Jungle Justice

This is something new for me. The expressions are as authentic as I could find, and the names were "borrowed" from the members of certain African men's and women's national soccer teams.

If there are any inaccuracies, put them down to lack of first hand knowledge.

*

Ekene had become separated from the main hunting party when he stopped to remove a thorn from his foot, and was hurrying to catch up when some sixth sense made him step from the trail. He remained motionless for long minutes before hearing a stealthy movement off to his right. Slowly the sounds moved away, and he resumed his pursuit. He had gone no more than ten paces when he saw the scat, still steaming under the hot African sun, and a shudder ran through his slight frame at the realisation of how close he had come to a confrontation with one of the most feared predators. It was clear from the nearby pug marks that it was a large cat -- almost certainly a leopard, and that it was headed in the same direction as the hunting party. He had no wish to tangle with the spotted cat -- his first kill needed only to to be any large beast, and he would be recognised as a hunter, so there was no point in taking unnecessary risks.

Fear gripped Ekene's innards as tightly as he gripped his spear as he followed the spoor, but the thought of winning Onome pushed him on. If he was cautious he might be able to avoid the cat, although it was vital he find some way of warning the rest of the party. From childhood he and Onome had been inseparable, and it was generally assumed throughout the village that one day, when Ekene had proven himself as a hunter or warrior, they would be mated. Provided of course that Kelechi, the head of the village, granted his approval, which would only happen when Ekene made his first kill.

Before they would be permitted to mate, Onome, like all unmarried women, must first be examined by the older women to confirm that she had never been penetrated. No greater disaster could befall her than failing to pass this test. First she would be beaten by the women, until she disclosed the name of he who had violated her, and the culprit would in turn be beaten by the men, and banished from the village to take his chances with the hostile countryside and the wide variety of predators, both four and two legged.

The punishment would not end there, for she would become a drudge for the entire village, living on food scraps, and the plaything of any and all warriors and hunters who chose to use her in any way they wished. Any offspring resulting from these couplings would be arbitrarily taken into the bush and abandoned.

All of these things were running through Ekene's mind as he followed the tracks, and he shook his head to clear his mind. He was sure that no such calamity would come to pass, because it had happened only once in his memory, and they were determined not to make the same mistake. There were women who lay with other men, but these were those who had lost their mates, either on the hunt or during skirmishes with marauding tribes. It was recognised that such women still had appetites that needed to be satisfied, and any resulting children were raised with the help of all. As in most societies, of course, there were women who occasionally discreetly satisfied their needs with other men, with the consent of their husbands who were usually older men who could no longer perform.

Ekene and Onome had known each other in other ways, but they had been careful not to cross the forbidden line. Stepping from the trail to urinate, he smiled at the memory of the first time he had come to see Onome as other than a childhood playmate.

She had been taken by her mother to the women's hut, where she had remained for seven nights, to emerge proudly wearing the short beaded kilt which declared that she was now a woman, and free to mate when a suitable hunter became eligible. As he looked at her, he was at a loss to understand how he could possibly have failed to notice her budding breasts and hips that were beginning to flare. She smiled proudly as she approached, and followed as he turned towards the trail leading to their special place beside the river. Seated on a large flat rock, he eyed her puffy areolae with renewed interest as he questioned her about the mysteries of the women's hut, but she remained tight lipped, saying only that it was 'women's business'.

With the passage of time, as her breasts filled out and her waist slimmed, her now concealed pubic area took on an air of mystery for him. Before she had begun wearing her kilt, he had been so accustomed to her nudity that he had barely spared her a glance, and now he realised that he could only vaguely remember how her vagina had looked. Not knowing for certain gave his imagination free rein, particularly during the one week each month when she was closeted in the women's hut, and there were many occasions when he lay awake at night, unable to sleep until he succumbed to the temptation to thrust his hand inside his loincloth to subdue his erection.

