost her man and her salvation. Chapter 22
The people sing Waiyaki's praises on every hill. He procured teachers from Siriana and is a great man. Kinuthia practically worships him, but he fears for him because he can see things his friend cannot, such as Kabonyi's hatred for him. One day the friends are walking along the river and Waiyaki is talking about how he is getting more teachers. He muses that he will build more and more schools. Kinuthia wonders if he knows that people want action now--that the awareness and enthusiasm demand more than education now. He will tell him one day, but not today. Two days later, Waiyaki is lying in bed; he feels exhausted in body and spirit. He has a feeling of foreboding but clings to his vision. The white man's education is the instrument of enlightenment and advance but has to be used well. He worries if he is really the savior. Chege certainly placed a burden on his shoulders. He plans to tell the people next year about unity, but for now, he is dreaming the dream of education. Suddenly in his vision of his plan for his people he sees Nyambura, and the people are tearing her apart. Then he sees it is actually Muthoni. She wanders away and then Nyambura is there. He tries to touch her but cannot. His mind flashes to how she told him she would not marry him. He is plagued with guilt about her and the people; darkness threatens to overtake him. He then thinks about Christmas and the initiation day coming soon. Waiyaki stands to leave the hut and his mother, now old and wizened, asks where he is going. She then, trembling, asks him if he will marry Nyambura. Waiyaki hates hearing of these rumors and decides he hates Nyambura for the path she chose. Then he realizes he hates himself. His mother tells him he must not marry her because of the Kiama--and he must fear the voice of the Kiama. Suddenly, Kamau knocks on the door and says the elders and Kiama want to see him. Waiyaki looks at his mother, who appears scared and frail, but agrees. Chapter 23
It is dark outside as Kamau and Waiyaki walk. Waiyaki feels a strange thrill move through him. At the hut, the elders do not greet him with the same warmth as they always do, and they do not call him Teacher. Kabonyi begins speaking. He mentions the upcoming ceremonies, Muthoni's death, and the fact that Joshua corrupts some people here. Kabonyi continues that it is bad when a leader is touched by the impurity of those teachings. As he talks, Waiyaki becomes annoyed, thinking of how he teaches their children. Finally, Kabonyi looks straight at Waiyaki and says he touched Muthoni, a dying woman, and was not cleaned. That is the first thing he has done to the tribe, but he has also been in Joshua's church numerous times and he went to Siriana to get teachers--is he selling the tribe to the white man? When he hears this, Waiyaki yells at him in anger but realizes he cannot speak like that to an elder. Another elder speaks up and says betrayal is a bad thing for a man of influence. He is being warned, and they must know if he is marrying Nyambura. Waiyaki tries to remain calm. He explains that Muthoni was not considered unclean before the initiation, so he is not unclean; he could not have let her die, and after she died he did not touch her. At Siriana, he never entered into any negotiations with white men. As he is speaking, he reminds himself to make his stand clear and not to come under the sway of Kabonyi. He continues to them that he is concerned with the purity of the tribe and desires unity. It is important to know what the white man knows. Kabonyi gleefully butts in and says they need a political leader. He then brings up Nyambura again, and Waiyaki refuses to say anything about her. He says the oath does not preclude him from loving people. Kamau glares at him. Waiyaki realizes that even Kamau hates him, but he is also annoyed at himself for not putting up a good fight. He leaves, the word "traitor" trailing after him.She tells him not to run away, calling him "Teacher." This excites him. They talk about the river, being alone in their family, and the bravery of Muthoni. Waiyaki muses that maybe Muthoni did find something true. He steps toward Nyambura and tells her he loves her. She feels joy and sorrow, and she does not resist him holding her. He asks her to marry him, but she says no--even though she wants to. Her father will not approve, she cries, and rumors are already spreading. She runs off. Waiyaki walks away slowly. Kamau emerges from his hiding place, burning with rage, jealousy, and humiliation. He had always loved Nyambura. Now Waiyaki is his rival until the death. Chapter 20
Waiyaki travels from ridge to ridge with his message of education. The elders embrace him and his passion never dims. He does wonder how to get more teachers, though, and he finally approaches some men who had just graduated from Siriana. At home, the Kiama is gaining power. Its message is to keep the tribe pure and to fight for the land that had been taken by the settler, the government, the missionary. The Kiama wanted people to take the oath, and the people were glad Waiyaki had taken it.
