Jennifer, a young doctor who had just finished her medical studies at a renowned university in the US, was in Zambia as a volunteer for three weeks already. The little rural hospital where she helped out was in the very North of the country, not too far from the border Zambia shared with the Democratic Republic of the Kongo. The locals were happy to have her and her medical knowledge. Jennifer, however, also rubbed some people the wrong way with the somewhat patronizing though surely well-intentioned behavior she often showed, knowingly or unnknowingly. Sophisticated as she saw herself she more often than not shook her head when suddenly confronted with local customs and traditions that didn't look anything but behind the times for her. Especially so as the highly industialized environment of the Copperbelt stood in stark contrast to the tradition and superstition which could still be found in the more rural areas.
Having her first free day in a while, Jennifer decided to go hiking. There was a nice little mountain forest not too far from the hospital which had picked her interest. She wore sturdy shoes, of course, so as to be safe from any venomous creepy-crawlies she might encounter.
Who the doctor did encounter, though, was an old BaLamba woman who got treated by her some days ago. The two women engaged in coversation and Jennifer told the old woman where she wanted to go.
"That's a bad ide, Miss Doctor." the old woman replied "The forest is the territory of the utuchekulu, the gnomes, you know? The utuchekulu can be malicious if they want to, very malicious, and they won't necessarily take well to a stranger entering their forest. It is better not to rist angering them, Miss Doctor. Believe me."
Hearing this, Jennifer couldn't help but laugh at the superstitious old woman. Some dubious gnomes didn't scare her in the least. Ignoring the old woman's warning she entered the forest nonetheless, although only afzter waiting until the other woman was out of sight.
Some time had already passed since Jennifer had entered the forest when she heard someone calling out to her. At first she couldn't see anybody but at last she discovered a little head in the cleft of a tree. As Jennifer wasn't proficient in the local Lamba language or any other African language for that matter she didn't understand a single word. With amazement she saw a little dark-skinned man emerging from the tree cleft. For a short moment she asked herself if he couldn't be a pigmy but she didn't believe a pigmy to be so timy. Even mor striking was a singulary long and blood-red tooth coming from its mouth. This really was a kind of deformity she never had seen before.
With her scientific curiosity aroused, Jennifer crouched down forgot all her politeness and simply lifted the little man from the ground ignoring his obvious cries of protest, language barrier or not. The more she inspected the tooth of the akachekulu she didn't recognize as such, the more she became intigued. The blood-red color seemed to be in fact part of the enamel and not some kind of ethnic tooth coloring like she initially had believed. Additionally, the tooth was surprisingly sharp. Just slightly touching its tip was enough to draw her blood.
Only after a long time Jennifer became aware of the fact that at some point of time she became surrounded by a large number of angrily murmuring utuchekulu who had heard the distress of their comrade and came to his aid. This was the point in time when Jennfer statred to feel that the tiny company she got was really eerie. But by then it was already too late. With an angry shout the utuchekulu pounced on the audacious white women who dared to use one of their own as a plaything. Regret came too late as she got pierced by countles sharp, lonng, blood-red teeth and ended her life under terrible pain. Surely not the first time that curiosity killed the cat.
Days later the local Police looked for Doctor Jennifer who had so suddenly disappeared without a trace. The old woman who had warned the doctor of the dangers she had to expect gave her testimony as a witness. With heavy regret in her voice she concluded: "I should have told her that the utuchekulu do also eat people. I didnd't do and that's my fault. If you go looking for her in that mountain forest, Mr. Policeman, you might well find Miss Doctor's mortal remains. But be cautious of the utuchekulu. They might not take well to Police investigating in their territory..."
