RINGA GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
101/3 ESSAY QUESTIONS FROM SET TEXTS
CHAPTER ONE
THE SAMARITAN ESSAY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Standing firm in doing what is right yields good results. Using Nicole in John Lara's The Samaritan, write
an essay to validate this statement.
Nicole, the Ethics and Innovation teacher at Sagrada Secondary School, is the embodiment of an
unwavering moralist determined to bring positive change to Maracas Municipality. Despite facing serious
resistance from the leaders, her effort bears fruit when the corrupt leaders are apprehended. Resoluteness
in doing the right things brings victory.
Nicole stands firm when the Mayor of Maracas Municipality orders for a halting of activities related to the
Samaritan App and her firmness pays off. The aim of the Samaritan App is to expose corruption and
agitate for the prosecution of the culprits. When he realises that the App may expose his failures,
ineptness and corrupt deeds and possibly lead to his prosecution, Mossi-oa-Tunya declines to launch it or
award Alvita and Montano, the brains behind the innovation. He alleges that the App may turn out to be a
platform for misinformation, lies and witch-hunt. Although he acknowledges that the school is doing a
good job in nurturing visionaries and innovators, he has jitters about giving the Samaritan App the green
light. The skit by Nicole, Alvita and Montano clearly demonstrates that the App can be used to share
sensitive information like the Municipal Procurement Process. The Mayor is hesitant to allow its
commissioning. In an attempt to stop the operations of the App, he claims he needs time to think, and will
launch the App at his own convenient time. He orders Nicole and Principal Narine to halt all activities
regarding the App until his office gives them the clearance. He demands that they write to the Ministry of
Education citing fundamental errors. Nicole firmly rebuts that the App passed all tests done by senior
officers at the Ministry of Education and skillful software engineers. The Mayor tries to intimidate Nicole
when he states that he is Mossi-oa-Tunya: the smoke that thunders and a Mayor with express mandate by
the people of Maracas. He raises his voice and points his walking stick at Nicole. He demands that she
pens the letter and send a copy to him in an hour’s time. Nicole is adamant that the matter is beyond her
since the App was taken over by the National Information and Communication Technology Corporation
and she determinedly says that she will only do what is right. Madam Principal confirms Nicole's resolute
nature when she claims she is bound to ignore the Mayor’s orders since she usually doesn’t compromise
on what she thinks is right. In the long run, Mayor Mossi fails to intimidate Nicole and operations of the
App are not halted. Mossi is exposed as a corrupt leader and is eventually arrested. Nicole’s determination
pays off.
Moreover, Narine, the principal, admonishes Nicole hoping that she would abandon her quest for a better
Maracas but Nicole remains steadfast until the end when her effort bears victory. The principal
acknowledges that the Samaritan App has sent shockwaves across the municipality, driving leaders into
terrible panic. She advises Nicole to think long and hard about the Samaritan App. Narine says she is single
-handedly focused on providing students under her care with quality education. She vows that she will not
allow any teacher to deviate from this course. She appears to be persuading Nicole to stop the operations
of the Samaritan App. She advises her, as a senior administrator and her mother’s age mate , to know
which battles to wage, which ones to avoid, and those to defer. She avers that a young girl like Nicole
cannot battle against an elephant like Mossi. Standing firm, Nicole tells her boss that an elephant that kills
a rat is not a hero. She also wonders if the principal would rather that they abandon the Samaritan, an
ingenious innovation, with great potential of improving the Municipality to appease an egocentric political
class. The principal offers no support for Nicole. She instead chooses to step back. This does not dampen
Nicole's spirit. The principal feels Nicole is a headstrong girl. She is fed up. She says she is not a house help
or a secretary to keep receiving calls on behalf of Nicole. She also feels threatened when the leaders call
saying that they are visiting Nicole at school. The principal feels that the App will not change anything and
counsels Nicole with the wise words that, “The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists”.
Nicole does not heed even when Narine adds that, “If you can’t turn the wind, turn the sails”. Nicole stays
firm. She cannot give in and allow the plunder of public resources. Her resoluteness pays off when the
leaders including Bembe and Mossi are arrested by Tajo, the head of Anti-Corruption Investigations
Bureau. Surely, resoluteness results in victory.
Thirdly, Nicole chooses to stand firm when the Inspector General of police, Bembe, tries to unnerve her by
arresting her on trumped-up charges. When Mossi and Bembe realise that the Samaritan App was being
used to air their dirty linen in public, they plan to visit and talk to Nicole. Mossi correctly points out that
Nicole may be a very difficult person. Nicole is determined to do the right thing. Bembe insists that he has
a way of making people switch allegiances. Bembe has a ploy to accuse Nicole of theft of school furniture,
a computer or a generator. He plans to get people to steal the school generator and accuse Nicole of the
crime then ask the judge to put her in. True to his word, Bembe goes to Sagrada Secondary School to
arrest Nicole citing a wide range of accusations including disobeying authorities, being located at the
scene of a murder and stealing the school generator. Nicole is not intimidated. She knows that her
obligation is to do what is right, not to obey leaders blindly. A leader cannot compel her to do the wrong
things. Her choice to do the right thing is not negotiable. Even in the face of an impending jail term, she is
not subdued by Bembe's preposterous fabricated charges. She tells him that it will get him nowhere and
that that will be the darkest day of his career. Bembe orders the police to handcuff Nicole and the strong-
willed teacher resists until she is overpowered. Bembe is only but trying to intimidate Nicole to stop
pursuing the activities of the Samaritan App claiming it poses grave danger to society. Nicole replies that
she is but a simple teacher trying to do what is right. While Bembe posits that Nicole has an evil plan, she
insists that The Samaritan App has no personal agenda and is a people’s platform of protecting and
promoting public good. When she is arraigned in court, thousands of protesters from all walks of life mob
the court precincts in solidarity with Nicole, leaving Bembe with an egg on his face. Furthermore, his
bosses summon him over the impropriety. Eventually, Bembe is arrested for his involvement in a wide
array of crimes and abuse of office. Nicole’s determination to do good ends in victory.
Apart from that, Alvita and Montano try but fail to plead with miss Nicole to give up the Samaritan App
and she tells them to stand firm with the App and this pays off when the corrupt leaders are arrested.
When the unscrupulous leaders are whisked away by the police, Alvita cries triumphantly that, “You can
never escape from the consequences of your actions”. These are the exact words of the resolute miss
Nicole. The apprehensive students are the brains behind the Samaritan App. But they are now worried
that as a result of the Mayor’s ultimatum, the App may get their beloved teacher in trouble. Nicole insists
that the Samaritan App is an excellent platform for them to speak out against wrongdoing and share ideas
that will make their lives better. The leaders of Maracas municipality are like the priests and Levite who
ignore the injured Samaritan. They do not care about the people. Neither do they come to their aid. They
only pursue their own selfish interests. The students still think that miss Nicole is in grave danger. The
teacher is determined to stand for a cause that can bring a better tomorrow for everyone. The Samaritan
has been all over the media platforms and Alvita thinks it has grown so big that it is no longer good
for them anymore. The two students suggest that she transfers to a different school. Nicole asks them not
to chicken out at every trial or threat. They must stand firm and demand that their leaders do the right
thing. She demands that they are not discouraged and that they stay brave. This is not an effort in futility.
The corrupt leaders including Mayor Mossi are eventually arrested.
Also, Nicole remains steadfast when the Mayor approaches her and tries to beg for mercy seemingly
penitent of his evil acts and attempting to sway Nicole to eliminate some negative information about him
from the Samaritan App. The Mayor starts by apologizing to Nicole for being a bit hard on her earlier. He
wants to have an honest talk with her. He concedes that he made some mistakes and is ostensibly there to
make the clean breast of everything and to seek Nicole’s understanding and help. Nicole is taken aback by
the change of heart from the initially overbearing Mossi-oa-Tunya, the untouchable smoke that thunders.
He even offers Nicole a bribe. He asks her to quote her figure. Looking straight at him, Nicole affirms in a
firm voice that she can never be part of such a scheme. She is disappointed that a man entrusted to fight
corruption is instead the chief perpetrator. Stuttering, the penitent leader claims he was offering to invest
in the Samaritan App. Mossi feels he is being wrongly accused on the Samaritan. Nicole reminds him that
as the overall leader the buck stops with him. Mossi tries to exonerate himself by slinging mud at his fellow
politicians for instance Ramdaye, deputy Mayor, for misappropriation of funds; Ted King, the secretary of
Health and Environment; Seymour, the secretary in charge of Planning and Development and Judge Ian
Jaden. The Mayor claims that he cannot do anything about the rot in the municipality, inadvertently
admitting his ineptness. Nicole notes that the whole Municipal Council is a criminal enterprise. Mossi
admits that he steals at most three slices of the loaf meant for the people. He points fingers at everyone
else for eating the whole loaf including the wrapping and the vendor where applicable. Nicole resolutely
suggests that all those he accuses are answerable to him. When he realizes that Nicole wasn’t going to be
swayed by his emotional pleas, he turns to threats. He demands that she deletes every post that cast him
in the negative light or else she will discover why he is called Mossi-oa-Tunya: the smoke that thunders.
Nicole remains resolute to do the right thing. Eventually, Mossi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders, is
arrested by the anti-corruption police. Indeed, standing firm in doing the right thing brings positive results.
Lastly, the leaders of Maracas Municipality attempt to appease Nicole by playing power politics and
offering her a high office in the Municipality but she declines the offer, standing her ground until the
felonious leaders are arrested. The eight leaders meet at the Chamber of the Principal Judge with the aim
of saving their skins from The Samaritan. They have assembled to figure out a way to escape being
thrown behind bars at Baneta Express Prison. Basdeo suggests that they talk to Nicole. Mossi warns him
that she is very firm. He tried appealing to her mercy, she couldn’t budge. He tried intimidation and still she
couldn’t yield. Basdeo suggests that they give her a powerful position at the municipal council. They plan
to let her tell them the position she wants and voila! she becomes part and parcel of the municipal
leadership. Jaden suggests that they bring her a box of chocolate as an incentive but Mossi cautions him
that she won’t take it. When they meet Nicole, they all grovel. Jaden seeks for forgiveness for intruding
into Nicole’s busy schedule. Bembe apologizes profusely for arresting Nicole. Mossi also apologizes for
treading on her toes. Although she is puzzled, Nicole accepts the apologies and also expresses regret in
the event that she offended any of them. She politely declines Ted's offer of a golden ring. The leaders
admit serious mistakes in the leadership that have brought the Municipality to a crisis. They avow that the
ship is sinking. They request Nicole’s contribution in enhancing service delivery to the people and she
accepts. They ask her to name the senior position she would like to occupy. Jaden proposes that she
should assume the role of Director General. Nicole declines the offer telling the gentleman that they don’t
need new laws, contracts or positions but a change of spirit among the people and especially among the
leaders. Nicole tells them that to salvage the bleak situation they should do the right thing; that is, make a
U-turn about dipping their fingers in the public till and pursuing personal gains. At this point, her efforts
bring good tidings when the corrupt officials are arrested and escorted to the Anti-Corruption
investigation Bureau.
In conclusion, triumph is a result of an unwavering spirit especially when we champion for good. Nicole's
determination to stamp out corruption in Maracas Municipality and to have the disreputable leaders
brought to book ends in a jackpot when they are all arrested signaling a new dawn.

Citizens have a role of voting in men and women of honour. When they elect selfish leaders, they end up
suffering themselves. Write an essay to qualify this claim basing your illustrations on John Lara's The
Samaritan.
Some leaders only care about their selfish interests. When such self-seeking leaders are elected, they
abuse their powers and break the law with impunity. They engage in vices such as corruption, drug
trafficking, murder, gang warfare, misappropriation of public funds etc. The citizens who vote them in
bear the brunt of such cruelty, lack of integrity and inefficiency.
Ramdaye, the Deputy Mayor of Maracas municipality, is a selfish man whose corrupt ways lead to the
suffering of many citizens of Maracas. Despite knowing that he has never accomplished anything in his life
other than swindling people, the people overwhelmingly vote for him. He is in charge of the Department of
Physical Infrastructure. He uses this position to award his companies and those of his relatives tenders for
construction of roads, bridges, pavements, drains and water courses. They misappropriate the funds and
do a shoddy job. He is also in charge of construction and maintenance of secondary roads. Due to his
ineptness, the workers do such a shoddy job that the poor quality roads look like abandoned battlefield
destroyed by bombs. Even tractors get stuck on such roads! Moreover, citizens still elect him even when
they know him as a conman who prints fake title deeds and sells the same plot to as many as ten people.
He sold Bembe, the Inspector General of police, land that belongs to Maracas university. That is how he
has earned his livelihood all these years. He has destroyed lives of countless people because of his greed
(P42). When he learned about the “Rodengate Affair”, in which justice Ian Jaden was rearing rats and
introducing them into farms to undermine local production in order to import corn through his company,
Prime Orchard Limited, he is silenced by bribery. He is given money and shares in the company. His family
is also doing all Municipal Council projects that fall under his Department denying deserving citizens a
chance to offer their prowess and earn an honest coin. Thus, residents continue to suffer under his watch.
Indeed, citizens suffer when they elect rogue leaders like Ramdaye.
Ted King is also a self-seeking leader who causes anguish to the citizens of Maracas Municipality owing to
his selfish nature. He is the Municipal Secretary for the Department of Health and Environment. Despite his
infamous reputation as a pirate and a nuisance to the public, people vote for him overwhelmingly into the
Municipal Council. The youth and all are excited by his evil hairstyle, ripped jeans, bangles, necklaces and
other adornments. After inviting bids for construction of health centres, Ted ensures companies
associated with his relatives and friends win the tenders. He conspires with them and steals all the money
allotted for the project and ends up putting up site offices that resemble cowsheds. A former DJ, Ted was
responsible for noise pollution and pirating other people’s music. Citizens, tired of the nuisance and agony,
complained ceaselessly. Furthermore, he is illiterate and spews gibberish on the floor of the chamber. He
reeks of illicit brew like one who sleeps in a brewery or a nightclub. Together with Seymour, he is
responsible for supplying air to the Municipal Council. This means that their companies receive huge sums
of public funds without rendering any service. He further supports Seymour’s rallying call that they
reallocate the budget in order to use public funds to fight the corruption cases against them. Citizens who
vote in leaders like Ted end up in anguish since the self-seeking leader does not deliver services to them
instead they embezzle funds for their selfish interests.
Thirdly, Seymour, is the self-seeking secretary to the Municipal Department of Planning and Development.
In spite of his moral failings, the people elected him overwhelmingly. He bribes people using his drug
money to buy his way into office. To get building plans approval in Maracas municipality, people simply
bribe Seymour and the rotten Inspectorate Unit under him. Proper building standards are not adhered to
thus putting the lives of the people living in such buildings at great risk. Never mind that Maracas is in a
seismically active area. The people have also suffered under his callous leadership since anyone who
dares bat an eyelid ends up disappearing mysteriously. He runs a murderous gang known Black Swan
Gang which is responsible for shootings and violence. People read about this in the papers but they still
elect him. Apart from that, he demands that Mossi justifies reallocation on the need to address the issue of
the terrible waste disposal system in the town. It is a serious health hazard for the citizens since the
garbage is strewn all over the place and the drains are broken. Instead of fixing the problem, he wants
them to use the funds to fight off the imminent corruption cases against them. Seymour is also known for
drug trafficking. He has ruined the lives of many children who have dropped out of school because of
drugs, some have become cabbages, some roam aimlessly or have lost their minds and worse still others
have died because of drugs. He also has a fake law certificate that he uses to intimidate people with. His
whole family including his two children and wife have been ruined by drugs. Surely, people who vote for
such evil leaders can only blame themselves for the agony their leaders put them through.
The mayor of Maracas municipality, Mossi-oa-Tunya, is also a selfish leader whose avarice results in untold
suffering for the subjects under him. He claims that he was voted in by hundreds of thousands of people.
All these people voted for him in spite of his iniquity. Using his powers, he tries to halt the operations of
The Samaritan App, an innovation used to fight corruption and other vices in Maracas Municipality. He
tries intimidate Ms. Narine, the Principal, and Ms. Nicole the Ethics and Innovations teacher at Sagrada
Secondary School. In the past, he has been forced by Seymour to misallocate public money to fund
unnecessary demands like sitting allowances for useless committee meetings. He is also responsible for
the municipal capture; the worst form of corruption and abuse of office. His private interests determine
the direction of public policy. He asks Mr. Harvester to use public funds to buy all newspapers that portray
the Municipal leaders in bad light and to organize daily press conferences to clear their names and save
their skin. Apart from that, he runs a gang of riotous youth known as the Red Eagle Gang. He admits
stealing public resources when he alludes to a loaf bread meant for the people from which he takes three
slices for himself. Although the buck stops with him, he points fingers at other leaders like Ramdaye and
Seymour, completely refusing to admit blame. He is only keen on protecting his political career. Under his
watch, the citizens suffer a den of leaders who participate in corruption, murder, stealing, dishonesty and
sexual perversion. Electing such leaders is a sure way to end up in the quagmire of agony.
In conclusion, citizens who want their region to develop with expediency must elect honourable leaders of
integrity. Supporting inept leaders who only care about their own interests results in agony for the citizens.
Immoral people try to hide their misdeeds but when the truth comes out, they face the consequences of
their actions. Making reference to John Lara's The Samaritan, write an essay to support this statement.
Some people are dishonest or unethical. They go to great lengths to conceal their immorality or wicked
deeds. Inevitably, the truth comes out and they pay for their sins. Characters like Mossi, Jaden and Bembe
in The Samaritan learn this the hard way.
Mossi tries to conceal his immoral acts but when the truth is revealed, he faces the consequences. Mossi is
exposed for being corrupt. He is accused of municipal capture - the worst form of corruption and abuse of
office(P38). He is also accused of inflating the cost of projects and presiding over shoddy municipal
projects(P62). He fails to call his municipal secretaries to order and rebuke them despite having
information about the corrupt and inept leaders. He admits that he has some skeletons in the closet and
he goes to great lengths to keep these misdeeds a secret (P29). First, he refuses to launch the Samaritan
app claiming it may have far-reaching implications (P15,23). He orders Ms. Nicole to write to the ministry
officials expressing his reservations about the Samaritan app. He also threatens the principal Ms. Narine.
This is because the aim of the Samaritan App is to promote the public good by exposing corruption and
other vices in the municipality and agitating for the prosecution of the culprits(P23). Secondly, he
convenes an urgent meeting to try and avert the adverse effects of the exposure. He orders Mr. Harvester
to buy all the newspapers in an effort to conceal his misdeeds. The headlines of the newspapers such as
‘The Caribbean Watch', ‘The Sentinel’ and ‘The Spotlight’ are extremely damaging for him and the other
leaders. He supports Bembe's idea of banning the Samaritan app and orders Harvester to issue a circular
to that effect (P27-28). Mossi wants computer experts to hack and mess up the app. He calls for a meeting
of his dependable allies and asks Harvester to prepare a comprehensive press statement to counter the
allegations against them(P43). He intends to hold a press conference daily. The mayor visits Ms Nicole and
admits his mistakes and begs her to help her by eliminating incriminating information about him from the
app. He even offers her and the innovators, Alvita and Montano, a bribe. Nicole declines(P60-61). When his
remorseful approach fails, he orders Nicole to delete all negative posts about him from the app, trying to
conceal his wrongdoing (P73). He later on apologizes to Nicole and even offers her a post at the municipal
council. He shakes her hand vigorously when he mistakenly thinks that she had accepted the offer. The
truth about his unethical deeds is, however, all over the app and mainstream media. Mossi tries to hide
behind Nicole when he and others are accosted by Tajo, the National Anti-corruption Investigation Bureau
boss. He is arrested and cuffed and escorted to the National Anti-corruption Investigation Bureau
headquarters. Indeed, no one can escape from the consequences of their actions.
Secondly, Inspector Bembe tries to hide his unscrupulous deals but when the truth comes out he faces the
music. Inspector Bembe has always been very discreet about his private affairs. His face is covered with
an expression of horror when it is revealed that people are demanding for information about the source of
funds he used to build Madingo Golf Club. Mossi reminds him that there is nothing you can do on earth
without someone knowing about it(P26). The secretive policeman is exposed on the Samaritan app and
accused of an array of illegalities including; corruption, drug peddling, violation of human rights and
extortion(P38). ‘The Caribbean Watch’ newspaper reports that his hotel and his home are built on Maracas
University land - which is public land. A lobby group has moved to court to have the land restored to the
university(P40). He is also exposed for gang involvement - being a member of Ghettoboyz. His hotel is
famously known as Motorist Highway Hotel since it was built using proceeds of corruption; bribes from
motorists. His officers collect bribes from the guilty and innocent alike. The police force has been
converted into his own personal outfit(P41). To conceal his immoral deeds, Inspector Bembe suggests that
they threaten some of the reporters(P22) and that they ban The Samaritan app in Maracas Municipality.
He is ready to enforce the law(P27). He then tries to intimidate Nicole by accusing her of stealing the
school generator, being at a scene of a murder, disobeying authorities and being too strong-willed for a
school teacher (P94-95). He then arrests her on trumped up charges while demanding to know where The
Samaritan is hidden. When this fails, he tries to apologize to Nicole as they attempt to lure her with a job
offer(P131). When faced by Tajo, the anti-corruption police boss, he staggers and almost falls as he seeks
cover(P138). He is then arrested and handcuffed. As a diabetic, he is bound to face a rough time in prison
(P99). When evil deeds come to the light, the perpetrators suffer the consequences.
Justice Jaden tries to strategically conceal his dirty deals but he suffers when his secrets are divulged.
Mossi reveals that judges in Maracas municipality are worse than temple robbers. He tells Jaden that they
all have some skeletons in the closet. Jaden thinks of himself as a strategic schemer. He posits that what
matters is not what you do, but how you do it. He claims that you can fly into forbidden territory and get
away with it, provided you do it under the radar(P29). Indeed, he is part of the syndicate just like Mossi
insinuated. A company linked to him - Prime Orchard Farm - was involved in the “rats and other rodents
scandal”. He is a shareholder in the company(P105). He gives biased rulings in favour of Ivy, his mistress,
considering single sourcing for her company as opposed to a competitive bidding and also in favour of
Prime Orchard Farm when the company is sued for being the source of destructive rodents. The farm rears
rats that are released into farms to undermine production of grains in order to increase demand for
imported grain since Prime Orchard Farm is one of the largest importers of corn in the municipality. The
specially trained cats at the farm eat chicken instead of rodents. Jaden also uses his public office to amass
a fortune for himself. He is also corrupt since he takes money from litigants to determine cases in their
favour. When he realizes his evil deeds have been exposed, he beseeches Harvester to organize a
meeting with Mossi, Basdeo and others with the view to saving their skins from their Samaritan app and
concealing their unethical acts. He also plans to apply the principle of double jeopardy, that is initiating
prosecution in order to preempt any legal move against them. He then suggests temporarily halting
activities of the Samaritan app citing intrusion of privacy(P123). To further conceal his misdeeds, he is part
of the schemers offering Nicole a lucrative post in the municipal council. His exposure causes him
immense suffering. He experiences hallucinations when he sees rats and other rodents and catches the
smell of sewer rats, nausea and stomach ulcers. When accosted by Tajo, the National Anti-corruption
Investigations Bureau chief, he crouches under the boardroom table. He is then arrested and cuffed.
Indeed when misdeeds are exposed, the miscreants suffer adversely.
Seymour insists on reallocation of budget items or submission of a supplementary budget in order to use
the money to fight the impending cases against them when his misdeeds are exposed. When his
fraudulent acts are exposed, he suggests that they talk to the people posting on the Samaritan app and
pay them to stop(P24). Companies linked to him are exposed on the Samaritan app and the newspapers
for supplying air to the municipality then bill the municipal council huge sums of money without rendering
any service. He supports Bembe’s idea of banning the Samaritan app, and justifies this by claiming it is a
suspect spy app. He also cites absurd reasons like theft of confidential information like bank details, cyber
bullying and pornography in schools(P27). Seymour suggests that they should rely on Justice Ian Jaden
should the issue escalate to court(P29). In addition to that, he posits that the leaders should talk to Alvita
and Montano(P30) or use money from the municipal council coffers to bribe witnesses as they fight the
cases(P31). In a bid to further hide his wickedness, he proposes that Mossi should allow reallocation of
funds, ostensibly to manage the waste disposal system. In real sense, some of the money would be used
to fight the cases against him. He has been a culprit in such misallocation of funds in the past by
compelling the mayor to irregularly part with funds for regular travel with enhanced allowances,
unnecessary committee meetings and loans and mortgages. He pushes the mayor to the wall in an effort
to compel him to approve the supplementary budget in order to conceal his wrongdoing. Seymour was
once a poor, jigger-infested hoodlum. Now he lives in grandiose villas and mansions, indulges in
sumptuous delicacies in classy hotels and drives swanky state-of-the-art vehicles(P35) thanks to his
corrupt ways. He is behind protracted delays in the issue of building approvals, bribes to get a building
plan, and gang violence with Black Swan gang, selling drugs and ruining the lives of the youth in Maracas
municipality. Eventually he is arrested, cuffed and escorted to the anti-corruption headquarters by Tajo.
He shuffles around Nicole on his feet in confusion. Surely, when ones evil deeds come to the light, they
regret the consequences of their actions.
In conclusion, indeed unethical people attempt to conceal their misdeeds albeit unsuccessfully. Eventually,
they face the music when their sins are exposed.