Thus the old rivalry continues. Waiyaki sees himself in the middle and is committed to reconciliation, especially as things are worsening. Waiyaki's guilt at not having said this earlier eats at him. He must bide his time, though, and wait for the right moment. Waiyaki works hard. He often thinks of Nyambura. One day, Kinuthia comes to him nervously and says some people are saying he is one of Joshua's followers now and he was seen in the church. Others say he wants to sell the tribe out to the white men. Waiyaki laughs at this calumny. Kinuthia is still serious and finally asks if he is going to marry Nyambura. Waiyaki is shocked. Kinuthia presses on, saying he is the symbol of the tribe and is born again in its might. People take the oath in his name. He had best be careful not to let his name be his ruin. Waiyaki calms him and says she would not marry him. A few weeks later, he meets with an elder who praises his father and grandfather. Waiyaki glows with pride, but then feels a sense of foreboding as Kinuthia's words come back to him. Christmas is approaching, and it coincides with the tribal ceremonies and rituals. Many come to talk to Waiyaki, but he is losing contact with them because he does not participate in the rituals. One day, news spreads that one of Joshua's followers' huts was burnt. This makes Waiyaki think of the Kiama, and with a shock, he realizes he never should have resigned. Its power is everywhere. Waiyaki is superstitious and the Mission has not changed this. He thinks about how the white man came here and found no resistance. Ever since Muthoni's death, things are only getting worse, and Waiyaki wonders if he is able to create order and bring light to dark. A mist clouds his thoughts and he can see the shape of a woman coming toward him. She vanishes and he gets out of bed. Outside, the bright moon illuminates everything, making it unearthly and alluring. Waiyaki listens for voices but there are none. Oppression steals over him, and he wants someone to talk to. He thinks life might be all yearning. Suddenly he realizes he wants freedom and wants to run anywhere, or maybe just hover like a spirit. He moves down to the river and goes to the next ridge, thinking he might go see Kamau. He stops abruptly and sees Nyambura in front of him. He hadn't seen her for a long time, but now he recognizes the shape in his mind. Nyambura fears her father and is often lonely. She likes to go to the river by herself and cry; pain fills her every day. The river is her only companion. She grows colder towards her father. She knows what Muthoni did is a sin, but she is still hard-pressed to think Muthoni herself sinned. She often thinks of Waiyaki and how she barely understood him--how could he be educated at Siriana and then lead the elements that broke away? She wishes he were on their side. They awkwardly say hello and walk together. Waiyaki realizes he does not really want to see Kamau. The moon lights their path and he knows that something passed between the two of them as human beings, untainted by religion or culture. The moon seems to root them to the spot. Waiyaki wishes he could touch her but controls himself. She says she would like to see his school and they agree she can come tomorrow. She says goodbye and Waiyaki goes home. Chapter 16
Four o'clock arrives and Nyambura does not show up. Waiyaki is upset and puzzled, and he goes home. It is the season of the long rains, a favorite with the people. A good harvest is likely. However, the last few years have been tough. The pattern of seasons seems broken: it rains less and the soil does not respond to the people. Perhaps it is due to the white men and the blaspheming of Makuyu. Waiyaki often thinks about the prophecy and wonders if Chege really thought it was him. He wishes he understood better. He also thinks of Kabonyi and wonders if the man thinks of himself as the savior. Kabonyi is much older and he challenges everything Waiyaki says at the meetings of the school-governing committee. Waiyaki is back in his hut ruing the fact that everyone watches him. He knows people would not have liked to have seen him with Nyambura. His thoughts turn to his father and he admires him greatly. He decides he must be like him and serve the tribe. He will open more and more schools and even a college, and maybe he will get teachers from Nairobi. He watches a small flame in his hut and tries to touch it. A knock sounds and Kinuthia enters. He is nervous and asks if Waiyaki