9.

Kanani did not look at Paulo as Isaac led him away. Something heavy, like a boulder, compressed his chest. Everything seemed to be parting from him. He had dealt the Devil a knockout blow but it seemed like he had hurt himself in the process. God’s intention for bringing him to the reunion was now clear. He had come clean. Yet, he felt neither relief nor triumph. It had to be the strong presence of evil in this place. It was time to leave.

As he walked back to his tent, he became aware of Miisi following him, but like everything else, the feeling was remote. As he packed his bags, he looked up. Miisi stood outside the tent watching him. Kanani laughed. “You look like a muscle-man waiting to throw me off the premises—only you have no muscles at all.”

Miisi said something but Kanani did not catch it. He finished packing and stepped out with his bags. “God works in mysterious ways,” Kanani sighed.

“I’ll have to drive you to Masaka,” Miisi said, removing the pegs of the tent from the ground.

“You don’t like me,” Kanani said.

The tent collapsed.

“You need to be removed.”

“I’ve become the abomination,” Kanani said.

“You’re one of us. But at the moment, you have to go so that our grandson can be received by the clan.”

“You’re only too happy to say that.”

“Let’s walk down to the car park.”

Kanani wanted to say to Miisi, “You can’t bully me, I am an elder,” but felt too tired to fight. When he got into the car, he bowed his head. “We have nothing to hide anymore.”

“How does it feel now?” Miisi asked as he reversed the car.

“Sin is sin,” Kanani said emphatically.

“This was not yours to confess.”

“We took part in the concealment.”

“Your confessions are lies.”

“That’s for God’s work. This concealment was for selfish reasons to cover our shame.”

“Why did you come?”

“To witness for God.”

The two men talked matter-of-factly, quietly, almost like friends.

“You’ve been hiding in your tent. You only came out to see if anyone wanted prayers. Why did you bring Paulo?”

“God was in control.”

“No, Kanani. You brought him because you thought he was the curse.”

“God led me here. It was His will.”

“Part of you believed that he needed the rituals, didn’t you, Kanani?”

“How could I? Rituals are the Devil’s ways.”

“You could’ve asked us for advice.”

“You?” Kanani could not contain himself any longer. “You’re the Devil Himself, but I am not frightened of you.”

“Now you’re mad.”

“We praise you, Jesus . . .” Kanani started singing Tukutendereza Yesu, the Awakened’s theme song. The song was a comfort in difficult situations.

“It makes sense now—why your children turned to each other in this way.”

“Your blood has washed . . .”

“I hope there’s a God so He can burn you forever.”

“I thank . . .”

“Shut up!” Miisi banged the dashboard. “Sing that song at me again and I swear I’ll turn into Satan himself and abandon you here in the wilderness.”

The car fell silent until Miisi and Kanani arrived in Masaka Town.

In Masaka, Kanani was surprised that Miisi waited with him until a taxi came. When Kanani realized that he did not have the fare—Paulo was supposed to drive him home—Miisi gave it to him. But when he got into the taxi Miisi whispered, “Spare the passengers your stories of cavorting with the Devil this weekend.”

Kanani stepped out of the taxi and stood before Miisi. His eyes were getting wet but he could not stop himself.

“You may pretend to be skeptical about the curse and the Devil but something evil came upon my children like a bird upon eggs and that boy hatched,” his breath came in gasps. Miisi looked away. The taxi filled and drove off. “The day Paulo came home and told me that his name was Kalemanzira, or Kalema if we wished, he might as well have shown me the Mark of the Beast, 666, on his body.”

Miisi held Kanani’s arm and led him back to his car. When Kanani sat down, tears came down like a stream. Miisi sat with him in the car while he wept. He did not say a word. He did not look at him. Kanani stopped crying and looked at Miisi. Miisi looked straight ahead. Kanani opened his mouth but stopped; he had been about to tell Miisi that he feared that all his faith and good works had been in vain, but instead said, “I am ready,” and stepped out of the car. As the taxi drove away, he smiled weakly and waved to Miisi.