《Birth Cult》
Chapter 1-The imaginary friend
The heavy rain had shaken the trees to their core and the pleasant memories of the calm had passed.This was the dreadful season that had engulfed the Ratangwena village, a season that had blessed rains that imbued the vegetation with more voluminous water than what was required, but drowned hapless people who wondered off, near river dams. This dreary sky was nothing but a reminder of the comforts of a warm bed and satisfaction of an endearing home, something that Tonde thought about constantly as he returned to his beloved home. It was rush hour as usual, and the rain had the nerve of making a pleasant return into a bitter task, but Tonde knew that his wonderful wife and only son would be waiting for him. As soon as he dropped off, from the commuter carriage horses, he trotted swiftly towards his home. The rattling on his thatch umbrella reminded him of the reality of the frightening phenomenon of the ever evolving weather and enticed him into sprinting. Upon arrival on his door step, Tonde hammered his knuckles into the oak wall before him as if he intended to destroy the entrance to his own domain. Within a matter of a few moments, his door was opened. A rush of hot compressed air dowsed his face at that instance. His withered expression immediately turned into a smile upon the sight of his wife. She was a stellar young woman, endowed with an alluring body etched out of the power of good genes. Her face had fine features, layered with fine foundation and other kinds of make-up. Her luscious bosom and wide curves were all covered by her brown and yellow poncho, which came with a night dress that had draped the alluring figure. Her thoughtful large almond eyes gazed upon him, looking both sincere and cute. Her mid-length rounded face was graced with long white braids and a fade for her hairstyle. It was a well decorated inviting sight for a man who had been partially drenched in rain forest water.
¡°I hope you didn¡¯t get soaked wet.¡± she said, as she opened a way for her husband. Rudo immediately closed the door behind her husband, took his bag of groceries, which had been preserved by the thick layer of wool that had been used to embroil it. Rudo placed all these onto the kitchen table and began to prepare coffee for him. Tonde dragged his tall, dark, and rugged body to his bedroom to change into warm and drier clothes, tip toeing over wooden action figures that were left lying on the floor. A sudden rush of annoyance afflicted his body and he shouted out, ¡°Shingi, come out here and pick up your toys!¡± Tonde heard his son¡¯s bedroom door open and the expected trot of a petrified son, worried about getting a thrashing if he delayed any longer. Tonde got into his room before his son could greet him, taking off his clothes like a mannequin that was frantically launching off its limbs. He quickly dressed up and returned to the living room to be met with a greeting from his son.
¡°Good evening father.¡± said the young Shingi, who was a seven year old boy who was peculiarly tall for his age. He was the spiting concoction of his mother¡¯s effeminate features and the body of his husky father. His nimble limbs hugged his father and immediately he apologised for leaving his toys on the floor. The very act seemed premeditated and Tonde couldn¡¯t help but notice the deliberate nuance of his son. From the background, Rudo called out to her husband and said, ¡°The coffee will be ready in just a minute.¡± The boiling bubbling water in the tea pot was as audible as a crashing crane and made an erratic noise. The boiling water was just in time for the dressed up salary man and Tonde was rather enthusiastic about the warm beverage. Tonde soon averted his attention towards his soon who then asked, ¡°How was your day father?¡± Tonde who was literally caught by surprise didn¡¯t expect this question, but at the same time didn¡¯t want to explain the brutal schedule he experienced at work. As any withered adult who just wanted to relax would answer, Tonde said, ¡°It was fine¡ next time don¡¯t leave your toys lying around. What if your mother or I had tripped, what would do you think would have happened?¡± The boy immediately replied, ¡°I am sorry father, I won¡¯t do that again.¡± Tonde impressed by the boy¡¯s mannerisms in apologising, took out a chocolate bar, and gave it to his son. Tonde then added, ¡°You see, good boys get chocolates for behaving well. Next time there will be more when you learn to tidy up more. Right now go to your room, I want to talk to your mother.¡± The boy nodded in agreement and disappeared back to his layer. As the boy left, Tonde glanced at his wife who was now coming with a mug filled with his favourite brand of raw coffee. Tonde handed out his hand and took the seething mug of black. He thanked his wife for the gesture and proceeded to sit on his favourite mat, which was near the hearth that was a blaze with burning charcoal. His wife came with a blanket and sat with her significant other, caressing each other with the warmth of their bodies. As they cuddled, their son Shingi continued with his antics of playing with his toys in his bedroom, huffing and puffing as he added theatrics to his fun. As he fooled around, his parents had begun to engage in a serious discourse that was accompanied by the sound of water droplets that dived into the perfectly placed tin cans in the house.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°They say that they are changing management and apparently, the new boss is some uptight person from the city. Those types usually think us country folks are just bumpkins who are backward or at least, that¡¯s what Tadiwa says.