| |
The smell of formaldehyde was faint, but Jumbe still caught a whiff as her eyelids fluttered open. Parted green curtains revealed streaks of a golden light she had not seen in a long time. Jumbe did not need the smooth, dark-skinned face staring at her to tell her where she was.
‘Mukupeza bwanji?’
Jumbe ignored the inquiry into how she was feeling. ‘When did I get here and how?’
The nurse smiled, revealing a set of pearl-white teeth; a perfect model in her uniform. ‘The hospital? You were brought here yesterday. The farmer who brought you in says someone must have thrown you out of a moving f-car, because you fell straight into his aeroharvester.’
‘Aeroharvester? Where exactly am I?’
‘You’re in Balaka, Malawi. Bwanji, are you alright?’
The district hospital’s corridors, usually filled with moans of pain and sorrow, were instead inundated by Jumbe’s maniacal laughter.
I was home. The lush pasture, with cattle lazily nibbling on tiny shoots, minimally supervised by cantankerous herdboys. Light rain pattering on iron sheets, creating the fresh-mud smell outside that always raised even the lowest of spirits. Roast goat, with the aroma of fresh Kambuzi pepper still lingering.
––––––––
‘Wake up.’ A slap to the face. Kareen was looking at me. It had all been a dream. I was not home. I was still surrounded by glass; still a prisoner.
‘How bad was it this time?’ She helped me off the cold glass floor. ‘Did you give it anything?’
‘Yes, I did,’ I shot back, still a little groggy. ‘Some Manganje music and M’bona’s decapitation.’
Kareen is still laughing when another voice chimes in. ‘Who the hell is M’bona?’
Toni is by far one of the most beautiful women to have ever walked in any galaxy. I have said this so many times that Bayo voiced what everyone else was probably thinking; that I was attracted to her. They all agreed with me, though. She was tall, with a bronze face and sculpted cheekbones, plus the healthy muscle tone of a soldier. It was hard not to like her.
‘A legend from my country,’ I say, suddenly disinterested. ‘One of the greatest sorcerers to have ever lived. I’ll tell you about him some time. Am I the last one back?’
‘See for yourself, “O Captain! my Captain!” All you need to do is twirl.’ Jakaya’s words were as condescending as they were true. The glass cubicle serving as our cell, suspended five feet in the air and only linked to the other glass buildings by an escalator, was sparsely furnished. We each had a steel bench, covered with what felt like polystyrene, and nothing else. It was easy to see that everyone was back.
‘How long until they give up, you think? By my calculation, we have been here for two and a half Earth months,’ Jakaya continued.
Kareen’s response was unenthusiastic. ‘I don’t think we want them to give up just yet. At least, I don’t. I have a feeling these neuro-probes are the sole reason we are still alive. Whatever it is they are looking for, if they find it, or decide that it is longer important, then we’re toast.’
Nobody could disagree with that logic. I turned to the rest of the party for input. ‘What’s the matter with you two? You’re unusually quiet. Any ideas?’
Hossam and Bayo glanced at each other. ‘With all due respect, Captain,’ Hossam said, ‘I do not see the point of this discussion.’
Bayo’s smile was light and playful. ‘I hate to agree with El-Hadary here, but he’s right.’ Hossam shot him an annoyed look, which Bayo acknowledged with a lewd gesture. ‘Besides, it seems we have aroused their interest even more now. Someone is coming.’
––––––––
Species: Human
Planetary origin: Earth
Planet location: Unknown
Known associates: Oliver Mtukudzi, Michael Jackson, M’bona, Simba.
Probe results: Inconclusive
Recommendation: Employ alternative tactics; delay anti-colonisation mission.
––––––––
The thing that came to get me was no different from my other captors. It had one eye, a nostril, and a mouth that was really just a no-lips slit. There were three claws on each hand, long, slender and poking out from a large grey robe, scaled like the Chambo fish back home. Its eye seemed to dress me down like a disapproving mother-in-law. ‘You. Come.’
In the glass corridor, surrounded by purple and yellow shrubbery, I was an animal; caged and put on display. They all stared up at me, my brown skin a distinct point of fascination, despite the blue worksuit that covered most of it. The uninterrupted light was also something I was not used to. It was a mystery to me how this species, whatever they were, managed to live without darkness.
