Ngũgĩ Thiong - Wizard of the Crow

“That his sister Gacirü was stuck in the Lake of Tears.”

“Vinjinia screamed with terror and started running down the garden that sloped from the yard, with Gaclgua following behind.”

“We, too, followed.”

“I have never seen the likes of what I saw down in the valley below,” Mariko said.

“A group of duikers were suspended in the air in the act of leaping so that from a distance they looked alive and at different stages of the act,” Maritha explained, pointing a finger in the air as if even now, inside her house, she could still see them.

“And the birds, too… frozen in one spot in the sky as if suspended by the setting sun,” Mariko added, also pointing a finger at a scene visible only to themselves.

“Yes, because the setting sun sent orange rays to where the animals hung suspended in the sky”

“On the surface of the lake were many more creatures also trapped at a standstill.”

“A hen and its young ones. And a cock running after another hen.”

“And just as it stretches its wings to mount…”

“Wonders will never cease. Ducks, too…”

“See that cat about to jump on that mouse…”

“What about that dog with its mouth open, barking silence at the birds in the air?”

“And those two goats and the cow with its young following behind, and in the middle stands Gacirü, their daughter,” said Maritha.

“Frozen in the act of running.”

“A shadow.”

“A human silhouette.”

“Like Lot’s wife.”

“Except that Gacirü had not yet turned to stone.”

“Or to a pillar of salt.”

“We found Vinjinia by the lake.”

“And their boy… Gaclgua.”

“Both crying for Gacirü… calling out endearingly, Cirü, oh, our Cirü.”

“And Cirü does not hear, does not turn.”

“They are both afraid to touch the lake.”

“We said…”

“Let’s pray” they now said in unison, and Maritha and Mariko knelt in their house and started singing the prayer they had sung in the valley.

In times of sorrow, O Lord

Don’t turn away

Don’t hide your face

At a time of tears

Lord of all our souls

Hearken to the cry

Of parents and children

Of boys and girls

“It was then that I heard something make a movement in my belly” Maritha said, still on her knees. “A strange thought came to my mind, and I started laughing.”

“Why is she laughing at a time of tears? I asked… but when I saw how she was laughing I also started laughing,” said Mariko.

And now, as both recalled their laughter, they started laughing in earnest all over again. They were back on their feet, still laughing, then sat down, still laughing, and it was with difficulty that they were able to stop themselves.

“A glance at each other and we would resume laughing,” Maritha said.

“We went on laughing walking down toward the lake, but in truth…” added Mariko.

“Not of our own will; we were under some unknown influence.”

“When we reached the bank of the river we dipped our feet into the murky quagmire,” they said in unison.

“And there we stopped…”

“See that cat…”

“See that dog…”

“See that cock…”

“See the cow…”

“And more laughter till tears started flowing down my cheeks,” said Maritha.

“And me, too… tears of laughter,” added Mariko.

“And all this time Vinjinia and Gaclgua are looking at us, amazed…”

“And we were wondering why they, too, were not laughing…”

“And then we saw Vinjinia faint…”

“And Gaclgua bent down to attend her…”

“And our tears of laughter continued to flow…”

“Down into the lake…”

“Now it was our turn to be amazed,” they said in unison.

“When our tears of joy and laughter touched the still waters…” Mariko continued.

“Everything that had stood frozen began to move,” Maritha said.

“The duikers completed their leaps to the other side and disappeared.”

“The bird flew away”

“The cat and the mouse resumed the chase.”

“The dog barked noisily at the birds.”

“And the calf followed its mother, mooing for milk. And the goats…”

“Come, come, little mother, don’t be afraid.”

“Gacirü turned around.”

“And she started walking to where we were,” Maritha said.

“She walked on the water, did not sink…”

“As if on dry land…”

“Don’t leave me, don’t leave me here, she said.”

“She sounded confused.”

“Take me to Nyawlra…”

“For she knows everything about ogres…”

“There was a time you used to tell her stories about ogres.”

“And she was sobbing.”

“Keep still, you are now out of danger.”

“She tried to talk through her sobs…”

“I don’t know, she said, for since Mother and Father became big in government they have become strangers to the home and to us children… and so when I saw him… and she stopped and there was fear in her eyes.”

“Especially when she saw Vinjinia approach.”

“Vinjinia was shaking all over.”

“Now Vinjinia embraced Gacirü, who was still clinging to me, and Gaclgua was trying to embrace both mother and sister as if gathering his family.”

“And Vinjinia was telling her, Don’t worry, it’s all right, it’s all right, I am still your loving mummy…”

“Don’t take me to Father. I saw what he now looks like. I hid in the house until he left and then ran out…”

“Sssshhhh! Vinjinia said, trying to quiet her. We are going to talk…”

“We assured the girl that we would take her request to the storyteller.”

“And that we would keep an eye on her.”

“And on Sundays she should come to church.”

“God lives. God rules.”

“And He would look after her day and night.”

“We left them there, clinging to one another.”

“We went away singing.”

“Because laughter had conquered tears.”

Maritha and Mariko started singing about the amazing quality of the cross, where joy followed sorrow, as if they were alone in the house, and it appeared that they had forgotten that Nyawlra was there. She stood up to leave, for she did not know how to take all of this. Were they speaking in parables?

“What? Are you leaving without hearing the rest?” Maritha asked.

Nyawlra sat down again.

“We were long past the gate when a car stopped beside us,” Maritha started.

“It was Vinjinia,” said Mariko.

“Get in. I should at least take you to the bus stop, she told us.”

“Well, God works in mysterious ways.”

“His wonders to perform.”

“Because we had just been wondering how we would get home,” they said in unison.

“As she drove she said thank you and then added: I am asking you a favor,” Maritha explained.

“What you have seen is not for public confession in church or anywhere,” Mariko continued.

“I told her, We confess only our own sins, not other people’s.”

And to share joy and laughter is not a sin.”

“She gave us another thank-you, and then…”

“She told us to go and tell the one who had sent us…”

“That she harbored no ill will in her heart, but… And she did not go beyond this, or rather, she did not finish what she wanted to say. She seemed about to break into tears.”

“Like somebody who has lost her way and knows that she has lost it but does not know how to find it again.”

At the bus stop, she found her voice again.”

“Tell her who sent you that she is not to send more messages. Oh, there was a time in my life when I thought I understood, however vaguely, the language of the dove, and I even thought that I could see as in a mirror darkly but see all the same. Today I no longer understand the language of doves. I no longer see my face in the mirror. Yes, tell her we are not ogres. It is a case of white-ache with a cure that has gone wrong, and the Wizard of the Crow is dead. Does she not read the papers? It is better for her and everybody if she remains with the dead.”