Is Poye a Game from Arua?

I spent the first 11 Years of my Boyhood in Jinja and Football was my Number One Passtime. I can still remember kicking small dark green Oranges as Balls when I was 5 Years old at Wilson Road even though my elder Cousin Charles (who even played at St. Jude Field) had a real Football, it was just too big for my Size. In the 90s at Spire Road, I started making my own Footballs using various Materials like Papers and Banana Fibres (Later advanced to inflated Milk Sackets plus Straws then Lukoba or Rubber Straps) and would kick till 8pm Sunday to Saturday plus playing Basketball and Rugby using a Football, Mini Cricket at Victoria Nile School using a Tennis Ball (because we had no special Sportswear to protect us from the hard Cricket Ball), Checkers (Chinese Chequers or Draughts), Number Hop, Jumping Rope, Skipping Rope, Tapo [Tap, Hide and Seek], Dulu or Dooloo [Marbles], Daddy and Mummy, Omweso, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Cards, etc. My Hoodmates would pick Golf Balls from the Jinja Golf Course and found out that the Interior is full of Rubberbands. In KLA, I learnt Badminton but the Shuttlecock is just too lightweight for me to fancy the Game. At SMACK, I played Chess since 1998 (and won my first three Games before Losses started), Darts, Table Tennis, Squash, Clay Tennis and very little Baseball. Every Civilisation has found a Way to spend their Leisure Time. When I started travelling to Arua again in Y2K at Age 16 having first been there as a Handheld Baby, I discovered that Boys in the Area play a Game that resembles Hockey, Tennis, Bowling and Golf or Gwara Gwara [like in Mr. Bones (film)] rolled into one. I wonder where it was invented. Girls and Adults do not seem interested in playing this Game. On Sunday 22nd December 2019 after Church Service (Sally Anguyo's Sermon was that Everyone should give like the Macedonians in 1st Corinthians 16 and not only People with lots of Money. Personally, I think Church Offertory Competitions must be banned basing on the Poor Widow's 2 Copper Coin Story by JESUS. The Bible demands for only 10 percent of Earnings (as compulsory Church Treasury Tax) from each Worshipper, it's not a Contest. If somebody earns 1 Million per Week, their Minimum Tithe is 100,000 onwards, you do not coerce someone who earns only 50,000 or 20,000 a Week to also pay 100,000 as Tithe in the Name of Competition), I walked to Osu Village's Eastern Crescent Road to try and get some Data about the Sport. The first Boys I interacted with in Lugbara Language said they all play it but refused to reveal anything new I wanted besides the Fact that it is called "POYE". Were they ashamed to talk about it? Poye is just a Game like all the others People play. In fact, it's played from Arua's urban Ghettos to the Arua Countryside, witnessed it myself several Times. A spiteful, older Youth told them to get away from the Side of the Street and the Boys including the ones kicking a Supertele Ball ran away from me as if I was some kind of infectious Disease. He said dismissively while pointing southwards on the murram Crescent Road, "The Boys who play Poye are on the other Side!" I'm the kind of Person who does not rebuke People after they reject me yet I mean well for them, I just let my Soul surf Contempt and Negativity, point blank like Kakaparaka. Wind creates Thrust, so spread your Wings as an Eagle does, no Lager, maybe Riham Juice! Wasp Pee is not as painful as its Sting; People near Glass Windows must not throw Stones. Humbled, I walked away coolheadedly without any Anger to try and find someone else willing to reveal some Info; I might have paid those Boys as my Token of Gratitude if they cooperated. In fact on my Way back after getting Data from elsewhere, the Boys started calling me "Poye" and asked if they could play for me, maybe it had now sunk in that there was no Shame. I told them while brandishing a Thumbs up Gesture with my right Hand, "Yo, awa'difo [Translated from Lugbara: No, thanks]!" and did not look back; I had somewhere else to go. Sports taught me that sometimes you win, other Times you lose and you must be prepared to contain both Situations; if you wish, then you can draw (that's why I became an Artist)!
Luckily, on the other Side of the same Village was Shafik Fahad clad in black and navy blue sitted on a Verandah, I requested him to come behind the House and help me write something about Poye. He thought I wanted to coach the Game but then asked me to allow him call a Poye Maestro named Ibrahim Ewale [Lugbara 4: Like an Elephant] and I was very impressed; these Boys were born Champions. Tabin Muhammad, who spoke less than the other two, also joined us and the Boys shared their Views on the Game without Inhibition. Two younger Boys who had not yet started playing the Game plus a Girl holding a Baby also came around and they were attracted to my Moustache Hair. They kept pressing it with their Fingers while I bent down but focussed on what Fahad and Ewale were teaching me. About two Hours later, I had my Hair cut off at a Salon near Arua Airfield.