Selfish leaders create many problems that affect citizens. Making reference to John Lara’s The
Samaritan, write an essay to support this statement.
Many issues facing citizens of Maracas Municipality are a creation of self-seeking leaders. Leaders like
Mossi, Bembe, Jaden, Ramdaye and Seymour lack consideration for the citizens and are only concerned
with their own selfish ambitions. These result in many problems for the citizens.
Mayor Mossi creates many problems for the citizens of Maracas as a result of his selfishness. He selfishly
declines to either award Alvita and Montano, the innovators of the Samaritan app, or launch the app. He
cites far-reaching implications. He orders Ms. Narine and Ms. Nicole to halt any activity regarding the
app(P16). Nicole was to write a letter to the officials expressing the mayor’s reservation about The
Samaritan(P17). The Samaritan had been approved by senior officials at the Ministry of Education and
experienced software engineers(P16). Mossi later misuses his power when he threatens Nicole and
Narine(P19). Mossi is accused of municipal capture which is the worst form of corruption and abuse of
office. He later owns up his mistakes and seeks Nicole’s help(P60). Owing to his selfishness, he wants her
to eliminate some negative information about him on the app. He even offers to bribe Nicole and the
kids(P61). Mossi is also accused of inflating costs of projects and presiding over shoddy municipal
works(P62). Later, he orders Nicole to delete every post that casts him in negative light(P73). When
Ramdaye and others plan to move a vote of no confidence against him, he asks justice Jaden to jail
Basdeo, Ramdaye, Seymour and Ted only because he wants to save his skin. Never mind that earlier on he
did not bother to have them convicted, despite having intel about their wrongdoing, accusing the judges
of being worse than temple robbers(P67). As the overall leader, Nicole notes that the buck stops with
him(P62). Everything Mossi does is motivated by his selfish interest rather than public interest. Thus, the
municipality is rife with problems such as corruption, murder, theft, deceit and sexual perversion(P90).
These problems affect the citizens thanks to Mossi’s avarice. Surely, uncaring leaders create problems
which affect the citizens.
The deputy mayor Ramdaye is a selfish leader who creates a myriad of problems for citizens of Maracas
Municipality. He is the municipal secretary in charge of infrastructure. Under his watch, the citizens have
to make do with terrible roads in the municipality. The council pays a lot of money for the roads but only a
few kilometres of roads are dug up. The contractor pours old black oil and claims the road is tarmacked.
The roads look like abandoned battlefields ruined by detonated bombs and are so terrible that even
tractors get stuck on them(P62). He fuels nepotism since only his companies and those of his relatives win
tenders for construction of roads, constructions of bridges, drains and waterways. They misappropriate
funds and do not do any meaningful work(P63). He also prints fake title deeds and sells ten plots to ten
different unsuspecting people. He swindles many people including Bembe, the Inspector General of police,
to whom he sells grabbed land that belongs to Maracas University. He has ruined the lives of countless
people through his greed(P42). The citizens are adversely affected because of the substandard
infrastructure. Ramdaye is a self-seeking leader since his family is involved in municipal projects and it
does business with the municipal council. Such selfish leaders initiate serious problems that burden the
citizens.
Ted King is also a leader that creates problems that adversely affect the citizens. Ted is the secretary in
charge of health and environment. The healthcare sector in Maracas is in disarray. Hospitals today barely
have any medicine(P9). There are no drugs in hospitals because of theft(P91). He invites bids for
construction of health centres but due to his selfishness, only companies associated with his friends and
family win tenders. Ted steals all the money budgeted for healthcare. He puts up site offices that look like
cowsheds. It is said that he “ate” a whole hospital(P64). People also complained of noise pollution when he
worked as a deejay. Apart from that, he also pirates other people’s music(P65). For his selfish interests, he
tries to whip up racial and class prejudice in a bid to ouster Mayor Mossi. Many problems experienced by
citizens are created by selfish leaders like Ted King.
As a result of Seymour’s selfishness, the plight of citizens of Maracas is aggravated. He is the municipal
secretary in charge of planning and development. There is a public outcry over companies that bill the
municipality huge sums of money without rendering any services. Thus, Seymour is accused of supply of
air(P24). In order to exonerate himself, he proposes that they have a conversation with those posting
damaging information about him on The Samaritan app and they pay them to stop(P24). He selfishly
suggests that they get money from the municipal fund through the reallocation of budget line items. They
can justify the reallocation of funds on the alleged need to address the problem of poor waste disposal
since there is garbage all over the place and the drains are broken, leading to a serious health hazard. In
reality, the public funds would be used to fight off the impending cases against them(P33). In the past, he
has misused public funds through regular travel with enhanced allowances, sitting allowance for
unnecessary committee meetings, loans and mortgages(P34). He insists on approval of a supplementary
budget to selfishly obtain the cash or else they eject the mayor from office(P35). When elected, he was dirt
poor but now he swims in stolen public money(P35). As an incompetent self-seeking secretary of planning
and development, he is behind protracted delays in building approvals in Maracas. One needs to part with
dollars to get building plan approvals. The inspectorate unit under him approves improper buildings
because of corruption(P66). He is also involved in gang violence as the head of the Black Swan gang that
is responsible for shooting, violence and disappearance of people. He also sells narcotics and has ruined
lives of many children who have dropped out of school, become cabbages, roam aimlessly, lost their
minds and even some have died(P67). He was voted in overwhelmingly after bribing voters using drug
money. Indeed, citizens are affected adversely by the selfish actions of self-serving leaders such as
Seymour.
Bembe, the Inspector General of police, is a self-seeking leader and as a result he creates many problems
for the citizens of Maracas Municipality. Ironically, the Inspector General of police is accused of an array of
crimes ranging from corruption, violation of human rights, drug peddling and extortion(p38). His hotel,
Madingo Golf Club, is built on Maracas University land which is public land(P40). Bembe is corrupt since
the hotel was built with money obtained from proceeds of corruption. He has transformed the police force
into his own outfit for collecting bribes from the guilty and innocent alike. His hotel is now known as
Motorists Highway Hotel owing to the fact that his officers collect bribes from motorists every day(P41).
He is also involved in gang violence as a member of Ghettoboyz gang. Together with Mossi, he organized
the senseless chaos and violence, in a bid to avert the vote of no confidence motion against Mossi who
had promised to help him concerning his grabbed land(P45). Bembe also arrests an innocent Ms. Nicole on
baseless trumped up charges of disobeying authorities and stealing the school generator. He alleges her
phone signal was located at the scene of a murder(P94). On his order, two police officers violently arrest
Nicole, cuffing her and dragging her on the floor. All this unnecessary harassment is an effort to conceal
his criminal activities and avoid prosecution and possible conviction. She is later acquitted and released
unconditionally. Lastly, Bembe misuses his power when he assigns a consignment of officers to support
Mossi’s Red Eagle Network to cause violence and chaos in the municipality. They burn mattresses among
other things thus degrading the environment. Surely such selfish leaders like Bembe cause any problems
which affect citizens.
Jaden is the principal judge in Maracas Municipality but many citizens suffer because he is selfish. The
justice system in Maracas is flawed. Ted King insinuates that with enough money, one can easily influence
investigators, lawyers, prosecutors and judges( P33). The courts in Maracas are undependable since they
follow the money more often than they follow justice(P44). The courts cannot prosecute the corrupt inept
leaders since the judges are part of the syndicate. In fact, they are worse than temple robbers!(P67).
Because of selfish leaders like Jaden, Maracas is undergoing destruction because there is no justice in the
law courts(P91). Justice Jaden claims that he does not operate in a vacuum hence his thinking and action
is influenced by the ethos operating in the society(P116). A company linked to him - Prime Orchard Farm -
is linked to the rats and other rodents scandal. He is a shareholder in the company(P105). He sends his
mistress Ivy to Mossi to secure a contract of killing rats and other rodents ravaging rice and cornfields in
the municipality. When members of the municipal council reject the contract and insist on a competitive
bidding, Jaden rules in the favor of Ivy's company, Vertebrae Pest Control, a subsidiary of Prime Orchard
Limited(P106-107). He says single sourcing was permissible in the public interest but in reality, it is only due
to his avarice. His company Prime Orchard Farm, reared rats to undermine the production of corn in order
to increase the demand for imported grains. Prime Orchard Farm is one of the largest importers of corn in
the municipality. When Prime Orchard Farm is sued for being the source of rodents, he rules in favour of
the company claiming that rodents are a normal phenomena. The cats they rear at the farm become wild
and they eat chickens instead of rodents. Jaden also uses his office to amass a fortune for himself. Surely,
selfish leaders like Justice Jaden create an array of problems that affect the citizens.
In conclusion, many of the problems facing citizens are creations of self-serving leaders like Mossi, Bembe
and Ramdaye among others.

People who engage in wrongdoing cannot escape from the consequences of their actions. Write an
essay to support this claim basing your illustrations on John Lara’s The Samaritan.
Some people take part in illegal or dishonest deeds hoping that they will get away with it. Such
misconduct usually leads to serious consequences. Characters like Bembe and Jaden engage in crime but
when their sins are exposed they face repercussions and try as they may, they do not escape the long arm
of the law.
Inspector Bembe takes part in an array of criminal activities including corruption and violation of human
rights among others but eventually he pays for it. When he learns that he has been exposed on The
Samaritan, he suggests that they should threaten some of the journalists(P22). Bembe is an evil man who
is always secretive about his private affairs, so he is shocked to learn that people know about his hotel,
Madingo Golf Club(P28). He suggests that they ban The Samaritan App(P27). He is accused of corruption,
violation of human rights, drug peddling and extortion(P39). This exposé makes him drift into a coma since
he has issues with his blood sugar(P38). ‘The Caribbean Watch' newspaper claims that Bembe’s hotel and
home are built on Maracas University land - which is public land. A lobby group is moving to court to have
the land restored to the university. When Bembe learns of this, he breathes heavily while trembling. He
sunk all his life savings in putting up the hotel and the home, and he is retiring in a few months time. Apart
from that, Bembe is also a member of a shadowy gang - Ghettoboyz - that robs people. His hotel is called
Motorists Highway Hotel since it was built with bribes collected from motorists. He has converted the
municipal police force into a personal outfit for collecting bribes from the innocent and the guilty alike.
Furthermore, he arrests Ms. Nicole on fabricated charges of stealing the school generator and disobeying
authorities(P95,100). He orders his two officers to arrest Nicole. They cuff her and drag her on the floor.
She is, however, released and the case dismissed. Bembe tells Mossi that they are doomed. He prefers to
die than to be a derelict or an inmate. He asks the lord to have mercy on him. He suffers from a runny
stomach. He cannot last a week in prison because he is diabetic. These are his last days, he says(P99).
When she’s arrested, Nicole gets support from touts, hawkers, students, women and men of all walks of
life.(P100.) Later, he apologises to Nicole. Claiming the arrest was a misunderstanding he admits his
mistake and begs for forgiveness (131-132). He is later arrested. Trying to escape the dragnet, he staggers
and almost falls as he struggles to take cover (P138). Clearly, no one can escape from the consequences of
their actions.
Justice Ian Jaden pays for his sins after abusing his office and engaging in a number of unethical acts. He
is a corrupt judge who thought he could get away with his misdeeds for he posits that you can fly into
enemy territory and get away with it provided you do it below the radar. That what matters is not what
you do but how you do it. He thinks that since he is educated and strategic he can beat the system and
escape Scot free(P29). Jaden is unethical since his relatives are involved in doing business with the
municipal council(P69). Jaden’s company, Prime Orchard Farm, is involved in a fraud case dubbed the
‘grain scandal’(P102). He is fraudulently awarded a contract for killing rats and other rodents ravaging rice
and corn fields in the municipality(P106). He gets the contract through single sourcing rather than
competitive bidding. Jaden then rules that given the urgency to safeguard the grains, single sourcing was
permissible in the public interest(P107). He also rules in the favor of prime orchard farm when the
company is sued for being the source of destructive rodents in the municipality(P108). Jaden takes bribes
from litigants to determine cases in their favour and uses his office to amass a fortune for himself. When
he is exposed, he suffers stomach ulcers and hallucinations when he starts seeing huge smelly sewer rats.
He also helped some friends by making biased rulings in their favor as an interested party and he was
given shares in the company as a reward for this illegality. He is now in a dilemma since the mayor is suing
the said company. He suffers a myriad of challenges including seeing rats and other rodents running all
over the place, catching the smell of sewer rats, wanting to throw up, stomach aches and having more
severe ulcers(P116). He organizes a meeting with other leaders hoping to escape the risk of prosecution.
His suggestions about double jeopardy or a temporal ban of the Samaritan app also hit a snag(P123). His
attempt to lure Ms. Nicole with the promise of a plum position as the director general in the municipality is
also futile(P134). He is arrested by Tajo, The anti corruption boss. He tries to crouch under the boardroom
table to avoid arrest(P138). Indeed, no one can escape from the repercussions of their actions.
Mayor Mossi involves himself in dishonest deeds and inevitably faces the ramifications with actions. He is
accused of many crimes including municipal capture - which is the worst form of corruption and abuse of
office, in which his private interests determine the direction of public policy(P39). When he learns that The
Samaritan app could be used to expose the rot in the municipal procurement process, he declines to
launch it claiming that the municipal leaders need time to reflect on the implications of the app(P15). He
even instructs Nicole to write to the officials concerning his reservations(P18) and oders Ms. Nicole and Ms.
Narine to halt any activity concerning the app in a bid to conceal the illegalities the leaders are engaged
in(P16). He convenes meetings with other leaders in an effort to escape the consequences of his
actions(P20). He also asks Harvester to buy all newspapers from all vendors using public funds, since they
contain damaging information about the leaders(P21,41). After a disagreement, Seymour and others want
to move a vote of no confidence in Mossi. Mossi loses consciousness when he learns that he may end up
in the uninhabitable Baneta Express Prison(P38). He also plans to use press conferences to fight the
allegations against him(P43). Mayor Mossi admits taking part in an ethical deeds(P60). However, he tries
to downplay his role in the plunder of public resources when he says that unlike other leaders who gobble
up the loaf meant for the people, he only takes a slice or two or three(P68-69). He wants Nicole to prevail
over the kids who made the Samaritan to eliminate some negative information about him on the app(P60).
The corrupt mayor even has the audacity to offer Nicole and the children a bribe claiming that everybody
needs money(P61). On the issue of development, he is accused of inflating the cost of projects and
overseeing shoddy municipal works. When Nicole refuses to budge, he accuses the people of electing evil
people into public office and later on whining(P71). He also orders Nicole to delete every post that casts
him in negative light on the Samaritan App(P73). Mossi tries to lure Nicole with a plum job and promises of
changes in the municipality for example; that public resources will no longer be stolen, justice will be
served and not preserved for the rich, the police will stand with the innocent and not the crooks or
lawbreakers and lawmakers will promote public interests rather than feathering their own nests(P133-134).
Mayor Mossi pays for his immorality when he is arrested by Tajo, the anti-corruption chief. He tries to hide
behind Nicole, when Tajo declares that he was there to escort them to the anti-corruption
headquarters(P138). Indeed, wrongdoers cannot escape the ramifications of their actions.
Hon. Seymour also engages in a number of criminal activities and ultimately faces the consequences of his
actions. He is the municipal secretary in charge of planning and development(P20). He is accused
alongside Hon. Ted of supplying air. Their companies bill the municipal council huge sums of money every
month but they do not render any services. This illegality is exposed on the Samaritan app(P24). Springing
to his feet with clenched fists, Seymour declares that no one can write that kind of stuff about him. In a
trembling voice, he says that those are fake documents and declares war against those behind the
allegations(P25). He suggests that they think creatively about a way to stop the Samaritans App(P27), or
the need to rely on Justice Jaden should the matter escalate to court(P29). He also suggests that they
persuade Alvita and Montano to drop the matter(P30) or simply use public money from the municipal fund
through reallocation of budget line items to fight the cases(P32-33). This money, according to Ted, could
be used to take care of investigators, lawyers prosecutors and judges(P33). Seymour makes it clear that
the money will be used to fight off cases against them, but they can justify the relocation on the ostensible
need to fix the problem of the terrible waste disposal system, which is a serious health hazard(P33). This is
illegal. Seymour was elected as a poor and jigger-infested hoodlum but now he lives like a king in
grandiose villas and drives swanky cars thanks to stealing public money(P35). In the department of
planning and development, he is behind the protracted delays in the issue of building approvals, and one
needs to part with dollars in order to get building plans. They rotten inspectorate unit under him approves
improper buildings as long as you part with dollars(P66). His law degree was printed downtown(P66). He
also leads the murderous Black Swan Gang which is responsible for shootings and violence and
disappearance of people. Seymour takes part in the selling of narcotics and this has ruined the lives of
many people(P67). As a result, his eldest son is always at the rehab, the other one is always inebriated at
the casino and the wife is a perpetual drunk(P70). He faces the consequences of his actions when he is
arrested by Tajo, the head of the Anti-corruption Bureau. He shuffles on his feet in confusion when the
policeman introduces himself. He is handcuffed by uniformed police officers, bundled out and escorted to
the anti-corruption headquarters(P138). Clearly, an ethical people cannot escape from the ramifications of
their misdeeds.
Ramdaye, the deputy mayor, is a leader that takes part in dishonest deeds but eventually pays for his
imprudence. Despite being a leader, Ramdaye is a notorious swindler. He sells Bembe public land that
belongs to Maracas University. That is how he has earned his livelihood for all these years. He has ruined
the lives of countless people through his greed(P42). Only his companies and those of his relatives win
tenders for the road construction, construction of bridges, drains and water courses. They misappropriate
the funds and do a shoddy job(P63). Ramdaye also swindles people by printing ten title deeds for the
same plot and selling it to ten different people(P63). He is a corrupt and dishonest leader since he is bribed
by Ivy in order to keep mum about the rodent gate affair. He is also made a shareholder of Prime Orchard
Limited. Eventually, he faces the consequences of his actions when he is arrested by Tajo, who is in charge
of anti-corruption. Ramdaye shuffles around on his feet in confusion before two uniformed officers
handcuff him and bundle him out of the room. Truly, one cannot escape from the consequences of their
actions.
In conclusion, it is clear to see that when one engages in unethical acts for example corruption, gang
involvement, nepotism etc. they cannot escape punishment. Ultimately, they pay for their sins.