is in the Kiama. He'd heard Kabonyi saying Waiyaki was too young to be let in on the secrets of the tribe, and he warns Waiyaki about him. Waiyaki asks why Kabonyi would not like him, and Kinuthia replies "jealousy."Miriamu asks where she is. She is a peace-loving woman who wants her children to obey their father, but "one could still tell by her eyes that [Christianity] was a religion learnt and accepted; inside the true Gikuyu woman was sleeping" (34). Nyambura is quiet. Her father calls out for Muthoni. Nyambura steps outside but returns. Joshua glares at his wife to find their daughter. Night is coming. Miriamu knows that her duty as a mother is to bear on her shoulders her children's sins and misdeeds, and so she goes to look for Muthoni. Inside, Nyambura and Joshua are silent. Joshua rages at his wife and Nyambura is torn. Finally, she timidly ventures that maybe Muthoni has gone to visit their aunt. Joshua turns on her and asks why she would do that. Nyambura says she wants to be circumcised. Joshua grabs her, so infuriated he has spittle coming out of his mouth. Nyambura is terrified that he will hit her. He releases her, though, and she feels a sense of pity at his defeated and pained form. Joshua sits, looking like a defeated beast of prey. He tells Nyambura she has permission to go to Kameno and to tell Muthoni that if she comes back then everything will be forgiven--but if she does not, then she is no longer his daughter. Silence falls. Miriamu cries. Nyambura goes and returns the next day, saying Muthoni refuses to return. Joshua is ashamed and thinks of the suffering of Job. From this day inward she is dead to him; she is a disgrace to him and his house. Chapter 9
The harvests are good that year, and the elders offer burnt sacrifices to Murungu. Chege can remember harvests and famines, and how he'd always warned of the Christians. Things seem okay right now, as his daughters are circumcised and Waiyaki has been in Siriana for a few years, but he still does wonder if Waiyaki will fail the tribe or the prophecy. Chege knows he is growing old and cannot help pinning all his hopes on his son. He knows it seems like a contradiction that he, the embodiment of the tribe, sent his son to Siriana. However, he knows this is the way to beat the white man. He watches and waits, then, and knows that this season Waiyaki will be initiated into manhood. He will better be able to absorb the white man's wisdom and help the tribe. The time has come. People undergoing the rituals are preparing. Waiyaki is a candidate. He is grown tall and strong. He has been in Siriana for awhile, though, and has trouble always remembering the dream from years ago. He is somewhat out of touch with the things that matter most to the tribe and is not very interested in the dances and celebrations attached to the ritual; however, it means a lot to his father. He looks forward to testing his courage at the ceremony. It is the eve of initiation day and the hills ring with the sounds of drums and jingles. Waiyaki's mind is unsettled and he is unsure why. He thinks of Muthoni and how someone had pointed her out to him that day. He wonders if she ran away and how she could be here. Kinuthia confirms what she did and Waiyaki is stunned; he knows he could never disobey Chege like that. Everyone begins to get into the frenzy of the celebratory dance--old and young, men and women. They feel free, lost in the motion. They sing of sexual things, though no one participates in the act itself. Waiyaki is uneasy and wonders what Livingstone would say. He is slightly embarrassed by the words. Muthoni appears, dances, sings, and speaks of forbidden things in the most startling way. Something stirs in Waiyaki and he thinks her beautiful. Someone pulls him into the dance and, finally, he feels free and madly intoxicated. He blows a horn. It seems like Muthoni holds him with something inside her. Moments later, though, Muthoni is gone and Waiyaki finds himself alone. He is annoyed he let himself go like that. He finds Muthoni and confronts her. He asks why she ran away; she explains that she is a Christian but still wants to be initiated into the ways of the tribe. She wants to be a woman and cannot be outside the tribe. She adds that she wants to be made beautiful in the tribe, to have a husband and children. She moves away dreamily. Waiyaki remains where he is, feeling dumbstruck and troubled. He goes back to the tribe but still feels apart. He cannot sleep that night. Chapter 10
