Free Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa'Thiong'o Page A

glanced at Kamltl with a curious eye. He was dark, tall, and slim, and in his hand he held a bag. His gray suit must have been nice when it was new, probably quite expensive, but now it was worn, the elbows patched.
    “I see. In that case, I suggest that you come back tomorrow. It is now five. My boss is about to leave. I would have left already but he asked me to stick around for a while. So you are in luck. Let me check his schedule of appointments tomorrow.”
    “Let me see him now, please—he will understand when I tell him my story.”
    “You know …” She paused, leaned forward slightly, and lowered her voice as if imparting a secret. “My boss is a very important member of Marching to Heaven, and he is attending a dinner reception in honor of the mission from the GB.”
    “GB? Great Britain?” Kamltl asked, a little puzzled. What wasshe talking about and what did it have to do with her setting up an appointment?
    “Not Great Britain! Global Bank!”
    At that very moment Tajirika emerged from an adjoining room, ostentatiously putting a handgun into the inside pocket of his jacket, making it clear to this argumentative intruder that he was armed.
    Kamltl was overcome by a stench blast to his nose and for a few seconds found it difficult to breathe. But he held himself upright, trying hard not to react to the foul smell as he sized up the boss. Tajirika’s belly was a bit too impressive and his dark suit a bit too tight. His snugly gloved right hand matched his skin and held a small staff, an imitation of the Buler’s, which he pounded in his left for emphasis while he spoke.
    Tajirika looked from KamTtT to the secretary as if to ask, From what dunghill did you pick this one out?
    “He wants to see you,” the secretary said in response.
    Tajirika gave KamTtT another look. KamTtT tried to speak but Tajirika interrupted him.
    “Didn’t you hear what my secretary said? I am about to go welcome the delegation from the GB. Do you get it? The Global Bank, the bank for the whole world. I have
a personal invitation
from the minister himself, a great friend of mine, and …”
    “A job. All I am looking for is a job,” KamTtT sputtered.
    “At this hour?” Tajirika said, slightly irritated that KamTtT had interrupted him when he was just beginning to warm up about himself.
    “I have been to several other offices,” KamTtT explained.
    “So you assumed that the owner of these premises has all the time in the world?”
    “What I am trying to say is that I have been on my feet all day” KamTtT said, trying to mollify him.
    “So on other days you rode from office to office in a Mercedes?”
    KamTtT let the insult pass, hoping helplessly that the boss would show pity and give him an interview.
    “An interview. I just want an interview.”
    An idea suddenly struck Tajirika. His cheeks puffed up a little as if he were stifling laughter, but he did not laugh. He sat on the edge of the table, his right foot grounded, his left hanging a few inches above the floor. He now held the staff with both hands.
    The secretary was captivated by what was unfolding before her eyes. This man, whoever he is, must possess some secret power, she thought. How else could one explain his softening of the boss’s heart so quickly?
    “What type of job are you looking for?”
    “Whatever is available,” Kamltl hastily answered, clutching his bag more tightly. Maybe a bird of good omen had greeted him this morning. That was one of the most rewarding things about spending nights in the open. Birds were bound to wake you up, and whether they carried good or bad luck, at least they woke you up with music.
    “What is your educational background?”
    “BA, economics. Master of business management, MBA.” He stuck his hand into his coat pocket as if dipping for something. “Sorry I have no visiting cards.”
    Tajirika and the secretary looked up at Kamltl with enlivened interest and curiosity. But their trains of thoughts diverged. The