From "Sizinda Sunset", my longest short story
What happened after breakfast, when I mentioned that I was going to leave in an hour, surprised me. It all started with Tete’s eyes glinting in the direction of Viji, who shook her head to signal that she had nothing to do with it.
“So what are you leaving us?” said Tete.
I didn’t have to think about this one.
“I will leave love, lots of love,” I said, looking at Viji.
“I mean something we can touch and smell,” Tete said. I could tell by the darting of her eyes that she was getting upset. Even her lips quivered, but she bit them and looked down.
Viji came to my rescue: “She’s talking about a sign, you know; something you’ll leave before you leave.”
“Sign?” I asked, shaking my head to show that I was confused still.
“You know, something to show commitment,” Viji said. “I am sure you know what Tete is talking about.” She sighed.
I must have taken too long to respond to Viji because Tete spoke before I did.
“Show us that we can relax knowing you are not planning to waste our time. Show us you will be visiting her parents soon.”
I wasn’t really planning to visit her parents soon, neither was I planning to waste her time. What sign did they need? I could not, for instance, leave a book, and I did not have enough money on me to offer as a sign.
Viji sat up and clenched her jaws. “Tete, can you just tell him what you want?” she said.
“And what has entered you?” Tete said. “Why are you pretending to understand his confusion? He knows what I am talking about.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t,” Viji said.
“Didn’t you say he is from the rural areas?”
“But does that mean that he knows everything? He told you he’ll leave love.”
“Lots of love,” I said, getting very interested in what was developing here.
Tete looked at us both and started to laugh. I was about to join in the laughter, until I saw Viji’s eyes. It was time to listen to Tete.
“He will leave love, he says. Does he even know what that is?” Tete said, addressing the ceiling. Viji and I followed her eyes, but soon they descended on me. “That’s not enough, and you two know what I am talking about. You both might think you are being funny because you are talking to me who is harmless, but the responsibility I now have because I have met you is very high.”
There was a moment of silence as we let her words sink in. She had spoken them with a shredded voice, like she was complaining about her role as the aunt. I understood the reasons for her fear, the weight of responsibility on her shoulders, but I had not come to Sizinda for marriage plans. I had a whole college career ahead of me. So she had to think of something better to tell me, if she still felt there was something to be said.
“How much do you love your jacket?” she asked. “Yes, the one you are wearing. How much do you love it?”
“A lot, but not as much as I love her,” I said, pointing at Viji.
“Good,” she said. "Leave it with me. That will be a good sign; at least I will be able to answer their questions when they start to roast me about all this.”
At first I thought I had not heard her properly. Even Viji snorted in surprise. We both sat there looking at Tete’s face; I was looking for some evidence that she was just joking.
“I will make sure no one touches it. Even Viji here cannot touch it, then when you two set things right, I can give it back to you. What do you say to that?”
Perhaps that was the moment I should have laughed. The moment I should have told her I understood what she meant, the moment I should have offered to leave them something to show my commitment. Instead, I squinted at her, hoping there was no way she could be serious.
“Don’t look at me like you did not hear me”, she said, with a dry voice; then she extended her hand. “Jacket.”
I didn’t move, so Viji stirred, opened her mouth: “Yes, you heard her, honey.”
“No jacket is going to be left anywhere,” I said, but I wasn’t upset yet.
Tete withdrew her hand, but Viji stood up and extended hers, and waited for me to give her the jacket. Standing there, upsetting me, she still looked beautiful, but I had to say this: “You people must be slightly funny.”
“Now he is joking, right?” said Tete, dancing in her chair and looking at Viji, who glanced back at her and shook her head.
“I hope you don’t mean what you just said, Fati,” Viji said.
“No, tell me what part of what I said sounded like a joke. I’m not leaving my jacket here,” I said, already measuring the risk of just standing up and leaving, or sitting there and playing along. Maybe all this was a cultural game.
There was a moment of silence like the two were ducking from the boulders of my words. But the silence did not last. Suddenly, we all stood up, but both Viji and I were waiting for Tete to say something first.
“This time you brought an arrogant one,” Tete said. “What is this, Viji?” She was pointing at me like I was a dirty rug.
I didn't wait for Viji to answer that, so I said, “What do you mean ‘this time?’”
My stare curved from Tete to Viji.
“I mean this time,” Tete said, sneering. “Last time she did a better job.”
“Auntie!” shouted Viji, trying to cover the Tete’s mouth with her hand. The older woman dodged the hand and raised her voice. “You are one of those useless men who come here with buckets of sweet words and sacks of empty promises.” She looked around her like the other useless men were in the room with us, and I was their visible representative. “You think Viji here is your hure? You think you can just do what you want with her without commitment? Kuda kudziirwa chete?”
I did not know how to answer that, but I started shaking, more from discomfort than anger.
