Short Stories – Patrick Kayongo

Martyr

Crouched behind a thicket, Mirundi tried to catch his breath. He quickly lifted his hand from the floor to catch the sweat that had started dripping from his forehead. His hand was shaking uncontrollably, jerked back and forth by the fear of getting caught again. Mukaajanga, the chief executioner, had sent his men into the forest to find Mirundi who had escaped the fatal march to Busega for execution by decapitation and fire.

Stimela

23 June 1898. Mqanduli, Tembuland.

“But who’s going to teach our sons to become men?”

Familiar Spirits

The eerie cold breeze from Fourways Memorial Park cemetery slips into Daudi’s open window during the fourth watch of the night. The blue radiance of the moon and the stars fill in for the lights darkened by stage 5 loadshedding. As the nighttime creatures prepare for their retreat from the incoming day, the familiar spirits plan for Daudi’s encroaching alarm clock.

Park Games

As the shedding of the luck-bean tree forms coral carpets on the grass below; as the birds begin their morning song earlier into the fourth watch of the night, calling the sun to come out to play; as new flowering greens shoot out of chronic brown branches; urban nature dances to the joyous drumbeat of spring.

Mammon

The cool winter’s breeze whispered through the open window, singing along with the familiar sound of the occasional car passing by outside. As the cool air gently brushes across her arms, Gladys Tyamzashe’s strands of hair stand up, mounted on the goose bumps of her aged and wrinkled skin. The discomfort of the cold is appeased by the comfort of the sounds of life outside her window.

Fort Hare

11 January 2033

Towards the turnstiles of the Chartwell Gautrain station, Tengo saw Gerhhadus. They were both on their way to the factories of Modderfontein to begin another day of labour. Out of his pocket, Tengo took out his port to send Gerhadus a vibration to acknowledge his presence.

The Outside World

“Can I go play?”, Senzo asks his mother after changing from his school uniform.

“First, have you finished eating your lunch?” his mother asks. “Yes, I have, and put the plate in the sink. So can I go play?”

“Ok, you can go. But be back by 5”

Columbia

* According to Wikipedia “Columbia is the female national personification of the United States.”

Within the extra-fortified walls of yet another Broadacres townhouse estate, Columbia rides her merchant bicycle, selling her wares. She gives the impenetrable security guard her usual friendly universal smile, as he escorts her in, interrogating her, seemingly knowledgeably, on her state of affairs.

Debt Comes To Fourways

As the red sun sets over the Northern Suburb hills, and signals the call of the moon over the darkening night’s sky, the spirit known as Debt begins its ward rounds within the plush suburbs of Fourways:

The night is young
But I’m of old
Looking for more to embrace
In my choking hold

Beginning her regular routine of visiting the temples built to satiate her with living sacrifice, she starts off at Lonehill Shopping Centre. As dusk draws and commerce begins to rest its head, she sees James and Ayanda walking tensely to their car with a full trolley from Woolworths.

“But you know with the school fees and home loan, we can’t afford a new car”, says Ayanda to James.

“Yes, I know, but clients don’t take me seriously with this Polo. I can feel that I’m on the cusp of something good, and if I can score a few more contracts, we’ll live the comfortable life we’ve always wanted” explained James.

“You said that about the school and its supposed networks. You said that about the house and its supposed community. Now we find ourselves here living month to month, just getting by, forever on the ‘cusp of something good’” said Ayanda.

But why is she stubborn
Why all the prudence
Maybe a much longed for holiday
May be just the influence

In the car on their short trip home, Ayanda gets a WhatsApp from Tracey. She’s suggesting their families do a short holiday during the upcoming long weekend to Bela Bela.

“It’s been a really long year, and my soul needs this” thinks Ayanda to herself. “But James will never say yes to this after I said he can’t get a new car”

Sheepishly, Ayanda says to James, “maybe I do need to support you better in fulfilling your dreams. We can move a few items in our budget around and consider getting the car I guess”.

Oh, but this one
Was way too easy
Surely there’s a challenge
That’s more worthy

So up Debt goes into the darkening skies, hovering through the light breeze blowing against unsuspecting homes. Approaching Dainfern Square, he sees two friends, Ayodele and Oluwafemi entering a restaurant to sit down.

“It’s now been 30 years since leaving home” remembers Ayodele. “My children know very little of their history and where they come from”

“Why didn’t you ever go back?” asks Oluwafemi.

“We were so disillusioned when the promise of a prosperous Nigeria became a nightmare” replies Ayodele. “I don’t think I had the capacity to endure the thought of going through that again”

“When that oil price was good, man, it was good.” reminisces Oluwafemi. “But when those stupid IMF fools came and brought those foolish so-called ‘structural adjustments’ with their loans, man, things became bad bad.”

“Promised us dreams of prosperity. Left our country forever broken” depresses Ayodele. “And our children forever lost” adds Oluwafemi.

What a glorious reminisce
Of my beautiful craft
The shattered societies
My work of art

The night is young
And I’m of old
Let me find more to embrace
My choking hold

Moving In

It’s moving day today.