Such a beautiful sight of the sun rising as Umulisa and Rwema ran through the jungle. The sun’s rays stretched across the sky, painting it in bold strokes of red, orange, and gold. This was no ordinary dawn.
They found a little path to the fig tree, just the two of them. “This is a sign for us, an era of Eden we’ve been dreaming about,” Umulisa said, looking into Rwema’s eyes with a warm smile. With a playful grin, he laughed, “It’s got a stunning view, but you’re the one who makes it a complete Eden.” Rwema replied, gently swaying around the tree. Yet everyone was surprised by their bond—a chimpanzee and a gorilla!
The next morning, the fantasy is shut. The ape uprising in a shadow of Homonin Revolution had cost the lives of orangutans, gibbons, and many others. It marked the fall of the bonobos kingdom and the rise of human dominance.
Rwema and Umulisa managed to escape, they fled seeking refuge in Sub-Saharan Africa. Along their path, amidst the chaos near the roaring edge of a great waterfull, they found a baby monkey, barely clinging to life. She had been tossed aside perhaps spared for their fate. Rwema crouched, ears near her tiny mouth catching a weak gasp. She was alive – ‘one at least to carry their origin, if any survive’, he thought, lifting her onto his back before running.
They traveled for days and nights with no sense of direction, driven only by instinct. Along the way they lost each other, they were separated but Umulisa remained with the baby monkey, whom they named Igabe. She just kept running, as if trying to escape her own mind — ‘is this real, is this real,,,’ she wondered, the question echoing in her thoughts!
The next morning, as Umulisa was crossing a narrow river, she slipped on a rotting bridge. Igabe almost tumbled into the river but just in time, a male chimpanzee [another exile racing for survival], lunged and caught her arm. He pulled her to safety, set her gently on the grass and disappeared. Umulisa sat there panting, all dazed. She wondered what was she running to without Rwema, whom she had faithfully followed. She had left behind her own family for him and without him it felt like she has lost her right foot. But then beside her, the baby stirred. A small, quiet breath, — hungry but peaceful. The only bond left. Umulisa bent down, lifted her onto her back once more and moved forward, vigilantly, determined with a much bigger purpose of life.
After months of hiding, of sleepless nights and silent mournings, not remembering what life was before everything fell apart in front of their eyes. They reached a place lush and green. The air was breathable again — trees danced gently, unbothered by history. Umulisa gazing into the expanse, whispered, “this is our home now”. She stopped searching for Rwema not out of acceptance but out of despair. Yet on that bridge, she made a promise — she vowed to raise Igabe. For Rwema – whom would have been her father figure and for the sake of holding onto life itself.
After Igabe has fallen asleep, she found a quiet moment alone where only darkness sees: “Oh Hea… Heaven! What did I do? [clutching her chest] I des—troyed this generation, I did not listen to my mother, she was right. No chimp and gorilla can bring peace together… now she’s gone. And Rwema… he’s gone too. Because of me. I’m paying for chasing independence… for believing in freedom, and all it gave me… was a bit more soli…tyude…” as her thoughts rose like a prayer to heavens, a voice called out, “you have made it!” It was strong, familiar. Her heart froze. This voice was as strong as one she knew from her old sweet life — Rwema’s. She turned her back in disbelief, but she couldn’t see anybody, she thought it’s another illusion, another dream she’s had over and over that she can’t let go. But the voice persisted, echoing through the night, “I knew I would see you again”, she stood still and looked around her; as if smoke parted to reveal a hidden path, there he was – it was him – Rwema.
They hugged, weeping, rejoicing, reviving!
“This is our lost Eden now found.” Rwema revealed. Together, they walked through the territory Umulisa had created and he felt proud of her resilience.
Igabe growing up fast in a vibrant surrounding, always regarding Rwema and Umulisa as her parents. Her biology unlike either of them, made Igabe a wonder. She was regarded as God-given. Yet they never told her about the history of exile, war, or ancestry. She was their beginning. But as she grew up, whispers reached her ears from, stories about the war and how gorillas had taken over the territory while chimps no longer seemed to belong and it would hurt her. Because at that age, she identified herself more with Umulisa though with a strong character of Rwema shaped by the bond they had built.
