Blaise Jabo
11-02-2015, 07:57 PM
Story one : The debt is paid
In April 1994, the Rwandan increasing chaos was on each and every radio station in Kigali, even the international news had report on Rwanda daily, the situation between the Hutu government and the RPF wasn’t going to fade off, as some people had begun to die. However to some, days went on as usual, business was still moving in the city of Kigali. “Money never sleeps indeed”.
This story is of a young medical nurse called Janvier who was his mid-30. On the 5th April 1994 Janvier woke up around 5am, and as he sat on his bed, his head falling into his arms, the action looking that of a praying person, however Janvier was in what seemed to be a mysterious journey in his mind, travelling deep in thought. His room was quite modest, an ordinary room of “un célibataire” there was a study desk, piled of papers and mails, it looked though that it wasn’t used for quite some time considering amount of dust and spider webs that were building in between the books. He had a simple queen bed, even the mattress looked new, the **** were clean, Janvier was a bed person, and he loved his sleep, for what I can define of a person who loved his personal time in his room. As his imagination lingered on in endless thoughts, the morning light struck through his daylight curtains (the only ones he had), he moved his head up and picked his disco watch to check the time, it was 5; 55, he had been thinking for almost an a hour , he walked to his desk and switched on his Philips radio to listen to the morning news, the radio presenter was talking about peace agreement that was due in Arusha-Tanzania between the government and the RPF, the presenter’s had no interest in the agreement as he continued his evangelization of hate and calling for killings. Janvier muttered something “these people think that’s a problem? Wish they could know about my life then I might be head news instead of this nonsense propaganda”. As he muttered that, he went straight for a bath. After he came put on his well ironed khaki pants and white spotless shirt, looked under his bed and pulled some dusty black leather shoes that had an extended toe cap. He then picked his shoe blush and went out his unit and knocked on the neighbor’s door, his neighbor was an old man of about 75, a retired social worker. Janvier and his neighbor had an unusual mutual relationship; Janvier used to go there every morning to use Kiwi (shoe polish) of the old man and always end-up having breakfast there, in return Janvier had promised the old man that he will be supplying him with any kind of medication he wants, most people in his neighborhood considered Janvier a doctor. After eating the usual buttered bread and black tea served in old rusty metal cup, Janvier removed the blush from his pocket and signaled the old man to pass him the Kiwi. Having polished his shoes, he stood up and told the old man that he must be going, “Mzee (Old man) thanks but us Doctors are busy people, I must leave now or someone is in danger” he said in a self-flattering manner, “Alright son, you be careful, you might have more patients today or the next few days, rumors of war are increasing”, the old man replied. As Janvier was leaving the door he said “War was here when I was born, nothing new old man”. Then he vanished outside. As he was exiting the compound gate, he had a tap on his shoulders; he turned, and then realized that it was his landlord Bosco, a very gigantic man, with a pot belly that most people associated it with good consumption of Primus (a local beer). Janvier had two months due of rent; he had been hiding from Bosco; he knew the time he woke up and he knew also that the landlord loved his nights out. But today was a miss calculation, he then masked a happy to see you face and said “Bosco, Bosco, been looking for you all the past few days, even last night I knocked on your door but nothing”, Bosco smiled and said “My friend you should join theatre and leave your medical profession, because you are good at acting, I was home whole night didn’t even go to the cabaret”. “Hmm!!!That sounds strange, anyway me too I was lost a bit, we had gone to the southern province hospital to train some new young doctors, been busy but I have you in my mind, even now the cheque is at the office, they paid us in full yesterday, but busy I as am couldn’t find time to go cash it’” replied Janvier with a confident tone. “Well then when can I get my money? I need it, the economy is getting insane in this Kigali” replied Bosco while staring straight in Janvier’s sweaty face. Janvier cleared his throat and said “Very easy, after you have cleared your errands, you can pass by the hospital and I sort you out, anyway your face looks wishy-washy my brother, what’s going on? You might be lacking some proteins, I will see what I can get for you at the pharmacy before and tomorrow I want to take you for some brochettes, it’s been long since we shared la bière right?”, “Thank you thank you, having a doctor here is real helpful, I will pass at your office or if not we can go tomorrow morning”, replied a convinced Bosco. When Bosco finished talking the new nurse pagers that were donated by the WHO went off and that was Janvier’s cue and savior; he looked at the pager and said “see? What I was telling you? these machines are given those that are more important at the hospital, it looks like they need me to make some decisions, let me rush we will talk more later” as he said that he left quickly without even looking back, Bosco followed him with a loud voice “ don’t forget about my medicine”.
