Celebration to honor Big E's mother.

Big E was the director of the NGO I was working for during the first two years of my assignment. There is a need to be a bit vague here because in fact the guy's name was not Big E and it turned out that the man was not quite as straight as he might have been. His wife Mama B was however one of God's great gifts to this Earth and later there will be more about them all. (haven't figured out what to name them yet - maybe after trees!)
For the record The Agency placed us with the organisation and we remain very happy with The Agency.

We lived in the same house as Big E and his family, with just a dividing wall so we became close to the family, and while there became huge issues between Big E and I, we remain to this day, good friends.

Big E's mother attained the age of 70 years, and to honor that occasion, he invited me to partake in his ritual celebration of the event. Now I am not sure about the tradition of this - more like it was Big E's take on the tradition.

A large ram was slaughtered; the fatty tail and the neck piece were given to Big E's mother - what she did with it, I do not know but probably it was made to a stew like makonde. Mama B was given some of the innards, but not what we call the 'offal'.

The rest of the carcase was was cooked slowly over embers, watched over by a young man (kijana) who I did not know. While the meat cooked, Big E, his brother Big J and I slowly drank beer and talked.
As the 'honored' guest, I was the first to sample one of the choice cuts - a rib. The kijana had cut it off and handed it to me, the others watching until I had eaten all the meat off it and even stripped of the thin skin that had protected the inside of the rib cage.
Once I had eaten the rib, each person was given a rib until they were all consumed - the banes were thrown into a pile beside the fire embers.
The kijana cut a piece of meat off - a mouthful at a time and fed us one by one using a fork. Slowly the three of us devoured the carcase, washing it down with beer; sips for me, gulps for the others.

Then the heart was divided in the same way and fed to us, one by one. And again the kidneys and liver. Now I am a bit partial to tripe - for the uninitiated, this is the stomach lining, which is usually cleaned thoroughly, often with a weak solution of sulphuric acid. This had been washed in water - once I think! We were fed our portions, roughly cut into squares and the only taste was of semi decomposed grass. However, I kept up with the others with little difficulty. The lungs did not seem to be well cooked and seemed tasteless but it was like biting into warm polystyrene!
Finally came the testicles! They had been lying there beside the fire, not cooked, and every now and then I eyed them willing them to disappear! After all else had been devoured, the kijana picked up the testicles and tossed them onto the embers. They swelled slightly and morbidly I watched and suddenly -poof, they burst just like popcorn! All white and creamy! A fork-full of the stuff appeared before my nose, and I just couldn't! I put may finger to my lips and said, "Asante, nimeshiba!" Thank you I am satisfied!
They seemed to think none the less of me and finished up their delicacy.
I was astounded, it took us most of the day but the three of us, with some help from the kijana, had eated a whole, huge ram!

I recall, I did not need my evening meal!