Free A Fool's Knot by Philip Spires Page A

I’ve been asleep for three hours,” exclaimed Janet, as if she had lost something irretrievably.
    Michael turned to Mutua and asked him to bring in a beer for Janet and then serve dinner. Raising herself in the chair to accept the beer bottle, she groaned loudly as the stiffness of her limbs resisted movement.
    â€œYou look like you’ve been raped,” said Michael. Janet cast him a knowing look. “What’s wrong? Did Mwangangi give you a hard time?”
    â€œHe did, but the reason why I’m so shattered is the journey. It was…”
    â€œMwingi market day,” interrupted Michael, nodding, “and the bus was somewhat more than full.”
    â€œThe bus was full - full stop!”
    â€œSo what happened?” asked Michael, sitting back.
    She felt the first cold mouthful of beer run down inside her. It was one of those blissful occasions when you could feel the progress of the liquid all the way down to the stomach. And with it went the dust of the journey, the taste of fumes and the thirst of a day. She felt immediately refreshed and revived. And then, after a long sigh, she related the events of the day, finishing with, “Mwanza reckons he wanted a bribe.”
    Michael looked thoughtful for a moment and then spoke. “Mwanza would, the stupid whore. No. No, I don’t buy that one for a minute. Mwangangi would never ask for a bribe. He’s above that. Mwanza should have his mouth sewn up.”
    â€œSo you think that if I go on Friday as requested, I will get Joseph out on bail?”
    â€œIf Mwangangi finds no objection and, if you come up with the money, of course, he will do nothing to prevent it. I’m sure of that.” Again he thought for a moment before continuing, somewhat more slowly and pensively. “But there might be a problem. The case has become quite serious.” Michael listed the charges against the defendants, counting them out on his fingers: creating a disturbance, damage to property, actual bodily harm on one of the teachers, using abusive language. “Knowing Mwangangi, he might not allow any bail at all. He tends to get very impatient with that type of case, the type where people try to take the law into their own hands. He is very keen to make an example of people who don’t use the proper channels. Had people from Nzawa gone to him with their complaints about the teachers, he would have investigated. He would have been down there like lightning and he would not have let it go until he had got to the bottom of things. But if people act without authority… He gives people a fair deal, and he doesn’t take bribes. He has probably concluded that they will have to stay in custody for their own and other’s safety.”
    â€œThen why didn’t he say that instead of making so much of the spelling of the kid’s name?” asked Janet, her frustration flooding back.
    Michael laughed and shook his head, saying, “He might be a young man, university educated and all, but he’s still a Kamba! You know, they’re just like Kerrymen. They can never give a straight answer to a straight question. Ask a Kerryman the way to the post office and he’ll answer, ‘Oh, so you want to buy stamps?’”
    â€œAnd what about Limerick people?” asked Janet, laughing.
    â€œThey’re all the same. We’re all people and we’re all a crowd of stupid whores!” And with that they both got up and crossed the room to the table where Mutua was laying out the evening meal.
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Chapter Eight
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    May 1951
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    Contrary to Sister Mary’s belief that Mwangangi would recover quickly, the boy appeared to make only slow progress. The wound produced by his father’s deliberately barbarous treatment during circumcision had completely healed in no time. Sister Mary grew progressively more concerned, however, as it became clear that, as well as blood poisoning, there was evidence