Janvier’s home wasn’t far from the bus stop, and it was a vibrant bus stop with different working class people all around, people called them “les fonctionnaire” to be a fonctionnaire came with a lot of show to pull out, one had to be neat, speak some French, demonstrate some level of intellectualism and of course decent job. It was more of like high school, who has the best this and that. As Janvier was walking towards the bus stop, he remembered that he owed money to the kiosk that was right next to it, he had been taking some groceries by credit for quite some time and the kiosk owner had given him a last warning. He immediately returned home and grabbed some first aid kit and headed back towards the shop. He went direct to the small red door of the kiosk, were only the owner was allowed to enter, and knock hastily. The owner opened with a fuming face and when he realized it was Janvier, he calmed down and said “Ahhhh!!! The man I was looking for, come in brother”, the kiosk door was short that Janvier had to almost kneel for him to squeeze in, once inside he said “all the cash you have and can’t upgrade my friend? They both laughed and he went on “anyway am in a rush, I can’t chat long, just hold for me this special kit, I don’t want to go with it at the bank, I will return in a couple minutes, pick it and go to work, alright brother?” the owner look at the kit and couldn’t tell what exactly it was, he thought it some special instrument. He held it and looked at it once again, curiosity all over his body language, he was fascinated by this mysterious kit. He put it in his small cupboard and locked it twice, as showing Janvier that it was safe with him. He turned then asked Janvier politely “Dr, how about my money?” Janvier replied in an authoritative way “Don’t you listen? I just told you that I am going to the bank, I will come back with your money and I pick my special kit”. He then started to walk bent and reversibly so as to pass through the tiny door again. When he reached outside he headed straight to a group of fonctionnaires that was waiting for the bus.
Current affairs and politics were the topics on the table at the bus stop; each fonctionnaire trying to put his reasoning across, everyone had to pitch-in an idea. Janvier stood there for some minutes, silent back in his endless thoughts; he forgot about the group talk, about the bus, he was again drifting in his imaginations. A lady wearing a post office uniform shock his head and said “it will be alright, don’t let them scare you”, Janvier snapped out of his thoughts and said “wait wait!!! what?” “the lady signaled him to low his head and she whispered “they know you are a Tutsi, but you I know you are a people’s person, I bet no one will want to harm you”, Janvier looked down on the lady, though she was wearing shoes with a quite high stiletto heel, Janvier was still tall to have a direct face to face conversation, as he looked at the lady, he smiled and said “Madame, Tutsi-Hutu issues are the least of my concerns, I have way bigger problems”, The red and green bus pulled over as everyone lined up to enter, the bus itself wasn’t comfortable enough but it was the best by then, the famous Simon Bikindi played on the radio with his song “ Rubanda Nyamwinshi” the song that was calling the great majority to end the minority enemies. Most of the people in the bus were heading next to Janvier’s hospital including the post office lady, as they approached the hospital; Janvier removed his wallet and paid for two, him and the lady. One of the passengers seating three seats in front of Janvier noticed the payment and yelled in the bus “Yeah, show off with your cash, in a few days all will be ours” Janvier stood up as the bus came to a stop and walked towards the exit, as he reached the door he turned and told the passenger “all of mine is bitter, but you are welcome.” And with that he exited the bus. Janvier had used his return fare when he paid for the lady; He would hustle for fare back at the hospital or walk home.
