Professional Documents
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W
Michael
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© Michael Williams 2015
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First published 2015
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Diamond Boy
ISBN 978 0 19 904904 2 (print)
ISBN 978 0 19 907800 4 (epub)
First impression 2014
Typeset in Adobe Caslon Pro 11.5 pt on 14 pt
Printed on [insert paper quality e.g. acid-free paper]
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Contents
How this book works ........................................................................................4
These three diamonds show a section break in the “He speaks funny.”
Characterisation “That’s because he speaks French. He’ll look after us. He
story. A section break shows that some time has Why does Patson already
trust Boubacar?
knows where he’s going.”
There are activities on the novel on pages 245–256. They will guide you to a deeper
understanding and exploration of the plot, characters, themes and style of the novel.
Contextual questions, essay questions for Home Language and answers are available
on the website: www.oxford.co.za/9780199049042.
5
6
H
answer.
ow did you get here, Patson?
Sometimes the simple questions are the hardest to
Journey
Shin
e
8
1
“W ake up, Patson,” Grace whispered into my ear.
“The diamond fields are close now. Just over that
elephant-head mountain.”
Where is this part of the the thorn trees and the air was filled with amber dust.
story set? And then my head slammed against the window as the driver
swerved to avoid one pothole only to hit another. Here in
Zimbabwe, we say that a man who drives straight must be
Style drunk.
Why is this statement
I longed to get out of the cramped car. We had driven
about drunk drivers ironic?
for fourteen hours across the dry plains of Matabeleland,
over the Runde and Munyati rivers and through the hills of
Masvingo Province.
My father always said that a journey should change your
life in some way. Well, I suppose that when you have nothing,
a journey promises everything. As long as we arrived at a
place better than the one we had left, I would be happy. I had
known for some time that my family was heading downhill. I
could see it in the drawn face of my father as yet another day
passed with no food in the house. I could hear it in the shrill
voice of the Wife, who ranted hysterically and wept as she
hid from the neighbours. And I could feel it when I hugged
1 prised: forced
2 amber: orange
3 fragile: delicate
9
“I’ll help you, Amai . I know where it is.” Grace had come
to the rescue.
My sister seemed to have a built-in early-warning system
when it came to the Wife’s moods. She would appear,
sometimes magically, to smooth out an awkward moment or
distract the Wife from turning on my father, always able to
restore the peace. As she did now by pulling out a small bag
from the boot, quickly finding the toilet paper, and handing it
to the Wife with a smile.
The driver swore under his breath, anxiously glancing down
the road, while my father fussed and fretted, trying to keep Characterisation
his wife happy. Do you like the Wife?
Why or why not?
4 berated: criticised
5 Amai: Mother (Shona)
10
index fingers. “Now is the safest time of day for them to sell
their stones – army patrols are blinded by the setting sun.”
“But they were just boys,” said my father.
The driver nodded. “Gwejana. Children diamond miners
gambling with their lives by becoming thieves and smugglers.
This road is littered with their bones.”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t see anything. Why
doesn’t anyone ever tell me what’s going on?” complained the
Wife.
I opened the window and her words were lost as I leant out
to study the bush flitting past, the sky’s orange glow sinking
slowly behind the distant hills.
The driver continued, talking quickly and strangling the Style
How do we know that the
steering wheel.
driver is tense?
“The closer we get to the mining fields, the purer the
stones become and the more danger we are in,” he said.
“Those mailashas are trying to sell their diamonds outside
their syndicate . They think they can take the money for
themselves. But there are spies everywhere and if those boys
are reported to the syndicate bosses, or if the police catch
them selling diamonds ... Well, I’ve heard terrible things.”
“My brother, James, says there are diamonds for everyone,”
said the Wife. “And he runs the best mine in Marange, so he
should know. I’m sure you’re exaggerating.”
“James Banda hates mailashas,” muttered the driver, glaring
at me in his rear-view mirror. “You don’t talk to those boys.
Ever. You understand?”
2
D iamonds for everyone.
Those were the exact words that had drip-dripped like a
leaking tap into my father’s ear at breakfast, after school, late
at night when the lights were out and I could hear the Wife’s
8 syndicate: organisation