Names and Secrets

Mutali Chetambe

Description

Names and Secrets won the Burt Book Award, Kenya and is the story of Chekai, a teenage boy who survives school bullying to become a champion of peaceful coexistence in an ethnically and economically divided society. Matur County is an example of a country that faces internal divisions. It is a county that is under increasing danger from external threats, including terrorism. Chekai is bullied by his teacher, Ms Letia and his class prefect, Goliath. This reflects the ethnic suspicions and economic inequalities that threaten to tear the society apart. However, Chekai thinks realistically about the problems in his society. Through curiosity, he discovers that unlike what is said, the people of Matur County have a lot in common. He realises that they will only defeat their real enemies if they are united. Chekai wins a presidential essay writing competition and becomes a peace ambassador. He uses his new position to chart a new path on which everyone will walk. This includes those who previously bullied him, and those who had been discriminated against.

Sujets

• Young Adult

Informations

• Publié par: East African Educational Publishers
• Date de parution: 29 décembre 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 14
• EAN13: 9789966561527
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Names and Secrets

Published by East African Educational Publishers Ltd. Brick Court, Mpaka Road/Woodvale Grove Westlands, P. O. Box 45314, Nairobi - 00100, KENYA Tel: [phone] Cell: [phone] / 733 677 716 / 722 207 21 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, Namibia and South Sudan.
Mark Mutali Chetambe 2015 First published 2015
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-9966-56-004-9
Printed in Kenya by Icons Printers Ltd. P.O. Box 39273-00623 Nairobi, Kenya
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Burt Award for African Literature recognises excellence in young adult fiction from African countries. It supports the writing and publication of high quality, culturally relevant books and ensures their distribution to schools and libraries to help develop young people s literacy skills and foster their love for reading. The Burt Award is generously sponsored by a Canadian philanthropist, Bill Burt, and is part of the ongoing literacy programs of the National Book Development Council of Kenya, and CODE, a Canadian NGO supporting development through education for over 50 years.
FOREWORD
The National Book Development Council of Kenya (NBDCK) is a Kenyan non-governmental organisation made up of stakeholders from the book and education sectors. It promotes the love of reading, the importance of books and the importance of quality education. The Burt Award for African Literature project involves identification, development and distribution of quality storybooks targeting the youth, and awarding the authors. It is funded by Bill Burt, a Canadian philanthropist, and implemented by the NBDCK in partnership with the Canadian Organisation for Development through Education (CODE).
The purpose of the Burt Award is to give the reader high quality, engaging and enjoyable books such as Names and Secrets whose content and setting are portrayed in an environment readers can easily identify with. This sharpens their English language and comprehension skills leading to a better understanding of the other subjects.
My profound gratitude goes to Bill Burt who, through CODE, accepted to sponsor the Burt Award for African Literature in Kenya. Special thanks also go to the panel of judges for their dedicated professional input into this project. Finally, this foreword would be incomplete without recognising the important role played by all NBDCK stakeholders whose continued support and involvement in the running of the organisation has ensured the success of this project.
Ruth K. Odondi
Chief Executive Officer
National Book Development Council of Kenya
CHAPTER 1
T IME TO GO H OME

Chekai felt tired. He looked up from his desk, rubbed his eyes with the back of his left hand and sighed. He felt like standing up, but he knew that Goliath, the class prefect would not take it kindly if he as much as stretched his arms. Chekai always wondered whether Goliath ever concentrated on his own books. How can you keep a permanent eye on fifty vivacious Standard Seven pupils and have any time left to read? No wonder, Goliath had never beaten him in any examination. Chekai looked in Goliath s direction, on the far right of the Standard Seven classroom. As usual, Goliath was as alert as a police officer on duty. The class prefect looked like a god, with his eyes roving above the whole room. His small, deep set eyes surveyed his classmates like a pair of binoculars. At the same time, his nose appeared to be twitching like that of a dog, ready to sniff out for any sign of trouble.
Chekai wanted to laugh at this robot watchman, but just at that point their eyes met. For a moment, he seemed to be daring the class prefect. Goliath looked back authoritatively, and flexed his notorious red pen. This was the pen with which he wrote down the names of all mischief-makers. Every day he presented the offender s list to Ms Letia. Whether the pupils committed any offense or not, Ms Letia always expected that list. In her office, she had her own set of rules. They were very different from the official school rules. They were written in red ink, on a large yellow piece of manila paper:
1. Do not make noise .
2. Do not sit like a praying mantis in class.
3. Do not move up and down carelessly, especially up.
4. Fear your teachers with all your heart and soul.
5. Do not go to the toilet more than once a day.
6. You must run to class when you hear the bell.
7. Class prefects are always right .
8. It is better to miss school than to come late.
9. Girls should not have better hairstyles than the female teachers.
10. A teacher has the right to check a pupil s lunchbox and taste the contents.
Ms Letia was the tigress of Matur County Primary School. Many of the pupils had little marks on their skins which testified to her pinching skills. She was an expert slapper. She was also very talented at boxing and kicking. Chekai always thought that in the college where she had trained, the syllabus included lessons on how to cause maximum pain to a pupil. Her hands were weapons. Her tough palms left map-like prints on many smooth, cheeky faces as well as innocent faces. Sometimes she dragged the offender to the staffroom and whacked his bottom rapidly, with her bare hands, till she ran out of breath and collapsed on the ancient couch.
At the beginning of every school term she stood on parade, resplendent in her green kitenge suit and high-heeled shoes. This term I am on duty permanently, she would announce in her deep voice, wagging a finger at the pupils. And I hope you know who is speaking! The pupils were always both terrified and amused by this announcement. And for the rest of the term, they lived in total fear of the tigress. Goliath was the ambassador of Ms Letia s terror in Standard Seven. The class feared any communication between him and the teacher on permanent duty. This was because such communication always involved the dreaded red list of offenders.
Ms Letia s shoes had permanent specks of mud at the heel, and Chekai was always tempted to walk up to her and offer to wipe the soil off, out of sheer amusement. But no one could dare make fun of Ms Letia; at least not in her presence. These kids will kill me with this work of correcting them, she would lament, breathing loudly. Her face scared many students, who would confess to crimes they had not committed. There is a kind of expression which ordinary people put on their faces when they see something horrible. Ms Letia wore such an expression almost permanently.
If anybody complained that the government did not allow such punishment, Ms Letia would laugh and retort, Yes, the government does not allow caning. But slapping, pulling ears, pinching, boxing and kicking have not been mentioned in the ban. How else are we to correct the African child?
Chekai was not happy with the school programme. Instead of going for games at 4 o clock, the Standard Seven and Standard Eight pupils were forced back to class to study. None of the pupils did any serious reading at this time. Their hearts and minds were in the playing fields. They bent sadly over their books as the voices of the other pupils playing tennis, football, netball and volleyball reached them through the windows. They would have loved to just chat the time away, but Goliath would not allow it. Chekai knew that the scouts were holding their weekly meeting. He loved scouting. In fact, today he was wearing the scouting scarf. He played with the scarf between his fingers.
Gooooal! Chekai heard the cheering from the football pitch. He fidgeted in his chair, wishing he was there to see the celebration of the goal. Although he did not play football, he loved to watch a good match. He particularly loved watching penalties. He found it funny when the goalkeeper dived the wrong way.