IVORY BANGLES ANALYSIS PDF

IVORY BANGLES ANALYSIS PDF – Eric Ng'maryo

Because of the affection he shares with his wife, the old man shifts from the way things are usually done in their society. He defies the traditions. This is the dominant issue in Eric Ng'maryo's short story Ivory Bangles. The old man's wife later dies after her husband and she go against the instructions of a suspicious seer.

Key events in Ivory Bangles

• The worrying insight
• Warm reception 
• The evening meal
• Second wife
• The ivory bangles
• The revelation
• The alternative plan
• At the market place
• Conflict resolution 
• The wife’s death

 

Characters in Ivory Bangles

• The old man
• The wife
• Their only son
•  The seer
• Makusaro – sister-in-law
• Leveri – daughter-in-law
• Kabanda – grandson

 

Focus

• Love/affection
• Established norms/traditions/culture

 

Ivory Bangles Summary

The old man is distressed after the seer instructs him to give his wife a thorough beating and send her to her parents after the beating. The man consults the seer after he notices blood specks on the liver of a goat he had slaughtered.

The seer’s pebbles say the man’s wife is going to die because the spirits were jealous of a happy wife. To avert the death, the pebbles say he has to give her a thorough beating.

The old man wonders what he can do to avert that. 

He is willing to appease the pebbles in another manner and offers to give any number of goats. 

During the evening meal with his wife, the man is disturbed since he doesn’t know how to deliver the bad news to his loving wife.

The man is a chief's councillor and is regarded as a small chief. As much as he is respected, many are surprised that he has only one wife. When the chief suggested that he marries another wife, the man replies using a riddle. The chief quickly and ravels the riddle as “A wife, a co-wife, witchcraft and death”. This reveals that the people have deep-seated beliefs about witchcraft and death.

The man loves his wife dearly. When she had their first child, he gifted her twenty four handcrafted ivory bangles some etched with the words of a long love poem.

That night the man divulges the seer's words to the wife.

“The spirits want me to give you a ritual beating.” (pg. 22)

The woman dismisses this and hints that she knows the seer. He once wanted to marry her and had threatened to put a spell on her.

The man is adamant that the seer did not put blood specks on the goat's liver and that he is only the mouthpiece of their dead ancestors.

The man is disturbed on whether to carry out the seer's instructions in order to avert the wife’s death. The wife talks him out of it, proposing that there is another way.

He reiterates this when says: "There must be some way."

While at the market, she thinks of her plan: She intends to go home and cook for the husband before going to her brother’s place. She would go there weeping that her husband had beaten her for no reason, and would refuse to go back to him until her clan and her husband's clan meet to reconcile them. The husband would be asked to part with a fine and they would drink beer of reconciliation. This would certainly fool the spirits.

The woman returns home amidst cries of village scouts warning people about wandering elephants.

The woman decides to weed the weedy part of her grove. While hoeing,  her thoughts wander to Leveri, her daughter-in-law, who had helped her weed just three weeks ago. She had run away from her husband who had beaten her badly. The woman does not understand why their son is different from his father.

From nowhere, an elephant emerges, attacks and kills the woman.

“They found her thus in her shallow grave: a mass of flesh and blood and shattered ivory bangles.” (pg. 25)

Main issues in Ivory Bangles

Love/Affection 

The idea of love/affection pervades the whole story. The old man and his wife love each other. It is thus difficult for the old man to follow some of the cultural norms including wife battering and polygamy.

·        The seer’s pebbles say that someone was going to die. A wife was going to die. This is because the spirits were jealous of a happy wife, who was unmolested by her husband until old age. The old man knew it was his wife. Because he loves her, he wonders what he can do to avert that. The pebbles say that he has to give her a thorough beating and send her to her parents after the beating. The man argues that they can be appeased in another manner and offers any number of goats.

·        The old man is received cordially by his wife. This is clear display of affection. She unstraps his leather sandals and leads him to the lean-to behind the house to bathe him.

·        The couple referred to each other using affectionate names. The old man calls his wife ‘girl’ while she calls him ‘son of the chief’.

·        The instructions of the seer cause the old man a lot of worry. Apart from the worried look on his face, the old man chews his food nervously. His wife has to urge him to continue eating lest his food gets cold.

·        Even in his old age, the man admires his wife’s beauty. He says that she could still be a girl, when he sees her smile and her white teeth, made whiter by the beauty gap between her two lower teeth.

·        The woman makes her husband a sumptuous meal. The man savours the hidden nuances of taste and smell in the pottage. He acknowledges that it was not like any other meat and banana pap. The old man thanks his wife by saying, ‘You cook, woman.’

·        The old man is much talked about because he had only one wife. The man was a chief's councillor. A chief's counselor is like a small chief and was expected to have more than one wife. When the ageing chief tells him to get himself another wife, he answers with a riddle, effectively avoiding falling into the temptation of getting another wife as per the expectations of many. Clearly, he loves his wife.

·        The old man, a brave warrior, killed an elephant and carved twenty-four ivory bangles for his wife. His wife looks remarkable in them. The chief remarked that she looked comely. The man presented the bangles to his wife when their first born child was given a name. The bangles on her hands are etched with the mnemonic marks for a long love poem. When she moves, the bangles clank softly. She is a loved woman emblazoned with ivory. This is a sign of the old man’s affection towards his wife.

·        Instead of going to sleep with her grandson, the old woman takes off her skin and stretches herself beside the old man. She also puts her hand on his chest. She only steals back to her ‘husband’ when she notices that the old man is asleep.

·        During happier times, the couple often repeated the story of how the seer wanted to marry the woman.  Jokingly, the man would say ‘Tut I got you.’ Although the seer insists that he has to give the woman a ritual beating, the man is adamant that there must be some other way. He cannot beat his wife. He loves her.

·        Before going to her brother’s home, the woman goes to the market and buys sugarcane for her grandson and snuff for her husband. When she gets back home, she cooks and covers her husband’s food carefully. She also goes ahead to weed the part of the grove where the man said was very weedy.

The old man cannot bring himself to beat his wife as instructed by the seer since they are affectionate towards each other. Love helps him to subdue the pressure from society to marry a second wife or to beat his loving wife.

 

Norms/Established Customs/Traditions

This society, like many other societies, has certain established customs. People are expected to abide by these traditions.

·        This is a society where people are apt to believe in certain superstitions. When the old man notices blood specks on the liver of a goat he had slaughtered,  he has to consult the tribal seer, the priest of the people.

·        The habit of wife battering is part and parcel of this society and is even referred to as a ritual. The seer’s pebbles claim that the spirits are jealous of a happy wife who is unmolested by her husband until old age when she is called “Grandmother”. The old man is different from his son who is accustomed to the norm of battering his wife. He beat his wife Leveri to a fingernail’s distance to her grave. She runs away and seeks refuge at the old woman’s home. Such cases are so common that there is a prescribed way of solving them which involves elders from both sides.

·        Polygamy is another accepted custom in the society. The ageing chief even advises the man to get himself another wife. The old man loves his wife so much. As much as polygamy is customary, he does not bow to the societal pressure. However, it is so deeply-rooted in this society that the people find it strange for a man of his social standing to have only one wife.

·        Another practice that seems so deeply-rooted in this society is the hunting and killing of game like elephants. The elephants are killed using poisoned arrows. They are killed for the ivory. The man killed an elephant and carved twenty four ivory bangles for his wife. The elephants are apt to destroy young plants and scouts warn people about their movement. The old man's wife is killed by an elephant.

·        The people have a customary way of solving conflicts in the society. Whenever there is a conflict between a couple, their respective clans would meet to help reconcile then. A fine may be imposed and elders would drink beer of reconciliation after a successful resolution.

·        Also, women in this society are accustomed to doing normal chores at home like taking care of their husbands and children or grandchildren. The woman goes to the market and buys an array of commodities including snuff for the man. She later goes home and prepare the meal for her husband and go to the farm to do a bit of weeding.

This is a society where individuals are guided by norms or established customs.

 

Do you think the woman deserved to die? 

Next: The Sins of the Fathers analysis 

Read A Silent Song and Other Stories Essays and Answers PDF here

ESSAY: SILENT SONG KCSE ESSAY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

A SILENT SONG AND OTHER STORIES ESSAY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

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A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

When someone is given too much power, they can abuse their position. Write an essay in support of this statement citing illustrations from A Man of Awesome Power.

When someone is given too much power or control, they can become corrupt and misuse their power for personal or selfish reasons. For example, they may mistreat others and this can lead to negative consequences to the people they are supposed to serve.  In A Man of Awesome Power by Naguib Mahfouz, Tayyib al-Mahdi loses his power after misusing it.

Tayyib al-Mahdi uses his awesome power to punish the taxi driver who ignores him when he hails it. Tayyib al-Mahdi tries to flag down the taxi but the driver ignores him disdainfully. This had happened to him in the past. Unlike when this happened in the past, now Tayyib al-Mahdi is filled with greater irritation. Power has corrupted him. In this moment of anger, he makes an impulsive decision to punish the man. He considers that he could make the driver suffer an accident. He decides to shatter the taxi's rear wheels instead. He knows that he should use his powers only for good but his anger results in his cruelty. He stares at the taxi's rear wheels and both of them explode like a bomb. The taxi driver is frustrated for losing two wheels at one time. As he walks by the helpless man, Tayyib al-Mahdi gives him a meaningful look and offers to help him but his unknowing pupil glares at the hapless man, resentful and enraged. He feels like he had taught the man a much needed lesson. Initially, al-Mahdi had thoughtful dreams but after acquiring awesome power, he becomes corrupt and abuses his power. 

Secondly, Tayyib al-Mahdi hastily punishes the radio announcer only because he is annoyed by his views. The announcer was expounding on promising developments expected in the future. This is after Tayyib al-Mahdi's memorable services were mistaken for an awakening of the state or outright renaissance. Tayyib al-Mahdi fills a gaping pothole, locks a dangerously hanging electrical box, removes a pile of rubbish and drains a sewer using his awesome power. In the past, such promises excited Tayyib only to leave him frustrated. Now that he has awesome power, Tayyib al-Mahdi is infuriated by the announcer’s promises. He commands him to talk about what has been accomplished not the future. Tayyib al-Mahdi is overcome with fury and thoughtlessly punishes the man with a bout of incessant sneezing. He makes the man to sneeze massively without warning. Then he sneezes abruptly - more emphatically. He sneezes uncontrollably until he could not complete a full sentence. Sneezes keep waylaying him so he chooses to play a recorded song “Walk Around and See”. Al-Mahdi plans to censor mass media by stopping any talk that annoys him. He would make speakers that displease him to sneeze spontaneously, emit shrill cries like women at a wedding, or suffer uncontrollable diarrhoea. Tayyib al-Mahdi is intoxicated with an intense feeling of happiness and victory. He forgets his benevolent dreams. After acquiring power, he uses the power to bad effect by mistreating others. 

Tayyib al-Mahdi also misuses his awesome power when he uses it to charm the gorgeous woman at the zoo at the expense of the righteous plans he has. Tayyib al-Mahdi visits the tea garden at the zoo purposely to properly plan how to put his new powers to greater use. However, he instead uses it to seduce a gorgeous and enticing woman that catches his eye. Tayyib al-Mahdi is filled with an inexplicable desire - one that  is not ordinary and his inappropriate since he has a tremendous burden of proper planning and awareness of need. This woman does not take notice of Tayyib al-Mahdi. Her large, round eyes are preoccupied with the the ducks floating in the green lake. Tayyib sends her a hidden message using his awesome powers, instantly setting her head-over-heels. He decides to heal himself before repairing the world. In one shared smile, Tayyib utterly forgets both his faith and his life. He surrenders to his fate. This ill-advised move results in the loss of his powers and his vibrant  mood. The miracle disappears like a dream because of his selfish imprudence. He will be haunted eternally by an awesome sadness. Before getting his awesome power, Tayyib was contented. Now, he uses his powers to satisfy his selfish desires. 

Lastly, Tayyib loses his power when he strikes the man on the bus with severe cramps. When an argument between the man and the woman erupts, Tayyib could not hear but he studies the dimensions of the argument carefully. He is shocked when the man suddenly slaps the woman.  Tayyib focuses all his anger on the man’s stomach. The brute doubles over and moans and screams in pain when Tayyib strikes him with severe cramps. He has to be carried outside for an ambulance to fetch him. Some people on the bus opine that the man deserves it owing to his bad manners and cheekiness. Tayyib is satisfied and believes that he had done his duty in the best manner possible. Instead of using his awesome power to fulfill his compassionate dreams for his country and the planet, Tayyib misuses his power by punishing anyone that displeases him.

In conclusion, when someone is given excessive authority or control, they can misuse it as in the case of Tayyib al-Mahdi. He becomes callous when he acquires awesome power. Initially, he was humane and had thoughtful dreams for his country and the planet.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

People commit unethical acts as a result of lack of care. Citing illustrations from Incident in the Park by Meja Mwangi, write an essay to support this statement.

Immorality stems from people’s indifference. Unethical acts like negligence and brutality result from lack of care. Blood thirsty city dwellers brutally murder an innocent fruit seller without batting an eyelid in Incident in the Park.

Government workers go about their business ignoring the ravaging effects of the drought on the neglected park. The park is dirty and brown. There was no promise of rain that August. The ground is dusty brown, bare and parched. The ministerial offices, City Hall and parliament buildings and the ominous cathedral are a stone throw away from the pathetic looking park. The ministerial offices are modern  fortresses and its occupants conveniently ignore the park which clearly lacks proper care. This is evidenced by the dry bits of grass, dry leaves and thirsty trees. Only delicate flowers, planted like oasis islands at various spots, are watered in a desperate effort to keep the dirty brown park beautiful. The sad-looking boathouse and dirty, muddy water sum up the government's lack of care for the park.

Secondly, the park is filled with many idlers who have little care in the world. They waste many hours lying idle in the park. They ignore the city and parliament clocks which strike suddenly, together - reminding them of how much time they had wasted. They care less about being useful. The clocks’ pleas go unheeded. Some insolent loafers simply shake their heads defiantly, curse loudly, face the other way and go back to sleep. Only every now and then, does a misplaced idler heed the clocks nagging disapproval and accusing fingers and walk away. The park people have no intention to go anywhere else but while away. They are here to stay. They have arrived. During the afternoons, the park looks parched and almost dead, dotted with a few loungers. More idlers sit by the lake watching the rowers, day in day out. This unproductive lot is a burden to the city and to society.

The neglected pond in the park is another sign of lack of care by relevant authorities. The fish pond is dangerously overgrown with weeds. Colourless weeds choke the yellow, blue and purple water lilies. An ugly mishmash of weeds has replaced the aesthetic blue-green surface of the once beautiful pond. Initially, the pond flowers stuck out buds, thick colorful fingers and proclaimed order but not anymore - the existence of these beautiful fauna has been snuffed out by a riot of unclassifiable intruders and bastard flowers. To make matters worse, the park soil has collapsed, forcing the pond’s murky, brown water and bewildered fish to the deeper, further end. The sorry state of the pond points to acute lack of attention or care.

