Dr Fixit (361 - 370)

 
Wild Fruit (Orange-coloured Ndiya)

361

were poked into the woods to chase birds

and squirrels and set traps and put baits

in remote points to catch animals.

Those accessing the library were minimal.

So I was fortunate to have a friend 

who my way to the library would bend.

Bendit took me along the aisles between 

the book shelves and I bit my lips in

reading the lettering on the shelves and books.

Of course, I searched for the one that'd look 


362

like those that Mrs Bearit introduced

to us. When they looked familiar, I produced

a sound within my head after configuring them

and checked if it meant something. For children

was the section we were in. The attendant,

pretending to read, kept an eye on us and

how we handle the books. At some moments,

when I was really excited, I'd made movements 

to pull out the books and view their covers

but Bendit would pull the corner 


363

of my jumper, asking me to watch how

he handled the books. 'They'd allow 

you to touch the books when they know 

you understand the rules and would follow 

all of them,' Bendit said with a sound so low

it was hard for me to hear but I did toe

the right line because he'd told me already 

about the behaviour apt in the library

and what wasn't. I learnt to contain 

my excitement and wished for when I'd attain 


364

the level of maturity the librarians

would grant me the liberty to glance

or rather, browse the titles and contents 

of all the books - I so much desired that moment 

for I did believe all mysteries to me

would be revealed and one such mystery 

was how to craft a wonderful book

with a wonderful tale that would hook

millions of eyes from start to end 

of it and the moral would be profound enough to bend


365

the villain to tend to do positive things ...

Bendit took two books and did the reading 

at the table while I gawked at the pictures 

of a big fish in water giving a series of lectures 

to a pool of hatchlings. The dialogue 

was in 'Ikor Mbakara' - the catalogue

of sounds left behind by the red army ants

who colonized for centuries all of our clans.

Just like Bendit, I'd grapple with it

in the new academic year. Mr Pepperit,


366

if he didn't go on transfer, would be

our teacher. We were told the newbie

learnt the language working as a domestic 

with an expatriate in Blue Pond. Mr Fantastic,

the pupils tagged him behind his back

for he was fond of the term as he'd ask

a pupil a question and if the answer 

was right, he'd say: 'That's fantastic. Clap for her

or him.' Of all the teachers, Mr Fantastic 

started teaching here last year. And the point realistic 


367

was he could be moved to a secondary school 

to teach the students for really few

were the teachers of the language.

Mr Fantastic actually manage 

without the proper paper qualifications.

He was having in his spare time the right education 

which once he had his papers with him

in the classrooms high up he would be seen.

Barring that, he'd be my teacher in Elementary Three

initiating me into the secrets from overseas.


368

I longed for  that day but for now, I was content

looking at the pictures as the contents 

of the book Bendit browsed. After two hours

or so, when the fruit trees and flowers

cast long shadows on the walls around,

Bendit with his card borrowed books that did amount

to two and we strolled back to our neighbourhood.

For long, I was in an elevated mood.

In the new academic session,

most pupils returned for their education 


369

in a new class but Moonit withdrew

from schooling entirely as the truth 

was a balloon bulging on her tummy 

about the things really grotty 

she'd been doing in secret with the fellow 

learning to be a welder. With less bellow

from Ma Moonit, the stripling owned up 

he was responsible for what showed up

on Moonit's front. His folks came and apologized,

saying they sent him to work with the vice


370

and iron but since he'd decided to add

a wife to that, it was a good thing but sad

that he didn't get done with his master yet.

His father came to Ma Moonit and pled

for forgiveness with a couple of elders 

from his family. The apology was rendered 

along with 'mbip' - the process of asking 

(the meaning of the word in Antish) if willing 

are the family of the young woman 

to give their daughter to a capable man

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