Dr Fixit (101 - 110)

 101

throughout Antburg. 'If you can read,

write and form words correctly,' our teacher hit

the chalkboard with her pointer, 'with all

of these letters, then you'd not stumble or fall

to look for a guide when passing through our towns

for the signboards would tell you where the gowns,

trousers, fruits, drinks and books are sold;

they'd point to the one who works with gold,

silver and bronze. You won't be robbed

as you would know who has the vault,

102

'by quietly reading, to safeguard your cash.

I can tell you too you won't throw your trash

in the wrong bin if you master these letters

and also the words they form. You 'd know "fetters"

means the same thing as "chain". Is that clear?'

'Yes, ma,' we screamed. While she moved here and there

checking and correcting what we wrote,

the class became a hubbub. Almost all would gloat

they did well for in Elementary One

we'd learnt drawing strokes and curves with fun

103

and what we learned was applied with ease

in copying the letters. Our efforts did please

our teacher very well and she'd announced

proudly to all in our next class we'd pronounce

and form words with the letters. The timekeeper

clanged his bell for dispersal. The holler

definitely was heard back in the clans.

Parents and guardians were busy with their hands

doing things the kids would use to stem the tide

of approaching hunger that would soon ride

104

their bowels as they were returning home

from school. We gathered on the wet pitch and our tones

wild with excitement sang, 'Now the day is over.'

And when we added 'Amen' to a short prayer

that ended the assembly, our tiny feet

pattered in different directions as we did seek

the pathways back to our various homes.

Someone dragged someone, stretching muscles and bones.

Someone cursed and someone did holler

I stopped. At the village square, Loveit and her brother 

105

would fork to Palm Belt as I headed to Yellow Lake 

and a new friend was clinging seeing we could trek 

the remainder of the distance together.

Bendit was his name. He was older 

than me and in Elementary Four.

It was always pleasant being in his tour.

He was tearing apart a pack with colour 

quite bright and a sweet-smelling odour.

The pink stuff that first emerged was bubble gum.

Bendit split it, chewed and gave me some.

106

We looked at the card. It was a popular band

called 'The Jackits' with an exotic brand

of music, fashion and dance steps (I was told)

as their trademark. In the middle of the fold,

Bendit pointed, was the youngest 

and to music fans he was their fondest.

Bendit swore he watched the band 

playing on a white-and-black screen with his aunt

in Sandit when they were back from Blue Pond 

during the New Year eve. Their dance is beyond 

107

any belief. I'd heard music from a gramophone 

but I was barred to near it as kids were prone,

we were told, to make it malfunction.

Who owned it (and they were few) with great caution 

operated it, placing it in a remote corner

with an extended cord to the speaker 

which was placed on a pot to make sound

with big bass. We hung outside and danced around.

So we wouldn't tear the sleeve or crack 

the vinyl, we looked at them from far. Taken aback 

108

I was that someone saw the band singing and dancing.

Bendit brought more cards from his pocket, uttering:

'With one card, I won all these yesterday.

I'm throwing more cards with my friends today 

when going to the stream. Would you come?'

I said, 'Yes.' Every card came from a pack of gum

and every face on it was that of a music star,

some posing with microphone, drums and guitar.

Near a bakery, I parted ways with Bendit 

and crossing a street, I then beat my feet 

109

to home in my maternal grandma's place.

'Tiehro, Ehkamba Mama,' I greeted. Her face 

beamed as she replied, 'Ahmehyong mbakara?'

In Antish, big (all connotations) is 'Ehkamba'

and everyone addressed my grandmother 

as 'Big Mama' and I did the same thing. 'Ahfeah Ma'

was another fond name for my grandmother 

as 'ahfeah' means fair-skinned. Every customer 

or outsider to identify my grandmother 

from other women around would offer 

110

the attributes of her skin to indicate 

who they were looking for. The food in the next plate 

we must chew is the fact in Antish, the phrase 

'Good afternoon' doesn't exist. The case 

with Big Mama was she was sitting as I returned 

and 'tieh'  meaning sit, hence the turn

of the phrase 'tiehro' used for greeting

anyone sitting down. The general thing 

in Antish is to greet people in the day 

by their actions (sit, stand, work or play).