The hairy loafer who feeds the fish is defiant. He ignores the public notice on the board that cautions people against feeding the fish. He carelessly tosses debris, tiny bits of grass and soil at the hungry fish. The fish fight for the useless things but let go when they realize they are worthless. The idler throws in more rubbish and carelessly sniggers - he has no iota of empathy whatsoever. He also drops in a piece of soil at the fish. When he learns that fish feeds on insects, he tries to find some and later decides to throw in a flattened cigarette end when he cannot catch any insects. The big fish that catches the cigarette butt releases it since it is useless. At last, the uncaring idler curses after violently hurling a large rock at the confounded fish. His lack of empathy leads him to defy the order not to feed the fish and as a result he harms the fishes.

The police constables are callous. They harass innocent people heartlessly, displaying no shred of sympathy. The two city constables accost the old fruit seller and demand for his license and identification. As fate would have it, he has neither. He cannot afford a licence. The old man nods uncomprehendingly and shakes his head sadly when the police demand for a license. He desperately tries to bribe the constables by offering five shillings; all he had made that day. The policeman grabs him by his old coat and remarks that he would explain it to the judge. The old man swears by his mother. He is devastated because he has another case with the cruel judge. A tyrant who would hang him this time round. The fruit seller cries that the judge is crazy and would castrate him but his pleas fall on deaf ears. He offers the constables a 10- shilling bribe and even his foot baskets. The constables remain indifferent even when he cries that he has a wife and children. They do not care. They match him right ahead. When he realizes that he is talking to a brick wall, he decides to leap and run for it but not before cursing the cops, their wives and their children.

The judge is portrayed as being unjust or outrightly cruel. When the police insist on taking him to the judge, the old fruit seller cries desperately. He has no licence and identification. He swears by his mother. He already has a case with the judge and he does not want to be taken back. He believes the judge will hung him. He is selling the fruits in order to afford the fine that was earlier imposed. He pleads with the police men as brothers. He even tells them that the judge is a tyrant - a crazy man who will have him castrated. The allusion to his wife and children does not bear any fruits. He tries to bribe the police with 10 shillings and appease them with his fruit basket but the uncaring constables match him ahead. The fruit seller curses the policemen and their families and decides to bolt. He takes this desperate measure to avoid facing the evil, apathetic judge.

The bloodthirsty city dwellers  have no regard for human life. Realizing that the city constable were adamant about taking him to the judge, the fruit seller decides to run for it. He leaps, breaking away, leaving the policeman holding onto a piece of his one coat. He runs across the park. The policeman shouts for help. The old man hopes to get protection by disappearing into the city dwellers. That was not to be. The barbarous city dwellers lunge at him trying to nab him. The old man is savagely desperate to escape. When he stumbles and falls into a ditch, the ferocious mob stones him to death. He cries out pleading for mercy. The bloodthirsty crowd leaves him for dead, looking like a broken twisted rag doll, covered in stones and a thick red blood. The crowd mistakenly label him as a thief.

Lastly, the injustice witnessed after the innocent fruit seller killed is the height of brutality and lack of care. The constable strives to shift blame. No one looks guilty enough. The constables conveniently withdraw. An inspector confirms that the man is dead. The crowd that stoned him and those that witnessed his savage murder lower their eyes. Unwilling to openly testify, some of the residents hurriedly return to their offices, indifferently. The word ‘thief’ oozes out discreetly from mouth to mouth. They mistakenly condemn the man to be a desperate thief. They judge him by the unmistakable uniform of his trade - dirty torn clothes and a mean hungry face. Even the inspector of police is uneasy and doubtful about his next course of action. The poor man finds no justice even in his death. All and sundry conclude that a thief is a thief. The twisted garbage-strewn dark alleyways are lawlessly governed by one savage unwritten law concerning the fate of apprehended thieves. Ironically, the man is killed before his identity is established. Sadly, he can only be identified by his grieving wife and children in a cold room. An innocent life is cut short due to the heartless nature of idle, uncaring city dwellers and the inept police department.

In conclusion, any society that lacks benevolence disintegrates into an abyss of lawlessness and immorality.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION 

An individual’s good qualities can attract admiration and love. Citing illustrations from Ninema by Vrenika Pather, write an essay to support this statement.

Exemplary attributes arouse respect, warm approval and affection.  Ninema is a young beautiful woman whose praiseworthy character makes her the embodiment of magnificence. She is respected and loved by all and sundry at the marketplace.

First, Ninema is respected because she faces her challenges and wins. She has to wake up at four o'clock on a Monday morning to reap the herbs from her garden. She is a market gardener. Her crops are healthy. Ninema has green fingers but she does not know it. She earns her living by selling her crops at the Indian market.  The walk to the market is long(P14). Her life is tough and so is she. She arranges her dhania and mint neatly and sighs. Although she accepts her lot in life, Ninema is not resigned to it. She has never had hot running water so she washes her face and feet with cold water from the outside tap. To take her weekly bath, Ninema boils water on the open fire. She coils her long black hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. She will wash it on Saturday when she takes her bath.  For now, it is neat and out of the way. Ninema's presence displaces the space around her and fills it with gravity(P13). Some day, with the money she is saving, she hopes to buy a house of her own(P15). Despite all these challenges, Ninema dreams of the home that will be hers some day soon. The house will have hot water. The kitchen will be on the inside. She will have her own large garden where her herbs will flourish. Maybe, she will start growing some fruit for herself(P16). The attribute of facing challenges and winning, instead of resigning to them, earns Ninema respect.

Ninema earns lots of admiration because she focuses on earning a living and ignores all other distractions. Although Ninema is a beautiful woman who makes heads turn as she walks, she does not take the attention to heart. Ninema’s hips sway from side to side as she moves her body in rhythm to balance the basket on her head. Her thin chiffon sari dress drapes around her perfect body effortlessly as if kept in place by her high, firm breasts. She has long, toned arms and a cinched waist which cause men to stop and stare. When she faces them with her piercing, black eyes they turn around in embarrassment. The women admire her high cheekbones. Ninema is neither influenced nor affected by the attention she receives from the men or women. Her concern is with earning a living. She sets up her stall and arranges her herbs appetizingly. Other lady hawkers chat with her and each other amiably. Ninema rarely chats back. She has no time to waste. Nobody minds the fact that Ninema does not pay attention to the trifles. She only focuses on earning a living. These qualities attract admiration(P13-14).

Ninema has the wisdom of family trading so she has the perception that the first and last customers are very important. She knows that the first customer opens the business day while the last closes it. She takes extra care of them for they bring luck. She learned the trade from her mother and father who passed down this wisdom from generations of family trading. Ninema believes in its grace and power. She also has good faith in accounting and can count faster than you can say the word ‘herb' (P14). Mr. Chinran is her first customer and she treats him with respect and appreciation for he is loyal. At the end of the market day, when a new customer, a last minute buyer drops by, Ninema gives her an extra bunch of mint for free. The customer is happy and promises to always shop at her stall for herbs(P15). This wisdom makes Ninema an admirable individual.

Also, Ninema treats all her loyal customers with respect and appreciation. Mr. Chinran is one of the loyal customers. He often was the first to support Ninema when she opened her stall. The ladies in the other stalls tease saying he was in love with her. She simply smiled away their silliness. Mr. Chinran is a rich lawyer from the Brahmin caste while Ninema is a poor girl from a low caste. How could he be interested in her?  It was unthinkable like having a relationship with a white man. This notwithstanding, the mere sight of Ninema made Mr. Chinran’s day. He is so infatuated with her that the thought of his mother arranging a marriage for him makes him hot under the collar. Some prying, jealous wife would take over the herbs buying rounds and deny him the opportunity of seeing Ninema. His mother complains that he buys too much and this morning he buys even more than usual. Ninema does not encourage his infatuation with her but since he is a loyal customer he treats him with respect and appreciation(P14). Although Mr. Chinran is from a prestigious caste, his fondness of Ninema is proof that someone’s good qualities can endear them to people.

Ninema handles her customers masterfully and this makes them fond of her. This is evident in the way she handles Mrs. Singh. Ninema refers to her respectfully as auntie. When Ninema tells her that three bunches of parsley cost six cents, she exclaims that it is too much, expecting her to lower the price but she does not budge; not for rich Mrs. Singh not for anyone else(P14). Mrs. Singh tries the ploy on the next herb to get better prices but it is inadequate. Mrs. Singh likes to haggle out of boredom. She wants a long market day to avoid going back to her large empty house where the servants do everything including cooking. She bargains in order to interact with Ninema for as long as possible. Ninema’s skills earn her adoration and loyalty from rich people such as Mrs. Singh(P15).

Ninema earns the love, respect and admiration of the other market women because she is her own person. She acts independently and confidently. Ninema runs her business with an iron fist. Some people like her herbs and her manner of doing things and support her. Some are offended ostensibly because she does not bring down the prizes, she sells only herbs and is not chatty. Really what they did not like is that she is her own person. She does not give in to what other people expect of her. This frightened some as much as it thrilled others. The ladies in the other stalls like Ninema because of this. They look up to her. She is one of them but something about her is different. The difference draws them to her rather than repulse them. They want to learn her secret because unlike her they often compromise themselves at work and at home. This makes them angry with themselves. They admire how Ninema carries herself. Ninema’s qualities of independence and confidence make her admirable and lovable(P15).

Ninema has a steady flow of customers since she takes personal interest in each of our customers. At lunch time she eats her packed sandwiches as she works. Her stall is busy. She arranges her herbs appetizingly and every day she picks up on passing trade. Customers are attracted by the smell and look of her stall. She has to grow more seed in order to keep up with the demand. She hopes to have enough to satisfy all her customers since her herbs diminish fast. Business is flourishing. Most rich people buy herbs from Ninema during their lunch break making this the busiest time of the day. These are clerical workers and professionals. Although she is busy, Ninema finds time to take personal interest in each of her customers. She knows whose son is studying to be a doctor far away in India, whose daughter just got married, who moved in their new home and where they bought it. Ninema has many customers because she is genuinely interested in their lives. Indeed such good qualities attract respect and love(P15).

Lastly, Ninema gets cheers of approval from the other market women for the way she stands up to the indecent man who assaults her. She hits the man much to the delight of the cheering market women. The man had approached her and blocked her away. She stared at him straight in the face. The strange man grinned at her lasciviously, and then suddenly extended his arm and pinched her erect nipple, hard. He then laughed out loud, turned away in a cocksure stride and told her in a vulgar tone, “If you liked that, follow me.” After placing her basket down with deliberate care, to avoid bruising the herbs nestled neatly inside, Ninema follows the man and beats him on the back of his head with her chumpal. She then hits him all over his face and torso. The astounded man covers his face with his hands. Ninema only notices that the other market women had been keenly watching the fight when she hears their jeers, cheers and laughter. The man is too embarrassed and  dumbfounded to react. He is scared that the women could gang up against him. Ninema gives him a few extra hits on behalf of all the women. He whimpers for she is strong. The women clap and laugh heartily. Ninema bends gracefully, picks the basket and places it gently on her head and says goodbye to the other women. Ninema is loved and respected as a result of such attributes(P16).

In conclusion, good attributes or traits are bound to attract affection and admiration from our peers and other people, regardless of age, financial status or class.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

People living with disability face many difficulties in life. Using Mbane in Leonard Kibera’s A Silent Song, write a composition to support this assertion. 

People living with disability find it more difficult to do certain activities or to interact with the world around them. In Leonard Kibera’s A Silent Song, Mbane is a visually impaired and disabled man whose movement and other activities are constrained as a result of his disability.

First, Mbane’s movement is inhibited as a result of his disability. He gropes slowly towards the door of his hut. He can only crawl weakly on his knees and elbows. He cannot go further since the pain in his spine and stomach gather violence rapidly. The pangs paralyse him for a short tormenting moment. The pain soon disappears but with the same savage fury of its onslaught, leaving Mbane cold with sweat. He anticipates another imminent attack. Giving up the fight, he lets go his chin and hits his forehead on the dirty flea-ridden floor. Mbane’s freedom of movement is curtailed by his visual impairment, disability and pain. He is restricted to the suspicious hut. 

Secondly, his perception of time, day or beauty is limited. Although he is hungry, he does not know what time it is. He wallows in the gloom of his eternal night. Time, day and beauty lie beyond the bitter limits of darkness. He is restricted to feeling, hearing and running away from danger. He is also limited to a world of retreat. Due to his lameness, he can only crawl away. He has no power to hit back. Surely, people living with disability suffer certain restrictions.

When his brother Ezekiel brings him from the streets to his home, Mbane is restricted to his new confinement. His brother says that he rescued him from the barbaric city so that he could see the light of God. The hut is serene but so suspicious. This is Mbane’s new life away from the streets of the City. His new confinement is devoid of the urban ruggedness and noise. It lacks the quick prancing footsteps of the busy city people. In his limitation, Mbane can never fathom their business. Also, he is restricted to pleading with the people to help him stay alive by offering him some coins.

Because of his disability, Mbane had little comprehension or knowledge of the city. He earns his living on one street only, retreating to the back lane when it was deserted. His condition inhibits him from telling the length, width, beauty or size of the street. He is used to the talk of bright weather, lovely morning or beautiful sunset but he cannot take part in the small talk. He feels challenged when pedestrians sing to the blue sky and whistle to the gay morning. In his impediment, he cannot perceive these senses. During the day, Mbane has to endure the overly generous heat of the sun and obstinate flies mobbing the edges of his lips. At night, he cannot escape the hostile biting cold when he retreats to the back lane unsheltered, to surrender to his vulnerability to sleep and is occasionally victimized by some ignoble thieves.

Mbane is also constrained in his ability to eke out a living since he is disabled. He is forced to beg on that lonely street of the City. Mbane has come to understand that money is the essence of urban life. He is therefore happy with gay people since they mostly answer his plea. Dull people with heavy tired footsteps and voices have empty pockets. Unlike him, the good men and women of the city have the ability to work in the buildings next to him and more up the street. He has no option but to endure the scorching sun and stubborn flies. At night, he is tempted by the strange rhythms but cannot indulge because of his condition. He is limited to hearing voices cursing and singing and bottles cracking. Mbane is restricted from joining the good men’s and women’s merry-making after a hard day’s work. Only pimps and whores enjoyed the proceeds of the good men’s sweat.

Also, Mbane's condition has restricted him from getting married. His brother Ezekiel is married to Sarah. He must have been married around Mbane's age. Mbane would never be able to reach out his hand in fulfillment of his life in the same way. He can only yearn impotently, sadly constrained because of his darkness and lameness. He is overcome by bitter self-pity and can only console himself about his own light and thus he would smile broadly and bravely. His brother’s wife occasionally brings him some bitter medicine. His condition impedes him from getting a wife of his own and settling down.

Mbane has become accustomed to limited conversation or communication. His brother enters his hut and sits on his bed but for a long time no one speaks. Mbane cannot be expected to start a conversation. All his life, he has been speaking to himself in his thoughts while living on the streets. He had no one to address except himself. Occasionally, he would blurt out a mechanical plea of “Yes?”. Now, if anyone speaks to him, he carries the subject on a line of uncommunicative thought in his own mind. When his brother asks if he believes in God, Mbane replies that he does not know since to him he does not matter.