We went past a room I was all too familiar with—a reminder of the probing I had recently undergone—into a cubicle I had not been to before. Its single occupant seemed out of place, dwarfed by the gigantic screens it was looking at. It was the same as the others, save for the gold robe it was wearing. The robe shimmered as the thing turned to face me.
‘We have not yet met, Captain, purely by design. I was very confident that there would be no need for us to do so during your entire stay here.’
Its grasp of the English language was impeccable, something which astonished me. It noticed. ‘I see you’re surprised by my fluency in one of your languages. We have the neuro-probe sessions to thank for that. We may not have the information we need, but we were still able to extract a few essentials. Your names, for example.’
I remembered Kareen’s words, whatever it was they needed had not been found. ‘What information do you need from us? If it is our planet’s location, then you can forget it. We would rather die than divulge such sensitive information to our captors.’
Its mouth let out a few intermittent hisses, which I took as a sign of amusement. ‘Death? Believe me, captain, I have no intention of killing you or your friends. I admit that our methods have been far from endearing, but we were not sure if you would accept our request. Now I fear we have no choice but to approach you directly.’
‘Request? What request?’
‘Well, you see, Captain, we need your help.’
#
‘So, let me get this straight,’ Toni began. ‘These things damn-near paralyse us with their daily probes, now all of a sudden they ask for our help?’
‘Yes,’ I replied, slightly annoyed by the reproach in her voice. ‘If we agree to help them, they will let us go.’
‘Captain, are you out of your mind? We cannot trust anything that these things tell us. Are you so naïve or too incompetent that you would take the word of an unknown species that may just kill us at any moment?’
‘That’s enough, Jakaya,’ Hossam spoke, diffusing what would have been a hostile exchange. He, however, was also not convinced. ‘He is right, Captain. We cannot just take their word for it. What guarantee do we have that they will not execute us anyway if we do as they ask?’
‘We don’t,’ I said, ‘but it is better than just sitting in this glass box, getting our nerves fried until they decide to get rid of us. Besides, as soon as we get on the ship, we can disable any tracker they have installed and destroy any ship that tries to follow us. Once we hit hyperspace, you know they cannot find us.’
Kareen lightly tapped the glass she was leaning against. ‘You know, J, the question these space cadets ought to be asking is, what exactly do they need our assistance with?’
Part of me was glad it was she who had asked. ‘Actually, Kareen, they really need just three of us; Toni, Bayo, and yourself.’
Bayo did not flinch. ‘A career soldier, a weapons expert, and a nuclear physicist. No need to guess what these ugly little mongrels want.’
‘Weapons? I don’t believe that,’ Toni spoke again. ‘Captain, you saw the guns they had when they captured us. They paralysed our systems, for Christ’s sake. Why would they need our guns?’
‘I know why,’ Kareen answered. ‘There are some types of weapons that they do not have. Like the ones in the ship’s hull, for example.’ She turned to me. ‘That is what they are after, isn’t it? The six little devils.’
I nodded. ‘They need to know how to arm and fire them, or if it is possible to manufacture more on this planet. Once we help them with that, they will let us go.’
‘And why would we do that, only for them to turn and fire the missiles on us?’ Jakaya had asked the question I did not have the answer to.
‘By the way, Captain,’ Bayo chipped in. ‘You didn’t happen to make this deal with a cretin dressed in gold, did you?’
‘Yes, I did. How did you know?’
‘He’s coming this way.’
It seemed in a hurry. ‘Have you decided, Captain?’
I took a step forward and immediately three guards raised their guns. ‘We cannot help you manufacture or handle weapons you can just as easily kill us with,’ I said. ‘We refuse.’
‘I anticipated that answer,’ it said with a slight hint of disappointment. ‘You misunderstand our intentions, Captain. The weapons are not intended to harm you. I wish I could explain further, but since we are running out of time, perhaps it is only wise to show you.’
It held out its hands, six yellow pills nearly slipping from them. Hossam instinctively stepped forward.
‘I assure you, Captain, that these pills will not kill you. These are history pills. All they will do is show you why we are badly in need of your assistance. Besides, had it been my intention to kill you, it would already have been done. Now, I’m afraid I have to insist. We are pressed for time.’
I did not know this species well, but it is not too hard to tell when anyone is being serious. I took one, and it had hardly stroked my tongue before the room disappeared.
It was the same planet; the green, purple, and yellow shrubbery, had clearly been around for a long while. However, it had a certain freshness which had been absent from my glass prison. There was only one building here and it was at least fifty feet tall. The glass had the lemon green colour that hid whatever entry point it had, which is why my body shivered as I inexplicably found myself inside.
