WHEN BOTTLE TOPS USED TO BE MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD

About 23 years Ago, Bottle tops (Covers) were the most precious Possessions any teenager would have(We used to call them encoko or obudankara). I remember those days when we would spend the whole day playing that game and in our school bags instead of books the biggest part would be occupied by those tops. Some would be soo dirty because we used to play them from the soil where we would dig a small hall on the ground and get a nice stone to smash the target. Whenever one would not be having any but wanted to join the game, you would ask from a friend to give u one so he can multiply them after playing and winning others, Normally if a friend knew u were not good at the game, he wouldn't dare give you coz he knew you would lose it to sharp shooters. The day I learnt that most witch doctors are crooks and people would ignorantly believe because they had no choice. We were in Primary 4 by then I was used to share a seat with Jonan whom we came from the same village and were somehow related. In the same class, there was another boy called Emmanuel. Emmanuel was soo cunning that in class he knew that some kids were ignorant. What Emmanuel did was to become a witch doctor. Guys started fearing him. Whenever you would lose your pencil or a pen or a book, u would go to him and he catches the thief for you. Now in return. (we call it okutaasura) You would give him either 2 bottle tops (obudankara). But he would mostly demand for money first which would be either 50 shillings or 100 shillings. How he used to do it There used to be this plant i don't remember its name in English but in Runyankore they call it 'Ereka' which they used to clean Banana sap from hands after peeling. Now What Emmanuel did was; he would get a branch of that plant and roast it a bit, and come with it at school. Whenever u would approach him to report about your missing item, he would first ask you the names of 2 or three suspects, then he gets there small pebbles and label each pebble a name from each suspect names u had given him. He would then Put stones and put them on his school bag. then after fix that plant in his nose and he starts singing as he knocks repeatedly on the bag slowly.. Whichever stone would run away from others, that would be the thief. Now Jonan used to trust that guy much. In fact he introduced me to him when I lost my pen. He asked for either 50 shillings or to bottle tops if I wanted him to catch a thief for me. I just looked at him and laughed. God enough I didn't have any of those both money and the bottle tops. But I looked at him and knew he was conning my friends. Today, those bottle tops are part of rubbish. And life still goes on