Summertime Vibes

(2) CONSERVATIVE MUCH

The slasher cuts through the Mexican sunflower bush. A work my parents and grandparents did as well as my ancestors before them. I'm halfway done chopping down the bushes that were at the edge of our compound. Likewise, I ended up doing it on my own. Two of my younger brothers went to play soccer with their friends. Another one was inside watching some action film on Studio Universe.

I sigh out of tiredness. There are a number of things that papa wanted us to do in this holiday time. The yard behind the house needed ploughing, we needed to take out the rubble from the second storey which is currently in construction and drop them on the sandy driveway, some banana trees were ready to be harvested and chopped down. On top of that we needed to process the kasava leaves for mama's kasava leaves business.

Like, are these people serious? What's the point of us having the holiday time when we won't be able to enjoy it?

I'm glad that I only get to spend one day of the week with papa. That's the day when he gives himself a day off to stay at home. For him, work is endless. An annoyed feeling travel through my spine. He doesn't like to see one of his elderly kids just lying on the couch when there's work to do around the compound. That's why we try to avoid him at all costs. And if we resist he'd go on about his poverty-stricken childhood back in Congo or the knowledge and skills that a young lad should have at our ages. More over he'd remind me about the roles and responsibilities I have on our family, the first born son. And then he'd grin after telling me about the shallow future that he thinks we're going to have and what we'll do about it. At that point I'm pissed off but there's nothing I can do. The only words roaming inside my head are 'don't smile at me'!

"Rashidi!" I call out to my younger brother. "Rashidi!" I call out to him again. He leaves the house and walks towards me in a guilty manner.

I give him the slasher for him to continue from where I stopped. Whether he'll finish off the whole bush or do a little portion of his own, I don't care. All I wanted to do was to lie in bed and watch Stranger Things for the rest of the day. Besides, I had some catching up to do.

I stroll over to the kitchen. Passing my other little siblings who were entertaining themselves. The TV was on. The volume was adaptably high as the kids continue to make a noise around the house.

I open the fridge door and reach for the bottle of cold water. I drink directly from the bottle and wait for big sister to blow up. "Billy, there are cups in the cupboard." She complains in her usual annoying voice. "You know how many people are going to drink from that bottle. And all the germs that you are spreading." She continues, and ends off with a frown "Stupid!" Then clicks her tongue.

She goes back to cleaning the sink. She was already done washing and wiping the dishes. The pots on the stove we're cooking at a low heat. Which means that she was going to take a bath after and then go to her friends house to spend the rest of the day there.

"Mu zimishe tv kama amuko na iona." Mama complains in Swahili about the TV being on when there's no one watching it. "Ina tiya fuyo." She continues by saying that it's making a noise.

Mama walks into the kitchen wearing a basic model of clothes we call bubu. Her loving yet strict maternal character walks in with her. She opens the pots and checks the food. She then turns the stove off.

"Billy, papa called." She speaks, looking at me with a smile. "He said you must get ready to go to your shanga's house for the holidays."

A feeling of excitement and relief rushes through my veins.