Harare North

by Brian Chikwava

  I get back to our house and I am in high spirits and I try to cheer up Shingi and give him the chance to chew my ear about why the long face when Harare North is such great place to live.

  By next month me I will be back home, I tell Shingi. Three, four coffee visits to Sekai and I'm on my way.

  Bad news for Sekai but that's life; life is never fair, me I have 100 per cent proof inside my suitcase. You think you is frying bean sprouts and suddenly bang, you find yourself frying barbed wire nails.

  Shingi is looking worryful now because he have just read letter from his mother, MaiShingi. Things is no more sweet like they used to be because now some bad wind have start blowing inside she house; she husband and his son, Chamu, have whip up bad vibes between each each and now having supper without intervention of riot police has become impossible. Chamu is just being difficult to his father because the old man have no money to send him to Harare North where everyone is going, I tell Shingi. Shingi is lucky because his uncle, Sinyoro, is the one that buy him air ticket. That must make poor Chamu feel like he is left out and now he come with poor excuses for his vex. Even the excuse that Chamu give for the row is poor. It all start when his father decide to go and get membership card for ZANU–PF party because there is food shortage and these days some things you can only get in certain shops that want you to first show your ZANU–PF membership card because they is owned by party people. Chamu now start all this grand talk giving the old man hard time and accuse him of having no morals by carrying ZANU–PF card. But then he eat the food the old man have buy with party card. When things get really heated up Chamu end up moving out of they new house that they have just build on new stand, and he start to survive on thiefing the aluminium street-name plates so he can sell them to coffin makers who use them to make coffin handles. Now the police have catch him and he is languish in remand prison and MaiShingi have no money to get lawyer. I am feeling sorry for Shingi, but then I see it too late that he have herd me into funny corner.

  Can I borrow some money? he say.

  Now there's funny silence. I want to get out of this situation but I not know what style I have to tackle Shingi with.

  Shingi get me vex. I squeeze £500 out of Sekai and six hours later £200 of it have been wired to Harare to save arse of stupid opposition party supporter. This is the same kind of person that the boys have spend long time trying to teach how to think and he still can't come to proper way of thinking. Punishment is the best forgiveness for traitor. That's what Comrade Mhiripiri say. I should never have allow my money to go to bail Chamu. But me I have to keep focus because now I have to make commando-style plan on Sekai and Rasputin. Before the next full moon, I have to be is out of this place.

  'All that matter is that we love the baby,' I tell Tsitsi. 'And we don't want him to die of lack of food when we is here.'

  Tsitsi don't want to take the money straight out of my hand because she is still snorting and wiping tears, so I put it on cupboard for she to take when she ready. I leave she alone in kitchen and step off to our room to sit on my suitcase again. Things is going bad for Tsitsi. She baby have start growing new teethies and he cry all the time. Tsitsi exhausted by all this and she village madness come out now. She sing careless in the kitchen all alone, with baby on she back, but sometimes she is not singing, and you only notice this when you get close to she. I pick it by accident. That's after I have been trying Sekai's mobile phone dozen times and it keep going to voicemail. I am sitting on my suitcase waiting and I hear Tsitsi singing again.

  When I go into kitchen she stop singing. She baby is on she back as she make food for it.

  'The rat. I try to kill it but I miss it with that,' she say, pointing to broken broomstick on the cupboard but without looking at it. It's like she want me to do something with the broomstick. She keep she face looking outside kitchen window. When I look proper into she face she swallow hard and I see there is tears in she eyes.

  'What's wrong?'

  Tsitsi don't talk. The broomstick thing was to stop me coming near she so I don't see she is crying.

  She say she don't know any more why she is crying. That's because these days when she cry, even under she blankets at night, she always end up crying about she baby no matter what have cause she to start crying. And she don't know why. But she say she love she baby now, not like when it was newborn when she even look for pit latrine in London so she can throw it away.

