The Reverine Savior

THE RIVERINE

PART ONE

Chapter 1

Obange Donmax stood at his bungalow’s doorstep. His black shoes shone brightly reflecting the mid-morning sunrays and blended well with his thoroughly ironed white suit. On his left wrist, a golden watch and on his right hand, his car keys dangled. A white slim tie obediently flopped on his chest down to the tummy. The dark glasses completed his American statute and finally the dark cowboy hat finalized the perfect style.

A soft music soothingly proceeded from the living room as he satisfactorily surveyed his compound. Right in the middle of his compound under the shade he parked his V8 land cruiser. Friesian cows mooed due to their bulged udders probably pleading for a relief by getting milked. A herdsman was always quick to the response but since he was out at the fields cutting fodder, the cows had to be patient. Just behind the main house, hundreds of chicken squeaked. Pigeons cooed on rooftop thus if only Noah could come back with his ark then he could have so many messengers to send so as to be assured that there were no more pools of water on earth.

Helen Muyale, his dear wife stood before the dressing mirror. She was always smart and this day was not going to be exceptional. This was going to be a glorious day for the couples. The long awaited day was here and seemed sooner than she had expected it. To send some message of love, she decided to be madam purple, for this was her husband’s favorite color. Her sleeveless purple and flimsy dress gracefully swayed just little down her patella exposing her round smooth calf. Her dark pony-tail hair tied together with a purple rubber band, and finally she was in purple flats, simple and perfect.

From where her husband stood outside the house, he could smell her body lotion in combination of the strong spray. Obange Donmax smiled sheepishly at the thought of the several sleepless nights this particular Juliet, now officially his wife had given him. Many years down the line when they were still in high school he had desired this girl but did he have the guts to propose? Alikula kwa macho. He had marveled at how her slim waist managed to comfortably support her round fairly large bottom. He thumped his chest with satisfaction. If there was a great achievement he had made then it was marrying this woman. Though currently she was a mother of two, her physical appearance was a clear indication of a well-balanced financial equation between the duos to maintain such standards.

Their two children- Silvia and Billy- six and four years respectively, rolled on the carpet imitating Michael J. White’s blows which they were watching on their 64-inch curved Television screen. The house maid dutifully packed the clothes and other necessities that the master= as Obange Donmax was commonly referred to by his servitudes, would need on his impending journey. A playful kitten struggled to give hefty blows to its underlying image on the glass table and after several failed attempts; it went to the kitchen enticed by the aroma of spiced delicacies.

Obange Donmax had never bossed his workers and they had reciprocated by due loyalty and respect for him. A Datsun pick-up hooted at his gate before the gateman shot up to perform his function. The pick-up was driven next to the cowshed where by assistance of two other fellow workers, they offloaded the fodder. This had been the major use of this vehicle alongside milk delivery and transportation of manure to the fields.

Earlier as a management student, he had learnt of the principles of management and his workers had employed almost all of them religiously. He loved the sort of prevailing organization of the work employed by his employees. They required no supervision and he offered none. If only they would have gotten little further formal education, they would have made a very efficient workforce for the entire country and even probably innovate.

As he still conceptualized this unfortunate fact, a soft hand curled beneath his armpit resting the palms on his shoulders from his back. Definitely she was Helen Muyale. “Lunch is ready sweetheart,” she hissed in his ears. The two strode back into the house, Obange Donmax self-assured that he was approaching his self-actualization. Much had been accomplished but much more awaited. The dining table was stuffed with all sorts of food and drinks. It was a unison family and even the laborers were not excluded.

Everybody assembled for lunch and the little Billy offered this humorous prayer; “God bless the hands of our expert cook so that she disappoints not in future in Jesus’ name?” the others instead of chorusing amen, broke in laughter. Billy was a little disappointed but largely assured that he was an upcoming comedian as even his ever serious dad exposed his teeth. The happy family enjoyed the meal whole heartedly and there after the dishes was safely placed in the sink. The master summoned everyone to remain seated after the meal as he had information to pass. He cleared his throat and began his short speech.

“Helen, Silvia and Billy are going to accompany me to Kisumu airport for a flight a quarter an hour from now. I am going out of the country for a three years’ study at a university in Havana, the capital of Cuba. Helen Muyale developed a euphoric mood which however lasted for seconds as she perceived the impending loneliness. He paused and the room fell dead silent. He continued, “My PhD in BMA will be too demanding to entertain any unnecessary division of attention. I must recognize the fact that you have been too loyal for my service and it is an effort which cannot be ignored. The mistress will always be out of the compound attending to patients in the hospital or running various private businesses. This however should not create room for any mischief or irresponsibility. Remember me in your prayers during and even after my studies abroad. Not unless one has a question or point of interest to put across, you are free to leave.”

All the eyes were glued on the floor, lost in thought and inability to connect the sense of direction which the master had provided in the past and the vacuum which they were already feeling. Already he was being missed yet he had not departed from them. A minute or so later, one of the cowboys spoke in a wavy voice, “Good luck master, your success is our pride.” The little Billy ran across the room to where his dad sat and demanded, “I must go with you!” he said as he lumped himself on his dad’s laps. “We shall discuss it at the airport son,” he answered him caressing his back affectionately. Once again the others laughed at his mischief but at least his action helped to quench the prevailing somber mood.

