A chapter from my forthcoming novel
Vainge vagere muhambautare yemapurisa yerudzi rweSantana, iyo yakange imire pedyo nemugwagwa waibatanidza guta guru reHarare neMarondera, Macheke nedzimwe nzvimbo dzekumabvazuva kwenyika. Kumavirira kwaive nemidurukidzwa yeHarare. Zuva rakange ronyura, makore aive pamuchecheto atindivara neutsvuku hwemaoshanhede aro kunge donje rakange rapukutiswa chironda namukoti ndokukandwa mubheseni rebhuruu.
Mumwe wemapurisa maviri aya akange ari mutsva pakamba, achiri zvake chijaya chakange chichiine mapundu kumeso. Zvisinei hazvo, aive ari mukomana akasvika, mukomana wekuti ukamupakurira tsinde resadza, airipedza rese. Zvakare, waiti wamuona achidya kudaro, hawaida kuzodenana naye kusvika pakukandirana zvibhakera. Zita rake raive Dermot Mhike.
Chifo chaaizvishora pachezvake ndeche kuti semunhu ainge akadzidza pabhodingi, Dermot akange asati ave neruzivo rwakadzama maererano nezvaiitika munyika, zvikurusisa izvo zvakange zvisingatenderwe kuti munhu akabva kune vanhu angaite kana kuti angafunge nezvazvo, asi zviri zvakare zvinhu zvekuti pane vamwe vezera rake munhu angazvirovere dundundu nezvazvo. Vanhu vanowanzofungira kuti pabhodhingi ndipo panoitwa zvinotyisa, asi chokwadi ndeche kuti vana vanobva pazvikoro zvakadai vanotozotanga kuchangamuka vapinda munyika.
Zvino vakuru vakange vari parutivi rwake, Sgt. Nguruve, vakange vari gamba chairo reHarare. Pane yose yaizivikanwa kunzi mitambo yevagari vemuguta guru, hapana yavakange vasati vatamba. Dai shasha dzemitambo iyi dzaipihwa menduru, aiwa, Sgt Nguruve vaizoda masheti anodarika gumi kuti vapefeke nyembe dzavo dzese. Izvi zvakange zvisinga nyanyoshamisi nekuti Sgt. Nguruve vaive nemakore ekuti vaigona kuva baba vaDermot.
Vari muhambautare kudai, Dermot akatanga kunyatso funga nezvavakange varangana. Chokwadi chaivepo ndeche kuti iye akange asingade kuzviita. Kana kuti azive kuti chakange chamugara chikamusakisa kuti abvume kuperekedza Sgt Nguruve, Dermot akazvibvunza ndokushaya mhinduro. Zvimwe kwaive kuri kuda kuzvionera oga kuti idi vanhu vangaite zvakadai. Asi sezvaanga aona munguva pfupi iyoyi ari mupurisa, vanhu vakawanda ndizvo zvavaita.
Svondo rapfuura, Dermot nevamwe vake vakange vaenda kunobata pfambi dzainzi dzakange dzawandisa mumigwagwa yemukati meHarare. Pamutemo wenyika, hapana zvavaikwanisa kudziita kunze kwekumbodzi vhariria kwemaawa makumi mana nenomwe mushure mezvo dzaizosungirwa nedare kuti dzibhadhare muripo wemari, kana kuti, hunge dzabvuma mhosva yekumbeya-mbeya nemigwagwa nechinangwa chekuita chipfambi, dzaibva dzangobhadhara faindi yacho ipapo. Zvino, sezvo upenyu hwepfambi uri wekugarotsvaga mari chete, zvaionekwa zvakafanira kuti dzinge dzichichimbidza kutsvaga kunzwisisana nemapurisa panguva dzakadai.
Kune vaya vano gozherwa nechibhende regai ndinyatso tsanangura zvakaitika. Mapurisa aya anoti akasunga pfambi, anodzipa mukana wekupukunyuka mumambure avo, waive uri wekurara nemapurisa aya. Izvi zvaireva kuti dzaigona kudzokera zvakare kubasa kwadzo zuva risati raedza, saka dzaizviona sezviri nyore pane kumbovharirwa vana kumba vachirara nenzara.
