CIRCUMCISER’S KNIFE

By Jacqueline Kamau

Each boy was being called by name to get into the mud, grass roofed hut by the river bed. The voice that was calling names was so deep and angry. The boy who answered was asked to get in followed by Munyitiriri, the person who will make you stand strong.

“Franjethi !!”

This is how the circumciser called my name.  At this time, correct pronunciation of the name was not important; it was my turn to get in. I was almost naked among men. Some who were brave and thirty seven others like me who were trying to be brave. Munyitiriri followed me into the room. He knew where to stand.

Inside the hut, one man was standing near a small table in the left side of the door. There were medical bottles, surgery knives, spirit, medicine, cotton wool, syringe and needles among other things on the table. The hut was dark with just one small window opposite the table. Some liquid was shining beneath the metallic bench  near the three legged stool but I could not tell what it was. Three other men who were tall, dark and strong were standing behind a metallic bench in the middle of the room. At the center of the room there was a three legged stool

“Ruta thurwari”

The man ordered in a deeper voice. My big short fell on the ground before he could say anything else.  I made two steps out of my shorts.  I was totally naked in a hut with five men. I wanted to be a man like most of my age mates. I enjoyed the early morning walk, the gifts that came before hand including one big short from my mother, a pair of jeans, belt and reebok  sport shoes. My father gave me enough threats,

“My son if I hear that u cried, I will disown you ”

“I have never cried in front of my enemies”

“These are not your enemies; these are your bridge into adulthood.”

“I will respect them father”

“If you scream that is disrespect to them. If you disrespect other people it means I did not teach you well. It means that u disrespect me. The punishment for disrespect has been is getting your own food because u abuses the hand that feeds you.”

“Father I will not fail you”

“Father you have not given me a gift. Mother gave me this short”

“That is my short, but u can have it a gift from me”

I stood there facing the man who was busy mixing some drugs. The man was short like my father. However his voice was too loud when he commanded me

“Rora nakuu”

I turned and faced the three men that I dreaded.

“I was going to be circumcised by three men?”  I wished my trembling lips could ask.

Without any notice, the man behind injected me in my ass.  The medicine froze my left bottom. He removed the needle and rubbed the medicine with a small piece of cotton wool.

“Sit down”  

He told me without any concern about my nakedness.  I wanted to remain standing and allow my ass to cool down. I struggled to sit with one ass trying to cover the tower in between my legs with my shaking thighs. Before my hot ass could be calmed down by the cold metallic bench,

“Rora naguku”

He ordered me to face him and I heard a sharp sound after he moved his seat closer to me.

    As my body was rotating, I saw the circumciser a very sharp blade that was very shinny. It gave a reflection of his dark, wrinkled face. He seemed like a ruthless middle aged man. He sat in the three leggeled stool before me.

“Tagania maguru” he said parting my legs.  The tower was more  shrunken than my courage. I wanted to run away but the three men comforted me with their powerful hands pressing hard on me.

    I saw my foreskin being cut all round, blood was spilling on the floor and a sharp pain was hitting my back with every cut. I was not allowed to cry, I was not supposed to scream but I was allowed to close my eyes and allow myself to be a man.  When the circumciser stood up , I look at munyitiriri, no single tear on my face but very watery eyes  telling him,

“ I have survived despite the pain.”

He came closer and placed his right hand on my left shoulder. I thought this was his way of saying congratulations. The circumciser turned towards me again. He was holding a needle and a string. I pushed hard to get out before he could touch my tower again.  Munyitiriri’s hand  were a reinforcement. I was held tight as the circumciser pulled the string through my skin.  The string that has given me powers to pull down any string above and below a girls waist including g-string.

The circumciser finished stitching and wiped my tower. He went back to shelves. The three masculine men walked out without saying any word. For a break I guess after I had drowned their strength with my struggles. Munyitiriri was given cotton wool and spirit. I had already received my manhood. Although I wished I could walk naked, Munyitiriri gave me my short. As a boy, I complained about its big size. As a man, I appreciate its space.

The deep voice of the circumciser,

“Ruta Thuruary” keep coming into my mind as I walk out. I should ask Munyitiriri if I should order girls to remove their pants too or should I tell them words that will make their pants fall down or should I just remove the pants and use the available space.