¡± said Tonde. They were in a tight embrace as they discussed, clinging on to the little warmth they could salvage from both the fire and themselves. ¡°I am sure you will be okay. You have always been an adaptable man, Tonde, that is what I love about you. I am sure that this is just a season you will overcome. You have your father¡¯s tenacity.¡± said Rudo. Tonde chuckled as soon as he heard the mention of his father. With a suave tone he replied, ¡°Well, even failures in fatherhood like him can be used as a reference of tenacity. The world has surely lost its marbles.¡± Rudo gently nudged him on the solar-plexus and winced, ¡°Hey, you at least have his stubborn adaptability, so be optimistic.¡± Tonde pouted and then sternly looked at her and said, ¡°I sometimes think you are too nice. Well, he is only ever allowed to come here because of you. Marrying the right woman has surely made it possible for him to still be around in life.¡± Rudo pegged Tonde¡¯s right cheek with her hand and mischievously whispered in his ear, ¡°I guess I married a whiny man. Oh, I guess I have two babies to take care of.¡± Tonde reacted to her taunt and immediately grabbed her by the shoulder, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly woman.¡± The two gently tugged each other, with Rudo adding intermittent squeals of excitement. They then stopped and abruptly laughed at how stupid they had behaved. This was the comic relief that Tonde needed to relieve some of his stress, but suddenly a pegging thought had returned to him.
¡°Hey honey, have you found Shingi¡¯s behaviour a bit strange lately?¡±
¡°You mean his imaginary friend? Well his at that age when young boys get carried away by their imagination, so don¡¯t think too much into it.¡± said Rudo, who seemed rather more concerned with cuddling than a discussion about her son.¡±
¡°Well, I guess I am over thinking it, you know what; I think we should go for a holiday as soon as his school term ends.¡±
¡°Wow, from concern to holiday plans? Is there some bonus you have gotten that I don¡¯t know about?¡± asked Rudo, who seemed enthralled by the idea of such a wonderful surprise.
¡°Nah, I haven¡¯t gotten a bonus.¡±
¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to rush it. We can go to my mother¡¯s and pay her visit.¡± she said, trying to cheer him up.
¡°So a cheaper but much more painful experience.¡± laughed Tonde.
¡°Well, in any case, things will get better. No need to rush it.¡± she said, eyeing him with a suggestive wink.
¡°Yeah, you always know the right things to say.¡± said Tonde, who seemed to be appeased by his wife¡¯s optimism.
As the rain poured heavily on Tonde¡¯s house hold, Shingi began to quiver in fear whenever he heard the sound of thunder. However, instead of crying out to his parents as would be expected of a young boy prone to being afraid of the dark, he whispered a name. There was no one in his room, no one but himself and his collection of toys and clothes. As if he had been inflicted by instantaneous sombreness, his facial expression changed. Shingi then said to himself, ¡°There is no need to worry child, it is just the friction of water in the heavens, there is no need to fear.¡± As soon he had said that, he then replied to himself, ¡°You really sure Bruce?¡± The boy proceeded with his monologue and thus replied to himself, ¡°There are far much more frightening terrors in this world that are worth the fear you exude. A spark of light is just mere child¡¯s play.¡±
Chapter 2-Bruces origins
For as long as Shingi was alive, he had gone through a bumpy but normal upbringing during his infancy. His father was a work in progress: he was a handsome man with a brittle childhood and was gravely affected by that in his later years as a young adult. Shingi¡¯s grandfather had much to do with the sorry state of Tonde due to never being available most of his life. Even though he was emotionally and mostly unavailable in his life, money and goods were delivered to Tonde Mazvita¡¯s home, but that was something that could never replace the warmth of human presence. At the time when Tonde was still a young teen, he lived in a rough and austere village where most of the youth were bona fide delinquents. The good looks and sturdy figure that he had inherited from his father did not do much in lessening the distractions but rather encouraged it. Regular fights and collisions with trouble were part of his foundation, but with the help of his elder sister and his mother, he was saved from having to become another village bum with a designated fate of being a village tout. However, his troubles didn¡¯t end there. Tonde was a bright man but with a tendency of making mistakes and he often attributed this to not having had a good role model in his life. His father was an old man who came from a different era where things were much simpler. This was the era of the warring states, where many nations and tribes had undergone conflicts that ended with either concessions, unifications or brutal surrender. The seven warring states had¡¯ had their time for bloodshed, but the times had changed. Soldiers had been reduced to war veterans who talked about all the atrocities of war and how much they hated the enemy. In some cases, the veterans were awarded special privileges from their respective kings, decorated with poignant ceremonies, fine households and the attention of fine women. This was of course, the best outcome for those who had retired after the line of duty. The same could not be