Still Sings the Nightbird

We shall return

285 W We shall return ugus is a senior boss in an International Leadership Company based in Nairobi. He sat in his living room reading. He relished his Mum’s conviction. In every word he read, her ideals transpired. She had written her personal manifesto: “I want to be focused. I wish to be unified with all the noble ideals of the human race. I reject evil and error. I reject division. I reject corruption. I reject violence. It is despicable. I wish to look for truth. Goodness. I see them in my eyes beyond the sunset. They rise with the sun and never set. With the moon and never set. I have to try and match my work with this. We have new tools. We must unite, not just communicate. I will work for justice, unity and peace.” “I wish not to hide. I want meetings, national dialogue, communication, voices, debates. Free speech. Free songs. Let us infuse Googo’s traditional wisdom into political science. It can be done. The growth of the economy is key. If we fail in this, we shall be manipulated through modern and highly sophisticated means of social communication by the powers of this world.” “Economic growth is about our development in hope and love too. The song of the night - bird whose secret I know since I was small will be silenced forever if we do not act. Tuva’s motto, Hakuna matata will be destroyed. I cannot let that happen. Life will die in trees and in rivers forever if I do not act.” Jugus was breathless as he thought of terrorism in the world. On another page headed ‘June 1990, a talk to students’ he read: “Then what is special about humans? Is it their intelligence and freedom, their ability to hope, to learn from nature? Why so much discrimination? Racism? Tribalism? Destruction?” Jugus went on and smiled knowingly as he read Tuva’s poem. J 286 Duty skillfully fulfilled Rewards entirely Making up for What’s sorry in us Only they who try are brave and Can forever sing Relentlessly courageous The song of humanity fearless The phone rang. It was Amani’s distinct voice. “Hi Amani! How’s varsity? When is your graduation?” Jugus asked. “I say, before we go on, please congratulate Tuva for unraveling the causes of those two most mysterious deaths of Bob Ouko and Bishop Kip. These are crimes that beat Scotland Yard and FBI you know!” “Sure! I’ll call him, Amani, I will. Today, not tomorrow, I will call him.” “This gift derived from our Mother drives us. She is gone but she is here. Before her it was in all our grandmothers! I am still reading her diary. Great! We owe her everything!” Amani who was about to graduate with a PhD in medicine was emotional. “My long study on the mutation of the Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome will be published in the Lancet next week! We are about to discover something tremendous!” “Here people are finally proud of testing their status and knowing the truth! I wish it had always been like this before! So many have died!” said Jugus. “And stigma! What is the cure for stigma? The same old ways of humans. Stigma was known by those who got pregnant out of wedlock as they called it. Dear Mum endured so much. Stigma suffered by those with a missing eye, foot or ear. Stigma: Being of a 287 darker skin, poor, having a drunken father, being survivors of poliomyelitis. We protect stigma. Stigma known by lepers. The mentally challenged… anything not seen to be normal. What is normal? Stigma was suffered by children and adults who had tape worm. Aids was unknown then. And then, it came first in thin and dying bodies and then in healthy ones too.” “I agree but we must get together for ourselves, Amani. We must organize a real do for Joe’s wedding and our many graduations. We have a lot to celebrate, including Joe’s double math degree!” “I’ll ring Joe just now.” He added, “Wam, Aris and Jwak will be with us! We must have some fun.” Aris and her family were preparing a trip to Kenya. She was staring at her plane ticket 100100. It reminded her of matatu No. 100. Now she could fly at high speed passing many lights like a thousand glow-worms on their...