Run No. 161 - 1st April 2006
The last weekend’s Hash run by the SWANK Hash House Harriers was a real hash: literally. A true bed-time story for the young and the young at hearts.
Hare Sixtynine, appropriately named, did what was predictably expected of him. Setting a trail single handed, at the black heat hours of noon, at the most favourite spot of the pack, he outlined to the Circle the rules that needed to be broken at the start of the run. When the large group with the front runners started off he promptly joined the hounds and accompanied them enthusiastically pointing out the starter marks to the true trail: all along forgetting that he was the Hare and not the Hound!!! To the glee and un-controllable laughter of the rest of the mid and tail runners, the hard work was ironed out and going was smooth through the known vistas of lower Mtwapa, prompting shortcuts by Kamasutra and visitor Collette from Tonga.
But the best of the Hash was yet to come. After a couple of kilometres, the trail ended on the southern sea front. And the Hare stood there, raking his brains and the pack doing much more. The empty expanse of a low tidal basin where he had set his marks six hours earlier was now six feet under the raging high tide waters; all marks lost to the sea. He had clean forgotten that the tides turn, at least surely in these part of the world; and this was quite unforgivable, he being a sailor, or pretending to be one. Only the Hash dogs Bob and Wendy were allowed to swim in looking for the marks. Others just drank in the scenery, with parched throats in the sultry heat. “Water, water everywhere; not a drop to drink” (Coleridge).
Inverted down-downs were immediately prescribed for the Hare and the pack made a dry lanes detour to get back to the remaining trail adding on another mile to the track. This again ended at the bluest of the beautiful blue sea front, the second Hold. It took the GM R’Hole a whole bottle of bubbly beery bribe to nudge the pack to motion once more for the home run. This was easy, most being true Kenyans. And the pack did run to see the famous boxing match screened live. The Circle was quickly dissembled after the accelerated rites welcoming virgins and returnees were performed and the righteous were ritefully punished.
And then the Hare- turned-Hound went to sleep content that he had validated his Hash name to the letter to live happily ever after!