Those who unite only for selfish reasons are bound to fail. Making reference to John Lara’s The
Samaritan, write an essay to support this statement.
Some people only come together for the common purpose of pursuing their selfish interests. Such people
are always unsuccessful in achieving their goal. In The Samaritan, Mossi and other leaders only unite in an
effort save their skins from the exposé on The Samaritan app in order to avoid possible conviction but
their meetings end in disarray and ultimately they fail to achieve their common goal.
Mayor Mossi unites with other key leaders in the municipal administration with the aim of saving their
skins in the wake of damaging revelations about them in the media but this unity proves futile in the long
run. The mayor convenes an urgent meeting when he learns that the leaders had been exposed on the
Samaritan app and newspapers such as “The Insight” whose headline screams: ‘Rot in Maracas Municipal
Council Exposed’(P21). Mossi refused to launch the Samaritan app when he figured out the innovation
may be a problem for the leaders(P23). The app can be used to expose corruption and other vices and
agitate for prosecution of the culprits(P23). The main aim of this unity is to attempt to avert possible
prosecution and conviction. Seymour suggests that they have a conversation with those posting on the
app and pay them to stop(P24). He also suggests that Jaden helps them in case the issue escalates to
court. Mossi insist that they must work together since they all have some skeletons in the closet(P29).
Seymour insists they should mobilize enough money to fight any impending cases(P31). He avers that they
should get their money from the municipal fund and Ted says they can use it to pay investigators, lawyers,
prosecutors, and judges(P33). He says they could justify the reallocation by claiming it would be used to fix
the waste disposal system which poses a health hazard but Mossi dismisses him saying it was against the
law. The meeting degenerates into a spat pitting Mossi against Ted and Seymour. They accuse each other
of several crimes. Seymour and Ted threaten to hound Mossi out of office but he cautions them that he is
“The smoke that thunders”. Eventually, they fail to stop the Samaritan app or the prosecution since they
are arrested in the long run. Clearly, coming together for selfish reasons bears no fruit.
Mossi brings together his dependable allies so that they could agree on the handling of the Samaritan
crisis which had snowballed into a huge nightmare for them (P37) but this unity of convenience proves
futile. Mossi, Bembe and Harvester meets in the Jungle room at the Madingo Golf Club. Each one of them
is accused of many misdeeds and the purpose of their unity is to try and escape the dragnet. Bembe is
accused of countless cases of corruption, violation of human rights, drug peddling and extortion(P38).
Harvester is accused of many crimes of abuse of office including doing letters banning the use of apps and
directing the ICT officer to take steps against suspect apps(P38). On the other hand, Mossi is accused of
many crimes particularly municipal capture which is the worst form of corruption and abuse of office
where private interests determine the direction of public policy(P39). Harvester is also accused of using
public funds to purchase all newspapers following Mossi orders(P40). “The Caribbean Watch” newspaper
alleges that Bembe’s hotel and home are built on Maracas University land and a lobby group is moving to
court to have the land restored back to the university(P40). He is also accused of being a member of
Ghettoboyz gang which robs people. He has further converted the municipal police force into his personal
outfit for collecting bribes and his hotel which is now dubbed ‘Motorists Highway Hotel’ was built with
bribes collected from motorists(P41). This trio convenes for several selfish reasons: Saving Bembe’s land
from his repossession, saving Mossi from being ejected from office through a vote of no confidence, and
escaping retribution following the exposure on the Samaritan app. They plan to arrange for press
conferences to give the impression that the municipal council is running normally(P43). The most
important and urgent problem according to Mossi is dealing with the vote of no confidence in him(P43).
They raise a number of solutions including arresting the sponsors of the motion, stopping the move in
court, mobilizing Mossi’s political base to defeat the motion on the floor, and funding gangs - Red Eagle
Network and Ghettoboyz - and undercover police officers to disrupt the meeting at the municipal
headquarters(P44-47). They plan to deal with the Samaritan by either talking to Ms Nicole or blackmailing
her by accusing her of stealing school property including a computer or a generator(P47). They also plan
to talk to Jaden to jail Ramdaye, Seymour and Ted(P47). They fail terribly. They are unable to stop the
Samaritan, the judge dismisses Nicole’s case and sets her free(P100), Bembe is badly embarrassed when
the fools he sent to steal the generator are unsuccessful in their endeavour, and he has been summoned
to the headquarters in the capital by his bosses. The vote of no confidence is still on as Ramdaye and his
group are regrouping to have a massive rally at Atobold stadium(P101). Also, the Anti-Corruption
Investigation Bureau is on to them(P102). Ultimately, they fail to stop the prosecutions as they are all
arrested. Surely, coming together only for selfish reasons is pointless.
Hon Ramdaye, Hon Seymour and Hon Ted also meet to mobilize the entire municipal council to pass the
no confidence motion against Mayor Mossi(P75). Ramdaye was also in talks with Basdeo who was is to
work with them(P80). The purpose of this unity is to form a coalition for their own selfish reasons and also
to avoid prosecution after being exposed on the Samaritan app. They meet in the Sky Room at the
Madingo golf club. Seymour and Ted are accused of supplying air; there is public outcry over companies
that bill the municipal council huge sums of money every month but do not render any services. These
companies are linked to Seymour and Ted(P24). In order to fight the impending prosecution, Seymour
suggests that through a reallocation of budget line items, they get money from the municipal fund. Ted
says the fund can be used to take care of the investigators, lawyers, prosecutors and judges(P32). They
end up disagreeing with Mossi who accuses them of notoriety over misallocation of funds: from regular
travels with enhanced allowances, sitting allowances of unnecessary committee meetings, to loans, and
mortgages(P34). Seymour and Mossi trade accusations over questionable deeds committed by either of
them. Seymour insists that Mossi approves the supplementary budget or be ejected out of office(P35).
This group is meeting to advance the no confidence motion. Ted is tasked with talking to councillors and
Aldermen to seek their support. Basdeo is interested in forming a coalition with the trio and all members of
the mixed ethnicity. His condition is that when Seymour becomes mayor, he should immediately appoint
him the deputy mayor(P80). The group is planning to have a massive rally on Wednesday at the Atobold
Stadium to rally the people against Mossi. Their alliance is a big failure since Ted is on the phone all night
but gets very little support from the councillors and aldermen (P76). Even after canvassing, his overall
assessment is that the situation is not very good. It is difficult to know which direction the vote would
go(P79). The rally does not take place and they also fail to stop the Samaritan. They are arrested by Tajo,
the head of Anti-Corruption investigations Bureau. They are all handcuffed bundled out and escorted to
the anti-corruption headquarters for questioning. Indeed, uniting for selfish reasons is bound to end up in
failure.
Mossi and Bembe come together with Jaden with a view to fight back against Ramdaye and company
who are trying to remove Mossi from office but this unity is fruitless in the end. Mossi desperately tries to
stop the move to eject him from office. He manages to send his goons from Red Eagle Network to abort a
meeting of the conspirators at the municipal headquarters and plans to use the same method to stop a
rally his enemies are planning(P101). When he leads the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau is also
involved, he posits that Justice Jaden holds the key out of the mess. He intends to use the grain scandal to
make the stiff-necked judge to cooperate(P102). Mossi informs Jaden that he needs him to help him
initiate cases against Ramdaye and his team quickly and secure convictions as soon as possible,
preferably in a day, in order to derail the plan to remove him from office(P103). Bembe adds that the
judiciary is core in dealing with The Samaritan and Mossi is willing to grease Jaden's palm(P104). Jaden is
unwilling to play ball but they force his hand by alluding to the rats and other rodents scandal. They
remind Jaden that he is also in the mess just like they, thanks to The Samaritan. They remind him of how
rats were reared in Prime Orchard Farm and released into corn and rice fields(P105). The idea was to
undermine the domestic production in order to increase demand for imported grains because Prime
Orchard Farm was one of the largest corn importers in Maracas (P107). Mossi blackmails Jaden into an
alliance with them by ordering Bembe to arrest the owners of Prime Orchard Farm(P105). Jaden and his
mistress Ivy own the company as shareholders. Mossi and Bembe will only spare him on condition that he
convicts Ramdaye and Basdeo for the involvement in the grain scandal and he jails Ted and Seymour for
supplying air to the municipal council(P112). All this is a selfish attempt to stop his removal from office and
possible conviction. They fail eventually since as much as Jaden eventually agrees to work with them, their
union bears no fruit since they fail to stop activities of The Samaritan and are arrested by the anti-
corruption boss Tajo. They are handcuffed and manhandled by two uniformed officers accompanying
Tajo(P138). Surely, uniting in pursuit of selfish goals is clearly futile.
Justice Jaden sets up a meeting with Harvester for his own selfish reasons but he fails in the end. He is in
a mess and it concerns The Samaritan(P114). He insists that they must find a way of helping each other
since each of them is in hot soup(P115). Mossi has instructed the municipal council to file cases against
Ramdaye, Seymour, Ted and Basdeo in order to forestall the vote of no confidence(P115). Jaden is in a
dilemma because he is also entangled in the case(P116). He made a biased ruling and was paid using
shares of a company the municipal council is suing. Jaden proposes an alternative dispute resolution. He
says that Mayor Mossi, Basdeo and others come together to talk to one another since none of them is
clean. He suggests that they secure a truce in order to deal with The Samaritan as a united force(P118-119).
The leaders meet at the Chamber of the principal judge for a meeting convened by Jaden purposely to
save their skins from the Samaritan(P120). Each of them is exposed on The Samaritan for engaging in a
number of crimes. The leaders fail to agree on the real problems facing them and most of them give selfish
responses, for example: Mossi says the problem is his impending removal from office, Seymour talks of
Mossi’s refusal to give them municipal funds, Harvester blames the Samaritan, Bembe talks about the
school kids, Basdeo alludes to the skeletons in the closet while Jaden says the problem is the risk of
persecution(P121). The leaders come up with several suggestions in pursuit of redemption for example
double jeopardy, temporal halting of the use of The Samaritan app(P123) and even offering Nicole a
powerful position in the municipality(P125). Jaden is picked to speak to Nicole on their behalf(P127). To
their dismay, their plan is unsuccessful since Nicole declines to take up the position of director
general(P134-137). She says they don’t need new laws, positions, or offices but a change of heart or spirit
among the people and especially the leaders. She blames the leaders for breaking the law and pursuing
the selfish interests at the expense of their people(P137). A commotion ensues when the anti-corruption
chief walks in. Their ploy fails because they cannot not stop The Samaritan despite their best efforts
instead they are arrested and frog marched to the anti-corruption headquarters for questioning. When
people unite for the sole purpose of securing their selfish needs they fail.
In conclusion, coming together for selfish reasons is pointless. The self-seeking leaders come together for
their own selfish reasons but they fail. Despite their endeavour, their chickens come home to roost.

Change can be initiated through the effort of ordinary citizens. Closely referring to Nicole in The
Samaritan by John Lara, write an essay to support this statement.
Some people may come off as normal and not different or special in any way. However, through their
determined attempts such people are capable of bringing change. In John Lara’s The Samaritan, Nicole, a
simple teacher, ignites change in Maracas Municipality when she midwifes the idea of The Samaritan app.
Ms Nicole inspires Alvita and Montano to invent the Samaritan app, an innovation that helps to institute
change in Maracas Municipality. She is the teacher in charge of innovation and a mentor to the two
students(P55). She midwifes the students’ idea and also guides them, in her role as a teacher and a
mentor(P56). Alvita and Montano are to be awarded a prize for creating the winning innovation at the
Secondary Schools’ National Innovation Competition(P1). The official launch is graced by the mayor Mossi-
oa-Tunya, other distinguished leaders, members of the school board, the principal and teachers(P2).
Nicole’s efforts in mentoring the students who invented The Samaritan app is invaluable since the
innovation can be useful in initiating change by protecting the environment. People can provide details of
the location and people involved in illegal activities that degrade the environment by sharing photos and
videos. Officials can then log in and see the reports(P11). The Samaritan can also bring about change by
ensuring proper use of public resources. People can share information about the municipal procurement
process that is what the municipal is procuring, how the tenders are awarded, who wins the tenders et
cetera. This can bring change since the information is pigeonholed with the Crimes and Integrity
Commission(P12). Ordinary people volunteer information that advances public good(P13). Although the
mayor declines to launch The Samaritan, it will still be launched by the president when schools
reopen(P16). The app was assessed by senior officials at the Ministry of Education together with
experienced software engineers and given a clean bill of health(P17). Although it was the brainchild of the
two school children guided by Ms. Nicole, the ethics and innovations teacher, it has been taken over by
the National Information and Communication Technology Corporation(P18). Indeed, the efforts of ordinary
citizens can bring about change.
As a result of Ms Nicole’s effort, the Samaritan app is used by the people to expose the rot in the
municipality and help in prosecution of the culprits and this sends the leaders into a panic. People can
share information on the conduct of municipal affairs(P23). It is also used in promoting public good by
exposing corruption and other vices and agitating for the prosecution of the culprits(P23). It has been used
to expose vices such as supply of air, drug trafficking, grabbing public land, inflation of cost of municipal
projects, use of proxies to secure tenders, undertaking shoddy public works, murder and gang warfare.
The information on the people and companies involved is very detailed(P25). The information includes the
culprit’s personal details for example the lifestyles of the individual municipal leaders, where they live and
the properties they own like houses, vehicles and businesses(P26). A lobby group, comprising of lawyers,
called The Samaritans is calling upon people to volunteer as witnesses and helping the prosecution of
those involved in corruption and abuse of office. They are also trying to petition the local government
minister, the prime minister and the chief justice to take action(P26-27). Because of Ms Nicole’s tireless
effort, people have an excellent platform to expose corrupt leaders, leading to their prosecution and
conviction. Surely, change can be instigated through the efforts of ordinary people like Ms Nicole.
Ms Nicole’s effort help the reporters and editors in the mainstream media to gather enough information on
the municipal leaders setting in motion the wheels of change. The focus of the local newspapers is on the
municipal leaders and the stories are extremely damaging(P21-22). Mossi asks Harvester to buy all
newspapers from the vendors as early as possible for it was in their best interest. Newspapers like The
Caribbean Watch, The Seninel, The Insight and The Spotlight all talk about the municipal council as a
criminal enterprise, the leaders being stripped naked, the rot in the municipality and a call for
imprisonment of the leaders. Such headlines have been published every day for the last one month. Ted
wonders if such headlines are unusual, Jaden suggests that they should give the reporters more boxes of
chocolates while Bembe avers that they should threaten some of them. The Samaritan app is the source of
the information in the newspapers(P22). There is a damaging story about Harvester in the newspaper
about the misuse of public funds when Mossi instructed him to buy all newspapers using public funds. The
Sentinel highlights a vicious duel between Mossi and Seymour. The Caribbean Watch has damaging
information about Bembe. They claim his hotel and his home are built on public land, he is a member of
Ghettoboyz, a shadowy gang that robs people, he has converted the municipal police force into his own
personal outfit and he collects bribes from motorists(P40-41). All this information in the mainstream media
is sourced from the Samaritan app. It is through Ms Nicole’s effort that such rot is exposed. Surely, ordinary
people can be agents of change through their tireless endeavor.
Ms Nicole initiates change in Maracas Municipality through her lessons on morality, ethics and the perils of
disobedience at Sagrada Secondary School . She is the ethics and innovation teacher at the school(P3).
She always does what she thinks is rights(P18). Teachers like Ms Nicole try their best to mold the
characters of their learners. They teach them to uphold the moral and civic virtues without which society
can never prosper, be fair, just and peaceful. She teaches them virtues of honesty, truthfulness, generosity,
integrity and transparency. This can help bring change since it is the lack of virtue that is ruining the
society. Teachers also strive to develop virtuous creative thinkers and innovators(P72). She also teaches
the learners to be organized. She tells her learners that everything has to be well-organized and neat since
a disorganized mind cannot plan. She teaches her class about the heart having two spirits - the good and
the bad. The good spirit obeys while the bad spirit disobeys and leads to destruction(P87-88). She
cautions the students about the perils of disobedience. The fall of Jerusalem and the temple were as a
result of the people disobeying the Creator. This happened in the Ancient Near East in 587 BC(P90). The
acts of disobedience in society today include corruption, murder, theft, lies and sexual perversion(P90).
The evil spirit is prevalent in society today and Maracas Municipality is undergoing destruction as a result
of lack of drugs in hospitals because of theft, bribery in the police force and travesty of justice in the law
courts(P91). Ms Nicole asks the students to reject the spirit of the beast and resist all those being
controlled by this spirit since consequences of disobedience are inescapable for both the society and the
individual who disobeys(P91). Ms Nicole’s effort to guide the learners to be morally upright is laudable. This
will help change the behaviour of the citizens of Maracas Municipality. Indeed, efforts of ordinary people
can cause change in the society.
Nicole’s effort jolts the leaders into talking about change in the municipality. Ms Nicole is an ordinary
teacher but she wields massive influence because of her determined effort. Mossi visits her in school and
begs her to help him regarding The Samaritan. Bembe also tries to intimidate her by arresting her on
trumped up charges of stealing the school generator and disobeying authorities. People from all walks of
life including touts and hawkers show up to support Nicole when she is arrested. They were mobilized
through the Samaritan app. Nicole is a force to reckon with since people displayed the solidarity never
before witnessed in Maracas Municipality. Bembe is also summoned by his bosses for this folly. Bembe
and Mossi later visit Nicole and apologise. Nicole rejects Ted’s offer of a golden ring. The leaders now claim
that there is need for drastic change. Ms Nicole says that her role in the new order is that she owes the
municipality and the country is civic duty. She is ready to work with patriotic citizens to enhance
transparency and accountability(P133). Mossi claims that the municipality was going to embrace change
whereby public resources will never be stolen, justice will be served, police will stand with the innocent
and law makers will promote public interest(P133-134). Due to Nicole’s influence, she is offered a new
position as the director general in the municipal council where she will be a consultant with oversight
powers over all the departments in the municipality and will be answerable only to the mayor(P135). Nicole
says that they do not need new offices or positions. She says that the change they desire is the change of
heart and spirit among the people but mostly among the leaders(P135). That is taking responsibility for the
well-being of the municipality and abiding by the laws(P135-136). She blames the leaders for being
interested in personal gains, dipping their fingers into the public till and breaching the law. When the
leaders are arrested, Alvita echoes Nicole’s sentiments that you can never escape from the consequences
of your actions(P138). Surely, an ordinary person’s effort can initiate change in society.
Lastly, Ms Nicole champions for change when she advises her students to ape the Samaritan in the Good
Book by standing up for a cause that can bring a better tomorrow for all of them(P52). When the
Samaritan saw the injured Jew, despite holding a different view on religion and the hostility that existed
between Jews and Samaritans, he treated the man with compassion, dressed his wounds and took him to
a safe place. This is unlike the priest and the Levite who did not stop to help the man. Ms Nicole rightly
posits that the leaders and public officials cannot come to the aid of the people. They are like the priest
and the Levite who ignored the injured Jew. They talk about pursuing public interest but they are not
committed. They are shepherds who have turned against the sheep. Ms Nicole points out that it is up to all
of them, ordinary citizens, without any claim to any office, to be one another’s keepers and to take care of
one another(P51). Ordinary citizens can be there for one another through the Samaritan app which is an
excellent platform(P51). It gives everyone an opportunity to speak out against wrongdoing, share ideas
that would make life better, do the right thing and take responsibility for the progress of the municipality.
She assures Alvita and Montano that the Samaritan will change the course of history and urges them to
strive to improve their lives and not chicken out at every obstacle or threat(P52). Surely, through the
efforts of ordinary people we can witness change.
In conclusion, ordinary people like Nicole can institute change. She inspires others like Alvita, Montano, the
reporters and editors, the hawkers and touts to agitate for change. Although she is a simple teacher, she is
a beacon of change in Maracas Municipality.

Using public funds to enrich oneself cannot bring true happiness. Write an essay in support of this
statement, citing illustrations from John Lara's The Samaritan.
Some people use money meant to be invested in the public sector to make themselves wealthy or
wealthier. This does not give them the fulfilling or satisfying feeling that comes with true happiness. They
may have the riches but they lack the peace and harmony of body, mind and soul. In The Samaritan by
John Lara, leaders like Ted and Seymour use public funds to enrich themselves but this does not give them
true happiness.
Jaden uses public funds to enrich himself but this does not give him true happiness. Justice Ian Jaden is
the principal judge in Maracas Municipality. He has countless mistresses and relatives doing business with
the municipal council(P69). Together with his mistress Ivy, he is involved in the grain scandal. He uses his
position to compel Mossi to award Ivy a contract for killing rats and other rodents ravaging rice and
cornfields in the municipality(P106). His company, Prime Orchard Farm, was rearing rats which were let
loose into the farms. They would then kill and parade some but the whole idea was to undermine domestic
production in order to increase demand for imported grains. Prime Orchard Farm is one of the largest corn
importers in the municipality(P107). To Jaden, using his public office to amass a fortune for himself
seemed a normal thing since everybody else was doing it. Litigants gave him money and he ruled kisses in
their favour. It worked and he accumulated wealth. He looked forward to retiring soon and enjoying the
fruits of his labour. He is like the foolish rich man in the good book who also prepared to retire and enjoy
his wealth(P112). Instead of enjoying, he suffers. He holds his stomach with both hands while bending
down. He suffers from stomach ulcers and hallucinations. Mossi wants him to jail Ramdaye and his team
but this puts Jaden in a dilemma because he helped some friends by making a biased ruling and they paid
him by giving him shares in a company the municipal council is suing. He claims the ethos operating in
society influences his thinking and action as a judge(P116). He does not enjoy true happiness even after
amassing wealth. He has been tormented by the issue of the rodents. He has been seeing rats and other
rodents running all over the place and he has been catching the awful smell of sewer rats which makes
him want to throw up. His stomach aches. His ulcers have since worsened(P117). Justice Jaden crouches
under the boardroom table when accosted by Tajo, the anti-corruption boss(P138). Together with others,
he is handcuffed and bundled out by the police officers(P139). Truly, true happiness cannot be found by
stealing public wealth.
Bembe also uses public funds to make himself wealthy but this does not give him satisfaction or fulfillment.
People are wondering where he got the money to put up Madingo Golf Club. He is shocked when he learns
that people know it belongs to him having kept his private affairs discreet(P26). He says that this is his
worst nightmare. This exposé comes at a time when he had just finished putting up his hotel and is as
broke as a church mouse(P31). He informs Mossi and Harvester about the high likelihood of his untimely
death anytime soon(P38). He found out from The Samaritan that he is accused of corruption, violation of
human rights, drug peddling and extortion. This gives him the willies - a strong feeling of nervous
discomfort - and his blood sugar is not good. At one point he drifted into a coma(P38). His hotel and home
are also built on public land - Maracas University land. A lobby group is moving to court to have it restored
back to the university (P40). With a dreadful expression on his face, Bembe says that that would be a very
unfortunate joke(P40). He breathes heavily and trembles. He also gets a little bit hard of hearing. He had
put all his life savings into the hotel and home since he is retiring in a few months’ time(P41). The hotel was
built with bribes collected from motorists. The municipal police force is his personal outfit for collecting
bribes from the guilty and innocent alike. The officers do not enforce law and order. They collect bribes for
Bembe(P41). His foiled attempt to intimidate Nicole puts him in more trouble. She is acquitted but he is
summoned to the capital by his bosses to explain the folly(P100). He tells Mossi that they are doomed. He
prefers to die than be an inmate or a homeless person. His stomach has been running since The Samaritan
came to town. He cannot last a week in prison since he is diabetic(P99). He has run out of ideas and wants
to flee into the mountains, dig a hole and live there(P100). He does not enjoy his ill-gotten wealth since he
is eventually arrested by the anti-corruption police. He staggers and almost falls as he seeks cover but he
is still handcuffed and bundled out like a criminal. Indeed, stealing public wealth causes misery not true
happiness.
Seymour, the secretary in charge of planning and development, uses public funds to enrich himself but
this does not give him true happiness. Mossi calls him a senseless thief. He was elected just the other day
as a poor and jigger-infested hoodlum. Now he is living like a king in grandiose villas and mansions, eating
delicacies in classy hotels and driving state-of-the-art vehicles. He cannot justify his current financial
status. Mossi wonders who doesn’t know that he has stolen the money(P35). Seymour is accused of
supplying air to the municipal council. Their companies bill the municipal council huge sums of money
every month without rendering any services(P24). To cover up, he suggests they get money from the
municipal fund through reallocation of budget line items(P33). They could use the problem of the waste
disposal system which is in a terrible state to justify the reallocation but use the money to fight against the
prosecution(P33). In the past, he has misused public funds through regular travel with enhanced
allowances, sitting allowances for unnecessary committee meetings, loans and mortgages(P34). In his
department of planning and development, one has to part with dollars to get building approval. The
inspectorate unit under him is also riddled with corruption(P66). Seymour does not get true happiness
from his illicitly acquired wealth. His eldest child is always at rehab, the other one is inebriated
permanently at the casino and the wife is total garbage and a perpetual drunk(P70). He is also arrested by
the anti-corruption police. He is handcuffed and bundled out of the room. Surely, ill-gotten wealth can
never be a source of true happiness.
Ted king acquires wealth illegally by stealing public funds but this does not bring him true happiness.
Mossi calls him a senseless thief. Ted is the secretary, Department of Health and environment. He was
elected just the other day as a poor and jigger-infested hoodlum. Now he lives in grandiose villas and
mansions like a king, indulging in delicacies in classy hotels and drives state-of-the-art vehicles. He cannot
justify his financial status. He stole public money(P35). He is accused alongside Seymour of supplying air
to the municipal council. Their companies bill the municipal council huge sums of money without
rendering any service(P24). He supports Seymour’s suggestion of using municipal funds to take care of
investigators, lawyers, prosecutors and judges(P33). He is infamous for forcing Mossi to misuse public
funds for regular travel with enhanced allowances , sitting allowances for unnecessary committee
meetings, loans and mortgages(P34). Despite having stolen a lot of public funds, he cannot raise a
meaningful amount to fight the cases that may be brought up against them(P31). Ted is accused of “eating”
a whole hospital. He ensured his companies and those of his friends won the tenders for bids for
construction of health centres. He stole all the money budgeted for health centres and put up site offices
that looked like cowsheds(P64). Ted is now sickly despite accumulating wealth illegally(P65). When he
offers Nicole a golden ring, she declines and says that she doesn't wear them. This is awkward and
embarrassing (P132). Ted is later arrested by the anti-corruption police. Indeed, stealing public funds to
make one wealthy does not make one truly happy.
Lastly, Mossi also enriches himself using proceeds of corruption but this does not make him truly happy.
Seymour tells Mossi that he will never get away with the crimes committed under his watch. He says that
Mossi knows how much he has stolen(P34). When he learns that people can use the app to share
information about the municipal procurement process, he scratches his head thoughtfully, sips some
water and turns uncertainly towards the school principal and then Harvester. Mossi refuses to launch the
app(P21) and convenes a meeting of key leaders to fight the app instead because the information posted
casts the leaders in bad light(P23). Mossi admits that all the leaders have some skeletons in their
closet(P29). In the past, he has conceded to endless demands of misallocation of public funds ranging
from regular travel with enhanced allowances, sitting allowances for unnecessary committee meetings,
loans and mortgages(P34). He temporarily loses consciousness when he learns that his deputy, Seymour
and Ted are working to bundle him out of office. He fears they will send him to prison. He sees Baneta
Express Prison any time he closes his eyes. He can even smell the revolting stench in the cells though he
has never been there(P33). Mossi is accused of many crimes including municipal capture, which is the
worst form of corruption and abuse of office in which once private interests determine the direction of
public policy. Mossi is forced to own up his mistakes and seek understanding and help from Ms Nicole, a
simple school teacher(P60). He even offers her and the students a bribe in his desperation(P61). Mossi
admits that he steals public wealth when he says that a loaf of bread for the people comes through him
and he takes three slices for himself because he is part of the people(P69). He is also accused of inflating
costs of municipal projects and presiding over shoddy municipal works(P61). He is forced to apologize to
Nicole for treading on her toes(P132). He is also humiliated when she turns down the offer of the
prestigious position of director general in the municipal council(P135). When confronted by the police
officers arresting them, he tries to hide behind Nicole(P138). Clearly, stealing public funds to make one
wealthy does not bring true happiness or satisfaction.
In conclusion, those who steal public funds do not find joy or fulfillment, instead they constantly worry
about how they can protect their ill-gotten wealth.