Apart from that, Mbane's condition makes him feel alienated and thus he holds a different religious view from his mother’s and his brother’s. His mother views men as one stream flowing through the rocks of life. They would twist and turn the pebbles and get dirty in the muddy earth. They cry in the falls and whirlpools of life and laugh and sing when the flow is smooth and undisturbed. Some cry in the potholes of life’s valley, while others laugh triumph elsewhere. Mbane's condition inhibits him to not only ceaselessly crying but also feeling that he is not even part of the stream. He feels like the bitter fluid in his own throat. His pain gives him no reason to believe in God. No one understands his darkness. God is white cleanness of eternal light but his life only contains darkness and blackness. He is forgotten and unnoticed. Sometimes, he is cursed and called able-bodied, only crippled by idleness of leisurely begging.

Lastly, Mbane feels trapped in his unwashed body which reeks of sweat. He craves freedom that he cannot achieve. He dreams of a glorious future away from his pangs of darkness where light lies. Right now he is restricted since his eyes are denied the lights. He dreams of a future where someone would understand him and raise the innocence of his crippled life along with the chosen. It gives him hope and he sings his own happy song, silently to himself. He cannot seek refuge in the brothels like other men so he can only find it in his silent song. His soul has a destination, or so he thinks. But for now, he has to make do with it being incarcerated in his sweaty smelly body, which is unwashed except when in the rain. Surely, disability can be limiting.

In conclusion, people living with disability undergo many impediments and limitations that deny them some pleasures or opportunities in life.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

No one else understands suffering more than the person experiencing it. Using relevant illustrations from A Silent Song by Leonard Kibera, write an essay to support this statement.

Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. It is hard to know how much someone else is suffering.

Mbane undergoes a lot of pain. Pain in his spine and stomach gathers violence. He feels sharp pains from the navel tearing into his body leaving him paralyzed the pain disappears with the same savage fury of its onslaught leaving Mbane cold with sweat. He knows that the pin has simply recoiled for another attack. When his brother asks him if he believes in God, he simply lies there sobbing anticipating another attack. He swallows painfully while talking to his brother. Only Mbane understands the pain that he goes through. Not even his brother Ezekiel does.  (P17,20)

Mbane has difficulties in movement. He has to drop towards the door. He crawls weakly on his knees. He has to crawl away on his lameness. On the streets he could not move around easily and he is forced to earn his living on one St. only. He only retires to the Back lane. (P17-18)

Mbane is forced to beg to survive. He earns his living on one street. Gay people answer his plea. He comes to learn that money was the essence of urban life. During Christmas, the mean men become generous. That notwithstanding, they still accuse Mbane of being crippled by idleness of leisurely begging. In the streets, he does not talk to anyone except for the occasional mechanical plea of “Yes”. When people occasionally answer to his plea and drop a copper in his heart they help him to stay alive. (18-19)

Mbane has to endure the harsh weather. During the day the sun pours its heat too generously upon him. At night the sun withdraws and Mbane has to endure the hostile cold. Usually, he is unsheltered. Sometimes, he has to make do with the rain washing his dirty body. (P18,19)

Mbane cannot communicate normally. In the streets he has no one to speak to for a long time. He can barely start a conversation. All his life he has been speaking to himself in his thoughts. For a long time on the streets, he had no one to address but himself. If anyone spoke to him, he carries the subject on a line of uncommunicative thought in his own mind. The only time he speaks is when he begs and mechanically says “yes” hoping for someone to drop a copper in his hat to help him stay alive. Mbane suffers silently and only he understands the agony that he goes through. (P18, 19)

As a result of the pain that he undergoes, Mbane is so critical of religion. He doesn’t know whether or not he believes in God and he doesn’t think it matters. His life is a world of darkness that no one would understand. The good men and women curse him saying that he is crippled by leisurely begging. His brother tries to compel him to accept God so that he may be saved. Clearly Ezekiel and the others do not understand Mbane. (P19, 20)

Mbane felt alienated when his mother metaphorically described men. She said that all men make up one stream that flows through the rocks of life. They go through whirlpools. Some laugh and sing when the flow is smooth others cry and whirl in the potholes of life's valleys. Mbane was not only crying. He feels that he is not even part of the stream. He is neither part of the heavenly pool nor the eternal deluge and chaos. He feels like the bitter fluid in his throat. He has no reason to believe in God. Not even his mother understands him and his tribulations. (P19)

Lastly, Mbane lives a life of squalor. The hut that his brother puts him in is dirty and the floor is flea-ridden. It is serene yet so suspicious. It is his new confinement after being ‘rescued’ from the hard pavement. Sometimes Mbane wonders why the big vehicle which empties the dust bin has never swept him away. He wishes for his journey’s end so that he can escape from ensnarement of his body smells of sweat because it is an washed except in the rain. Only he understands the terrible dirty living condition that he has to endure. (P17, 20)

In conclusion, only the people that experience pain know how much it hurts. Mbane knows his suffering more than anyone. His brother Ezekiel, the wife Sarah, his late mother and the good men and women cannot fully comprehend Mbane's tribulations. 

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

Citing illustrations from Eric Ng'maryo's Ivory Bangles, write a composition showing how established customs are difficult to change.

People are often reluctant to change their way of doing something especially something which they have been doing for a long time. The society in Ivory Bangles is superstitious and also holds on to norms such as polygamy and hunting game for ivory.

Firstly, this is a society where people are apt to believe in superstitions. When the old man notices blood specks on the liver of a goat he had slaughtered, he has to go and consult the seer. Although he has a deep-seated suspicion of the seer, he still goes to him since he is a tribal seer, and a priest of the people. The seer gives him some unsettling revelation and a difficult task to do in order to avert a disaster. He reveals that the seer’s pebbles said someone was going to die. That is the old man’s wife. In order to avert this, the old man is supposed to give his wife a thorough beating and send her to her parents. The seer’s pebbles are adamant that there is no other way to appease them. This worries the old man so much. His mind wanders as he walks home. Only a small trickle washes the trunk in front of him when he relieves himself. The old man believes the seer is the mouthpiece of their departed forefathers. Visiting the seer is so common that the wife can guess where he went earlier that day. He tells his wife that the spirits want him to give her a ritual beating. Once upon a time, the seer wanted to marry the woman. He had even promised to put a spell on her. His warning is therefore laughable but according to the man it is solemn since it is not he who put the blood specks on the goat’s liver. The woman comes up with a simple, ingenious scheme to fool the spirits. Old habits, like superstitions and consulting seers, die hard since the people have held on to them for a long time. Despite having a deep-seated suspicion of the seer, the old man still considers the viability of the ritual beating since established habits are difficult to change.

Secondly, the habit of wife battering is part and parcel of the society and is even considered a solemn ritual. The seer’s pebbles claim that the spirits are jealous of a happy wife, a woman  unmolested by her husband until old age when she is called “Grandmother”. To avert her death after he finds blood specks on the liver of a goat he was slaughtering, the old man has to give his wife a thorough beating and send her to her parents after the beating. The pebbles insist on wife battering and refuse the offer of countless goats by the old man. The man is reluctant to lay his hands on his comely caring wife who bathes him when he arrives home and cooks him a delicious meal. According to the spirits, this is supposed to be a ritual beating to avert calamity. The woman says, the seer - “that old vulture”, was once interested in marrying her and had even promised to put a spell on her. It appears he is just jealous of her happy marriage. But the man considers him the mouthpiece of the departed forefathers. The old man is different from his son who is accustomed to the norm of domestic violence. He beat his wife Leveri to a fingernail’s distance to her grave. Such cases are so common that there is a prescribed way of solving them. Clans would meet and the offending man would be fined, they would then drink reconciliatory beer and everyone would go home happy. Surely, wife battering has been accepted as a norm in this society.

Polygamy is another accepted custom in the society. The old man earned the enviable position of the chief’s councillor as a reward for bravery in the Battle of the Five Rainy Days. The wife calls him son of a Chief. He is a wood carver, son of a wood carver and a very brave warrior. He is thus much respected in the society, but also much talked about because he has only one wife. A chief’s councillor is considered a small chief, and whoever heard of a chief with one wife? The ageing chief even advised him to get himself another wife. The old man loves his wife. As much as polygamy is customary, he does not comply. However, it is so deeply-rooted in the society that the people find it strange for a man of his social standing to have only one wife and even the chief himself advises him to consider polygamy.

Another practice that seems so deeply-rooted in this society is the hunting and killing of game like elephants. The old man killed an elephant using a poisoned arrow and from its ivory, he carved twenty four bangles for his wife. She wears eight  bangles in either hand and four heavy ones on each leg. The ones on her hands are etched with mnemonic marks for a long love poem. He presented the bangles to her when their son and only child was named. She looks beautiful like a chief’s wife when adorning the bangles. When the elephants invade the village, the villagers are worried about the devastation they leave in their wake. They destroy young crops. The beasts are pursued by people who know how to use poisoned arrows. With poisoned arrows, several can be killed. The scouts sit atop of trees and warn people about the movement of the six elephants; one bull and five cows. Unfortunately, the old man’s wife is attacked by a wounded bull elephant which stamps on her and kills her. The people are accustomed to shooting and killing elephants. Sometimes, the wounded animals tend to be wild.

The people have a customary way of solving conflicts in the society. To confuse the spirit of death, the woman plans to go to her brother’s home weeping and complaining that her husband had beaten her without any reason. She would refuse to go back to his home when he comes for her. This would force their respective clans to confer, with the view of reconciling them. The husband would be fined and they would drink beer of reconciliation. This would be done to fool the spirits and life would continue as before. After she comes from the market, the woman plans to cook for the man and go to her brother’s. She plans to hoe the weedy part of her grove before squeezing tears out of her eyes and going to her brother’s house. Indeed, these people have certain prescribed ways of conflict resolution that are hard to change.

Lastly, the woman is accustomed to performing her normal wifely duties of taking care of her husband and grandson. When he gets home, she unstraps his leather sandals and leads him behind the house to the lean-to, to bathe him. She cooks him a meal consisting a pottage made of mashed green bananas and finely shredded meat and stock vegetables, herbs and a touch of her hand. At night, she lies with the old man, her husband, before stealing back to her grandson’s, ‘her husband’. When she goes to the market she buys the boy a length of sugar cane and some snuff for the man. After coming from the market, she cooks and carefully covers her husband’s food. She has plans to go to her brother’s but first she plans to hoe in the part of the grove the man said was very weedy. She is also so accustomed to hoeing that despite the heavy load of ivory bangles on her hands, the small hoe goes at a fast practiced speed. Only three weeks ago, she weeded the same spot with her daughter-in-law Leveri. Although she has to visit her brother’s home, she can’t help but perform the habitual tasks at home first. Unfortunately, she is killed while still hoeing in the grove. Surely, old habits die hard.

In conclusion, people are predisposed to doing things that are customary or typical and it is difficult to convince someone to do something they are not used to.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

Children suffer when their parents mistreat them. Write an essay to support this statement basing your illustrations on The Sins of the Fathers.

Rwafa exerts unwarranted pressure on Rondo causing him grief, leaving him with bitter memories and ruining his life. Surely, children endure misery when their parents treat them badly.

Rondo suffers when his father Rwafa orchestrates an accident that kills his two daughters, Yuna and Rhoda. When Mr. Basil Mzamane, Rondo’s father-in-law, whom Rwafa abhors, offers to give Rondo's children a real treat - a road trip to Bulawayo, Rwafa soon disappears. When the trio take the trip, they are involved in a fatal crash that claims their lives. Gaston Shoko, Rondo’s workmate, suggests that Mr. Rwafa must have been involved in the accident since that was a typical second street accident. When Rondo ponders the events and history behind them, he becomes numb and almost like a zombie. He feels trapped like an animal when he thinks back on his father’s routine. Rwafa is a prime suspect in the accident since he loathed Basil Mzamane. He had called him a traitor when he brokered a peace deal between Mrs. Quayle and Rwafa’s club-wielding gang. There has always been tension between the two but it culminates during the birthday party. Mr. Rwafa was also bitter because Rondo had married into and ignominious muDziviti family. Furthermore, instead of a grandson, he had also given him two grand-daughters with Ndevere blood. Rwafa is responsible for the accident that kills his son’s daughters and their grandfather. This causes Rondo untold grief. He even contemplates shooting his own father. He tries to erase the pain by reconstructing the accident, imagining his daughters died happily or at least, obliviously. The pain courses through him again and again for the whole week after the unfortunate incident. He sits on the same sofa, chin lodged in the cup of his hands, listening to the haunting songs sung by the mournful women. His indifferent father tells him that his grief will pass like the morning dew in the sun. That he would be grateful it happened now rather than later and he should thank him. Rondo’s mind was elsewhere. The silence in his mind would have been filled by his daughters’ voices. Surely, Rwafa causes Rondo deep misery when he engineers the untimely death of his two daughters. This destroys Rondo.

Rondo grows up to be a laughing stock as a result of his father’s disrespectful treatment towards him. None of the words he used to address Rondo had any respect in them. When Rwafa compels Rondo to work at The Clarion, and earn his own keep, he refers to him as slob. Because of this, his wife Selina notes that Rondo is always in his father’s shadow. She thinks that she could do better in his pants. Also, his colleagues do not take him seriously. He is not a brilliant journalist and he feels he has been asleep all his life. According to Rwafa, there would not ever be anything Rondo could get right. Even his wife saw him as ‘less-than-me’. At work, people were laughing at him at every moment and the only time they held him in awe is when they needed a favour from his father through him. They even used his name to get something from finance houses, audit stores, legal firms etcetera. They still laughed at him and he knew. This made him defenseless and he would join in the laughter, accepting to be a fool. Rondo admits that his wife was right for positing that he must have been afraid of a shadow - his father’s shadow. This thought was not pleasant to admit.

Although Rondo loved Selina, Rwafa hated her and her family and was against their marriage. Rondo was about to lose Selina because his father, a full blown bhwa Mkwanyashanu, would not let his family be demeaned by his son Rondo. He calls him effeminate for wanting to marry into the ignominious muDziviti family. Rondo told Selina about at the time his father destroyed his old guitar and he peed himself out of fear because he loved her. The flames of the burning guitar gutted all the courage out of him. While Selina and Rondo's mother were quite close, his father frowned and even spat at the relationship. Rwafa hated Selina’s clan, maDzviti-Ndebele, because they had raided his own clan, Zezeru-Karanga, leaving him with pains of the scars. His deepest scar is that he cannot forgive anyone: not his enemies, not his wife, not his son. The first time Selina came to the house and Rondo told Rwafa about her people, he walked out and stayed away for the whole day. Apart from that, he demanded that Rondo gives him a grandson to inherit his cars, houses, money and charisma. This was not easy for Rondo to accept. Although he was afraid of his father, Rondo still thought he was the greatest.

