By George Morara
It was in 1986 and I was in class 4, at 10 years of age. I used to truant a lot coming back to school just on time to collect my bag with books. This particular day had been very interesting. There was a prostitute in town and word was spreading that she strutted her stuff like nobody’s business. Tabaka was still then a fairly innocent place; of course way a head economically in Gusiiland thanks to the booming curio carvings business.
Italian Missionaries had also for some reason chosen the place to built a huge cathedral, a decent general hospital and an enviable girls’ Primary School. The local curio carvings attracted tourists and currency was in plenteous supply.
In those days, a bold woman in selling sex openly in the public houses in places like Tabaka was unheard off, almost a legend. I had been born in the city and even though I understood very little, I pretended this wasn’t wonderfully shocking..but I was curious….At the Mission Hospital in the quiet and tranquil residential quarters with its overgrown beautiful gardens, I had one day come face to face with a young man and woman making love in the bushy areas – I was about 9 – beside this I had witnessed a lot other similar situations but the prostitute in town was a sensation going by the buzz doing the rounds.
Being streetwise, I and my cousin were swift to locate the drinking den where this ‘madiaba’ was hanging out. In the same public house, to our surprise we spotted a man we had lots of respect, seemed the “lady from the city†had lured even the very elect. This particular gentleman was a decent regular church goer.
This lady wasn’t making much effort to hide from the attention she was receiving. She was plump with a larger than life figure- wore tight trousers and high heeled shoes and walked with an educated swag. She did not quite delight the eye except for her large provocative cleavage –she may have put it all together nicely with the help of a skilfully done bra. She was oozing around with so much confidence and wherever she went, all eyes escorted her –she didn’t seem to mind the attention in the slightest. I thought she must have found the people very primitive but hey, Tabaka was a place with money…and with the swaying of her hips, many a man were dribbling.
In my country we have peculiar habits- staring! Curiosity and we can cause a stampede not just to look at a curvaceous woman, but also in mob justice cases, emergency derives and I hope not anymore, but tourists among other stareable situations!
We hadn’t been watching her long before she walked through to the back door. Within no time we were on the other side following her – even when we thought she was not in sight of anyone, she still walked with a swag, swaying her hips, swinging her large buttocks this way and that. As she approached the toilet, The decent guy we knew emerged and both met a metre or so away from the toilet. I was hoping that the man of God would dart out of this sinful lady’s way and run for his dear life. But he didn’t. I don’t think he had expected the moment but suddenly almost spontaneously zoomed straight onto the lady’s cleavage and for an eternity seemed to tickle her boobs. Then like they didn’t agree on something, he walked off. I was gobsmacked that this man whom I held in high esteem could actually fondle a prostitute just like that! My cousin laughed out aloud attracting their attention at which point we scampered off.
Anyway – back in the school and as we were just leaving, a classmate of mine came to me to ask if I had seen his ruler. Of course I hadn’t been in school the whole day and when he demanded to check my bag to make sure I hadn’t stolen his ruler, I readily obliged. Lo and behold, his ruler was in my bag! He had a witness and refused to take his ruler till he could report the matter to the class teacher the following day.
The morning after I actually came into class confident the teacher would listen when I tell the truth about the setup. My classmate made sure of his threat and I was called forward. Several fresh sticks of the cane were ready to teach me a lesson. I quite clearly told the story to the teacher as it happened and for some strange reason, he got angrier and started to beat me. After about 15 strokes, he asked me to confess and still hopeful that he’d believe me, I told him the truth. Several lashes followed and my buttocks were getting sore.
I remained firm and he carried on beating me till his hand was exhausted. I could hardly walk let alone sit -and even though I contemplated escaping through and running away, I was in so much pain, I didn’t think I could get very far. And I thought to myself, I’d only make matters worse. I had not stolen the ruler and that’s what I’d tell him.
I noticed the boys who had set me up were having a fantastic time. I wondered to myself what I had done to them. I then appealed to them directly to tell the teacher the truth themselves – obviously so late for them to make a confession, and risk a thrashing like mine, they maintained their story.
Once the teacher recovered, he once again took a fresh cane and threatened to beat me to submission. In my mind I was quite clear I had done nothing wrong and despite my truancy, I was a would remain honest on this one. I wasn’t going to tell a lie. To my teacher I came across as stubborn – a little lying stubborn brat and he carried on beating me – he had used at least 4 of his fresh canes and must have gone past 200 hundred strokes when i thought I would faint. He paused for a moment and asked me one last time if I had stolen the ruler and seeing him go for a fresh cane, and realising he wasn’t going to believe me, I simply said “yes sir†at which point he asked to go fetch my parents for further discipline.
I had no parent I would call and definitely no energy but whatever little strength I could gather I headed for the door. I knew several adults I would call to come to my defence but I staggered out I couldn’t make very far. I found a sunny spot and laid down to rest until I came to. Nobody seemed to care – the teacher never seemed even to remember me the next time I was in class – Looking back I don’t think he “forgot†but sighed himself lucky I had no parent to come break his neck.
