‘What is going on here? Are you going to let our children be made to eat shit while you stand around nodding in approval? How can you stand there watching the beauty of our land being trodden down by these beasts? What is so funny about that? Why do you hide behind a cloak of silence and let yourselves be ruled by fear? Remember the saying that too much fear breeds misery in the land. ’
By now all eyes were on Matigari. The crowd parted as they would to give way to a lunatic Matigari, without changing his pace, now pointed a finger at the policemen and told them, ‘Leave her alone! ’
‘Who gives you the right to interfere with the law? ’ the policeman who held the dog asked him.
‘What kind of law is this which allows policemen to harass defenceless women? ’
The policeman became uneasy, since he did not know who this man was or what was making him so confident.
‘Do you know that this woman has disobeyed police orders to stop? We are here to ensure peace and stability, ’ the policeman who held the dog said.
‘The peace and the stability to ensure theft and robbery? Why don’t you admit that it’s because she won’t open her legs for you that you are harassing her? ’
‘Do you want me to set this dog loose on you? ’ the policeman asked menacingly and angrily because he had been exposed. ‘Do you want me to let this dog tear you up into shreds until you bleed to death? ’
‘Just you dare try. You will know exactly whom you are dealing with. ’
‘And who are you? ’ the other policeman asked.
‘Matigari ma Njiruungi. ’
The courage of truth had once again transformed him. It seemed to have wiped age off his face, making him look extremely youthful.
The first policeman made as if to let the dog loose on Matigari, but the other one took him by the hand and whispered to him:
‘Let’s go. Have you ever heard of anyone with a name like that? Besides, he might even be an eminent person dressed plainly. Or why do you think he is so bold? ’
‘Wewe mwenda wazimu, ' the policeman with the dog told Matigari. 3 ‘And you, woman, you must learn to obey those whose duty it is to ensure peace and stability. ’
The policemen moved away towards the storeyed buildings at the shopping centre.
Matigari walked up to the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder.
‘Get up... Come, stand up, mother... ’ he said simply. Guthera was trembling like a leaf. She stood up slowly, picked up her lasso and walked away uncertainly. Heavy thoughts weighed on her mind.
The rest of the people headed off in all directions, discussing what had taken place. They talked about the policemen, the dog, about Guthera and Matigari. They asked one another: Who is Matigari?
10
Matigari and Muriuki went back inside the bar. The women were all busy talking about the incident that had just occurred. Such a thing had not been seen in these parts. One of the barmaids opened Matigari’s beer.
‘Bring Muriuki a soft drink, ’ he said to her.
He sat staring at nothing, not eating, not drinking. His thoughts seemed far, far away.
Guthera came back into the bar. She had washed herself and changed her clothes and lasso. All the barmaids ran towards her and hugged her, telling her how sorry they were about the whole incident. She freed herself from their embraces and walked up to Matigari, She stood next to him humbly. When she spoke, it was with a voice that trembled.
‘I don’t know who you are... but I beg you to forgive me for all the things that I said to you earlier on. I will never forget what you have just done for me as long as I live. ’
‘Take a seat, ’ Matigari said to her. ‘Ask for something cool to drink, for it is rather too hot. ’
Guthera sat facing Matigari and Muriuki. She ordered a beer. Muriuki asked for another drink. The barmaid also brought another beer for Matigari.
‘I only asked for one beer, ’ he said. ‘But just leave it here. I’m sure we will find someone to drink it. ’
They sat sipping their drinks in silence. Even the barmaids lowered their voices.
‘What’s all this between you and the police? ’ he asked her. She hesitated, eyeing Muriuki, wondering whether or not to speak in his presence. She decided to go ahead.
‘I have never spoken about this to anyone, ’ she began. ‘But ask yourself, what am I doing in the bar? First let me tell you a story...
‘Long ago, there was a virgin. Her mother had died at childbirth. This girl and her sisters and brothers were brought up by their father. He was a Christian — in fact, a church elder. The girl grew up in the church, as it were. She belonged to the Church of Scotland, whereas her father belonged to the Independent Church. But her father was not opposed to her belonging to this church. He said that what mattered was God’s word and His commandments, and not the differences that any two churches may have had. The real Church of God resided in people’s hearts. The rest were mere edifices. The girl in question loved two people dearly: her heavenly Father who had given her her life, and her earthly father who had brought her up with so much love. Her earthly father really loved children.
He would never eat his supper before all his children had had enough to cat. He had no preference for one child over another. To him all children were God’s children, His creatures, and they were all equal. The girl always went to church and never forgot to say her prayers. There in the church, the Ten Commandments were read and taught to her. When she grew older, she was able to read them for herself. She was told to keep them at all times and places.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image:
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy...
Honour they father and thy mother,,.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s things...
‘Her aim and purpose in life were to do no ill. She aspired only to do good to others. She wanted to tread the paths of virtue and righteousness only.