Rondo’s father demands that Rondo gives him a grandson to whom he could leave the inheritance. He wanted a duplicate or an heir. Rwafa feels that after the ignominy of marrying her, it was ignominious that Rondo first child was a girl with Ndevere blood. His second child was also a grand-daughter. As a result of this, Rwafa could not be appeased by anything. It was as if Rondo had been written out, written off and disappeared. Since Rondo was the only son and only child, his father did many things for him but Rondo did not show enough gratitude of respect because he was not aware. This made Rwafa very disappointed and Rondo’s mother had to do a lot of humiliating things to calm him down. Although she enjoyed the affluence of being married to a senior government official, she had deep fears about the future of her only child Rondo. Rwafa loved himself so much that he was prepared to destroy his son in an effort to have a duplicate or an heir. This demand for grandson was not easy for Rondo to accept. 

When Rwafa destroyed Rondo’s old guitar, all the courage was gutted out of him. Selina felt that Rondo was hurt and his pain could affect those around him. She thought he was selfish for apologizing too much. Unlike her who was brought up in a family with people with ‘long hearts’, that is people who forgive others, he was not from such a loving family. Rondo’s first disappointment happened when his father gave him his first sermon. When Rondo was only four, an uncle had given him an old guitar. His father found him strumming tunelessly on the instrument. Rwafa broke the strings and threw the guitar into a fire. He retorted that no son of Rwafa has ever been a Rolling Stone and there would be no Mick Jaggers or John Whites in his house since those people had no sense of responsibility or destination in mind. Rondo, only a child of them, had no idea what he was talking about. Fear was planted in him. He peed his pants. The flames of that burning guitar had gutted all the courage out of him. He tells Selina all this because he loved her. Indeed, Rwafa’s mistreatment adversely affects his son Rondo.

Rondo develops a stammer because throughout his life, he was unable to answer any of his father’s questions. Mr. Rwafa, as a minister of security, had pursued his duties so zealously that he could not distinguish between party and family. This made people, especially Rondo, to suffer. His mother told him that many people developed a stammer when Rwafa asked them questions. Rondo took a long time to learn what his father’s job was. Rondo and Rwafa lived in their separate cages and his mother was caught up in the sensitivity of Rwafa’s job and Rondo’s nature. Because of Rwafa’s actions, Rondo always thought Rwafa was right. He was too diminished to think otherwise. He was also afraid for his mother whenever she had to oppose the old man. Indeed, Rondo suffers because of his father’s ill treatment

Rwafa skips his only son’s wedding causing him pain. When Rwafa drives to Rondo’s house to see Mr. Basil Mzamane, it is surprising. Selina knows that the visit is neither a courtesy call nor a friendly gesture. Rwafa also seems quite cheerful in Rondo and Selina’s house which was unusual, more so with Mr. Basil Mzamane present. The two men’s attitudes towards Rondo’s wedding were different. While Mr. Basil Mzamane fully supported the wedding and paid the larger part of the wedding celebrations expenses, Mr. Rwafa skipped the whole ceremony altogether. Rondo’s mother had also helped but she had been reduced to tears when her husband had asked: “Who did you say is wedding?” then conveniently left town for a ‘state business’ for two weeks just to avoid going.

Rwafa ruins Rondo’s daughters joint birthday celebration when he goes on an irrational hateful rant. Selina and Rondo had invited all their relatives and friends for joint birthday celebration for their daughters, Yuna and Rhoda. It was a generally peaceful scene with children playing and adults enjoying themselves. There were moments of subtle tension, tight smiles and loud laughs between Mr. Rwafa and Mr. Basil Mzamane. Mr. Rwafa’s sarcastic reference to Mr. Basil Mzamane as “Honorable MP” causes a moment of silence and relaxation. Rondo and Selina had longed for a moment like this with their parents who. The peaceful party is destroyed when Mr. Rwafa is prompted to talk of the liberation struggle. He talks of betrayals and alludes to traditional enemies of the people since time immemorial: enemies of the state, clan and family. He calls them looters and cattle thieves. He also calls them personal enemies, child thieves and baby snatchers. He declares that no son of Rwafa can play second fiddle to anyone’s lead nor carry anyone’s pisspot. He is terribly hurt when he refers to his son Rondo as effeminate and spineless for marrying into the family of their enemies, poisoning the pure blood of the Rwafa clan. He suggests that the impostors are smoked out, flashed out and blasted out. Guests grab their children and leave one after another. Rondo remains rooted unable to wave goodbye. He remembers having the feeling he used to have as a boy, where the thought of not being allowed to do something fueled his ambition to do it. Mr. Rwafa’s action causes tension in the air and ruins an otherwise peaceful celebration.

Rwafa senselessly beats up Rondo without bothering to find out what the matter was during a confrontation with a neighbour over his mangoes. Remembering his father’s tirade reminded Rondo of this incident he had almost forgotten. Rondo had helped himself to some ripe mangoes from a neighbours garden. He had seen nothing wrong with this. The neighbour had other ideas. He pulled him down by the leg and proceeded to give him a thorough thrashing using a green pitch switch. His mother was attracted by his howling and she came running out and lifting her skirt in the man's face. She called him a child murderer. The man shouted “whore” and called Rondo ‘woman’s child’. Rwafa then came to the neighbor’s yard and proceeded to thrash Rondo with his thick elephant-hide belts without bothering to find out what the issue was. What gives Rondo a very uncomfortable feeling even after all these years is the sight of his mother dragging herself on her knees from one man to another, back and forth, clapping and begging them to spare her only child. Rondo just did not want to remember this. He has never told anyone about it not even his wife. He was only eight. He felt powerless. His mother insisted that his father loved him but he did not know how to show it.

When Rondo confronts his father in his guestroom, Rwafa ridicules him as usual. When he hands him a piece of paper, Rwafa asks him whether he had asked one of his more intelligent friends to write that for him. Rondo just stands there, unblinkingly, as his father had not ask him to sit down. Rwafa laughs harshly saying he couldn’t have believed that Rondo had it in him. When Rondo brandishes a gun and offers it to him, a great flood of sadness washes through his face. When he checks the gun and points it at his head, Rondo wishes that his father would shoot him. He feels like a rogue, not out of courage, but out of numbness host of he wished his father would shoot him and take care of things as he had always done. He tells him that he had never used a gun before and he thought his father would do it better than him. Eventually, a soft muffled plop is heard from Rwafa’s room after he orders Rondo and Selina out.

When parents treat their children badly, the children suffer as was in the case of Rwafa and his son Rondo.

 

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

In some communities, marriage is regarded as a valued custom. Making reference to Abioseh Nicol’s The Truly Married Woman, write an essay in support of this statement.

In most societies, marriage is considered to be important and beneficial. The society in The Truly Married Woman cherishes marriage as seen in the story of Ayo and Ajayi. A married woman is proud and is respected more than a mistress. 

Marriage is an important tradition in this community. Ayo is optimistic that one day she will be married to Ajayi. They have lived together for twelve years and have three children together and a fourth child on the way but they are not yet married. Ajayi has always meant to marry Ayo. He truly meant to marry her as soon as she had their first child but he had never found time to do it. Somehow, the right moment never came. Ayo went to live with Ajayi despite her parents protests. In this community, marriage is a valued custom. In their first year together, Ayo would talk to Ajayi in detail about her friends' marriages looking at him with hopeful eyes for. She hopes to get married like her friends since marriage is an important right in the community. The marriage ceremonies cost a fortune and Ajayi would attack Ayo's friends' wild spending. All in all, the community values marriage and that’s why Ayo hopes to get married one day.

The fact that the priest insists that unmarried couples should not live together is an indication that the community values marriage. He would speak out violently against unmarried couples living together. Ajayi and Ayo have lived together for twelve years. Ayo is a good mistress. She has given Ajayi three children and is now pregnant with another. She is a patient, beautiful woman with honest eyes. Despite these, their union is seen as illegitimate in the eyes of the church leadership. During their regular church visits, the priest would sound off against their kind of union, two or three times a year. Their friends would sympathize with them and the men would opine that the church should stay out of people’s private lives. Ajayi would skip church for a few weeks but would go back after a while since apart from his proclivity for singing, he secretly knows the priest is right. The community cherishes marriage.

Ayo's father had his own special wishes about his daughter’s marriage. Ayo left their home to go and live with Ajayi against her parents' wishes. She loved Ajayi. She cooks his meals and has borne him children. Her father had hoped that she would marry a high school teacher at least. Ayo had chosen a government clerk instead. When Ayo’s father learns about Ajayi's plan to marry Ayo, he makes her move out of Ajayi's house with everything she owns back to his house. He sends the kids to Ayo's married sister.  When Ajayi's uncle and other kinsmen visit Ayo’s father to ask her to marry Ajayi, the father hands her over to them with tears in his eyes. This is proof that marriage is a valued custom in this community.

When missionaries from WGCA visits Ajayi’s home, Ayo goes out of her way to give an impression of a truly married woman. She sends Oju to buy fruit drinks. She also takes down the calendars with pictures of lightly clothed women and replaces them with family pictures instead. She removes magazines and puts out religious books. She also hides wine glasses under the sofa. Before the visitors arrive, she changes into her Sunday dress and borrows her wedding ring from her neighbour. The clerk is surprised by the change in the room, Ayo’s dress and the ring. The children are also neatly dressed. Olsen, one of the missionaries, is so delighted that he takes pictures of the “God-loving and happy African family”. After serving them drinks, Ayo leaves to let the men discuss serious matters. Ajayi is pleased greatly and decides to finally marry Ayo. Surely, marriage is a revered tradition in this community.

Since marriage is a valued custom, Ajayi and Ayo make elaborate plans for their marriage ceremony. They discuss the wedding that night. Ajayi wants Ayo to have a traditional white wedding dress, with a veil and flowers. Ayo decides sadly that a mother of three should not wear white at her wedding. They agree on grey. Ayo wants a corset. Ajayi agrees. They also decide to forgo a holiday after the wedding since they could not afford one. They also agree on a church wedding. When Ayo’s father hears about the upcoming nuptials, he makes her leave Ajayi’s house with everything she owns back to his house. The children are sent to her married sister. Marriage is really valued in this community.

A married woman is more important in the family than one who is not married. Although most of Ajayi's family members welcome the idea of Ajayi and Ayo's marriage, his sister has reservations. She is worried that if Ajayi marries her, Ayo would become more important in the family than she was. She even advises him to seek the insight of a soothsayer to look into the future. When Ayo gets word of this from the women at the market, she beats Ajayi's sister at her own game by going to the soothsayer first to fix things. She really wants to get married. When Ajayi and his sister visit the soothsayer, he predicts a happy marriage. Ajayi's sister capitulates and accepts defeat.

Marriage is such an important custom that Omo, Ayo’s friend is jealous when she gets wind of her friends upcoming wedding. When Ayo wasn’t married, Omo would not hesitate to lend her her wedding ring whenever she needed it. When Ayo shows her her wedding dress, she turns cold. She is filled with both anger and jealousy. She makes critical, disparaging remarks about Ayo's see-through dress. She says in case Ayo has an accident the doctors will see through everything. She pushes the dress angrily back to Ayo. Ayo laughs it off saying she does not have to hide anything from her husband when they are married. Marriage is indeed a valued tradition in this community.

Marriage is a cherished custom that involves elaborate negotiations between relatives of the bride and those of the groom. The day before the wedding, Ajayi's uncle and other relations take a Bible and a pin to Ayo's father. They also take with them two young girls carrying large gourds containing things like pins, small coins, fruits and nuts. These customary gifts are necessary lest Ayo says during future arguments that Ajayi was so terrible that he had given her neither a pin or a coin since they got married. The party deliberately walks past Ayo’s father’s home then returned to it. When Ajayi’s uncle knocks the door several times, Ayo's relatives ask for his name, his family and the reason for coming. Later, they argue and discuss for half an hour. Ayo's father opens the door after clearly demonstrating that his family is proud, difficult and above ordinary. He asks why they had gone there. Ajayi's uncle answers that they had gone to pick a lovely rose. After much haggling, they are finally allowed in the house. They are served drinks and gifts are exchanged. For about thirty minutes, they talk about everything but the wedding. Ajayi's uncle asks for Ayo as a wife for Ajayi. Ayo's father brings out a short sister, then a fat cousin and asks if that’s whom they wanted. They decline. Ten different women are brought out but none is right. Finally, he brings out Ayo with tears in his eyes. He also kisses her. After a successful negotiation, everyone shouts and dances around Ayo. This rigorous negotiation process shows how marriage is revered as a beneficial rite in this community.

A marriage is a cherished tradition and emotions run high when Ayo finally gets married. Although she is a woman in her mid thirties with slightly grey hair, she cries with joy and her unborn child moves inside her for the first time. This is after her father, with tears in his eyes, calls her out from the bedroom, kisses her and shows her over to Ajayi's family. The  next morning  the women of her family help her to wash and dress. Her father gives her away in a quiet church wedding attended by about sixty people. They then go to Ayo's family home for a meal. An aunt gives them water and some wise counsel. She tells Ayo not to be too friendly with other women lest they steal her husband. She advises them not to sleep before resolving their disputes and to Ajayi, she asks him not to use violence against his wife - their daughter. Ayo’s mother tearfully acknowledges Ayo as an enthusiast of the true work of an African woman - having children. Ayo and her parents are overcome with emotions when she gets married. They value marriage.

Since marriage is an important aspect of culture in most societies, a wife is valued more than a mistress. After the wedding, Ayo seems different in Ajayi’s eyes. He notices her proud head, her long neck and her handsome shoulders. The next morning, after the alarm goes off, he notices that his normal cup of tea is not there. He sits up and quickly looks around. He listens for Ayo’s footsteps outside in the kitchen. When he notices her sleeping next to him, he assumes she is ill after the excitement of the wedding. He asks Ayo if she was ill. Still lying down, she turns slowly and looks at him. She gets even more snuggly under the cotton bed cover. She is terribly calm. She asks Ajayi if there is anything wrong with his feet. He thinks she is a little crazy. For twelve years, she has woken up at five o'clock and prepared tea for her husband who was then her lover. She informs Ajayi that now she is a truly married woman and asks him to behave with some respect towards her. He is her husband and not her lover. She tells him to get up and make himself the cup of tea. Surely, marriage is indeed a valued custom in this society.

In conclusion, marriage is surely regarded as a cherished and important practice.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

Failure to listen to wise advice can result in conflict. Write an essay to support this assertion based on Stanley Gazemba’s Talking Money.

No one is perfect. We all have some flaws. If unchecked, our individual shortcomings such failure to listen and heed good advice can result in misunderstanding. Mukidanyi’s irritability and obstinacy result in his disagreements with his brothers, his wife and Mr. Galo.

Mukidanyi disagrees with his brothers over the sale of his land. When his elder brothers Ngoseywe and Agoya try to advise him against selling his land, they fall out bitterly and their wrangles almost come to blows. Mukidanyi throws both of them out of his compound, his eyes flaming red. Shouting at them, he declares that he does not need their help. He does not need anyone’s help. He will run his household however he deems fit. Ngoseywe tells him that he will need them one day. Today, his head has swollen like that of an expectant toad in the field. He insults them and adds that he will do what he pleases with his land. In that terrible fit of rage, the neighbours can only watch helplessly from a distance as he clicks loudly, spits angrily on the ground and dashes a water pot against the wall. Mukidanyi's fury leads to a bitter disagreement between him and his elder brothers.