Dermot haana kuda kubatana nevamwe vake mumachikichori aya, zvinova zvakavashamisa zvikuru. Kwete kuti aizvitora semunhu akarurama bodo. Chakange chisinga zivikanwi neruzhinji ndeche kuti wedu Dermot uyu akange asati amborara nemukadzi. Aitya kana kuitanga nyaya yacho, nyangwe zvazvo aida chose kutaura nevasikana. Kwake kupfimba kwaingogumira mukutambidzana maDVD nemabhuku chete. Parizvino, sezvo akange asati asvitsa hake makore makumi maviri neshanu, vabereki vake vakange vasati vave kunetsekana neunhu hwakadai.
Saka, nekusaziva zvakadzama nezveupenyu, vamwe vake pavaita nhasi tazviwanira pano nevanasikana vanofamba usiku, Dermot akazvivharira muhambautare achichema. Aichema neshungu dzekuda kuziva kuti sei akange akasiyana nevamwe varume, sei zvakange zvisiri nyore kwaari kuti ature nyaya dzekuita zvepabonde nemusikana. Zvakare, aichema nekuti aiziva kuti zvavaita izvi- zvekumanikidza pfambi- zvakange zvakaipa. Izvi zvaiwedzera shungu dzake nekuti akange asinganzwisise kuti sei iye oga aizviona sezvakaipa vamwe vake vaitozvitora semimwe yemibairo yebasa ravo.
Zvino Sgt Nguruve vaive shasha yemutambo uyu wemapurisa wekurara nepfambi dzemuHarare vasinga dzibhadhare. Iyi yaive tsika yavo kubvira kare, kubva mazuva apo zvibodzwa zvemutambo uyu zvaigona kuva mwana wemusango kana zvirwere zvesiki. Zviviri izvi zvakange zvawanisa Sgt Nguruve mikombe yendarama isingaverengeki.
Masvondo apfuura, Sgt Nguruve vakange vari kuchipatara, nepamusana pemubairo huru hwemutambo hwavo uyu. Haiwa, uyu ndiwo mubairo mukuru manje. Zvimwe Musiki vakange vaona kuti mimwe mibairo yakange isisadzore vanhu, asi yaita seyaitokurudzira vanhu kuti vaite mitambo iyi. Mubairo uyu waive chirangamapenzi chaiwo, asi waizoranga nevasina mhaka vakawanda kudarika iye anenge autambira.
Chakaendesa Sgt Nguruve kuchipatara chakatanga sechikosoro nekuoma kwepauro, ndokuteverwa nekupera simba mumaoko nemakumbo. Miromo yavo yakatsvuka kuti piriviri, uye mbatya dzavo dzakange dzave hombe kwavari zvekuti waiti zvimwe ndedze kupihwa nevaya vanobatsira vanoshaya. Umuwo muhapwa nepahudyu, zvakange zvave zvazvimba nemutochera. Dai pasina kuti nemutemo wechipurisa, vaisungirwa kuva nemuparavara nguva dzose, inga dai mwerere webvudzi ravo wakafandanura kune ruzhinji kuti pano pakange paita urwere uya unogarotauwra nezvahwo.
Vaona kuti chikosoro chiya chaenderera kwemwedzi yakati wandei, uye utano hwakange hwadzikira hwose, Sgt Nguruve vakaenda kunoona chiremba. Vakatorwa ropa, asi chiremba akange atozviona kare kuti mukuru wemapurisa uyu akange ave nechirwere chiya chapedza ruzhinji pasi rose.
Pavakaudzwa izvi, Sgt Nguruve vaka zvitambira hazvo. Ko, mukore uno, zvakange zvichashamisa here kuti munhu angawanikwe aine utachiwana hweHIV? Asi chavasina kugashira ndechekuti chirwere cheShuramatongo ichi hachirapiki.