said for those who did not stop their service after the war. Tonde¡¯s father was one such man who had a bloodlust and paranoia of that of a man who only knew war and was a product of it. The domestic life was as alien to him as the absence of bloodshed in his life, thus, he unconsciously desired to be involved in anything that involved the security of the state. In Old man Mazvita¡¯s time, as soon a boy turned 16, he was recruited into the barracks of an army; lead a specific purpose in that army, may it be as a medic, scout, or even a spy. They would only be allowed to marry in their mid-twenties, giving both the men a reason to live and saving them from the distraction of love, which was not necessary in the heart of battle. Old man Mazvita was thus a victim of his time and it became hard to teach the old dog new tricks. The old man eventually caught on¡¯ on what he was supposed to do, but by that time, it was already too late. Though his wife was understanding and knew that this was the kind of man she had decided to have children with, her children didn¡¯t feel the same way. As children who were born in a time of peace, having a father who had his first child in his early 50s made it clear that, there was a generational gap that had already created a distance in the family, indefinitely.
Old man Mazvita had Tonde when he was 74, a daunting period for most old men who would be cursed with impotence due to old age, but Old man Mazvita was no ordinary man. In the world, there existed a form of qi known as cosmic aura that could be awakened by practitioners of martial arts and anyone that tested their physical limits. This specialised and rare power was what made Old man Mazvita an effective warrior and the drug that kept him in sync with his belligerent nature. The art of cosmic aura channelling ended up becoming something that athletic fanatics and assigned martial individuals practiced. The general populace was not inclined to learn such a rigorous trial, but those who overcame such a hurdle would become amazing beings that roam the world. However, his strength was no good is preserving his family¡¯s relations. The eventual death of Namatai Mazvita, Tonde¡¯s mother, had eliminated any reason for his on and off existence to be tolerated. The reasons why Old man Mazvita always drifted into issues concerning the security of the state, missions that he could not talk about, was because there were still pending and serious dangers that loomed the world. Many of these were things he couldn¡¯t share due to not wanting to involve them with the complexities that kept them safe every single day. If it weren¡¯t for Rudo wanting to have her son being involved with his grandfather, then the ties would have been long since cut, never to be connected again.
When Tonde was in college, in his first year, he met Rudo, the love of his life, but had an unplanned pregnancy. The spoils of pleasure had come to spite him, especially during a time when he had to fend for himself when his mother had died 2years prior to his mishap. Living on the plot of land that his father had bought for him, alone and awaiting the return of his older sister for some beneficial council, his father surprisingly showed up. The man who was absent for most of his life had decided to aid his son in a critical moment. In the shona culture, also widely known as the mazezuru culture, there were many issues that would arise if a child were conceived before marriage. The payment known as damages was the penalty for having impregnated the wife to be without having gone through proper customary procedure. Rudo¡¯s family was a noble one, one that wouldn¡¯t easily give away their precious daughter to any common man. The overwhelming bridal price came with the damages price, and the indignant looks that they gave him, which were too draconian to bare. The father who had been absent throughout the entirety of his life, had bailed him out, paying for all the dowry¡¯s expenses with his wealth. Tonde felt glad that his father had saved him in his crucial time of need, but hoped that he had been more involved in his life. He was forever grateful, but despite that, this deed wasn¡¯t enough to patch things up, but it still managed to clear the distance between him and his father. Rudo¡¯s family even changed their overall treatment of Tonde when they discovered that Old man Mazvita was an old war hero, decorated with one of the highest honours given to warriors of the past era of the warring period. ¡°That old man was part of the expedition that slayed the last immortal.¡± is what they murmured whenever they saw him. The prestige of his father had redeemed his situation, but despite that, after the marriage, Tonde would have to deal with finishing school and graduating, at the same time raising a child alongside his beautiful wife. Starting up his family could have been clearly an easier task, with the aid of his father¡¯s finances, but his male pride decided that he had to carve out a path for himself to achieve his own independence. Tonde overcame this trial and raised his beautiful son, with the motivation of being a better father to his boy than his own could ever be. Graduation eventually arrived with his boy now at the tender age of 3 years. At the same time, many businesses were hiring market analysts. This was right in his alley of expertise and Tonde had been graced by fortune¡¯s favour. The man dedicated himself to being a family man, driven to provide for his family and to nurture his son. After a long and chaotic journey, he had finally found his purpose in life.
