“What about you? Where are you headed? Will you return to Houston any time soon?”
“I’m considering returning to Zimbabwe, but I haven’t yet decided. The longer I stay in America, the more uncomfortable I am with the culture. A man must be who he really is or his inner light will dim and eventually go out.”
“I think I understand what you mean. I just hope I will see you again someday.”
“I hope so too, Lloyd. But, until then, you’ll know that you’re not alone. We consider you to be one of us now—an honorary Lemba. We’ll always be watching.”
The two embraced in a man hug. “I’ll wait here until you’re gone, like you asked me to before,” said Lloyd, and he turned toward the lake, watching the ducks and swans glide across the water. He sat there for a couple of minutes, turned around, and Hamisi was gone.
--THE END--
AUTHOR’S NOTE
In 1999, I read a story in the New York Times about the Lemba tribe, a black tribe in southern Africa which could trace its origins back to Moses’ brother Aaron through DNA markers. Because of its Biblical significance, particularly as it relates to African Americans, I had hoped that, as a result of the New York Times article, the origins of the Lemba would begin to receive wide exposure. Unfortunately, I have seen little to nothing in the media about the tribe since that time.
I have been a writer for many years and have published one non-fiction book but, until now, have never tried my hand at fiction. But I couldn’t get the story about the Lemba tribe out of my mind, even years later. I thought a mystery which incorporated some of the history and traditions of the Lemba would give people a look into their lives and, perhaps, pique some newfound curiosity. I hope this book, The Genesis Files, will fulfill that purpose, as well as entertain, engage and inform.
I gleaned most of the information about the Lemba utilizing Internet research. The book titled, Journey to the Vanished City: The Search for a Lost Tribe of Israel by Tudor Parfitt, originally published in 1993, was also a useful reference regarding the history of the tribe. Parfitt, a historian, spent several months with the Lemba tribe in the 1980s while traveling throughout Southern Africa.
While this story is fictional, the history and most of the details about the Lemba tribe are factual. I decided to use a newspaper reporter as a vehicle for probing the details about the tribe and bringing some of the information to light and created the character Lloyd Palmer for that purpose. In addition, most of the incidents about which Lloyd reports are based on actual occurrences—either news stories that were reported in Houston media or situations that I personally witnessed. The names of the victims or perpetrators have been changed to protect their identities. Some of the details have also been changed and/or embellished for literary purposes.
I hope you enjoyed reading this story, and I appreciate comments and feedback. I can be reached via email at: [email protected].
Gwen Richardson
Houston, Texas
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311
Table of Contents
Copyright
DEDICATION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Table of Contents
Copyright
DEDICATION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The Genesis Files Page 21