Fumbo

I heard the untamed thudding of the long drum fumbo, felt the frenzied throbbing of the fumbo and poignant melodies of the string guitar tongoli but through this all I heard you calling me; and like at the beginning I danced the fumbo dance. I wiggled and wriggled my waist like a caterpillar my right knee slightly bent forward inwards my toes sunk, out I pulled them. up and down my ankles twirled and whirled. I was caught up in the tempo frenzied with the agony of your loss; a shrill cry wrung out of me piercing the pulsating night. I blended with the palpitating sounds of the string guitar that awoke me during moonlit nights, the thudding throbs of the long drum that guided my feet across shadowy footpaths, in harmony to the melodious teke and persistent ankle bells “Follow the music and you will find me”, you always said I could hear you call out to me through the far away thumping of the fumbo It vibrated and echoed, resounding over and over kudeep-thum-thum Kudeep-thum-thum ting-ting-tingili-ting ting-ting-tingili-ting. The melody lent zeal to my feet till at long last I would emerge from the darkness into the swarming mass of sweat-drenched dancers sopping with exhaustion. All around, the ankle bells jingled as the sweating throng moved their bodies in tune. 1 avoided groping fingers of yach as I searched for you yearning to dance for you, with you “Follow the music”, you always said and like a moth to a flame I was drawn to you! A shrill shriek is wrung from me echoing through the lifeless night; and like in life I danced for you, willing you to follow the music.