They are Coming

Chapter 22

87 Chapter 22 Ambition remembered the day that Senzeni had beaten up Power and gotten into serious trouble with their father; not the trouble that had made her run away from home, no, but the incident that had marked the beginning of the problems between his father and his sister. It hadn’t been fair. It had been Power who’d started the whole thing. One day after school, when Ambition and Ntando had taken their wire cars to their racetrack in the bush, they’d found Power and his friend Justin using it. ‘Keep moving, boys! Over here,’ Power had ordered them, as both Ambition and Ntando hesitated when they’d seen the two older boys, neither of whom was known for their kindness. ‘What do you want here?’ Power demanded. ‘We got here first.’ ‘But it’s our racetrack,’ Ambition said. ‘What? Don’t be silly.’ Justin feigned surprise. ‘Power and I made this racetrack this afternoon.’ ‘You’re lying,’ Ntando flashed. ‘Ambition and I made it.’ ‘Are you calling me a liar?’ Power raised his foot.‘You think you’re smart, don’t you? Well, you don’t mess with me!’ He brought his foot down hard on Ntando’s jeep, and then he turned and kicked Ambition’s tipper into the trees. ‘Do you really think that you can challenge me?’ Ntando’s eyes filled with tears. Only Ambition knew how long it had taken his friend to make his wire jeep. Then Justin stepped forward and slapped Ntando’s shaved head. ‘Now push off, Bald Head. We don’t have time for cry babies here!’ Power laughed, and made ready to slap Ntando again. Without forethought , Ambition leapt at Power, and pushed him hard on the chest with both hands. Power staggered back, grabbing at Ambition’s T-shirt. Then his feet had been swept from underneath him as Justin tripped 88 him from behind. As Ambition fell, the two boys had started kicking him. Even with his hands over his ears, as the small boy tried to protect his head, he heard an enraged scream, then the rain of kicks ceased. He got up unsteadily, to see Justin and Power running away, Senzeni after them with a stick. It was not a big stick, but the sound of the blows made it seem bigger. Power tripped and fell down, but Senzeni did not stop hitting him, ‘You do not do this to my brother,’ she said ferociously as she whacked Power with all her might. Justin turned and fled. Ambition ran over to Senzeni with Ntando and wrapped his hands around his sister and pulled her away. She appeared possessed and continued screaming. ‘You do not beat my brother, you hear! Beat a boy your own size and your own age!’ Breathing deeply, Senzeni calmed down as they all waited for Power to get up. Then Justin, who’d fled, returned with Ambition’s father who picked up Power without a word, and carried him back into the township. Just as they arrived, Power came to his senses and demanded to be let down. He said he wanted to go home alone, but Ngwenya insisted that everybody who’d been at the fight must accompany him to MaVundla. When they arrived, Ngwenya explained to his neighbour, whom they’d found washing clothes, that he’d been summoned by Justin, because ‘My daughter was beating your son with a stick.’ ‘But what had he done to her for Senzeni to do that to him?’ MaVundla asked immediately. ‘That I do not even want to hear,’ his father had replied. ‘But what I’m going to do is to teach my daughter a lesson. She must never lay her hands on anybody, and with a stick at that. I’m ashamed and I apologise MaVundla.’ ‘Please do what you want to do, Ngwenya,’ MaVundla dismissed the whole event. ‘I have enough troubles of my own and I don’t want any children adding to them.’ She had poked Power’s head with a finger. ‘Look at him, in trouble all the time.’ Ambition had opened his mouth to defend Senzeni, but his father had glared at him and told him to shut up. When they’d got home, Ngwenya had broken off a switch from the mulberry tree and whipped Senzeni. He’d made Ambition and Ntando watch, as a lesson to them, so that neither they nor Senzeni should ever lay hands on anybody, no...