“Who do you think you are to come here, eat our food, sleep in our blankets, dance to our music, and when we ask you to leave a sign, you show arrogance like you own my niece? Who do you think you are?” She was now roaring. “Answer me!”
She had edged closer to the table, so I moved back. Viji wrenched herself out of the restraint of her chair and walked closer to Tete to prevent further movement. She whispered something to her,but that didn't help.
“You look at yourself and think you are a real man? Real men come here and leave gifts of substance. Real men would not think that a cheap jacket like that is too valuable to be left here.”
“Who are these men you keep talking about, these men who leave big gifts each time they come here?” I asked, now peering at her ugly face.
“Don’t worry who they are. Just know you are the worst of them all.”
I looked at Viji who averted her eyes and turned so that I was now looking at the back of her head. I tried to walk away from my chair but found myself sitting down.
“Talk to me!” said Tete, hammering the table with her fist. The impact shook a tea cup which rolled off the table and collapsed on the cement floor. Viji covered her ears and started twisting her body as it was itching, then she shuffled closer to her aunt, who was now already standing dangerously close to me.
“Don’t mess this one for me, please Tete.” Viji said, trying to hold her aunt’s hands.
“I want him to tell me,” she said, wrenching herself free from Viji’s grip. “Are you going to take off that jacket or should I remove it myself.” She advanced.
I sprung up and shook my shoulders as a sense of importance gripped me. Who did this simple woman think she was? I just had to tell her this: “Two things are not happening today. One, you shall keep your distance and not touch me. Two, no jacket is going to be left here.”
She stared at me with scalding eyes, then with a shaking voice said, “Only one thing is happening right now.” She pointed at me with a shaking finger. “Get out of my house!”
I had heard her loud and clear, so I turned and started walking backward toward the door, my eyes still on her.
“I don’t want to see you here ever again.”
I heard that too.
“Viji, go get this man’s bag. Hurry!” She shoed Viji out of the room, turned to me and said, “Why are you still here? Out!”
Outside, I found a few neighbors were already gathering, but they started walking away when they saw me. Then I remembered that Sifelani and his family were going to arrive soon and I did not want him to find me in this situation. Why was Viji taking long to bring my bag? I peered to see if I could see her through an open window, but as my eyes were busy looking for her, I heard the heavy sound of an object falling close to my feet. That was my bag, thrown by Tete, whose mass blocked the door.
“Better leave before trouble finds you. I don’t want to see you again,” she shouted, then slammed the door.
“So what are you leaving us?” said Tete.
I didn’t have to think about this one.
“I will leave love, lots of love,” I said, looking at Viji.
“I mean something we can touch and smell,” Tete said. I could tell by the darting of her eyes that she was getting upset. Even her lips quivered, but she bit them and looked down.
Viji came to my rescue: “She’s talking about a sign, you know; something you’ll leave before you leave.”
“Sign?” I asked, shaking my head to show that I was confused still.
“You know, something to show commitment,” Viji said. “I am sure you know what Tete is talking about.” She sighed.
I must have taken too long to respond to Viji because Tete spoke before I did.
“Show us that we can relax knowing you are not planning to waste our time. Show us you will be visiting her parents soon.”
I wasn’t really planning to visit her parents soon, neither was I planning to waste her time. What sign did they need? I could not, for instance, leave a book, and I did not have enough money on me to offer as a sign.
Viji sat up and clenched her jaws. “Tete, can you just tell him what you want?” she said.
“And what has entered you?” Tete said. “Why are you pretending to understand his confusion? He knows what I am talking about.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t,” Viji said.
“Didn’t you say he is from the rural areas?”
“But does that mean that he knows everything? He told you he’ll leave love.”
“Lots of love,” I said, getting very interested in what was developing here.
Tete looked at us both and started to laugh. I was about to join in the laughter, until I saw Viji’s eyes. It was time to listen to Tete.
“He will leave love, he says. Does he even know what that is?” Tete said, addressing the ceiling. Viji and I followed her eyes, but soon they descended on me. “That’s not enough, and you two know what I am talking about. You both might think you are being funny because you are talking to me who is harmless, but the responsibility I now have because I have met you is very high.”
There was a moment of silence as we let her words sink in. She had spoken them with a shredded voice, like she was complaining about her role as the aunt. I understood the reasons for her fear, the weight of responsibility on her shoulders, but I had not come to Sizinda for marriage plans. I had a whole college career ahead of me. So she had to think of something better to tell me, if she still felt there was something to be said.
“How much do you love your jacket?” she asked. “Yes, the one you are wearing. How much do you love it?”
“A lot, but not as much as I love her,” I said, pointing at Viji.
“Good,” she said. "Leave it with me. That will be a good sign; at least I will be able to answer their questions when they start to roast me about all this.”
