THE RAID OPERATION WENT WRONG

Asweda and his company finally arrived at the destination. They had reached Oromo village. A village perceived to contain milk and honey. They had a lot of expectations. They arrived late at night and had to rest for some time. They were weary, and they had to regain their strength before they could attempt the raid. Another reason why they had to delay the raid operation was to have time to understand the area well. They had to identify a convenient escape route. They stayed in that particular place for several weeks. They understood that community way of operation. Although the community seemed hostile, they just had to endure to accomplish their mission. They successfully identified three families who suffer under their hands in raid. They were really determined and nothing could stop them.

The long-awaited day has finally arrived. The cattle rustlers came out boldly to attack. It was a great war as it took more than three hours to overpower the livestock owner. It was a matter of life and death. Asweda quickly took his machete in an attempt to exercise his military skills. Asweda was normally very tough during such an operation. He swiftly moved and chopped off the neck of his opponent. Fears and worries ran down their opponents in vain. As they ran for their safety, Asweda and the young men quickly made away with a large size of livestock. They quickly rushed through the forest and disappeared. They had accomplished their mission successfully and now Asweda was regaining his recently lost social status. Asweda could be the richest in their entire village when he arrives safely. He was extremely happy.

Now the community where they had stolen the animals were really disappointed and couldn't believe they had lost such a sizable number of livestock. The worst thing was the life lost during the operation. They had to take revenge. It was now becoming a matter of life and death. They had to do whatever it took to recover their animals. The Oromo community quickly organized the young strong men in their village for a recovery mission. The young Oromo men were divided into four groups and each group had to follow a different path. They quickly made their way into the bush and forest for a recovery mission. They were armed to the teeth, carrying arrows, swords and machetes. The first group had traveled now for seven days and there was no sign of success. They were now tired and weary. They decided to stay for some time before they could continue with the journey. They sat under a huge Mango tree to rest for some time. A middle-aged woman arrived from the opposite direction. They all greeted her before they inquired if she had come across stolen livestock. The middle-aged woman who introduced herself as Nyaoro confirmed having come across a large heard of cattle few miles away. From the vivid description of Nyaoro, the young Oromo men deduced that they were the cattle rustlers they were searching for. They gained extra energy and quickly tactfully made their way. They were really determined to face the cattle rustlers. They saw Asweda and the group at a distance. They quickly spread in an effort to ambush and attack the cattle rustlers from all directions.

"We are finished, take position young men," Asweda ordered in a tone that could suggest worry. Although it could be seen that the Oromo people had already overpowered the thieves, they could not let it go that easily. In that bushy place, they fought for two hours before they could surrender. The young man in the company of Asweda quickly disappeared when they realized their lives were in danger. Asweda was at the position he was and could not find any place to escape. One of the Oromo men chopped off Asweda's left leg. Asweda was now in great pain. The young men were determined to kill him. It was now a matter of minutes and Asweda would be resting with his ancestors in the spirit world. Asweda cried out in pain. A young Oromo man who was at a distance could be seen aiming to chop off the neck of Asweda. He was to suffer the exact death he caused in Oromo. The Asweda's ancestors could not leave him, despite his disrespectful nature. Without further ado, a young Oromo man pushed Asweda with the aim of making him fall on the ground to easily finish him. The push was so great that it displaced him about two meters before he was swallowed by a nearby deep cave. Now this was how Asweda was saved from the Oromo men who were craving his blood.

The young Oromo men were somehow disappointed. Although they had recovered the livestock, the rustlers were still alive. They gathered their livestock and returned home. When they arrived, they were welcomed like heroes, having successfully recovered their animals. The young Oromo men were praised by their community for their brave action.

The ten young men who were with Asweda returned home with bad news. They narrated how they found themselves in the hands of the Oromo people. Nekesa and the group were doubting the possibility of Asweda being alive. They were convinced that Asweda must be with their ancestors at that particular time. This news shocked the family and the entire community. They could not believe it at all. Asweda's newly married third wife was really shocked as she was becoming a widow three months after marriage. Another drawback for Asweda's third wife was that her bride price was yet to be paid. It was really a sorrowful moment for the family. Everyone associated the incident with their ancestors' earlier communication. Asweda had been warned by his ancestors not to go for planned cattle rustling mission, but he ignored them. Now the search for wealth has now turned out to be a disaster. The family were left with a scar which could not heal. The family had to accept the reality as it was.