It was after one of these weeks that they were sitting beside the river in companionable silence. As usual, his glance turned frequently to her breasts as he wondered again about what went on during her absence. With a secretive smile she turned to face him, and his eyes widened as he saw her nipples stiffen into hard points. A stray breeze caused her beaded kilt to lift briefly, and for no more than the blink of an eye he caught a glimpse of the dark shadow between her thighs. Painfully aware of his rising member, he put out a tentative hand to cup her breast. Onome looked down at his fingers teasing her rubbery nipples, and her breathing quickened. It would have been improper for an unmated woman to make an open approach, but ever since she had first worn the kilt, and heard some of the ribald stories the older women told, she had dreamed of this moment.

She had not imagined that her nipples would be so sensitive and responsive to the touch of other than herself, nor that the touch would cause the sensations she was feeling in her loins. During her times in the hut, older women had talked about how having their breasts fondled gave them such feelings between their legs, but she had difficulty believing that touching one part of the body could affect another. Now that she knew it was true, she began to wonder about other tales they told that at the time had seemed equally unlikely. A surreptitious glance at Ekene's thin loincloth confirmed what she had heard about men getting hard down there when they fondled a woman's breasts, and knowing it would be improper to make the first move, she fought the urge to find out for herself just how hard he was.

The decision was made easier for her, when he carefully raised her kilt above her waist and looked avidly at her vulva. She felt his gaze almost like a physical caress, and she parted her thighs, revealing the inner folds glistening with her seeping secretions. With her lungs almost bursting with unconsciously pent up breath, she watched his fingers part her pouting labia, and when she felt his touch on her clitoris she could restrain herself no longer. With a long shuddering sigh she pushed aside his loincloth and grasped his swollen member. She tensed a little when his fingertip came close to her entrance, relaxing immediately as he made no attempt to penetrate. The unfamiliar but long imagined feelings made her tremble with need, and she raised her hips, watching her hand slide along his shaft as her climax broke over her. Her exotic essences flowed freely as her hand moved faster, and she could not hold back a giggle when his seed spilled over her fingers.

Temporarily sated, but still excited by this new adventure, the young lovers looked at each other, slightly embarrassed but filled with an overwhelming happiness they had only ever dreamed of. Over the course of the next several days they explored their new found pleasures, each vying to discover what pleased the other most. As enjoyable as these pursuits undoubtedly were, they soon realised that there were limits to what could be achieved with hands and fingers. Now that the first move had been made towards intimacy, Onome felt more confident in taking the lead, and next time they met at their special place, she spoke up.

"Ekene, the aunts in the women's hut have told me of other ways in which we can please each other." He looked at her without comprehending, and she urged him onto his back and straddled him, lifting her kilt to press her vagina to his lips as she leaned forward, taking his hard phallus into her mouth. His surprise was quickly replaced by excitement, and he parted her labia with his tongue, tasting her musky sweetness as her mouth worked unbelievable miracles on his rigid organ. Quickly locating her clitoris, he licked eagerly, causing her secretions to cascade over his face as his penis succumbed to her ministrations, flooding her mouth with his viscous semen. As they separated, she swallowed and smiled shyly, and he sat up, pulling her close, hoping that she could feel his love for her as surely as he felt her love for him.

There was only one blot on their happiness, and that was in the form of Olubayo, the eldest son of Kelechi, the village chieftain, and half brother to Ekene, who was the son of the second and junior of Kelechi's two wives. Although there were only four months separating them, Olubayo was already taller and stronger than some of the other men in the village, and he took full advantage of both his physical stature and his status as the future chieftain. To his discredit, the was the opposite of his father. Whereas Kelechi was fair, compassionate, and respectful to all, Olubayo was an arrogant bully, and there were few villagers of both genders who had not felt the wrath of his fists. Despite this, when he was not wearing his customary contemptuous sneer he was strikingly handsome, and was often accompanied by ambitious females hoping to be chosen as the number one wife of the village leader-to-be when he succeeded his father.

