NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
The Trek and Other Stories is Lawrence Hoba’s 
debut collection of short stories published this November by Weaver Press in Harare. “Hoba was born in 1983 in Masvingo. He studied Tourism and Hospitality Management at the University of Zimbabwe. He represents a new generation of young writers working hard to have their voices heard but recognize that writing is more art than impulse. Hoba’s short stories and poetry appeared in the Mirror, and also a magazine published by BWAZ called the Writers Scroll and various blogsites including http://www.zimbablog.com/.” He is currently working in BWAZ. Congaratulations Hoba!
PICTURES FROM THE LITERARY DISCUSSION HELD ON 22ND NOVEMBER 2009 AT THE BWAZ OFFICES
PICTURES FROM THE LITERARY DISCUSSION HELD ON 22ND NOVEMBER 2009 AT THE BWAZ OFFICES
Speakers at the recent BWAZ literary discussion (From Left: Phillip Chidavaenzi, Nqobile J Malinga, Julius Chingono, and Tinashe Muchuri who chaired the event.
Some of the participants at the November BWAZ Literary Discussion
LETTER FROM CHRISTOPHER MLALAZI
Christopher Mlalazi, author of Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township (2008, amabooks, Bulawayo) which received 2009 NOMA Award for Publishing in Africa Honourable Mention sent this message to budding writers and the message was read on his behalf during the BWAZ literary discussion held on the 22nd November 2009 at the BWAZ offices in Harare
We have always been taught to be humble, but I must say when I received the news about the NOMA nomination I nearly did what soccer players do best when they score - I nearly screamed hurray and if I had not been seeing the news on my mobile connect in a crowded kombi I could have just done that and accompanied it with a dance. But I must say tears filled my eyes, my vision became blurred, because really I have never expected myself and my writing to go this far. And now that I have come this far, I have told myself that nothing is now impossible, even the Nobel, because surely if some people can win such big awards, why not me too because - I will pause a question - Are we not all blood and flesh and brains? Are we not all children of God? As I have said, and I am going to repeat it, being nominated for the NOMA is that certification that I have always been looking forward to since I started writing, that I am doing the right thing and I am also doing it the right way. There is nothing as vexing as attempting to do something creative and you don't have a measure for it - you are just ploughing along and hoping that maybe people will like it, and it becomes even worse if the project takes years to finish. I also hope that this mention, which has been won before by other writers in this country including the likes of the late Dambudzo, Chenjerai Hove, Chirikure, the late Yvonne Vera, the late Ndabezinhle Sigogo and Shimmer, is clear testimony to all budding writers that yes we can do it if we give ourselves that extra time to refine our craft, it has been done before and it can be done again - tomorrow it might be you bringing the glory to both your family, friends and country. Best Chris
THERESA
Short Story by Sympathy Sibanda (pictured below)
Lee watched Theresa’s figure from a distance and felt himself going rigid at what he was seeing. She swerved her attractive body from east to west as if her waist would anytime disengage. She had a face that could stop motorists and hips so comely they could make every mannequin maker really envious. Lee took all these and more details in slow motion and only managed to come out of the trance when an obsolete and rusty Peugeot 404 almost hit him.
“If you are hunting for death, young man, let others do it. Not me!” cursed the middle aged driver of the Peugeot.
Lee awoke from the vision with a jolt and muttered an incredible ‘I am sorry, sir’ as he rushed to catch up with the out-of-this-world creature now a few metres away from him. He knew also that all eyes were pinned on her though she seemed oblivious to the reactions.
“Mo-morning sister,” he panted.
She looked at him so caressingly and he began to lose his threads.
“I am good and you?” her voice sounded like the laughter of clouds producing light showers on a sunny day. Without wasting this golden opportunity Lee started telling her how beautiful she was. She laughed uncontrollably and spoke in the midst of tiny convulsions.
“I love you,” at last Lee said.
She laughed. “You just saw me today. I don’t even know your name and neither do you know me! C’mon that’s humour at its best!” she giggled. Lee gave out a loud phew exposing his exasperation and then quickly uttered, “Whoever, whatever, and however you are – I-I LOVE YOU.”
