Follow Ben in 'Take your Curses' as he goes on a mission to restore order in his life after his learns the source of chaos in his life. In 'My way of Justice' find out what Patrick resorts to after he is robbed in broad daylight. Plus six more short stories.
Excerpt from What went wrong… :
“Turn it up” Erastus turned to Kongo as the Kleptomaniax song came on the radio. Fujo stood and began dancing as the rest watched him. The three of them were basking in the afternoon sun while the rest were utilizing the P.E lesson to the maximum through playing basketball and soccer. Suddenly the pocket radio went silent.
Erastus removed the back case of the radio and licked the positive terminal of one AA battery while using his index to hold the other end. “They are very dead,” he solemnly announced.
“And I am very broke” added Kongo. It was the fifth week of the second term. This was the longest term in the school calendar since it was 12 weeks long. The three of them spent their pocket money communally and now they had to endure seven weeks on a shoestring budget.
“So, Erastus did you finish the Chemistry assignment?” asked Fujo.
“Don’t we have until seven to finish it?”
“You realize that assignment contains questions that are very likely to be in the mocks”
“I am not looking forward to that. Why does the Ministry always want to torture us with that exam!” said an irritated Kongo. The mock examination s was a simulation of the national examinations that occurred in November of every year. The Kenya National High School Examinations marked the end of their high school education. The grade one attained determined whether one would make it to University.
“To hell with them. I will wait until November and hope the exam won’t do me” Fujo said defiantly.
The Form Two class was buzzing with excitement when they received word that the Maths teacher won’t be able to attend class that day. Mugo took out his pocket radio while Gecko, his desk-mate took out the cards and shuffled them and the two begun a game of poker.
The focused ones formed themselves into a small study group and begun discussing Trigonometry; some just gathered and engaged in chitchat while the rest read newspapers.
Kevin alias Osama joined Mugo’s poker game. None of them had a matching Spades card so they were just picking cards from the deck. “I can’t believe we are having Kima again,” said Osama with a look of disgust on his face. Kima was rice which was so poorly cooked it was just served in lumps. The beans stew accompanying it was not appetizing either.
“I have half a loaf of bread in my locker. Why don’t you come with some bread and hot water and we will make soya for lunch?” offered Gecko.
“I cannot remember the last time I bought a loaf of bread. I don’t even have money for stamps” replied Osama. “Then you will follow me to the dining hall in the next ten minutes”, Mugo told Osama while looking at his watch.
The lesson was over and the Form Twos and Form Fours headed to the dining hall for lunch. Kama, the form two-class monitor joined Mugo and Osama as they slowly walked to the dining hall. It was a hot afternoon and they did not look forward to Kima but this was high school. One could be choosy if he had the cash but in the middle of second term, most students had to live like church mice.