Sekuziva kwavaita, hapana chirwere chisingarapiki. Kana anachiremba vechizvino vaifambisa manyepo aya, uku kwakange kusiri kusada kuti vanhu vapone chete, asi kuti aive matandanyadzi evanhu vakange vakoniwawo. Ko, handiti vaishandisa ruzivo rwechiRungu chete, iko kuine ruzivo rwemarudzi akasiyana epasi rino? Aiwa, kana ivo vechiRungu vakundikana, kwaive naanachiremba vaigona kurapa zvose zvaikandisa vekuchipatara mapfumo pasi.
Saka Sgt Nguruve vakafamba, sekutaura kunoita vanhu. Zvavakange vaudzwa nagodobori ndizvo zvakange vakamirira kuti vaite manheru aya. Asi, vakange vasina kurangana naDermot uyu zvakadzama kudaro. Vakange vamuti vaida kusunga vanhu vaita basa rekuba huni papurazi reshamwari yavo, asi kana paive ne“mhuka”, aifanirawo kudzibaya.
Saka kana akange asingade zvekubaya mhuka, chii chaainge avinga? Uyu ndiwo mubvunzo mukuru. Pose paaizvipa nguva yekutsvaga mhinduro, Dermot aicherechedza tsumo inoti, Wadziya moto wembavha wavewo mbavha. Anga tange nhasi kuona uipi hwetsika iyi, ko pese pazvaitika aivepi? Zvakare, chii chaaigona kuita kurambidza vamwe vake? Chii ch-
“Avo, Shefu!”
Sgt Nguruve vakapepuka. “A, ko ndanga ndave kutobatwa nehope, mupfanha!”
Mapurisa akatarisa vanhu vakati rododo vachibva musango. Vaive vakadzi nevana vakasiyana mazera, kubvira mhandara nejaya zvichidzika. Vese vakange vakatsiga huni.
“Tsika mafuta, mupfanha!” Sgt Nguruve vakadaro. Vakapuruzira makukumire avo neruoko rumwe, meso akati nde-e pane vanhu ava, meso eshumba ino tsvaga pane mhembwe dziri kupfuura, ichitsvaga iri nyore kudzingirira.
Hazvina kuvatorera masekondi makumi kuti vaone mhembwe iya. Kano kapunha, kaimbimbishira nerino zidanda raita seraikapfura kureba. Bhurauzi rako raive diki, rakakaka nemuviri, richiratidza michero yakange yave kutukudza pachipfuva chake. Kasiketi kake kairatidzawo kuti kaive kari keKisimusi yegore ra19Takadyakare-kare. Asi kusakara kwako kwaita kuti Sgt Nguruve vaone zvese zvavaida kuona panguva iyi.
Dermot akange ozvibambadzira nepfungwa yekuti vakange vauya kuzosunga vagari vemuGoromonzi vaita tsika yekuba huni papurazi. Ko, pane zvimwe here zvaaigona kufungidzira, kunze kweizvi zvaakange audzwa nashefu wake? Zvemutambo wemapurisa uya, pamwe zvakange zvakarongerwa Growth Point.
Sekuona kwaDermot, kusunga vanhu ava kwakange kusina kufanira. Ko, handiti risati rave purazi pamutemo wakauya nevapambi, iyo nzvimbo iyi yaive nyika yevanhu ivava? Zvakare, kutema miti kwavaita kungaenzane here nekwemakambani, zvikuru ekunze kwenyika, anobatana nevamwe vashandi veHurumende vane uori mukuparadza masango?
Vanhu vaya vakabva vaona kuti kunze kwaipa, ndokutanga kungambaira vachakatsiga huni dzavo. Vaya vakati chenjerei pakati pavo vakatsveta mitoro yavo iyi, ndivo tsoka ndibereke vakananga musango. Asi paive nevamwe vakange vashinga kuteedza mugwagwa, uye vakange vashinga kuti vaizosvika chete kumisha yavo nemisengwa yavo iyoyi.