L-shaped Hockey sticks

Poye (pronounced poh-yeh) is a game played by 2, 4 or 6 players (in singles, doubles or triples). They stand on opposite sides of a halfway line drawn on the ground as they hit a round rubber puck also called poye (made from mainly Umoja or Bata-esque flipflop cutouts joined together with nylon) back and forth using L-shaped sticks for example cassava stems. Like a coin toss in Football, the game starts when the poye lying down on the halfway line is hit from above with a stick; a player from the half in which it falls must roll it with his hand like a mini car tyre for his opponent to start hitting with his stick or foot. A point is scored when the puck is hit above the opponent who then rolls it back. When a player crosses to the opponent's half, one point is deducted from his side. Records can be kept mentally by the players or a referee who is not playing. Players stand one metre away from the centreline. In both halves, each player stands about one metre away from his teammate behind or in front of him. When the front player misses the puck, the one behind him must strike it. A puck cut from a thick flipflop might not need to be joined to another cutout but joining two or three from smaller flipflops is okay. The width of flipflops (Many Ugandans call them Slippers) determines the diameter of the puck, so a big puck and small one are the most common two heights. Cutouts are sewn together using a tool called a hwiki [I understood it as a shoemending needle or sindani] and nylon thread or superglue. However, I think other binding materials like wires might work. It's wise to have two or more pucks during a game so that when one gets lost, the other will be used. Gamelengths have no timeframe and can be played from sunrise till sunset. But who exactly invented Poye? Is it a game from Arua? The sport seems good for exercise or recreation because of a lot of swinging, hitting and running; it does not need too many difficult rules nor equipment. Nevertheless, protective gear like gloves, shinguards, mouthguards, neckguards and helmets can still be used if accessible. Poye is almost like the ancient Game of Polo from Tibet minus the Horses; Sepak takraw (Kick or Soccer Volleyball), a hybrid of two or more sports; etc...