Outside the bus was an old lady carrying a basket of fresh bananas famous known as “kamara”, Janvier passed and stared direct in her eyes, smiled at her with no attention of the bananas, as he walked he turned as if he had forgotten something, then he noticed the bananas, how bold yellow they were looking, he stared for a second, one could tell the basket was telling him that everything is still ok. When he turned to real time, he stepped in muddy water that was everywhere now; it had rained in the days before, “the very rain that also has its story in the Rwandese tragic story”. He immediately removed his white handkerchief and shined shoes back being a man of style, as he went through the hospitals gate he noticed that the security guard wasn’t there but gave it no much of a thought. He went straight to the ICU to check first on his friend Eduard, they have been good friends since primary school back in their home town of Ruhango. Eduard was a quite kind, hypocrite, honest man, giving smiles to everything you tell him, and throwing strong points back at you. When Janvier entered the ECU, Eduard came straight at him and shook his hand firmly, “Morning my friend, didn’t expect to see you here today”, janvier smiling at enthusiasm of question replied “I have rent problems, hospital is free my brother”, Eduard knew that janvier has sensed what he wanted to mean and replied “ You are getting old, with these rains coming, its easy to catch a cold, indoors is better” Janvier now knew exactly what Eduard was aiming at, but he knew it wasn’t in a malicious way but rather it was coming from a concerned and thoughtful person. Janvier started to whisper “Eduard? Even you are on this garbage they are rumoring about? You can do better brother” Eduard put his arm on Jnavier’s shoulder “come down, come down, and don’t be naïve here, I can’t tell you much because, trust me I don’t know much either, but I extremely warn you to get out and go home, if possible leave the city, Understand?” he said it in a more anxious and angry way, with his grip on Janvier’s should tightening harder that it was hurting him. Janvier removed the arm and said,” all people are getting crazy, I don’t need these crazy stories, I have my own problems to handle, see you at lunch”, with that he walked out heading towards the children’s ward.
In the afternoon around 4pm, Janvier was sleeping at the pharmacy store desk as usual, with his lazy pharmacist friend Louise, she was a very innocent and sympathetic lady, she was a single mother of two children, the husband had died earlier in 1991, with rumors that his death might have been an assassination because it had happened in times when assassinations was coming to be a common threshold. Anyway as they both lay on the small table, their heads bumping into each other when either decided to change position, a louder cry echoed in the hospitals walls, and they both woke up in shock. They made way straight towards the ECU, as the cry seemed to have originated from there, when they got there, the whole nursing and doctor crew was in the ECU tending to about 20 severely injured people, and looked more was about to come. Janvier told Louise to come with him they look for Eduard; he would know exactly what was happening. As they were moving through those cries, Janvier kept telling himself that it must be a terrible accident or a training gone wrong. Something, his mind started to drift away again and all he could see was the basket with the yellow bananas. Louise stepped on his shoes and yelled mockingly “no wonder you work in children’s ward, you can’t stand blood, coward” she followed it with a shiny beautiful smile despite the environment was of the underworld. Janvier immediately noticed were Eduard was stationed and went to him, “Brother what’s going on? What happened? Tell me it’s an accident “, Eduard looked at him examining his tallness and also gave a look of assessing Janvier’s intellect ability and replied “Yes it’s an accident and that’s why I am taking you home now before it accidentally becomes your turn” he continued but this time whispering to Janvier avoiding Louise to hear “and please loose that pharmacist, she bores me”. Janvier had mixed feelings about his friend’s concern about him but also on the sudden attitude towards Louise. He turned to Louise and said “ Listen I am going with Eduard outside for some time to figure out things, please if anything happens go home or stay here and I will come for you, hospitals are always safe. She hugged him and made sign of the cross on his head, Eduard was already heading out of the ECU.
They entered Eduard’s Peugeot 205, and Eduard looking more nervous told Janvier to pull up his window, he did like he was told as the car was pulling out of the hospital gate, Janvier turned to his right side of the window, and there he was…he saw the security guard he had not seen earlier, but now this time he was different, he was wearing colorful clothing’s that matched a group of other young men he was coming with, his face was cleaned but his soul had left. Eduard accelerated the car past the group that was heading straight to the hospital, in that moment janvier thought of Louise but his mind still thought everything will be alright by night fall or tomorrow morning, the baskt had promised him.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
In April 1994, the Rwandan increasing chaos was on each and every radio station in Kigali, even the international news had report on Rwanda daily, the situation between the Hutu government and the RPF wasn’t going to fade off, as some people had begun to die. However to some, days went on as usual, business was still moving in the city of Kigali. “Money never sleeps indeed”.