Like all bullies, he took a sadistic delight in instilling fear in those weaker than him, and he used his position ruthlessly to coerce unwed maidens into satisfying his often brutal lusts, at least as far as he dared. Since he had not yet proven himself in the hunt, even being the future chieftain would not save him from beating and banishment, should he break tribal law and cross that forbidden line. Except when they were satisfying his appetites, he treated his fawning admirers with disdain because he knew they would come running at the twitch of a finger. Such easy conquests held only a passing appeal for him, because his domineering, bullying nature caused him to covet the unattainable. And the one thing he wanted most was Onome.

It infuriated and frustrated him that the most comely girl in this, and any other village, not only spurned his advances, but openly sneered and declared that despite his smaller stature, Ekene was twice the man Olubayo would ever be. This rejection only served to strengthen his determination to win her by fair means or foul, and then he would make her suffer for defying him.

Keeping a sharp eye out for any variation in the tracks of the leopard, Ekene smiled at the sweet memory of last time he and Onome had been together. She was already at the river when he arrived, and the scent of her arousal pervaded his nostrils immediately. He cast a curious glance at a small earthen pot beside her, but he put it from his mind when she lay down and lifted her kilt invitingly. Crouching over her he parted the pouting lips of her vulva with his questing tongue, as she pulled aside his loincloth and took him into her mouth. He was surprised how quickly she climaxed, and he licked greedily at her fragrant juices, thrusting his hips in search of his own release.

She pushed him away abruptly, and he stared at her in dismayed frustration, but she smiled and took ip the forgotten pot. Dipping her fingers into the small vessel, she reached for him and smeared his member thickly with rendered animal fat. Turning her back she leaned forward and parted the rounded globes of her buttocks. "In here Ekene," she whispered urgently. He looked hesitantly at her puckered sphincter, but at her insistence he placed the tip of his organ against the impossibly tight opening. She pushed back suddenly, and they gasped in unison as, aided by the greasy coating, the tight ring of muscles parted and he was inside her. They remained motionless until she adjusted to the unaccustomed invasion of her anal cavity, and when she began to move he pushed forward, thrusting deeper and deeper until he could go no further.

With one forearm cushioning her head against the hard rock, she reached back to caress her clitoris, trying to distract herself from the discomfort she couldn't admit to him that she was feeling. They settled into a gentle rhythm, and with each thrust the discomfort lessened, and she began to enjoy the feeling of having him inside her. Even though he wasn't where she really wanted him to be, it was far better than they had known previously, and her pleasure was heightened by knowing how much she was pleasing her chosen lover. With a sudden gasp from Ekene it was over, and he pulled her tightly against him as he pumped his seed into her.

Still following the tracks, Ekene felt his member rise at the memory, and he pushed his free hand into his loincloth, stroking the stiff shaft as he walked. A sudden howl of terror from ahead made his blood run cold, and he relinquished his grip on his organ and pushed his way through the brush, hefting his spear in readiness. Emerging into a small clearing beside a narrow stretch of the meandering river he saw Olubayo, frozen with fear as he stared at the snarling leopard. The big cat crouched to spring, and dropping his spear, the terrified youth turned to flee. As the beast launched itself at its intended prey, Ekene cast his spear in desperation. His aim was truer than he could have hoped, the missile catching the spotted cat in the hind leg and hindering its leap, so that instead of bringing down its victim, one paw merely raked a shallow triple furrow in Olubayo's calf.

With a screech of pain the enraged animal tore at the spear, and without thinking of the danger, Ekene picked up Olubayo's discarded weapon, holding it extended at arm's length by the end of the shaft. The wound was just distracting enough for the leopard not to notice Ekene, and approaching on the beast's blind side, he placed the point against its ribcage and pushed with his full weight. The point sank deep, and despite the spear being heavier and stouter than Ekene's, the shaft snapped as the mortally wounded cat thrashed in its death throes.

Now that the threat was no more, reaction set in and he slumped to the ground, trembling at the realisation of the danger his instinctive actions would have put him in, had the thrown spear missed its mark. As he regained his composure the significance of his achievement struck him like a physical blow. Not only would he now be recognised as a hunter and able to claim Onome, but his prestige at having killed a constant threat to the safety of not only his own village, but that of surrounding villages would be high.