Of the four occupants, only one seemed out of place. His purple head was peppered with streaks of grey, with what looked like a small blue tomato where his nose was supposed to be. It was clear that they couldn’t see me; no one moved.
‘You do not stand a chance, Bajaji. You are aware of this,’ the strange man spoke directly towards the thing I only knew as my captor. ‘Surrender now and save your kind while you still can.’
My captor, dressed in gold as I had seen him before, was defiant. ‘You already destroyed one planet, Mbalale, you mbuzi. We offered you and your kind a chance to live here as our brothers, but you would rather conquer us. We shall not yield.’
Mbalale’s hostility oozed through the pleasantries. ‘Look outside, old friend. We are built for war. Your kind will not survive.’
‘Be that as it may, we are united, and despite our primitive weapons, we clearly outnumber you.’ Bajaji stepped forward. ‘Go back to that wretched planet you call a home and try to save what is left of it. Perhaps it is not too late to correct what you have so unintelligently destroyed.’
‘You always were stubborn, Bajaji,’ Mbalale began to say, but I was drifting out of the building and back into the odd vegetation. It was then that I noticed them; camouflaged among the trees, weapons unstrapped. I knew they were with Mbalale, and as I turned around to warn Bajaji, I saw the familiar purple heads of my captors.
It was similar to an ant colony, streaming behind the lone glass building and beyond. Their heads lined up like dominoes, unmoving, aware of their opponents. Inside the building, I saw Mbalale smile and lift his arms. My body was instantly hit by a flail of painful blue light.
I woke up with a taste of copper in my mouth. Bajaji was leaning over me, holding what looked like a salt shaker.
‘Are you alright, Captain?’
‘I’m fine,’ I snapped. ‘What the hell was that?’
‘Electronically-engineered tablets. We gave you the nanobots infused with the memory of our first war. We have to destroy them after each session, though, before they multiply. Which is why I have this.’ He held up the shaker. ‘They have all been short-circuited.’
‘And if that thing doesn’t work?’ Jakaya asked.
‘The nanos are also equipped with trackers. Should we fail to neutralise them this way, we use more shocking alternatives.’ Bajaji seemed pleased with himself.
‘That technology was only a concept in the medical field when we left Earth,’ Hossam said excitedly. ‘How did you manage to perfect it, yet you cannot make your own advanced weapons?’
I was about to reprimand our doctor for spilling out information, but Bajaji spoke first. ‘Priorities, Doctor al Jabari. We have always been a peaceful species, until this conflict began not long ago. By the way, Doctor, I have been meaning to ask you; why does one of your colleagues call you El-Hadary?’
‘Famous Egyptian football player.’
‘Doctor!’
Hossam realised what he had done and immediately stopped talking.
Our captor only smiled. ‘We do not have much time, Captain. War is upon us. Will you and your kind assist us?’
‘This is not our war,’ I said. ‘It does not matter what happened during the first war. We will not help you slaughter each other, so you can kill us now if you want.’
Bajaji’s smile disappeared. ‘That is quite unfortunate. You must understand, Captain, that the last time they came, half of my kind perished. Without your help, then we are destined for failure.’ Then, turning go, it spoke again. ‘I told you that I would not kill you. However, given the circumstances, I cannot guarantee your safety. If we die, then you and your men shall die with us.’
Toni spoke even before the reinforced glass doors had closed. ‘Is it just me, or has that thing just subtly said that it is going to leave us here for that other group to kill us?’
––––––––
Species: Human
Cooperation Status: Unwilling
Recommendation: Postpone Anti-colonisation mission
Interplanetary Conflict: Imminent
––––––––
The African Union Academy had taught us many things. Exploration missions were tough, and we had to expect different scenarios, even different species. Four years we had travelled in the deep, dark expanse, with only countless uninhabitable planets providing a refreshing distraction. The galaxy was as we were told; a never-ending canvas of darkness and spinning orbs. But our mission had been a failure, until now.
‘The very first planet we find with signs of life, and it just had to be populated by bloodthirsty animals,’ Jakaya said, staring directly at me. ‘Talk about bad luck. Who forgot to visit their mother before leaving Earth?’
‘He does not really intend to leave us out here in this glass thing unprotected, does he?’ Kareen was beginning to turn a shade lighter. ‘I am not an expert on war tactics, but won’t that make us easy targets?’