Engel Of Death

What does GOD want, why does HE take away some People before they reach 90? King Hezekiah cheated Death for an extra 15 Years; I wish we could all live for over 120 Years, inaccessible to the Passover Destroyer that took away the Egyptian Firstborns. Save us, Blood of JESUS! Long Life should be normal! When Alfred Munguleni, my Mum's Cousin died of Liver Failure on Friday the 13th December 2019, an unlucky Day, I started wondering why GOD wanted it that Way. As a Kid in the 90s, I used to pray with Eyes closed for my own early Death maybe because I adored Michael Jackson's dangerous Music but nowadays I pray for Long Life plus give Thanks for all these Decades on Earth. Before P6, Munguleni taught me about Food Nutrients and helped me match their Deficiencies. By the Time I was learning them in School, they were very easy to grasp. I did not scratch my Head revising that Topic. During my S6 Vacation, he asked me to replace him at his Highfield College (Secondary School that later turned into a Nursery and P1 by the Time he departed the Earth) and teach Biology to S1s and 4s; he was going to KLA for about a Week. I had no Problem teaching the S1s but when it came to the Candidates, he gave me a Topic that I skipped revising during my own UCEs at SMACK over two Years behind: Cell Division, Mitosis and Stuff. I used to ride my Dad's Bicycle to the College in Awindiri (Arua Suburb) but gave up the unpaid Trial because of constant Headaches (Maybe I needed to reduce my Sugar Intake) plus I did not want to fail the S4s. I was there half Day about twice and the Brunch was sweet Tea as black as Coca Cola escorted with sumptuous Anyoya [boiled Beans and Maize]. He died 16 Years later at a Branch of Mulago Hospital on Entebbe Road. His Corpse was driven to St. Philip's Church (Arua) [For Contributions to build new Sanctuary of Prayer, deposit at Equity Bank, Arua Branch: 1023201018632 or call 0772-333217] on Sunday 15th December 2019 by Rhino Funeral Services. His Vigil was attended by mainly women who praised him as a very generous Giver. I stepped there at 8PM and stayed silent for very long as Congregants told testimonial Stories, sang and danced; Crying is discouraged in Lugbara Culture because the Overnight is a Celebration of the Deceased's Life. Momentarily, some Ladies danced up and down while facing each other and shaking Hands; they could also raise their locked Handshakes above the Chin. Others shook Hands then released and left their flattened Hands in mid-Air for a short while. They greeted a second Time rhythmically and repeated the mid-Air Suspension plus Handshake again and again till Music stopped. During the Vigil's Final Prayer, my Cousin Juliet Drijaru asked Mourners not to question GOD why HE took Munguleni away. Monday Morning, his Corpse would be transported to Maracha for the Tuesday Burial. Munguleni was diagnosed with nine different Diseases; one of his Government Service Workmates confessed that it was the Result of Bad Hearts in Maracha and begged People to love. After 6AM, I walked towards the Post Office and found some Men exercising, one was doing Pushups before moving to the other Side of the Road to walk while others jogged, a Man and Woman actually bypassed me on Avenue Road. Inter-City Coaches are arriving in Arua with multiple Lights near the Roofline. A Cloth Banner hanging on a Fence to my left advertises that Fille Muthoni will be performing during the Fashion Runway at Heritage Courts on Saturday 21st December. The Total Petrol Station Bonjour Supermarket and Cafe at the End of the Golf Course look glam in the Night. The Market on the Opposite Side is made of Iron Sheets and so is the Perimeter Fence for the Arua Hill Stadium Construction. Work began in the 2nd Quarter of the Year and more than Half of the Ground Floor seems to be started on. I walk up towards Arua Hill and find a new storeyed Building next to Electoral Commission. National Water has also put up three blue Signposts (one West, the other near the Reservoir and also South) warning Tresspassers about their Land or face Prosecution. When I point at the topmost Signpost, one of the Workers at the Hill encourages me, "Do not fear!" Sometimes when I want to reset my Mind or refill my Hope, Arua Hill is the Place I visit; watching the reddish orange Sunrise is quite refreshing: No matter how dark the Night, the Sun always rises again! This is where I was praying when my beloved Cousin Godia (a Security Guard) - who taught me how to knot a Tie around 1996 - departed in Nebbi in September 2018. He also had an unforgettable Part in my Childhood: he would fetch my grey Coat once a Month for Drycleaning when I was the P7 Headboy at Kalinabiri Primary School (Ntinda 1996). Right now, am clad in a grey Lowe Alpine Jacket covering a cream yellow longsleeved Shirt gifted to me by Leta Group from KLA, brown Office Trousers and brown Sandals, my usual Fashion though I fancy T-Shirts too (Bajjo-Style). Weaverbirds sing in the Forest while others perch on a Tree behind me plus a few Crows fly about. I notice a Snail attached to its Shell crawling on the Hill, Geckos are awake and moving too. The three storeyed House at the Eastern Foot of the Hill looks massive though seemingly less occupied. Near the Arua Hill Residences on the South Top are Ironsheets set up majestically for trapping Grasshoppers. There is a new Mast on the Awindiri Hill plus Scholars Hostel under construction near Muni University. The highrise Building, perhaps a Hotel being set up on Circular Road is visible from behind the Nile FM/ BTN Studios. I wish I could spot the magnificent Albert Nile River using a Binoculars plus know the Names of all the Hills on the Eastern Horizon. LORD, have Mercy...