A prayer was made to commit the entire journey into the Almighty’s hand before the procession headed for the car. Final farewells were exchanged between the master and the servants as Billy and Silvia plunged themselves onto the back seats. Helen Muyale sat on the front next to Obange Donmax as he himself was to drive. He lowered the tinted windows, waved at the remaining household and veered off towards the main gate. The gateman obediently opened the gate, saluted and closed behind the huge car. The other workers watched in disbelief as the car meandered down the rough road and finally varnished towards the main road.

“Now back to your respective workplaces you primates before I slash all of you!” one of the workers joked.

“If master himself never pronounced such idiocy from his lips then who do you think you are, master’s father? Fool!” another female servant retorted back at his insult. Other two well-built fellows simply grabbed the first offender and shouted to the gateman, “Open the gate we are deporting him to the neighbor’s homestead for we are already fed up with him.” The victim kicked helplessly like a housefly entangled within a cobweb. He managed to free himself and went direct to water tap to cool his burning throat. The entire situation ended with everybody lying on the soft compound’s grass to prevent their ribs from aching due to excess laughter. One by one they went back to attend to their respective chores.

The couples did not talk much in the vehicle since they had exhausted almost every worthwhile topic for discussion in their bedroom the previous night. Tired of gazing at the trees rush past them, the two children soon fell asleep in the rear seats. The silence became quite irritating thus he turned on the car’s radio. It was now exactly 4:00 pm, the news’ hour. Soon a reporter echoed. “Good evening and thank you for tuning, this is Hope FM and it’s a minute on top of the hour, I am Melisa. Headlines, Obange Donmax wins again this year’s novel writers’ award following his two other successive awards currently on his novel titled An End to the Taxpayers’ Burden.” Neither of the couples could believe what they had just heard. Indeed the greater the battle, the sweeter the victory. The current winner had spent numerous sleepless nights to write, cancel and re-write this particular novel which had now put him on the map. It was bloody hell balancing the family life, job and writing the novel.

As his tradition had always been, he knew that every success of his life was attributed to God thus the first prudent thing to do was to park by the roadside and thank the Almighty for granting him such a marvelous success. His wife had gotten used to this therefore she wasn’t taken aback by the sudden halt of the drive. “God I disappear so that you may appear, I vanish so as to create space for you to manifest your glory. I’m dumb for I know that you will speak sense on my behalf, may your hand save your people from the hands of ignorance in Jesus’ name?” and they finalized with a loud Amen in unison. In appreciation, Helen Muyale gave him a splendorous kiss on the lips after which they continued with the journey to the airport.

Chapter 2

The airport was a beehive of activity. One thing however impressed Obange Donmax. All people seemed to know what brought them there, they were an organized lot. Time was a precious factor there. Travelers pushed their suitcases to and fro and adventurous atmosphere prevailed. For the first time, Helen Muyale envied her husband for the opportunity he had secured. Nonetheless, he deserved it as she convinced herself especially when she flashed back on the mysteries he had passed through in an attempt to mould himself into a meaningful person like any other. It was still an hour before the departure time thus they decided to have some refreshment at a restaurant before temporarily parting ways.

Ironically, irrespective of all his massive success, Obange Donmax was never at ease with himself. Venom had devoured him for time immemorial since he was a child. What had made him a bitter man was the megalomaniac political situation in his country. The melodramatic rallies were full of deceit, murders were committed behind the political scenes, and the worst was that the politicians who were entrusted with public offices, yet worked towards achieving their personal interests at the expense of delivering to their employers who voted them into the offices.

He felt deep within him that he had a deep-rooted responsibility to make an endeavor to stamp out this political stupidity for the sake of the poor. He felt that the social stratification was unjust and it needed cleansing. Everybody had to hold one another as equally important as any other irrespective of the social class. He was convinced that it was going to be a herculean task though it was going to form the hub of his satisfactory living. He was ready to take the risk. He had to expose the social injustices, all the political, social and economic byzantine had to be broken. He was determined to go through it with aplomb and appear in the list of the apotheoses. The poor could not become poorer as the rich became richer and even forcefully made wealth which never belonged to them to be under their custody. He was not going to make dump comments on this.

He however kept all these to himself for a long time. He knew that at times teachers could be cheaters and he was not prepared to fall into their trap. He patiently waited for the most appropriate time for he was convinced that there is nothing impossible under the sun as long as one believed in ideological maturity and not be misled by biological age; which makes one to think anti-clock wise hence confusing it with wisdom. He was for now going out not only to learn but also to seek ideas and reinforcement on how to rectify the situation he had loathed for his entire life.

Obange Donmax’s family enjoyed their meals but down their hearts, the couple was entangled in a morass of confusion. Coming to terms with the partial separation was a great sacrifice for they had never attempted one six years down the line since they got married. Mixed emotions of joy, panic and anxiety ran down their hearts simultaneously. They however had to survive it. This was one of the ups and downs they were promised to face in their marriage at the altar on their wedding day which they had made an oath to survive in totallity. It was now time to keep to the promise. Physically separated but spiritually united, they comforted themselves with that common phrase. It was time to illuminate the dark caves of disparity in which poor Kenyans had lived in and nothing was just going to interject.