‘You’re right, Kareen,’ Bayo chipped in. ‘Captain, maybe we should reconsider helping them, at least for now. It just might keep us alive for a few more hours.’
I shook my head. ‘It was agreed only a few hours ago that we will not be the people that introduce this lot to nuclear weapons. Besides, what if they turn those missiles on us? Also, our mission is to find new planets, habitable ones, for colonisation. With those missiles, we could very well destroy this planet.’
Toni’s hand lightly touched mine. ‘J, right now I don’t think we have a choice. If we don’t do it, then we’re dead anyway. Besides, you saw what happened to them the last time they faced these guys. I didn’t exactly finish the memory, but...’
I had not seen it, either, but she was right. Even without the rest of the memory, it was clear that not many of them had survived. ‘Alright,’ I said. ‘So, we help them. I just hope that we do not regret it.’
––––––––
Species: Human
Cooperation Status: Voluntary
Recommendation: Initiate Anti-colonisation mission
Interplanetary Conflict: Imminent
––––––––
We waited. Outside the multiple glass buildings, in the green and purple, all was quiet. I knew who lay there, terrified by the prospect of combat, but unwilling to just lie down and die. Beside me, Bajaji was calm, concentrating on one of the giant monitors in front of him.
I was not afraid. Granted, the idea of dying on another planet, in another galaxy, was unnerving, but actually dying, my body giving up, was not unwelcome. I looked around at my team, sans three, noticing their anxious stances.
Bajaji said something I did not fully understand, until his eye flicked away from the monitor and upwards. Against the planet’s bright light, the numerous hexagon plates provided shade that reminded me of my home planet. They were about the size of a half-ton pickup truck, their charcoal-grey colour not reflecting much light.
Bajaji’s eye closed for a split second, and at once there was movement in the shrubs outside. Then, almost simultaneously, ripples of thin yellow light shot to the sky and the little plates rocked, flames bursting from underneath them.
‘Looks like your weapons work just fine,’ I muttered under my breath, but Bajaji heard me. ‘They are really not as effective as you think, Captain. Wait and see.’
Some of the plates were falling. They crashed into the purple undergrowth, bits of grey metal and red flame providing an unwelcome change of scenery. Bajaji was not even looking, but there was no mistaking his hand signal; retreat. I could hear a faint humming, and then it happened. The remaining plates fired from the air in unison, transforming the bushes into purple and red fire. I winced as the heat permeated the glass shielding us from the flames. Outside, they were not so lucky. Purple heads had a darker shade of slime, while others lay in the middle of the ash, a few charred bones the only significant remains.
‘Lieutenant Vermeen,’ I began to signal Kareen, but Bajaji raised his hand again. ‘Not yet, captain.’
‘Are you insane? Your people are being barbecued out there, and there’s one of my own with them!’
‘I know that, but we must wait for a while longer. They cannot know about our plan yet. Listen, Captain. Can you hear it?’
A few seconds passed, before the humming transformed into the sound of a thousand bees. It was not coming from the plates, which were now descending. It was something else; something much bigger.
With its angled wings and tapered, smooth, silver body, it reminded me of a flying fish. It glided over us, covering most of the buildings with its shadow. I turned to look at Bajaji, who was not even flinching, eye fixed on the giant monitor. ‘It’s here.’
––––––––
Mbalale was exactly as the memory had shown me. Right ear half-sliced, solitary eye tinted black, with the grey-and-black frame dressed in red. From the monitor, Mbalale’s triumphant demeanour was apparent.
‘I shall make this simple. Yield your planet to us and destroy all your weapons. There is no need for us to annihilate you. After all, we were brothers once.’
‘Go to Vetibra and die,’ Bajaji replied. ‘I told you before that never shall we ever be ruled by a tyrant. We shall die protecting our planet.’
‘I had not finished, Bajaji. I have another condition. You have prisoners, visitors from another world. I want them publicly executed, and their ship destroyed.’
I heard myself gasp while Mbalale continued. ‘It was foolish of you to think that I would not be aware of such an important event. Now, you know what we are capable of. Do this within the next ten quintines. If you do not,’ one tinted eye moved faintly, and the hexagon plates opened up, ‘Those will only be the genesis of your downfall.’