GUIDED ESSAY WRITING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FROM THE ANTHOLOGY SILENT SONG AND OTHER
STORIES

Question 1: NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Street families are exposed to various challenges owing to the situation they find themselves in,
however with a gesture of compassion, hope is rekindled for their transformation. Validate this assertion
referring to the story Neighbourhood Watch by Remy Ngaminje(Rwanda and Namibia) (20mks)
Introduction
People living on the streets grapple with difficulties but when care and love is shown to them comes
reassurance that they change for the better.
Body/Content Paragraph
The Neighbourhood Watch lack shelter .The gang grudgingly wakes up from the concrete bridge
underside which is all they call home. All the valuables they possess are stashed away in a nook
under the concrete abutment of the bridge. Their valuables include a can from which they scoop
water to sprinkle their faces, their blankets and pieces of cardboard just to mention. The bridge’s
underside is a precious real estate for when it rains it remains dry and in winter it wards off some of
the cold. The Neighbourhood Watch defends this precious real estate against any rival gang. Much
as the Neighbourhood Watch gang is exposed to threats owing to lack of a meaningful shelter, they
look to Sundays, to Mrs. Bezuidenhout at Eros Suburb. She minds them with compassionate care.
She hands them a plastic bag, cans of beans, peas, bananas. She gave them the pair of scissors and
the mirror. In winter, old clothes, jerseys, blankets, old books to burn and rosaries. Due to her caring
nature, the Neighbourhood Watch gang are touched and always look forward to Sundays when
they visit her home. This shows the Neighbourhood Watch abandoning their street way of life of
only dwelling on the present and not caring about the future. Mrs Bezuidenhout has thus made the
gang hopeful, like us looking forward to a future.
The Neighbourhood Watch gang exists in dire lack of necessities such as water and food. As they
wake up in the morning, a series of yawns serve as the only ‘breakfast’ they afford. Then a small can
of water goes around for members to scoop a handful to sprinkle their faces. So little is the water
that by the time the can reaches Martin, the newest and youngest member of the gang little is left.
This situation of lack of basic necessities seems serious to say the least. Hope for change however
comes with Sundays when the Neighbourhood Watch gang visits Eros Suburb at the home of Mrs
Bezuidenhout. The gesture of compassion she shows them is far-reaching. Her heart for their well-
being is seemingly greater than what she affords to give them and as such they are touched.
Lazarus, a non-believer says Mrs Bezuidenhout is worth praying for and to. When she sees them she
asks them how they are. Apart from giving them whatever she can, she asks them if they need
anything else. The touch of care and compassion is readily felt by the neighbourhood Watch gang.
They are not just a gang anymore but humans with feelings and aspirations.

Street families are also faced by poor health. Elias has a racking cough. He pulls the mucus through
the back of his mouth and arcs a dollop away where it lands with a plop. The cough becomes worse
 each day. He soldiers on with life despite his poor health. The street life does not allow for the luxury
to think about treatment. Elias explained to Silas that he does not ask for more favours than she can
offer them because she took from them more than she gave. ‘She gives and she gives and we take
and we take…gives something from her home to us and takes some of the street away from us.
The street girls are subjected to sexual molestation. Sometimes, guards want a bribe when they
know the bins have high yields: when Elias has the money he pays; but when he doesn’t and they
really need food; Omagano (the lady member) goes behind a dumpster with a guard and does ‘what
needs to be done.’ However, when in Eros suburb on Sunday, the Neighbourhood Watch at last
endeavour to leave Mrs. Bezuidenhout’s street for last, eager for her kindness, afraid of the day she
will no longer be around to give, when they will still need to take and take…they henceforth start
thinking of the day that is tomorrow.
In conclusion despite the myriad tribulations that the street families grapple with daily, there is
reassurance for their changing for better.

Expectation of the question and how it has been met

The question demanded from the candidates to reach an apt interpretation of its entire body. This
understanding is demonstrated at the initial paragraph. This initial paragraph is called the introduction.
Candidates are reminded categorically never to rewrite the key words of the question. Instead, let
them(candidates) undertake to work out synonyms of the key words. The candidate may also choose to
paraphrase the question. The paraphrase will largely dwell on the key words. These are the words that
bear the central message of the question. The question will collapse if the key words are not appropriately
interpreted and the demonstration of the same authentically captured in the introduction.

Body or Content Paragraph

It is in these that the candidate is supposed to validate or justify the question by way of making a
constructive and convincing argument. It is not the mere size of the body or content paragraph that
counts. It is the manner in which the paragraph has been developed. The subtle requirements of various
sub-components of the body or content paragraphs are important. These sub-components include: Topic
sentence/Happenstance-This is the opening sentence of every paragraph which addresses itself
appropriately to the question. It is the initial step by the candidate to answer the question. The topic
sentence will be followed by the Background information. It is here that the candidate is expected to bring
forth the salient information relating to clarifying the character(s) involved. Who the character(s) is and
how they relate to other character(s) will be crucial. As well, the actions and reactions of the character(s)
will be significant. This will involve what the character does and what becomes of that character in relation
to other characters. In a nutshell, the character(s) under focus will be related fully to the demand of the
question. The so called textual illustrations will be expected to rise and fall here. The candidate is expected
to uphold absolute diligence and accuracy as they delve deeper into the text to avoid a penalty relating to
textual error. At this level, a fair score will be attained. Textual error will occur if a misleading piece of
information is erroneously related. This will attract a dire penalty on the candidate relegating the
candidate to a score of thin. It is thus crucial that the candidate treads carefully and avoids at all costs
errors related to accuracy of the material text. Apart from the background information, at the tail end of
the body or content paragraph will be the clincher sentence. The clincher sentence, as the name suggests
carries the reinforcement of the main idea of the paragraph that was introduced by the topic sentence.
The clincher sentence will bear the result or outcome in the body or content paragraph. It is simply what
becomes of the character(s) and the situation they find themselves in. Candidates who advance to this
level will attain the full score. Finally, of import is to read the text till the candidate familiarizes themselves
fully with every bit of fact.

QUESTION 2: SINS OF THE FATHERS

Failure to forgive others inflicts pain to society and destroys oneself. In reference to the story sins of
fathers by Charles Mungoshi validate this assertion. (20 marks)
Introduction: When we continue to hold grudge against others we not only end up subjecting them to
anguish but also ruin ourselves.
Body/ content:
At the joint party for Rondo’s and Selina’s children – Yuna, six and Rhoda, five; Mr Rwafa
demonstrates his failure to forgive by targeting members of a different community. He rants on,
dropping all expletives (insults) that intensify tensions and suspicions between his (Mr Rwafa)
community – (bhwu mkwa Nyashanu/ Zezuru karanga-Shona) and Mr Mzamane’s community –
maDviti Ndebele. Mr Rwafa talked of betrayals; of traditional enemies of the people since time
immemorial, enemies of the state, enemies of the clan, enemies of the family, looters and cattle
thieves, personal enemies, enemies of the tribe… he (Rwafa) was terribly hurt by effeminate,
spineless sons of the family who marry into the family of their enemies spoiling the pure blood of the
Rwafa clan. (Paragraph 5; line 1 – 12; pg.39 – 40). Rwafa continues to rattle on, angry and looking
possessed by forces beyond him. He does the unthinkable act of rapping the ground so hard with
his favorite ornamental hard - wood walking stick that it snaps cleanly in two. This display of
extreme anger by Mr. Rwafa goes against the purpose of this party which was to ease tension and
bring about a camaraderie between the two communities – maDzviti – Ndebele, and bhwu mkwa
Nyashanu/Zezuru Karanga (Paragraph 5, lines 1-2, pg.34). (Paragraph 8, lines 7-11, pg.38 – 39. Rwafa
continues to bear memory of the pain of scars than the relief of healing. Rwafa is one bombed out
battlefield of scars and his deepest scar is that he cannot forgive not just his enemies. You. Me.
Anyone. (Paragraph 1, line 1-8, pg. 40) ;(Paragraph 3, lines 7-10, pg. 31). Ultimately, Rwafa chooses to
take his own dear life by shooting himself dead using his own service pistol, thus destroying himself.

Mr. Rwafa’s unforgiving nature is further demonstrated when time for his son to marry comes.
Rondo chooses to court and wed Selina, who comes from a community regarded by Mr Rwafa as
enemies. This simply illustrates Mr Rwafa does not approve of Rondo’s choice of a bride. Rwafa
follows this by deciding to leave the house the moment Selina walks in and further skips the
wedding. Mr Rwafa is thus disappointed as his own desire to see Rondo do what pleases him has
not come to be. (Paragraph 3, line 1-9 pg. 31). Mr. Rwafa- Rondo’s father, had flatly declined to
participate or even contribute to foot the bill. Mr. Rwafa had told Rondo’s mother, ‘who did you say
are wedding?’ and had conveniently left town ‘on state business’ for two weeks. [paragraph 6 lines
4 -7, pg. 34]. The bill for Rondo and Selina’s wedding had thus been footed by Mr. Mzamane -
Selina’s father and Rondo’s mother had helped, dejected and in tears at times, owing to rejection by
Mr. Rwafa to be part. This shows Mr. Rwafa’s unforgiving nature towards members of Selina’s
community (maDzviti – Ndebele). It is because of his unforgiving nature that he would skip his own
son’s wedding on account of Selina – Rondo’s bride being of a different community. Mr. Rwafa’s
hard heart finally drives him to take his own dear life.
On account of suspicion pitting their communities against each other, the two old men, Mr. Rwafa
and Mr. Mzamane can really never be together in harmony despite being in laws. At the joint
birthday party, the two elderly politicians are conspicuous by their keeping as far as possible from
each other. Even between their smiles and loud laughs; there was tension behind them. [paragraph
8, last paragraph, lines 1 - 6, pg. 38 – 39]. On the morning after Mr. Mzamane’s arrival at Rondo’s
home in Borrowdale- Harare for the joint birthday party; Mr. Rwafa surprisingly drove to Rondo’s
home to see Mr Mzamane. Though Rwafa seems cheerful; it is unusual in Rondo’s and Selina’s
house; but more especially in the presence of Basil Mzamane. Selina cannot just believe that this
was just a courtesy call, a friendly gesture towards her father [paragraph 6, lines 1 – 8 pg.34]. Mr
Rwafa is not likely to be cheerful in Rondo and Selina’s house owing to the fact that Selina belongs
to a community Mr Rwafa considers as enemy (maDzviti- Ndebele community). Again, Selina’s
father – Mr Mzamane though a successful businessman and an M.P of a constituency in Northern
Matabeleland, is nevertheless a maDzviti-Ndebele. (Paragraph 6, lines 1 -3, pg. 34). At one point Mr
Rwafa Managed to raise some eyebrows when he referred to Mr Mzamane as ‘the honorable MP’ a
number of people are so moved that they observed a few seconds of silence. This is because, no
one thinks that Mr Rwafa is capable of gently reaching out to his ‘enemy’ owing to community
difference and address him so politely. Even so, the reference – ‘the honorable MP’ directed at Mr
Mzamane by his archrival Mr Rwafa is out of innuendo of sarcasm or irony though an innocent ear
would consider it plain. [paragraph 8, last paragraph, lines 8 – 9, pg. 38 – 39). The concealed
sarcasm/irony indicates presence of tensions between the two in –laws. As they drove out towards
Ruwa, Rondo had wanted to sit alone on the back to give the two elderly men a chance to talk -
‘same age - boys stuff’; but Mr. Mzamane had declined to sit in front with his father (Mr. Rwafa).
[paragraph 6, lines 1 – 4, pg. 35].
Mr. Rwafa’s violent disposition which puts him on the edge to project his violence whenever and
wherever he deems is a display of failure to forgive. As a minister of security, he pursued his duties
so zealously that he had not been able to distinguish party from family. And people had suffered.
Especially Rondo, to the extent that never, throughout his life had he been able to answer any one
of his father’s questions. He had developed a stammer whenever his father asked him questions. His
mother could have told him that lots of people developed a stammer whenever his father asked
them questions [paragraph 7 line 6-11 pg.31-32]. It is his excessive zeal for what he desires to see in
his son, yet not being able to realize it, which makes him (Rwafa) shoot himself on the head, finally.

The climax of failure to forgive is witnessed in the tragedy typical of second street accidents in
which, Mr Basil Mzamane and Rondo’s and Selina’s children; Yuna- six, and Rhoda- five, perish.
Second street accidents, are stage-managed assassinations targeting ‘enemies’, profiled on
community basis. Gaston Shoko, a colleague of Rondo at the Clarion – the city’s daily paper, is an
investigative journalist who has dug deep into the second street accidents’ mystery. The latest of its
(second street accidents) victims are Mr. Basil Mzamane, profiled and ‘smoked out’ because he is
considered an ‘enemy’- MaDzviti – Ndebele [paragraph 2, lines 4 – 5, pg. 40]. Similarly, other
 occupants in Mr. Mzamane’s car – his grandchildren, Yuna- six, and Rhoda- five, are also ‘flushed
out’, for they have the blood of ma Dzviti – Ndebele; much as their father Rondo – Rwafa’s son, is a
bhwu mkwa Nyashanu(Shona).

Conclusion: In conclusion, holding grudges against others causes havoc to communities and oneself.

QUESTION 3: A MAN OF AWESOME POWERS

Despite our initial desire to do good and use the power well in service of humanity, the temptation to
serve our own interests becomes irresistible, often with catastrophic outcomes to others and ourselves. In
light of the story; A man of Awesome Power by Naguib Mahfouz(Egypt), validate this view. (20mks)
Introduction: We may harbor a longing to serve the people as expected with the power we are given but
we face the challenge of being selfish, bringing undesirable results not just to others but as well to
ourselves.
Body/ Content Paragraphs
There is no denying that Tayyib al-Mahdi was a pious man who lived a modest life. He was better
placed to have power by way of divine intervention as he did. He was no longer excited about
anything for he believed his mission in the world had come to an end.(Paragraph 1 line 1-8 pg.1)
When finally he is granted power coutesy of an apparition of a man of radiant appearance, bathed
in light and wrapped in a snow-white robe who came to him in a dream, in a kind tone, telling him:
From this moment onward and for as long as God wills, you shall have the power to tell something,
Be!-and it will be. Do with it what you please.
Even with this pronouncement, Tayyib patiently waits for the recurrence of his dream the following
night and on many nights on end, until he felt there was some secret message hidden within it. Even
after testing the power given to him through mentally demanding that the television switches to the
second channel and the room’s chairs rise in the air, then return to their original places. He would
reform reality with his own hands, but without any acclaim or credit to his name. He reckoned that
he must heed the inner voice that had accompanied throughout his long life, which had occupied
his mind when awake or asleep. (Paragraph 3 line 1-7 pg.2) Tayyib al-Mahdi left the house at the
time he habitually went to the café, his awesome new power enfolded within him and-entrusting
himself to God. Clearly, Tayyib al-Mahdi was predisposed to do good and serve humanity well with
his power for even before setting out of his house for the café, he never forgot to seek God’s
guidance. However, hailing a taxi to take him to the heart of the city, the driver waved his hand at
him in haughty refusal, making Tayyib’s irritation unfolds. (Paragraph 4 line 1-9 pg.2) It is this
irritation that gets the better of Tayyib ending up considering for a moment that he could make the
driver suffer an accident on the road. He remembers his guidance principle: Whoever is granted a
power like mine, must use it only for good. His anger nonetheless got the better of him. He stared at
the taxi’s rear wheels-and both of them exploded suddenly, like a bomb. Tayyib felt that he had
taught the man (the taxi driver) a needed lesson. (Paragraph 5 line 1-4 pg.2) It is clear that in this
case, Tayyib’s desire to do good had been overtaken by his own selfish motives with detrimental
consequences on the taxi driver and Tayyib himself, as he(Tayyib) had disobeyed his guidance
principle.
Tayyib is described to have been a good man, virtuous and one who lived his life as though he bore
on his shoulders the worries of the world and of people everywhere. (Paragraph 4 line 1-2 pg.1, line1-
7 pg.2) He was thus worried by the pains and issues of the world more than anything else and as
such could only use his power to lessen the pain and suffering of the world. He can not be thought
to use his power to inflict pain. Yet in the episode of the bus shelter, Tayyib watched an argument
erupt inside the bus between a woman and a man behind her. The man suddenly slapped the
woman’s face with shocking impulsiveness making Tayyib so startled by the incident, focusing all
his anger at the offending man’s stomach. (Paragraph 5 line 4-6 pg.2, line1-8 pg.3) In this case,
Tayyib comes out to inflict pain, forgetting that two wrongs never make a right. The brute moans
and screams in pain, the bus did not move until he had been carried outside for an ambulance to
fetch him. Much as voices approve of what has happened to the man and Tayyib is satisfied by the
turn of events, certain that he had done his duty in the best manner possible; Tayyib has used his
power not to bring about reconciliation or to resolve the disagreement between the two. He(Taib)
caused havoc. This goes against his guidance principle of only using his power for good.
On his way to the café, Tayyib performed memorable services; he filled a gaping pothole when he
spotted it. He locked an electrical box he found dangerously open and removed a pile of rubbish he
tripped on, as well as draining sewer water which had splashed him flooding an alley. As the
neighbourhood is jolted by this awakening or even an outright renaissance, nothing more follows in
this scheme of doing good for goodness sake. Tayyib’s next action at the café while refreshing his
mind with a cup of coffee entails his chest tightening in fury(anger) at what the radio announcer
was saying. He(Taib) goes ahead to remark selfishly that only sneezing would deter the broadcaster
from speaking and initiates the announcer to sneeze uncontrollably until he could continue no more.
Taib’s selfish nature is revealed when he was intoxicated with a rapture of happiness and victory at
the announcer’s predicament. (Paragraph 4 line1-6 pg.3) Taib, needless to emphasize, had the
capacity to censor the media without necessarily inflicting pain. He further declares, thus: He would
terminate any talk that displeased him by making the speaker sneeze spontaneously, or emit trilling
cries or flee at the onset of uncontrollable diarrhoea…he would be the trusty popular censor of the
dangerous media of mass communication. By this declaration, Taib goes against his initial guidance
principle, taking the glory: He would reform reality with his own hands, but without any acclaim or
credit to his name.
 When Taib al-Mahdi notices Sulayman Bey al-Hamalawi surrounded by slavish devotees and
followers in hypocritical sycophancy inflating him grossly with arrogance and conceit. (Paragraph 5
line 1-5 pg.3; Paragraph 6 line1-3 pg.3; line 1-3 pg.4) Taib successfully commands Sulayman Bey to
go straight to the tax prosecutor’s office to repent and pay up the millions of pounds he owes. When
Sulayman obeys, Tayyib rubbed his hands with glee-tomorrow his victim will be the talk of the
newspapers, which will make an example of him to awaken people’s consciences. It is clear, Taib
looks forward to reap personal glory, militating against his original guidance principle…without any
acclaim or credit to his name.
Seeing that he could not make best use of his power without proper planning and awareness of
need, he obtained guides to the departments of government, factories and private companies and
took them to the tea garden at the zoo to draw up a comprehensive programme for his intervention.
His eye is caught by a beautiful woman approaching to take a seat at the table right next to him.
Gorgeous and enticing, Taib is swept by a surge of delight, his passions aroused. Taib forgets
Himself-Does she have any idea that, in a split-second, he could set her head-over heels at will? Taib
comes out of this scenario having lost his power wrapped in awesome sadness. This episode
demonstrates Taib’s deterioration from doing good to selfish pursuits with catastrophic outcomes.
In Conclusion, the temptation to pursue selfish motives is real and overrides desire to do good.
QUESTIONS 4: NINEMA
In a society bedeviled by human failures, one’s character outlook is essential for success. Validate this
assertion in light of the story: Ninema (20mks)
An individual’s good qualities can attract admiration and love. Citing illustrations from Ninema by Vrenika
Pather, write an essay to support this statement.
Exemplary attributes arouse respect, warm approval and affection. Ninema is a young beautiful woman
whose praiseworthy character makes her the embodiment of magnificence. She is respected and loved by
all and sundry at the marketplace.

First, Ninema is respected because she faces her challenges and wins. She has to wake up at four
o'clock on a Monday morning to reap the herbs from her garden. She is a market gardener. Her
crops are healthy. Ninema has green fingers but she does not know it. She earns her living by selling
her crops at the Indian market. The walk to the market is long(P14). Her life is tough and so is she.
She arranges her dhania and mint neatly and sighs. Although she accepts her lot in life, Ninema is
not resigned to it. She has never had hot running water so she washes her face and feet with cold
water from the outside tap. To take her weekly bath, Ninema boils water on the open fire. She coils
her long black hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. She will wash it on Saturday when she takes
her bath. For now, it is neat and out of the way. Ninema's presence displaces the space around her
and fills it with gravity(P13). Some day, with the money she is saving, she hopes to buy a house of
her own(P15). Despite all these challenges, Ninema dreams of the home that will be hers some day
soon. The house will have hot water. The kitchen will be on the inside. She will have her own large
garden where her herbs will flourish. Maybe, she will start growing some fruit for herself(P16). The
attribute of facing challenges and winning, instead of resigning to them, earns Ninema respect.