  'Everything is very hard in here,' she sob. I want to hug and comfort she but you don't want someone to melt into wailing porridge in your hands because then you don't know what to do with that. She have been having hard time with money since baby get ill. That's why I reason quick, go to our room and come back to give she £50.

  'I am uncle to the baby now.'

  13

  'I have run out of money,' Sekai say when on the phone on Saturday morning.

  'No worry, me I can wait.' I lay out the whole deal for she to see. 'That's the last time you is ever going to hear from me if you agree to this.'

  She is quiet for few seconds. I remind she that Uncle Rasputin will help she. 'Maybe month end will be good,' she squeak.

  I am in the kitchen doing my sums. Why we have to pay rent to live inside some hole, me I don't get the score. That can mess up all the sums if you have to wait for Sekai while you is still oozing rent to someone.

  Tsitsi. She have go out to them salon women in the morning and now she have come back with MaiMusindo and she tongue in tow. Tsitsi have been borrowing heap of money from MaiMusindo and buying baby things and that kind of stuff because baby is growing teethies and all. Now MaiMusindo have had enough of this because Tsitsi not getting no more money from renting she baby because them council people have blow this scandal into the open. Now Tsitsi can't pay back.

  This time there is no big ceremonies and all. MaiMusindo have got trouble all over she face and she just stand in hall like half talisman half crazy thing while Tsitsi call Aleck out of his room. I am coming out of kitchen when Aleck reach stair landing but I just slip into our room without greeting no one because you can tell this is not the time.

  MaiMusindo take grand stand on Aleck: my son, in Honde Valley, my rural home where my ancestors' bones is buried, they call me Nyamutambanengwena.

  Before anyone even know it she have get into gear now in Shona and start to fire: right here, in this house, I can lift my dress up and show you things that will give you bad luck for the rest of your life if you want to try me. Who do you think you fooling? Whose time are you trying to waste?

  Now she start shouting.

  And this big threat to use sight of she naked body to wither Aleck's eyeballs and turn them into dry figs, that's one big ambush for Aleck who now just freeze on the landing.

  She start to list where Aleck have fail, how she try to help Tsitsi but Aleck doing nothing; how the baby go to hospital and she have to give Tsitsi money for medicines; how baby need this and that but Aleck just sitting on his tail.

  'My son,' she gasp for air and clear she throat and start another heap of words: oh yeeee you will bawl when your ancestral spirits lay they long stick on you, and you will remember me; them English say you break it you buy it; you have break this child's life; buy it or fix it; you run around saying you is Mr Big Man shop assistant, so what? What good is that if she even too frightened to ask you to help? She is not just like iPod that you keep in your house if it break. You poke poke she, give she this baby and now you deny she, pretend you don't know she and you think no one see? Now you leave she with these problems. What kind of manners is that?

  Aleck try to answer but that only give MaiMusindo more fire: oh you have tell me many times what you think. Oh now is my time; if you had keep that front tail inside your trousers none of this will have happen; chop it off if you can't be responsible for what it do.

  It's as if with the crack of the whip that is she tongue, MaiMusindo have strike all clothes off our district administrator and leave him naked and cheap like proper
vegetable-vendor boy.

  'I don't come here another time; don't give me blood pressure oh,' MaiMusindo shout. With that, she put she tongue back inside she mouth and leave everyone reeling from this heavy stuff.

  The rest of the day we is whispering and creeping around the house. Aleck lock himself up in his room, Tsitsi remain in she room and I'm with Farayi in our room. When Shingi come, this new stuff blow his socks off. But what blow our underwear clean off is that Farayi have always know this about Aleck and Tsitsi, but like priest, decide to keep lid on dirty stuff. I spend evening putting him on trial for hiding this and want to know what else he know since he is one of them first people to live with Aleck.

  'No, there is nothing more.' He lug big frightened eyes like he think Aleck will hear.