Departure time. Obange Donmax was to go on board as Helen Muyale was to drive back home together with the children. He huddled both of his children into his strong arms and gave them a peck each on the forehead before gently lowering them onto the ground. He turned to embrace his dear wife who fell on his chest. Caressing her back gently, he kissed her soft lips and released her before their temperatures rose to optimum. Helen Muyale’s buxom boobs heaved slightly under her dress with belonging but there wasn’t a second option apart from driving and nursing her helpless desires in the traffic jam back towards home.

In the meantime, Billy had forgotten the drama he had staged in the dining room back home of demanding to travel with his dad and now all he wanted was a personal car for a gift when his dad returns home. For Silvia, she remained composed and simply clung onto her mother’s hand ready to face life minus the father.

Helen Muyale drove back home both a proud and a sad woman. She had married the right man yes but she had so over depended on him that she felt a deep vacuum left in her life in his absence. It was quite difficult for her to fully recollect herself and face the reality. She felt woozy and endless questions sprang in and out her mind. Some of her imaginations made her stiffen on her seat as she drove. Suppose her husband established a new relationship with a white woman in Cuba and failed to come back home? What of if he comes back home with another woman as her co-wife? What of the plane crashing and him being brought back in a casket? “God forbid!” she became hysterical and found herself shouting. “Mum what’s it?” Silvia asked her. It was then that she realized that she had shouted unknowingly. She had been in her own world and even forgot that there were kids in the back seat. “I was praying for your dad’s journey mercies,” She cheated.

Obange Donmax was not exempted from his set of uncertainties concerning the prematurely broken bond between him and the family. His unrest was perpetuated by a novel he had recently read about a colonial governor. This particular highly respected governor caught his wife red-handed on his bed with his African gardener in the actual act. Suppose he was going to be the next victim? He however brushed off the idea as soon as it had crossed his mind.

Quarter past five, they were airborne. Beside him sat a middle-aged lady in her late twenties or early thirties as per his approximation. She was bespectacled and was in a skimpy pinkish bustier and a black mini skirt. As a matter of fact, she was such a stellar woman. She possessed an awesome and highly impressive round set of breasts. Her smooth brown thighs calmly protruded from her mini making her even more girlie than she actually was. She was a real gem. She seemed an intellect. She calmly sat, her face fixed on her laptop onto which she was typing a piece of work.

Already the temptations were accelerating for Obange Donmax yet he had not even landed in Cuba, where he was to stay for the next three years. He felt a wave of fright sweep through him at the thought that with all these he had to uphold the sanctity of his marriage. “An empty head is a devil’s workshop,” as the saying goes. He therefore opted for a novel which he had carried along to make him busy.

The lady who had given him restlessness was not exempted from her personal worries. As a matter of fact, she did not just know how to really broach the subject for the fear of being perceived as a sleazy woman. She was torn between furthering with the typing and making a gnomic gesture to him so as to instill some sense into him.

Droplets of perspirations formed around her nose at the thought of such an Adonis who sat adjacent to her. She was almost about to adumbrate but fear seized her throat and only a shaky sound was pronounced instead, making her even more vulnerable than before. Time would however determine the fate between the two. She was a go-getter and sooner or later, she had to coax him. She placed her laptop into the bag slept off.

Almost all passengers on board had slept except Obange Donmax who still had his eyes fixed on the novel. Two further seats from where he was, a Chinese sat; Jong Xi was his name. He was stoutly built and stone faced. His character was questionable outwardly right from his physical appearance. They had travelled for hours when Obange Donmax suddenly saw something unusual. A black object glided past and upon looking at it a second time, lo! It was a serpent.

Something unfortunate had happened. This particular snake was under an illegal ownership of the Chinese who had caught Obange Donmax’s attention before. He came to Kenya as a tourist with the ill intension of trading in wildlife whose market was readily available in Cuba. He safely coiled the snake into his sleeping sac but was disappointed when the reptile could not endure the detention of being put in the sac any further.

Obange Donmax shot up and wailed like a woman in the labor. He jumped onto his seat as the Cobra raised its head. If only he knew that the serpent had no venom, he would have kept calm.

His blood curdling scream had awakened everyone and the lady besides him seized an opportunity to lay her trap cunningly after the chaos had been put under control.

“Hello sir?”She mellifluously sounded.

“Hello too lady.” Obange Donmax replied warmly.

“I hope you did not interrupt my peaceful slumber with your unnecessary shouts.” She teased and laughed rather sheepishly.

“Thank God you were not the victim for you would have broken the window and fell right inside the sea below!”

They laughed in unison. Each other’s heart melted with belonging at the sight of each other during this short conversation. One question however perturbed both of them and that was, how on earth can you ever propose to someone you are meeting for the first time? To keep the conversation going, she fished out two pieces of béchamel from her laptop bag and two bottles of malt handing Obange Donmax a drink and a snack.