This story is of a young medical nurse called Janvier who was his mid-30. On the 5th April 1994 Janvier woke up around 5am, and as he sat on his bed, his head falling into his arms, the action looking that of a praying person, however Janvier was in what seemed to be a mysterious journey in his mind, travelling deep in thought. His room was quite modest, an ordinary room of “un célibataire” there was a study desk, piled of papers and mails, it looked though that it wasn’t used for quite some time considering amount of dust and spider webs that were building in between the books. He had a simple queen bed, even the mattress looked new, the **** were clean, Janvier was a bed person, and he loved his sleep, for what I can define of a person who loved his personal time in his room. As his imagination lingered on in endless thoughts, the morning light struck through his daylight curtains (the only ones he had), he moved his head up and picked his disco watch to check the time, it was 5; 55, he had been thinking for almost an a hour , he walked to his desk and switched on his Philips radio to listen to the morning news, the radio presenter was talking about peace agreement that was due in Arusha-Tanzania between the government and the RPF, the presenter’s had no interest in the agreement as he continued his evangelization of hate and calling for killings. Janvier muttered something “these people think that’s a problem? Wish they could know about my life then I might be head news instead of this nonsense propaganda”. As he muttered that, he went straight for a bath. After he came put on his well ironed khaki pants and white spotless shirt, looked under his bed and pulled some dusty black leather shoes that had an extended toe cap. He then picked his shoe blush and went out his unit and knocked on the neighbor’s door, his neighbor was an old man of about 75, a retired social worker. Janvier and his neighbor had an unusual mutual relationship; Janvier used to go there every morning to use Kiwi (shoe polish) of the old man and always end-up having breakfast there, in return Janvier had promised the old man that he will be supplying him with any kind of medication he wants, most people in his neighborhood considered Janvier a doctor. After eating the usual buttered bread and black tea served in old rusty metal cup, Janvier removed the blush from his pocket and signaled the old man to pass him the Kiwi. Having polished his shoes, he stood up and told the old man that he must be going, “Mzee (Old man) thanks but us Doctors are busy people, I must leave now or someone is in danger” he said in a self-flattering manner, “Alright son, you be careful, you might have more patients today or the next few days, rumors of war are increasing”, the old man replied. As Janvier was leaving the door he said “War was here when I was born, nothing new old man”. Then he vanished outside. As he was exiting the compound gate, he had a tap on his shoulders; he turned, and then realized that it was his landlord Bosco, a very gigantic man, with a pot belly that most people associated it with good consumption of Primus (a local beer). Janvier had two months due of rent; he had been hiding from Bosco; he knew the time he woke up and he knew also that the landlord loved his nights out. But today was a miss calculation, he then masked a happy to see you face and said “Bosco, Bosco, been looking for you all the past few days, even last night I knocked on your door but nothing”, Bosco smiled and said “My friend you should join theatre and leave your medical profession, because you are good at acting, I was home whole night didn’t even go to the cabaret”. “Hmm!!!That sounds strange, anyway me too I was lost a bit, we had gone to the southern province hospital to train some new young doctors, been busy but I have you in my mind, even now the cheque is at the office, they paid us in full yesterday, but busy I as am couldn’t find time to go cash it’” replied Janvier with a confident tone. “Well then when can I get my money? I need it, the economy is getting insane in this Kigali” replied Bosco while staring straight in Janvier’s sweaty face. Janvier cleared his throat and said “Very easy, after you have cleared your errands, you can pass by the hospital and I sort you out, anyway your face looks wishy-washy my brother, what’s going on? You might be lacking some proteins, I will see what I can get for you at the pharmacy before and tomorrow I want to take you for some brochettes, it’s been long since we shared la bière right?”, “Thank you thank you, having a doctor here is real helpful, I will pass at your office or if not we can go tomorrow morning”, replied a convinced Bosco. When Bosco finished talking the new nurse pagers that were donated by the WHO went off and that was Janvier’s cue and savior; he looked at the pager and said “see? What I was telling you? these machines are given those that are more important at the hospital, it looks like they need me to make some decisions, let me rush we will talk more later” as he said that he left quickly without even looking back, Bosco followed him with a loud voice “ don’t forget about my medicine”.