It is misty and cold in the morning, but Waiyaki is glad for the coldness of the Honia so he can numb his body. He thinks of how he'd waited for this day all his life, but now he is afraid. He does not show it, though, even when the surgeon cuts him. Now a religious bond links him to the earth, as if his blood were an offering. Pain shakes Waiyaki to his core and his mind races with thoughts. He is confused by the pain, but he keeps still and people laud his courage. The new generation thus proves itself. In the hospital, the initiates recover. Waiyaki's wound swells after two days, and he wonders if he will ever feel normal. The attendants tell all the men secrets and stories, and the initiates delight in them. Chege receives many compliments for how his son handled the rite and "how the white man's education had not softened him" (47).He is worried about it and wants to concentrate on education; perhaps Livingstone's words that "education was of value and his boys should not concern themselves with what the government was doing or politics, had found a lace in Waiyaki's heart" (65). Maybe the sleeping lions are stirring; the people know the earth is important to the tribe and the white man threatens that. People fear what is happening. Waiyaki grows angry with the rain and wishes he could fight it. He then realizes this is silly, knowing rain can be a blessing and a curse. The rain stops, and it is time to fix its damage. Chapter 14
Waiyaki's school is Marioshoni, the first to be built since the break with Siriana. It bore fruit so quickly that even Waiyaki was surprised. His father's death had numbed him and he had realized he was now a grown man. This vision took hold and he traveled from ridge to ridge, finding willing people. Schools popped up like mushrooms and were symbols of the people's thirst for knowledge--for the white man's knowledge. Few wanted to live like the white man, but they did want his magic. The tribe still adhered to circumcision, though, as the core of the social structure, as something that gave meaning to man. It could not be ended or the tribe would not cohere. Children crammed into the schools and parents were proud when they came home full of learning. Waiyaki is the headmaster at Marioshoni. He loves the walk there and back, using it as a time for thinking. There are splits in the land, and the ancient rivalry continues. He is sometimes confusing to the people because he has the white man's education, which is part of the other faith, yet he is also of the tribe. He feels isolated, but still proud of his efforts. There is more he wants to do, though, and his eyes blaze with yearning. He is young and passionate, and people wonder about his quiet courage. He is becoming the pride of the hills. Chapter 15
Waiyaki yearns for someone to talk to, someone to share his desires with. He wonders about even knowing what those desires are, especially as he thought he loved the hills and their people now believes that they are not enough for him. Waiyaki is superstitious and the Mission has not changed this. He thinks about how the white man came here and found no resistance. Ever since Muthoni's death, things are only getting worse, and Waiyaki wonders if he is able to create order and bring light to dark. A mist clouds his thoughts and he can see the shape of a woman coming toward him. She vanishes and he gets out of bed. Outside, the bright moon illuminates everything, making it unearthly and alluring. Waiyaki listens for voices but there are none. Oppression steals over him, and he wants someone to talk to. He thinks life might be all yearning. Suddenly he realizes he wants freedom and wants to run anywhere, or maybe just hover like a spirit. He moves down to the river and goes to the next ridge, thinking he might go see Kamau. He stops abruptly and sees Nyambura in front of him. He hadn't seen her for a long time, but now he recognizes the shape in his mind. Nyambura fears her father and is often lonely. She likes to go to the river by herself and cry; pain fills her every day. The river is her only companion. She grows colder towards her father. She knows what Muthoni did is a sin, but she is still hard-pressed to think Muthoni herself sinned. She often thinks of Waiyaki and how she barely understood him--how could he be educated at Siriana and then lead the elements that broke away? She wishes he were on their side. They awkwardly say hello and walk together. Waiyaki realizes he does not really want to see Kamau. The moon lights their path and he knows that something passed between the two of them as human beings, untainted by religion or culture. The moon seems to root them to the spot. Waiyaki wishes he could touch her but controls himself. She says she would like to see his school and they agree she can come tomorrow. She says goodbye and Waiyaki goes home. Chapter 16