Kasikana kaya kaive pane avo vakange vonenereka vakananga musango.
“Misa mota, mupfanha!” Sgt Nguruve vakadaro.
Dermot akaita sekuraidza kwashefu wake. Akada kuti atevere, asi Sgt Ngurve vakapfiga musuwo wavo zvehasha, ndivo avo, vachiita zvekusvetuka kunge ingwe yavhundutsira mhembwe.
Sgt Nguruve vakanzwa mapfupa avo kudaira. Kudzimba uku kwakakange kusiri kwekubva zera bodo, asi kwekusava neutanho. Aitove mashiripiti seemuBhaibheri chaiwo kuti vaiwanikwa panguva iyi vachimhanya nesango kudai, munhu akange aendeswa kuchipatara nebhara mwedzi nhatu dzapfuura.
Sgt Nguruve vakamhanya, asi vakange vachi dzingirisana nemwana aitemwa dzinobvaropa. “Iwe, mira musikana iwe!”
A, ko iye musikana wacho ndipo paaigomira? Sgt Nguruve vakange vave kufemereka, vachinzwa sekunge moto watungidzwa mumapapu avo. “Manje….. ndave….. ku….enda kumba kwako…… ndino…… sunga munhu….. wese….. wandichawanako!”
Musikana uya akabva amira, ndiye pasi pu! kunge arohwa. Sgt Nguruve vakambo zendama nemuti, ndoku takwaira vamire kudaro. Femo roga raita kunge raizvuva magirazi achimara chirakaraka chavo.
Musikana uya akaramba arere muvhu kudaro, akatarisa pasi, akashadabura makumbo ake. Sgt Nguruve vakanzwa moto weruchiva rwuchikuchidzirwa zvakare, rwopfuta. Pakange pafuura mwedzi mingani kubvira pavakapedzisira kunzwa ruchiva urwu?
Musikana uya paakanzwa mumvuri waSgt Nguruve wanzunzuma paari, paakarohwa nekufemereka kwavo kunge mweya wedhirihora, akacheudza musoro wake ndokusanganisa meso navo. Zvaakaona mumaziso emupurisa uyu akatadza kunzwisisa zvakange zvave kuda kuitika, asi zvakawedzera kutya kwake. Misodzi yaingoyerera, akaipukuta nekaboko, ndokusimudza muviri wake kubva muchiunu zvichikwira, akazendama nako.
“Chirega kuchema, mwana’ngu,” Sgt Nguruve vakadaro. Vakataura nezwi remufundisi wezvemweya, izwi rizere netsitsi nerudo, izwi rekuti nyangwe gororo rakaita sei raiziva kuti rasangana neruregerero uye pakange pasisina chekutya.
Musikana uya akanyatso vatarisa, kumeso kwake kwakati finyami, kumeso kwekanyenye kari kuona chikara chesango asi kachinzwa izwi raamai vako.
“Handina kuba huni, ndapota! Ndiri mwana mudiki, hapana zvandino zivawo.” Kasikana kaya kakatanga kuchema zvakare.
“Hazvina mhosva, asikana” Sgt Nguruve vakadaro. Rumwe ruoko rwakange rwave pane bendekete remwanasikana uyu. Rumwe rwakange rwave kubhandi rebhurukwa ravo.
“Zvino mukatisunga toita sei? Baba vangu vakabuda basa, huni idzodzo ndidzo dzatino tengesa kuti tiwane mari yeupfu. Tofa here nenzara?” Mwana uya akange atirapata zvakare, akatsamhira ruoko rwake, achichemera muhapwa. Njodzi yaakange yanangana naye iyi akange asingaizive. Chaaifunga ndeche kuti mupurisa uyu akange amunzwira tsitsi, uku kwakange kuri kuchema kweshungu.
“Chinzwa, chisikana,” Sgt Nguruve vakadaro, vachimhanyisa meso avo nemasango. Nerima rakange ravepo, vakange vasinga nyatsoone, asi kwairatidzira sekunge Dermot asina kutevera. Nyangwe dai atevera zvake, aigovadii? “Ini handichakusungei, asi unofanira kubvuma zvandiri kuda kuita.”