¡°Bruce, are you real?¡± asked Shingi who was rocking his rubber couch pad in his room. The boy had just come back from school, having been escorted by his group of friends and one of the adults, who was related to one of his friends. Bruce had been silent throughout the whole entirety of the school day, not interfering with any of the things that the boy took initiative. However, at some point, Shingi had begun to wonder whether or not his imaginary friend was real or not.
¡°It¡¯s funny that you ask child, I have been active in your life ever since you were 5years old.¡± said Shingi to himself.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
¡°You have? How come you never talked to me much Bruce?¡±
¡°You were too young to even notice. A conversation with you would have been probably pointless at that time.¡±
¡°Huh, I don¡¯t understand?¡±
¡°Of course you don¡¯t, you are just a child, but you could get better with my help, well, it depends on whether you want it.¡± Shingi instantly showed a smirk on his face, upon uttering those words.
¡°So you can help me understand? Wow that¡¯s nice, I think I need help with maths.¡± said Shingi who seemed rather embarrassed in his demeanour.
¡°You are actually pretty smart, you just like playing and indulging in childish antics.¡±
¡°Bruce, what does ¡®antics¡¯ mean?¡±
¡°Oh brother, well, I guess we will have to start by expanding your vocabulary. I think an extensive intake of reading material will be good for you.¡±
¡°Oh, okay Bruce, well¡ will it be hard?¡±
¡°Nothing comes easy, a little hard work plays a big role in bettering oneself.¡±
¡°Oh, okay¡ so what are you? Are you real? Where did you come from?¡±
¡°Hmm¡ you seem very driven to know, what drove you to be energetic today? Wait, could it be¡ that mean girl Nyasha?¡±
¡°She said I was going mad like those street people who eat from the bins and that imaginary friends are stupid. That made me unhappy Bruce.¡±
¡°Well that is what is normally expected from people, to disbelieve in certain unusual phenomenon, but let me help, young child. I do of course exist and I am now a part of you. However, I come from a very interesting past, one where things such as immortals existed and where savagery was much more second nature than the decency of today¡¯s civilization.¡±
¡°Really, wow, so you are like the time travelling blue cat from the picture books with words that I read?¡±
¡°No, no, don¡¯t be silly child, I am not a fabric of fiction¡ listen here and listen well. I came from a group of people, people who want to change the world. These people were my brothers and sisters in arms, and we had one objective, to take over the world.¡±
¡°What does¡ well¡ taking over the world mean? Is it like becoming popular among your friends?¡±
¡°I see that rudimentary examples will be best in making things clear for you. Well you see¡ it¡¯s more like when you go from being a person who always does what he is told and then becomes the person who bosses people around, telling them what to do.¡±
¡°Really, but Bruce, isn¡¯t that a bully?¡± said Shingi, to himself. In that moment, his mouth became agape, speechless as if surprised, but then, Bruce replied.