How could he turn down so generous an act and furthermore from such beautiful a lady. He accepted the offer with a wide smile. He was befuddled by the increasing attraction and the impending bedlam which would arise in his marriage if he happened to fall into the trap. Even if his wife would not realize, it would betray his consciousness. He was still brooding over the matter when the lady tapped his elbow and said;

“It is very silly for friends to travel this far without getting to know one another, isn’t it?”

“Very true, call me Obange Donmax, and you?”

“Am Olivia,” she replied with sparkling face. “Is a Kenyan by birth but domiciled in Cuba for the last two decades”. By coincidence, she was a second year student of radiology and a human right activist in the very university where Obange was headed thus they still had plenty of time to recall, comprehend, apply, analyze and finally synthesize each other. If they were going to have same ideologies towards life then maybe they would share more as time went by. Care was however crucial lest they be swayed by joie de vivre.

“Am a Kenyan without intension of domiciling anywhere, forever a Kenyan!” he remarked with finality. They were jolly all that long and the conversation stirred up as they emptied their bottles.

During all that time, the wimp had been formulating a perilous strategy so as to evade imminent impediment which was going to render him impecunious up to unforeseeable future. A burning hatred rested on his soul. He restlessly sat on his seat figuring the next course of action to take before he landed in Kenyan prison for stealing their wildlife. The Chinese was convinced beyond doubt that as long as he broke open the skull of the pilot all the witnesses would perish plus the evidence. The court would therefore declare him a free thug due to lack of evidence to victimize him.

The knave froze when the co-pilot made a phone call for an emergency landing at the nearest airport so as to hand him to the security officers. He had to work swiftly, quickly and smartly. He swore to rather die than to decompose in the filthy cells behind the bars for his entire life. He was an international wanted thug with numerous passports to seal his identity so as to secure flights across the borders.

Inside his hiking boots was a luger and in the sleeping bag he had a parachute. Obsessed with courage and urge to kill, he silently seized his gun on the right hand and grasped the parachute on the left hand. Obange Donmax had been keen on him all the time since the scenario erupted. He surmised that the man could be in possession of more dangerous items apart from the snake itself. Jong Xi jerked up and headed towards the cockpit ready to make his plan materialize. His finger on the trigger, he strode.

No sooner had he knelt down to aim than Obange Donmax shot up and with consummate technique he gave Jong Xi a thunderous kick on the ribs making the gun to go flying before his conspiracy could go through. The thingy however was determined to cause the havoc thus he limped towards where the gun had landed so as to grab and shoot Obange Donmax first before dealing with the rest. He was just inches away from the gun when Obange Donmax kicked the gun further from him before rewarding him with another hefty blow on the spinal that rendered him almost helpless. He experienced a blackout and wetted his pants with three drops of urine as the pain traversed his nerves. No mercy for the merciless, Obange Donmax gave him one last punch on the nose which made him pass out instantly.

The passengers on board watched in awe as Obange Donmax calmly walked to hand the luger to the co-pilot. He saved the rest from premature death and their respective families from post traumatic stress disorder. They upheld him with dignity, showered him with gifts which in the actual sense were of no interest to him.

Olivia waited for him with open arms as he went back to his seat. She tightly hugged him affectionately. Still embracing him, she whispered in his ears, “Am proud of you Donmax.”Everyone else perceived them as couples although they were total strangers to one another.

Upon emergency landing, Jong Xi was handed to the sleuths to ferry him back to Kenyan government for persecution and also to hand back the serpent to Kenya wildlife services. A re-check was done so as to ensure that no other mischievous animals shared the same flight with the dignitaries before the plane embarked on the journey. The postprandial occurrence which happened made the lovebirds even more strongly bound than before.

Olivia found the real security which she had never found before even from a soldier. Both of them were satisfied with the progress and comfort of one another’s company.

They finally landed in Havana Cuba at quarter past midnight. Olivia calmly requested Obange Donmax to spend the night in her apartment so as to leave for school in the morning as it was an odd hour to walk along the rather hazy street full of mist. She had taken it as though it was her personal onus to ensure his welfare was all catered for.

“To spend in the same room with a woman you are mutually attracted to, is no joke Olivia,” he confessed firmly but with final resolution and nothing more was going to change his mind.

She thus offered him a drive in her personal car, which she had ordered to be parked for her at the airport by her driver, up to the campus gate. She thereafter drove off to her apartments feeling rather turned down by Obange’s denial of her offer. She somehow blamed herself for primarily concluding that they were already in each other’s grip. She sighed heavily before falling into a deep slumber following the long and tiresome journey.

Obange Donmax received a warm welcome and a good ushering at the university. He was temporarily housed for that night before being officially assigned a room and starting the admission process the following day. He was utterly exhausted thus burying his face in his hands; he mumbled a prayer and buried himself beneath the soft beddings.

The following morning at around nine o’clock he heard knock at the door. His eyelids still full of sleep, he shot up in his pajamas for the door. At the door Olivia stood the least of what he had expected. Their morality was somehow questionable though they could be excused for the drama was not intentional. Obange Donmax went back to put on more decently before coming to face her. She had the daily newspaper in her hand.

