The Rust of Words ( a Novel )
7 min readBy David Aoloch Bion
Chapter Eight
A change took place in the lives of ten percent of the population. The private sector grew, banks, Forex bureaux , mobile network providers, hotels were established across the country.
One afternoon, the wife of James Majok’s cousin who works as cashier for the Department of Agriculture visited his home. Majok’s wife welcomed her. His home was one of the poorest in the city. She went to buy refreshments from the shop for her guest. She placed them on the table .
“Here is the water” she said
“Oh, thank you” she appreciated it . “wu, why is it so hot like this?” She asked as she holds the bottle of water.
“Around here, there is no power or generator that can cool the drink”. , he apologized .
“I can’t drink hot water now , in Axum where I came , you can’t find a shop without fridge to cool it, thank you” she refused the water .
Majok’s wife nodded with inner disappointment. She took the water and she gave it to the children.
“When did you come from abroad ” Majok’s wife asked.
“I came here a week ago” she replied .
“How is it there ”
“It is nice, our children are studying in good schools They are speaking fluent English. Even, kids at nursery school speak better than those who are here in primary seven” she emphasized .
“My children are studying here ”. Majok wife said .
‘’ Are they studying in those grass thatched classrooms?” answered the cousin wife .
“Yes”
“Oh, Jesus Christ. Why don’t you send them to study outside?”
“My husband has no money”
“Is he not working?”
“He is ”
“Why then he has no money?” she inquired ‘’ look ! My husband is a cashier in Agriculture,, he is paying our children school fees . ” she gloated .
“I don’t know what my husband does ?” Majok wife said .
The two wives discussed social issues together. after that the wife of cashier left.
After she had gone, the wife of Majok broke down, he sobbed because the wife of cashier humiliated by refusing to drink her hot water and soda.
In evening at 4pm , Majok came from the work, he changed his clothes and put on his casual wear. He was about to go to the veteran club to play cards , chess and dominoes. His wife came, sat down next to him …
“Father of my children, I want to ask something” she said
“You have worked since peace was signed, when will you become a cashier?”
“ what is cashier ? Why are you asking like?” he giggled .
“Because all cashiers have sent their families outside the country, their children are studying in good schools abroad” he narrated .
“I will not be a cashier because I am senior than cashier?’’ he laughed .
“ And why are your children studying here not outside ? Why are they not in good schools?” he questioned.
“Those whom their children are studying outside are the thieves, they steal Republic money” he sneered .
“Why don’t you steal so that your children enjoy the lives like other children enjoy”
“I am not corrupt” he answered .
“You are not corrupt but you are poor”
”Better poverty than theft , If you want to get rich, you go to steal” Majok said as he walked out the home, his wife poured him with water. He turned, slapped her, and pushed her down. she rolled, squealing .
The neighbour came separated them.. Majok left , he went to call his brothers. On the following evening after the work, the brothers came . The brother took their seats. Majok and wife sat too. One of the brothers cleared his throat, he talked.
“We have come, we are the same family. If there is misunderstanding, we are here to address it. So what is the problem, Majok?”
“Alright brother, this is my dear beloved wife, I married her 15 years ago, we had not quarreled before. This is the first time we scuffled. She is snarling that the family is poor, she is mimicking others men’s wives. she is inspiring me go and steal public money in order to send children outside the country. That those who started working with me three years ago had sent their children to some excellent schools abroad, they are renting beautiful houses abroad, that is the whole issue” he articulated .
“Mother of the children, you have heard what your husband said tell us your version ” they asked .
“Indeed, brothers, what he has narrated is exactly true, what I have told him. Imagine, brothers, three days ago , the wife of his cousin who stayed abroad came to visit us, I served her with water, she refused the water . Her refusal is insinuating to me , it is gloating of our failure in this house .. Majok is working like the husband of that woman and now if he is staying abroad, whereas I am residing here, I know, the level of education of her husband is not higher than the level of my husband” she explained .
“Stop there” one brother interrupted her. He asked Majok directly .
“Why don’t you send your family outside when you work in finance? The junior officials like cashier, accountants, secretaries’, receptionist, their families are outside the country ”
“Frankly, I don’t have money. I receive 5000 pound a monthly. This money will not pay school fee and rent outside the country ”. Majok replied .
“Why other director like you in other Departments bought houses abroad?”
“Those are them , they are corrupt , they embezzled public money”
“What about you?”
“I have not taken a coin from public money and I will not take a coin from it, if the wife think that I don’t meet her needs, let her divorce and go and marry those who will meet her need , who have enough money ” Majok remarked angrily .
“Brothers, Majok is orthodox man, he has his own belief, ideologies that we could not change him from but I will tell him a story. Here is the story .
“There was a rich who had thousands of cattle. He hired five men to look after the cattle. Each was given herd of cattle. Every day, each man milked the cows and they took milk to the rich. One man was honest among the five.
This honest man milked the cows and took the milk to the rich all . The other four men would milk cows and sell half of milk and take half of milk to the rich. The honest man could bring the 5 buckets of milk. Another man could bring 2 buckets of milk. The rich didn’t ask why one man is bringing more milk while others bring little milk.
After every six months, the rich man would visit the cattle camp to see the cattle. Each man would make a report of the cattle.
The four men would tell rich that one cow is dead but could not show him the skin of the dead cow . One bullock and two heifers have lost but rich would not ask them , why did you search for them? .
Then the honest man would say in his herd, one cow is dead, and he shown rich a skin of dead cow , there is no heifer or bullock that lost. The rich did not ask the other man to produce the skin of the cow that died. The five men kept the cattle for five years. At the end the rich told these men . Your term for keeping my cattle has expired , so you can go. I will look for other servant to keep my cattle”
The four men jointly said, “thank you , you remain in peace and we go in peace”
The honest man raised his hand, said “please sir, I have kept your cattle for five years, I took five buckets of milk to you every day. There is no single cow, heifer or bullock get lost. If the cow is dead, I show you it skin , could you please give a small bullock so that I can take it as my reward?”
“You are foolish poor, I can’t give you a coin and I will not give you a coin , leave alone the bullock because you were in charge, why didn’t you make up your mind on how to get something out the of cattle. when you were bringing five buckets of milk and your fellow workers were bringing two buckets Do think I didn’t know what they were doing?” I knew that they were stealing three buckets of milk but I don’t want to ask them because they were rewarding themselves. When they told me that X cow is dead and they didn’t show me the skin, I knew. They stole it, it was your mistake not to reward yourself through milk and stealing. It is too late. I will not give you anything, so go away.
The man left with his ten fingers. The same to Majok, Majok said he is not corrupt but government is like the rich man. If you can’t steal, you will retire with your ten fingers’’.
“Haha , Brothers, the time will come when this ill-acquired wealth will be worst than poverty” Majok said.
therefore , Majok and his wife were rebuked , advised to stay peaceful , forget their friction .
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