Mukidanyi also falls out with his wife Ronika over the sale of his land. Ronika joins Mukidanyi  who is warming himself in the main room. She persuades him to listen to what his brothers are telling him. He also advises him to consider leasing the land instead of selling it off. In her plea, she posits that Ngoseywe and Agoya have a point. She tells Mukidanyi that no one could stop him from selling his land, but he should listen to other people’s advice. Mukidanyi  ignores his wife's words of wisdom and resorts to violence instead. He grabs his hippo-hide whip and gives Ronika a thorough lashing leaving her screaming and whimpering till the small hours. Mukidanyi’s obstinacy ends in a conflict between him and his wife Ronika.

Thirdly, Mukidanyi  ignores Ronika’s entreaty when she asks him to be wary of the Galos. She asks him if he knows the Galos. She reminds him that hardly anyone in the village does business with the Galos. Their money is not good, she says. No one knows where they get it from. Ronika beseeches Mukidanyi  not to turn a deaf ear to what everyone tells him. These pleas leads to a conflict because Mukidanyi  is apt to ignore wise counsel. He assaults his wife Ronika using a hippo-hide whip and she screams in pain and her whimpering only dies that morning. Mukidanyi’s stubborn nature leads to bitter disagreement between him and his wife Ronika.

Mukidanyi  refuses to listen to Ronika and easily trusts Galo. When Mukidanyi  springs his price out of the blue. Mukidanyi  expected a haggle. When receiving the money, 500,000 shillings in cash, Mukidanyi  does not count it. He easily trusts Mr. Galo. He says that he trusts him since he does not expect a friend to lie to a clansman. Galo offers to take Mukidanyi  to Kakamega for transfer of the title deed at the surveyor's office.  Mukidanyi  ignores Ronika’s warning and accepts Galo's money without batting an eyelid. This causes conflict between them when the money starts talking later that night. Ronika furiously throws Mukidanyi  out of the house and tells him to go and return the “devil” money. She finds the courage to mock and ridicule Mukidanyi , a big man who is hard of hearing. The row is as a result of Mukidanyi stubbornly disregarding wise advice.

There is a disagreement between Mukidanyi  and his wife the night he sells his land to Mr. Galo despite her objection. That night he wakes up twice and lights the lamp to ascertain that the briefcase was still there, chained to the bedpost of their termite-infested wooden bed. He calls Ronika and asks her what time it was, since he is too anxious to sleep. His wife, angry from the lashing she received earlier that day, nonchalantly asks him how he expects her to know the time at that hour. Mukidanyi is eager for the daybreak so that he can go and take the money to the bank in Mbale. Ronika is bemused at being woken up in the middle of the night, the hour for witches unless Mukidanyi is a witch himself. She refuses to engage in Mukidanyi’s midnight chitchat and returns to her soft snoring. Mukidanyi is a disturbed man. He cannot sleep. He has to squeeze his eyes shut and try to force himself to sleep. He is forced to awaken with a start when he hears the voices. Again, he wakes up an audibly irritated Ronika. Playfully like a couple of school going children, the money under the bed was talking. The money Ronika had warned him about is the cause of their conflict and Mukidanyi's regret.

Mukidanyi  is mocked by his wife because of Galo's money. She had warned him about. When the money starts talking Mukidanyi freezes stiff, his whole body covered in sweat. His wife is also frightened, her bony hand clasped on his wrist, her bosom heaving. The silence in their hut is morbid. Ronika commands Mukidanyi to light the lamp. She speaks in a shrill voice and scolding tone when she says that the house had been invaded by the ‘viganda’ spirits. Her breath whistles in the tense darkness. Mukidanyi’s hands shake as he gropes in the darkness for a matchbox. Ronika’s face is slick with sweats when she tells Mukidanyi  that he will now  listen to people. They fight because of the strange money. Had Mukidanyi listened to her advice this could have been avoided.

The fallout escalates when Mukidanyi  is thrown out of his house because of the evil money. With a note of hysteria in her voice, Ronika commands Mukidanyi  to take his money. She reminds him that she had warned him about Galo's money. His elder brothers Ngoseywe and Agoya did too. But Mukidanyi  is hard of hearing. Ronika's lined face is an indication that she dies to wrest him to the floor. She refers to him contemptuously as a big man who is hard of hearing. Mukidanyi  is scared of touching the briefcase, about the voices or the viganda spirits. Her eyes glowing angrily, Ronika laughs at Mukidanyi  hysterically when the money talks again. She tells him that today, after dipping his hand in the wound to ascertain, he will learn about the people of the world. Today, he will know. She forces him to unlock the padlock after physically dragging him to do it. Then, she throws the briefcase out and sends her hapless husband after it. The children are bewildered for they had never seen their mother that angry or their father that frightened. 

Lastly, Mukidanyi changes his mind about selling the land and finally returns the money to Mr. Galo. He had been warned by Ronika but due to his stubbornness he did not heed. The journey is long and harrowing. The couple hundred yards to Mr. Galo's home seems like a mile. The briefcase gets heavier and heavier with each step. He is haunted by unseen night creatures swimming all around him, taunting him with their octopus arms. Sometimes he trips, slick blood-sucking tendrils would then grip his arm. He fights the demons when he feels the hold tighten and the razor edge biting into his flesh, but without drawing blood. The moment is scary. He is, however, determined to return the case despite the hurdles. When he finally gets to Mr. Galo's house and meets him, he says he has changed his mind about selling the land. He returns the money then dashes away. He hits himself on the low-hanging branches and outcropping roots as he returns from Mr. Galo's house. Surely, obstinacy results in regret and conflict.  

In conclusion, one’s weakness can end up causing disagreements.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

Some people end up suffering after they refuse to pay attention to advice or warning. Using relevant illustrations from Talking Money by Stanley Gazemba, write an essay to support this statement.

Sometimes people are given good advice. Failure to heed results in agony. Mukidanyi suffers when he ignores advice and warning from his wife and brothers concerning Galo's money. 

Mukidanyi ignores Ronika’s advice about Galo’s money but he ignores her. She says that the money is not good and they don't know where they get it from. He ignores her. He even lashes her. When he receives the money, time elapses while Mukidanyi sits there staring at the money. He talks nervously and trembles. Long after Galo had left, he sits there clasping the black briefcase, his gaze fixed on a point in the distant hills. He rushes into the house, his heart thumping in his chest, dry throat craving a drink of water. This is because he was holding a lot of money.  He skips supper that evening. Galo’s money makes him terribly nervous and anxious. (P49-52)

After receiving the money from Galo, Mukidanyi endures a sleepless night. Mukidanyi does not heed the advice of his brothers Ngoseywe and Agoya about not selling the land and taking Galo's money. The night he receives the money, he wakes up twice, lights the lamp to ascertain the money was still there. He had chained the money to the bedpost. Ronika tells him that it is the middle of the night - the hour for witches. Mukidanyi is anxious about taking the money to the post office in Mbale the next morning. He squeezes his eyes shut trying to sleep to no avail. Because of the money, Mukidanyi cannot sleep that night. (P49-53)

Mukidanyi is frightened when the money starts talking in the middle of the night. Ronika is audibly irritated when he wakes her up. She had earlier cautioned him about doing business with the Galos or taking their money. He had ignored her advice. Mukidanyi regrets. There is a note of urgency in his voice. The tinny playful voices say:  “This place is nice … I like it very much”. Mukidanyi freezes stiff. There is morbid silence when the couple hold their breath. Mukidanyi can only speak in a frightened childlike whisper. His hands shake when he tries to light the lamp. He backs into a corner and is scared of touching the briefcase. He cries: “Nyasaye goi! What madness is this?” Their children had never seen their father this scared. (P49-51, 54-55)

Mukidanyi has to endure mockery and derision  from his wife Ronika. She speaks in a shrill voice. She tells him that those are viganda spirits. She orders him to light the lamp. She tells him that he will now listen to people. She has a wild look in her eyes. She tells Mukidanyi to take his millions. Mocking him, she tells him not to be afraid. Ronika refers to Mukidanyi as ‘big man who is hard of hearing’. Her lined face is set as if she was going to fly at Mukidanyi and wrest him to the floor. She reminds him that she had warned him about Galo’s money. Ngoseywe and Agoya had warned him too. Ronika laughs hysterically,  her eyes glowing angrily. Mukidanyi has dipped his finger in the wound and ascertained it for himself. She tells him: “Today you will learn about the people of the world.” (P49-51, 55)

Mukidanyi had ignored  the warning against trusting Galo. When the money starts talking, Ronika is forced to physically drag Mukidanyi out of the house. She forces him to unlock the padlock and free it from the bed frame. She snarls at him and hurls the briefcase into the night and sends him after it. She tells him to go and find a place for his money away from that house. The children, woken by the raised voices, are stunned to see their mother so agitated and their father very scared. (P49-51, 55)

Mukidanyi suffers when he returns the money he had been warned about. It was the longest journey he had ever undertaken in his life. The couple hundred yards from his home to Galo’s house seemed like a mile. The scary case got heavier and heavier. Mukidanyi felt he was surrounded by unseen creatures, formless bodies squirming in and out of his way as if trying to entangle him with their many scary octopus arms. He would trip sometime. He suffers when slick tendrils snaked out of the darkness and coiled around his ankle. He feels a tight bloodsuckers grip as he wrestles with unseen demons threatening to bite into his flesh without drawing blood. Despite these struggles, Mukidanyi is determined to return the money. He is relieved when he gets to Galo's gate. He is not scared of the two huge hounds flashing their teeth. He tells Galo that he had changed his mind and flings the money back to him. Dashing away from the compound, he bangs his head and knocks his toe painfully. He regrets ignoring his brothers’ and his wife's advice. (P49-51, 55-56)

You should not turn a deaf ear to what everyone tells you. It is important to listen to what other people say. Ignoring good advice results in anguish. 

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

Survivors of war live with painful memories and experiences. Write an essay to support this statement citing illustrations from Chimamanda Adichie's Ghosts.

War, even for a perceived just cause, has many detrimental outcomes. There is nothing positive about war. Ordinary people suffer most in the event of war. Traumatic memories, loss of family members and loss of valuable property are some of the consequences of war that leave the survivors with painful memories. 

Many ordinary people suffer when their family members, friends or colleagues lose their lives in war. For 37 years, professor Nwoye believed his former colleague, Ikenna died in the war. He is shaken to see him alive. He is tempted to throw sand at him, a customary practice to ascertain that one was not a ghost. Nwoye thought Ikenna died on July 6^th, 1967 when they evacuated Nsukka amidst the boom boom boom shelling of the approaching federal soldiers. Nsukka fell that day and two lecturers were killed; one for arguing with the federal officers. Ebere consoles Zik who left her doll behind as they were fleeing in haste. Although Ikenna made it out alive, his whole family was in Orlu when it was bombed. When he says this, his laughter seems like harsh-sounding series of coughs. After the war, the man who was admired for his erudite asperity and peremptory style is a pale shadow of his former self. The uncertainty and diffidence about him is alien. His gray shirt sagged at the shoulders. His laughter was hollow and discoloured , devoid of the aggressive sound of yesteryears. Nwoye’s daughter Zik and their colleague Chris Okigbo also died in the war. Nwoye says, “The war took Zik” in Igbo, since speaking about death in English has a disquieting finality for him. He and Ikenna speak fondly and sadly about Okigbo: “our genius, our star, the man whose poetry moved us all. A colossus in the making.” Nwoye also remembers other horrors of war like crouching in muddy bunkers during air raids after which they buried corpses with bits of pink on their charred skins. Indeed, war affects people adversely when they lose their loved ones.

People are also affected when they are forced to leave their homes as a result of war. On July 6^th, 1967, professor Nwoye and his family are forced to evacuate Nsukka in a hurry. This happens even as they hear the boom boom boom shelling of the advancing federal soldiers. The militia assures them that the vandals, federal soldiers, would be defeated in a matter of days and they could come back. This does not come to pass since the war does not end until 1970. Local villagers in their hundreds are also displaced from their homes. They walk along, women with boxes on their heads and babies tied to their backs, barefoot children carrying bundles and men dragging bicycles holding yams. Nwoye, oblivious of the intensity of the war, finds it foolhardy that his colleague, Ikenna, goes back to the campus with the shelling getting closer. He thought their troops would drive back the vandals in a week or two. He had faith in their collective invincibility and the justness of the Biafran cause. To his dismay, Nsukka fell and the campus was occupied that very day. Ikenna left Biafra the following month and went to Sweden on a Red Cross plane. Some children were airlifted to Gabon later in the war. When the war ended three years later in 1970, Nwoye and Ebere came back to Nsukka and they were shocked about the aftermath of the war. Their books, his graduation gown and their photographs were destroyed and Ebere’s piano was missing. They decide to leave for America where they live up to 1976. Their daughter Nkiru still lives in America with his son. People suffer when they are displaced from their homes as a result of war.

Thirdly, people are affected when they are separated from family members and some even become alienated. Because of the war, professor Ikenna is forced to fly to Sweden leaving his family behind in Orlu. He loses his entire family when Orlu is bombed. When he recounts this story, his laughter comes out like a series of harsh sounding coughs. He was believed to be dead. Men who had been thought dead, walked into their compounds months, even years after 1970. Nwoye wonders how much sand has been thrown on broken men by their family members split between disbelief and hope. His daughter Nkiru lives in America. She was born in America when Nwoye and Ebere went there after the war. Nwoye does not fancy the American life which is cushioned by so much convenience that it is sterile. It is littered with what they call ‘opportunities’. He is also worried about his grandson who cannot speak Igbo. The boy does not understand why he has to say ‘good afternoon’ to strangers. In his world, having been brought up in America, one has to justify simple courtesies. Nkiru is a doctor in Connecticut near Rhode Island. Her faint American accent is vaguely troubling for her father. War causes separation of family and alienation  of family members.

Also, war causes dire lack of food and therefore people suffer hunger or starvation. At the onset of the war, the local villages are displaced in their droves. After the war, they are forced to pick through the lecturers’ bins for food. There was a blockade keeping supplies of victuals such as salt, meat and cold water from them. During the war, people had no option but to eat cassava peels. They watched in horror as their children’s bellies swelled from malnutrition. Organizations such as the Red Cross backed down when a plane was shot down in Eket. The World Council of Churches kept flying in relief through Uli at night. Individuals like Ikenna organised fundraising to help his starving community in Biafra. Professor Nwoye buys groundnut and a bunch of bananas for the tattered men clustered under the flame tree at the university. They had requested him to do so since “hunger was killing them”. Surely, war results in ravaging starvation and malnutrition.

War gives room for service providers to be corrupt. Professor Nwoye visits the university bursary and yet again the dried-uplooking Ugwoke clerk tells him that the money has not come in. They are used to this. Someone claims that the education minister stole the pension money. Yet another one posits that it was the vice chancellor who had deposited the money in high interest personal accounts. They curse him saying his children will not have children and he will die of diarrhoea. No one gets pension. From professors, to messengers, to drivers, to the other tattered men. Everyone is suffering. Vincent claims that people retire and die because of this delay. He has not received his money for three years. At the university, students buy grade with money or their bodies. Josephat, the vice chancellor, for six years, ran the university like his father’s chicken coop. He was once thought to be a man of integrity but now, under his watch, money disappears and they buy cars stamped with names of nonexistent foreign foundations. The impotent courts do nothing to salvage the situation. Nwoye has not been paid since he retired. Many lecturers bribe someone at the Personnel Service to change their official dates of birth and add five years. Nobody wants to retire. Corruption and bribery is all over the country. The situation seems ineluctable. To get his phone repaired, Nwoye has to bribe someone at NITEL. Ordinary people suffer because of runaway corruption occasioned by the war.

