Babi Yar Symphony

Chapter 8

26 8 Shechem brought down the manuscript from the wrack three days after the date of trial was handed down to them. This was the first time he was touching the papers since Bertha handed them to him on her first visit more than eight months ago. The way Levi followed his effort indicated a growing readiness in him to discover the fruit of his friend’s creative discipline and why not take a cue from there for a Notebook from Prison or any other title of his choosing. “The title. What is the title?” he cried, with visible delight. “I’ve not overcome that difficulty yet.” “Extraordinary. Simply extraordinary. Read me the thing and maybe at the end or somewhere near there a title will suggest itself to me that I can share with you.” Just then a warder stood at the corridor and shouted into their cell: “You both, not joining the other gangs for the morning chew?” “No thanks,” Levi said hurriedly as if to wish the guard gone from the corridor. “As you please,” they heard him mumbling as he strode away towards other cells. “And now to our story,” Levi ordered somewhat impatiently. Shechem commenced the reading, his mind in a flutter: he’d been cut off from the world of the manuscript for so long that reading it was like discovering a new creation altogether. ‘People were visibly excited,’ he began. ‘It showed on their faces, in the way they balanced the smiles on them, like bubbles they were afraid to lose.’ “Don’t bother continuing.” Levi ordered. The words froze in the reader’s throat and his eyes darkened with failure and anger. Bad…bad…bad. Poor. If not, why would he not endure even the first paragraph? “First paragraph,” Shechem muttered, “not even my first paragraph?” “It’s nothing to do with your first paragraph, or the second, or any at all. Take it from me, you are no writer.” Shechem stared at Levi with imploring steadiness but gained only a very meagre concession from him: he would read the story on his own and discuss parts of it if he thought it necessary. Three days later, shortly after a supper of chicken heads in salted water and clotted rice, they were back to the manuscript. “The Katchi story. That’s all I’ve found of interest,” Levi said. 27 “Which is already very much,” Shechem hailed. “After winning the fishing contest, Banda is given two goats as prize. He kills one and names the other one Katchi. Why Katchi?” “What does Katchi mean in the Nwemban dialect?” “Net.” “Net. That’s right. Like all the other people in the village, Banda believes that the gods decide who wins a contest. But he also believes that personal skill can and does sway the decision of the gods in favour of a particular contestant. That’s why he offers only one goat to the river spirits and names the other one after his net. In fact, Katchi means “the magic net”. The magic is more than just the power of craftsmanship, a lot more than intimate knowledge of the trade. The thing goes beyond all that. It lies deep in the heart… a belief, if you like… a conviction, a creed. It is anchored in the fibre of inner knowledge. You notice that almost everyone in Nwemba condemns Banda’s decision. The elders say what he’s done is a grave insult on the river spirits. “Even their Chief orders him to sacrifice Katchi as well.” “Yes, but what does the brave young man do?” “He stands his ground.” “Exactly. That’s just what he does. Stand his ground. Tradition must surrender to innovation when the latter is in the service of progress. You can see that Banda refuses to allow his knees to touch the ground in his duel with the village council.” “One of the titles you toyed with was The Second Round. Is it to do with Katchi’s rounds?” “Yes, but more so with the second contest. The balance in Nwemba is still too heavily in favour of the river spirit. The villagers allow it to control their lives in ways that are unjustified. When they achieve anything, it is not their genius that has made the achievement possible but the influence of the river spirit. I want to use the second contest to change the order of things. That’s why I give such a central place to...