I did not wait. ‘Bayo, get in here.’ He was through the glass doors in seconds, his normally-pristine uniform covered in ash and smelling like kerosene. Half his face was covered in tiny gashes lathered with black slime. ‘I heard,’ he said.
‘The others are all set. After what that thing just said, I do not want you out there. He wants us dead in ten quintines, which is five Earth minutes, and I don’t trust our current allies not to turn on us and act on it.’ I turned to Bajaji. ‘We need to act now.’
‘Yes, we do, captain. You may go.’
The others were waiting. Jakaya was pacing around, speaking to no one in particular, while Kareen sat in her chair, unmoving. ‘We have about three minutes. Does everyone remember what we have to do?’
‘Yes, Captain,’ Hossam replied. ‘I already collected the samples we need, so the rest is up to all of you.’
I was about to bark everyone into their positions, when I heard the distinct crooning of Toni.
––––––––
Ni nde undirije mwana
Yo gacaracara
Yo gacana injishi
Akenyegeza ibisabo
Wirira wihogora
Nkwihoreze
––––––––
‘What are you singing?’
‘My mother used to sing it to me when I was a child,’ Toni replied. ‘Something like, ‘who made my child cry, don’t throw a fit, I will calm you down’ and all. She always sung it when I was troubled. Seemed appropriate.’
‘I like it,’ I said, and she looked into my eyes and gave me one of her disarming smiles. ‘Time’s up. We should get the signal anytime now.’
The signal came in the form of a giant plume of smoke; Bajaji’s men had taken down two of the plates. Even as we rose, we could see the two sides’ ground troops firing on each other in the charred underbrush. I knew what we had to do. ‘Shoot at the little plates first. That ought to get that big fish’s attention.’
It did. Toni and Bayo concentrated their machine gun fire on the hexagon plates, and at once the underbelly of the big ship began to move. It was repositioning, getting ready to fire, just as Bajaji had predicted.
‘Now is your chance, Captain,’ Bajaji’s voice materialised from within the ship. ‘We are counting on you. Also, if you miss, you die along with the rest of us.’
‘It would help if you shut him up, Captain,’ Bayo interrupted. ‘Concentration is hard enough already without his bullshit.’
‘Yes, Captain, that would be wise,’ Toni echoed. Then, directing her gaze at Kareen, ‘Are you sure these things are okay?’
‘Yes, dammit, now fire!’
Simultaneously, two thermonuclear missiles were fired at the large vessel. I stared, waiting for impact. There was none. Kareen sat still and only spoke one word; ‘Wait.’
‘Wait for what? That thing is about to vaporise us!’
The big ship’s stomach rumbled, and cracks began to show, bleeding out molten flame. We watched as, like melting plastic, parts began to disintegrate. The hexagon plates also began to fall, crushing unfortunate troops on the ground beneath them.
‘We did not think things all the way through,’ Toni disrupted the unusually silent bridge. ‘Those troops down there are going to get crushed by all those falling dishes.’
‘I anticipated that, which is why I recalibrated the nuclear cores in the missiles to melt the pieces, not just tear them apart,’ Kareen said, her eyes betraying excitement and satisfaction. ‘At least it won’t be as bad. Isn’t it time we left, J?’
I agreed. We had kept our end of the agreement. ‘That was the plan. Are we okay, Jakaya?’
‘We will all be better if we get the hell out of here, Captain.’
We had just passed the melting monstrosity when a familiar voice filtered through the ship again. ‘Leaving so soon, Captain?’
I had expected this. ‘We have done our part, Bajaji. Now, as per our agreement, we are free to go. I’d rather not wait, lest you change your mind.’
‘We still have a war on our hands, Captain. It would be unfortunate if...’
‘It would be unfortunate if you forgot that I still have more missiles aboard this ship,’ I interrupted. ‘Now, I have taken out your biggest threat, even some of the little ones. You can do the rest. I told you before that this is not our war.’
Bajaji’s hologram came onto the bridge, his mouth straining into what I’m sure was an attempt at a smile. ‘Very well, Captain. I truly am grateful to you. We shall not be colonised in the near future, thanks to you and your technology. Perhaps we shall meet again one day.’ Then it was gone.
‘Meet again. God forbid,’ Bayo exclaimed, cracking his knuckles. ‘You did sweep this whole thing, didn’t you, Gufuli?’
‘Yes, I did, while your face was getting roasted, and don’t call me that,’ Jakaya fumed.
