Modern Somali Mythology Ch. 04

Puntland. A harsh, yet beautiful land that although fiercely contested in the past, has emerged as the Heartland of Somalia. In the waning days of summer, as people began to disappear all over Puntland, the elders of various clans got together, and wondered what to do about it. The people of Somalia are a hardy, at times ferocious bunch, and they've never backed down from any enemy. They've repelled Arabian invasions in ancient times, and forced the American military forces to leave their soil in the 1990s. This time, the Somali people face an ancient enemy...

"The ancient enemy has returned, the blood drinkers once more walk among us," said Imam Abdullahi, a representative of the Darod clan. The tall, dark-skinned and silver-haired Somali Muslim leader stroked his goateed chin and looked at his peers. To his right sat Yassin Aden of the Hawiye clan, and Said Kader of the Gadabuursi clan. The only woman in attendance was Fatima Hassan, eldest daughter of the late Mohamed Hassan, a legendary warrior and the former leader of the Jidwaq clan.

"Twelve men and five women have gone missing from the City of Garoowe, in the Nugal province," said Fatima Hassan. Tall, chubby and dark-skinned, wearing a simple robe without bothering with a Hijab, Fatima Hassan cut an impressive figure. During the days of the American invasion of Somalia, Fatima Hassan's father had taken arms against the invaders. For this and many other reasons, the Hassan name was a respected one among all Somalis. When Somalia calls, a son or daughter of the Hassan clan always answers...

"I agree, something must be done, we must unleash Ugaarsade, the Huntress," said Yassin Aden, and he shared a meaningful look with Fatima Hassan and Imam Abdullahi. Said Kader listened attentively to his peers as they met in the secret underground chamber located below the Bin Salman Masjid. This far below ground, the quartet felt they ought to be safe from intruders, both human and otherwise. Of course, inhuman entities were forbidden from entering holy places since the days of the Prophet, peace be unto him.

"After what we've done to the Ugaarsade, the great Huntress, how dare we ask her help? She might let Somalia get overrun with blood drinkers out of sheer spite," Said Kader said bitterly. The other leaders nodded in agreement. A long time ago, when monsters rose and preyed upon the people of Somalia, the Huntress came to their aid and used her abilities to hold back the darkness. Instead of praising their heroine, the people of Somalia turned on her. Rejected by her people, the Huntress turned her back on the world.

The sun rose over the City of Galkayo, in the Mudug region of Somalia. Eight hundred thousand people call the place home. The locals are a hard-working people, and the architecture and culture reflects both Somali and Italian influences. The diversity appealed to Hawa Barre, and that's why she settled there with her girlfriend Amina Bashir. It was a good place to live, relatively peaceful when compared to the rest of Somalia, and mixture of agriculture and industry provided work and kept the locals peaceful.

Hawa Barre got up, yawned and stretched and walked to the garden located at the back of the walled villa in the Horumar sector of metropolitan Galkayo. Six feet tall, curvy and dark-skinned, with long dark hair which fell over her shoulders, Hawa wore a traditional Baati dress, sans Hijab, with blue jeans underneath, and sneakers. The downright Amazonian gal looked like she ought to be ruling the runway on modeling circuits from Africa to Europe, but the simple life appealed to her the most.

"There you are, little devils," Hawa said as she spotted Abo and Treika, the pair of Galla goats which she and Amina kept as pets. The goats came running to their mistress, and proceeded to lick her hand. Hawa patted the goats on the head, and admired their coats. She handed them a pair of carrots, and then walked away, inspecting the rest of the garden. Even though an eight-foot cement wall surrounded the property, Hawa knew that vigilance was key to survival everywhere, especially in Somalia.

The majority of the people living in the Horumar sector of metropolitan Galkayo knew about Hawa and Amina, and didn't seem to care. Sure, there was always a fool who muttered the word Qanisad, a Somali slur regarding lesbians, whenever Hawa and Amina showed each other affection in public, but most people minded their own business. In Somalia, just like everywhere else, there are lesbians, bisexual women, bisexual men and gay men. LGBT people have always existed in Africa, traditionalists and conservatives be damned. Of course, in Africa, if one is anything other than heterosexual, discretion is key to survival.

Hawa went to the well, and looked inside. The well was perhaps twenty feet deep, and nearly filled with rainwater. Hawa tossed some bread to Gao and Fidel, the pair of turtles she'd had for about a decade now. The turtles tore into the breath, and Hawa leaned against a nearby tree, watching them. Returning inside, Hawa looked for her lover Amina, and didn't find her in the bedroom or the kitchen. Hawa went to the library, which contained hundreds of books in English, French, and Italian.

"As Salaam Alaikum, beloved," Amina said, smiling at Hawa as she came into the library. Amina was seated at a corner, wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt, ankle-length blue dress, and a modest blue Hijab. In one hand she held a cup of tea, and in the other, she held a copy of Wonders Of The African World by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates. Hawa looked at her lover, who flashed her a sexy wink. Amina pointed to the chair next to her, and after a brief hesitation, Hawa joined her.

