A STEP

Speaking in low tones, pouring down their hearts, became an every day activity in their tiny
room. They all shared a similar predicament. Each of them regretted, cursed, complained and
even vowed to fight for a change. But how this change was going to come about remained an
unsolved riddle. The force against which they wished to fight was far much great. Their efforts
could be compared to that of three mice challenging a lion to a duel.

“I wish I was not born in this home.” Nafula said.

“This good-for-nothing idiot…Look at how we suffer because of him.” Simiyu whispered back.

“We cannot stomach this any longer. We have got to stand and speak up our minds.” Nekoye
added.

“No, we cannot do it ourselves. Let’s tell Mama to tell him to stop his fecklessness.”said Simiyu.

“Mama? What can she do? She is not any different from us”. Nekoye said.

They always failed to find solutions to their problems and therefore retired to bed only to wake
up the following day in the same situation.

. . .

Two years ago, the twenty fifth day of June, Nyongesa woke up at a half past ten on a Monday
morning, still battling with hangover. He was already late as he was expected to report at work at
exactly eight o’clock. For the whole of the previous week, Nyongesa had been signing in late for
work. He had vowed not to be late again.

“Mr. Nyongesa, you are hereby warned for the last time. Reporting at work when late or drunk
again will automatically mark the end of your working in this organization. The decision lies in
your hands. Choose to work with us, or choose to quit.” The boss had cautioned.
Nyongesa could not imagine quitting his job. This was the only source of income to sustain his
family. He would not be drunk again when at work. He would not be late again. He promised
himself.

“I beg your pardon Sir. I promise to abide to all the rules of the company.” Nyongesa had
sounded remorseful.

And now, here stood Nyongesa, not yet prepared to go to work, yet already two and a half hours
late! He recalled his boss’ warning. “Does it mean I am jobless?” He wondered.

Nyongesa was an employee with International Human Health Organization, a non-governmental

organization that dealt with HIV/AIDS. He was the officer in charge of Dissemination
Department. He had earned his promotion three years s ago owing to his hard work. However,
his work started deteriorating when he later started to heavily take alcohol.

“You are required at the boss’ office,” The receptionist informed him after exchanging greetings
with each other.

The boss sat on his black leather chair, his eyes glued on the laptop. He heard the knock but did
not respond to it. However having knocked once, Nyongesa entered the office. The boss lifted
his eyes, stared at him from head to toe. He bit his lips. He was mad. He could not understand
what had become of Nyongesa. Neither did he want to understand. He was fed up with him. His
department had lacked co-ordination, yet he was responsible for it. “Mr. Nyongesa, I respect
your decision. You’ve chosen not to comply with the rules of this institution and therefore the
organization has no place for you. You are no longer an employee of this organization.’ The boss
told him.

Before Nyongesa realized that the boss meant what he said, he was handed a letter of dismissal.

‘Please forgive me, I will…,’ Nyongesa could not be heard. The boss rose from his seat and
ordered him out.

. . .

At home Nyongesa talked to no one about his being sacked. No one questioned him either. The
family members only wondered in silence as to why he did no go to work. It was Nekoye, his
second born daughter who later brought light to the family. Her friend showed her a newspaper
that revealed their father’s secret.

‘Here is a message about your father. Have you seen it?’

‘What? In the newspaper?’

‘Yes, here it is.’ Pointing at it, ‘have it.’

Her father’s portrait was at the bottom of a page, at the right corner. Below it were his three
names, his national identity card number and the words:

The above named person is no longer an employee of International Human

Health Organization. He is therefore not allowed to transact any business on
behalf of the organization. The public is therefore cautioned ….

Every word that she read pierced through her flesh like a sword. To save herself from the pain,
she just handed the paper back to her friend.

. . .

Four years ago, Nyongesa’s family was in a stable condition. His promotion a year later was
welcomed with great joy. This meant that the family would have better life than before. This was
not the case. Nyongesa began to drink heavily. He forgot that he was a husband, a father and an
employee.

Back home, Nyongesa depended solely on his wife who was a primary school teacher. His
upkeep and money for drinking alcohol was from his wife’s salary. Being the head of the family,
he had a final say. He demanded to have all her salary given to him. He justified this by claiming
that he was the one who schooled her through her college education. The wife would then beg
for some money to do some minor shopping.

Nyongesa’s greatest delight was when he bought his friends beer. The family started to
deteriorate. He did not care. Slowly by slowly he started to sell family property. A personal car
was sold just to quench his unquenchable thirst.
The worst thing that disturbed Nekoye was her father’s shocking deeds. He had become a mad
man. Anything could be expected of him at any time. One day Nekoye, saw two children at the
market wearing similar shoes as hers and her sister’s while coming from school. She
contemplated questioning them on where they got those shoes but decided that it was a foolish
action to take. After all, things looked alike. However on reaching home, their shoes were
missing.

“The beer has entered this man’s head.” Commented one neighbour who witnessed Nyongesa
carrying away his children’s shoes in order to he sell them.