Vachitaura kudai, vakange vadzikisa matirauzi avo neandapendi, ndokunzwa kamhepo. Zvisinei hazvo, chombo chavo chakange chakati shwi! kumira zvekuti waigona kuturika heti pakare. Neruoko rimwe, vaka fugura kasiketi kaya. Bhurugwa remukati rakange rakapfekerwa kuti zvinziwo munhu ane bhurugwa, asi rakange rave chikorobho chaicho. Sgt Nguruve vakatanga kupuruzira magaro emusikana uya.
Musikana uya ndipo paakaona kuti akange ari IDIOM. Ivo Sgt Nguruve vakabva vayeuka kuti zvavaita zvakange zvisiri zvemukomana nemusikana vapfimbana zvavo, asi zvechikara chesango chabata mhuka. Musikana uya akavhura muromo kuti aridze mhere, ndokunzi nerino ziboko rinenge regudo pa! Sgt Nguruve vakange vave pamusoro pemusikana uya, rimwe ruoko ruchitsvaga mucheka webhurugwa rake. Semunhu akange asingaone zvaaita kuzasi uku, vakabatata dzamara vazvhirega, ndokutsvaga rimwe remaburi ebhurugwa riya, ndivo nezinyoka ravo zho! Mwanasikana akagwina muviri wose, zvaka vayeuchidza musi wavaka batsirana nevamwe vemumba mavo mukubata hanzvadzi yavo apo yaitumburwa munzwa naambuya vavo.
Musikana uya akaona kuti hapana mapukunyiro aaigona kuita, ndiye zii, kunge sheshe iri kutenyerwa nejongwe. Pasina nguva ipi, Sgt Nguruve vakange vasimuka, vave kusunga bhandi ravo.
Chombo chavo chakange chatota unyoro hwaipisa, uye hwaitaima chiedza pfumbu chemwedzi. Ndizvo zvavange vachida, ndizvo zvavakange varairwa nen’anga. Kana uchida kuti chirwere chako chipere zvachose, unofanira kurara nemhandara. Ropa remhandara rine simba rekupisa utachiwona hwaunawo.
-Ko, nhai vaSekuru, ko zvazvinonzi nemadhokotera…. ?
-Iwe, chienda kumadhokotera acho! Handiti kuuya padare rangu hunge wamboedza zvemadhokotera zvacho? Zvandiri kukuudza ndirwo ruzivo rwavakuru. Inga wani, muBhaibheri revaKristu, zvinonzi apo Mambo Dhavhidhi vakange vave kurwara, vakavatsvagira mhandara yekurara navo?
“Chimuka ndikuperekedze kumba,” vakadaro kune musikana uya. “Ukangoudza chete nyangwe ani zvake nezvaitika izvi, ndinouya kuzosunga mhuri yako yose. Wazvinzwa?”
Musikana uya haana kana kupfakanyuka. Sgt Nguruve vakambo funga kuti zvimwe vamuuraya. Asi, vakanzwa kuti fiko-fiko kwemwana asisina simba rekunyatsochema. Vachimunzwa achidaro, moyo waSgt Nguruve wakarwadza.
Pfungwa idzi dzetsitsi vakadziramba kunge dzaibva kuna iye Munyengedzi Satani chaiye. Iyi yakange iri nyaya yeupenyu hwavo, upenyu hwemukuru pakamba yemapurisa, samusha, musimboti wedzinza. Upenyu hwekantombi kakadai hwaive chii kana waienzaniswa nehwavo? Ko, ndipo pakaizokurawo kakava munhu ane chiremera muupenyu? Kachikudzwa nei, kana vabereki vacho vaigona bedzi kukapfekedza kambikiza ikako? Vaivewo nechii, vaivewo chii pano panyika? Mumakore maviri anotevera, kanenge kazadzwawo nerimwe remarombe aiswera paGrowth Point kana kuti aitengesa zviwitsi nemaputi mukabhokisi pamitsetse yevanhu vakamirira michova kudhorobha.
