Journey to Terry and Mike's Wedding: Part One... Ruracio
It was a chilly Saturday afternoon. We gathered at our friend's home as we anxiously waited for the groom and his people to turn up and take part in a Kikuyu tradition known as Ruracio. This is a celebration where the groom to be seeks the bride to be's family to negotiate on the bride price so he can have her. The negotiations are conducted by the uncles on both sides in presence of both sets of parents and in this case also their pastor.
The groom's party was late and we (the bride and her troupe of unwed friends) were nervous and hungry and couldn't wait for them to get there so we could get this show on the road. As the afternoon wore on, we heard the hooting of vehicles followed by women singing to signal that the groom's party had arrived. The gate to the bride's home had been closed and would be open once the women at the gate were adequately satisfied by the response from the groom's party which also had to pay a fine for coming late. We scurried over to one of the windows by the staircase so as to get a view of what was going on outside. It was quite amusing to see the grooms relatives being admitted one at a time while the women sang before the gates were finally opened and we had to hurry back and hide. You see, we had to keep out of sight until called upon to be presented. Once the bride was picked out then we could join in the ceremony.
Once everyone had settled down and movement in and out of the house had been limited, we quickly tiptoed back to our room passing by the kitchen to get some mandazis to "shikilia tumbo" until the time lunch would be served. We picked out three ladies who would serve the rest of us. Lunch was a tantalizing affair with a mix of traditional dishes such as irio being accompanied by rice, pilau, beef stew, chicken and veggies. We also had a bit of kachumbari and later had fruits and soda.
Once settled, the proceedings began in full swing and we had to select those of us who'd be covered up and presented to the groom: a game to see if he could tell who his wife-to-be was without seeing her face or any physically distinguishing feature. This was so much fun but eventually he was able to pick her out to the merriment of the crowd. The rest of us could now join the ceremony as representative uncles and family from both sides retired to the living room to carry on the negotiations. It took quite a while but we later determined that "Harusi Tunayo" as the bride price had been set and agreed upon.
The idea of bride price might seem crude but it was instituted as a way of ensuring that the couple was made acutely aware of their responsibilities towards each other, the family as well as the society upon marriage. It was also a way of bringing both families together thus presenting an opportunity for them to get acquainted with each other and acknowledge each other.
All in all it was a really good day and we can all now look forward to the next ceremony at the groom's home known as "Itara" where the bride is shown her new home and may even be required to prepare a meal or a snack for her new parents.
Stay tuned for part two...