Ninema earns lots of admiration because she focuses on earning a living and ignores all other
distractions. Although Ninema is a beautiful woman who makes heads turn as she walks, she does
not take the attention to heart. Ninema’s hips sway from side to side as she moves her body in
rhythm to balance the basket on her head. Her thin chiffon sari dress drapes around her perfect
body effortlessly as if kept in place by her high, firm breasts. She has long, toned arms and a cinched
waist which cause men to stop and stare. When she faces them with her piercing, black eyes they
turn around in embarrassment. The women admire her high cheekbones. Ninema is neither
influenced nor affected by the attention she receives from the men or women. Her concern is with
earning a living. She sets up her stall and arranges her herbs appetizingly. Other lady hawkers chat
with her and each other amiably. Ninema rarely chats back. She has no time to waste. Nobody
minds the fact that Ninema does not pay attention to the trifles. She only focuses on earning a living.
These qualities attract admiration(P13-14).

Ninema has the wisdom of family trading so she has the perception that the first and last customers
are very important. She knows that the first customer opens the business day while the last closes it.
She takes extra care of them for they bring luck. She learned the trade from her mother and father
who passed down this wisdom from generations of family trading. Ninema believes in its grace and
power. She also has good faith in accounting and can count faster than you can say the word ‘herb'
(P14). Mr. Chinran is her first customer and she treats him with respect and appreciation for he is
loyal. At the end of the market day, when a new customer, a last minute buyer drops by, Ninema
gives her an extra bunch of mint for free. The customer is happy and promises to always shop at her
stall for herbs(P15). This wisdom makes Ninema an admirable individual.

Also, Ninema treats all her loyal customers with respect and appreciation. Mr. Chinran is one of the
loyal customers. He often was the first to support Ninema when she opened her stall. The ladies in
the other stalls tease saying he was in love with her. She simply smiled away their silliness. Mr.
Chinran is a rich lawyer from the Brahmin caste while Ninema is a poor girl from a low caste. How
could he be interested in her? It was unthinkable like having a relationship with a white man. This
notwithstanding, the mere sight of Ninema made Mr. Chinran’s day. He is so infatuated with her that
the thought of his mother arranging a marriage for him makes him hot under the collar. Some prying,
jealous wife would take over the herbs buying rounds and deny him the opportunity of seeing
Ninema. His mother complains that he buys too much and this morning he buys even more than
usual. Ninema does not encourage his infatuation with her but since he is a loyal customer he treats
him with respect and appreciation(P14). Although Mr. Chinran is from a prestigious caste, his
fondness of Ninema is proof that someone’s good qualities can endear them to people.

Ninema handles her customers masterfully and this makes them fond of her. This is evident in the
way she handles Mrs. Singh. Ninema refers to her respectfully as auntie. When Ninema tells her that
three bunches of parsley cost six cents, she exclaims that it is too much, expecting her to lower the
price but she does not budge; not for rich Mrs. Singh not for anyone else(P14). Mrs. Singh tries the
ploy on the next herb to get better prices but it is inadequate. Mrs. Singh likes to haggle out of
boredom. She wants a long market day to avoid going back to her large empty house where the
servants do everything including cooking. She bargains in order to interact with Ninema for as long
as possible. Ninema’s skills earn her adoration and loyalty from rich people such as Mrs. Singh(P15).

Ninema earns the love, respect and admiration of the other market women because she is her own
person. She acts independently and confidently. Ninema runs her business with an iron fist. Some
people like her herbs and her manner of doing things and support her. Some are offended
ostensibly because she does not bring down the prizes, she sells only herbs and is not chatty. Really
what they did not like is that she is her own person. She does not give in to what other people
expect of her. This frightened some as much as it thrilled others. The ladies in the other stalls like
Ninema because of this. They look up to her. She is one of them but something about her is different.
The difference draws them to her rather than repulse them. They want to learn her secret because
unlike her they often compromise themselves at work and at home. This makes them angry with
themselves. They admire how Ninema carries herself. Ninema’s qualities of independence and
confidence make her admirable and lovable(P15).

Ninema has a steady flow of customers since she takes personal interest in each of our customers.
At lunch time she eats her packed sandwiches as she works. Her stall is busy. She arranges her
herbs appetizingly and every day she picks up on passing trade. Customers are attracted by the
smell and look of her stall. She has to grow more seed in order to keep up with the demand. She
hopes to have enough to satisfy all her customers since her herbs diminish fast. Business is
flourishing. Most rich people buy herbs from Ninema during their lunch break making this the
busiest time of the day. These are clerical workers and professionals. Although she is busy, Ninema
finds time to take personal interest in each of her customers. She knows whose son is studying to be
a doctor far away in India, whose daughter just got married, who moved in their new home and
where they bought it. Ninema has many customers because she is genuinely interested in their lives.
 Indeed such good qualities attract respect and love(P15).

Lastly, Ninema gets cheers of approval from the other market women for the way she stands up to
the indecent man who assaults her. She hits the man much to the delight of the cheering market
women. The man had approached her and blocked her away. She stared at him straight in the face.
The strange man grinned at her lasciviously, and then suddenly extended his arm and pinched her
erect nipple, hard. He then laughed out loud, turned away in a cocksure stride and told her in a
vulgar tone, “If you liked that, follow me.” After placing her basket down with deliberate care, to
avoid bruising the herbs nestled neatly inside, Ninema follows the man and beats him on the back of
his head with her chumpal. She then hits him all over his face and torso. The astounded man covers
his face with his hands. Ninema only notices that the other market women had been keenly
watching the fight when she hears their jeers, cheers and laughter. The man is too embarrassed and
dumbfounded to react. He is scared that the women could gang up against him. Ninema gives him a
few extra hits on behalf of all the women. He whimpers for she is strong. The women clap and laugh
heartily. Ninema bends gracefully, picks the basket and places it gently on her head and says
goodbye to the other women. Ninema is loved and respected as a result of such attributes(P16).

In conclusion, good attributes or traits are bound to attract affection and admiration from our peers and
other people, regardless of age, financial status or class.

Women grapple with various challenges as they eke out a living focusing on success. Discuss
(20mks)
 Resilience sustains focus leading to success. Justify(20mks

Question 5: A TRULY MARRIED WOMAN

Marriage is an honoured union which both families of the groom and bride partake in, despite the
challenges. (20 mks)
Introduction: A solemnised joining together of groom’s and bride’s family is called for in spite of difficulties.
This is seen in the story Truly Married Woman-by Nicole Abioseh as we encounter in the case of Ajayi and
Ayo.
Body:
The visit by WGCA delegation, coupled with Ayo’s constant protest about Oju’s beating and Mr
Olsen’s pictures during the latter’s visit to Ajayi’s house (Paragraph 5 line 1-9 pg. 45) make Ajayi
solemnize his marriage to Ayo. finds himself on the spot endeavouring to live in honour of the image
he had presented during the visit by WGCA delegation. He toys with the idea about the impression
he had made during the visit and in presence of the chief clerk. It is because of living to their
expectation that compels him to ultimately break the good news to Ayo one evening after a
particularly good meal. Much as Ayo is surprised by Ajayi’s change of attitude, she is nevertheless
excited about the marriage that she has longed for in the last twelve years without success. This
couple ultimately begin planning for their wedding immediately, as they confront various difficulties
and overcome them. One particular outstanding one is the high cost of wedding. This couple adjusts
to this reality by leaving out those requirements which were not necessary, like having to go for the
honeymoon. They settle on what is necessary. The night Ajayi had broken the good news of
marriage to Ayo, the latter forthwith starts to embrace a new order of carrying out herself. When
Ajayi pulls her to him as they lay on bed, she(Ayo) gently objects telling Ajayi that he should wait till
after wedding. They finally solemnise their marriage, with an elaborate process that sees both
Ajayi’s and Ayo’s family involved in. Even Ajayi appreciates that Ayo looks different and more
beautiful.

Marriage is executed by way of elaborate procedures: Ayo’s father had to make Ayo move herself
 and everything she owned back to his house- (Paragraph 1 lines;1-8, pg.46). This marks the onset of
a solemn process that sees the two families- that of Ajayi and that of Ayo face to rather difficult and
demanding process, but which is eventually fulfilling. Some of these tasks are tiresome and full of
botheration. However, Ajayi and Ayo are intensely focused on their mutual target which is
solemnizing their marriage. A day prior to wedding, Ajayi’s family – his uncle and other relations took
a Bible and a ring to Ayo’s father together with other gifts… (Paragraph 10, line 1-5, pg. 46) The next
morning, women of Ayo’s family help her to wash and dress. Her father gave her away at marriage
ceremony in church (Paragraph 9, line 1 – 3, page 47) The marriage is ultimately solemnised.
Everyone having arrived for the ceremony, they go into the house for the European part of the
ceremony. Here, the wedding cake is cut, for this was the most important part of a series of tasks to
be undertaken. Ajayi leaves for his home and returns later for Ayo-the bride, as the custom
demands. On that evening, Ajayi and Ayo are truly married couple. All throughout, Ajayi had been
living alone, often missing his favourite cup of tea during Ayo’s absence. The fulfilment eventually
comes to both Ayo and Ajayi for they are married now. (Paragraph 2 line 1 – 4, pg. 48) They are
happy for they will no longer be worried by cohabitation suspicions, whether at the church or
elsewhere. This reality becomes the beginning of a new life, particularly for Ayo who had desired
the truly married status. For the last twelve years, they have had to face to one torment after
another. A case in point is the condemnation by the priest in church.
Many relatives on Ayo’s side offer pieces of advice to the newlyweds; ‘do not be too friendly with
other women,’’, “because they will steal your husband. Live peaceably... And you Ajayi, remember
that a wife can be just as exciting as a mistress! (Paragraph1, line 1 – 4, Page 48) This is a new dawn
for the couple as they are perceived to be starting anew on their marriage journey. Having finally
sealed the marriage bond, the pieces of advice are timely and necessary. Marriage brings a certain
level of trust and esteem, not just to the wedded couple, but as well to their extended families. This
couple had encountered and overcome a myriad of challenges such as the high cost of wedding but
they never were deterred. It thus should be understood that their happiness that comes with
solemnizing their marriage is timely. Ayo is now a truly married wife, not a mistress- her status for
the last twelve years. She now has a ring of her own and such will never be bothered by having to
borrow it from Omo- the next door neighbour.

Conclusion
 In conclusion, formal sealing of matrimony between couples, witnessed by both their respective
families ensures the esteem, much as they may have faced obstacles.
Expectations of the question and how they should be met
The question demanded the following from the candidate;
Begin with the introduction: The candidate must demonstrate understanding of how marriage
entails the coming together of the two families; both of groom and bride to have it witnessed and
solemnized in a manner that gives honour to it by paraphrasing the key words as here-above
demonstrated.

Body
Body (content) paragraphs: The candidate should strictly answer the question in four paragraphs. Each
paragraph should identify the acts of marriage that were captured in various episodes in the story- (topic
sentence). This should be followed by background information of these acts of marriage. The candidate
can then proceed to realign the textual evidences to the body of the question through illustrating the
salient marriage processes that Ajayi and Ayo undertake enroute to solemnizing their matrimony. Finally,
the result/outcome of these actions must also be given in order to score full marks. Analysis and synthesis
are skills which will enable the candidate to score, not mere listing. These skills come into display
depending on how the candidate relates textual evidences to the question. The facts as evidentially
available in the text must be accurately brought out. The candidate must be as factual and as accurate as
possible to avoid the penalty called textual error. The candidate must thus exercise caution as he/she
explores the text as they endeavor to be relevant to the intended response. The body of the question is
therefore critically important. It thus requires of the teacher to have prepared the candidates well by
exposing the candidates to infinite possibilities of questions with regard to a particular text. As a good
practice, the arguments in each paragraph should be linked to the body of the question accurately by
giving moral lesson in each paragraph. The following examples illustrate further.
Conclusion: Here, the learner is expected to end the essay with a brief paragraph that summarizes the
successful matrimonial procedures as discussed in the body. Remembering to start with the phrase "In
conclusion…” The learner can opt to use a summary of the moral lesson from the question. Paramount is
the need to keep conclusion brief.

QUESTION 6: IVORY BANGLES

Obsession with love and the ultimate failure to tamper it with rationality could lead to regret. In reference
to the story Ivory Bangles by Eric Ng’maryo(Tanzania), justify the validity of this statement (20mks)
Introduction: When couples prioritise affection among themselves more than anything else and do not
become rational in handling it, then sorrow may result.
Till old age, the wife to the Chief’s councilor has never been molested by the husband. The pebbles
said the spirits were jealous of a happy wife, a woman unmolested by her husband until old age,
until she was called ‘grandmother; the old man- the Chief’s councilor immediately knew it was his
wife; and wondered what he could do to avert this (paragraph 2, line 4-7, pg. 21-22) The old man
readily says: ‘they can be appeased in another manner. I will give any number of goats. [Paragraph 3
line 1 pg. 22] He cannot imagine how he has to be set to beat his wife. This shows how much he
loves her. This love by the chief’s councillor to his wife is requited by his wife in an unreasonable
way when she fails to promptly leave for her brother’s place the following morning, as the husband
left for work. She first goes to the market to buy food which she carefully prepares for the husband.
It is this decision that makes her delay, exposing her to the fatal elephant attack.

Even as he walks home from the seer; it is his legs which take him to his house and its compound
and the surrounding banana grove; but his mind wandered. Clearly he is disturbed by demands of
the seer due to love for his wife. Even when he steps out of the path to relieve himself, only a small
trickle came out… [paragraph 1, line 1-3, pg. 21]. The walk back home by the chief’s councillor shows
him to be a man in anguish. This anguish is caused by the demand of the spirits as communicated
by the pebbles and read by the seer. It becomes clear that the chief’s councillor can never come to
terms with molesting his beloved wife. In a bid to requite her husband’s love for her, the woman fails
to tamper her indulgences with reason. The agreement was, she was to leave back to her brother’s
home early enough as her husband was to go to work. She however overindulges and thus fails to
leave totally, always claiming there is still more time. Even after coming from the market, she still
preoccupied herself with cooking for the husband, something that was totally uncalled for, not
realizing that she had an urgent duty to transact. It is therefore this failure to be reasonable by the
woman that finally exposes her to the marauding elephants, thus encountering her terrible death.

As he arrives home; his wife comes and unstraps his leather sandals and leads him behind the house
to the lean to; bathes him and rubs him with sharp-smelling unguent, till his taut back and shoulder
muscles relax. [paragraph 1, lines 1-3, pg. 22]. This by itself is a gesture of love shown by the wife to
the chief’s councillor. Her eventual death is as a result of overreaching herself. On this fateful day,
the woman, instead of leaving to her brother’s place, preoccupied herself with hoeing the weedy
part of the banana grove. It is clearly her delay, failure to act promptly that causes her dear life.

The wife is elderly though the old man refers to her as ‘Girl’. He tells her ‘Girl’, I have something I
heard today ‘to which the wife responds; ‘well talk about it after the meal.’ This is an affectionate
conversation. [paragraph 2; lines 1-2, pg. 22]. - the reference ‘girl’ is quite affectionate; knowing well
that she is a grandmother. The evening meal is one of its own. The man eats slowly, savoring hidden
nuances of tastes and smell in the pottage made of mashed greens bananas and finely shredded
meat and stock and vegetables and herbs and – the touch of her hand. ‘you cook, you woman,’ was
all he could say. Love and affection is shown by the woman by her elaborate preparation of
delicious meal, her being beside her husband while he eats and the touch of her hand upon her
husband. The woman in requiting her husband’s love develops a tendency of not being reasonable.
Instead of engaging the husband about what he came across at the seer’s place, she first chooses
to procrastinate, saying they will discuss the matter after the meal. It is this tendency to delay doing
important things that eventually caused her precious life. Despite having had an agreement to leave
for her parents’ home now under the charge of the brother, she concerns herself with going to the
market and other inconsequential duties. The angry elephant eventually tramples her dead.

The love and affection between this couple is also shown by the fact that they have kept together
against all pestering; the Chiefs councillor was much respected; but also much talked about
because he had only one wife yet a councilor was a ‘small Chief’ and whoever heard of a Chief with
one wife? (Paragraph 5 line 5- 6 pg. 22). When the ageing Chief told the man to get himself another
wife shortly after being made councillor as a reward for bravery in the battle, the chief’s councillor
responds by a long riddle… ‘a wife, a co wife -a witchcraft and death (Paragraph 1; line 1-3, pg. 23)
This shows the determination by the man to keep his love for his wife, no matter what. In requiting
this love, the wife is inconsiderate as she ignores all important cautions to go overboard in pleasing
the husband. She fails to leave for her parents’ home the following morning, instead preoccupying
herself with unnecessary duties, always claiming that it was still early. The ill-fated tragedy
ultimately finds her.
The ‘girl was remarkable in her twenty- four ivory bangles she wore which clanked like many
castanets. Eight in either hand and four heavy ones in each leg. The ones on her hands are etched
with mnemonic marks for a long love poem. Bangles were presented when their first born child, now
 their only son was given a name. she had looked comely,’. The woman is lovingly bedecked with the
ivory bangles- a show of love and how he cherished her. [paragraph 2 lines 1-12, pg. 23] There is no
denying it that there is intensive love and affection between this couple. Bedecking his beloved wife
with the ivory bangles carved out of the elephant’s tusk was a duty he so lovingly cherished. He did
confess to the chief so, even offered a present of one tusk to the chief. The woman unreasonably
requites this love by exploiting every opportunity to dedicate herself more to the husband. This
unfortunately comes with fatal consequences when the elephant suddenly attacks her in her
banana grove, while weeding. She ought to have left to her parents’ home long time back, as they
had agreed.
In conclusion, regret occurs when affection between coupes is not tampered with reason.

QUESTION 7: INCIDENT IN THE PARK

Hawkers are subjected to dehumanizing conditions owing to insensitivity of society. Referring to
Incident in the Park by Meja Mwangi, justify this assertion.
Introduction: Small scale traders bear the brunt of injustice due to uncaring social nature.
Body/content paragraphs
The law enforcement officers- the city constables are inhuman. As the fruit peddler resumes
hawking after lunch break; he is accosted by two city constables demanding to see his license and
identification papers. Unfortunately, he has none of these which make the constables put him under
arrest i.e. holding him by his worn out coat and frog matching him to the direction of the city from
the park telling him that he will explain himself to the judge. Scared stiff and desperate for options
the fruit peddler pleads for mercy from the constables. These pleas fall on deaf ears as the
constables are unfeeling and cannot consider granting his much needed freedom. the constables
display cruelty and insensitivity as they remain unmoved by all desperate pleadings of the fruit seller.
He offers to part with five shillings which is turned down and later offers to part with ten shillings
which is also rejected. With no option left and facing a bleak future of being arraigned before the
insensitive city judge who had fined him, he breaks loose from the hold of the city constable only to
end up dead in the hands of inconsiderate mob that had mistaken him for a fleeing thief.
(Paragraph 8 line 1 pg.11)

The judge is characterized as unfair or downright harsh. When the constables insist on taking the
fruit vendor to court, the elderly fruit seller sobs. He lacks both license and identity card. He swears
on his mother's name. He already has a case pending before the judge and does not want to appear
before the same judge. He fears the judge may hang him. He is selling the fruits to pay the fine that
was previously imposed on him. He pleads with city constables even referring to them as brothers.
The plea about his wife and children goes unheeded. In desperation, he tries to bribe the city
constables but fails. (Paragraph 10 line 2-4 pg.11). The hawker says of the judge; the man will surely
have me castrated this this time. You know the way that judge is a tyrant…’ (Paragraph 10 line 2-4
pg.11). The judge who should be the pillar of justice is a tyrant. This could only mean the judge has
no mercy for the struggling poor hawker and his ilk.

The city's vicious residents are painted as insensitive people who have no regard for human life. The
fruit merchant decides to flee after learning that the city constables are determined to take him to
court. He leaps, breaking free, leaving the constable clutching a sliver of his torn coat. He sprints
through the park. The constable yells for assistance. As the fleeing fruit vendor puts a couple of
hundred between himself and the city constable he was certain he could find a sanctuary in the
crowded city, however this was not to be. The heinous city people lunge at him, attempting to
capture him. The old man is frantic to get away. The frenzied mob stones him to death as he
 stumbles and falls into a ditch. He begs for mercy as he cries out. The violent mob abandons him for
dead, looking like a broken twisted rag doll, covered in stones and a thick red blood. The
insensitivity of the city dwellers is chilling, their having mistaken the fleeing fruit hawker for a thief
when he was not and even the city constable did not mention him as one is quite baffling. The much
the city constables asked for was to shout for help from passers – by not raising alarm that the
fleeing hawker was a thief. (Paragraph 18 line 1-6 pg.11)

Finally, the injustice seen after the innocent fruit seller was killed is the pinnacle of violence and
callousness. The constable is attempting to deflect blame. Nobody seemed to be guilty enough. The
constables conveniently leave. A police inspector confirms the man's death. The throng that stoned
him and others who witnessed his heinous murder avert their gaze. Unwilling to testify openly,
some of the culprits return to their offices indifferently. The word 'thief' slips from mouth to mouth
surreptitiously. They incorrectly label the dead fruit hawker as a desperate thief. They judge him
based on his identifiable trade outfit - ripped clothes and a cruel hungry expression. Even the police
inspector is concerned and skeptical of the next plan of action. Everyone agrees that a thief is a thief.
One vicious unwritten code governs the fate of apprehended thieves in the twisted garbage-strewn
dark passageways. Justice, fairly quickly and completely administered, the crowd broke, dispersing
their various ways: the office workers in government offices rushed faster back up the hill. Most of
the idlers stayed behind to watch turn of events to their logical conclusion. The regular park
loungers whom the narrator is amongst were guilty as they drifted back to hide from the shame of
killing one of their own. Even in death, the impoverished hawker receives no justice for he can only
be identified in a mortuary by his bereaved wife and children. (Paragraph 1 line 1-7 pg.12);
(Paragraph 2 line 1pg.12); (Paragraph 3-line 1- 7 pg.12); (Paragraph 4-line 1- 4 pg.12), (Paragraph 6
line 1- 9 pg.12), (Paragraph 8 line 1 pg.12).
Conclusion: In conclusion, indifferent attitude by members of the city is a cause of untold misery, even
leading to unwarranted death of the struggling individuals.
Expectations of the Question and how they were met
The question demanded of the candidate to demonstrate an understanding of it by relating the
insensitivity or indifference displayed by city people. This is captured in the opening juxtapositions
between the park and the leafy cathedral overlooking the ministerial offices. This insensitivity carries on
ceaselessly as the story unfolds showcasing the hapless idlers in the park with nowhere to go contrasted
with the city’s constantly motioned life. The less fortunate becomes the focus of the story in their diverse
circumstances-hawkers, idlers, loafers, watchers spectating on the lake, just to mention. Insensitivity is
displayed in the manner of the city authority and the well- to –do ignoring the plight of the dehumanized
masses.

QUESTION 8: CHEQUE MATE

The ills that you commit secretly eventually catches up with you. In light of the story Cheque Mate by
Kevin Baldeosingh(Trinidad), justify the validity of this assertion. (20 marks)
Introduction: The criminal acts that Randal had mischievously devised and looped Sukiya into, are
ultimately offset into public domain. Randal had thought that having executed his plans with secrecy, he
would be let off the hook. This however was not to be, thanks to Sukiya’s recording iPhone.

