PASSIONS

CHAPTER TWO

Rotshak discarded his memories and turned back to the sermon he was working on for the following Sunday evening service. His mind went through the text.

“I beseech you therefore brothers, in view ofGod's mercy,to offer your bodies as living sac-rifices,holy and pleasing to God,this is yourspiritual act of worship. Do not conform anylonger to the pattern of this world, but be trans-formed by the renewing of your mind. Then youwill be able to test and approve what God's willis,His good,pleasing and perfect will”. (Rom.12:1-2).

His mind grieved at the thought of how mankind chose to follow the footsteps of little gods.What pained him is that these men failed to reckon with the fact that these small gods have failed them before and would continue to do so for all eternity. There is a host of modern gods or institutions that have replaced the real God.There is politics, money, pleasures of flesh, even science, little gods that finally come down because they are not big enough to be gods.

He heard the tap-tap sound made by a woman's shoes on the floor of the vicarage.He watched the grey-haired, tall woman emerged from the door. She came toward him, standing erect, a dignity in the usual manner in which she carried herself.

"Hello, Kaka."he greeted her.

A warm affectionate smile crinkled about her small brown eyes.“Hello, Rotshak.”

He had named her Kaka when he had tried to get Manji pronounce granny. Kaka is his tribal name for an aged woman.The name had stuck, and now everyone called her Kaka, even Manji.

“Are you busy, son?” she asked before she came into the roomhat serve as Rotshak's office.

“Of course!” He grinned. “A preacher has to be busy so his congregation won't catch him idling! But I am not that busy. Come in and make with the gossip!”

"Rebecca said gossip is a splendid thing!" she said.

"It could be that. If we gossiped about the right things. About the gospel, for instance."

She entered the office and sat in a chair he indicated

“Where's Manji?”

"Always, it's Manji! I never rate any attention these days!”

She smiled at him."I supposed a mother should pay some attention to her son, even if he is a great overgrown elephant?”

“Ha! Could a man stand Manji? How can a man compete with a child like Manji?”

"He is still cute, this Manji.You were cute once. Did you know that?" Kaka asked.

“I must have been. Look at me presently! ”He went to her and patted her cheek. “Anyhow I still have a cute mother."

“But this Manji, he's something special somehow.”

Rotshak glowered. “All right, let's go and see the naughty brat!”

She got up and going to him, kissed him, her motherly love echoeing her tenderness. Together they walked toward the three bed-room flat which was nearby. The lawn had been trimmed low and green in spite of the lack of rain.There were roses growing along the path.The house had a neat look.

On the verandah, Kaka turned and glanced at the cross that gleamed in the sun above St. Mathias' Anglican Church. She said exhilaratingly. "It's nice having a son run a church like this.”

He frowned."How often must I tell you that I'm not running the church? There are times when I think it's the reverse, the church is running me!”

“Such talk from the most important minister in Sabon-Jimin!

He laughed. “Even if that were true, in a town like this would not be too important!”

"You keep trying, son.Give it the best you have.You'll make a fine church. And if you die on the way, all right, Manji can take up from where you left it!”

“Sure, oh sure, Manji.The future bigwig.”

Inside the house Lydia said,“Manji is sleeping.”

“I'll just tiptoe in and have a peep at him", said Kaka, “If it's alright.”

Lydia watched her mother-in-law go into the room where Manji was. She turned to Rotshak. “I hope she doesn't wake him up.”

“If she does, she'll rock him to sleep. Nobody rocks a kid back to sleep more efficiently than Kaka, I should know." Rotshak assured.

But a moment later Kaka came out holding Manji by the hand.

“He was not sleeping",explained Kaka.“He was under the bed."

“I was looking for my football", said Manji

I'll rock him", said Kaka.

“Rock him?” cried Rotshak. “He's big enough to sleep with-out rocking. Rocking is for babies. Manji is almost a man.”

"How old were you when I last rocked you?” demanded Kaka,“You were far bigger than Manji.”

Rotshak flung his hands in mock despair. “I've got to get to work on a sermon. You women go ahead and spoil my son!”

He was at the door of the study when he saw his brother driving up. Kassem got off his motorcycle. He was almost as tall as Rotshak, and heavier. His movements were those of a healthy man, he was muscular, darker than Rotshak, and had brown eyes. The colour of his mother's. He narrowed his eyes when he concentrated. He wore a blue double piece suit and a turtle-necked T-shirt inside.

“Good day”', said Rotshak. “Come in.”

Just as they were about to enter the office, Manji still clad in his sleeping dresses, rushed out of the house to them.

“I got away!" he exulted.

Kassem reached for Manji, scooping him up and holding him high in the air, turning him about, laughing up at him..