¡°For the longest time, I didn¡¯t think that we were bullies, well you could say I didn¡¯t think at all, but all I know is that people thought that we were bad people, but they were not entirely wrong about us.¡±
¡°I am getting confused, are you friends with bad guys, or are you good guys?¡±
¡°I am neither good nor bad, well, things such as good and bad become complicated when you become a grown up.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ I guess I don¡¯t understand.¡±
¡°Of course you don¡¯t Shingi, you are just a child after all, but let me finish off my story¡ Well, our group wanted to take over the world to further human evolution, well it¡¯s more like making people better than what they are.¡±
¡°Hmm, but that sounds like a good thing, I don¡¯t think that is what bad guys would do.¡±
¡°Looking at it simply, it seems rather good, but there is another group that doesn¡¯t want that to happen, well they aren¡¯t people, they are more like monsters in the shape of people.¡±
¡°Huh, that sounds scary, so did the monsters¡ well, chase you away from your friends?¡±
¡°Well, they once did, but after a while, they couldn¡¯t touch us. However, it¡¯s been a long time since I have seen my friends, I am pretty sure that they are taking steps every day to achieve their goal.¡±
¡°Why can¡¯t you see your friends?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s because I have changed. The changed me can¡¯t be friends with them anymore.¡±
¡°Oh, well, I am sorry¡ well, hmm, if you change again, will you stop playing with me?¡±
¡°No, you are different. I will not abandon you. Listen here child, my friends, despite their good intentions, are not good people and the world itself is an ugly place. You are still innocent, but as you grow older that innocence will eventually disappear. Hopefully, not way too much. As the world continues to shape itself around you, you will hear rumours of war, and things that will worry most of the adults. Just know that it¡¯s my friends who are influencing the world behind the scenes. As for the monsters that once chased us, they are also not bad, they just want things to remain the same, but in the end, differences create conflict.¡±
¡°Your story is really something Bruce, but I still don¡¯t understand how a person can do good but still be bad and how there can be monsters that hurt people but not be bad. You are no good at explaining, you are just like my math teacher.¡± upon saying that, Shingi laughed.
¡°Well, you are right I am no good at explaining. Well, I think you will eventually understand. First of all, let me help you out with a few things.¡±
¡°Like my homework? Please do my homework for me, pretty please.¡±
¡°No, we will do it together, if I do everything for you¡¯ you will remain stupid. That mean girl will always call you mean things if you don¡¯t get smart. Girls don¡¯t like idiots.¡±
¡°Meh, I don¡¯t care about girls, girls are cry-babies and weak. I won¡¯t allow her to call me stupid.¡±
¡°Okay, so that worked¡ in any case we should help you to become a good boy. Stuff like leaving your toys lying around the floor, not going to bed early and skipping chores will make your parents unhappy. You need to make it easier for them, parenting is tough. So I will help you to become a better person.¡±
¡°Okay, I will try my best Bruce.¡±
¡°Speaking of trying your best, you should make sure you don¡¯t wet your bed this time.¡±
¡°Bruce, don¡¯t talk about that loud, you know that it¡¯s embarrassing.¡±
¡°Well, just work on going to the toilet before bed more often and then you won¡¯t have to feel embarrassed. I will make you a good child, that¡¯s a promise¡¡±
As Shingi talked to himself, the front door handle turned. It was the maid who had come back from the market with groceries that Mrs Mazvita had stated for her to purchase. Bruce quickly disappeared and Shingi awoke from his position of repose. Shingi knew that the maid was probably going to demand for his clothing so that it could be washed. Shingi immediately took off his uniform and wore his home clothes, which had been nicely ironed and left on his room¡¯s study desk. As Shingi trotted towards the bath-room, where he would leave his clothes to be washed by the maid, he began to ponder over what Bruce had told him. The group of friends who wanted to change the world and the monsters that wanted it to remain the same, such a tale seemed rather highly fascinating. This was what Bruce had experienced in his life before sharing his consciousness with Shingi. Shingi knew that there would be much more interesting things that he would learn from Bruce and hoped that they would be inseparable indefinitely.
¡°Hey Bruce, Bruce, wake up.¡± said Shingi who was eating his lunch, a meal packed with a light portion of sadza, green vegetables and beef stew.
¡°What is it? I hope you don¡¯t wish to summon me in front of your maid. She is the type to blame anything she misunderstands to be supernatural or from the evil one.¡±
¡°Well, I was wondering, what was your group¡¯s name?¡±
¡°Oh, just that, well you could have asked me that back in your room¡ well we called it the Birth Cult. That name was given by the last immortal.¡±
¡°Birth Cult, hmm sounds interesting, but I don¡¯t know what cult means¡ well whatever, it still sounds nice. What were immortals like Bruce?¡±
¡°Well, I only ever saw one, the one who lead the cult. All I know is that he was extremely powerful, something that defied logic, but most of his friends were gone, that is why they called him the last immortal.¡±
¡°His friends were gone?¡± asked Shingi whose eyes gleamed with curiosity.