Janvier’s home wasn’t far from the bus stop, and it was a vibrant bus stop with different working class people all around, people called them “les fonctionnaire” to be a fonctionnaire came with a lot of show to pull out, one had to be neat, speak some French, demonstrate some level of intellectualism and of course decent job. It was more of like high school, who has the best this and that. As Janvier was walking towards the bus stop, he remembered that he owed money to the kiosk that was right next to it, he had been taking some groceries by credit for quite some time and the kiosk owner had given him a last warning. He immediately returned home and grabbed some first aid kit and headed back towards the shop. He went direct to the small red door of the kiosk, were only the owner was allowed to enter, and knock hastily. The owner opened with a fuming face and when he realized it was Janvier, he calmed down and said “Ahhhh!!! The man I was looking for, come in brother”, the kiosk door was short that Janvier had to almost kneel for him to squeeze in, once inside he said “all the cash you have and can’t upgrade my friend? They both laughed and he went on “anyway am in a rush, I can’t chat long, just hold for me this special kit, I don’t want to go with it at the bank, I will return in a couple minutes, pick it and go to work, alright brother?” the owner look at the kit and couldn’t tell what exactly it was, he thought it some special instrument. He held it and looked at it once again, curiosity all over his body language, he was fascinated by this mysterious kit. He put it in his small cupboard and locked it twice, as showing Janvier that it was safe with him. He turned then asked Janvier politely “Dr, how about my money?” Janvier replied in an authoritative way “Don’t you listen? I just told you that I am going to the bank, I will come back with your money and I pick my special kit”. He then started to walk bent and reversibly so as to pass through the tiny door again. When he reached outside he headed straight to a group of fonctionnaires that was waiting for the bus.
Current affairs and politics were the topics on the table at the bus stop; each fonctionnaire trying to put his reasoning across, everyone had to pitch-in an idea. Janvier stood there for some minutes, silent back in his endless thoughts; he forgot about the group talk, about the bus, he was again drifting in his imaginations. A lady wearing a post office uniform shock his head and said “it will be alright, don’t let them scare you”, Janvier snapped out of his thoughts and said “wait wait!!! what?” “the lady signaled him to low his head and she whispered “they know you are a Tutsi, but you I know you are a people’s person, I bet no one will want to harm you”, Janvier looked down on the lady, though she was wearing shoes with a quite high stiletto heel, Janvier was still tall to have a direct face to face conversation, as he looked at the lady, he smiled and said “Madame, Tutsi-Hutu issues are the least of my concerns, I have way bigger problems”, The red and green bus pulled over as everyone lined up to enter, the bus itself wasn’t comfortable enough but it was the best by then, the famous Simon Bikindi played on the radio with his song “ Rubanda Nyamwinshi” the song that was calling the great majority to end the minority enemies. Most of the people in the bus were heading next to Janvier’s hospital including the post office lady, as they approached the hospital; Janvier removed his wallet and paid for two, him and the lady. One of the passengers seating three seats in front of Janvier noticed the payment and yelled in the bus “Yeah, show off with your cash, in a few days all will be ours” Janvier stood up as the bus came to a stop and walked towards the exit, as he reached the door he turned and told the passenger “all of mine is bitter, but you are welcome.” And with that he exited the bus. Janvier had used his return fare when he paid for the lady; He would hustle for fare back at the hospital or walk home.