A foul stench assailed his nostrils, and he looked up at Olubayo, who was glaring resentfully between the slain cat and his saviour. Whether from rage or from humiliation Ekene could not be sure, but the bigger youth was shaking uncontrollably, seemingly unaware that fright had caused him to soil himself. Belatedly noticing the direction of Ekene's glance, he looked down at himself and wordlessly headed into the river shallows to clean up.

When he returned he had recovered some of his arrogant swagger, and there was a cunning gleam in his eyes. He fingered the knife at his waist meaningfully, and when he spoke his voice was heavy with menace. "You will not speak of this to any of the others," he said sourly, "or my blade will taste your blood." Without replying, Ekene pulled his spear from the leopard, and grasped the broken shaft of the weapon which had delivered the fatal thrust. "Leave it!" Olubayo commanded. "The others will see that it is my spear that slew the beast. I will take the kill, and I will have your woman."

Ekene bristled with outrage. Such a thing was unheard of. It was generally accepted in every village that a bond formed between a boy and a girl was inviolate until it was broken by mutual agreement, unless there was serious wrongdoing by either. However this was merely accepted practice rather than tribal law, and it was within the discretion of village chieftains to dissolve such unions, although this discretion was rarely exercised. Before Ekene could respond Olubayo picked up the lighter spear and tossed it into the river. "Remember," he growled, "if you wish to live, you will remain silent, and remember also that should you speak out, your certain death will not protect Onome from my anger."

Ekene had no doubt that in the heat of this moment the threat was meant, and although he cared little for his own safety, if telling the truth resulted in harm to his beloved Onome he would have no wish to live anyway. There would be other opportunities to prove himself in the hunt, so it was better that he remain silent and cling to the hope that Olubayo would come to his senses. It was unthinkable that Chief Kelechi would wish to lose the hard earned respect of the village, by denying the vanquisher of such a feared predator his choice of mate, especially when that vanquisher was his own first born and future successor.

At Olubayo's direction, and unwilling to further antagonise his adversary, Ekene cut down a sapling and trimmed it into a stout pole which was thrust between the bound paws of the carcass. Each taking an end, they slung the pole over their shoulders, and with their burden swaying between them they set off in the direction of their village.

They had gone no more than a mile when they were hailed by the rest of the party, which was gaining on them gradually. Setting the dead cat on the ground, they rested until the others caught up. It had obviously been a successful hunt, for the new arrivals were loaded down with the butchered carcass of a sizeable wildebeest. Slung on a pole carried by two of the younger members was the bloodied hide, sagging under the weight of a haunch

Nwankwo, the leader of the hunting party eyed the leopard with approval. "Ho, Olubayo, that is a fine kill. There are now three new hunters in the village." He pointed to the youths carrying the hide. "Nnamdi and Kadiri made their first kill. The spear of each struck true at the same moment, one in the heart and one in the liver. The beast would have died from either so they will share the kill."

Any chance that Olubayo might act with honour quickly vanished, as with a warning glare at Ekene he indicated the broken shaft protruding from the spotted carcass. "All can see that my spear slew the beast." he declared, basking in the sycophantic praise and backslapping of those who wished to curry favour. Ekene looked on in frustration, knowing that any protests would be futile, and viewed as a jealous attempt to discredit someone whose future status as village chief he coveted.

After a short rest they all shouldered their burdens and turned in the direction of the village, where Olubayo's deception was unquestioningly accepted as truth. Nobody thought to ask Ekene for confirmation, although he knew that if he failed to confirm it, Olubayo would almost certainly carry through his threat to harm Onome. It was better that he see her well and mated to the bully, rather than grievously harmed, or worse. There was no assurance that she would be treated well, but the slightest chance was preferable to her certain fate should he speak up, and even if he did speak up it was unlikely he would be believed.