¡°Yes, the monsters I spoke off destroyed them. It was a very long time ago when that happened.¡±
¡°Shingi, who are you talking to?¡± asked the maid, who had just come from finishing the laundry.
¡°I was singing aunty, just singing.¡± lied Shingi.
¡°Well, don¡¯t sing whilst you are eating your food, you will choke on it. Have good manners and behave yourself or else I will shambock [1] you.¡±
¡°Yes aunty.¡±
Bruce had quickly disappeared and did not entertain Shingi for a while; he did not want to draw too much attention to himself. However, Shingi who had heard about the novelty and glorious depictions of immortals in his story books and comic books wondered how powerful these monsters Bruce spoke of really were. In his mind, he thought that these creatures must have been something, something equally amazing and dreadful.
Glossary
Shambock ------------------------------------------------------------ To beat or discipline with a rod
Chapter 3-Regular life
¡°Shingi, wake up.¡± said Rudo, who had decided to end her son¡¯s sweet siesta. It was another school day, the ultimate Monday blues and Mrs. Mazvita needed to get to work early. She had gotten her paediatric license at the beginning of the year and as a new comer to the work force, Shingi had to be subjected to early morning wake ups at 05:50am. Shingi had to commute with his mother, since her workplace was along the direction where his school was stationed. Bruce had told the young lad to discipline himself by having to wake up all by himself, but the boy was in love with the warmth of his blankets. Shingi yawned and mustered the energy to resuscitate his tired body. The boy noticed that his mother had already worn her uniform, which had a pin on the breast pocket with the initials D.O (Doctor of Osteopathy). Shingi immediately said to his mother, ¡°Good morning mother.¡±
¡°Good morning son. Be quick and go take a bath. I have a lot of important paper work waiting for me at work.¡± said Rudo. The boy did as his mother bid: bathed, brushed his teeth, and made his bed. Shingi was proving to be the ideal child to his parents, though it was all thanks to Bruce giving the boy hints. The number of cases of him wetting his bed was drastically becoming non-existent. Whenever the grownups who were among his parents¡¯ friends were discussing about their children wetting their beds, in some cases he heard about 11 year old boys and 10year old girls still staining their sheets. This made Shingi laugh at their lack of bladder control, though he tended to keep his laughter to himself lest he angered the shamed. He was soon to be turning 8 and he hadn¡¯t once wet his bed ever since Bruce gave him good advice. The once unenthusiastic boy when it came to waking up time and time again to use the bathroom before returning to sleep was now grateful. Shingi was starting to think that there was a benefit to all the troublesome stuff Bruce advised him to do. This however made Shingi¡¯s father rather shocked and awed. Tonde was naturally expected his son to be clumsy, irresponsible and in need of much discipline. He at times attributed this drastic change in behaviour to the maid that they had hired, but sister Chisamba wasn¡¯t at all that well groomed. With further inspection, you¡¯d realise that she was as ratchet as the broadest sense of the term, but she at least did her duties well.
At the dining room, the boy would devour his porridge mixed with chocolate cereal. His father would also join him on the table, but eating a different kind of meal. His father had a taste for tea loafs and coffee, whilst reading yesterday¡¯s newspaper or going over yesterday¡¯s paper work. This was also usually the only time Tonde had time to talk to his child, during the weekdays.
¡°Son, how was school yesterday?¡± asked his father, who darted at his boy with a stoic gaze.
¡°It was good. They are starting a new sport at school. I want to join it.¡± said the boy, who brimmed with much vitality.
¡°A new sport, hmm, interesting. What kind of sport is it?¡±
¡°The sports teacher calls it hotball. The goal keeper is only allowed to grab the ball; it has 7players for each team, 6 play on the court and each court player is allowed 1 touch.¡±
¡°1 touch? Hmm, this sport sounds familiar. It reminds me of a really popular sport from the big cities. Hmm, you said one touch, explain further¡¡± said Tonde who was rather engrossed in what his son had to say.
¡°Its hotball father, you have to swat the ball like a fly to pass to your friend. Your friend also does the same thing until you score. The ball is too hot so you can¡¯t carry it or hold it. It sounds like fun.¡± smiled the boy, as he took the last spoon of his cereal.
¡°Hmm, I remember it now. The sport requires a lot of running and passing. Hopefully you will be good at it. You usually have more fun with things you are good at than things you are terrible at, make sure you do your best.¡±
¡°I will father.¡± he said with a gleaming smile.
