Son of Fate

John Kiriamiti

Description

This novel is by the author of the celebrated My Life in Crime and is his first. The life of the 'Son of Fate' is a grim struggle for survival, after his release from prison. He tries his luck at farming, and odd jobs in the city, but everything fails, and he finds himself on the wrong side of the law again. But a glimmer of hope comes when he rescues a tycoon.

Informations

• Publié par: East African Educational Publishers
• Date de parution: 15 juin 1994
• Nombre de lectures: 7
• EAN13: 9789966566133
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Son of Fate
John Kiriamiti
Spear Books
1. Sugar Daddy’s Lover Rosemarie Owino
2. Lover in the Sky Sam Kahiga
3. A Girl Cannot Go on Laughing All the Time Magaga Alot
4. The Love Root Mwangi Ruheni
5. Mystery Smugglers Mwangi Ruheni
6. The Ivory Merchant Mwangi Gicheru
7. A Brief Assignment Ayub Ndii
8. Colour of Carnations Ayub Ndii
9. A Taste of Business Aubrey Kalitera
10. No Strings Attached Yusuf K Dawood
11. Queen of Gems Laban Erapu
12. A Prisoner’s Letter Aubrey Kalitera
13. A Woman Reborn Koigi wa Wamwere
14. The Bhang Syndicate Frank Saisi
15. My Life in Crime John Kiriamiti
16. Son of Fate John Kiriamiti
17. The Sinister Trophy John Kiriamiti
18. My Life in Prison John Kiriamiti
19. My Life with a Criminal: Milly’s Story John Kiriamiti
20. Homing In Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye
21. Nice People Wamugunda Geteria
22. Ben Kamba 009 in Operation DXT David Maillu
23. The Ayah David Maillu
24. Son of Woman Charles Mangua
25. A Tail in the Mouth Charles Mangua
26. Son of Woman in Mombasa Charles Mangua
27. Kenyatta’s Jiggers Charles Mangua
28. A Worm in the Head Charles K Githae
29. Comrade Inmate Charles K Githae
30. Twilight Woman Thomas Akare
31. Life and Times of a Bank Robber John Kiggia Kimani
32. Prison is not a Holiday Camp John Kiggia Kimani
33. The Operator Chris Mwangi
34. Three Days on the Cross Wahome Mutahi
35. Birds of Kamiti Benjamin Bundeh
36. Times Beyond Omondi Mak’Oloo
37. Lady in Chains Genga – Idowu
38. Mayor in Prison Karuga Wandai
39. Confession of an AIDS Victim Carolyne Adalla
40. The American Standard Sam DeSanto
41. From Home Guard to Mau Mau Elisha Mbabu
42. The Girl was Mine David Karanja
43. Links of a Chain Monica Genya
44. The Wrong Kind of Girl Monica Genya
45. The Other Side of Love Monica Genya
46. Unmarried Wife Sitwala Imenda
47. Dar es Salaam By Night Ben Mtobwa
48. A Place of No Return Mervill Powell
49. The Verdict of Death Onduko bw’Atebe
50. The Spurt of Flames Okelo Nyandong
51. The Unbroken Spirit Wanjiru Waithaka
52. Tower of Terror Macharia Magu
53. The Nest of my Heart Florence Mbaya
54. Nairobi Heat Møkoma wa Ngøgð
55. City Murders Ndøcø wa Ngøgð
56. Rafiki Man Guitar Meja Mwangi
57. The Gold Rush Samuel Wachira
58. Seasons of Love and Despair Tee Ngøgð
59. The Fall of Saints Wanjikø wa Ngøgð
60. The Dead Came Calling Ndøcø wa Ngøgð
Dedicated to Juliana and Ann–Rita
Dear Reader,
After writing my first two books, My Life in Crime and My Life with A Criminal (Milly’s story) I received hundreds of letters from my fans and a good number of friends who included three authors advising me to try my hand at fiction.
With this encouragement, I set off to write this book, which I decided to name “Son of Fate”. It wasn’t a very easy job to create characters from the blues and put them into action, but with determination I made it.
I would therefore like to let it be known to you that all the characters in this book are as fictitious as the “Son of Fate” himself. If any name of a person coincides with those in this book, you should know that nothing of the kind was intended. With this I wish you all a nice reading.
Yours sincerely, John Kiriamiti Nairobi 1994
Published by Spear Books
an imprint of
East African Educational Publishers Ltd.
Elgeyo Marakwet Close, off Elgeyo Marakwet Road,
Kilimani, Nairobi
P.O. Box 45314, Nairobi - 00100, KENYA
Tel: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.eastafricanpublishers.com
East African Educational Publishers also has offices or is represented in the following countries: Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and
South Sudan.
© John Kiriamiti 1994
First published 1994
Reprinted five times
This impression 2008
Reprinted 2018
All rights reserved
ISBN 978–9966–46–439–2
Printed in Kenya by Ramco Printing Works Ltd.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Prologue
“Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!” the electronic watch my wife had taken off and put on top of the television set made me glance at my own watch. It was precisely 10.00 o’clock. We had arrived thirty minutes earlier from St. Peter Clavers Church where we had attended the early mass. Somehow, this reminded me of the sermon Father Grol had given about good marriage. Seated comfortably on a sofa set, a typewriter before me on a coffee table, a heap of printing papers on the left hand side of the machine, and about eight pages I had already typed lying in a mess on the right, I could not help wondering how an unmarried person could manage to give such touching, attractive and convincing advice to the married. As we left the church, the father had ordered that we be supplied with pamphlets titled ‘Happy Marriage’ at the door and our maid had taken one to educate herself on the issue. As far as I was concerned, and I think my wife too, our marriage was quite a success and among the happiest.
“Dandii, ndandii, mm,” our two year old kid interrupted my work. I stopped typing as he reached for my shoulder, I noticed he had taken his tiny tongue out wanting me to kiss it. I did so and the kid got off the seat and crawled away happily. What a stupid thing to get amused with, I thought and dismissed it from my mind and continued typing. I had been given a column in a newly started magazine called ‘East African Monthly’. It covered East African Politics, Economy and Leisure. The editor in chief, an old friend of mine, had written to me asking whether I would be interested in running a column on astronomy. This was my line and my friend knew it. I had read widely about astronomy, my interest being that I wanted to know whether there was any possibility of existence of life in the other galaxies. For four months I had run the column which had turned out to be very successful. Hundreds of my readers had written back, giving me plenty of encouragement and at their request the editor had added two more pages to satisfy them.
“Daddy.” This time it was my wife calling. Everybody in this house called me daddy since the kid began muttering the word. I looked up and saw her approaching with a kettle and two cups on a tray.
“What will you take? Black coffee or cocoa?”
“Either,” I answered, pulled the paper I was typing out of the machine and started reading it. A minute later, the maid Kadogo, brought some sandwiches my wife had prepared. I got some appetite, put the paper aside as my wife pushed the typewriter aside to give me room.
Joy stirred some cocoa for me. I moved nearer, took the steaming mug and sipped its contents. I took a sandwich and bit deeply. From the corners of my eyes I noticed Joy, who had taken a seat beside me, observing my appetite with much satisfaction. Seeing I had noticed her staring at me she asked, “What do you prefer for lunch? Can I make you some chapatis? She knew I liked them after doing a long term in prison where things like chapatis and even tea were a daydream.
“I am planning to take you out for lunch,” I answered. “Tell Kadogo to prepare herself. Did I hear you say she’s planning to get married or was it a dream I had?” I asked.
She laughed and told me, “Yes. The houseboy next door has had his eyes on her since she hit this house.” I too laughed for no reason I could clearly tell. Most probably at the thought of the youngsters marrying and still wanting to stick to their jobs.
“What’s the fun?” Joy asked as I continued laughing. I was imagining the kind of life the couple would have.
“Why don’t you increase Kadogo’s salary by thirty per cent. It’d be one hell of a good idea.” I said to put her off the trail though I was serious about the salary increment.
“Good advice, though late dear. I’ve been saving for her for the past two years ... a bank account.”
“Does she know about it?” I asked in surprise, admiring her as I did so.
“Why should I tell her? I was intending to surprise her on the Christmas day she’ll decide to visit her home.”
“Please do not change your mind even if you disagree and remind me to boost the savings by one thousand shillings at the end of this month.”
“Oh, that’s great, dear. I have been intending to tell you but every time I propose to do it I change my mind.” That’s how we were. Joy and me – very generous where and when we could afford.
“But Daddy, you’ve been laughing for a different reason. Don’t put me off like that.” She knew my tactics of avoiding talking about things which amused me secretly.
“How old is Kadogo?” I asked.
“An adult of course. She is eighteen.”
“And her fiance?”
“How would I know?”
“Well. . . but certainly a teenager too, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yeah – which makes him an adult as well if he is a year older than her.”
“And you still don’t see anything funny in the set up?”
“I am not a critic. I judge things from their face value. In fact the other day I was thinking about you journalists. For instance, you and your humour column in the Daily News. We go for a trip together and when I next read the column about the trip I can’t help laughing, wondering when you noticed the things you have written about. I think it’s great