TOO MUCH JOY BRINGS TEARS As they say tears can never bring you joy but joy can bring you tears. This is a story of one Mr. Mang’ethia who found himself mourning after his dear wife ran away from him on a Christmas day. He was nicknamed Mang’ethia because he was not able to keep his mouth closed. At some time you could see houseflies and other flying insect getting in and out of his mouth without seeming to bother him. His mouth attracted many flying insects because he was not aware that toothbrushes or toothpaste exist. Pieces of Ugali and vegetables fermented in his mouth. Nevertheless he was a very hardworking man and had a wife and eight children who in my own opinion I can confirm they looked healthy. He had worked extra hard to make sure he saved enough for Christmas or let’s say enough to afford buying foodstuffs for his family and enough for the local brew. He was a man of the people, he was a kind man and a man of few words. He had a sharp appetite and always told his wife that his blood pressure would go up when he was left to go hungry, nobody knows whether his claims are true but this was supposed to warn his wife of the grave danger if he ever was left him to go hungry. He ate from the Sufuria because they did not have a plate that was big enough for his meal. His wife was happy to have a man on his side and many women of her age always reminded her that “husbands were not easy to get”. After eating enough of “Christmas” He and his friends headed to the nearest town centre where locally brewed “chang’aa” was sold. The brewers always prepared enough of these illicit brews because many people took this concoction on this big day. Fights were common in these dens and those selling the liquor had to be prepared. Mang’ethia was amongst the fiercest fighters, nobody dared to challenge him. Mang’ethia with his friends started drinking with some healthy conversation amongst them. As time progressed it became a heated debate with everyone actively participating in the discussion. Anyone who could be listening carefully could have noticed that the tone of all the participants of the debate had gone up. Kindness increased among the group members as friend starts buying some cups of liquor for their friends. (In such dens nobody can risk buying a full round for the whole group).Some few minutes later everyone was struggling to make his point heard and everyone was speaking. At that point arguments started, some cursing their friends who they had been drinking with happily some few hours ago. The arguments eventually broke into a fight and Mang’ethia was lucky to survive with a few bruises on the face. “I am drunk and I have gone home”, he shouted “I eat in my house and I sleep in my house .Who do I owe”. He was now staggering all over the dusty road as he headed home. Sometimes he could fall on the dusty road but he was determined to reach his home and so he continued with his journey. On reaching his home he went straight to the kitchen and started asking his children whether they knew him and who their mother tells them he is. When his child answered that he is their father he was filled with joy and proceeded to ask them who is the owner of their home .The children told him that he was the owner and this made him even happier. At this point his drunkard state took a different course. He stopped laughing and stated shaking his head “Why? Why?” Nobody understood what he was asking. The children were confused. They did not know whether there was something genuine that was bothering their father or he was just drunk. He raised his pitch and continued asking “why?” Now louder, his red protruding eyes darting around the house. The children and the wife who were just about to take their super that consisted of a chicken and stew hoped that Mang’ethia would not interrupt the delicious meal they were just about to take. But now he was shaking his head and shouting terribly “why!” For some few minutes’ confusion and fear ruled the house. Nobody was sure what to do next. Mang’ethia’s wife did not know whether the best thing was to serve the chicken and stew, the children did not know whether they should go to sleep or wait for the stew. As if to drive away the confusion Mang’ethia took a piece of burning firewood and threw it to the wall. It missed his wife by some few inches but the sparks of fire filled the whole house and everyone had to wipe them away from his clothes. For another brief moment suspense filled the house. Nobody dared to say a word. Since Mang’ethia was seated next to the door it was difficult for anyone to risk trying to escape. All the children looked at their father with fear. He pulled another burning piece from the fire and threw it to his elder son. The only option now was to flee. The whole family ran out of the kitchen with sparks of fire all around their clothes. More pieces of burning firewood were thrown to them as they ran out shouting for help. They all freed to their Neighbors and Mang’ethia was left alone asserting that he is the owner of the home. He took all the pieces of chicken meat and put them in his pockets and went out to one of his friends who had been drinking with him .In his friend’s house he explained how he loved his family only that they do not understand. H e continued with his question “why”. At this point he was overwhelmed by emotions and he started crying asking the same question “why” countless number of times and with nobody to console him or answer him. He cried like a small child with so much tears running out of his eyes as he chewed the fatty pieces of chicken from his pockets. When he woke up on 26th of December his beloved wife had ran away and there were many half-chewed bones of chicken on the path that led to his friend. For him like everyone else, It will be another one year to think of how to celebrate the next xmass
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 13:30:20 +0000
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