“You are already famous even before setting your feet firmly in the country,” she said with abroad smile exposing her perfectly arranged teeth and dimpled cheeks as she handed him the newspaper. At the fore page, a huge picture of the plane they had boarded was highlighted and below the plane was his picture and further to the right was Jong Xi. In bold the title was written,

OBANGE DONMAX SAVES 120 PASSENGERS ON BOARD FROM THE PLOTTED PERILOUS PLANE CRASH.

It was international news which hit almost all the continents and Kenyan broadcasters were not exempted. Helen Muyale had never failed to buy daily newspapers. She thus parked her car by a newspaper vendor to pick one and was astonished to see her actual husband on the front page, her heart sank. Her eyes quickly ran across the headline. She exhaled deeply.

At least God had spared her from immature widowhood. The escape from deadly crash was an augur of limitless success in time to come. She drove off to the hospital. Right at the parking space, she thought it prudent to recognize her husband’s bodacious act if not then she was such a dingbat. She therefore rang him before reporting to work.

“Don’t mean that you are already missing me.” Obange Donmax joked as he received her call.

“Of course I began missing you as soon as this your abroad thing erupted. That’s not however the main reason for my calling, big up for preventing the tragedy and am highly thankful to Almighty that he prevented the nonsense from happening. Good day and allow me report into the office I’ll email you in the course of the day. Bye.”

Obange Donmax once again lowered his head for the newspaper. After further scrutiny, he handed it back to Olivia and thanked her. She had intended to invite him for breakfast, after which she would easily lure him into her boudoir and share out her piece of mind with him.

Her bounteous nature had impressed Obange Donmax but he was not going to fall into her trap now, not just this soon. He once again turned down the offer and headed for the cafeteria giving an excuse that he was to attend a colloquium an hour from then thus dodging the trap tenaciously a second time.

Olivia descended down the stairs back for her apartments as Obange Donmax headed for the shower. After bathing, he took a jotter and strode towards the hall where they were to have an inaugural meeting with the Kenyan consul in Cuba before finalizing with the registry to feed his details into the system.

Irrespective of the heroic deeds revolving around him, he remained calm and reserved without getting possessed with unnecessary pride. Just as Jesus who, when his mother asked him to offer a hand of help at the wedding before changing water to wine, he answered Mary his mother that, “Woman my time is yet to come.” So Obange knew that his time for publicity was yet to come so he kept calm by dismissing unnecessary braggadocio.

He strode along the tidy path leading to the Piccadilly Circus hall. One thing however amused him; every white seemed to be doppelganger to the other. He frequently mistook one person for another.

He quietly sat at the rare seat of the room pondering about his academic journey and what he really wanted with his life, the sort of legacy he would have wished to leave behind, the sort of eulogy he could love to hear in burial if those who die listens. These three themes marked the fundamentals of his living and there was no one going to work them for him apart from him himself.

A painful feeling triggered from within him. Lights were on in the room but he felt as though he was engulfed in darkness, and truly he was experiencing mental blackout. Other people were cheerful and chanted but he gave them a passive ear. He was convinced beyond doubt that unless he stood in the gap to bring justice, then nobody would do it on his behalf. Initially he had learnt that Africans were predominantly socialists, from which hell did this issue of individualism nicknamed as capitalism come from? Colonizers played a role yes but how many decades have passed since colonialism was stamped out? We blindly thought that our leaders who fought for decolonization were angels on Earth. Anyway better the demon that you know than the angel you don’t know.

How could less than five hundred individuals control almost three quarters of a country’s wealth as the remaining millions of the citizens shared the remaining quarter? From his research, 80% of the richest Kenyans were politicians. Does it mean that these politicians have the most brilliant ideas on wealth acquisition?

Some got into politics even bare handed to an extent they held private fund raising drives to finance their campaigns yet before they vacate their respective offices they are in the list of millionaires. Something was wrong somewhere which he had to rectify. And for the first time in his entire adulthood, feelings developed within his heart. He felt for Kenyans and especially for the third class that worked tirelessly for their country but got very minimal in reciprocation for their taxes and labor.

Irrespective of the tardiness that it would take to institute the changes, he had hopes that one day which was still indefinite; he was going to accomplish the reason for his living.

He had secured a government scholarship and definitely he was to learn with taxpayers’ money. The bourgeoisies were not exempted as they had the power to influence yet they sat in their comfort zones and probably even had a hand in the political mischief. Still engrossed in his thoughts, he was interrupted by an announcement bringing the room to order for the Kenyan representative in Cuba had arrived. He rose up from his seat having nicknamed himself Obange The Riverine Savior. He had spent his entire lifetime by River Yala thus he saw to the title appropriate and was going to use the very title for campaigning.

His country man gave an elaborate speech cutting across all the expected codes of conduct and rules of Cuba which may be different from Kenyan. Obange Donmax made an appointment with the speaker after the speech. They discussed so many issues on how best they could initiate reforms for the benefit of all their countrymen and women, so that they feel valued and get the best out of their toil of paying tax.