Outside the bus was an old lady carrying a basket of fresh bananas famous known as “kamara”, Janvier passed and stared direct in her eyes, smiled at her with no attention of the bananas, as he walked he turned as if he had forgotten something, then he noticed the bananas, how bold yellow they were looking, he stared for a second, one could tell the basket was telling him that everything is still ok. When he turned to real time, he stepped in muddy water that was everywhere now; it had rained in the days before, “the very rain that also has its story in the Rwandese tragic story”. He immediately removed his white handkerchief and shined shoes back being a man of style, as he went through the hospitals gate he noticed that the security guard wasn’t there but gave it no much of a thought. He went straight to the ICU to check first on his friend Eduard, they have been good friends since primary school back in their home town of Ruhango. Eduard was a quite kind, hypocrite, honest man, giving smiles to everything you tell him, and throwing strong points back at you. When Janvier entered the ECU, Eduard came straight at him and shook his hand firmly, “Morning my friend, didn’t expect to see you here today”, janvier smiling at enthusiasm of question replied “I have rent problems, hospital is free my brother”, Eduard knew that janvier has sensed what he wanted to mean and replied “ You are getting old, with these rains coming, its easy to catch a cold, indoors is better” Janvier now knew exactly what Eduard was aiming at, but he knew it wasn’t in a malicious way but rather it was coming from a concerned and thoughtful person. Janvier started to whisper “Eduard? Even you are on this garbage they are rumoring about? You can do better brother” Eduard put his arm on Jnavier’s shoulder “come down, come down, and don’t be naïve here, I can’t tell you much because, trust me I don’t know much either, but I extremely warn you to get out and go home, if possible leave the city, Understand?” he said it in a more anxious and angry way, with his grip on Janvier’s should tightening harder that it was hurting him. Janvier removed the arm and said,” all people are getting crazy, I don’t need these crazy stories, I have my own problems to handle, see you at lunch”, with that he walked out heading towards the children’s ward.
In the afternoon around 4pm, Janvier was sleeping at the pharmacy store desk as usual, with his lazy pharmacist friend Louise, she was a very innocent and sympathetic lady, she was a single mother of two children, the husband had died earlier in 1991, with rumors that his death might have been an assassination because it had happened in times when assassinations was coming to be a common threshold. Anyway as they both lay on the small table, their heads bumping into each other when either decided to change position, a louder cry echoed in the hospitals walls, and they both woke up in shock. They made way straight towards the ECU, as the cry seemed to have originated from there, when they got there, the whole nursing and doctor crew was in the ECU tending to about 20 severely injured people, and looked more was about to come. Janvier told Louise to come with him they look for Eduard; he would know exactly what was happening. As they were moving through those cries, Janvier kept telling himself that it must be a terrible accident or a training gone wrong. Something, his mind started to drift away again and all he could see was the basket with the yellow bananas. Louise stepped on his shoes and yelled mockingly “no wonder you work in children’s ward, you can’t stand blood, coward” she followed it with a shiny beautiful smile despite the environment was of the underworld. Janvier immediately noticed were Eduard was stationed and went to him, “Brother what’s going on? What happened? Tell me it’s an accident “, Eduard looked at him examining his tallness and also gave a look of assessing Janvier’s intellect ability and replied “Yes it’s an accident and that’s why I am taking you home now before it accidentally becomes your turn” he continued but this time whispering to Janvier avoiding Louise to hear “and please loose that pharmacist, she bores me”. Janvier had mixed feelings about his friend’s concern about him but also on the sudden attitude towards Louise. He turned to Louise and said “ Listen I am going with Eduard outside for some time to figure out things, please if anything happens go home or stay here and I will come for you, hospitals are always safe. She hugged him and made sign of the cross on his head, Eduard was already heading out of the ECU.
They entered Eduard’s Peugeot 205, and Eduard looking more nervous told Janvier to pull up his window, he did like he was told as the car was pulling out of the hospital gate, Janvier turned to his right side of the window, and there he was…he saw the security guard he had not seen earlier, but now this time he was different, he was wearing colorful clothing’s that matched a group of other young men he was coming with, his face was cleaned but his soul had left. Eduard accelerated the car past the group that was heading straight to the hospital, in that moment janvier thought of Louise but his mind still thought everything will be alright by night fall or tomorrow morning, the baskt had promised him.
TO BE CONTINUED.....