After the war, there is an influx of fake drugs. The latest plague in the country is selling of expired medicine. Ebere had lain in hospital getting weaker and weaker. Her doctor was puzzled since she was not recovering even after medication. Professor Nwoye was distraught. It was too late when they found out the drugs were fake. Nwoye says gravely that fake drugs are horrible. A man accused of importing fake drugs says that his drugs do not kill people but they don’t cure them either. Nwoye turns off the television since he cannot stand to see the man’s blubbery lips. He hopes the man would not be acquitted and allowed to go to India or China and bring more expired medicine which does not kill people but makes sure the illness does. Surely, war has many undesirable effects on the lives of ordinary people.

Many ordinary people wallow in poverty as a result of the war. When Professor Nwoye visits the university bursary for his pension, he sees a group of tattered men clustered under a  flame tree waiting for their pension as well. Vincent, his former driver, has not received his pension for three years. He says this is why people retire and die. He remembers when Ebere used to give him old clothes for his children. The students do not pay him on time before mending their shoes. Although Vincent is younger than Nwoye, he looks older and has little hair left. The tattered man request professor Nwoye to buy them bananas since hunger was killing them. They lament about a myriad of problems such as money lender problems and how carpentry was not going well. Professor Nwoye is lucky compared to them since he has some money saved from his appointment in the Federal Office of Statistics and also receives some dollars from his daughter Nkiru who is a doctor in America. After the war is over, the poor locals are forced to pick through the lecturers’ bins for food.  Surely, war has devastating effects on the lives of the people.

Lastly, war is a deeply distressing experience that leaves this people with traumatic memories. Ikenna lost his whole family in the war. Before, he was defiant and everybody forgave his peremptory style and admired his erudite asperity. His fearlessness convinced them. Now his laughter seemed discoloured and hollow and nothing like the aggressive sound that reverberated all over the Staff Club in those days. His gray shirt sagged at the shoulders. There was an uncertainty about him. A diffidence that seemed alien to professor Nwoye. When he tells the story about how his whole family was killed when Orlu was bombed, he lets out a harsh sound that is supposed to be a laughter but it sounded more like a series of coughs. Professor Nwoye and Ebere are traumatized by the aftermath of the war when they return to their former house at the university. The destruction of property was too much that they are forced to leave for America. When they come back they are given a different house but they avoid driving along Imoke street, for they did not want to see their old house. Nwoye cannot talk about death in English since it has always had a disquieting finality for him. So he says about his late daughter that they war took her in Igbo to which Ikenna simply replies “Ndo” to mean sorry. During the war, Nwoye and Ebere are traumatized when the Biafran soldiers shove a wounded soldier into their car and the stranger’s blood drips in the back seat and soaks into the stuffing. Nwoye also suffers recurring hallucinations when he imagines that his dead wife visits him from time to time. Professor Nwoye, Ikenna and many other people are left with lasting emotional shock and pain caused by the extremely disturbing experiences of war.

In conclusion, it is clear that war leaves the people with disturbing  memories and many have lasting distressing experiences occasioned by the shocking and painful recollections.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

One can cope with the misery of unfair treatment by forgiving his oppressors. Write a composition to validate this statement basing your illustrations on Leo Tolstoy’s God Sees the Truth, but Waits.

You should not do harm to a person who has done harm to you, even if you think that person deserves it. We can deal with the pain of injustice by forgiving those who wrong us, instead of seeking vengeance. Aksionov finds peace and solace during his misery when he chooses to forgive those who wronged him.

Aksionov is treated unfairly by the police when they arrest him for a crime he did not commit. When the police arrest Aksionov for allegedly killing a merchant, he crosses himself and weeps painfully. The police officer orders the soldiers to bind him and put him in the cart. They tie his feet together and fling him into the cart. His money and goods are taken away from him. He is then locked up in the nearest town. The police investigate about his past and find out that Aksionov is a good man but he was predisposed to drinking and wasting time during his younger days. The truth is Aksionov met the merchant and they put up together that night in the same inn. Aksionov paid his bill and left before dawn. When he had travelled for about 25 miles and was resting, he is accosted by an official and two soldiers who crisscross him as if he were a thief or a robber. Oblivious of the fate that awaited him, he even offers the officer a cup of tea. When they search his bag, they find a blood-stained knife and accuse him of killing the merchant. Aksionov is frightened. The policeman says his face and manner betrays his guilt. They demand to know how he killed him and how much money he stole.  When the trial comes, he is wrongly charged with murdering the merchant and stealing his money. He gives up all hope and only prays to God. He accepts his fate and expects mercy only from God. He does not blame the police for his predicament.

Aksionov faces further injustice when he is wrongly charged with murdering the merchant from Ryazan and robbing him of 20,000 rubles. He is locked up with thieves and criminals. This is after a blood-stained knife is found in his possession. At the time of his arrest, Aksionov only had eight thousand rubles of his own. He swears that the knife is not his. Although Aksionov is innocent, he is wrongly convicted and charged for murder. He tries to appeal but his petition to Czar is declined. His wife reminds him about her dream about his hair turning grey and beseeches him to tell her the truth if he indeed killed the merchant. Aksionov begins to weep hiding his face in his hands. He is dejected by the thought of his wife suspecting him too. Only God can know the truth. Instead of begrudging and fighting the justice system, he let's go and decides to appeal for mercy from God alone.

Aksionov is treated unfairly when he is torn away from his family at a prime age, and locked up for a crime he did not commit. His wife is in despair when Aksionov is charged with murder and she does not know what to believe. Her children are small and one is still breastfeeding. She takes them all with her when she visits her husband in jail. She is refused from seeing him at first but after ceaseless entreaties she obtains permission from the official and gets the chance to see him. She collapses and does not come to her senses for a long time when she sees her husband in prison-dress and in chains, shut up with thieves and criminals. She had tried to dissuade him from going to the Nizhny Fair. She had had a bad dream about him. In her dream, he returned from the town when his hair was quite grey. Aksionov laughs it off and promises to bring her some presents from the fair. That was the last time she saw him as a free man. Aksionov tells her that they must petition the Czar and not let an innocent man perish. His wife informs him that the petition she had sent had been declined. While serving his lengthy jail time, no news reaches him about his family.  He remains in the dark concerning the well-being of his wife and children. When a fresh gang of convicts comes to the prison, Aksionov asks one of them about his family:  the merchants of Aksionov of Vladimir. He tells him that they are rich though their father is in Siberia; a sinner like themselves. In his gloom, he nostalgically remembers the image of his wife when he parted from her to go to the fair. Her face and her eyes rise before him. He hears her speak in love. Then he sees the image of his children quite little as they were at the time. One with a little cloak on, another at his mother’s breast. Nonetheless, he forgives Makar Semyonich, the man responsible for his anguish. His heart grows light and the longing for home leaves him.

Aksionov suffers more injustice when he is condemned to be flogged and sent to the mines. He is flogged with a knot and when the wounds made by the knot are healed he is driven to Siberia with other convicts. Aksionov lives in Siberia as a convict for 26 years. His hair turns white as snow and his beard grows long, thin and grey. All his mirth goes, he stoops, he walks slowly, speaks little and never laughs, but he often prays. He becomes a pale shadow of his former self: a handsome, fair-haired, curly headed fellow, who was full of fun and loved singing. He learns to make boots and earns a little money with which he uses to buy ‘The Lives of the Saints'. He reads the book in prison and on Sundays in the prison-church, and sings in the choir. Despite his predicament, Aksionov is likeable since he is meek. The prison authorities like him and his fellow prisoners respect him. They call him ‘Grandfather’ and ‘The Saint’. He acts as an arbitrator and puts things rights whenever there are quarrels among prisoners, and he also acts as the prisoners’ spokesman. His contentment helps him to cope with his agony. Instead of holding a bitter grudge, he remains patient, restrained and affable.

It is unfair that Aksionov suffers for the sins of Makar Semyonich, who gets arrested for less serious crime of stealing a horse. When Aksionov asks Semyonich if he had had about the affair of the murder of the merchant, Semyonich’s response makes him feel sure that he had killed the merchant. That night he could not get any sleep. He felt so unhappy. He remembers the image of his wife when he parted from her to go to the fair. Her face and her eyes rise before him. He hears her speak in love. Then, he sees the image of his children quite little as they were at the time. One with a little cloak on, another at his mother’s breast. He also remembers how he used to be himself, young and merry. He remembers the day of his arrest while he was seated in the porch playing the guitar. He bitterly remembers the flogging, the executioner and the people who were standing around him. He remembers the chains, the convicts and all the 26 years of his prison life, and his premature old age. These thoughts make him so wretched that he contemplates suicide. His anger against Makar Semyonich is so great that he longs for revenge even if it would mean perishing for it. He repeats his prayers all night but he does not get peace. During the day he avoids going near Makar Semyonich and avoids even glancing at him. For two weeks, Aksionov cannot sleep at night and he's so miserable and does not know what to do considering the fact that the man who was responsible for his imprisonment was right there but he had been locked up for a less serious crime. Despite this, he does not seek revenge. He had accepted his fate. He says for his sins, he had been in prison for those 26 years. He did not like to speak of his misfortune. He says that he must have deserved the punishment. This attitude helps him to cope with the misery of the injustice the state had meted upon him.

Even when he gets a chance to avenge against Semyonich, Aksionov chooses to spare him the pain and retribution instead. Aksionov catches Semyonich digging a hole under the wall with a view of escaping from prison. Makar Semyonich threatens Aksionov and tells him to keep it a secret or else he would kill him. Aksionov trembles with anger looking at his enemy. He tells Makar Semyonich that he had no need to kill him for he killed him long ago. He adds that he will do as God shall direct. When the prison officials find out about the hole and they question the prisoners about it, all of them deny it. Those who knew would not betray Makar Semyonich, for they knew he would be flogged almost to death. The governor at last turns to Aksionov, a just man, and says: “Tell me before God who dug the hole?” Makar Semyonich ruined Aksionov’s life and he contemplates letting the cat out of the bag so that Makar Semyonich can pay for what he had suffered. However, he knows that if he opens his mouth, the officers would flog the life out of Semyonich. Maybe he suspects him wrongly. Also he stands to gain nothing. He surrenders in the hands of the Governor but refuses to tell him the truth, when he says that it is not God's will that He should tell. He knows that two wrongs don’t make a right. He keeps his mouth shut and spares his arch nemesis potential thorough flogging. The liberation of forgiveness is more fulfilling than the temporary delight of revenge.

Semyonich is unjust to Aksionov when he chooses to confess his sins long after Aksionov had endured untold retribution for a sin he did not commit. Nevertheless, Aksionov forgives Makar Semyonich even after he confesses to killing the merchant and framing Aksionov. He confesses that he meant to kill him too but fled when he heard a noise outside. Semyonich kneels on the ground and cries asking Aksionov to forgive him. He promises to confess to the authorities that he killed the merchant so that Aksionov could be released. Aksionov has suffered for 26 years. He has nowhere to go. His wife is probably dead and his children may have forgotten him by now. He has nowhere to go even if he is released. Makar Semyonich beats his head on the floor and begs Aksionov to forgive him. The guilt in his heart is unbearable. He remembers that Aksionov had screened him concerning the hole he was digging trying to escape. He sobs bitterly. When Aksionov hears him sobbing he begins to weep too. He says, “God will forgive you”. He also says that he may be a hundred times worse than Makar Semyonich. His heart grows lighter and he does not long to go home anymore. He has no desires to leave the prison and only hopes for his last hour to come. Forgiveness is liberating. It supersedes freedom. Semyonich confesses, and an order for Aksionov’s release comes: too little too late. He was already dead.

The fact that someone has done something unjust does not justify revenge. When we forgive our oppressors, we are contented and we can bear the anguish of the oppression.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

People living on the streets apply wisdom in order to survive the difficult conditions. Write an essay to qualify this statement citing illustrations from Rem'y Ngamije’s The Neighbourhood Watch.

Living conditions on the streets are difficult. To survive, one needs not only determination and effort but also experience, knowledge and good judgment. Members of The Neighbourhood Watch apply wisdom to survive the arduous  conditions on the streets.

First, the crew is judicious enough to secure territory-a safe haven for sleeping or just to lay low when they weren’t out on a foraging mission. The bridge’s underside is precious real estate to the Neighbourhood Watch. It is an important shelter when it rains and during cold winter nights. The letters NW sprayed on the columns have the same effect as musty pee at the edge of a leopard’s territory. Other crews know better than to encroach it lest they face bloody retaliation. It is also a safe place to hide their stash so that they don’t have to lug their scant possessions everywhere they go. More luggage would slow them down as they rummage their neighbourhoods for food and other essentials. Elias calls their territory headquarters. In the morning, he wakes up the rest of the crew and they share a can of water for washing their faces. To a street family a safe territory is indispensable.

Secondly, they are wise enough to rise early to go searching for food. Elias, Lazarus and Omagano set out before the light of day is full born. They leave early so that they can score the real prizes-that is the overflowing bins behind restaurants. In the early morning one can get edible semi-fresh morsels. In the late morning, the food starts rotting. The neighborhood watch knows: “the early bird does not catch the worms”. In order to get there in good time Elias, Lazarus and Omagano lengthen they are strides. They know that time is of the essence on the streets.

The crew knows that they have to maintain a good bond with other people in order to survive. Elias has a good rapport with most of the kitchen staff in the city. They refer to him by the monikers ‘Soldier’ or ‘Captain’. Sometimes, they leave out almost decaying produce for him and his group. Because of the good relationship, Elias would sometimes be lucky to get potatoes with broken skins, rotting mangoes, and wrinkled carrots. The staff would be generous enough to give them smushed leftovers from the previous night for instance half eaten burgers, chips drowning in sauce or salads. Most of the kitchen staff are poor and many a time they would need to take the leftovers to their own families. It is amazing that Elias manages to get some food from them.

The Neighbourhood Watch crew is so astute that they have organized themselves into specialised units. Elias, Lazarus and Omagano are always on full duty whereas Silas and Martin are tasked with searching for other essentials. Before, Elias was in on his own so when he met Lazarus he suggested that they form an alliance because it was taxing to rummage for food and other paraphernalia necessary for survival in the streets. At first, Lazarus was resistant. Cold winter nights forced him to comply. It worked for them since two people could cover more ground. One searches for food and the other for other essentials and thus they could do more in a day. Now, they know that children and women are valuable recruits. Some obstinate guards demand for a 10 or 20 dollar bribe to let them scavenge through fenced off bins. Elias usually pays them but when he has no money Omagano goes behind the dumpster with a guard and does what needs to be done. The valuables crew on the other hand provide discarded blankets, mattresses, clothing, reusable shoes, trolleys etc. Trolleys are useful but they can also be traded for better necessities. The two teams work separately and meet in the late afternoon. They share the food that is bread, mashed potatoes, grapes and water. The valuables crew brings newspapers, plastic piping and poorboy caps.