Although Umulisa was reunited with her dearest companion and Igabe — like a little family she had, the territory began to shift. Chimps grew fewer while gorillas claimed more. And Umulisa? She who once led with grace and power found herself in Rwema’s shadow. Rwema became more and more revered and feared by their surrounding under what Umulisa built in his absence. Her authority was dismissed. Although that made her mind to wander and her heart to constantly travel to distant memories of a life they imagined to create, she developed an adaptive character that would prevent the destruction of their foundation — she stayed, as though she’s maintaining her race alive.
However much Umulisa bridged the difference between Rwema’s character and Igabe’s and her own, Igabe watched, how Umulisa went distant day after day but without knowing why. She began to ache for truth. She would approach Umulisa to narrate her stories but Umulisa seemed absent, she would dismiss the conversations and walk away. But Igabe thought it was because she was still young maybe they’ll bond when she grows up. So she was eager to become an adult.
Rwema dominated the territory. As most gorillas did, so daily life bent to his will, which shrinked Umulisa more into a quiet keeper of the home, like her thinking was controlled. Whenever she tried to mark her presence, Rwema would cut her off, she gave in to his authority, never confronted him again; just followed but her heart would travel, far away from him.
Igabe, playful by nature, was growing desperate to understand where she truly came from. Rwema and Umulisa’s silence rose higher and engulfed her mind. But as she would go out, she would meet others and the loud silence in her would disappear, so she intentionally started making friends, those she would get information about the history from. She found Hirwa. Same age.
Hirwa preferred the company of elders. “That’s where wisdom resides,” she’d say. She introduced Igabe to old stories, the ancestors’ triumphs, whispered truths,… That’s where Igabe learned what no one had told her. She regarded Hirwa as a treasure she’s found — a bridge to carry her forward.
But loving on Umulisa and Rwema became a burden, and one night she prayed: “Dear Lord, what am I not doing right? I thought I was a miracle wished for by Umulisa and Rwema, but it seems they’re not able to look in each other’s eyes and I’m sure it’s because of me. I heard I’m not their biological child. Now they realize the mistake they made in bringing me into their life. They don’t see me, nor want to tell me anything…”
Little by little, she came to realize that one’s origin matter more than belonging. No matter how much they settled in this green pasture and formed a little heaven-made family, everyone was on their own. The household became dense with solitude, an atmosphere that cried for help. She started burying them one by one in her thoughts out of hurt and to protect herself from continuous suffering. She imagined that maybe she would move on and build her own destiny, without looking back and waiting… waiting for a helping hand.
One day, Igabe went to visit her friend without anyone knowing. Her caretakers were worried about her safety. When she came back, Umulisa started inquiring about her whereabouts. “Don’t you know your father gets worried when you’re not around? Why did you do that to us?” Igabe stared at her, thinking, “I want to know how you felt about that.” But Umulisa chose to paint a picture of her friend’s compound. “We climbed Mount Muhabura. Shyaka and Hirwa bet on me to finish the race. For once, I felt noticed, and I stopped caring about time. They offered me what I’d been starving for—attention!” she replied. She wanted Umulisa to understand how useful she felt and wished for more than just living together. She enjoyed talking to others, but she didn’t mention that; even though she enjoyed her stay with friends, she could feel the absence of the loneliness she knew at home. Her being felt fractured in 2, the better half, is playful, happy, and didn’t want to let go of the happy moments she shared with her friends. The other half, she couldn’t separate herself from, unable to navigate life without home.
Umulisa knew all that, but she went ahead and asked, “What really made you go? Don’t you feel at home here?” After a long pause, “Now you care?” Igabe asked.
“What do you mean? Of course I care. What makes you think I don’t?” “You never bother about anything happening in here. It’s as if you’re the mother of this territory. Don’t you feel like this is your home? You are more distant to us, Rwema and me, than the neighboring community. That’s not the way you used to be. What made you change?” Igabe added. Umulisa raised her head, approached her, and said, “I know I haven’t been as present as I should be, but this is our Eden. It is my home, and it is the most important thing to me. But if you knew how fragile this place—this community—is, you would understand. Maybe we’ll have enough time to talk about that after things settle down.”
