Meet Chief Salaton Ntutu
I mentioned earlier in this Kenyan blog series that I like the warthog. My team members think I’m crazy; they think that the warthog is beyond ugly. Most people anywhere on the planet would surely agree. Their horned faces are broad for sure; their eyes tiny (I hear they can’t see well) and their hoary bodies are out of proportion to their heads and they kind of walk sideways. But they are often on their knees-- probably searching for food. I think that's what I love most about them. That and also the way their tails stand straight up in the air when they run.
Masai Chief Salaton Ntutu came to Helen’s rescue in 2007 when her life was threatened; he invited her and the widows she was rescuing to come live on his land. Carole has talked about Ntutu almost as much as she’s talked about Helen over these past months and has been so eager for all of us—especially Jim—to meet him. Jim was looking forward to warrior training by Ntutu (right Jim?).
On our way to the Masai Mara, Carole called Salaton to tell him we were coming, and she was extremely disappointed to learn that he was unavailable for the days we had scheduled ourselves to be with Helen and him. Carole knows him well enough to strongly protest, which is exactly what she did. The deal is, Chief Ntutu, brilliant as he is, doesn’t know how to read and write English and didn’t write down the dates Carole communicated to him.
Happily, though, Salaton Ntutu worked out his schedule to be with us and we got to meet him after all. We all agree with Carole: he is a very unusual and brilliant person. Like Sabore, Salaton Ntutu communicates very well in English, a very good thing since none of us know Maa. Nancy asked him how he came to communicate so well in English. He said he doesn’t know; one day he woke up and spoke fluently. So learn to read and write in English, Nancy said. In response, he told us a story:
When he was a young child and in warrior training little Salaton Ntutu was outside by himself, probably protecting the village cows. When it started to rain, little Ntutu began crying and Masai warriors aren’t supposed to do that. Happily, however, he found a hole in which to hide for protection. The next night when it began to rain, he found the same hole and backed into it. A short time later he felt something come in after him and it turned out to be a warthog, also backing into the hole. Ntutu took out his knife and poked the animal’s backside. The warthog left quickly but, said Ntutu, immediately forgot what had just happened. Within moments the warthog was eating grass on his knees. That’s how warthogs are, Ntutu explained. The silly animal may be chased by an elephant and run away with his tail up in the air, but five minutes later he's forgotten fall about it and soon is eating grass. The elephant, of course, doesn’t forget. Poor warthog.
Ntutu says he's like that warthog and unfortunately has bad memory. He insists that he won't be reading and writing English anytime soon.
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