‘Okay, everyone, relax,’ I managed to say, trying to control my laughter. ‘We found a new planet, the Doc collected the samples he wanted, and most important of all, we survived intergalactic imprisonment and kicked some alien ass. We accomplished what we came for, now let’s go home.’
#
Something was following us. Jakaya noticed it first. It was a simple speckle on the radar, but when we were so close to home, such a thing was a major risk.
‘Pirates?’ Toni asked.
‘Don’t be daft, Kagame,’ Bayo chimed in. ‘Those are a myth. Besides, we haven’t encountered anyone since we left the planet of whatshisname a couple of months ago.’
Something about what Bayo said made me think. ‘How long until we have visual, Jakaya?’
The man did not answer, but instead pointed at something to my left. I turned and immediately wished I hadn’t. There was one hexagon plate heading straight for us. The pilot was all too familiar; I had seen the gold apparel a few times before.
Kareen’s scream brought me back to the ship. Bayo was slamming a skinny man against the aluminium floor. ‘I asked you if you checked this place for trackers and you said you had! How the hell did that thing find us?’
‘I checked the entire ship, I swear! I have no idea how he followed us here!’ Jakaya was now being lifted off the ground.
I knew there was little time to do anything, least of all figure out how he had found us. The re-entry sequence had been initiated.
‘Fire the remaining missiles,’ Toni suggested.
‘Don’t do that!’ Kareen snapped. ‘We are attempting re-entry. You’ll kill us too.’
‘There was only one thing to do. ‘Warn ground control and strap in! There is nothing else we can do now. He timed this, and he timed this very well’
It still bothered me as we swept past the red heat, slowly approaching home. Despite our differences, I trusted Jakaya; he was competent. And if he was right about the ship being clean, how had Bajaji found us? And if he had been following us the entire time, why hadn’t he killed us?
Bajaji fired when we hit Mesosphere. I tried to reassure myself that it was turbulence, but the explosion soon ripped through the ship’s hull. Toni was saying something to me, and then she was gone. The last thing I thought of was how close we had come. Now, death was literally at Earth’s doorstep and we had brought it there.
#
‘So, tell us, Captain,’ one of the two men finally spoke to Jumbe, the mockery in his tone unmistakable. ‘Do you really expect us to believe this wild story?’
‘You have to, if you want to live,’ Jumbe replied, tugging nervously at her hospital gown. ‘Those things are out there, and now they know our location.’
‘Which is, by your own admission, your fault,’ said the other man. He had stood by the room’s large French windows while Jumbe narrated her story. ‘How exactly did they achieve that?’
Jumbe looked at her two visitors, well-built men in expensive suits. ‘I have told you before; the history pills. They had inbuilt trackers so that they could be short-circuited afterwards. Clearly, we were tricked into thinking that they had been destroyed.’
The two men were apparently unconvinced. ‘Look, Captain,’ the man by the window began. ‘Your ship was destroyed, your entire crew is dead, and all the samples you claim to have collected have not been found.’ He was looking directly at her; Jumbe looked away. ‘Worse still, you claim that an alien ship shot you down, something which was not detected by any of our advanced satellites.’
Jumbe had nothing to say. She felt drained. All the years spent travelling, searching for a new planet, and she had found one. They had endured prison, and then they had fought alongside their captors in order to earn their freedom, only to return to death and an untrusting world.
As the men left her, she remembered Bajaji’s words. They would never be colonised. And what better way to ensure that than to destroy the only other intelligent species they knew?
The sun shone brightly on the freshly-mown grass outside the hospital. The skies were happy, the clouds playfully chasing each other. Beyond them, thousands of miles away, little hexagon plates, recently commandeered, lightly floated, waiting to fire upon an unsuspecting planet. Inside the hospital, in a room on the fifth floor, a solitary occupant softly sang to herself.
––––––––
Ni nde undirije mwana
Yo gacaracara
Yo gacana injishi
Akenyegeza ibisabo
Wirira wihogora
––––––––
Nkwihoreze
––––––––
Andrew C. Dakalira draws his inspiration from the people, places and events happening around him. His stories have been published by Brittle Paper, Africa Book Club, The Kalahari Review and Africanwriter.com. His debut novella, VIII, appears in AfroSFv2. Andrew won Malawi’s 2014 Dede Kamkondo Short Reads Contest. His story, ‘The (Un)lucky Ones’, was shortlisted for the 2017 Writivism Short Story Prize. He lives in Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe.