Vari kuzvishingisa kudai necherechedzo yemamiriro ezveupfumi nekushomeka kwemikana kune ruzhinji kuti rwuzvi simudzire, zvinova zvisiri mhosva yavo, Sgt Nguruve vakanzwa kunge kwaive nemhunu ainyoshwaira achiuya kwavari. Kunze kwakange kusati kwanyatsosviba, asi dzimwe nyeredzi dzakange dzave kubwaira mudenga rakange rave neruvara repaper, uye mwedzi wakange wabuda.
“M-M-Mhike?” Sgt Nguruve vakabvunza nezwi raidedera. Hana yavo yakatanga kurova nefungidziro yekuti vaigona kunge vari baba vekasikana aka, kana dzimwe hama dzechirume.
Vakaona chiedza chemwenje wake chichitambatamba murima umu kunge chitai-tai huru.
“Shefu, ndine vandabata pane vanhu vaya, ndavasiya kuSantana yedu.” Apo aimhan’ara kudai, Dermot akange asati aona kuti pedyo netsoka dzemukuru wake paive parere munhu.
“Vangani? ” Sgt Nguruve vakabvunza, vachisunga bhandi ravo.
“Vashanu, shefu,” Dermot akapindura. Haana kuda kuzvitaura, asi zvakamunetsa kuti zvairatidza sekunge Sgt Nguruve vakange vasina kana mumwe wavakange vabata. Vakange vakamafuratira, saka Dermot akafunga kuti zvimwe vaita weti.
Ndipo paakanzwa sokunge munhu ari kugomera. Dermot akavheneka nemwenje wake, ndokuona inga parere kamunhu.
“Kamwana kamhanya ikaka!” Sgt Nguruve vakaseka, ndokukakava negumbo. Kasikana kaya kakagomera zvakare. “Rega kambofurwa nemhepo. Kana kuti rega ndino katorera mvura kubva kuSantana. Ndinoda kukaratidza kuti isu mapurisa tinewo tsiyo nyoro, saka tichakaendesa kumba kwako. Asi vanhu vakuru ava kana vasingakwanisi kubhadhara faindi, toenda navo kuHarare, tovasiya pamugwagwa weMabvuku tovati vamhanye vakananga misha yavo.”
Sgt Ngurve vakaita zvekumedzwa nechadima-mwedzi wainge wafukidzwa negore, vonanga kuhambautare yavo. Dermot akanongedza zvakare mwenje wake, ndokuona inga mashura, kasikana kaya kakange kakafugura siketi yako. Aya akange asiri iwo mashura ega, asi kuti zvaive pachena kuti kakange kayaruka. Mihomba miviri iyi yaaiona yakange yakanyatso tsvukirira yakantaso umbika. Uye kasikana aka kakange kakatambanudza makumbo ako.
Dermot akamboramba akakatarisa kudaro, ndokusangana neunhu hwake kunge zvinonzi aizvitarisa muchiringiso. Aitya kupfimba musikana nekuti aitya kurambwa. Zvakare, aitya kuzozviratidza semunhu asina masimba ekuwana zvaaida. Zvino pano panga pamuka mukanha wekuvawo murume, pano aigona kuita zvainge aona vamwe varume vachiita. Zvaaipfugama pane musikana uya, achikakaradzana nezipi yake, aiziva kuti pakanga pasina rudo pakati pake nemusikana uyu. Zvaanga ave kuda kuita zvakange zvakafanana neapo aibvutira vaya vaitengesa mumigwagwa zviri kunze kwemitemo zvekudya zvavo. Asi, sezvaakange aona munyika, kazhinji chako pakange pasina rudo pakati pemukadzi nemurume apo vaisangana. Kwaingova kuti murume aida mukadzi, uye mukadzi aivepo.
Zvisinei kuti chaimupa kudaro chii, usiku uhwu, Dermot akaziva mukadzi kekutanga muupenyu hwake, ndokutapurira panguva imwechete iyi utachiona unokonzera chirwere cheShuramatongo.