Four o'clock arrives and Nyambura does not show up. Waiyaki is upset and puzzled, and he goes home. It is the season of the long rains, a favorite with the people. A good harvest is likely. However, the last few years have been tough. The pattern of seasons seems broken: it rains less and the soil does not respond to the people. Perhaps it is due to the white men and the blaspheming of Makuyu. Waiyaki often thinks about the prophecy and wonders if Chege really thought it was him. He wishes he understood better. He also thinks of Kabonyi and wonders if the man thinks of himself as the savior. Kabonyi is much older and he challenges everything Waiyaki says at the meetings of the school-governing committee. Waiyaki is back in his hut ruing the fact that everyone watches him. He knows people would not have liked to have seen him with Nyambura. His thoughts turn to his father and he admires him greatly. He decides he must be like him and serve the tribe. He will open more and more schools and even a college, and maybe he will get teachers from Nairobi. He watches a small flame in his hut and tries to touch it. A knock sounds and Kinuthia enters. He is nervous and asks if Waiyaki is in the Kiama. He'd heard Kabonyi saying Waiyaki was too young to be let in on the secrets of the tribe, and he warns Waiyaki about him. Waiyaki asks why Kabonyi would not like him, and Kinuthia replies "jealousy."Preparation for the birth of the Christian savior, as well as the initiation rituals, proceeds.He hates Waiyaki with his entire being and he identifies it with "the wrath of the tribe against impurity and betrayal" (144). He thinks he is the savior who will unite the ridges. The sun is going down and people are becoming impatient. Some of Joshua's followers, including Miriamu, watch on the hill. It seems like the sun is setting in a blaze of flames; Kinuthia sees a vision of Nyambura and Waiyaki within them. Finally, Waiyaki strides in, looking strong and beautiful. The crowd quiets. Chapter 26
The words of Chege's prophecy come back to Waiyaki as he surveys his tribe. He knows they need him; he knows Nyambura needs him. He begins to speak. He thanks the people, outlines their struggles, speaks of the waking of the sleeping lions, and says that, if some want to accuse them, then they ought to do it publicly. Kabonyi stands. He speaks of Muthoni being unclean, and the tribe needing to take action against the menace of Waiyaki. Waiyaki is in league with the white man and his taxation. He speaks of Waiyaki's journeys to Siriana. Waiyaki is confused as to why he says nothing of Joshua and Nyambura yet. Waiyaki speaks next. He reminds the people in strong words that Kabonyi was one of the first to go to the white man. He then reminds them of their glorious past and the united hills that made the victories of old possible. He speaks of Mugo's prophecy and says that they must not choose violence: they must unite or the white man will always be on their back. At this, the people cheer and seem very moved. The people begin to move toward Kabonyi angrily, but Waiyaki calls out that they must not touch him. It is almost as if he realizes at that moment what Kabonyi and the Kiama mean for the tribe. Kinuthia watches, a sense of terror pervading him. Something is wrong. Kabonyi speaks again. Everyone is listening to his broken, grief-stricken voice. He is reminding them of the oath Waiyaki took to never tell the tribe's secrets. Waiyaki is getting nervous. Kabonyi blurts out that he can prove Waiyaki is in league with Joshua, and he brings forth Nyambura. Kabonyi tells Waiyaki to deny her. The call for the denial bounces around the ridges but the river thrums on. The people shout "the oath!The valley is called the valley of life and the river is called Honia, or "cure." It never dries and is the soul of the two ridges. All men, beasts, and trees are united by it. However, if you stand in the valley the ridges look like antagonists because of the way the face each other; there is a sense in which this is a struggle of life and death. Long ago, a man rose in