The Neighbourhood Watch also understands the city and its neighbourhoods. Elias asks the crew to sleep since they plan to go foraging in Ausblick tonight. It is too hot to be on the streets now. Night is better and more lucrative for the Neighbourhood Watch. The crew knows that if they hit the bins early, they may score some good things in Ausblick for instance broken toasters, blenders, water bottles, teflon pots or pans, flat screen TV cardboard boxes and even some food. People in Ausblick still know how to throw away things. Elias, Lazarus and Silas will scout ahead rummaging for valuables while Martin and Omagano push the trolley. They know that soon Ausblick will be overcrowded like Olympia and Suiderhof. Pionierspark used to be worthwhile but not anymore. Now, the Neighbourhood Watch are deterred by peeking heads, barking dogs and patrolling vehicles with angry shouting men. They know that the earlier they get to Ausblick the better.

The Neighborhood Watch understands that in order to survive on the streets one must focus on the present, not the past or the future. Everyone brings a past to the streets. Lazarus’s tattoos are evidence of his prison stint. Elias is not scared of him since he faced gunfire against the South African Defence Forces. Because of hunger or need for food on the streets, they have no time to think about the past. Elias shares some street smartness with Lazarus. He says the streets has no future, there is only today. “Today you need food. Today you need shelter. Today you need to take care of today”. On Fridays and Saturdays, the crew avoids the streets and retreats safely to Headquarters. They do this to avoid clashing with patrolling police. Silas wants to leave but is forbidden from taking Martin with him. Elias and Lazarus mock the fools who sit on the roadside in Klein Windhoek and Eros waiting to paint a room, fix a window, install a sink or lay some tiles because they are too proud to forage for food. They end up going home hungry. Martin thinks that sometimes those “fools” can get a job and maybe things will be better. Elias insists that “maybe is tomorrow” and there is only today. On the street one needs to focus on the present to survive. “Every day is today.”

Elias and Lazarus share what they have learned on the streets with the rest of the crew including how they decided to change tack. The crew learned that you cannot survive by being around people trying to survive. When foraging in the poor neighbourhoods, you only get what they don’t need to survive. The Neighbourhood Watch realise that poor people only throw away garbage which is disgusting and babies which are useless. In the poor neighborhoods you had to be ready to find shit: old food, used condoms, women’s things with blood, and broken things. When looking for newspapers to light a fire once, Elias and Lazarus was shocked when they found a dead baby. They knew it was time to upgrade. They only went there because they needed to survive. To survive you go everywhere and do everything. You cannot be picky. But now they know that they should upgrade and go to places where people have enough to throw away. Neighbourhoods with white people and black people trying to be white people have such people. They finally get smart and decide to move away from poor people who have nothing to throw away by themselves.

Lastly the Neighbourhood Watch is wise enough to know that there are some neighbourhoods you have to avoid. They avoid Khomsadal which is overcrowded and people drink too much there. They lost their friend Amos there due to his pride end alcohol. He used to curse people, use ugly swear words and always refused to apologize. He was then stabbed to death. The Neighbourhood Watch knows that on the streets dead bodies are bad. Police would roughly demand explanations from witnesses. They used baton bashes, frustrating paperwork and throwing innocent people in holding cells. When Amos died, everyone including Elias and Lazarus knew they had to run away. They were also wise enough to stick to the initial story that they had nothing to do with the murder when the police caught up with them. They were beaten, bruised, bleeding, with swollen eyes broken ribs and injured limbs but that was better than losing life. They are smart enough to completely avoid Khomsadal.

In conclusion, difficult experiences make people wise enough to cope and survive. Acuity is essential for survival.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

War adversely affects families and communities. Making reference to Boyi by Gloria Mwaniga, write an essay to support this statement. 

When conflict thrives, it destroys family ties and communal bonds. Family members are affected when they are separated from one another, some are traumatized and others killed as a result of the crisis. In Gloria Mwaniga's Boyi, the militia meant to protect community land from strangers turns out to be the enemy within, wreaking untold havoc on the same community they had vowed to protect.

First, Mama is adversely affected when her son is separated from the rest of the family. Madness enters Mama's eyes when Baba gives Boyi away to the militia leader as collateral until he finds 40,000 land protection tax. As if fire ants had invaded her body, Mama stands up abruptly. She tears off her kitenge headscarf and start shouting. Mama says that Baba must be sick in the head to think Boyi would return. He must be deaf if he has not heard tales of neighbours whose sons had been recruited by the militia. A child was not a mat that could be folded and returned to the owner or a dress that one can borrow from a neighbour. Baba is enraged but he just sits there. In a metallic whisper, he asks Mama what she wanted him to do. He justifies his action by saying he did it to protect his family from the militia’s cruel actions of chopping off heads of whole families, carrying off fresh heads like trophies and hanging them on trees or eating them like Idi Amin. They also tortured victims by chopping off their ears and feeding them worm-filled earth. Mama does not buy this explanation. Hives break out on her skin. Her eyes are deathly white like the eyes of one who did not know her own mind. The narrator feels queasy as if someone had pulled her insides out through her nostrils. War indeed has a devastating effect on loved ones. (P91-92)

Apart from that, Boyi's family is gripped with fear, desperation and anxiety. When reproached by Mama, Baba holds his rage firmly with his hands. He pulls in his lips to a narrow thread, like a line drawn on his dark face by a ruler.  His voice sinks to a metallic whisper and he asks Mama what she wanted him to do. He tells her that the militia was chopping off heads of whole families if one did not give them money. They carry off fresh heads like trophies and hang them on trees or eat them like Idi Amin. They torture their victims by slowly chopping off their ears and feeding them worm-filled earth. Boyi's sister feels queasy as if someone had pulled her insides out through her nostrils. The family knew that the militia would come to their house. Chesober, Baba's friend who taught at Chepkukur Primary School, had them that the militia had a long list of people who aided the government exercise to subdivide their land and give some of it to the strangers. Baba had lent a panga and ‘makonge’ ropes to the government surveyors. When news breaks out that they had begun attacking government representatives, Mama desperately starts blocking the sitting room door with sacks of maize and beans. Out of fear or denial, the narrator and Boyi laughed at the thought of the militia attacking them, their own kin. That is the night Matwa Kei knocks at their door and demands to be given 10,000 land protection tax and 30,000 betrayal tax, failure to which they would be shown “smoke without fire”. That is when he pushes Boyi forward and tells Matwa Kei to hold onto him. Surely, war causes fear within families or communities. (P92)

The war also causes devastation that pushes Mama to the brink of insanity and disconnection from reality. Boyi’s sister finds her mother seated alone on a kitimoto in the kitchen. She neither looks up nor responds to greetings. She screams at the girl to leave some tea for her brother who will return from the caves hungry. The screaming goes on for weeks. “Stupid girl, you want to finish tea and your brother will come from the caves hungry,” she bawls. She would sit stunned gazing at the whitewashed wall, declaring in a quiet voice that she was seeing a vision of a dazzling white dove. God of Israel was showing her that her son was returning home after escaping from the snare of the militia. After her monologues, she would sit sadly and silently. When her madness takes a walk, they would brew tea together with a girl and she would nostalgically reminisce stories about Boyi; about how he saved her marriage, his shiny ebony skin and eloquence in English which was too good for a fifteen- year-old like him. This is a clear testament of a mother’s agony, anguish and disconnection from reality. War really causes devastation to families. (P92-93)

The war drives Baba, a Christian, to partake in a strange cultural practice to escort Boyi’s spirit away. Together with his cousin Kimutai, he digs a shallow grave and buries a banana stem wrapped in a green cotton sheet. He asks death to take that body and never bother his family again. They do this after Saulo brings news that a troop of two hundred Armed Forces men had been dispatched in green lorries to carry out an undertaking dubbed ‘Operation Okoa Maisha’. They were coming to flush out the militia. The war had gone on for too long and it is them themselves who had forced the mighty arm of the government. Boyi’s sister is taken aback that her pious father had turned his back on religion. Her mother refuses to play a part in the mock burial. She only follows Baba's movements with her eyes. Mama’s voice bears manic vibrancy when she declares that she would not participate in escorting her son’s spirit away. She has lost touch with reality and lives in denial. This is as a result of the pointless conflict.(P93-94)

In her anguish, Mama is too despondent to eat. She sits muttering to herself without touching her food. The ugali would remain untouched until a crusty brown film formed and the food had to be thrown away to the chicken coop. Boyi's sister would catch the twist of her mouth when she would sit and talk to herself for hours on end lamenting about her suffering. She asks God to tie a rope around her stomach - to help her bear the anguish of losing her son to the ruthless militia. She asks Boyi’s sister if she remembers his perfect teeth. After weeks of watching Mama, Boyi's sister gets tired and starts going out with the rest of the children to the chief’s camp in Cheptap-burbur where the army had pitched their green tents. War really causes suffering of family members. (P94)

Boyi's sister helplessly wishes that rituals would protect her brother. After getting tired of watching Mama, she goes with the rest of the children to the chiefs camp in Cheptap-burbur where the army had pitched their tents. They spend hours peeping through the Cypress fence eavesdropping the soldiers’ conversations and making up fabulous tales from them. The very black officer called Sah-gent defeated Idi Amin in Uganda. He told the  others that Matwa Kei had more magic than Idi Amin. The man is a real djinni. Boyi’s sister pictures Matwa-kei's favourite Chicago Bulls red cap absorbing Sah-gent’s bullets. These stories make her think of the tales Boyi was telling her about the militia. How they drank magic potions from Orkoiyot so that their bodies, like the Luo legend Lwanda Magere, would become stone and enemies’ spears would slide off them. Their bodies were embalmed in bloody cow dung to make them invisible for successful raiding missions. When they marched through dry lands, clouds of red dust would rise up to the heavens like a swarm of locusts because the earth god Yeyiin went with them. She held on to these stories tightly. Willing them to be true. Willing Boyi to be more powerful than the soldiers.  (P94-95)

Boyi's sister recounts horrific tales of the militia’s cruelty. That December the farmers do not clear their shambas for the second planting of maize. The militia steals young crops from the fields and goats from the pens. Instead of working, men and women sit under mtaragwa trees and exchange dreadful tales of the horrendous cruelty of the militia. The militia cuts up people and throw their bloodied bodies in rivers, pit latrines and wells. They recruit boys as young as ten who are forced to kill their own relatives. Instead of protecting the land from being given to lazy strangers, the militia goes on an indiscriminate killing spree, and their kin are victims of the aggression instead of beneficiaries. Koros, their neighbour, informs Baba that the recruited members of the militia had to first go home and kill a close relative so that their hearts were strong to kill others. Baba replies solemnly: “Puoot, war is a maggot that nibbles and nibbles at the heart of men.” Boyi’s sister has a terrible dream that her brother, whose eyes were the colour of Coca-Cola, attacks her and chops her into “small-small” pieces so that his heart would become strong to kill. The thought is traumatizing. She wakes up feeling like an anchorless red balloon was floating in her stomach. (P95)

The chilling tales of war causes fear and trauma. There is a mass exodus to Bungoma and Uganda as families try to escape. The family of the narrator’s friend, Chemtai, moves away to Chwele. The villages of Kopsiro, Saromet, Chepyuk and Chelebei are engulfed in a thick yellow fog of fear. They did not understand the militia’s motive anymore. The thugs take away girls to cook for them. They decapitate people and throw their heads in Cheptap-burbur river which was scarlet with fresh human blood from the floating human heads. They also rape their own relatives. The abused women and girls end up giving birth to transparent “plastic bag” babies. The narrator imagines the horror of seeing Boyi’s “plastic bag” baby playing Tinker-tailor-soldier-sailor with boats that fell from the flame tree. Since school is disrupted by the war, such thoughts haunt the young girl as she spends her idle days under a flame tree at home.

Boyi’s family members are devastated when they hear the news of how Boyi goes from a pious boy to a marked man. Boyi's sister wonders if it is Mama's mourning that courted misfortune or Baba's total refusal to talk about Boyi that made their ancestors forget to protect him. It is raining and the narrator is standing at the kitchen window staring at the silver droplets when she sees Chesaina, an old friend of Baba, who works as a watchman in a grain depot in far away Chwele market. She is surprised to see him visit. Chesaina tells Baba and Mama that he got word from a trader, who got it from the mouth of a big government man, that boy was now a marked man. Because of the war, innocent children turn into savages. Apart from the boys who were forced to murder or rape their own kinsmen, Boyi has also gone from a God-fearing young man to a wanted criminal. Chesaina says: “This war has taken with it the mind of your son.”  Boyi's sister hides behind the kitchen door watching Mama. Mama says in her old voice that she must not be told such rubbish about her son. She tells Chesaina that if he wanted Omo to wash his dirty mouth he should just say so. Her eyes are flooded with tears. She puts both hands on her head. She asks: “Matwa kei what did I ever do to you? Tell me Matwa kei, tell me now so that I repent.” Her voice chokes. The narrator wanted to tell Chesaina to shut up but her tongue is clammy and it sticks to the roof of her mouth. Baba tries to calm Mama down. He tells her that Boyi was a good son who used to recite his responsorial psalm earnestly. The distressing news crashes Boyi’s parents and reduces both of them to tears. They cannot wrap their heads around the fact that their good son is now Matwa Kei's right hand man and an enemy of the state. Mama keeps crying so Chesaina walks out in the rain. That day Boyi's sister sees Baba's tears for the first time: Two silver streams rolling down polished porcelain. War really devastates families. (P96)

War causes sad memories as family members think about the broken bonds. Boyi's sister sleeps on Boyi’s bed for the first time. His blue bed sheets, with prints of chicks coming out of yellow egg shells, enfold her with deathly coolness. They smell much of him; of his boyish laughter which shone like toffees wrapped in silver foil; of brown butterscotch sweets which appeared as though by magic from his sticky pockets. She fondly remembers how he used to hoard items Baba declared illegal for example jawbreakers and sticks of Big G. She presses her sore stone-breasts on the sheets willing the pain her brother felt in the cold caves on herself. She imagines him staring with shiny eyes as she tells him about the soldiers, especially Sah-gent, whose adventures she knew Boyi would love the most. She also imagines them playing Ninja soldier as they had done as children. Boyi is wearing his checkered school shirt while she is in a T-shirt. She remembers when their mother caught them playing that game once, and scolded them for courting misfortune and calling death by its name. War affects families and communities adversely. (P96)

Lastly, Boyi’s family is devastated by the news of his killing. Boyi's sister knows it was a bad omen the night thunderstruck and a bolt of lightning shattered the huge Nandi flame tree at the front of their house. Mama jubilantly declares that the evil which was to come to their house had been struck down and swallowed by the Nandi flame. She then sits next to Boyi’s sister on the animal print sofa and listens to the tatatata as the splinters of tree fall on the mabati roof and shake the whole house. Early the next morning, Simoni dashes into their compound and hands her a copy of the Nation newspaper whose headline screams coldly, “Ragtag Militia Leaders Killed by Army Forces.” Something throbs with both fists at her chest as she runs like a mad woman and bangs on her parents bedroom door.  She does not stir when Baba crumples like an old coat due to shock after reading the article. She does not frown when Mama’s ribbon laughter pierces the early morning. She does not weep when neighbours start streaming into their house pouring consolations for war has robbed them of their kin in the prime of his youth. Mama does not fall on the ground as Simoni describes how Boyi had been captured in the sacred cave. She does not weep when he describes how Boyi was murdered brutally by Sah-gent who threw him out of an aircraft which was mid-air, without a parachute. There was no body to bury or for Mama to slap for that matter. She looks at Baba with unclouded innocent eyes of lunacy. With death in her voice, she tells him that the government Sah-gent had thrown Boyi down “without a parachute, imagine”. Her voice is neither bitter nor sad. It is flat. It cracks a little like dry firewood when fire eats it. Mama does not fling words at Baba when he takes his Sony transistor radio and the Nation newspaper and throws them in the almost full pit latrine outside. She is truly devastated. She speaks Boyi’s name softly as though the syllables were made of tin. She sits on Boyi’s bed together with her daughter who weeps uncontrollably, her tears soaking her blue silk blouse and purple boob top. Boyi’s sister does not tell her mother that she had felt life leaving Boyi's body. War indeed affects families adversely. (P97)

In summary, it is evident that conflict or crisis has no positive outcome. They instead destroy families and communities. 