Constitutional amendments featured on their talks as the most effective and efficient way to go through the dark jungle of economic imbalance among citizens. It made some sense but one thing offered a barrier. If there was one thing he hated was politics. But this meant that he had to be a public figure so as to become influential. He was out to do anything whatsoever it takes as long as his ideas were implemented. They parted ways having deeply discussed and understood each other at the same degree. He had a new resolution, as soon as he removed his PhD mortarboard from his head, his political ambitions would kickoff. Reason for this being, he wanted to use politics as a sharp knife to cut the viscous cycle of poverty in which the poor Kenyans had been entangled for a long time.

PART TWO

UNCERTAINITIES

Chapter 3

The challenges behind these successes were countless for Obange Donmax. At some point his future was blurred and he was almost losing hope. He actually lost hope only that it was revived at God’s appointed time. Seemingly his predicaments had begun right from his birth.

He was born and grew up along the banks of river Yala. He found himself in that environs following the unplanned marriage situation which his mother had sought due to lack of alternative. His mother by name Silvia Florence, after whom he named his first born child, got married along this river’s banks.

Silvia Florence; Obange’s mother was a perfect beauty during her youthful age. After completion of her secondary school at Ngiya Girls’ High School, she was to join the University of Nairobi and that’s where predicaments would follow her instead of reaping the fruits of education. That night which made her become one of the wretches of the earth remains still a white flash on the dark background of her mind.

She vividly recalls that she never had supper for that night. Ashamed of frequent borrowing, she kept to her room. Time seemed constant as it happens always when one is on an empty stomach. An idea struck her mind. She decided to take a stroll at least it would make the time pass much faster before she disappeared under her continental quilt. She was just about to cross the last lane to the campus gate when a parked Prado hooted slightly to signal her.

The driver lowered the window and spoke from inside “kindly assist me locate the way to continental hotel I’ll pay your back fare, am not conversant with the town.” Without a second thought, she decided to offer her help, hoping to walk for some distance on her way back so that she could even save twenty shillings for supper.

She calmly sat beside him as he drove off from where he had parked the car. They familiarized themselves with each other as the jam hindered their speeding, which was just a usual thing for a first timers’ meeting. He proved generous and even invited her to dine with him at the hotel as a way of appreciating her help. If only she knew that that was the day her dreams were going to be turned upside-down, she would not have set foot into that hotel and even into the car. That was the genesis of her long-life destitute state.

A lapis lazuli hung and shone brightly tied around onto the rear-view mirror. This man was one with a title to hang such precious items in his expensive car.

At last he formally introduced his real identity to her while still caught up in the jam.

“Am Othos, a Member of parliament for Bongomaji Constituency, and you?”

“Am Silvia Florence a second year student at the University of Nairobi, a journalism trainee.”

“Nice name and pleasure having your company hope you shall have a fabulous evening as we dine.” He remarked as they ascended on the stairs of the continental hotel.

He had not clearly seen her face but her shape had impressed him by the campus gate. His heart leapt when he visualized her sparkling face in the hotel’s light as they settled on their reserved seats at the corner of the hotel. Seemingly Othos was a regular attendant of the hotel for he was quickly served even without making an order on what they were to take. Sadly enough, he was not lost but was simply on his usual search for campus girls.

Foods and drinks were served and one thing led to the other. Othos immersed an aphrodisiac into her drink without her knowledge. She could not recall everything that occurred that night but what she knows is that he gently rubbed her bottom as he kissed her simultaneously. She was unconscious and the very last thing she recalls was the door being banged behind them before they plunged themselves onto the bed of the lodging within the very hotel. That night marked the conception of Obange Donmax and rendered Silvia Florence a depressed woman for her entire life. She regained her consciousness the following morning lying on the very bed alone. Whoever brought her was gone never to be traced. On that bed sheet was blood signifying that her hymen had been ruptured, her virginity was now broken and now it was a thing of the past. She cried bitterly. What she was not sure with was whether she had been impregnated or not.

Being her first time to have such a dehumanizing experience, she knew that her world had crumbled. On a stool in the same hotel, a note was strategically placed in a way that she could not miss to see it as that was next to where her clothes were heaped. The note read;

I sometimes even kill nasty campus girls who think that they should always be driving in posh cars at the expense of our wives. Since you were a virgin, truly I deceived you for it means that you are not one of the “game makers,” therefore your innocence saved you but I don’t regret my deceitful actions and am not going to do it any soon. In case you conceive, go and abort. I’ve left a bunch of cash under that pillow you laid your head on. You were such a nice girl just as I had confessed to you in the vehicle while we were still driving on our way to this hotel. Feel free to contact if you may need any help on 071234567890.

She sobbed afresh. She headed for the bathroom a devastated young woman. She dressed up and went out of the hotel in tears. Back in the hostel, she neither ate nor attended her lectures for two consecutive days. Weird thoughts flashed through her mind. She knew so well that abortion was the last thing she could think of; killing an innocent life was the greatest sin. She would rather kill her own self instead of killing the baby while she herself continued to live. She was exhausted, frustrated and in agony. She decided to go confirm whether or not she was pregnant and the next course of action she was going to pursue and indeed she was.

As usual at times of distress, she thought of her bible. She read the prodigal son’s story. The verses sank into her soul like bitter herbs as she made sense of them. She was however convinced that she was better off compared to the prodigal son for she herself never squandered her parents’ wealth as did the prodigal son, and even if she could have such intentions, they owned nothing to be eyed.