Nyongesa’s dismissal of women’s fellowship at his home was the last straw. He came home
drunk, one afternoon and found a group of women in the house singing. “Get out of my home!”
he shouted. Some women thought that they could cool him down, but this was a different man. It
was until he started throwing out objects at them that everyone took to their heels. Nekoye, her
two siblings and their mother only watched in embarrassment. A lump rose in Nekoye’s heart.
She hated him. She desired to have him dead. She knew she could not kill him. She cried bitter
tears of resignation. The thought that she was a woman hurt her. She could not ‘correct’ her
father. Her only brother, their first born just cursed the man and could not also dare to face him.

. . .

Nekoye picked a twenty litre jerry can and walked to the river. Though the river was about two
hundred metres, she took around thirty minutes to reach it. This was unusual as she always used
at most ten minutes. Her mind was far away and she could not see the old widowed woman from
the river greeting her. She was troubled. You could see her take slow steps, stand, shake her head
and even make gestures as if conversing with an invisible person. At the river , she sat down and
reflected on the much she and her family had gone through.

No, this time round, I will have to confront him. I will tell him that we can no longer stomach his
behaviour. We are tired. He has abused us, beaten us and even embarrassed us. No, not again.

Nekoye a sixteen year old girl was in second year in her secondary school education. She was a
very bright girl and had enrolled to a good secondary school. However, since her father’s
dismissal from work, paying school fees was hard as the little that their mother earned was
squandered by their father. She was therefore taken to a nearby day school in order that they
could cope with low school fees aid there. This either did not help as the family remained in a
pathetic situation.

No one had dared to face Nyongesa. His two brothers had once made an attempt to change his
behavior but surrendered having not achieved anything. His sister, Aunt Sophia only encouraged
Mama to be there for the children even when his brother was not helping. His mother and their
grandmother only wept and sought help in prayers. Perhaps their grandfather could have helped,
only that he died long even before Nyongesa had married. Mama always approached him with
fear. Indeed this was a man feared not only by the family members but also those in the
neighbourhood. He was a very violent drunk. Though his violence was centred at his home, those
who intervened faced his wrath as well.

. . .

“Mama, I have decided to tell him to his face to behave responsibly.” Nekoye’s words shocked
her mother. She trembled with fear. Her daughter was taking a dangerous path. She knew her
husband well; a man who could not stand corrections. She always earned slaps and kicks in
attempting to change his behaviour.

“Don’t do such a thing!” she warned.

Nekoye could not be moved. She persisted.

“I have gone through so much under your father. He is a different man. He cannot be handled as
easily as you think. Alcohol has made him a beast. I have tried my best; I declare defeat. Let me
not witness worse things than I have seen. Leave your father alone.” She pleaded.

Nekoye bit her lips. She knew where the problem lay. Fear. Fear of the unknown. She vowed not
to let fear engulf her at the expense of her family’s welfare. Let the daughter face the most feared
man, she decided.

“Mama, you may curse, but you will soon realize that your life depends not on this man.” She
declared finally.

. . .
The evening was quiet and calm. Nekoye’s father sat on a sofa nursing his usual hangover. He
had spent all day in bed. Nekoye joined him. She sat on an opposite seat and faced him. “Allow
me to talk to you father.” Nekoye started.

“Yes, go on.” he said as he nodded his head.

“Our life has become unbearable. This is because of your drinking nature that has left the family
penniless. You spend every little that Mama earns. Father, tell me, are you going to stop drinking
for us to stop suffering? Remember also that alcohol is not good for your health. We would wish
to have you around and in good health.”

The man listened uninterruptedly. He controlled his anger and this gave Nekoye an opportunity
to speak her mind. She might never get such a chance again. Nekoye left having not heard
anything from her father.

Nyongesa did not go out to drink for two days. However, on the third day in the evening, while
drinking chang’aa , an illicit brew, the policemen arrived. They handcuffed them and ordered
them into their Land Rover. Nekoye’s father however defied the orders. He fought back. His
efforts bore no fruits. One policeman pushed him over and he fell with a thud. The policeman
without caring shoved him into the Land Rover.

A week after their release, Nekoye’s father felt some pain in his right leg. On being taken to
hospital it was realized that it was broken. Having been realized late, the leg was amputated.
Though he later cursed the policemen, he realized that he was to blame. He wished that he had
listened to her daughter.

. . .

A mound stood in front of the main house. It was still bare with no weeds. Nekoye looked at it
and painfully smiled. It was a week since her father had been buried. She could not imagine of
what remained of his body. She believed the man’s soul was at rest. The family was at rest too.

The sun shone brightly as Nekoye walked to the river. She sat down on the stone to bask from
the warm rays. She watched the maize field ahead of her. It was late March and the maize had
just sprout. They seemed to enjoy the warm sunshine coupled with the fertile loamy soil with the
rains in season.

Nekoye’s mind drifted back to her father. She could not understand why the man had to take
poison. Was it because of the loss of one leg? Or the sight of policemen? Perhaps it was because
of the shame of facing him, after not heeding to her plea. Nekoye hated to think in that line. She
picked her jerry can and dipped it in water. The cold water washed away her thoughts. She
fetched the water and rushed home.