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

People suffering from mental illness need a close, loving bond from family members. Making reference to December and September in December by Filemon Liyambo, write an essay to validate this statement.

It is important to maintain sincere, meaningful relationships with loved ones who are suffering from mental illness in order to provide the support that they need. September loves and cares for his sister who suffers from a mental illness.

First, despite the mean treatment by the KFC waitress, September is determined to get his sister a meal she enjoys. The waitress is impudent. She eyes September with a deathly stare and the furrowed brow and rudely asks him if he was ordering anything. When he orders chips, she sneers at him. This reminds him of how his grandfather Ezekiel looked at him over his glasses whenever he sensed “traces of idiotism” or absent-mindedness(P84). September endures the nonchalance for the sake of his sick sister. Like most Namibian towns where everyone knew each other, there was an indifference to those who did not reside there. Strangers had to wait until Jesus returned for decent customer service. The rude waitress hands September his chips and scoffs at the idiocy. She wonders who comes to KFC to order chips. September samples the chips and they are soft just like his sister preferred them. He even asks for an extra sachet of tomato sauce(P85). When he visits December in hospital and gives her the chips, she acknowledges that they are nice. September adds that they are soft, just how she liked them. A further display of affection is evident when he rubs the tomato sauce off her lips gently(P89). It is important to maintain such a loving bond with our family members who suffer from mental illness.

Despite the cold reception at the hospital and his lateness, September is adamant that he must see his sick sister. When he greets the nurse sorting paperwork at her desk, she shouts rudely: “What do you want?” To which he replies that he was there to visit his sister. Her curved eyebrows point him to a chart on the wall. He is thirty minutes late according to the wall chart for visiting hours and the clock. Determined to see his sister, he tries sincerity and charm by flashing a smile. His courteousness does not spare him the indifference. Rolling her eyes, the nurse insists” “Kamatyona, you’re late.” The nurse call security on him. He is not moved by the two giants and the smaller man. He sits on the grey waiting benches, hoping to see his sister. Luckily, the head of security is Tshuuveni, September’s childhood friend. He was one of the several boys who pursued December when she was young. He was the reason why September acquired a puppy named Kali, which hound Tshuuveni whenever he came near the homestead. The rude nurse learns that it was December Shikongo, his sister, that September wanted to see so badly(P87). Due to his resolution, she finally capitulates and allows September to see his sister for twenty minutes. September’s persistence is born out of the loving bond between him and December.

September maintains a loving bond with his sister despite her challenge of mental illness. December affectionately refers to September as Ka Brother, little brother.  This is her favorite greeting. December and September have always shared a loving relationship since they were children. When they were too small to join their siblings working in the mahangu (pearl millet) field, December tended to her mother’s vegetable garden, together with September. September, four at the time, liked hiding. When the sister was digging with a hoe, he sprang up when she was in mid swing. The impact made a small but deep gush on the head. December shows sincere affection for her brother when she rips off her T-shirt to stem the bleeding. She also nurses him back to health when he returns from the hospital(P85). At the hospital, September notices that December’s hair was scattered like patchy Kaokoveld Dress. Her eyes shine. She is gaunt. Her lips are swollen. She had probably walked into a wall again. She looks thin – like that time her grandfather had taken her to a healer and she returned looking skeletal, as if the healer had tried starving the voices out of her head. September sympathizes with his sister, and can only manage a weak: “How are you?”. This notwithstanding, they engage in a warm conversation. They talk about school. They both laugh and share a smile(P88). When it is time to go, December has to be pried out of her brother’s arms. The nurse comforts her saying that tomorrow is also another day. It is important to maintain such a loving relationship with relatives suffering from mental illness.

When September visits, he often brings his sister food and thoughtful gifts. He had visited the hospital a few times before so he did not need directions to the psychiatric ward. He even knew a shortcut: a narrow path between pediatrics and the pharmacy. He was so familiar with the hospital that he notices that it had been renovated twice since the last time he had been there. The turquoise and green paint was still fresh.  He also notices that the bars on the windows of the ward had been reinforced(P86). The ward had a small garden outside, made-up of three beds of irises. That is where he used to sit with his sister when she was first admitted. He would bring her food – beef or mutton – and ask her how she was. She always responded: “Fine”. She would plead with him: “Onda vulwa mo mu!” She wanted to go home because she was tired either of her mind or the hospital. He cared for her and could not promise something he could not fulfill(P86). September brings his sister some thoughtful gifts. He gives her a jersey – a grey hoodie. She thanks him saying the place is always cold(P89). He also gives her a pen and a book full of puzzles. Then a T-shirt: simple, navy blue, with the Union Jack on it. A replica of the one December ripped to stem September’s bleeding. She shows the indifferent nurse the gifts her brother had brought her. Lastly, he hands her chips: soft, just how she liked them. September displays loving affection for his sister when he visits her regularly and brings her food and gifts(P89).

Lastly, September has to be there for his sister December since he is the only relative in a position to do this. He tries to inquire from his grandfather why December is forbidden from eating chicken but his grandfather never clearly explains. He simply says: “That’s how things are.” He was hiding something(P85). September did not understand how December unraveled the way a thread comes loose: in parts then all at once. She went from having problems with her classmates, catfights and name-calling, to walking half-naked through the streets talking to herself. He believes people did not go crazy overnight, there had to be a plausible explanation. September is angered by his grandfather Ezekiel’s insistence that December was bewitched. Ezekiel’s brother Josef was also mentally ill. The illness also afflicted September’s father, Silas Shikongo, who passed away. December's descent from being a stellar student to a psychiatric patient was too abrupt and inexplicable. The grandfather felt there were other forces behind it(P86). Besides their grandfather’s superstitious beliefs, their mother's heart was broken and her daughter’s sickness had aged her faster than her husband’s untimely demise. September is also hurt that December was left on pause, while life moved on. He cannot also inform December that their grandfather had passed on. He keeps this information to protect her feelings. September has no choice but to maintain a loving bond with his sister who has no one else to turn to.

In conclusion, it is important to maintain a loving relationship with family members suffering from mental illness.

A SILENT SONG ESSAY QUESTION

People who make their money through questionable means live in constant fear of being exposed and therefore try very hard to keep their dealings secret. Write an essay to support this statement citing illustrations from Kevin Baldeosingh's Cheque Mate.

Some people are constantly worried about what they do in darkness being brought to light. When the things they do in secret are revealed in public they may be embarrassed or be in trouble so they go to great lengths to hide their misdeeds as in the case of Sukiya and Randall in Kelvin Baldeosingh’s Cheque Mate.

Since Sukiya is hell bent on keeping her huge income secret, she deliberately avoids going to the bank branch where she has her savings account because the staff there would be too familiar with her business. She chooses a special queue for platinum credit card holders that only has three people. There are only two people behind her and they are not close enough to hear her conversation with the teller. She does all this trying to keep her huge earnings a secret because of the fear of being exposed.

Also, she decides that she would not deal with any bank managers directly. Ever since she was appointed corporate secretary, she got a tenfold salary raise. She became among the country’s one percent  highest income earners. Every 28^th day of the month, fifty thousand dollars went automatically into her savings account. Her savings account had over seven million dollars. Although she has been working for fifteen years, she became corporate secretary only six years ago. As an in-house lawyer for Randall’s company, her savings never crossed ten thousand dollars. Now she deposits five times that amount every month in that same account, which she opened when she was eighteen years old working as a store clerk. That is why she decides never to deal personally with bank managers as most new customers in her income bracket do. A bank manager could make an educated guess and find an anomaly in her earnings. Someone who earns fifty thousand a month accumulating seven million dollars in only six years is something that would raise eyebrows.

Sukiya is worried that the bank teller may get suspicious when she takes back her cheque of five million dollars, which is a substantial amount. The teller seemed like a sensible woman and everything about her, including the black wire frames of her spectacles and her stocky figure in her grey bank uniform seemed sensible. But she was not making any sense, when she asks if Sukiya wanted to deposit the thirty million dollars, in her savings account. Sukiya thinks that ordinary tellers know little about how rich people conduct their business. But today she feels a flutter in her stomach. She is nervous because she was about to deposit a cheque of five million US dollars which is equivalent to 30,242,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars. When the teller gestures with the cheque Sukiya almost flinches. Aghast at her own carelessness she barely hears as the teller explains about US dollar accounts. Sukiya is worried because her boss would be furious if her error exposed him to a legal investigation or a public embarrassment. This is a mistake she could not have made 16 years ago when she was a 25 year old attorney fresh out of law school or seven years ago when she completed a degree in accounting. She had never made such a mistake before and she never makes mistakes. She is thus worried that the teller may get suspicious if she took back the cheque. She does everything to keep her income secret.

Sukiya has to keep some of her money in offshore accounts for the fear of being exposed to the authorities. She could not deposit the five million dollars into her local account. All her cheques go to the Cayman islands account which she uses to invest and pay mortgages on her London flat. When Randall inherited his company, electronic banking was not standard. He had also watched many movies where accounts of businessmen had been cleaned out by unrealistically cunning criminals who hacked into them. So he preferred payments in paper.  He insisted on paying Sukiya for her extra duties involving foreign firms with US cheques. Every two months she had to fly from Trinidad to the Grand Caymans to deposit the cheques into her account there. She does this to keep her large earnings a secret. She is worried about being exposed if she banks the money  in her local bank accounts.

In order to keep her secrets safe, the maids are not allowed inside Sukiya’s study even when she is present.  It always remains locked. Although she is not as paranoid as Randall, Sukiya’s desktop computer does not have internet access. For that, she uses her laptop, netbook or iPhone. The computer also has more than one layer of password for foolproof protection. On the computer, she checks her accounts over the past year and compares them with the recent transactions with the cheques laid out in front of her. Everything matches except for the five million. She does all this hoping she has not made any mistake because the mistake may expose her or her boss and this would make her boss furious in case it leads to legal investigations or public embarrassment. Sukiya does everything to keep the dealings of her company and their incomes secret.

Sukiya plans her strategy to help protect herself from the prying eyes of investigators. She arrives for the meeting with Randall at 1:15  and waits in her Q7 since she does not want to be kept waiting because that would put her in a position of weakness. She also does not want to arrive late since Randall insists on punctuality. She waits until 1.25 o’clock and takes the elevator to the top floor and walks into Randall’s outer office at exactly 1.29 o’clock.

In order to keep his secrets safe, Randall maintains his old secretary for very long time. This is because she knows more about his dealings than anybody else at the company. Margaret was Randall’s secretary even before he inherited the company. She has no formal skills except typing and shorthand. That notwithstanding, she is Randall’s executive assistant. What’s more? She even has her own secretary to deal with routine duties. Her office is bigger than Sukiya's. She is paid more than most managers in the company's subsidiaries. This is because she knows more about Randall’s dealings than anyone else in the company including Sukiya herself. Randall goes to great lengths to prevent his secrets from leaking to the public eye or the prying eyes of the authorities or investigators.

Randall tries to avoid prosecution by forging his own signature using Sukiya’s pen. He gives Sukiya a cheque of five million U.S. dollars which he says, on the books is her fee for writing the methanol deal but off the books, it is her fee for keeping her mouth shut about the methanol deal. Randall influences Sukiya to write a valuation report for the shares in which the contract undervalues the shares by fifty percent. He knows that Sukiya signs documents without reading them properly. Because of the undervaluation, the Chinese offer him a huge kickback. Feeling victorious, Randall smiles. Sukiya is more nervous than she was at the bank and now she feels as though her stomach is a cold, tight ball. Her mouth has gone dry. Randall uses different signatures to sign off the cheques. He does this to make it appear like someone had access to blank cheques and forged his signature. He even uses Sukiya’s pen, a Tibaldi rollerball, to make it appear like Sukiya had forged his signature. He tries to betray Sukiya in order to protect himself. He knows that the universe is collapsing and its masters cannot hold. The company will be bankrupt in three months. He thinks that there’s going to be a worldwide financial crisis before the year is finished. He laughs when he realizes that Sukiya does not pay attention to the world. He wants to avoid prosecution since he knows that when push comes to shove and the storm breaks he will be in its eye. His strategy is to avoid prosecution by ensuring that none of the documents the authorities will come for implicate him. He is the boss but there will be nothing to hold him accountable and that makes a crucial difference. Randall goes to great lengths to conceal his financial transgressions.

In order to protect herself, Sukiya ensures that she records Randall’s voice which incriminates him. She knows that if the company goes down, it will affect many people who have taken a life insurance with them. That will affect the votes and therefore the government would hire American forensic auditors or even the British QC to prosecute the case. She sheds tears and tells Randall that she has always been loyal to him to which he quickly replies that she was certainly paid enough to be loyal. She asks if he can help her. Randall tells her to approach him and kneel. Sukiya peers at her iPhone and presses some buttons. Randall’s voice is heard distinctly. He shoots up from his chair. He has the expression of a vengeful god. He stands there as if held by invincible chains. His breathing is heavy. Sukiya tells him not to worry as they will face the coming storm together. Sukiya does this in a bid to protect herself and keep her secrets safe.

In conclusion, people go to great lengths to keep embarrassing or illicit details of their lives hidden from the public eye. However, this means they live their lives in fear and they have to keep watching over their shoulder to avoid the prying eye of the hawk-eyed investigators or embarrassment from the general public.

 

 

 

Read more: A Silent Song and Other Stories Analyses

• A Man of Awesome Power
• Incident in the Park
• Ninema
• A Silent Song
• Ivory Bangles
• The Sins of the Fathers
• The Truly Married Woman 
• Talking Money
• Ghosts
• God Sees the Truth, but Waits
• The Neighbourhood Watch
• December 
• Boyi
• Cheque Mate 

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