‘She became a born-again Christian. She started praising the Lord so earnestly she felt as though she had grown wings of holiness and could just fly to heaven. Then the war broke out. People became divided. Some of them were patriots, and the others were sell-outs. The world seemed upside-down. Children turned against their parents, parents against their children. Sister and brother swore to take each other’s lives. But this girl paid heed to two masters only: her heavenly Father and her earthly one. She was ready to do all she could to serve them. Her father went to church regularly, but he was also a patriot. The girl never knew this, although her father often said to her: Those Ten Commandments are all good, but they are all contained in this one commandment: Love. And there is no greater love than this: that a man should give up his life for somebody else. Imagine, a people ready to give up their lives for one another, for their country. One day, her earthly father was arrested. She went to see him in prison. She went to the superintendent of police to ask why her father had been arrested. He told her: Your father was found carrying bullets in his Bible. The girl denied this. Go ask your father, they said. They brought him in, handcuffed. When she saw him like this, she began to cry. The police officer left her for a while. Is it true? she asked him. Yes, for there is no greater love than this: that men and women should give up their lives for the people by taking to the mountains and forests. This is the greatest commandment of all Christ’s commandments, and of all the religions on earth from that of Muhammad to that of Buddha. The girl was greatly shocked and for a while remained speechless. Being found in possession of bullets carried with it a death sentence. They took her father back to his cell. The superintendent came out, smiling slyly. He said: My superiors do not know about this yet. We can settle th
is matter between us here and now. Give me your purity, and I will give your parent back to you. The young maiden remained silent. The superintendent explained further: You are carrying your father’s life between your legs.
‘The girl went back home and knelt in prayer to the heavenly Father, pleading with Him for guidance. Next morning, she paid the priest a visit. He opened the Bible and read the Ten Commandments to her. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. And so on. Honour thy father and thy mother. That is where the real test lay. Thou shalt not commit adultery; honour thy father and thy mother. They knelt down together in prayer. The priest asked the heavenly Father to give courage to this servant, so that she would always walk in the paths of virtue and of righteousness. The following day, the girl went back to the police station. Again the superintendent told her: Your father is among those who call themselves patriots. He has been assisting the terrorists with supplies of bullets. The crime of being found in possession of bullets without a licence carries a death sentence. But I shall help you. Nobody outside this police station knows about this. You can trade your innocence for your father’s life. The girl answered: I will never forsake my Father, Creator of heaven and earth. He lay down the commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery. The police officer told her: Say goodbye to your father, then. Her earthly father was killed. Their land was confiscated by the colonial government, and the girl was left to fend for her brothers and sisters. Problem began to heap on problem. Poverty, the clothes got tattered, and there was no food. Nothing. The other children cried: Where is our father? What shall we eat? The girl just stared at them blankly. The thought that she might have perhaps saved her father’s life tormented her. The anguished cry of the children was tearing her apart. And now am I going to watch my sisters and brothers die of hunger? Will I let the blood of my father’s house stain my hands? She turned the thought over and over again in her mind. But her heavenly Father would not answer her questions. All that the Bible said was simply: Thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s things; thou shalt not commit adultery. What of hunger? No answer. What of thirst? Again, no answer. What about nakedness? Silence. And at home, the children were still crying: What shall we eat? When will father come back? Where did he go to?
‘The girl went back to the priest. She pleaded with all the other Christians in her church. When they saw her approaching, they fled. A terrorist’s child? She would go to church, only to return home empty-handed.
‘One day, the girl decided to walk the streets. That day, she returned home with a packet of flour. Let me tell you this: From the day that she decided to walk the streets, she was able to feed and clothe the other children. But she could not earn enough to send them to school or to a place where they could learn useful skills. Are they not the ones that I meet in bars and shopping centres eating rubbish from the garbage pits, or begging from tourists on street corners? That is the end of my story. But perhaps I have not answered your questions yet. The night that the girl began walking the streets, she swore to herself: Even though it’s my troubles which have led me away from the paths of righteousness, and have turned me into a hunter of men, I will never go to bed with a policeman. I will take money from strangers, thieves, murderers even, but I will never open my legs for any policeman, these traitors, no matter how much they are prepared to pay for the favours. This will be my eleventh commandment. ’
‘There are two types of believer, ’ Matigari said, breaking the silence that followed the end of Guthera’s narrative. ‘Those who love their country, and those who will sell it. There are also two types of soldier. Some are there to protect the people, others to attack them. ’
‘I have never seen even one of them protecting the people! ’ she said.
‘And what of your father? Such a patriot. A servant of the people! There are also two types of people in the land: those who sell out, the traitors, and those who serve the people, the patriots. ’
‘What is your name? ’
‘Matigari ma Njiruungi. ’
‘A patriot? Are you one of those left behind in the forest to keep the fire of freedom alive? Where do you come from? ’
‘1 returned from the forest only this morning. ’
‘What? ’
‘Yes, I returned from the mountains at dawn. ’
‘And who is he? ’ Guthera asked, turning to Muriuki.
