Mama’s fingers slipped inside my jersey before she allowed them to gently tug on the crisp new shirt l wore on the inside- straightening it. She reached inside her bag and pulled out a brown envelope that had my school fees as well as an oversized brown blazer.
‘Take this, and give this to your teacher when you get to school,’ she panted out whilst shaking the envelope. Mama was getting weaker and weaker with each day and her fifty-five years of life showed in the way her fragile, age-old arms quivered as she was holding my blazer right now. I quickly took the blazer and slid the envelope inside my blazer pocket. She let her gaze rest on the sight of the last of her children as he was about to start primary school- she let her gaze rest on me. In that moment l felt proud to be my mother’s child, but l also felt an undeniable burden rest heavy on my shoulders. Of all the seven children Mama had birthed, l was the only one chosen to go to school. Mama said it was because l was the only boy, but l knew it was because l was the smartest one.
Confidently, l jumped off our verandah and determined to not look back, l briskly marched to our large black gate. l coiled my crayon like fingers around the edge of the gate and leaned against it to push it open. I succeeded. ‘Be safe Munya!’ mother yelped from behind. I said nothing. I simply slipped my hands into my blazer pockets, raised my head and stepped onto the pavement.
Mama’s instructions were simple: walk on the pavement (making sure to stay far away from moving cars) and lastly, when you find a commuter Omni bus that is going to your school, communicate in Shona to the bus driver-so as to not sound proud and pompous. I don’t know why Mama troubled herself so much. I had seen her do this for the past six years of my life. But finally it was my turn!
Excitement brewed within me as l walked, then suddenly a distant flip-flop sound caught my attention. I looked back and my eyes landed on a tall, slender figure whose maize cob shaped legs were coated in a thick layer of dust and whose waist down to her thighs was hugged by a multicolored cloth- a Chitenge. I couldn’t help but frown at my poultry legs and my body that Uncle Jobi had said looked ‘Like a sack of maize meal!’ before he burst off into a deep, reverberating laugh.
Subtly, l glanced back again and l was shocked to discover that she was no longer there. I turned my head to the right then to the left and there she stood. Right next to me. Tightly gripped in her left hand was a large bucket full of water. I hadn’t noticed it before. Why did she have a bucket? Where was she going? Why wasn’t she in her school uniform like me? Questions whose answers l didn’t know troubled my mind like a swarm of bees. Lost in thought, l let the smallest of my crayon like fingers climb up my nose before allowing it to slip into my mouth.
The girl (who had been watching me for a while) scrunched her face and winced at me.
‘What!’ l demanded.
‘You picked your nose. How old are you?’ she retorted.
Upset by her tone l reached for her arm, grabbed a small chunk of her skin and quickly twisted it. Alarmed by my actions she dropped her bucket of water and water gushed out as the bucket cracked in half. She gasped. Unexpectedly, she flung her right arm far back and it came swinging back before her flat hand landed on my plump round face.
Enraged, l felt my chest inflate and deflate repeatedly and my lips scrunched themselves into a small firm pout. I threw my satchel onto the pavement and my legs stopped moving. They became lead weights that stood adamant and unmovable. I began to sway my arms forwards and backwards then side to side. Meanwhile, the girl was giving me no attention. She had continued strolling. Fuming with anger, l let out a loud piercing scream and began shaking my body hysterically. She did nothing.
Instead, she reached out her arm signaling the incoming commuter bus to stop. I had not noticed that there was a bus approaching. Using all my strength l grabbed my satchel and sprinted towards the commuter Omni bus. In the distance, I watched as the girl placed one foot into the bus and heave the rest of her body inside.
‘Wait, wait!’ l screamed before remembering my mother’s instructions to communicate in Shona.
‘Mirayi, Mirayi!’ l translated.
As l was jogging towards the bus, l glanced back and noticed a brown envelope behind me. My school fees! I turned around and began running towards it. I picked it up from the ground and as l turned around the bus was already going.
As l stood deflated and disappointed, a long hand reached out one of the windows of the bus, this was then followed by a small mango shaped head. The girl. She waved a gentle wave and smiled an evil smile.
As l stood on the pavement, waiting for the next commuter Omni bus l decided that l would not get distracted by anything nor anyone else. Clenched tightly in my hands was the brown envelope. I was determined to deliver my school fees as well as to arrive to school on time. I was determined to succeed.
By Schein Chingozho