Makuyu. He claimed that Gikuyu and Mumbi sojourned there, so it meant leadership belongs in Makuyu. Not everyone believed this, thinking they had stopped in Kameno. In Kameno they said Murungu gave them the land and that a sacred spring sprang where they stood. People still paid homage to it. The great Gikuyu seer, Mugo, was also born there, grew up there, and warned everyone that someday the people with clothes like butterflies would come. And come they did--they were the white men. The ridges were isolated and people lived their lives undisturbed by what went on elsewhere. The hills and ridges were "the heart and soul of the land.They kept the tribes' magic and rituals, pure and intact" (3). Most people never left the ridges but some went out. Leaders of the land arose there, having the courage to look beyond. They became strangers to the hills. Chapter 2
Two boys, Kamau and Kinuthia, emerge in the plain. They are wrestling, but it soon becomes violent. Another boy emerges and orders them to stop. It is Waiyaki, and he asks why they are fighting. Kamau says the other boy called his father a convert to the white man, and Kinuthia says Kamau made fun of him for his father dying poor. They begin struggling again. Waiyaki says Kamau's name; humiliated, Kamau stops and slinks away. Kinuthia is grateful. Waiyaki is the son of Chege. He has not yet been circumcised but is tall and well-built. He has a small scar from a wild goat near his left eye. Chege is an elder of Kameno who knows "the meaning of every ritual and every sign" (7) and all the ways of everything in the tribe.People call him "Our Teacher" and believe he will help the tribe. Waiyaki cares more for the teaching, but sometimes feels a surge of idealism and patriotism. It is the day for the parents to gather from all over the ridges. Waiyaki is convinced that he must press for unity between Kameno and Makuyu; it is the time. It had been a temptation, an echo, a possibility--and now it is a need. Everyone is there, many to see the Teacher. They think he will help the tribe regain its purity and power. The school seems to be a symbol of their defiance of the foreign ways. The parents walk around and admire it, and they admire Waiyaki as well. Kabonyi does not like this. He thinks Waiyaki is an upstart and just a boy with silly ideas. His own son, Kamau, is older and just as good of a teacher. He thinks of the prophecy and worries that Waiyaki might be the one. The meeting finally starts. Children come and sing songs, which Waiyaki had taught them from his own days at Siriana. The last line of the song is "I want the shield and spear of learning," (93) and some parents shed tears.People call him "Our Teacher" and believe he will help the tribe. Waiyaki cares more for the teaching, but sometimes feels a surge of idealism and patriotism. It is the day for the parents to gather from all over the ridges. Waiyaki is convinced that he must press for unity between Kameno and Makuyu; it is the time. It had been a temptation, an echo, a possibility--and now it is a need. Everyone is there, many to see the Teacher. They think he will help the tribe regain its purity and power. The school seems to be a symbol of their defiance of the foreign ways. The parents walk around and admire it, and they admire Waiyaki as well. Kabonyi does not like this. He thinks Waiyaki is an upstart and just a boy with silly ideas. His own son, Kamau, is older and just as good of a teacher. He thinks of the prophecy and worries that Waiyaki might be the one. The meeting finally starts. Children come and sing songs, which Waiyaki had taught them from his own days at Siriana. The last line of the song is "I want the shield and spear of learning," (93) and some parents shed tears.Chapter 3
The Demi na Mathathi were the giants of the tribe who long ago cut down trees, cleared the forests, and held communion with ancestral spirits.The next day, Waiyaki follows Chege through the labyrinthine plants and thorns.In Siriana, Muthoni's death only confirms how barbaric the Gikuyu customs are.Chege warns his son that it is dangerous in the darkness, but Waiyaki boasts that he knows the way of all the ridges.Chege adds that he and Waiyaki are descended from Mugo.Waiyaki, Kinuthia, and Kamau go to Siriana to live and learn together under the Reverend Livingstone of the Siriana Mission.On the way, Muthoni accidentally drops her watermelon and Nyambura thinks privately that this is a bad omen.Waiyaki is dumbstruck.