Free Little Suns by Zakes Mda Page A

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    ‘I keep my promises to those who are obedient to the Government,’ Hope said. ‘I will return some of your power over the smaller chiefs provided you raise the army we need and lead it against Magwayi. You need to prove yourself, Umhlonhlo.’
    ‘Haven’t I proved myself ?’
    ‘Oh, you’ve been very good so far. But the expedition against Magwayi will be the ultimate test.’
    Mhlontlo assured the magistrate once more that he would indeed be part of the expedition.
    ‘
Nd’zak’fel’aph’ufa khona
,’ he said. The king had said this before; at that meeting with the magistrates.
Where you die, I will die
.
    Malangana’s consternation was not lost on Hope. He gave the young man what he thought was a benevolent smile and shook his beard in his direction. He then poured his guests shots of brandy and asked how they liked the fire-water, as their fellow natives called it. Mhlontlo and Malangana mumbled their pleasure. Warren raised his glass and said ‘Cheers’ before swallowing the shot in one gulp.
    ‘The Dutch are getting better at this all the time,’ said Warren.
    ‘Maybe someday one will retire in a Cape vineyard,’ said Hope, and the two white men chuckled. ‘Find refuge in a distillery.’
    The chuckles became laughter. It must have been an inside joke because the two amaMpondomise men did not get it.
    ‘And how do you like the new extension to The Residency?’ Hope’s question was directed to Warren.
    ‘Mrs Hope showed me around,’ said Warren. ‘Solid construction, sir. One doesn’t see this kind of workmanship in these parts.’
    Hope went on about how parsimonious the Government could be. It had not been easy to get approval for these improvements.
    ‘It reminds me of when I first came here two years ago, all the difficulties I encountered getting approval for the erection of suitable quarters for myself and my clerk,’ said Hope sadly. ‘I had to live in a Kafir hut.’
    That, of course, was an extremely uncomfortable situation for him and his dear wife, Emmie. They had been brought here from Basutoland where he had constructed two beautiful houses at his expense, which he had to abandon at short notice. Surely the Government did not expect him to use his own meagre resources to build a house. For months on end not only did he reside in a Kafir hut, he conducted the administration of the district and presided over court cases in Kafir huts. It was demeaning to the dignity of the Government that its officers had to live and transact business in that kind of environment. He had to struggle before funds were allocated to build The Residency and the Courthouse. And now finally there were the extensions that Emmie was very pleased about; creating a drawing room that was separate from the dining room.
    The two amaMpondomise men just sat there and listened and said nothing.
    As they were riding back to Sulenkama Mhlontlo asked Malangana what Hope and Warren were talking about.
    ‘It was just a lot of nonsense about how he struggled to get Government to build him a house.’
    ‘So he doesn’t always get what he wants from his masters?’
    ‘Ultimately he did.’
    ‘Only ultimately. He may not get the guns we have asked for. We won’t fight the war against Magwayi if he doesn’t supply us with guns.’
    ‘You promised him . . . “Where you die, I will die.”’
    ‘You will never understand matters of statecraft,’ said Mhlontlo firmly, indicating that the subject was closed.
    They rode silently for a while. The sun had long set, yet the earth was breathing out heat through its fissures.
    ‘This confounded drought!’ said Malangana.
    ‘It knells death, little son of my father,’ said Mhlontlo.
    Cattle were emaciated and crops were withering away. Even Mhlontlo’s own fields were cracked like the heels of an old woman. His sorghum, beans and pumpkin had died prematurely, soon after peeping out of the ground. A week before he had sent Malangana and his eldest son Charles