Randal had forged his own signature on his own cheques apparently to protect himself (Paragraph
9 line 1-2 pg.108). Much as he had imagined that he was holding this conversation with Sukiya
within the secrecy of his office, it eventually gets recorded by her iPhone and transmitted to the
email for public awareness. When Sukiya questions Randal why he had forged his own signatures
on the cheques, Randal shrugs off the question saying that he had to protect himself such that the
authorities would not come to implicate him on the basis of the documents ‘I may be held
responsible, ‘but there’ll be nothing to hold me accountable.’ (Paragraph 12 line 1-2 pg.108) Much as
Randal brags about keeping hidden his acts of plunder and escaping scot- free owing to his
falsification of the documents at the company, the secrecy is spilt out there ultimately when his
words trail off the speaker of Sukiya’s iPhone and is exposed to the public. Randal will therefore be
waiting for his fate with courts, guilt all over him, having personally made incriminating outbursts
regarding his own signatures.

The five million dollars US Dollar Cheque which was Sukiya’s fee for keeping her mouth shut about
the methanol deal, eventually comes out in public courtesy of Sukiya’s iPhone recording. (Paragraph
4 line 4 pg.107). the company is ripped off through corrupt deals entered into with a view to giving
kickbacks to a few top managers who are privy to the deals. Randal the chief executive officer
executes a plan that eventually gives the methanol subsidiary of the company to the Chinese at a
throw away price. This ends up benefitting him directly as he pockets millions of US dollars as a
kickback from the Chinese. Sukiya ends up getting a five million US dollars cheques as well as a
kickback from the same deal. It’s the saga that is generated out of Sukiya’s five million cheques that
finally exposes the rot in the company. The genesis of the saga of the five million US dollar cheques
begins at the bank when the teller informs Sukiya of this Cheque amongst others she had presented
for deposit. Owing to its sheer value, this Cheque- the five million US Dollar Cheque has to be
treated in a special way: ‘If you are depositing the Cheque in your savings account, I just have to
contact our treasury department to get exchange rate approval. She gestured with the cheque and
Sukiya almost flinched.’ (Paragraph 4 line 1-5 pg.99-100). The other option was to choose to open a
US savings account. Sukiya chooses to deposit the other seven cheques she had carried alongside
this cheque-the five million US Dollar cheque but recalls back the five million US dollar cheque. She
promises the bank teller that she will consider opening a US account to enable her deposit the
cheque, ‘Okay, put those in my account. I go- Iwill open a US savings account as you advised, but I
don’t have time now. I could come back later?’ The teller reminds her that she will need to provide
the source of funds upon opening the US Dollar account. Disturbed about the cheque, she seeks an
appointment with Randal who to her surprise informs her that this was a fee for keeping her mouth
shut.’ on the books, it’s your fee for the methanol deal, off the books it’s your fee for keeping your
mouth shut about the methanol deal.’ (Paragraph 4 line 1-6 pg.107) This unfortunate revelation is
finally out there, and Randal has exposed himself.

The valuation report for the shares of methanol plant deal undervalued by fifty percent using the
share price Randal told Sukiya- a massive economic sabotage to the public, is eventually out for
public consumption. (Paragraph 6 line 1-2; Paragraph 7 line 1 pg.107). During the Chinese methanol
deal evaluation had to be undertaken, a process that had Sukiya participate in actively being the
company secretary. As it later turns out during the saga, the valuation report indicates the contract
Sukiya drew up undervalued the shares by fifty percent this translates that the methanol subsidiary
of the conglomerate was therefore disposed off to the Chinese investors at a throw away price –
half of its value. This, Sukiya claims was not in her knowledge. A claim that Randal dismisses saying
that Sukiya had gotten into habit of signing documents without reading them properly. Her error of
omission or commission can as such not be a defense. When Sukiya had first been promoted, she
thought that Randal had hired her to close loopholes in the contracts, conveyance and legal
opinions, instead; she got her largest cheques for creating them. The sale of methanol company to
the Chinese government unknown to her had been a corrupt deal having been undervalued by
more than fifty percent. (Paragraph 2 line 5-8 pg.103). Fraud charges will thus have to be preferred
as the deal is already in the public domain.
Massive plunder of the company to benefit top executives, politicians who siphoned out money
from the company under watch of Randall Credo is eventually exposed. Randal tells Sukiya that he
thinks there is going to be a worldwide financial crisis before the year is finished, a situation that
Sukiya might not see because she doesn’t pay attention to the world. Randal stresses that Sukiya
has been moving around the company’s assets for years which end in various parts of the world.
Randal offers a cryptic statement to Sukiya, ‘the universe is collapsing, Sukiya, and its masters
cannot hold, this means that the company will be bankrupt within three months. (Paragraph 6 line 1
 pg.108. The collapse of the company will set in motion, a multitude of activities with the top
managers having to go to court as the collapse of the conglomerate affects every person who holds
a life insurance policy. The conglomerate had a huge public investment as more than a third of the
island’s population had a life insurance policy with the company. Owing to this huge public interest,
the government may hire American forensic auditors and even British QCs (Queens Counsels) i.e.
top notch lawyers from Britain to prosecute the case. This matter will definitely attract huge public
interest.

Under the watch of Randal A. Credo, the Chief Executive Officer; the company had operated under
opaque measures. He(Randal) was a major campaign contributor, and in exchange the company
had gotten several contracts for the construction from politicians. (Paragraph 3 line 8-10 pg.103) The
company also had shares in every major media house on the island. This was to deter any reporter
from looking for scandal there, but even if one did, no editor would let it be published for fear of a
backlash from the advertising department or, worse, their board of directors. It is therefore no
wonder that Randal gets furious at mistakes that expose him to any legal investigation, or even just
public embarrassment. However, the worst fears of Randal are ultimately out there in the public
space-cyberspace, in a way that can no longer be controlled.

In conclusion, crime has no hide-out.

QUESTION 9: GHOSTS
Despite the turmoil of armed conflict, the victims must exercise resilience to find fulfilment in life. In
reference to the story Ghosts by Chimamanda Adichie, validate the truth of this statement. (20mks)
Introduction
War may cause turbulence owing to destruction and losses, however survivors should strive to overcome
in order to find meaning in life again.
Body/ Content Paragraph
Nwoye returned to Nsukka after the Biafran war ended in 1970. They took pride in Biafra which was
indeed their heritage, and could not afford to stay away. Nwoye says; In fact, Ebere and I came back
to Nsukka right after the war, but only for a few days for it was too much for us. (Paragraph 3 line1-
15 pg.61) Nwoye and Ebere’s decisiveness to return to Nsukka-Biafra is an indication of resilience.
Much as the turmoil is heart wrenching due to destructions left in its’ wake, Nwoye and Ebere are
stoic enough to withstand. Destructions had included: Their books having been burnt and left in a
charred pile in the front garden, under the umbrella tree. The lumps of calcified feces in the bathtub
were strewn with pages of Nwoye’s Mathematical Annals, used as toilet paper, crusted smears
blurring the formulas he had studied and taught. As well Ebere’s piano was gone, Nwoye’s
graduation gown, which he had worn to receive his first degree at Ibadan had been used to wipe
something and now lay with ants crawling in and out, their photographs were ripped their frames
broken. The resilient nature of Nwoye and Ebere is displayed at their courage in returning to Nsukka
as soon as the war ends much as they may have chosen to settle on other options choosing not to
come back immediately. Despite the destructions being overwhelming and almost unbearable,
Nwoye and Ebere had the courage to witness it all, leaving for America till 1976 and eventually
coming back finally. They nevertheless left the comfort of America after only six-year stint teaching
at Berkeley courtesy of Nwoye’s black American friend Chuck Bell who had arranged for Nwoye’s
teaching appointment enabling he and Ebere to heal from psychological turmoil of the war. The
landscape of ruins, the blown-out roofs, the houses riddled with holes that Ebere said were rather
like Swiss cheese. Nwoye and Ebere came back to Nsukka finally, a demonstration of resilience.

Survivors keep alive memories of departed loved ones. Nwoye fondly talks about daughter Zik
claimed by war, late wife - Ebere, thus: … he will take a bath and go to bed and, in still darkness of
his room, listen for doors opening and closing. [Paragraph 1, lines 1 – 8, pg. 67]. Nwoye, in his
dialogue with Ikenna Okoro extolls outstanding courage displayed by Christopher Okigbo who
arguably was a colossus in the making. (Paragraph 3 line 1 pg.62). Nwoye describes Okigbo as our
genius, our star, the man whose poetry moved us all, even those of us in sciences who did not
always understand it. He further says, ‘we lost a colossus in the making.’ Nwoye by way of paying
tribute to Okigbo attains reconciliation with the bitter pangs of death which was consequence of a
Biafran war. Nwoye ‘heals’ and this becomes a way of relating to the loss. Nwoye seems relieved
after talking to Ikenna Okoro about Christopher Okigbo’s exploits.
Survivors remains hopeful by avoiding talking about the war. “we hardly talked about the war.
When we did, it was with an implacable vagueness as if what mattered were not that we had
crouched in muddy bunkers during air raids after which we buried corpses with bits of pink on their
charred skin, not that we had eaten cassava peels and watched our children bellies swell from
malnutrition, but that we had survived.” It was a tacit agreement among survivors of Biafra to keep
hope alive. Nwoye’s child born after the war is named Nkiru - what is ahead is better. [Paragraph 5,
lines 1 – 11, pg. 66]. Despite the serious effects that the war had brought, Nwoye and other survivors
of the Biafran war had made an agreement to keep to focus and look ahead for better days.
In a bid to counter the consequences of the war, the survivors demonstrate a greater affinity to
being affectionate. Nwoye says: “Sometimes, I drop by to visit my old friend professor Maduewe. I
take walks across the faded fields of Freedom Square, or along Ikejiani Avenue where the
motorcycles speed past, students perched astride, often come too close to one another as they
avoid potholes. In the rainy season, when I discover a new gully where the rains have eaten at the
land, I feel a flush of accomplishment. I read newspapers, I eat well for my house help Harrison come
five days a week and his onugbu soup is unparalleled. [Paragraph 3, lines 1 – 14, pg. 65]. Professor
James Nwoye has developed fond affection for his houseboy’s cooking and he (Professor)
describes his favourite onugbu’s soup as unparalleled. This development of affection among
survivors among each other for the things they could do well provides a basis for a new relationship
that fosters healing from ravages of the armed conflict witnessed in the past and whose memories
are still lingering. The wanton loss of lives, destruction of property and the inefficient run-down
witnessed in state –owned institution; Nsukka University are stark reminders of the war
consequences. Fond affection developed for life by the survivors is therefore a crucial survival
strategy that pays off. We see Professor Nwoye has moved on; the bitterness is no longer with him.
 This is a depiction of healing-a resilient move by the survivors. Even the fake drugs saga broadcast
on NTA, that Ebere perished from, no longer pains Nwoye. He(Nwoye) confesses he is not offended.
The ‘visit’ by Ebere has had to soften things up. Survivors also track the progress of their family
members. Nwoye says; perhaps the telephone will ring and Nkiru will tell him something about their
grandson and how he is doing at school today, which will make me smile even though I believe
American teachers are not circumspect enough and too easily award an A. If it does not ring soon,
then I will take a bath and go to bed and in the still darkness of my room, listen for the sound of door
opening and closing-an indication of the visit by ‘Ebere’. [Paragraph 1, lines 1 – 8, pg. 67] The
affectionate gesture shown by the survivors is a resilient move, that enable them to reconcile
effectively with the aftermath of Biafran war. Life becomes normal on account of survivors’
resilience to look beyond the war and preoccupy themselves with the normal life happenings. It is
this decisiveness to live normally and see to the brighter side of life that ultimately enables Professor
James Nwoye, the narrator and protagonist to accept life as it is and perhaps start afresh all over
again after the tragedy that was the Biafran war. Much as Zik- Nwoye and Ebere’s daughter falls as
a casualty during the evacuation from Nsukka by the Biafran soldiers also referred to as the Militia,
another child- a daughter is born to the couple while in America and they name her Nkiru-what is
ahead is better, a name symbolizing hope and resilience to focus to the future rather than the dark
past.

In conclusion resilience exhibited by survivors of armed conflict is crucial in giving them a new lease of life,
overcoming the turmoil of the past.

QUESTION 10: SINS OF THE FATHERS

Failure to forgive others inflicts pain to society and destroys oneself. In reference to the story sins of
fathers by Charles Mungoshi validate this assertion. (20 marks)
Introduction: When we continue to hold grudge against others we not only end up subjecting them to
anguish but also ruin ourselves.
Body/ content:
At the joint party for Rondo’s and Selina’s children – Yuna, six and Rhoda, five; Mr Rwafa
demonstrates his failure to forgive by targeting members of a different community. He rants on,
dropping all expletives (insults) that intensify tensions and suspicions between his (Mr Rwafa)
community – (bhwu mkwa Nyashanu/ Zezuru karanga-Shona) and Mr Mzamane’s community –
maDviti Ndebele. Mr Rwafa talked of betrayals; of traditional enemies of the people since time
immemorial, enemies of the state, enemies of the clan, enemies of the family, looters and cattle
thieves, personal enemies, enemies of the tribe… he (Rwafa) was terribly hurt by effeminate,
spineless sons of the family who marry into the family of their enemies spoiling the pure blood of the
Rwafa clan. (Paragraph 5; line 1 – 12; pg.39 – 40). Rwafa continues to rattle on, angry and looking
possessed by forces beyond him. He does the unthinkable act of rapping the ground so hard with
his favorite ornamental hard - wood walking stick that it snaps cleanly in two. This display of
extreme anger by Mr. Rwafa goes against the purpose of this party which was to ease tension and
bring about a camaraderie between the two communities – maDzviti – Ndebele, and bhwu mkwa
Nyashanu/Zezuru Karanga (Paragraph 5, lines 1-2, pg.34). (Paragraph 8, lines 7-11, pg.38 – 39. Rwafa
continues to bear memory of the pain of scars than the relief of healing. Rwafa is one bombed out
battlefield of scars and his deepest scar is that he cannot forgive not just his enemies. You. Me.
Anyone. (Paragraph 1, line 1-8, pg. 40) ;(Paragraph 3, lines 7-10, pg. 31). Ultimately, Rwafa chooses to
take his own dear life by shooting himself dead using his own service pistol, thus destroying himself.

Mr. Rwafa’s unforgiving nature is further demonstrated when time for his son to marry comes.
Rondo chooses to court and wed Selina, who comes from a community regarded by Mr Rwafa as
enemies. This simply illustrates Mr Rwafa does not approve of Rondo’s choice of a bride. Rwafa
follows this by deciding to leave the house the moment Selina walks in and further skips the
wedding. Mr Rwafa is thus disappointed as his own desire to see Rondo do what pleases him has
not come to be. (Paragraph 3, line 1-9 pg. 31). Mr. Rwafa- Rondo’s father, had flatly declined to
participate or even contribute to foot the bill. Mr. Rwafa had told Rondo’s mother, ‘who did you say
are wedding?’ and had conveniently left town ‘on state business’ for two weeks. [paragraph 6 lines
4 -7, pg. 34]. The bill for Rondo and Selina’s wedding had thus been footed by Mr. Mzamane -
Selina’s father and Rondo’s mother had helped, dejected and in tears at times, owing to rejection by
Mr. Rwafa to be part. This shows Mr. Rwafa’s unforgiving nature towards members of Selina’s
community (maDzviti – Ndebele). It is because of his unforgiving nature that he would skip his own
son’s wedding on account of Selina – Rondo’s bride being of a different community. Mr. Rwafa’s
hard heart finally drives him to take his own dear life.
On account of suspicion pitting their communities against each other, the two old men, Mr. Rwafa
and Mr. Mzamane can really never be together in harmony despite being in laws. At the joint
birthday party, the two elderly politicians are conspicuous by their keeping as far as possible from
each other. Even between their smiles and loud laughs; there was tension behind them. [paragraph
8, last paragraph, lines 1 - 6, pg. 38 – 39]. On the morning after Mr. Mzamane’s arrival at Rondo’s
home in Borrowdale- Harare for the joint birthday party; Mr. Rwafa surprisingly drove to Rondo’s
home to see Mr Mzamane. Though Rwafa seems cheerful; it is unusual in Rondo’s and Selina’s
house; but more especially in the presence of Basil Mzamane. Selina cannot just believe that this
was just a courtesy call, a friendly gesture towards her father [paragraph 6, lines 1 – 8 pg.34]. Mr
Rwafa is not likely to be cheerful in Rondo and Selina’s house owing to the fact that Selina belongs
to a community Mr Rwafa considers as enemy (maDzviti- Ndebele community). Again, Selina’s
father – Mr Mzamane though a successful businessman and an M.P of a constituency in Northern
Matabeleland, is nevertheless a maDzviti-Ndebele. (Paragraph 6, lines 1 -3, pg. 34). At one point Mr
Rwafa Managed to raise some eyebrows when he referred to Mr Mzamane as ‘the honorable MP’ a
number of people are so moved that they observed a few seconds of silence. This is because, no
one thinks that Mr Rwafa is capable of gently reaching out to his ‘enemy’ owing to community
difference and address him so politely. Even so, the reference – ‘the honorable MP’ directed at Mr
Mzamane by his archrival Mr Rwafa is out of innuendo of sarcasm or irony though an innocent ear
would consider it plain. [paragraph 8, last paragraph, lines 8 – 9, pg. 38 – 39). The concealed
sarcasm/irony indicates presence of tensions between the two in –laws. As they drove out towards
Ruwa, Rondo had wanted to sit alone on the back to give the two elderly men a chance to talk -
‘same age - boys stuff’; but Mr. Mzamane had declined to sit in front with his father (Mr. Rwafa).
[paragraph 6, lines 1 – 4, pg. 35].

Mr. Rwafa’s violent disposition which puts him on the edge to project his violence whenever and
wherever he deems is a display of failure to forgive. As a minister of security, he pursued his duties
so zealously that he had not been able to distinguish party from family. And people had suffered.
Especially Rondo, to the extent that never, throughout his life had he been able to answer any one
of his father’s questions. He had developed a stammer whenever his father asked him questions. His
mother could have told him that lots of people developed a stammer whenever his father asked
them questions [paragraph 7 line 6-11 pg.31-32]. It is his excessive zeal for what he desires to see in
his son, yet not being able to realize it, which makes him (Rwafa) shoot himself on the head, finally.

The climax of failure to forgive is witnessed in the tragedy typical of second street accidents in
which, Mr Basil Mzamane and Rondo’s and Selina’s children; Yuna- six, and Rhoda- five, perish.
Second street accidents, are stage-managed assassinations targeting ‘enemies’, profiled on
community basis. Gaston Shoko, a colleague of Rondo at the Clarion – the city’s daily paper, is an
 investigative journalist who has dug deep into the second street accidents’ mystery. The latest of its
(second street accidents) victims are Mr. Basil Mzamane, profiled and ‘smoked out’ because he is
considered an ‘enemy’- MaDzviti – Ndebele [paragraph 2, lines 4 – 5, pg. 40]. Similarly, other
occupants in Mr. Mzamane’s car – his grandchildren, Yuna- six, and Rhoda- five, are also ‘flushed
out’, for they have the blood of ma Dzviti – Ndebele; much as their father Rondo – Rwafa’s son, is a
bhwu mkwa Nyashanu(Shona).

Conclusion: In conclusion, holding grudges against others causes havoc to communities and oneself.

Question 12: INCIDENT IN THE PARK

Hawkers are subjected to dehumanizing conditions owing to insensitivity of society. Referring to
Incident in the Park by Meja Mwangi, justify this assertion.
Introduction: Small scale traders bear the brunt of injustice due to uncaring social nature.
Body/content paragraphs
The law enforcement officers- the city constables are inhuman. As the fruit peddler resumes
hawking after lunch break; he is accosted by two city constables demanding to see his license and
identification papers. Unfortunately, he has none of these which make the constables put him under
arrest i.e. holding him by his worn out coat and frog matching him to the direction of the city from
the park telling him that he will explain himself to the judge. Scared stiff and desperate for options
the fruit peddler pleads for mercy from the constables. These pleas fall on deaf ears as the
constables are unfeeling and cannot consider granting his much needed freedom. the constables
display cruelty and insensitivity as they remain unmoved by all desperate pleadings of the fruit seller.
He offers to part with five shillings which is turned down and later offers to part with ten shillings
which is also rejected. With no option left and facing a bleak future of being arraigned before the
insensitive city judge who had fined him, he breaks loose from the hold of the city constable only to
end up dead in the hands of inconsiderate mob that had mistaken him for a fleeing thief.
(Paragraph 8 line 1 pg.11)

The injustice seen after the innocent fruit seller was killed is the pinnacle of violence and callousness.
The constable is attempting to deflect blame. Nobody seemed to be guilty enough. The constables
conveniently leave. A police inspector confirms the man's death. The throng that stoned him and
others who witnessed his heinous murder avert their gaze. Unwilling to testify openly, some of the
culprits return to their offices indifferently. The word 'thief' slips from mouth to mouth surreptitiously.
They incorrectly label the dead fruit hawker as a desperate thief. They judge him based on his
identifiable trade outfit - ripped clothes and a cruel hungry expression. Even the police inspector is
concerned and skeptical of the next plan of action. Everyone agrees that a thief is a thief. One
vicious unwritten code governs the fate of apprehended thieves in the twisted garbage-strewn dark
passageways. Justice, fairly quickly and completely administered, the crowd broke, dispersing their
various ways: the office workers in government offices rushed faster back up the hill. Most of the
idlers stayed behind to watch turn of events to their logical conclusion. The regular park loungers
whom the narrator is amongst were guilty as they drifted back to hide from the shame of killing one
of their own. Even in death, the impoverished hawker receives no justice for he can only be
identified in a mortuary by his bereaved wife and children. (Paragraph 1 line 1-7 pg.12); (Paragraph 2
line 1pg.12); (Paragraph 3-line 1- 7 pg.12); (Paragraph 4-line 1- 4 pg.12), (Paragraph 6 line 1- 9 pg.12),
(Paragraph 8 line 1 pg.12).

The judge comes out as unfair and downright harsh. When the constables insist on taking the fruit
vendor to court, the elderly fruit seller sobs. He lacks both license and identity card. He swears on his
 mother's name. He already has a case pending before the judge and does not want to appear
before the same judge. He fears the judge may hang him. He is selling the fruits to pay the fine that
was previously imposed on him. He pleads with city constables even referring to them as brothers.
The plea about his wife and children goes unheeded. In desperation, he tries to bribe the city
constables but fails. (Paragraph 10 line 2-4 pg.11). The hawker says of the judge; the man will surely
have me castrated this this time. You know the way that judge is a tyrant…’ (Paragraph 10 line 2-4
pg.11). The judge who should be the pillar of justice is a tyrant. This could only mean the judge has
no mercy for the struggling poor hawker and his ilk.

The city's vicious residents are painted as insensitive people who have no regard for human life. The
fruit merchant decides to flee after learning that the city constables are determined to take him to
court. He leaps, breaking free, leaving the constable clutching a sliver of his torn coat. He sprints
through the park. The constable yells for assistance. As the fleeing fruit vendor puts a couple of
hundred between himself and the city constable he was certain he could find a sanctuary in the
crowded city, however this was not to be. The heinous city people lunge at him, attempting to
capture him. The old man is frantic to get away. The frenzied mob stones him to death as he
stumbles and falls into a ditch. He begs for mercy as he cries out. The violent mob abandons him for
dead, looking like a broken twisted rag doll, covered in stones and a thick red blood. The
insensitivity of the city dwellers is chilling, their having mistaken the fleeing fruit hawker for a thief
when he was not and even the city constable did not mention him as one is quite baffling. The much
the city constables asked for was to shout for help from passers – by not raising alarm that the
fleeing hawker was a thief. (Paragraph 18 line 1-6 pg.11)
Conclusion: In conclusion, indifferent attitude by members of the city is a cause of untold misery.
Expectations of the Question and how they were met
Basically, the question demanded of the candidate to demonstrate an understanding of it by relating the
insensitivity displayed by city people. This is captured in the opening juxtapositions between the park and
the leafy cathedral overlooking the ministerial offices. This insensitivity carries on as the story unfolds
showcasing the hapless idlers in the park with nowhere to go contrasted with the city’s constantly
motioned life. The less fortunate becomes the focus of the story in their diverse circumstances-hawkers,
idlers, loafers, just to mention. Insensitivity is displayed in the manner of the city authority and the well- to
–do ignoring the plight of the dehumanized masses.

