Брайс Куртенэ - The Power of One

‘Well, we’re going to know what the scam is in about thirty seconds. Look who’s here, Hymie.’ The tall black man straightened slightly as we came up. He was the tall African who always led the people in the chant to the Tadpole Angel.

‘This man he want speak you, baas,’ the chauffeur said to me.

‘I see you,’ I said in Zulu to the African who towered above me.

‘I see you, Inkosi,’ he replied and shook my extended hand lightly, barely touching it. Politeness required that we talk about other things before coming to the reason he wanted to speak to me. This is the Zulu way.

‘The weather has been hot and the rains have not come, where I come from the crops will be thirsty.’

‘It is so also in my place, the herd boys will need to drive the cattle far from the kraal to find grazing and the river will be dry but for a few water holes.’

‘What’s he saying?’ Hymie chipped in.

‘Nothing yet, we’re still talking about the weather.’

‘Your kraal is a far place from here?’

‘Many, many miles, Inkosi, my kraal is near Ulundi in Zululand.’ The royal homesteads of three out of the four great Zulu kings, Dingane, Mpande and Cetshwayo, had been near Ulundi and the chances were that the tall man in front of me was a high-born Zulu.

‘It is a long way from your wives and children, it is not good to be away from them.’

‘It is the custom, Inkosi. For the white man’s pound the black man must leave his family. These are hard times and I have few cattle and land.’

The time had come to introduce myself. ‘I am Peekay,’ I said softly, extending my hand for a second time.

‘I know this, Inkosi. I am Nguni.’ We shook hands a second time, this time first in the conventional manner and then by slipping the hand over the corresponding thumb to grip it in a kind of salute which is a traditional African handshake.

‘I see you, Nguni.’

‘I see you, Peekay.’ It was audacious of Nguni to call me by my name but I didn’t mind. I felt as though he had known me a long time anyway.

‘Is it about the business of the boxing in Sophiatown?’

‘It is so,’ Nguni confirmed softly.

‘Can we speak in English so my friend can share this talk?’

Nguni laughed, showing a brilliant smile. ‘My English she is not so good,’ he said in English.

Nguni’s English turned out to be very good and Hymie seemed relieved that he could share in the conversation.

‘It’s about the Sophiatown business,’ I said to him.

‘Ask him, no wait on, I’ll ask him myself …’

‘Hymie, this is Mr Nguni,’ I turned to Nguni. ‘This is my best friend, Hymie Levy.’

‘How do you do,’ Nguni said to Hymie, instinctively not extending his hand but bowing his head slightly instead.

‘Howzit!’ Hymie said, not yet used to the idea of meeting a black man on equal terms. ‘Why did you ask Mr Goldman if you could arrange a fight with Peekay?’

Nguni looked surprised. ‘It is always so in boxing, to ask the trainer?’

‘I’m the manager, it is me you have to ask.’

Nguni threw back his head and laughed. ‘We knew this thing, but also if your trainer he say this thing cannot happen I do not think you will listen?’

‘What did you offer him to make him agree?’

‘It is not necessary, he has boxing business same like me.’

‘How many boxers have you got, Mr Nguni?’

‘All,’ Nguni replied simply.

‘You’re not bullshitting me, you control all township boxers?’

Nguni turned to me and said in Zulu, ‘Your friend has no respect, Inkosi.’

‘I apologise for him, Nguni. He acts only like a white man from the city.’ I turned to Hymie. ‘Turn it up.’

Hymie shook his head. ‘Sorry, Mr Nguni, no hard feelings hey? This fight you want… it’s just that it doesn’t bloody well make sense.’

Nguni turned to me and spoke in Zulu. ‘I will have to explain it in Zulu, this man I think he does not understand the ways of the people.’

‘Mr Nguni’s going to explain the reason to me in Zulu, it’s evidently pretty complicated,’ I said to Hymie.

‘You are Onoshobishobi Ingelosi,’ Nguni began, ‘this is very powerful among the people. The people see you box only against the Boer and always you are winning also. The people think you are a great chief of their tribe, the Sotho think this, the Shangaan think this, the Zulu also, all the people,’ he paused, ‘I think this also. It is witnessed that you can make the stars fall from the heavens.’

‘It is not true, Nguni. I am not a chief of the people,’ I said quickly.

‘Who is to say what is true and what is not true. The people know these things, it is not for you to say, Inkosi.’

‘It’s about the Tadpole Angel, we were right,’ I said to Hymie.

‘There is a woman who has thrown the bones and made a fire to read the smoke,’ Nguni said suddenly. ‘The bones say Onoshobishobi Ingelosi who is a chief must fight him who is also a chief among the people.’

‘A witchdoctor? She said this?’

‘This is so, Inkosi.’

‘This chief. Who is this chief I must fight?’

‘He is the great great grandson of Cetshwayo.’

‘Pssh! Many such Zulus exist. Cetshwayo has surely many, many great great grandsons.’

‘He is the one,’ Nguni said quietly. The Zulus do not inherit titles but it is known who has the blood. ‘One day he will be a chief.’

‘Why is it necessary to fight this person who will one day be a chief?’

‘The people must see if the spirit is still with you. You are a man now, the people knew the spirit of a great chief was in the small one, but now they must know if it is still in the man.’

‘You mean if I lose to him who will be a chief, then I will no longer be Onoshobishobi Ingelosi?’

‘This is so, Inkosi. The woman says this is in the bones and in the smoke.’

‘Then I will lose,’ I said suddenly. ‘That way the legend will be dead.’

Nguni shrugged his shoulders. ‘It is not for me to say, Inkosi. You will only lose if you are not Onoshobishobi Ingelosi.’

‘But if you can arrange the fight it will be good for you as a promoter?’

Nguni looked down at the palms of his open hands which were almost yellow, the colour of Sunlight soap. ‘This is true but it is expected I should do this thing. Have I not led the people to all your fights?’

‘This is true, you are the one,’ I said, ashamed of myself.

‘Then you will fight?’

‘First we must talk to Hymie, he is my brother in this matter.’

‘I understand, it is right that it should be so.’

Hymie was clearly impatient to get a translation and when I told him what had been said he shook his head. ‘Christ, it’s witchcraft, Peekay. This is nineteen forty-nine!’

‘Ja, I know, but it might as well be eighteen forty-nine. Some things don’t change.’

‘So what do we do?’ he asked.

‘We fight, we have no choice.’

‘I don’t understand? Why?’

‘It’s difficult for you, but the people believe in the Tadpole Angel. I’ve never said this before, but it’s a symbol, a symbol of hope. There is a story amongst all the tribes that a chief will rise who is not of them but who will unite them against the oppressors.’

‘It is so, Mr Levy,’ Nguni said.

‘And this is the test to see if you’re kosher?’

I laughed despite myself. ‘Hymie, I didn’t start this, it just happened. I don’t want it any more than you. If the young Zulu chief Mandoma gives me a hiding, it’s all over. But I can’t walk away without the fight, that would make a fool of the people all these years. I couldn’t do that.’

‘What a shit of a possie to be in, but it’s not a good enough reason to throw the fight.’