  Now the problems that Shingi is having with graft and money suddenly looking like child play compared to Aleck's problems. Aleck's mask have come off complete now, and he give Tsitsi big tongue-lashing about the baby's health, why she just don't ask if she need money, how she don't look after the baby proper and why she keep reporting him to MaiMusindo like she's she big aunt when she's madwoman.

  Tsitsi is just standing on the stairs holding baby and Aleck is throwing his mouth round and trying to bury she under heaps of bad words. We can hear everything. But Tsitsi now have likkle bit of the stubborn old thing of MaiMusindo; she is steady and talk in calm and unhurried way and this make Aleck get mad because he want to crumple she feathers and don't like it when she answer back. Meanwhile baby is shrieking like this is the end of the world.

  Aleck give up on trying to cow Tsitsi and she go to kitchen, wash them dishes and sing old Shona song about bird that don't want to come play because it want to fly high into clouds so it can be like them clouds. Everyone in the house go quiet. Me I don't want to go in the kitchen; you can't trust them girls; they can look strong but the moment they see you walking into the room they want to turn into porridge in your arms and then you won't know what to do with that.

  I wake up in the morning after funny dream; maybe it is because of the letter that I write to Comrade Mhiripiri last night when the wind shift inside the house.

  The letter, it's still there on my suitcase, less than arm stretch away:

  Dear Comrade Commander Mhiripiri,

  The ways of thanking great men is as many as there is grains of sand so me I am not even going to try to thank you for everything that you have do for me or we will be here for ever.

  Comrade Commander, if what I did back home was wrong, please forgive this son of the soil. I never turn down your help to cause you trouble. Things was closing in on me and you was busy man leaping here and there on every problem that the police and magistrates was causing for me. If police and magistrates cause you more trouble on account of I fail to come with the money, don't harden you heart.

  I know things have change now but soon I have to leave this place and plan to land back home next month or so. With them your contacts with important heavyweight people, if you can please lend a hand. If you cannot, then please point a son of the soil the right way so he can sort things out himself to make sure them those old troubles go away by the time he is back. The money, it's there now.

  I remember you, Comrade Commander. I still hear heaps of jazz numbers about you but they all come from people that have turn into traitor.

  I remember when you lead us to Buhera, that week when we graduate. That day when we is supposed to sweet them villagers so they go to our party rally. You remember that police roadblock when your great face square up to the great sky and you bark fear with your beard pointing at the policeman that was giving Tom hard time on account of he have no driving licence. 'Enemies of the state is on the loose all over and you is asking about driving licences as if we is civilians?' Your beard point him out and he quickly understand that we have important business to do. You teach us without even talking. As you like to say, fear is like demon; throw it at them and watch. But never let fear stalk you or it end up being overfamiliar with you. Spit on its face. Me I spit on the face of fear now because I am worryful for when I land at the airport home. Help this son of the soil, Comrade Commander.

  The funny dream: we is in rural areas for survival training and we have no food and have eat nothing but beer from them villagers that live near training camp. Tom and everyone is raving, talking gibberish and falling over with hunger. Comrade Mhiripiri tell us to think like jackal and find way to get that village food. In the morning we have already make them villagers play game of tsoro. Now we come again and they don't understand that this time if you lose while playing with us you have to pay with chicken. In the evening we have heap of them chickens quacking inside cage that is made of twigs and them villagers is not talking no more but giving us talking eyes and walking away because they don't want to play tsoro no more. That's when they go inside some hut, get this old man who spend all his days sleeping and they send him to us and he come leaning heavy on his walking stick with gnarled hands and accompanied by small big-eared boy carrying betting chicken. When old man start taking back all them chickens one by one, we have to tell him, 'Ey makheyi, it don't matter that you have play this game since before Adam and Eve, but your winning ways is now starting to make us drunk and we don't want to start doling out forgiveness.' He get the score. But then old woman come out of one of them huts shouting like mad and when I look again, it's Mother. She say we should give back all them chickens and learn to give instead of being useless to people in the village all the time. We is leaving empty-handed and I look back at Mother but she face is now Tsitsi's.

