Struggling to Be Born
Below is an advance extract from a short story that's struggling to be born:
We crept into the shack were a woman was breastfeeding a baby. There was nowhere to sit in the shack, no chair, nothing.
"Find somewhere you can fit and sit," the woman said, voice relaxed, eyes looking at the baby.
"Ya, ya, sit. Sit," Mukoma said, as he crouched in front of the woman, who sat with her legs stretched in front of her.
I found a clear space on the cement floor. I sat. Jakove, crouched near me. We waited for Mukoma, and he noticed we did. The woman looked at us, torched me with her eyes. Eyes that danced with the light of hope. I averted my eyes first to the baby, then they found their way to the full length of those stretched legs, all the way to the bare feet.
"This is the surprise, Mupfana," Mukoma said, addressing me, his fingers pointing at the baby.
"Oh," I said. "The surprise."
"Yes; he wanted to surprise you," Jakove chimed in.
"He did?" I asked. I wouldn't have known what to say. I did not want to know what to say, but I rose to a crouch and bend moved closer to where Mukoma said. A smile of approval worked its way across Mukoma's face. The woman pursed her lips, already seeming to be proud of what Mukoma was about to tell me. I listened intently, remembering that, earlier, Mukoma had told me that this would be the most important night of my life, adding that it would prepare me well for my departure to America.
"This is your responsibility," said Mukoma, still pointing at the baby, and the woman nodded. I let confusion sweep across my face, would have very much wanted to know how my face looked at that moment.
Then the woman opened her mouth. "What he is saying is--."
"No, Melu, let me do this. I'm his brother."
"Fine then! You go right ahead," she said, eyes returning to my "responsibility".
"And what's that attitude, woman?"
"What attitude? You're the one who has an attitude."
Confused, I turned to look at Jakove, who said, "Stop it you two! You're killing the man with suspense. Just go ga ga ga, so we can go back to the bar."
Mukoma sighed. "Ok. Look, mupfana. I already told you about my problems with your sister-in-law.I don't even have to repeat that."
"No one wants to hear her now," said the woman.
"Yes, let's not hear about her now," agreed Jakove, after which I said, "Let's hear about this", my finger barely pointing at the suckling baby.
We crept into the shack were a woman was breastfeeding a baby. There was nowhere to sit in the shack, no chair, nothing.
"Find somewhere you can fit and sit," the woman said, voice relaxed, eyes looking at the baby.
"Ya, ya, sit. Sit," Mukoma said, as he crouched in front of the woman, who sat with her legs stretched in front of her.
I found a clear space on the cement floor. I sat. Jakove, crouched near me. We waited for Mukoma, and he noticed we did. The woman looked at us, torched me with her eyes. Eyes that danced with the light of hope. I averted my eyes first to the baby, then they found their way to the full length of those stretched legs, all the way to the bare feet.
"This is the surprise, Mupfana," Mukoma said, addressing me, his fingers pointing at the baby.
"Oh," I said. "The surprise."
"Yes; he wanted to surprise you," Jakove chimed in.
"He did?" I asked. I wouldn't have known what to say. I did not want to know what to say, but I rose to a crouch and bend moved closer to where Mukoma said. A smile of approval worked its way across Mukoma's face. The woman pursed her lips, already seeming to be proud of what Mukoma was about to tell me. I listened intently, remembering that, earlier, Mukoma had told me that this would be the most important night of my life, adding that it would prepare me well for my departure to America.
"This is your responsibility," said Mukoma, still pointing at the baby, and the woman nodded. I let confusion sweep across my face, would have very much wanted to know how my face looked at that moment.
Then the woman opened her mouth. "What he is saying is--."
"No, Melu, let me do this. I'm his brother."
"Fine then! You go right ahead," she said, eyes returning to my "responsibility".
"And what's that attitude, woman?"
"What attitude? You're the one who has an attitude."
Confused, I turned to look at Jakove, who said, "Stop it you two! You're killing the man with suspense. Just go ga ga ga, so we can go back to the bar."
Mukoma sighed. "Ok. Look, mupfana. I already told you about my problems with your sister-in-law.I don't even have to repeat that."
"No one wants to hear her now," said the woman.
"Yes, let's not hear about her now," agreed Jakove, after which I said, "Let's hear about this", my finger barely pointing at the suckling baby.
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