¡°How about your studies, are you doing well in school?¡± asked Tonde, who seemed more like he was instigating the young man.
¡°Well¡ I am getting better at maths and general knowledge father. I will come first at the end of this school term.¡±
¡°Really now, hmm¡ my boy has ambition at such a young age, well I will be waiting for your report card. If it¡¯s anything bad, expect a beating.¡± he said, taunting his child. Those last words had a frightening effect on Shingi, who feared his father¡¯s belt. Lately he hadn¡¯t been caught in the wrong and he really wanted to continue his fortune at all costs. Shingi¡¯s mother, who overheard their dialogue, walked in, and said, ¡°Baba [1] Shingi that is no way of motivating a child. Don¡¯t use threats, just encourage him.¡±
¡°I fear your line of work making you go soft Amai [2] Shingi. The boy should know that one must work hard and do well in school. A foolish person is an expense, the Marinda family spoiled their child, and now he is hugging trees in hope for love.¡±
Shingi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at what his father had said, but his mother soon interjected, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my line of work is just making me wiser anyways, I am sure our boy will do well. He read his story text book to me and finished it all in front of me. I think he will do well.¡± Shingi felt a tang of pressure but at the same time happiness. His mother was always optimistic and motivated him. His father was rather rigid, cynical and always lectured to him that a man was supposed to be accountable to others and a responsible individual. He initially just believed that his father was just being an annoying, grumpy hard ass, but Bruce mitigated the young man¡¯s feelings by always reminding him that his father was like this because he cared.
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¡°So Shingi, let¡¯s go, we need to catch the carriage that is waiting for us at the carriage stop. Come along now.¡± she said, as she unlocked the front door.
¡°Yes mother,¡± he said, after her announcement, ¡°Excuse me father.¡±
¡°You are excused.¡± said his father, as he flipped through the newspaper. His son took his plate and placed it in the sink, wiped the table with a table cloth and then carried his belongings.
¡°Have a good day father.¡± he shouted, just before closing the door behind him. His father was pleased by his mannerism, almost as if he didn¡¯t deserve it. Tonde couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I surely am blessed with a decent child.¡±
The early mornings were always bustling with the chirps of birds and humid air. The purple jacaranda tree petals had decorated the ground and cast a beautiful scenery in the morning. Shingi caught up to his mother, grabbed her hand, and walked towards the commuter stop sign. There were many early birds where available: salary men and women, some being teachers, clerks, janitors, security guards and sales people. This was an hour earlier than rush hour, and this was always a good time to travel if someone wanted to be early. Shingi greeted most of the people who knew at the stop, giving them a polite ¡®Good morning¡¯. Such things as manners, respect towards elders, and other African etiquette were paramount and it thus made him popular among the grownups in his neighbourhood. Shingi began to see the full results of what Bruce urged him to do, even hearing some of the adults say to his mom, ¡°Your child is a good boy, he has respect towards his elders. You have raised him well.¡± Shingi wanted to blush, if his skin tone would allow such to happen, but just alternatively grinned like a silly child. As soon as the carriage came at the commuter stop, everyone boarded it, paying 5Kwacha. This was the price tag of boarding commuter carriages, but much more refined private carriages cost a lot more than the regular price. The seats were as comfortable as they would get, but in any case, economy class travel means were not expected to be therapeutic. Shingi opening his comic book magazine, a weekly serial known as Ngano jump. It had a lot of stories, containing a new standalone comic from a new talent in the industry and usually continuations of previous chapters of a continuous story. The story he liked the most was Legend of the Immortals. The writer, who was also the artist, was a talented individual. His illustrations were extremely stimulating, from how the action and motion were conveyed to the detailed background art. The boy was always excited when he read this serial and wished to imitate the professional level art that left his mind in awe. His mother glanced at him, and noticed the popular magazine among boys his age, in his hands. Rudo had no interest in comic books but couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°These drawings really do look nice.¡±
¡°Yes mother, Banda sensei is so awesome. His art and stories are cool.¡±
¡°Hmm, what about the others¡ This is Ngano jump right? The one with the collection of drawn stories published every week. What do you think of the stories?¡±
¡°Well¡ Boy Hunter by Ngundu sensei is also great, but the story isn¡¯t as good as Legend of the Immortals. Pretty Girl Tatenda is funny but the drawings are lame. The other stories are just average or boring.¡±
¡°Hmm, interesting, could you please give me your magazine?¡±
¡°Eh?¡± wondered Shingi who was surprised by his mother¡¯s interest.