Suddenly she halted and looked at him with eyes no longer seductive but terrified. Lee wished he could grab her into his bulging arms and wipe away whatever fears and doubts she had.
“I am sorry man, we’re almost at my place and I have terrible brothers who are addicted to weight lifting and they are keen to protect me. Please turn around and go before I witness another historic 4th Chimurenga right here right now!”
Lee nodded but before he turned he set his eyes on her angelic countenance again.
“I also live in Mufakose where there are all sorts of bullies and mafias. But may I have your phone number before these John Cenas of yours find me?” Lee asked.
“Got no phone. It got stolen some time ago. PLEASE, just go.”
“Your address please. I won’t come. I will just send some kids to call you,” he coerced than begged.
“15 Hondo Street and my full name is Theresa Nyoni,” se said and after that they parted. He spent a moment watching her waltz away until he could no longer see her.
The whole day in the office was spent in jolly good singing and his workmates wondered what metamorphosis Lee was going through. Early the following morning he found himself going towards the direction which Theresa had taken the day he first saw her. He looked around the street and found no one nearby. There were no kids playing around. After a few minutes of quick deliberation he found himself heading for number 15.
If they beat me, let them do it, he thought. The gate was not locked and no vicious dogs were there to welcome him. Amazingly, instead of finding himself surrounded by dark and thickly muscled men, he came face to face with five women of different ages ranging from a wrinkled, shuddering grandmother to a teenage girl whose beauty could also not be dismissed. A fire burnt lightly in the shade near the main house.
“Can we help you, young man?” asked a middle aged woman as she fed the fire with more firewood.
“Morning. I am sorry for the interruption but I am looking for Theresa Nyoni,” Lee said.
“Who…What!” they all chorused. The grandmother spat thick phlegm onto the ground.
“I told you my grand child will one day appear,” the grandmother stuttered as she sniffed her tobacco from a horn shaped vessel.
The other woman asked, “Young man, when did you last see Theresa?”
Lee looked perplexed and their faces told him a different story. He looked at the teenage girl and surely she looked exactly as Theresa.
“I saw her just yesterday on her way from the shops in the morning.”
The women started mourning lightly while the teenage girl looked at him as if he had just dropped from the sun. He secretly concluded that she was Theresa’s sister because of the semblance.
“Theresa died …” another woman said but could not help crying.
“You are wrong!” Lee interjected. “I saw her with my own eyes.”
“Theresa died mysteriously a month ago and we’re still consulting…you know the Shona culture.”
The teenage girl stepped forward and said to Lee, “Sir, the person you saw was not my sister because Theresa just awoke one morning with breasts gnawed at as if by rats and that’s how she found her eternal sleep.” She sounded harsh, bored and intelligent at the same time.
“O God! Maybe he saw her after all. A ghost in the morning,” a woman wailed.
“Next time you see her tell her to avenge those who killed her," shouted another.
Words were hauled at him which implied to him that he had met a ghost that was roaming to avenge something.
“I’m sorry. Really I am sorry for causing unnecessary stirs. I’m sure I met a ghost. I am Iam sorry,” after saying this, he left.
As he was crossing the road he saw Theresa, yes, Theresa. He jolted to a stop. He shivered. Think about the ghost and she will appear! Before he could run away, a charming Mazda halted in front of Theresa and a neatly dressed old man came out and they embraced.
“Carol – my love…hey you have changed. I missed you so much. You’ll see what I brought you from Italy. Come in baby.”
Theresa, oh Carol, wafted into the car and when she got seated, she looked out to Lee and winked her eye the way a person winks at someone whom he/she has just given a sweet practical joke.
(Sympathy Sibanda is a Harare Chapter member and she’s doing Sociology at the University of Zimbabwe)
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
BWAZ DECEMBER LITERARY DISCUSSION - XMAS SPECIAL!
DATE: 12 DECEMBER 2009
VENUE: BWAZ OFFICES
TIME: 1PM - 4PM
TOPIC: TBA