At first I thought I had not heard her properly. Even Viji snorted in surprise. We both sat there looking at Tete’s face; I was looking for some evidence that she was just joking.
“I will make sure no one touches it. Even Viji here cannot touch it, then when you two set things right, I can give it back to you. What do you say to that?”
Perhaps that was the moment I should have laughed. The moment I should have told her I understood what she meant, the moment I should have offered to leave them something to show my commitment. Instead, I squinted at her, hoping there was no way she could be serious.
“Don’t look at me like you did not hear me”, she said, with a dry voice; then she extended her hand. “Jacket.”
I didn’t move, so Viji stirred, opened her mouth: “Yes, you heard her, honey.”
“No jacket is going to be left anywhere,” I said, but I wasn’t upset yet.
Tete withdrew her hand, but Viji stood up and extended hers, and waited for me to give her the jacket. Standing there, upsetting me, she still looked beautiful, but I had to say this: “You people must be slightly funny.”
“Now he is joking, right?” said Tete, dancing in her chair and looking at Viji, who glanced back at her and shook her head.
“I hope you don’t mean what you just said, Fati,” Viji said.
“No, tell me what part of what I said sounded like a joke. I’m not leaving my jacket here,” I said, already measuring the risk of just standing up and leaving, or sitting there and playing along. Maybe all this was a cultural game.
There was a moment of silence like the two were ducking from the boulders of my words. But the silence did not last. Suddenly, we all stood up, but both Viji and I were waiting for Tete to say something first.
“This time you brought an arrogant one,” Tete said. “What is this, Viji?” She was pointing at me like I was a dirty rug.
I didn't wait for Viji to answer that, so I said, “What do you mean ‘this time?’”
My stare curved from Tete to Viji.
“I mean this time,” Tete said, sneering. “Last time she did a better job.”
“Auntie!” shouted Viji, trying to cover the Tete’s mouth with her hand. The older woman dodged the hand and raised her voice. “You are one of those useless men who come here with buckets of sweet words and sacks of empty promises.” She looked around her like the other useless men were in the room with us, and I was their visible representative. “You think Viji here is your hure? You think you can just do what you want with her without commitment? Kuda kudziirwa chete?”
I did not know how to answer that, but I started shaking, more from discomfort than anger.
“Who do you think you are to come here, eat our food, sleep in our blankets, dance to our music, and when we ask you to leave a sign, you show arrogance like you own my niece? Who do you think you are?” She was now roaring. “Answer me!”
She had edged closer to the table, so I moved back. Viji wrenched herself out of the restraint of her chair and walked closer to Tete to prevent further movement. She whispered something to her,but that didn't help.
“You look at yourself and think you are a real man? Real men come here and leave gifts of substance. Real men would not think that a cheap jacket like that is too valuable to be left here.”
“Who are these men you keep talking about, these men who leave big gifts each time they come here?” I asked, now peering at her ugly face.
“Don’t worry who they are. Just know you are the worst of them all.”
I looked at Viji who averted her eyes and turned so that I was now looking at the back of her head. I tried to walk away from my chair but found myself sitting down.
“Talk to me!” said Tete, hammering the table with her fist. The impact shook a tea cup which rolled off the table and collapsed on the cement floor. Viji covered her ears and started twisting her body as it was itching, then she shuffled closer to her aunt, who was now already standing dangerously close to me.
“Don’t mess this one for me, please Tete.” Viji said, trying to hold her aunt’s hands.
“I want him to tell me,” she said, wrenching herself free from Viji’s grip. “Are you going to take off that jacket or should I remove it myself.” She advanced.
I sprung up and shook my shoulders as a sense of importance gripped me. Who did this simple woman think she was? I just had to tell her this: “Two things are not happening today. One, you shall keep your distance and not touch me. Two, no jacket is going to be left here.”
She stared at me with scalding eyes, then with a shaking voice said, “Only one thing is happening right now.” She pointed at me with a shaking finger. “Get out of my house!”
I had heard her loud and clear, so I turned and started walking backward toward the door, my eyes still on her.
“I don’t want to see you here ever again.”
I heard that too.
“Viji, go get this man’s bag. Hurry!” She shoed Viji out of the room, turned to me and said, “Why are you still here? Out!”
Outside, I found a few neighbors were already gathering, but they started walking away when they saw me. Then I remembered that Sifelani and his family were going to arrive soon and I did not want him to find me in this situation. Why was Viji taking long to bring my bag? I peered to see if I could see her through an open window, but as my eyes were busy looking for her, I heard the heavy sound of an object falling close to my feet. That was my bag, thrown by Tete, whose mass blocked the door.
“Better leave before trouble finds you. I don’t want to see you again,” she shouted, then slammed the door.
Comments