¡°I need it for work, if you give me this copy, mommy will give you money to buy another one.¡±
¡°Huh, but¡ will you give me money?¡± asked Shingi who was worried about being ripped off.
¡°There is a young boy, just like you, he is sick and unable to fun things like play with others and walk. If you do me this favour, mommy will give you money to buy more Ngano jump.¡±
Shingi looked at his magazine and looked back at his mother; as much as he loved his mother, he treasured this magazine more. His selfish nature came into play. Bruce immediately awoke and then answered in the boy¡¯s stead.
¡°It¡¯s okay mother, you can give the young boy my Ngano jump.¡±
¡°Oh, okay, thank you for understanding.¡± She said, happy that her son was so understanding. Shingi¡¯s generosity didn¡¯t match his facial expression. The boy was angry at Bruce for having engineered his acceptance. Rudo didn¡¯t notice this disgruntled look and immediately asked the boy how much an issue of Ngano jump was. Bruce immediately answered, ¡°40Kwacha.¡± Rudo at first was shocked at the pricing; expecting it to be way much cheaper, but little did she know that Bruce had lied, posing as Shingi. Shingi disliked it when Bruce took the initiative and spoke on his behalf when he really wasn¡¯t in cahoots with the idea. Ngano jump cost 15Kwacha, 3 times the amount of his commuter fare. Rudo offered her son the money and whispered in his ear, ¡°Make sure to keep this money safe, you know it doesn¡¯t grow on trees, so be extra careful.¡± Shingi felt really dirty and the duplicity didn¡¯t settle well with him. He took the money, slid it into his inner breast pocket, and thanked his mother. As the boy brooded internally, his mother was looking forward to giving the issue of Ngano jump to a patient of hers. Rudo could have bought the magazine on her own, but didn¡¯t really know where the jump stores where, and, her tight work schedule wouldn¡¯t allow her time to by the magazine. In all honesty, she just needed something to give the young boy at the clinic. Shingi brooded and brooded until it was now his mother¡¯s turn to drop off. Her rendezvous point was just 600m away from his school and now the boy was going to be left alone. His mother smiled and waved as her visage disappeared into the distance. The boy sat next to the window and began to fumble to himself, hoping not to attract attention from people who thought he was talking to himself, when in fact, he was.
¡°Bruce, that wasn¡¯t cool, I didn¡¯t want to give away my comic.¡± said Shingi, who looked like a sour puss.
¡°Think about what you giving away your book means. I am pretty sure that¡¯ that young boy needs it more than you.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t like you Bruce, why did you agree?¡±
¡°Stop being a brat, you got 40Kwacha, you can always buy last week¡¯s issue and today¡¯s issue.¡±
¡°But I lied to mother. You are making me do opposite things, like that word ¡®contradiction¡¯ that you always say. Mother will know that I lied to her.¡±
¡°Hmm, nothing is ever easy with you, okay¡ I am sorry. However, you will see what I mean when we get back. The 40Kwacha is just for today. I will not lie to your mother anymore.¡±
¡°Please don¡¯t ever do that again, I don¡¯t like you saying things when I don¡¯t want to say anything. If you do that again I won¡¯t talk to you!¡±
¡°Okay¡ hmm, in any case boy, if you want to hear about immortals, why don¡¯t you hear it from me. I was born during the time when there were still immortals, before they were no more.¡±
¡°Bruce, I might be a kid, but thinking that you can make me feel better when I gave away my Ngano jump which had Banda sensei¡¯s work, will not work.¡±
¡°It¡¯ not a trick and I am not going to lie to you.¡±
¡°Well you lied to my mother, why should I trust someone who uses me to lie to my mother.¡±
¡°I said I apologised boy.¡±
¡°No I don¡¯t want to hear your story. Today be quiet.¡±
Just like that, Bruce was silenced. Bruce was trying to guide the boy into generosity, but he somehow took the young man¡¯s temperament for granted. Shingi was being selfish and obstinate, but in the end, Bruce¡¯s initiative added something to the boy, a quandary of whether he it was okay for him to give away his comic for the sake of some kid he didn¡¯t know or care about and how obliging his mother made him feel. It was a simple but yet taxing thing for Shingi, but in the end, he started off school¡ on a rather, aggravated note.