Free Radiance of Tomorrow by Ishmael Beah Page A

with a round flattened head like a tadpole and red eyes and glasses stood at the junction on the road, handing out flyers. The incentive was printed in bold, while the words he feared would scare people off were faint and diminished in size. YOU WILL ONLY BE ASKED TO PAY YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL FEES AT THE END OF THE FIRST SEMESTER. That same fellow had come to Bockarie’s house two days after the school was declared opened. There were no students yet.
    “My name is Mr. Fofanah,” he introduced himself to Kula, holding a black briefcase, constantly standing on his toes as though reaching for something or perhaps to look taller. “May I speak with your husband, Bockarie?” He wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.
    When Bockarie came outside, Mr. Fofanah wasted no time in offering him a teaching position. He had been told that Bockarie had attended the school and had also been a teacher. He wanted him to teach the subjects he had taught before: English, geography, and history.
    After Mr. Fofanah left, Kula hugged her husband and he gave that half smile and hum that only she knew meant he was extremely happy. He wasn’t one who showed emotion as others did.
    “Will you help me prepare for lessons, my dear?”
    “I miss when we used to do that. Sit, I will get a pen and some papers.” She smiled.
    “Yes, my lady. I miss that stronger commanding personality of yours whenever we start intellectual things.” He sat and she laughed as she ran into the house.
    While he waited, a tall man with a medium beard came onto the veranda and said his name was Benjamin.
    “Mr. Fofanah told me to come and introduce myself.” He spoke fast and his eyes opened wide whenever he did.
    “Welcome to my homeland. Where are you from?” Bockarie spoke slowly.
    “I am from Kono, the diamond area, but don’t ask me why I am here. I got a job offer, man, so here I am with my family. The rest isn’t interesting. Okay, man, I will see you in school or on the way there. I must go prepare for my lessons.” Benjamin tapped Bockarie on the shoulder and walked away. He jogged a bit with one hand in his pocket, dribbling an invisible ball, then resumed walking.
    “Were you talking to someone?” Kula returned with some wrinkled pages and several pens, as she always had to go through a bunch before one of them worked.
    “Yes, the Benjamin fellow that Mr. Fofanah spoke of. He went back home to prepare for his lessons as well.” Bockarie made room on the bench for Kula to sit next to him. They began from memory, from their school days, laughing and giggling as they teased one another with questions.
    The following morning, Benjamin and Bockarie encountered each other on their three-mile walk to school. They strode quietly at first, the morning dew soaking their faces.
    “You know, all of my life I have had to walk in the morning. At first it was to the farm, then to school, to work…” Benjamin started, and before Bockarie responded that he, too, had had the same experience, Benjamin spoke again. “The good thing about it is that I have always made a good friend on each of those walks. Okay, teacher Bockarie, let us walk like young men with life in them.” Benjamin started pulling Bockarie along as he hastened his steps and they laughed, walking as fast as they could. When they arrived at school, Mr. Fofanah, the principal, gathered all the teachers and gave them the first month’s salary followed by a talk about how wonderful it was that they were all there. Things looked promising.
    “Don’t worry about the lack of school materials. The board of education has promised to send things right away. For now we have the basics, chalk and a blackboard and some desks and benches to start with. And here come the students.” The principal was distracted by a large group of young people walking toward campus. He guessed there were more than fifty, and that would suffice. More came as the day unfolded.
    That same morning, Kula had