Introduction: A paraphrase of how hawkers are subjected to dehumanizing conditions owing to the
insensitivity of the society will demonstrates the candidate’s understanding of the question. Key word
synonyms may also be useful. However, the candidate must NOT repeat the question verbatim.
Body (content) paragraphs: Four paragraphs are required here. The candidate should always begin
each paragraph with a topic sentence (situation) which identifies the individuals who show
insensitivity to the hawker. This should be followed by some background information. These are
realized as the candidate relates dehumanization of the fruit peddler at the hand of the public to the
question, bringing out the insensitive action(s) of the public and the circumstances under which
they occur. Finally, the candidate attempting to obtain full marks must provide the outcome/result
of these heinous acts. The outcome connects the paragraph's arguments to the question.

Conclusion: Conclude your essay with a short paragraph summarizing what you mentioned in the
body. Begin with the sentence "In conclusion..." and then provide a summary of the moral lesson
from the question. It can also be a concluding proverb.

Question 13: A TRULY MARRIED WOMAN

Marriage is an honoured union which both families of the groom and bride partake in, despite the
challenges. (20 mks)
Introduction: A solemnised joining together of groom’s and bride’s family is called for in spite of difficulties.
This is seen in the story Truly Married Woman-by Nicole Abioseh as we encounter in the case of Ajayi and
Ayo.
Body:
The visit by WGCA delegation, coupled with Ayo’s constant protest about Oju’s beating and Mr
Olsen’s pictures during the latter’s visit to Ajayi’s house (Paragraph 5 line 1-9 pg. 45) make Ajayi
solemnize his marriage to Ayo. finds himself on the spot endeavouring to live in honour of the image
he had presented during the visit by WGCA delegation. He toys with the idea about the impression
he had made during the visit and in presence of the chief clerk. It is because of living to their
expectation that compels him to ultimately break the good news to Ayo one evening after a
particularly good meal. Much as Ayo is surprised by Ajayi’s change of attitude, she is nevertheless
excited about the marriage that she has longed for in the last twelve years without success. This
couple ultimately begin planning for their wedding immediately, as they confront various difficulties
and overcome them. One particular outstanding one is the high cost of wedding. This couple adjusts
to this reality by leaving out those requirements which were not necessary, like having to go for the
honeymoon. They settle on what is necessary. The night Ajayi had broken the good news of
marriage to Ayo, the latter forthwith starts to embrace a new order of carrying out herself. When
Ajayi pulls her to him as they lay on bed, she(Ayo) gently objects telling Ajayi that he should wait till
after wedding. They finally solemnise their marriage, with an elaborate process that sees both
Ajayi’s and Ayo’s family involved in. Even Ajayi appreciates that Ayo looks different and more
beautiful.

Marriage is executed by way of elaborate procedures: Ayo’s father had to make Ayo move herself
and everything she owned back to his house- (Paragraph 1 lines;1-8, pg.46). This marks the onset of
a solemn process that sees the two families- that of Ajayi and that of Ayo face to rather difficult and
demanding process, but which is eventually fulfilling. Some of these tasks are tiresome and full of
botheration. However, Ajayi and Ayo are intensely focused on their mutual target which is
solemnizing their marriage. A day prior to wedding, Ajayi’s family – his uncle and other relations took
a Bible and a ring to Ayo’s father together with other gifts… (Paragraph 10, line 1-5, pg. 46) The next
morning, women of Ayo’s family help her to wash and dress. Her father gave her away at marriage
ceremony in church (Paragraph 9, line 1 – 3, page 47) The marriage is ultimately solemnised.
 Everyone having arrived for the ceremony, they go into the house for the European part of the
ceremony. Here, the wedding cake is cut, for this was the most important part of a series of tasks to
be undertaken. Ajayi leaves for his home and returns later for Ayo-the bride, as the custom
demands. On that evening, Ajayi and Ayo are truly married couple. All throughout, Ajayi had been
living alone, often missing his favourite cup of tea during Ayo’s absence. The fulfilment eventually
comes to both Ayo and Ajayi for they are married now. (Paragraph 2 line 1 – 4, pg. 48) They are
happy for they will no longer be worried by cohabitation suspicions, whether at the church or
elsewhere. This reality becomes the beginning of a new life, particularly for Ayo who had desired
the truly married status. For the last twelve years, they have had to face to one torment after
another. A case in point is the condemnation by the priest in church.
Many relatives on Ayo’s side offer pieces of advice to the newlyweds; ‘do not be too friendly with
other women,’’, “because they will steal your husband. Live peaceably... And you Ajayi, remember
that a wife can be just as exciting as a mistress! (Paragraph1, line 1 – 4, Page 48) This is a new dawn
for the couple as they are perceived to be starting anew on their marriage journey. Having finally
sealed the marriage bond, the pieces of advice are timely and necessary. Marriage brings a certain
level of trust and esteem, not just to the wedded couple, but as well to their extended families. This
couple had encountered and overcome a myriad of challenges such as the high cost of wedding but
they never were deterred. It thus should be understood that their happiness that comes with
solemnizing their marriage is timely. Ayo is now a truly married wife, not a mistress- her status for
the last twelve years. She now has a ring of her own and such will never be bothered by having to
borrow it from Omo- the next door neighbour.

Conclusion
In conclusion, formal sealing of matrimony between couples, witnessed by both their respective
families ensures the esteem, much as they may have faced obstacles.
Expectations of the question and how they should be met
The question demanded the following from the candidate;
Begin with the introduction: The candidate must demonstrate understanding of how marriage
entails the coming together of the two families; both of groom and bride to have it witnessed and
 solemnized in a manner that gives honour to it by paraphrasing the key words as here-above
demonstrated.

Body
Body (content) paragraphs: The candidate should strictly answer the question in four paragraphs. Each
paragraph should identify the acts of marriage that were captured in various episodes in the story- (topic
sentence). This should be followed by background information of these acts of marriage. The candidate
can then proceed to realign the textual evidences to the body of the question through illustrating the
salient marriage processes that Ajayi and Ayo undertake enroute to solemnizing their matrimony. Finally,
the result/outcome of these actions must also be given in order to score full marks. Analysis and synthesis
are skills which will enable the candidate to score, not mere listing. These skills come into display
depending on how the candidate relates textual evidences to the question. The facts as evidentially
available in the text must be accurately brought out. The candidate must be as factual and as accurate as
possible to avoid the penalty called textual error. The candidate must thus exercise caution as he/she
explores the text as they endeavor to be relevant to the intended response. The body of the question is
therefore critically important. It thus requires of the teacher to have prepared the candidates well by
exposing the candidates to infinite possibilities of questions with regard to a particular text. As a good
practice, the arguments in each paragraph should be linked to the body of the question accurately by
giving moral lesson in each paragraph. The following examples illustrate further.
Conclusion: Here, the learner is expected to end the essay with a brief paragraph that summarizes the
successful matrimonial procedures as discussed in the body. Remembering to start with the phrase "In
conclusion…” The learner can opt to use a summary of the moral lesson from the question. Paramount is
the need to keep conclusion brief.
Question 14: BOYI
Proscribed militia gangs inflict pain on the innocent with children suffering the most. Validate this
assertion with reference to Boyi by Gloria Mwaniga (20mks)
Expectations of the question:
The question demanded the following from the candidate;
Begin with the introduction: The candidate must demonstrate understanding of how proscribed
militia gangs inflict pain on the innocent with children suffering the most by paraphrasing the key
words as exemplified here -below.
Introduction
Unlawful armies can subject people to terror with the children being the greatest losers. In Boyi by Gloria
Mwaniga, the vigilante that was formed with intention of protecting community land from alienation by
strangers mete untold sufferings against the very community it was meant to protect.

Body
Body (content) paragraphs: The candidate should strictly answer the question in four paragraphs. Each
paragraph should identify the acts of pain the militia inflicts on the community (topic sentence). This
should be followed by background information of these heinous acts of violence. The candidate can then
proceed to realign the textual details to the body of the question by illustrating the atrocious actions of the
militia, the characters involved and how the victims react to the mistreatments they are subjected to.
Finally, the result of these actions must also be given in order to score full marks. As a good practice, the
arguments in each paragraph should be linked to the body of the question by giving moral lesson in each
paragraph. The following examples illustrate further.

Mindless profiling of the community- The narrator says, ‘We knew they would come because Baba
had lent a panga and makonge ropes to the government surveyors that day. Boyi’s family is
profiled merely on basis that Baba lent a ‘panga’ and ‘makonge’ to the government land surveyor-
an initiative that was legitimate. The militia indiscriminately attack and reign terror on all families
that they feel had aided the government effort in surveying the land for subdivision. This is done
with ill-intention to harm and instigate unimaginable fear in the name of punishment. Word goes
around the village and the grapevine is awash with the chilling rumour that the militia had a long list
of people who had aided the government exercise to divide our land and give some of it to the
strangers. This information is delivered to the narrator’s family by Baba’s friend Chesober, who
taught at Chepkurkur Primary School. Not only are the government representatives are attacked,
but rather all those who the militia thought had aided the government exercise of surveying and
subdividing the land in one way or another. Militia leader-Matwa Kei arrives to stake out his
senseless demand: ‘mzee, give us the ten thousand shillings’ land protection tax and thirty thousand
shillings’ betrayal tax or today we will show you smoke without fire- The motive of the militia comes
out in this statement. It is to harm, maim and kill. They do this at the slightest ‘provocation’. It is
easier to see the reason why finally there is relief and joy which the villagers heave when finally,
they hear news that Operation Okoa Maisha will be undertaken by a troop of two hundred Armed
Forces men. Desperate for options and dejected beyond words, Baba pushes out Boyi to Matwa Kei
to hold onto him until then that he shall find the money. Shaken to the very core of its essence, this
family doesn’t seem to recover.

Inhuman acts; When Mama is apparently blaming Baba for giving out Boyi; Baba just sat there, his
rage firmly held with his hands. He pulled in his lips to a narrow thread, like a line drawn on his dark
face by a ruler. His voice sank to metallic whisper and he asked Mama what she wanted him to do.
Did not she know that they chopped off the heads of whole families if one didn’t give them money?
Hadn’t she heard of how they carried off fresh heads like trophies and hanged them on trees and
maybe even ate them like Idi Amin? Was she ready for the torture inflicted with, first the slow
chopping off of ears and then feeding of worm filled earth to the victims. The kind of infliction the
militia mete out on their subjects is totally unwarranted and inhuman. One would wonder why they
don’t deal directly with the government officers themselves instead of inflicting untold terror on the
helpless and insecure villagers. It is kin to misdirecting the worst violence on the weakest which
goes along to expose the militia as both inhuman and anti-progress. It is no wonder therefore that
when a troop of government soldiers finally arrive in the village joy and excitement greet them.

Holding the village at a ransom; The narrator says I remember that December like it was yesterday.
The farmers did not clear their shambas for the second planting of the maize crop because the
Militia stole young crops from the field and goats from the pens. Instead of working, women stayed
home while men gathered in small groups under ‘mtaragua’ trees …Who knows what their mission
is anymore? Hear the recruited have to first go back home and kill a close relative so that their
hearts are strong to kill others. (Paragraph 1 line 1-13 pg.95)

Sexual molestations; The villages of Kopsiro, Saromet, Chepyuk and Chelebei all had a thick yellow
fog of fear over them. The fear came because nobody understood the mind of the militia anymore.
One lady said she knew a woman who, because she had sent away all her sons, was ordered by
Matwa Kei to give him her daughter to go cook for the militia. There were stories on how the militia
raped their own blood relatives who ended up giving birth to babies transparent as plastic bags.
That the militia would rape their own blood relatives demonstrate that they are bereft of any
humanity. It even surprising that they take girls to go cook for them for one can imagine what
awaits such vulnerable girls in the hands of terror gang. Sexual molestation of the young and
innocent by militia indicate just how inhuman they had become and serves to give credence to the
necessity to put Matwa Kei and his gang under control. It is no wonder his death is celebrated in the
whole village.

Disruption of Education; The narrator says: I spent my day under the Nandi flame tree with half-
closed eyes, because nobody went to school anymore. Children no longer go to school because the
 militia have taken up the entire region and visited untold terror. The kind of war raging in the region
disrupts schooling. Nothing goes on in the village as there is mass exodus of people to Bungoma
and Uganda as the people flee rag tag militia that unleashes untold terror to all and sundry. The
narrator says how her friend Chemutai had her family move to Chwele. people are fleeing terror to
seek safety. Nobody can imagine going to school when security of everybody is at stake.
Conclusion: Here, the learner is expected to end the essay with a brief paragraph that summarizes
atrocities the militia visited on their victims as discussed in the body. Remembering to start with the
phrase "In conclusion…” The learner can opt to use a summary of the moral lesson from the question.

In conclusion, nothing good can come from armed militia other than destruction to families and
communities.

QUESTION 15: A MAN OF AWESOME POWERS

When someone is given too much power, they can abuse their position. Write an essay in support of this
statement citing illustrations from A Man of Awesome Power.

When someone is given too much power or control, they can become corrupt and misuse their power
for personal or selfish reasons. For example, they may mistreat others and this can lead to negative
consequences to the people they are supposed to serve. In A Man of Awesome Power by Naguib
Mahfouz, Tayyib al-Mahdi loses his power after misusing it.

Tayyib al-Mahdi uses his awesome power to punish the taxi driver who ignores him when he hails it.
Tayyib al-Mahdi tries to flag down the taxi but the driver ignores him disdainfully. This had happened to
him in the past. Unlike when this happened in the past, now Tayyib al-Mahdi is filled with greater
irritation. Power has corrupted him. In this moment of anger, he makes an impulsive decision to punish
the man. He considers that he could make the driver suffer an accident. He decides to shatter the taxi's
rear wheels instead. He knows that he should use his powers only for good but his anger results in his
cruelty. He stares at the taxi's rear wheels and both of them explode like a bomb. The taxi driver is
frustrated for losing two wheels at one time. As he walks by the helpless man, Tayyib al-Mahdi gives him
a meaningful look and offers to help him but his unknowing pupil glares at the hapless man, resentful
and enraged. He feels like he had taught the man a much needed lesson. Initially, al-Mahdi had
thoughtful dreams but after acquiring awesome power, he becomes corrupt and abuses his power.

Secondly, Tayyib al-Mahdi hastily punishes the radio announcer only because he is annoyed by his views.
The announcer was expounding on promising developments expected in the future. This is after Tayyib
al-Mahdi's memorable services were mistaken for an awakening of the state or outright renaissance.
Tayyib al-Mahdi fills a gaping pothole, locks a dangerously hanging electrical box, removes a pile of
rubbish and drains a sewer using his awesome power. In the past, such promises excited Tayyib only to
leave him frustrated. Now that he has awesome power, Tayyib al-Mahdi is infuriated by the announcer’s
promises. He commands him to talk about what has been accomplished not the future. Tayyib al-Mahdi
is overcome with fury and thoughtlessly punishes the man with a bout of incessant sneezing. He makes
the man to sneeze massively without warning. Then he sneezes abruptly - more emphatically. He
sneezes uncontrollably until he could not complete a full sentence. Sneezes keep waylaying him so he
chooses to play a recorded song “Walk Around and See”. Al-Mahdi plans to censor mass media by
stopping any talk that annoys him. He would make speakers that displease him to sneeze spontaneously,
emit shrill cries like women at a wedding, or suffer uncontrollable diarrhoea. Tayyib al-Mahdi is
intoxicated with an intense feeling of happiness and victory. He forgets his benevolent dreams. After
acquiring power, he uses the power to bad effect by mistreating others.

Tayyib al-Mahdi also misuses his awesome power when he uses it to charm the gorgeous woman at the
zoo at the expense of the righteous plans he has. Tayyib al-Mahdi visits the tea garden at the zoo
purposely to properly plan how to put his new powers to greater use. However, he instead uses it to
seduce a gorgeous and enticing woman that catches his eye. Tayyib al-Mahdi is filled with an
inexplicable desire - one that is not ordinary and his inappropriate since he has a tremendous burden of
proper planning and awareness of need. This woman does not take notice of Tayyib al-Mahdi. Her large,
round eyes are preoccupied with the the ducks floating in the green lake. Tayyib sends her a hidden
message using his awesome powers, instantly setting her head-over-heels. He decides to heal himself
before repairing the world. In one shared smile, Tayyib utterly forgets both his faith and his life. He
surrenders to his fate. This ill-advised move results in the loss of his powers and his vibrant mood. The
miracle disappears like a dream because of his selfish imprudence. He will be haunted eternally by an
awesome sadness. Before getting his awesome power, Tayyib was contented. Now, he uses his powers
to satisfy his selfish desires.

Lastly, Tayyib loses his power when he strikes the man on the bus with severe cramps. When an
argument between the man and the woman erupts, Tayyib could not hear but he studies the dimensions
of the argument carefully. He is shocked when the man suddenly slaps the woman. Tayyib focuses all
his anger on the man’s stomach. The brute doubles over and moans and screams in pain when Tayyib
strikes him with severe cramps. He has to be carried outside for an ambulance to fetch him. Some
people on the bus opine that the man deserves it owing to his bad manners and cheekiness. Tayyib is
satisfied and believes that he had done his duty in the best manner possible. Instead of using his
awesome power to fulfill his compassionate dreams for his country and the planet, Tayyib misuses his
power by punishing anyone that displeases him.

In conclusion, when someone is given excessive authority or control, they can misuse it as in the case of
Tayyib al-Mahdi. He becomes callous when he acquires awesome power. Initially, he was humane and
had thoughtful dreams for his country and the planet.

QUESTION 15 : INCIDENT IN THE PARK

People commit unethical acts as a result of lack of care. Citing illustrations from Incident in the Park by
Meja Mwangi, write an essay to support this statement.

Introduction:
Immorality stems from people’s indifference. Unethical acts like negligence and brutality result from lack of
care. Blood thirsty city dwellers brutally murder an innocent fruit seller without batting an eyelid in Incident
in the Park.
Body:
Government workers go about their business ignoring the ravaging effects of the drought on the
neglected park. The park is dirty and brown. There was no promise of rain that August. The ground
is dusty brown, bare and parched. The ministerial offices, City Hall and parliament buildings and the
ominous cathedral are a stone throw away from the pathetic looking park. The ministerial offices
are modern fortresses and its occupants conveniently ignore the park which clearly lacks proper
care. This is evidenced by the dry bits of grass, dry leaves and thirsty trees. Only delicate flowers,
planted like oasis islands at various spots, are watered in a desperate effort to keep the dirty brown
park beautiful. The sad-looking boathouse and dirty, muddy water sum up the government's lack of
care for the park.

Secondly, the park is filled with many idlers who have little care in the world. They waste many
hours lying idle in the park. They ignore the city and parliament clocks which strike suddenly,
together - reminding them of how much time they had wasted. They care less about being useful.
The clocks’ pleas go unheeded. Some insolent loafers simply shake their heads defiantly, curse
loudly, face the other way and go back to sleep. Only every now and then, does a misplaced idler
heed the clocks nagging disapproval and accusing fingers and walk away. The park people have no
intention to go anywhere else but while away. They are here to stay. They have arrived. During the
afternoons, the park looks parched and almost dead, dotted with a few loungers. More idlers sit by
the lake watching the rowers, day in day out. This unproductive lot is a burden to the city and to
society.

The neglected pond in the park is another sign of lack of care by relevant authorities. The fish pond
is dangerously overgrown with weeds. Colourless weeds choke the yellow, blue and purple water
lilies. An ugly mishmash of weeds has replaced the aesthetic blue-green surface of the once
beautiful pond. Initially, the pond flowers stuck out buds, thick colorful fingers and proclaimed order
but not anymore - the existence of these beautiful fauna has been snuffed out by a riot of
unclassifiable intruders and bastard flowers. To make matters worse, the park soil has collapsed,
forcing the pond’s murky, brown water and bewildered fish to the deeper, further end. The sorry
state of the pond points to acute lack of attention or care.

The hairy loafer who feeds the fish is defiant. He ignores the public notice on the board that
cautions people against feeding the fish. He carelessly tosses debris, tiny bits of grass and soil at the
hungry fish. The fish fight for the useless things but let go when they realize they are worthless. The
idler throws in more rubbish and carelessly sniggers - he has no iota of empathy whatsoever. He
also drops in a piece of soil at the fish. When he learns that fish feeds on insects, he tries to find
some and later decides to throw in a flattened cigarette end when he cannot catch any insects. The
big fish that catches the cigarette butt releases it since it is useless. At last, the uncaring idler curses
after violently hurling a large rock at the confounded fish. His lack of empathy leads him to defy the
order not to feed the fish and as a result he harms the fishes.

The police constables are callous. They harass innocent people heartlessly, displaying no shred of
sympathy. The two city constables accost the old fruit seller and demand for his license and
identification. As fate would have it, he has neither. He cannot afford a licence. The old man nods
uncomprehendingly and shakes his head sadly when the police demand for a license. He
desperately tries to bribe the constables by offering five shillings; all he had made that day. The
policeman grabs him by his old coat and remarks that he would explain it to the judge. The old man
swears by his mother. He is devastated because he has another case with the cruel judge. A tyrant
who would hang him this time round. The fruit seller cries that the judge is crazy and would castrate
him but his pleas fall on deaf ears. He offers the constables a 10- shilling bribe and even his foot
baskets. The constables remain indifferent even when he cries that he has a wife and children. They
do not care. They match him right ahead. When he realizes that he is talking to a brick wall, he
decides to leap and run for it but not before cursing the cops, their wives and their children.

The judge is portrayed as being unjust or outrightly cruel. When the police insist on taking him to the
judge, the old fruit seller cries desperately. He has no licence and identification. He swears by his
mother. He already has a case with the judge and he does not want to be taken back. He believes
the judge will hung him. He is selling the fruits in order to afford the fine that was earlier imposed.
He pleads with the police men as brothers. He even tells them that the judge is a tyrant - a crazy
man who will have him castrated. The allusion to his wife and children does not bear any fruits. He
tries to bribe the police with 10 shillings and appease them with his fruit basket but the uncaring
constables match him ahead. The fruit seller curses the policemen and their families and decides to
bolt. He takes this desperate measure to avoid facing the evil, apathetic judge.

The bloodthirsty city dwellers have no regard for human life. Realizing that the city constable were
adamant about taking him to the judge, the fruit seller decides to run for it. He leaps, breaking away,
leaving the policeman holding onto a piece of his one coat. He runs across the park. The policeman
shouts for help. The old man hopes to get protection by disappearing into the city dwellers. That
 was not to be. The barbarous city dwellers lunge at him trying to nab him. The old man is savagely
desperate to escape. When he stumbles and falls into a ditch, the ferocious mob stones him to
death. He cries out pleading for mercy. The bloodthirsty crowd leaves him for dead, looking like a
broken twisted rag doll, covered in stones and a thick red blood. The crowd mistakenly label him as
a thief.