I have been on the planet for one score, ten and seven years. A very short time indeed but from childhood I have understood what injustice is. An unfair bargain by those in positions to dispense fairly. And despite growing in somewhat primitive settings, innocence is stolen so quickly from children.
Day in day out we are bombarded with tales of shocking events taking place in all corners of the world that make us cringe with all sorts of negative energy. It seems normal. We have no time to stop and reflect. Until it happens to us, we don’t feel it.
Children are being kidnapped, trafficked and sold off for the gratification of others. Many are dying in the hands of their abusers.
Homosexuality is the new gospel being forced down our throats by seemingly very decent people – suddenly,and a huge following.
Those raising objections are being labelled “homophobic†and not “open-mindedâ€! the “heterosexuals†are being put on the spot ! Theories to the effect that some people are born homosexual apparently as a result of heterosexuality are readily accepted. Expressing Christian views is increasingly seen as weird, and primitive. It is easy in our world today to declare your sexuality however stange and be readily “received†than proclaim your faith…
I have come across a video clip of a young woman senselessly beating an infant no older than 10 or so months. Beating not as in disciplining – but beating the crap out of the baby. Hitting, slapping, pinching and kicking as well as several blows with a pillow. The defenceless little baby could only cry and cry and cry. The anger welling up in my system exploded in a demand for power to strike the perpetrator dead! I relived my own experience but I was much older and could have chosen to deliver myself from my agony but this tiny baby couldn’t.
Recent events also from around the planet especially from the Middle East, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria are full of death and harrowing pain – people are all over the place unable to do anything about the injustice. Those in positions of power are venting their killing machinery on innocent people. People are walking by dead human beings and carrying on as though they were carcasses of wild animals. What man is doing to fellow man has got to a point indescribable.
There are people right now causing intentional hunger. Others are so desperate they can only see God in contaminated food!– countries Such as The Congo, Gabon, Angola, despite being the wealthiest of all lands, have some of the most desperately poor people on the planet. Conflict, rape and suffering of all manner is the daily norm for millions of people – in the Congo, Northern Uganda, Chad, Sudan, Central African Republic, Somalia and many many other countries with utterly useless people for leaders. Untold ghastly events, urinating on corpses and many other unthinkable acts are the new inventions of “laughing†at the weak of the planet.
Families in troubled countries have lost thousands of loved ones as a result of indiscriminate senseless military campaigns. Nobody raises a finger! Nobody is defending the weak and poor.
Organisation such as The African Union, The United Nations have themselves become instruments that facilitate oppression, neo-colonization and embezzlement of the poor.
On the other hand we hear shocking new ways of the pursuit of happiness happening in “civilized†countries – IN America I am told, there has been legalization of men to have sex with animals! Even the animals cannot bear the suffering anymore!
There are more horrors but that GOD has protected majority of us from witnessing all – lest we are unable to recover. I am seeing the fullness of the ugly character of satan – what he is capable of and to what extent he can go to vent suffering, sorrow, disease and all manner of misery on God’s children -using human agents.
And GOD has allowed it all to happen, to give us opportunity fully bear witness, to awaken our conscience, to give us understanding – to be refined – to make the right choices despite the fiery bombardment by the evil one and his agents – we can choose to stand firm in the truth, knowing that beyond killing this body, they cannot touch the soul.
The suffering being unleashed on God’s children in different places on the planet right now is not new but is the climax of the Great Conflict that has been waging between good and evil. Millions of people through the ages have perished. Even in recent times, going back 2-300 years, one fails to understand what tragedy happened to the red Indians of North America!
In South Africa recently, a man, in the name of God ordered the congregation to eat grass. Watching the clip i thought the demons left the swine and entered the congregation and satan is himself mocking us even from our very own pulpits – asking “Where is your GOD?!
Clearly here we are outnumbered. The evil ones are in power EVERYWHERE you turn. The Good leaders are an endangered species WHEREVER you turn. The red sea before us, and the Egyptians behind us. It is like we are doomed! We stagger out to seek help but we are feeble, with little or no energy, infiltrated, with no money, no power nor influence. Divided and colonised.
History is littered by sad tales of good men dying at the hands of evil men. We know we are being killed, some of us like flies, others slowly- polluted food, chemical weapons, the contaminated air, immunizations, dangerous birth control – the corrupt leaders, the outright bullies and the devil himself . It is not a wonder that the evil prosper. Business is booming!
On one side of the planet you see an emaciated somalian refugee fleeing home for safety with her malnourished children. Across the Oceans where the weapons of war are manufactured, there is peace, and plenty to eat. And man and women are revelling, merry making, doing all according to all that seemeth right to the heart. It doesn’t make sense that nothing can be done to right this sad situation. Someone sinister is in charge here.
Jesus would have commanded The Armies of heaven to attend to Him, but he humbled Himself till death. There has never been a greater sacrifice than this. By His stripes we are healed. He has gone to prepare a place for us.
There is a more than meets the eye. GOD wants to open our eyes- that we might not be overtaken in the slumber at the mid of night. When I reflect on the suffering going on in Earth, I cannot but hope, and look forward to the glorious appearing of The GREAT GOD and Our Saviour Jesus Christ!