Igabe was not satisfied with that response. She proceeded, “Is it your fault? Why is it you who has to do so much about it?” “Hahah! Someone’s got to do it, darling. I can’t let what we worked so hard to build fall apart.” “I heard that gorillas have taken authority over other species again. Is that why?” “What? Who told you that?” Umulisa inquired, turning around. “I promise one day you’ll understand.” Igabe had the opportunity to ask a few questions out of curiosity. While Umulisa was looking her in the eyes, Igabe fell deeper in longing for a union with her, simply by observing how attentive she was to her curiosity, thoughts, and uneasy expression. Perhaps Umulisa was keeping her distance not out of indifference but to protect Igabe from the pain of losing her one day, like someone who has endured the heartbreak of losing loved ones. She knows that if they build a strong connection, Igabe wouldn’t be able to handle life alone after her death. So, it was better to keep their relationship distant, like passengers on a life journey.
At sunset, the community would talk about the brave history of the chimpanzees’ reign. They would chant about the chimps’ objective and nurturing leadership. They exchanged stories of conquest, recalling a time when they all lived under the same traditional rule, before elongata and the harmful doctrines of humans. Throughout this time, Igabe observed Umulisa’s ability to adapt to changes without hostility. She saw Umulisa’s courage in accepting what she could not change, and her ability to bridge the differences in their habitats with deep intelligence and emotional nuance. However, she still wanted to learn all these from Umulisa’s own words.
One day, Igabe joined Rwema in the rain. He seemed to be contemplating the valley below the hill. “Whoa! It looks great!” Igabe exclaimed. “Yes, do you remember playing with the waterfall? You were obsessed with water when you were a kid.” “How do you remember that? That was a long time ago.” Igabe queried.
“No, it wasn’t that long ago. To me, it feels like yesterday. When you’re growing up and a lot is happening around you, the little moments of joy become precious and stay with you forever,” Rwema responded. “You never talk about this with me. Also, I wanted to tell you—” Rwema cut Igabe off. “You’re too emotional, Igabe. You want to be cared for like it used to be when you were a baby. It’s because of the affection you didn’t receive from your biological parents. But you know I did what I could for you. I think Umulisa should take on the role of a mother, but you know she’s not troubled by an abundance of feelings around her.” Rwema said, looking Igabe in the eyes. Then he proceeded, “She has a negative view of life. But you should understand her. She’s been through a lot.”
Igabe stared at him as he walked away. The word “troubled” lingered in her mind. Why did he open this door in her brain that she wasn’t ready to walk into? She crouched down, shocked. The conversation evoked thoughts about her family. She realized that the problem with opening up is that, there’s never enough to say, and that door will never be closed again; she can’t take back what she’s heard. She will always want to know more. But even the little she knows starts to ache, gnawing at her heart. She did not study the depths of her curiosity. She saw the rage Rwema had when he talked about Umulisa but also his imposing authority and the meaning of his descendants’ legacy. She wondered when the flame between them died. How could he talk about Umulisa like that after all she had done for him?
The more she thought about her conversation with Umulisa, the clearer it became that Umulisa’s silence was like a shield protecting the territory. During her time of reflection, she would see the image of her and Umulisa sitting and talking in the rain as if they were alone in the world. It would put her at ease.
“Hey! What are you doing up there?” Hirwa asked, standing beneath the tree, “I’ve been looking for you all day,” Igabe glanced over to see who’s calling her, “I’m… [she sighs] I was connecting with my ancestors. This is how you do it, right? You just look up and let your heart speak, then you interrupted me, I haven’t gotten an answer yet.” “What happened?” Hirwa inquired climbing the tree, “I wonder what humans and Rwema have in common.” Igabe said
Hirwa turned to her with a concerned look, laughing gently, and said, “what did he do?” “We talked and he spoke ill of her, and I couldn’t understand why, after all things she’s done for him.” “Now I see! You know he’s living under a rule favors him and his kind. But one day, you’ll understand all of this. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I know how worried you are, but this conflict began long before you were born. Give it time! By the way, Umulisa should start revealing things, about the transcending power, you’re grown up now, you have the right what’s going on.” “She doesn’t! So I should just sit back and watch this conflict grow?” she asked.
“Well, I guess yes,” Hirwa replied softly, “hoping that when the time is right, you’ll know exactly what to do. And when that moment comes, you’ll realize you’re not alone. You will rise and join the fight to bring peace, to stop the gorillas’ reign of terror,.. I promise we shall conquer.”
