Henry Decker
Henry Decker was born in harrow, West London in the year 1785. He was born in a Christian family and both his parents were stauch Christian's. And his father served as a minister in alocal church. Although they were poor, Decker adored both his parents. Kate, Decker's mum worked as a housemaid in a Baron home which was near their house.
Decker didn't go far with education as he preferred to work with both his parents but he was taught how to read and write. Henry from the age of eight worked with his mum at the barons castle. The mum did house chores as Henry cleaned the big compound so he learned gardening at an early age. For ten years Henry worked there and in that time he became acquitated with every family member in that home. The one he liked most was Diana daughter to the Baron. They were of the same age and usually played together in the gardens. The Baron himself rarely came to that Castle.
So after almost 10 years Diana and Henry were really close and had feelings for each other. Although Henry came from a poor family Diana adored him very much. Diana went to prestigious schools but always remembered henry and when school holidays approached she would think of only Henry. Diana's father was called sir Edward Spencer and was well known military admiral in London and greater Britain for his exploits in primitive places as it were known at the time. Sir Edward owned several homes around England and also had several mistresses and wives. But in winter he usually stayed at his harrow Castle where Diana and her mum lived plus a few slaves.
In the winter of 1803 Henry was still working as agardener at that mansion and their love affair with Diana had grown stronger and they often made love in the gardens. Their favorite spot was behind the house under the oak tree. It was November the month that Diana usually came back for her holidays from school and this particular time Henry was anxious, his heart beat was strong that night as thoughts rashed through his head on what was going to transpire the next morning when he was going to do his work because Diana had returned. The thoughts of them kissing and making love the previous winter were so fresh in his mind and he couldn't wait for their next ecounter.
The next morning henry was the first to reach the Castle. He begun his mundane duties around castle tendering to the flowers and occasionally stealing stares at diana window room.
"What is it?"Henry roared. "Its as if you dont know me any more" Diana replied.
She ran across the lawn and hugged him.
Then they kissed passionately and made love under their favorite spot.
That was how things went on for sometime.
That particular Winter of 1815 was the time Sir Edward spencer suspected that his daughter was having an affair with the gardener. The baron was so infuriated that he couldn't believe his daughter would love some of low class. He believed in status typical at that time. He had hoped that Diana would marry in an influencial family not that of henry.
So that Henry's mother katie was told never to bring her son back.
His father felt sorry for him. One evening katie suggested that henry joins the Church mission society (cms) which at the time was recruiting young lads to learn the word of God and later they were sent on missions across the world
Chapter
Harry had developed a close relationship with sultan Ahmed and in the year 1850 they sent out to the interior on their second expedition since the first one was meant with all kinds of problems. From diseases, lack of translators in the interior and porters. Hostile tribes along the proposed route which would be were the railway would pass into the interior.
Sultan Ahmed was years older than Harry but the two enjoyed each other's company. Ahmed was son to sultan saidi of Zanzibar and dominated most of the slave trade on the east African coast. Years before even Harry arrived at the east African shore saidi had traversed the interior and was well known among the African chiefs. Cause he would bring exotic goods and exchange them with slaves. For all those years that sultan saidi dominated the interior trade he had many shops in zanzibar, malindi, mombasa, Tanga etc. Each trading Post he had slave houses were slaves would be kept as they waited to be sold to foreign merchants who always docked at one of the trade posts once in a while. So for many years saidi accumulated insurmountable wealth along the coast of east Africa. But one place he desired most was Zanzibar and so it was a matter of time he captured Zanzibar. And ruled over it for years. The business of interior trading was handed over to his son Ahmed. Ahmed unlike his father was friendly person, sometimes he would free slaves especially the sick ones, women and children. This would annoy his father a great deal because for him it was all about money and nothing else. Lets say it was his cruelty that helped him amass so much wealth that even the Europeans envied each time they came to buy slaves and other goods like ivory, gems and goods from the interior. This particular expedition was Henry's second they moved with large caravan including porters who were slaves bought from the interior and put to service, soldiers were mixture of Arabs and some few Africans, translators although were former slaves were treated better than the other slaves.
On this particular journey they changed routes because of Henry and Ahmed couristy nature. The others adviced them not but their plea fell on deaf ears. New routes required lot s of work especially from the porters. It took days to clear the pay way. In such times many porters either fled or some died of exshausion and diseases. Henry was monitoring work as the porters were cutting down trees and long grasses when he overheard a conversation between one of the porters and a certain translator named kadongo, kadongo knew some arabic, afew English words and spoke fruently some bantu dialectics. This time kadongo communicated in a mixture of arabic and a certain bantu dialect with this porters. The conversation went along lines like " why are you afraid of going along this route kadongo inquired. I heard there is a place where people disappear at the foot of that mountain the porter stretching his arm and pointing in the west. Kadongo raised his eyes and took a stare he saw the said mountain and responded I have moved alot in the interior but never heard. The porter replied abandu bo mungulu. Resided that side and most tribes never entered their territory because no one ever came back. And at one time some years back chiefs of different tribes organised an army and get the so called abantu bo mungulu to no Vail. Although they went with huge army only one nandi chief came back and he could barely explain what transpired. He died afew days upon arrival. So most tribes had became very afraid of that area. Abantu bomungulu meaning the people of the heavens as the other tribes called. Kadongo then said you mean we shall also disappear when we reach there he asked. To which the porter replied we an affirmative yes. Although Henry had learnt some arabic he didn't fully comprehend the conversation but he knew there was trouble awaiting them ahead. In the evening when it were time for rest he summoned kadongo
