Welcome to Budapest, Zimbabwe


"We are on our way to Budapest: Bastard and Chipo and Godknows and Sbho and Stina and me. We are going even though we are not allowed to cross Mzilikazi Road, even though Bastard is supposed to be watching his little sister Fraction, even though mother would kill me dead if she found out; we are going. There are guavas to steal in Budapest, and right now I’d die for guavas, or anything for that matter. My stomach feels like somebody just took a shovel and dug everything out.

Getting out of Paradise is not so hard since the mothers are busy with hair and talk. They just glance at us when we file past and then look away. We don’t have to worry about the men under the jacaranda either since their eyes never lift from the draughts. Only the little kids see us and want to follow, but Bastard just wallops the naked one at the front with a fist on his big head and they all turn back."

This is the beginning of NoViolet Bulawayo's short story featured in the current issue of Boston Review. It's a moving story full of humor and sadness. Over and over again NoViolet Bulawayo's stories have the power to enchant and enlighten, panoramic despite their brevity. Read more of this captivating piece, proof that in Bulawayo we have a writer full of promise.

Comments

ImageNations said…
Indeed this is captivating. I began laughing when Bastard hits the boy's head to caution the others not to follow. Lovely.
November 24, 2010 at 2:20 AM
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