‘I found him by the garbage yard, ’ Matigari said.
‘Really? ’ she asked, again turning to Muriuki. ‘Are you one of the children who live in the vehicle cemetery? ’
‘Yes, ’ he said.
‘What are you doing here in the bar? ' she now asked Matigari. ‘Have you no home you could return to? ’
‘I’m looking for my people so that we may go home together. ’ ‘The family of the patriots who survived the war? ’
‘Maybe they do not know who they are yet. Maybe they forgot who they really were. So I will have to go to all the market-places, to all the shopping centres and to all the meeting places, and blow the trumpet to call together the family of all the patriots who survived. I will tell them: Settler Williams is dead; let us go home now. ’
‘Settler Williams? Who is he? ’
It was now Matigari’s turn to tell Guthera his story; how he had cleared the bush; how he had cultivated and sowed; and how later he had built a house. And all this time Settler Williams had strolled about with his hands in his pockets, whistling tunes or giving orders here and there. He told her how, when he had finished building the house, Settler Williams had grabbed it. He had done the same with the factories. Matigari was the one who produced everything. But it was Settler Williams who collected the profits. Imagine: the tiller dying of starvation, the builder sleeping on the veranda; the tailor walking about without clothes and the driver having to go for miles on foot. How could such a world be? Matigari told Guthera of how he had fought Settler Williams; and of how John Boy saved the settler’s life. He explained how he had run to the forests and up the mountains, with Settler Williams and John Boy in pursuit; and how thereafter they had hunted one another across all the mountains and valleys.
‘It was only yesterday that he fell, and I stood on his chest with my left foot, holding up the weapons of victory and singing victory in my heart: The house is mine now, it belongs to me and my family.,. That is why I am now looking for my people, my daughters, my sons, my in-laws, my wives..
‘Even your wives? Where did you leave them? ’ Guthera asked him in a tone suggesting she doubted his sanity. Why does he talk such nonsense!
‘Where could I have left them, my child? That is why I took up arms and retreated into the forests and mountains to fight, so that they could have a home. But I have a problem. Where do I find them now? Where do I start looking? ’
‘Have you been to the plantations yet? ’ Guthera asked, feeling slightly ashamed of having thought ill of him, especially when she remembered how he had saved her from the police dog.
‘So they still slave on the plantations? ’ Matigari asked.
‘What do you expect them to do? Today there is no corner of the land where you’ll not find women looking for something with which to quell the hunger of their children and husbands, ’ she said. ‘Most of the women are casual labourers in the tea, coffee and sisal plantations. If you want to know where to begin your search, go to the plantations. Go and rescue those; don’t worry about us, for we lost our souls in these bars a long time ago. ’
‘But there are so many plantations. Which one shall I begin with? ’ Matigari asked, almost speaking to himself.
Guthera contemplated the question for a while. Throughout their conversation she had been wondering how she could express her gratitude for what he had done for her. Now was her chance, and she seized it. Whether he was crazy or not was beside the point. She thought: I will go with him, support him, until he finally finds his people.
‘Come, let me guide you to the nearest p
lantation, ’ she told him. ‘Besides, it will be much easier for me to seek information from the women. ’
‘Let us go at once, ’ he said, standing up. ‘Let us go before it gets dark, ’
He still had not eaten or taken his drink. One of the barmaids wrapped up the food in a piece of paper. Matigari took the package and the unopened bottle of beer and put them into his coat pockets.
11
Although by now the sun had moved a great deal westwards, and the shadows had lengthened, it was still oppressively hot all over the country. The grass wilted, and the leaves wore a tired look about them. The haze in the air was uncomfortable; one saw mirages on tarmac highways. Except for the noise of cars on the road, and that of birds singing in the trees, the whole land was gripped in a deathly stillness. No wind blew. No leaves rustled. No clothes fluttered anywhere.
Three army trucks and four police Land-Rovers went by. The soldiers were fully armed with rifles and machine-guns. The police carried truncheons, shields and tear-gas masks. ‘Where are they going? ’ Matigari asked.
‘To the factory, ’ Guthera replied. ‘The workers’ strike was due to start at two o’clock, ’
‘Are they going to fight against the workers? ’ he asked.
This man has indeed spent a long time in the forest, she thought to herself. He should first go home and sleep off the fatigue of many years. Who but a stranger would not know that the police in this country were always fighting against students and workers? --
'Ofcourse. That’s what the police are always doing, ’ Muriuki answered. ‘Wasn’t it only the other day that the workers were badly beaten, and some of them had their legs broken? ’
‘We’d better hurry before the women leave the fields, ’ Guthera urged.
Matigari Page 4