She resolved within herself to pack all that belonged to her and go back home. She was going to face the brutality of life, the scorning of villagers and the shame that will always accompany her for her entire life. One question however remained unanswered to her as she packed, and that was whether her dad was going to understand her explanation and just entertain the fault.

She handed back to the administration all that belonged to them which was under her custody and left for the bus stop. If she was pardoned of her mistake then probably she was going to continue with her education upon delivery but for abortion, she dismissed the idea. She was now treading on a very slippery ground with regard to her future ambitions. She had very minimal optimism about having a second chance in life.

Fear gripped her as she alighted from the vehicle having reached the final bus stage. Her early riser dad was already milking their two cows when she approached the main gate. He was alarmed. It was not usual for his daughter to pay them such a prompt visit without notifying them in advance. Her heart raced as she dragged her suitcase along with her signifying that she had not come for a short while but for couples of days thus alternative cloths would prove worthwhile. Her dad perceived that there was no more charades and that something awful lingered in the darkness.

Her mother received her with open arms and embraced. For the first time in the last three days since she walked out of that hotel, she found the real motherly consolation. Her tear glands broke loose. She cried nonstop. Axiomatically, something was wrong but could she structure a sensible sentence and express herself? She spoke in tears but her vocals remained unloosened. The father excused the two women to discuss their womanly issues on their own as he attended to outdoor duties. The down casting talk ended quite well between her and the mother but would the father understand? This is what now troubled the duo.

Before she had joined the campus her father had sternly warned her saying, “I hope you are a witness as I sell my bull to finance your education, reciprocate an achievement whose value is much higher than the bull sold for that’s what development is all about. Restrain from admiring men’s zip. It might be the root cause of your downfall.” He was brief and clear in his message. That statement had always made her agoraphobic upon its reflection. She mostly kept to herself lest friends dragged her to contradict her father’s warning. But now here she was, expectant by default. Warm tears freely descended her cheeks at the thought of it all. She nervously waited for her prosecution. She was afraid of disclosing this directly to her dad for the fear of immediate striking and her mum saved her this by delivering the sad news to him on her behalf.

That very evening marked the turning point of her entire life. Just as she had earlier guessed, her dad never took in the message in grace; she was summoned by her father for a private talk under the shade of a tree at the centre of their compound.

“It is both good and bad daughter that you are pregnant. It is good in the essence that not every womb is able to conceive therefore you may be exempted from the list of barren women. It is however unfortunate that you defied the advice I gave of not admiring the object behind a man’s zip. I’ve told you time immemorial that you may supersede me in the class knowledge but there is no single day that you will be wiser than me. Now, together with all knowledge can you visualize the sort of shame you have heaped both on you and on us your parents?

Now get me right,” he raised his voice, “Am married to your mother only who is for now approaching menopause. Therefore, we are not expecting any other child. The only pregnant woman I may expect to see within my compound are your sister[s]-in-law. In a nut shell, am not expecting you here with that your soon to bulge stomach that you are pregnant. Please take your leave out of this compound and advice the father of your child to- be that he can stay with his dowry. I’ve done without them and still I will do. Silvia Florence take leave my presence and let’s meet either in hell or in heaven if we both keep the faith!” With that last sentence, he shot up and hurriedly left the meeting place for the house leaving his daughter seated still on a stool.

Her long experience in the homestead had always made her know that her father spoke once and what followed was a thorough beating. She had to leave the compound with an immediate effect before the already worse situation turned to worst. She took her suitcase which she had not interfered with since her arrival in the morning and left for a destination that even she personally did not know.

On her way to the main road, she recalled of her sister who had been married to the shores of River Yala. This sister of hers was a widow aged thirty two and resolved never to marry again. Reason behind her decision is however best known by herself. She was a fish- monger by occupation.

Silvia Florence reached her doorstep at half past eight. She had put all her eggs in a single tray and she had toppled down therefore she had to beg for mercy. Only death could veil her shame, the depression, but she was going be laid to rest the natural way, she had to face life head-on. She opened the pages of her agony unto her sister who somehow shared in her predicament but could not just sustain her due to her meager earnings. They had to act swiftly before the situation could get out of hand.

Silvia Florence’s sister had a drunkard high school teacher who was her brother-in-law. Neither once nor twice did this particular brother-in-law of hers get demoted for getting involved with school girls trusted under his care. He had a weakness for any one in a skirt. A trap was therefore laid for him by the two ladies. He was invited for a dinner after which Silvia Florence’s cunningly left the room leaving a leopard and a sheep in the same den. As expected he never failed to salivate for her. He invited her to his house and to his disbelief, she never objected. That night they shared the same blanket and a week later, Silvia Florence deceitfully gave him the responsibility of fathering an already growing embryo in her womb. He had to be accountable and marry her. If there is anything that for long time he had dodged was marriage but now it caught up with him and he had no alternative but to submit. His name was Obange Otoyo, a name that Obange junior [Donmax] would carry all his life.

Obange Otoyo got fond of his family but as the say goes, “character doesn’t change.” He kept looking for fresh fields on which to graze, a situation that not only made the family penniless a week after he received his salary but also exposed him and his wife to the risk of HIV/AIDS and other STIs. She tried to bring up a pious family but her husband proved implacable. And this marks the theory behind the birth and bringing up of Obange Donmax.

