False ®

False msafiri fiction 136 start another life. He married a former classmate, a beautiful girl called Elita. ‘ You must approach him,’ Eranive advised. It was dark, the moon was not appearing that night. My wife was not yet home. Being the market day, she had gone to sell some sweet potatoes at the market. I seized the chance to try, for a third time, to ask Langi to take over my conjugal rights ( on a part- time basis) in accordance with our tradition. The first time I met him on the issue, I was too shy to say why exactly I had requested a meeting with him. I ended up talking about the weather and other such general matters, completely skirting the real agenda of the meeting. That night I lied to my wife that I had put the request to Langi but he had asked to think about it. When I failed the second time, I told Eranive that he still had not come up with a decision yet. My wife’s patience appeared to start waning, which was why I decided to call for a third meeting that night. ‘ My brother,’ I addressed him in the manner we had always addressed each other, although we were not exactly related, ‘ we have had this problem for two years: we just can’t make a child. As they say, one man’s head cannot carry a roof. My wife and I have agreed that we should seek your hand in this matter. We want you to be our fisi.’ I did not mention that I was under unsustainable pressure from my wife to engage a fisi, or else. To my surprise, he accepted the role rather too easily – he didn’t even request some time to think about it. Had he been admiring my wife all along? I wondered. Thus we took no time to discuss the nitty- gritty arrangements of the whole exercise. Every Wednesday, so went the details, I would be coming home late, not earlier than 10 o’clock. He would be expected to come some time around 7 and leave before 9. To avoid being confronted with the harsh reality of it all, we agreed never to meet, so keeping time, a rare virtue among the people of Chipiri, was of the essence. When we heard my wife approaching from a distance, recognised by her voice as she sang a chiterere song that always evoked memories of her childhood, we hastily concluded the meeting. The deed would start being done the following Wednesday. Wednesday, 8 p. m. I couldn’t bear it any more. I had retraced my steps back to my house. I sat on the khonde of the small house made of grass and mud I call home. Although I was outside the house, my mind was inside. I could hear the tempo of the rattling and crackling of my mat rising, slowly at first, but it rose faster and faster, until it got muffled by cries of lust and shame. ‘ Oh, where were you? Where were you?’ my wife said, panting, as soon as the cries died down. ‘ You have made me taste real sex for the first time in two years.’ ‘ Sex is an art,’ said Langi, ‘ a profound art. It requires special skills.’ I couldn’t stand this! Every word my wife said was totally unbelievable! My heart felt unbearable pain. I strongly resisted the temptation of bursting in and wrenching the two of them apart. I knew very well what the consequences would be. Thus, to avoid them, I walked away, far away into the bowels of the dark, dark night. I just walked although there was no destination. I was so confused. I walked on and on. It was only when a cock crowed from a great distance much later into the night that I was jolted to my senses and asked myself, ‘ Where am I going?’ I had been walking for many hours. ‘ And where am I?’ Your trusted African investment partner guiding you to the undiscovered gems in the U. A. E property market! Specializing in sourcing high capital growth commercial properties, premium residential units, waterfront properties and lands in upcoming areas across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman and Ras- Al- Khaimah Emirates. Cell: + 971 50 207 9558 Telefax: + 971 4 398 1667 Email: insightd@ eim. ae www. desertpearlme. com