“Well, kid. Have you knocked off any birds lately?”

“Sure, I got some piegeons, too.”

“But you are not supposed to kill pigeons. You don't have any.

Manji was scornful. “Everybody kills them now.”

“Why of course, but only their owners do so, you haven't any

yet!"Kassem continued but digressed suddently, "But you know what? ”

“What?" Manji asked.

I wish I had a child like you." There was an old grief Kassem's voice.

"Okay!" said Manji

“Okay, what?" asked Kassem

“Okay, you can have me!" said Manji

“Fine!" said Canon Rotshak." Just like that,ehh?”

“Well," mumbled Manji, "Maybe not just like that, maybe" He grinned trying to make up for the loss of words.

“Thanks, just the same, kid", Kassem muttered.“Even if your father wants to be selfish about you.”

He downed Manji and the boy started scampering away, for he saw Kaka approaching. But he stopped after a quick dash of a few yards and returned to Kaka.

Rotshak and Kassem stepped into the office. Kassem sank down into a seat, his eyes clinging a moment to the picture on the wall. The picture was of a man with a pencil-line moustache and lowly trimmed hair with a parting on the left side of the head.

“Our Dad, Nengak Deshi, was a good looking man, wasn't he?said Kassem.

Rotshak glanced at the portrait of their father. But as always he did not see Nengak Deshi in the picture. He saw a man with large eyes, a man of kindness. He saw a man with vast dreams in him, but who would never see the dreams come true. Nengak Deshi did not have either the strength or the initiative to build the empire that haunted him.

Rotshak clearly remembered having heard two miners discussing Nengak Deshi once.One of the men had said,"Poor Nengak, he keeps grapping the sky and sticking in a mud hole!"

Kassem said suddenly, "Rotshak, I want to talk to you about Anthony Gokum.”

Rotshak frowned deeply, his face frightening.“I was afraid you might!”

"Look Rotshak." Kassem's voice was hoarse. You're a pastor of the gospel, a man dedicated to righteousness, a leader in the church, when you came back to this town where we grew up I was pleased. I thought you'd be ready to stand up with me against anything wrong, whenever you saw it. But what happens? You have a top guy, a frontline member in your church that is a rotten crook! And you want to protect the guy! I just don't get it, Rotshak."

“You keep telling me Anthony Gokum is a crook, Kassem But you can't come up with a single proof."

“Oh, Rotshak, for the love of...you know as well as I do that Gokum was the cause of our Dad's death!".

“I didn't know any such thing. I tell you...”

A quick gasping breath made the two men turn toward the door.

Lydia stood there with drinks on a tray.

Rotshak went to her immediately. He took the tray."Nevermind, Lydia. Kassem didn't really mean...'

Don't say that!” Kassem was on his feet, his eyes narrowing."I didn't mean it, you said? Listen, Lydia. There's a man in your husband's church who killed his father yes, his father and mine! And Rotshak still insists on making him a headman in the church!”

Lydia's face paled. She moved her head.“But l am confused.”

“Kassem is excited, dear." They all turned to see Kaka at the doorway. "Kassem always gets excited when we talked about Anthony Gokum.”

“Sure!” Kassem's voice was hysterical, sharp and bitter. His face murderous. “Everyone in this family, except Lydia, knows that Anthony Gokum was our father's partner in the tin business. And because our father was not the hard - headed businessman that Gokum was, Gokum took advantage of it and killed him!"

“Rotshak never told me this!" Lydia's inquisitive look clung to Rotshak's.

Rotshak put his arms around her. “I'm awfully sorry. Lydia. I don't think it was necessary to detail my family troubles to you. But don't look worried about it. It's not as Kassem makes it seem, I'll explain everything to you later.”

“You do that!" cried Kassem.“Tell her the whole story. Don't

omit a thing.Then see if she agrees with you that Anthiony Gokum should be shuttling around the church as if he owns it"

"Now, Kassem" said Kaka,"you know better than that Anthony Gokum is honest. He's not the cheating type. He's always quiet. He's the Pastor's Warden...”

"Quiet, yeah!" Kassem snapped. “Like a cancerous disease. I'm sure he acted very quietly when he plunged father into an untimely grave!”

“Kassem...” said Rotshak

“All right!" Kassem's face was cold. "Maybe the rest of you want to be nice to this pious killer! But I hate him! I'll never stop hating him! And I'll never rest till I see him pay every penny for his rotten crime!”

“Get hold of yourself, Kassem," Rotshak said. “This thing is cracking and making you insane!”

"We would see who gets insane!"

Kassem crossed to the door and went out banging the door with all his might, breaking some glasses in the process.