Five years in marriage down the line, something unfortunate struck the family after Silvia Florence delivered her second born son who was now officially her husband’s. The husband became libertine. He threw the little morality which had remained in him to the wind. He was now an official and well-known womanizer. He no more cared for his family. This followed his expulsion from Teachers’ Service Commission for failure to rectify his mistakes irrespective of the numerous warnings he received from the commission.

For the fear of being mortified by the society and the family, he resolved for a reckless life that as predicted earlier made him contract the HIV/Aids and consequently died after two years. Painfully, the wife contracted the disease as well but she followed the right channel of taking ARVs and survived for three more years after the husband. One thing which outraged Obange Donmax and swore never to forgive his mother’s husband was the ignorance that made his angel innocent brother to be born positive due to irresponsibility. The brother was bearing a cross he never deserved at all.

Life became even more unbearable after their dad was laid six feet underground. He died indebted to several people who were never willing to rub off the debts thus the family was made responsible. They sold most the valuables they housed to settle the debts and they remained almost with nothing to plough their hope on. A derisory family they were.

Obange Donmax grew up a bitter child. From childhood, he developed an idea that social reforms were mandatory. One had to see each as equally important however large the financial gap widened. If only this particular bridge could be narrowed and if possible be totally done away with, the world would be favorable for the entire human race. He sympathized with his mother as she struggled day in day out with her deteriorating health as the wider society stood afar and watched. If only individualism could exist in theory and not practical, surely they would have come to improve the state of their existence. They lived a life of desultory.

One evening after school, Obange Donmax went downstream to fetch water. He sat on a rock gazing at the clear water streaming besides the rock onto which he sat. This particular position was always his favorite to take his rest. He marveled at the power of nature as the place offered him a peaceful mind and at least made him forget the hardships which always accompanied him wherever he went. Gently the river flowed indefinitely. Fish darted here and there and dragonflies did their acrobatics. They were free creatures. Free from social discrimination, free from economic disparity. None was richer than the other so as to despise the rest because of his/her achievement. They all lived under the grace of God.

Day after the other nothing positive seemed to materialize for the family. No one ever came to share with them even the scripture including the church ministers for automatically tithe was not expected from them. They learnt this and in reciprocation, they never bothered anyone. They got contented with their seclusion and negligence. It became too much for the young man Obange Donmax that he attempted suicide only that he never succeeded. He preferred to sing with angels and archangels in heaven if he was pardoned of his crime by Christ the judge rather than to see his family suffer for his entire life.

His mother had severally warned him that the colored coat of a hybrid maize seed is poisonous and should never be consumed. For the first time he attempted to defy his mother’s instruction. That morning he went together with the ailing mum to plant some hybrid seeds leaving the little brother still asleep. They had done some good work when his little brother woke up and started to wail form their grass-thatched house. He was summoned to bring him to the garden. He felt enchanted. His time to die had come as all his hand was now red for he was planting and in the process the coating remained on his hand.

Leaving his mum still toiling, he went for the kid but before that, straight to kitchen he headed. The previous night they had taken boiled cassava and some were preserved for lunch. He took two pieces and rubbed them thoroughly against his red palms until they were hot red and swallowed them then went for the baby. He patiently waited for his death but nothing happened to him, not even a stomach-ache. If only he knew that gladiator could grant the wish in seconds and that there was one under their bed for destroying ant hills, he would have swallowed it down his throat.

This day however marked the beginning of his mother’s end. That evening he sat on the verandah as his mum had some bed rest following a long day’s toil. She suddenly gave out a sharp wail. Obange Donmax dashed into the house alarmed. His mother lay on the bed prostrate, shivering and with her eyelids closed. For the first time he rushed to the neighbor to seek help whatsoever it will take. This was too much for a twelve year old to handle.

The neighbor proved helpful and organized for means through which she was driven to a hospital. She was diagnosed with encephalopathy. She was admitted for a week and discharged due to rising hospital bills. While hospitalized, she got fond of a nurse; Jane Whitney was her name, who frequently checked on her. They became good friends within three days and on the fourth day, Silvia Florence entrusted her with her private and personal affair. She asked her to create an email for her little son Obange then to do her as certain email which had the following outlook.

To: othosleopold@yahoo.com

From:silviaflorence@gmail.com

Cc:janewhiteney@hotmail.com

Bc:obangedonmax@gmail.com

Date: 30th Jan 2019

Subject

I’m dying a desolate woman because of you jackal. You tampered with my success yet you confessed with your lips that you were an M.P. Maybe through my journalism I would have exposed your injustices to the public but you cut short my dreams. In total desolation I will be laid to rest. My kids won’t have anything to inherit. They have led an appalling lifestyle all this long.

You fool impregnated me at the continental hotel after immersing an aphrodisiac into my drink. You further wrote me a note encouraging me to abort. Be it known to you that I’m not a murderer as you confessed on the same note that you do to campus girls. In good faith I forgive you to enable me receive the heavenly glory. But may God revenge on my behalf.