  Why Mother is so vex with me, I don't know.

  Twenty frogs at the well; one jump and go splash up splash down and dead. Nineteen frogs at the well; one jump and go splash up splash down and dead. Eighteen frogs at the well; one jump and go splash up splash down and dead. Seventeen days in Harare North; one jump and go splash up splash down and dead. And then they was sixteen. That's what I'm singing to Shingi as we lie in bed.

  W . . . what about f . . . food? That's all he can say.

  I am not touching my savings no more now.

  And Aleck also want all his rent money. Me I sit tight and wait for month end when Sekai drop us some pounds.

  There's bit of food in the kitchen. Aleck and Farayi is homeboys, they is not going to let us starve, is they?

  But Shingi shake his head. There has been many big silences in the house and there is funny air since MaiMusindo. And Farayi just want to read his Bible with more fire these days. He don't want to talk.

  Shingi is in panic.

  The worst thing that can happen is that we owe Aleck bags of money. You owe someone hundred dollars, then it's your problem, but if you owe them million dollars, then it's they problem, you understand? I try to calm him down.

  Aleck leave note on our door this morning asking about his rent because the arrears is piling up. Now he come back from his graft and go into kitchen. The next thing I know, we have been command to come and be cross-examined in his court about this rent thing. Shingi lead the way to kitchen; his trousers is coming apart on the seam along his bum crack and I think it have start to look like comedy trousers because the trousers is black and last time Shingi have used white thread to repair the seam.

  Aleck have bring some greasy food on his way from work and he is sitting at the table, frowning and looking into this bundle wrapped with grease-stained paper as we come inside and he is doing it in that way that you can tell there is nothing he is looking at there.

  'Mukanya! Ndimi ka munokwira gomo nemamvere. Four furry creatures on one dead tree at the foot of mountain and the fifth one is right on top of the mountain throwing fruit down to the others; you have look after them poor people, dear Mukanya,' Shingi slide in with the oldest style in the book, praise-greeting Aleck and elevating his totem – the baboon – to tip-top mountain heights. Aleck give poker face. He poke poke his greasy bundle pretending we is not there.

  Shingi quickly rescue us a
ll from this funny situation and go straight to the matter. Now Aleck snap back into grand voice. 'Final warning. If you can't pay in two weeks' time you have to make new accommodation plans,' he kick hardball.

  We is leaning against them cupboards and short of answers. Does Aleck know that he can be charged for statutory rape for what he do to Tsitsi? I want to ask Shingi. You have to earn right to make harsh judgement on anyone in this house; it don't just land on your lap like banana from your mother. If you have been raping small girls then all your rights is gone.

  'So when do you think you can pay?' Aleck ask.

  Shingi and I give each each them glances. Sweat beads is already forming on Shingi's nose. Aleck is munching loud. His mouth is full.

  'You really looking for graft?' he ask and his eyebrow jump up.

  'Y . . . yes yes, I try my best. But you know how things can be in . . .' I say.

  'How come you lose your last graft?' His lopsided mouth pull his face to one side.

  A week has not even go splash up and splash down dead and Shingi is salad-picking in Stanford-le-Hope, being drive from Barking in minibus every morning by them the usual bulle-theaded boys with spotty faces. Me I don't really want graft now. I have put enough Mars bars inside pockets of them these gangmasters, I tell Shingi. Me I now only wait for Sekai's month end.

  Shingi give me the long face but I don't want to listen to him otherwise he will make me change my mind.

  We wake in the morning and our pillows is still wet from all them tears laughing from last night. Farayi haul the news into our room last night when he come back from weekend visit to old friend in Luton. Aleck is now two times naked.

  We have give him hard time before about him hiding secrets about Aleck, and last night Farayi want to make up for it. The moment he step into our room we can tell that he is excite by something because his bundle of bum is flying loose all over the place and his neck is sunk deep into his shoulders like he is mischief priest that is about to say naughty thing.