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7 Responses to “A chapter from my forthcoming novel”
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Can’t wait to read the full novel….is it available?
Thanks for reading. No, the full novel is yet to appear. When it does, it will also be available in other African languages too.
I am hard at it right now, putting the final touches.
Powerful stuff. Deceptively simple but pregnant with many profound issues. Poignant. A horrific deed beautifully told. Ndizvo!
You have me hooked. I am curious though.
How are you getting it into other african languages ? It is hard enough getting books from other languages into Shona and there is a great debate about how the literature in other African languages is being sidelined its writers in favour of English which has a bigger audience. There is a sense that African language literature is not maturing because its readership is mostly school level readers.
Does ‘other African languages’ [for your book include] Ndebele ?
Farai
The first language will be KiSwahili, which is widely used throughout Africa and the Middle-East.
I am of the school of thought that African literature does not appeal to the book-buying public is because it has not been allowed to expand beyond the genre established by Christian Missionaries. My writings shatter these boundaries.
Yes, SiNdebele is “other African languages”. There is a large number of SiNdebele-speaking readers living abroad-my targetted readership is the people living abroad who can afford to buy books from amazon etc.
Thanks for the interest, and keep up the work to save our languages. One day, soon, English will be purged from our culture!!
I started to read your extract on line. I got hooked . I printed it and went off to read with a cup of coffee. A strong force welled up in me and I had difficulty keeping the coffee down. Is that the beginning of the novel ? It could prevent people from going further. Your description of the rape is strong stuff.
Rape is a difficult subject. How high a moral hurdle does one have to climb to perpetrate such an act. In the black context it has reverberations across time and cultures. The bad Mr Thabo Mbeki said whites always looked at black men and saw rapists. The explosive spread of HIV in Africa was associated with racial commentary about Africans and violent sex. The breakdown of law and order in Zim has been accompanied by rape. The cultural grounding of acceptance of rape, especially with the kind of publicity child rape gets in South Africa means you have chosen to tackle an area where there will be a lot of scrutiny of how you handle the issue. Do African women look at African men and see rapists.
I am sure you are aware about the general outcry in the west about child abuse and paedophilia and child trafficking etc. A lot of it has been around institutions and institutionalised people. Was Dermot abused at boarding school ? I was at boarding school in the sixties in Zim during my primary school years. Kids knew then that they were vulnerable to sexual abuse from bigger boys and men in the institution and always tried to be careful not be at risk\.
You raise many issues that Shona writers have not explored to any meaningful extent and that is very exciting. You refer to that in your reply above.
Well done
Many thanks, sir!!
If the depiction of the rape is strong, it is meant to be!!! Actually, I was a screenwriter before a novelist-so I tend to be quite graphic at times. The idea is to horrify you and shock you-then if you have the stomach to read on I portray how these things can happen to a society that likes to brag about its “unhu”.
There is always that problem as a contemporary artist of when addressing a bold subject, one can be seen as pandering to Western prejudices etc. But the novel is written in ChiShona, and will come out in KiSwahili, Hausa and other Pan-African languages first before a single European reads it. And at the same time, I feel that people are free to take it any way they can.
I was at a boarding school, and it may seem strange but I was not aware of any sexual abuse there until I left-then I found out it had been rampant. And to think that I actually protected one of the perpertrators from bullies-come to think of it, those boys may have wanted to beat him up because they knew what he was doing. In my novel I did touch on male rape.
However, the novel is not about rape, but what happens after. Dermot is a side plot. There is an orphaned servant girl who is gang-raped by her employer’s son and his friends and left for dead. When the matter is brought to the court, they get away with it. Her life is shattered, and she has no one to turn to except a very strange woman with a very strange religion. From there, the novel is horror a la Stephen King.
I am in the process of making final adjustments to the manuscript, perhaps you would care to see the final draft? I appreciate your comments, you have looked at aspects I had not considered.
Many thanks