The Writing On The Sand

By RJ KALUMPHA

Maravi (modern day Malawi), Africa. The 1st Gulf War has just ended. A young boy, Angayile, is torn between the new world under western education and the old world as dictated by his tribal culture. He belongs to the Yao Tribe. In his entire village, he is one of the few who can read or write. The rest are poor peasant farmers stuck in the "ancient" cultural ways and have a very strong mistrust bordering on hate. They blame the Mzungu or Whiteman for eroding their culture. His technically single mother, CheMina is different as she embraces the new world. She strives hard to shield her son from all the negativity in the community and the marauding Yao tribal culture, which she strongly believes is non-progressive. She sends him to school and he loves it. He is one of the best students in his class. But his education conflicts with his culture. He must navigate through culture while excelling at school. It's a tough ask. He has read about the Mzungu's life in books. He can differentiate between the life of the Mzungu and that of his people. He prefers that of the Mzungu. But he must go through his culture, otherwise he will not be considered a man! You are only man enough if you know and embrace your culture, he is told from an early age. He has ambitions, hopes and thoughts for the future. He would like to record all these, but he has no paper diary. So, he selects a spot at the front veranda of his mother's thatched house. He writes on the sand. On this spot, on this sand, he pours his thoughts and hopes. To him, this is not just ordinary sand, it is a special sand. This is not just an ordinary spot, it is a sacred spot, a temple. Over time, the spot becomes a shrine to his ambitions. But his writings are only good as long as the wind doesn't come to blow them away. As he is about to finish primary school, his mother, pressured by culture, sends him into one of the most gruelling and dangerous cultural rituals of the Yao tribe - Jando! Through Jando, he will become a man worthy of speaking with elders. Through Jando, he will learn the Yao Code - Misyungu. But will he survive Jando: the rite of passage to manhood? Will CheMina cope? How will life be for her young son at the Ndagala- a shack made from elephant grass in the middle of the jungle along the banks of the Matandani River?While at the Ndagala, one of his friends dies. Who will take responsibility for the murder? The elders, in order to protect their culture, swear an oath of secrecy among themselves not to divulge the circumstances that led to the poor boy's death. But for how long will the secret be kept? A few days after coming out from the Ndagala, the whole village is in chaos when a thief is murdered. The murder pits the villagers against the ruthless one party Government of the Maravi Congress Party. The consequences are unspeakable. Will things ever be the same for his village folk? A couple of weeks before the end of the summer holidays, CheMina sends Angayile on his first trip to town by bus. He stays with his Aunt, CheLosi and Uncle Denesi at the Cobbe Barracks - First Batallion of the Maravi Army in Somba Town. His uncle is in the armed forces but throughout his stay there, the uncle is barely present. It becomes apparent that there is trouble brewing in the country. The iron rule and authority of the Life President, Ngwazi Dr Damuzu Wanda whose life-like portraits hang on every street corner, is being challenged. University students are rioting. Rumours are rife of a war between the Maravi Army and the ruling party paramilitary wing - the formidable MYP. Angayile sees guns for the first time when Uncle Denesi returns home from one of his many mysterious missions. Uncle Denesi confirms that they had defeated the MYP in an operation dubbed "Operation Bwezani"! Apparently, democracy is coming. But what is Democracy? Is this the beginning of the end for the dictatorship of the Life President? How will his community fit in the changing world?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1090221215
• ISBN13: 9781090221216
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 179 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.5" x 5.6"