"Walaikum salaam, sexy," Hawa replied, and she took Amina's hand and brought it to her lips. Amina giggled, and that's when Hawa leaned in for a kiss. The two women embraced passionately, for even after more than a decade together, the spark hadn't dulled between them. Hawa and Amina came from different worlds, but at the end of the day, they're two smart, passionate women who love each other very much. The world and its hang-ups can fall by the wayside as far as they're concerned...

"Hmm, someone's horny this morning," Amina said, and Hawa grinned, and the tall woman proceeded to sit on her lover's lap. Amina grinned and fondled Hawa's thick round ass. Just like that, they began making love. Hawa caressed Amina's breasts and they proceeded to undress one another. Stark naked, the contrast between their bodies was all too evident. Hawa is tall, curvy and strongly built, downright Amazonian in stature. Amina is barely five-foot-eight, thick rather than curvy, with light brown skin, large breasts, wide hips, thick legs and an ample derriere. Hawa cannot get enough of her, and Amina wouldn't have it any other way...

"I'm hungry for you," Hawa said, and Amina kissed her while fondling her breasts. A happy sigh escaped Hawa's lips as Amina slid her hand between her muscular thighs and began fingering her pussy. Amina knows what Hawa likes, and she worked three fingers into her vagina before adding a fourth. Amina locked eyes with Hawa as she slowly but surely worked a fist inside of her. Hawa likes the rough stuff, and that's right up Amina's alley...

"Feast my love," Amina said, and she smiled as she straddled Hawa, and proceeded to sit on her lover's face. Hawa smiled as Amina smothered her visage with her thick derriere. Hawa grasped Amina's ass cheeks with both hands and worked her tongue up her lover's snatch. Amina sat on Hawa's face like a queen on her throne, and enjoyed what her lover was doing to her. Hawa ate Amina's pussy like a hungry woman and didn't let up until Amina cried out, in sheer orgasmic delight...

"My turn," Hawa said, as Amina rolled off of her face, and the two women switched things up in their lovemaking. Hawa found herself on all fours, beautiful face down and big shapely ass up. Amina came up behind Hawa and admired her favorite tall, sexy Somali Amazon's thick ass. Hawa giggled as Amina spread her thick ass cheeks and began to sniff. Amina slid a finger inside Hawa's butt hole and then worked her tongue into her pussy. For both women, that's when the fun really began...

Amina and Hawa explored each other for most of the morning, and the sun was high in the sky when they emerged from the villa's library. They took a shower together, then went to work. Amina works as a saleswoman for Rahman's Bazaar, and Hawa works as an armed security guard for the Galkayo Production Center, where the majority of the livestock in this part of Africa is processed. There are three dozen armed guards on site, and Hawa is one of only eight women whom they've hired in recent years.

"Have a safe day at work, my love," Amina told Hawa, and the two women exchanged a brief kiss before going to work in separate parts of the city. Amina rode her bicycle, since Rahman's Bazaar is only three kilometers away in the Wadajir sector. Hawa took the Jeep, and drove to the Galkayo Production Center. The business sectors of metropolitan areas in Somalia have sometimes been supported by the international community and are therefore constant targets for radical groups. It's a damn shame but just another fact of life in Somalia.

Hawa Barre was born for hardship, and most what Somalia threw her way didn't faze her. A long time ago, Hawa and her parents, Ismail Barre and Nora Barre lived in Puntland, and they led a mundane existence as merchants. Hawa was eighteen years old, and her parents wanted to marry her off to a nice young man from a good family. Hawa had zero interest in men, but she kept this to herself. In Somalia, if a person isn't heterosexual, they should keep it to themselves, lest it get them killed.

The Barre family led a perfectly ordinary life in Puntland, and tried to stay out of the tribal strife which sometimes stirred things up in the land. Of course, that was before the Dhiig Cabitaan, also called vampires or Blood Drinkers, finally came. They looked like men, but they had no souls and lived by night, hiding in dark places during the daytime hours. The Dhiig Cabitaan came to the towns, villages and cities of Somalia, and fed upon the living.

"Hide here, and don't leave until I come back," Ismail Barre told his wife Nora and their daughter Hawa, the night the blood drinkers came to their village. The tall, stoic Somali tribesman took a spear and an ancient Italian rifle and went out to fight the Undead. For hours, Hawa and her mother Nora hid in the darkness, while the noise of battle raged all around them. The men and women of the village fought for their lives, but the vampires were simply too numerous and too strong.

"Baba, no!" Hawa screamed as a vampire seized her father Ismail, and sank its fangs into the stalwart Somali tribesman's neck. Even as he was dying, Ismail continued to struggle against the vampire. Leaving her mother's arms, Hawa rushed to her father's aid. The young Somali woman seized a fallen axe and used it to strike the vampire's head off of its shoulders. The monster fell and lay still, head falling one way while the body fell nearby. Moments later, the vampire turned to dust and vanished as though it had never existed.

"Daughter, you do me proud," Ismail said to Hawa, and the young woman wept as her father died in her arms soon after. When dawn came, Hawa and her mother Nora burned her father's corpse, along with the bodies of every man and woman of the village who had been preyed upon by the vampires. The village was done for, but in future time, the race of the vampires would discover that they had a new enemy. Hawa was out for blood, and the young Somali woman wouldn't rest until every vampire in Somalia was dust...

