Hope Is Our Only Wing by Rutendo Tavengerwei

Author:Rutendo Tavengerwei
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Soho Press
Published: 2019-07-27T14:00:41+00:00

28

The trouble with swallowing your pride is that, like any other thick bone, it can get stuck in your throat. And like any reasonable person, the only remedy Shamiso knew was to drink a lot of water. She sat restlessly, trying to avoid looking at Tanyaradzwa. She refilled her glass and took a gulp. Last night had been intense.

The girls sat in the dining hall among a sea of chattering students. They waited for the servers to bring the food to their tables. The hall echoed with clunking spoons and cups, students eager for their morning tea. It seemed to be taking a little longer than usual. Finally, the uniformed servers exited the kitchen to the sound of cheering as they pushed trolleys heavy with food bowls, placing one at each table. Once they had done so, silence fell as the prayer was recited by one of the students. The silence was broken by a resounding amen.

As the bowls were uncovered, they unleashed a thick aroma of fat cakes together with shock and protests.

A prefect stood at the front of the dining hall. “Students, due to the situation in the country, we have been unable to acquire bread for your teatime. But you’ll be pleased to see an alternative has been provided. Please note that the school is doing everything it can to ensure that you are well taken care of. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated . . .”

The students were not impressed, but most of them accepted the change. Tanyaradzwa sat watching the girl at the top of the table pour tea from the giant teapot into the ten mugs, one for each person. It was the first time the tea had been black, but the reason for that was the same as the story behind the fat cakes.

A prefect signaled for Tanyaradzwa. Shamiso watched as she followed him. As she went outside, Tanyaradzwa saw her father’s car parked under the proud jacaranda trees. Her heart thudded with excitement. He was standing close by, talking to the principal.

A short distance away Paida also stood by a red Mercedes, balancing two huge boxes and talking to a uniformed man, probably a driver. This had happened every week since the food shortages. The two of them seemed to be the only ones allowed regular visitors. It made sense for Tanyaradzwa because she was ill. For Paida, however, it must have been thanks to her father’s big name. She would get two boxes of food every week and was never shy to share the information though she was not so generous with the food. Everyone else was struggling to get supplies. Paida seemed to be struggling as well, but with a better problem. From the quiver of her shoulders, it looked as if the boxes were too heavy.

As Tanyaradzwa approached her father, she prepared herself for the same talk they had every time. He would insist that she should come home; she would insist that she had to stay.

“You look strong,” he said, extending his hand to greet her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.