Hawa wandered across Somalia, from Puntland to Somaliland, from Mogadishu to Hargeisa City, from Merka to Bossaso, from Kismaayo to Berbera. The young woman became an expert at killing vampires. She would track them down to their lairs and attack them during the day when they were all but helpless. Hawa used whatever tools at her disposal, from guns and knives to swords and spears and torches, and eliminated the Undead. In time, Hawa's reputation as a killer of vampires grew. Both the living and the Undead referred to Hawa as Ugaarsade, the Huntress...

When the people of Somalia needed help against the vampire plague, Hawa became Ugaarsade, the great Huntress. Eventually, the vampires fled from Somalia, just like Americans and Arabian invaders before. Somalia has often been described as dirty and poor, but Somalia's men and women fear nothing except The Most High and will fight anyone, no matter what. Hawa became a symbol of feminine power and resilience in Somalia. Just like Queen Arawelo of old, Hawa was revered for a time, and then despised. Cruel, petty men fear strong women...

Hawa was wise enough to avoid Queen Arawelo's fate. The young woman went back to Puntland where she met the love of her life, Amina Bashir. Amina, who'd been born in Al Mukalla, Yemen, to a Somali Muslim father and a Yemeni Arab mother, moved to Galkayo City to reconnect with her father's people. Amina and Hawa met one day during a women's studies group at the Galkayo Business Women's Association, and it was love at first sight.

Hawa smiled to herself as she did her job, patrolling the vast buildings that comprised the Galkayo Production Center. There were hundreds of men and women at work, handling the cattle, and dealing with breeds, salesmen, saleswomen, and the ever-present onlookers. After the work day concluded, Hawa headed home, and as she drew near the villa that she and Amina shared with their pets, she knew that they weren't alone. There were two large BMWs parked outside the villa's steel gates, and she didn't recognize them.

Hawa drew her pistol, and headed into the villa, praying to The Most High that her lover Amina and their pets were safe. When Hawa reached the living room, she saw that Amina was safe and sound, but she wasn't alone. There were three men there, and Hawa instantly recognized Imam Abdullahi, Yassin Aden and Said Kader, along with Fatima Hassan, the only female clan leader in all of Somalia. Hawa looked at them, and Amina nodded at her.

"Beloved, you are here, we have visitors," Amina said pleasantly, and Hawa put her pistol back in its holster. Hawa sat at the head of the table, thankful that none of these fools had usurped her position by taking her chair. Hawa reached for Amina's hand and gently brought it to her lips. Hawa loves women, and Amina is her lover, and she doesn't apologize for being who she is or loving whom she loves. The clan leaders smiled at Hawa and Amina, a bit too much. Hawa found that suspicious, and got right down to business.

"Alright, gentlemen and lady, I know you didn't come all the way to Galkayo City for a social call, what do you want?" Hawa asked in a crisp, businesslike tone. Yassin Aden and Said Kader frowned. Imam Abdullahi bit his lip. Fatima Hassan looked at Amina and Hawa, smiled graciously and then, since she was evidently the spokeswoman for this group of Somali clan leaders, she explained the situation to Hawa. Someone had to take care of business...

"Hawa, I am sorry to come unannounced, but the vampires are back, and they're in large numbers, we need your help, Somalia needs your help," Fatima Hassan said firmly. Hawa looked at the female clan leader and was ready to tell her where to stuff it, but one look from Amina put a stop to that. Amina looked at the other clan leaders and then nodded at her partner. Hawa sighed, knowing that she was about to get talked into another adventure, another hunting expedition...

"Hawa, my love, I know they've wronged you, but the vampires are a threat to all of us," Amina said softly. Hawa smiled at Amina, who nodded gently and rested her head against her shoulder. The clan leaders looked at the two women. A pair of Somali Muslim women, openly living together and in a loving relationship. In places like America, Canada, Australia or the United Kingdom, it would be okay. In Somalia, women like Hawa and Amina are an exception with a capital frigging E...

"Hawa, you are the Ugaarsade, the great Huntress, we know we wronged you in the past and we apologize, this time, you will have the support of every clan in Somalia as you lead our fight against the Undead," said Imam Abdullahi. The old preacher and Somali clan leader looked right at his fellow clan leaders, then nodded at them. He looked at Hawa and Amina, and bowed his head. Hawa and Amina exchanged a look, then smiled and nodded.

"Alright, I'll lead the fight, but I'm going to do it my way," Hawa said, and she gently squeezed Amina's hand. Amina looked at her lover with pride and adoration. Sighs of relief went up around the table. Fatima Hassan smiled at the two women. Imam Abdullahi shook hands with his fellow Somali clan leaders. With the great Huntress leading the fight against the vampires, the nation of Somalia might finally have a chance. In Somalia's time of need, great Somali women like Queen Arawelo have always risen to fight. In this generation, Hawa Barre is Somalia's champion against the Undead. Let the darkness tremble!