Lastly, the injustice witnessed after the innocent fruit seller killed is the height of brutality and lack of
care. The constable strives to shift blame. No one looks guilty enough. The constables conveniently
withdraw. An inspector confirms that the man is dead. The crowd that stoned him and those that
witnessed his savage murder lower their eyes. Unwilling to openly testify, some of the residents
hurriedly return to their offices, indifferently. The word ‘thief’ oozes out discreetly from mouth to
mouth. They mistakenly condemn the man to be a desperate thief. They judge him by the
unmistakable uniform of his trade - dirty torn clothes and a mean hungry face. Even the inspector of
police is uneasy and doubtful about his next course of action. The poor man finds no justice even in
his death. All and sundry conclude that a thief is a thief. The twisted garbage-strewn dark alleyways
are lawlessly governed by one savage unwritten law concerning the fate of apprehended thieves.
Ironically, the man is killed before his identity is established. Sadly, he can only be identified by his
grieving wife and children in a cold room. An innocent life is cut short due to the heartless nature of
idle, uncaring city dwellers and the inept police department.
Conclusion
In conclusion, any society that lacks benevolence disintegrates into an abyss of lawlessness and
immorality.
QUESTION 16: A SILENT SONG
People living with disability face many difficulties in life. Using Mbane in Leonard Kibera’s A Silent Song,
write a composition to support this assertion.
People living with disability find it more difficult to do certain activities or to interact with the world around
them. In Leonard Kibera’s A Silent Song, Mbane is a visually impaired and disabled man whose movement
and other activities are constrained as a result of his disability.

First, Mbane’s movement is inhibited as a result of his disability. He gropes slowly towards the door
of his hut. He can only crawl weakly on his knees and elbows. He cannot go further since the pain in
his spine and stomach gather violence rapidly. The pangs paralyse him for a short tormenting
moment. The pain soon disappears but with the same savage fury of its onslaught, leaving Mbane
cold with sweat. He anticipates another imminent attack. Giving up the fight, he lets go his chin and
hits his forehead on the dirty flea-ridden floor. Mbane’s freedom of movement is curtailed by his
visual impairment, disability and pain. He is restricted to the suspicious hut.

Secondly, his perception of time, day or beauty is limited. Although he is hungry, he does not know
what time it is. He wallows in the gloom of his eternal night. Time, day and beauty lie beyond the
bitter limits of darkness. He is restricted to feeling, hearing and running away from danger. He is also
limited to a world of retreat. Due to his lameness, he can only crawl away. He has no power to hit
back. Surely, people living with disability suffer certain restrictions.

When his brother Ezekiel brings him from the streets to his home, Mbane is restricted to his new
confinement. His brother says that he rescued him from the barbaric city so that he could see the
light of God. The hut is serene but so suspicious. This is Mbane’s new life away from the streets of
the City. His new confinement is devoid of the urban ruggedness and noise. It lacks the quick
prancing footsteps of the busy city people. In his limitation, Mbane can never fathom their business.
Also, he is restricted to pleading with the people to help him stay alive by offering him some coins.

Because of his disability, Mbane had little comprehension or knowledge of the city. He earns his
living on one street only, retreating to the back lane when it was deserted. His condition inhibits him
from telling the length, width, beauty or size of the street. He is used to the talk of bright weather,
lovely morning or beautiful sunset but he cannot take part in the small talk. He feels challenged
when pedestrians sing to the blue sky and whistle to the gay morning. In his impediment, he cannot
perceive these senses. During the day, Mbane has to endure the overly generous heat of the sun
and obstinate flies mobbing the edges of his lips. At night, he cannot escape the hostile biting cold
when he retreats to the back lane unsheltered, to surrender to his vulnerability to sleep and is
occasionally victimized by some ignoble thieves.

Mbane is also constrained in his ability to eke out a living since he is disabled. He is forced to beg on
that lonely street of the City. Mbane has come to understand that money is the essence of urban life.
He is therefore happy with gay people since they mostly answer his plea. Dull people with heavy
tired footsteps and voices have empty pockets. Unlike him, the good men and women of the city
have the ability to work in the buildings next to him and more up the street. He has no option but to
endure the scorching sun and stubborn flies. At night, he is tempted by the strange rhythms but
cannot indulge because of his condition. He is limited to hearing voices cursing and singing and
bottles cracking. Mbane is restricted from joining the good men’s and women’s merry-making after
a hard day’s work. Only pimps and whores enjoyed the proceeds of the good men’s sweat.

Also, Mbane's condition has restricted him from getting married. His brother Ezekiel is married to
Sarah. He must have been married around Mbane's age. Mbane would never be able to reach out
his hand in fulfillment of his life in the same way. He can only yearn impotently, sadly constrained
because of his darkness and lameness. He is overcome by bitter self-pity and can only console
himself about his own light and thus he would smile broadly and bravely. His brother’s wife
occasionally brings him some bitter medicine. His condition impedes him from getting a wife of his
own and settling down.

Mbane has become accustomed to limited conversation or communication. His brother enters his
hut and sits on his bed but for a long time no one speaks. Mbane cannot be expected to start a
conversation. All his life, he has been speaking to himself in his thoughts while living on the streets.
He had no one to address except himself. Occasionally, he would blurt out a mechanical plea of
“Yes?”. Now, if anyone speaks to him, he carries the subject on a line of uncommunicative thought
in his own mind. When his brother asks if he believes in God, Mbane replies that he does not know
since to him he does not matter.

Apart from that, Mbane's condition makes him feel alienated and thus he holds a different religious
view from his mother’s and his brother’s. His mother views men as one stream flowing through the
rocks of life. They would twist and turn the pebbles and get dirty in the muddy earth. They cry in the
falls and whirlpools of life and laugh and sing when the flow is smooth and undisturbed. Some cry in
the potholes of life’s valley, while others laugh triumph elsewhere. Mbane's condition inhibits him to
not only ceaselessly crying but also feeling that he is not even part of the stream. He feels like the
bitter fluid in his own throat. His pain gives him no reason to believe in God. No one understands his
darkness. God is white cleanness of eternal light but his life only contains darkness and blackness.
He is forgotten and unnoticed. Sometimes, he is cursed and called able-bodied, only crippled by
idleness of leisurely begging.
 Lastly, Mbane feels trapped in his unwashed body which reeks of sweat. He craves freedom that he
cannot achieve. He dreams of a glorious future away from his pangs of darkness where light lies.
Right now he is restricted since his eyes are denied the lights. He dreams of a future where
someone would understand him and raise the innocence of his crippled life along with the chosen. It
gives him hope and he sings his own happy song, silently to himself. He cannot seek refuge in the
brothels like other men so he can only find it in his silent song. His soul has a destination, or so he
thinks. But for now, he has to make do with it being incarcerated in his sweaty smelly body, which is
unwashed except when in the rain. Surely, disability can be limiting.

In conclusion, people living with disability undergo many impediments and limitations that deny them
some pleasures or opportunities in life.

QUESTION 17: IVORY BANGLES

Citing illustrations from Eric Ng'maryo's Ivory Bangles, write a composition showing how established
customs are difficult to change.

People are often reluctant to change their way of doing something especially something which they have
been doing for a long time. The society in Ivory Bangles is superstitious and also holds on to norms such as
polygamy and hunting game for ivory.

Firstly, this is a society where people are apt to believe in superstitions. When the old man notices
blood specks on the liver of a goat he had slaughtered, he has to go and consult the seer. Although
he has a deep-seated suspicion of the seer, he still goes to him since he is a tribal seer, and a priest
of the people. The seer gives him some unsettling revelation and a difficult task to do in order to
avert a disaster. He reveals that the seer’s pebbles said someone was going to die. That is the old
man’s wife. In order to avert this, the old man is supposed to give his wife a thorough beating and
send her to her parents. The seer’s pebbles are adamant that there is no other way to appease them.
This worries the old man so much. His mind wanders as he walks home. Only a small trickle washes
the trunk in front of him when he relieves himself. The old man believes the seer is the mouthpiece
of their departed forefathers. Visiting the seer is so common that the wife can guess where he went
earlier that day. He tells his wife that the spirits want him to give her a ritual beating. Once upon a
time, the seer wanted to marry the woman. He had even promised to put a spell on her. His warning
is therefore laughable but according to the man it is solemn since it is not he who put the blood
specks on the goat’s liver. The woman comes up with a simple, ingenious scheme to fool the spirits.
Old habits, like superstitions and consulting seers, die hard since the people have held on to them
for a long time. Despite having a deep-seated suspicion of the seer, the old man still considers the
viability of the ritual beating since established habits are difficult to change.

Secondly, the habit of wife battering is part and parcel of the society and is even considered a
solemn ritual. The seer’s pebbles claim that the spirits are jealous of a happy wife, a woman
unmolested by her husband until old age when she is called “Grandmother”. To avert her death after
he finds blood specks on the liver of a goat he was slaughtering, the old man has to give his wife a
thorough beating and send her to her parents after the beating. The pebbles insist on wife battering
and refuse the offer of countless goats by the old man. The man is reluctant to lay his hands on his
comely caring wife who bathes him when he arrives home and cooks him a delicious meal.
According to the spirits, this is supposed to be a ritual beating to avert calamity. The woman says,
the seer - “that old vulture”, was once interested in marrying her and had even promised to put a
spell on her. It appears he is just jealous of her happy marriage. But the man considers him the
mouthpiece of the departed forefathers. The old man is different from his son who is accustomed to
the norm of domestic violence. He beat his wife Leveri to a fingernail’s distance to her grave. Such
cases are so common that there is a prescribed way of solving them. Clans would meet and the
offending man would be fined, they would then drink reconciliatory beer and everyone would go
home happy. Surely, wife battering has been accepted as a norm in this society.

Polygamy is another accepted custom in the society. The old man earned the enviable position of
the chief’s councillor as a reward for bravery in the Battle of the Five Rainy Days. The wife calls him
son of a Chief. He is a wood carver, son of a wood carver and a very brave warrior. He is thus much
respected in the society, but also much talked about because he has only one wife. A chief’s
councillor is considered a small chief, and whoever heard of a chief with one wife? The ageing chief
even advised him to get himself another wife. The old man loves his wife. As much as polygamy is
customary, he does not comply. However, it is so deeply-rooted in the society that the people find it
strange for a man of his social standing to have only one wife and even the chief himself advises
him to consider polygamy.

Another practice that seems so deeply-rooted in this society is the hunting and killing of game like
elephants. The old man killed an elephant using a poisoned arrow and from its ivory, he carved
twenty four bangles for his wife. She wears eight bangles in either hand and four heavy ones on
each leg. The ones on her hands are etched with mnemonic marks for a long love poem. He
presented the bangles to her when their son and only child was named. She looks beautiful like a
chief’s wife when adorning the bangles. When the elephants invade the village, the villagers are
worried about the devastation they leave in their wake. They destroy young crops. The beasts are
pursued by people who know how to use poisoned arrows. With poisoned arrows, several can be
killed. The scouts sit atop of trees and warn people about the movement of the six elephants; one
bull and five cows. Unfortunately, the old man’s wife is attacked by a wounded bull elephant which
stamps on her and kills her. The people are accustomed to shooting and killing elephants.
Sometimes, the wounded animals tend to be wild.

The people have a customary way of solving conflicts in the society. To confuse the spirit of death,
the woman plans to go to her brother’s home weeping and complaining that her husband had
beaten her without any reason. She would refuse to go back to his home when he comes for her.
This would force their respective clans to confer, with the view of reconciling them. The husband
would be fined and they would drink beer of reconciliation. This would be done to fool the spirits
and life would continue as before. After she comes from the market, the woman plans to cook for
the man and go to her brother’s. She plans to hoe the weedy part of her grove before squeezing
tears out of her eyes and going to her brother’s house. Indeed, these people have certain prescribed
ways of conflict resolution that are hard to change.

Lastly, the woman is accustomed to performing her normal wifely duties of taking care of her
husband and grandson. When he gets home, she unstraps his leather sandals and leads him behind
the house to the lean-to, to bathe him. She cooks him a meal consisting a pottage made of mashed
green bananas and finely shredded meat and stock vegetables, herbs and a touch of her hand. At
night, she lies with the old man, her husband, before stealing back to her grandson’s, ‘her husband’.
When she goes to the market she buys the boy a length of sugar cane and some snuff for the man.
After coming from the market, she cooks and carefully covers her husband’s food. She has plans to
go to her brother’s but first she plans to hoe in the part of the grove the man said was very weedy.
She is also so accustomed to hoeing that despite the heavy load of ivory bangles on her hands, the
small hoe goes at a fast practiced speed. Only three weeks ago, she weeded the same spot with her
daughter-in-law Leveri. Although she has to visit her brother’s home, she can’t help but perform the
habitual tasks at home first. Unfortunately, she is killed while still hoeing in the grove. Surely, old
habits die hard.
In conclusion, people are predisposed to doing things that are customary or typical and it is difficult to
convince someone to do something they are not used to.

QUESTION 18: SINS OF THE FATHERS

Children suffer when their parents mistreat them. Write an essay to support this statement basing your
illustrations on The Sins of the Fathers.

Rwafa exerts unwarranted pressure on Rondo causing him grief, leaving him with bitter memories and
ruining his life. Surely, children endure misery when their parents treat them badly.

Rondo suffers when his father Rwafa orchestrates an accident that kills his two daughters, Yuna
and Rhoda. When Mr. Basil Mzamane, Rondo’s father-in-law, whom Rwafa abhors, offers to give
Rondo's children a real treat - a road trip to Bulawayo, Rwafa soon disappears. When the trio take
the trip, they are involved in a fatal crash that claims their lives. Gaston Shoko, Rondo’s workmate,
suggests that Mr. Rwafa must have been involved in the accident since that was a typical second
street accident. When Rondo ponders the events and history behind them, he becomes numb and
almost like a zombie. He feels trapped like an animal when he thinks back on his father’s routine.
Rwafa is a prime suspect in the accident since he loathed Basil Mzamane. He had called him a traitor
when he brokered a peace deal between Mrs. Quayle and Rwafa’s club-wielding gang. There has
always been tension between the two but it culminates during the birthday party. Mr. Rwafa was
also bitter because Rondo had married into and ignominious muDziviti family. Furthermore, instead
of a grandson, he had also given him two grand-daughters with Ndevere blood. Rwafa is
responsible for the accident that kills his son’s daughters and their grandfather. This causes Rondo
untold grief. He even contemplates shooting his own father. He tries to erase the pain by
reconstructing the accident, imagining his daughters died happily or at least, obliviously. The pain
courses through him again and again for the whole week after the unfortunate incident. He sits on
the same sofa, chin lodged in the cup of his hands, listening to the haunting songs sung by the
mournful women. His indifferent father tells him that his grief will pass like the morning dew in the
sun. That he would be grateful it happened now rather than later and he should thank him. Rondo’s
mind was elsewhere. The silence in his mind would have been filled by his daughters’ voices. Surely,
Rwafa causes Rondo deep misery when he engineers the untimely death of his two daughters. This
destroys Rondo.

Rondo grows up to be a laughing stock as a result of his father’s disrespectful treatment towards
him. None of the words he used to address Rondo had any respect in them. When Rwafa compels
Rondo to work at The Clarion, and earn his own keep, he refers to him as slob. Because of this, his
wife Selina notes that Rondo is always in his father’s shadow. She thinks that she could do better in
his pants. Also, his colleagues do not take him seriously. He is not a brilliant journalist and he feels he
has been asleep all his life. According to Rwafa, there would not ever be anything Rondo could get
right. Even his wife saw him as ‘less-than-me’. At work, people were laughing at him at every
moment and the only time they held him in awe is when they needed a favour from his father
through him. They even used his name to get something from finance houses, audit stores, legal
firms etcetera. They still laughed at him and he knew. This made him defenseless and he would join
in the laughter, accepting to be a fool. Rondo admits that his wife was right for positing that he must
have been afraid of a shadow - his father’s shadow. This thought was not pleasant to admit.

Although Rondo loved Selina, Rwafa hated her and her family and was against their marriage.
Rondo was about to lose Selina because his father, a full blown bhwa Mkwanyashanu, would not let
his family be demeaned by his son Rondo. He calls him effeminate for wanting to marry into the
ignominious muDziviti family. Rondo told Selina about at the time his father destroyed his old guitar
and he peed himself out of fear because he loved her. The flames of the burning guitar gutted all the
courage out of him. While Selina and Rondo's mother were quite close, his father frowned and even
spat at the relationship. Rwafa hated Selina’s clan, maDzviti-Ndebele, because they had raided his
own clan, Zezeru-Karanga, leaving him with pains of the scars. His deepest scar is that he cannot
forgive anyone: not his enemies, not his wife, not his son. The first time Selina came to the house
and Rondo told Rwafa about her people, he walked out and stayed away for the whole day. Apart
from that, he demanded that Rondo gives him a grandson to inherit his cars, houses, money and
charisma. This was not easy for Rondo to accept. Although he was afraid of his father, Rondo still
thought he was the greatest.

Rondo’s father demands that Rondo gives him a grandson to whom he could leave the inheritance.
He wanted a duplicate or an heir. Rwafa feels that after the ignominy of marrying her, it was
ignominious that Rondo first child was a girl with Ndevere blood. His second child was also a grand-
daughter. As a result of this, Rwafa could not be appeased by anything. It was as if Rondo had been
written out, written off and disappeared. Since Rondo was the only son and only child, his father did
many things for him but Rondo did not show enough gratitude of respect because he was not
aware. This made Rwafa very disappointed and Rondo’s mother had to do a lot of humiliating things
to calm him down. Although she enjoyed the affluence of being married to a senior government
official, she had deep fears about the future of her only child Rondo. Rwafa loved himself so much
that he was prepared to destroy his son in an effort to have a duplicate or an heir. This demand for
grandson was not easy for Rondo to accept.

When Rwafa destroyed Rondo’s old guitar, all the courage was gutted out of him. Selina felt that
Rondo was hurt and his pain could affect those around him. She thought he was selfish for
apologizing too much. Unlike her who was brought up in a family with people with ‘long hearts’, that
is people who forgive others, he was not from such a loving family. Rondo’s first disappointment
happened when his father gave him his first sermon. When Rondo was only four, an uncle had given
him an old guitar. His father found him strumming tunelessly on the instrument. Rwafa broke the
strings and threw the guitar into a fire. He retorted that no son of Rwafa has ever been a Rolling
Stone and there would be no Mick Jaggers or John Whites in his house since those people had no
sense of responsibility or destination in mind. Rondo, only a child of them, had no idea what he was
talking about. Fear was planted in him. He peed his pants. The flames of that burning guitar had
gutted all the courage out of him. He tells Selina all this because he loved her. Indeed, Rwafa’s
mistreatment adversely affects his son Rondo.

Rondo develops a stammer because throughout his life, he was unable to answer any of his father’s
questions. Mr. Rwafa, as a minister of security, had pursued his duties so zealously that he could not
distinguish between party and family. This made people, especially Rondo, to suffer. His mother told
him that many people developed a stammer when Rwafa asked them questions. Rondo took a long
time to learn what his father’s job was. Rondo and Rwafa lived in their separate cages and his
mother was caught up in the sensitivity of Rwafa’s job and Rondo’s nature. Because of Rwafa’s
actions, Rondo always thought Rwafa was right. He was too diminished to think otherwise. He was
also afraid for his mother whenever she had to oppose the old man. Indeed, Rondo suffers because
of his father’s ill treatment

Rwafa skips his only son’s wedding causing him pain. When Rwafa drives to Rondo’s house to see
Mr. Basil Mzamane, it is surprising. Selina knows that the visit is neither a courtesy call nor a friendly
gesture. Rwafa also seems quite cheerful in Rondo and Selina’s house which was unusual, more so
with Mr. Basil Mzamane present. The two men’s attitudes towards Rondo’s wedding were different.
While Mr. Basil Mzamane fully supported the wedding and paid the larger part of the wedding
celebrations expenses, Mr. Rwafa skipped the whole ceremony altogether. Rondo’s mother had also
helped but she had been reduced to tears when her husband had asked: “Who did you say is
wedding?” then conveniently left town for a ‘state business’ for two weeks just to avoid going.

Rwafa ruins Rondo’s daughters joint birthday celebration when he goes on an irrational hateful rant.
Selina and Rondo had invited all their relatives and friends for joint birthday celebration for their
daughters, Yuna and Rhoda. It was a generally peaceful scene with children playing and adults
enjoying themselves. There were moments of subtle tension, tight smiles and loud laughs between
Mr. Rwafa and Mr. Basil Mzamane. Mr. Rwafa’s sarcastic reference to Mr. Basil Mzamane as
“Honorable MP” causes a moment of silence and relaxation. Rondo and Selina had longed for a
moment like this with their parents who. The peaceful party is destroyed when Mr. Rwafa is
prompted to talk of the liberation struggle. He talks of betrayals and alludes to traditional enemies of
the people since time immemorial: enemies of the state, clan and family. He calls them looters and
cattle thieves. He also calls them personal enemies, child thieves and baby snatchers. He declares
that no son of Rwafa can play second fiddle to anyone’s lead nor carry anyone’s pisspot. He is
terribly hurt when he refers to his son Rondo as effeminate and spineless for marrying into the
family of their enemies, poisoning the pure blood of the Rwafa clan. He suggests that the impostors
are smoked out, flashed out and blasted out. Guests grab their children and leave one after another.
Rondo remains rooted unable to wave goodbye. He remembers having the feeling he used to have
as a boy, where the thought of not being allowed to do something fueled his ambition to do it. Mr.
Rwafa’s action causes tension in the air and ruins an otherwise peaceful celebration.

Rwafa senselessly beats up Rondo without bothering to find out what the matter was during a
confrontation with a neighbour over his mangoes. Remembering his father’s tirade reminded Rondo
of this incident he had almost forgotten. Rondo had helped himself to some ripe mangoes from a
neighbours garden. He had seen nothing wrong with this. The neighbour had other ideas. He pulled
him down by the leg and proceeded to give him a thorough thrashing using a green pitch switch.
His mother was attracted by his howling and she came running out and lifting her skirt in the man's
face. She called him a child murderer. The man shouted “whore” and called Rondo ‘woman’s child’.
Rwafa then came to the neighbor’s yard and proceeded to thrash Rondo with his thick elephant-
hide belts without bothering to find out what the issue was. What gives Rondo a very
uncomfortable feeling even after all these years is the sight of his mother dragging herself on her
knees from one man to another, back and forth, clapping and begging them to spare her only child.
Rondo just did not want to remember this. He has never told anyone about it not even his wife. He
was only eight. He felt powerless. His mother insisted that his father loved him but he did not know
how to show it.

When Rondo confronts his father in his guestroom, Rwafa ridicules him as usual. When he hands
him a piece of paper, Rwafa asks him whether he had asked one of his more intelligent friends to
write that for him. Rondo just stands there, unblinkingly, as his father had not ask him to sit down.
Rwafa laughs harshly saying he couldn’t have believed that Rondo had it in him. When Rondo
brandishes a gun and offers it to him, a great flood of sadness washes through his face. When he
checks the gun and points it at his head, Rondo wishes that his father would shoot him. He feels like
a rogue, not out of courage, but out of numbness host of he wished his father would shoot him and
take care of things as he had always done. He tells him that he had never used a gun before and he
thought his father would do it better than him. Eventually, a soft muffled plop is heard from Rwafa’s
room after he orders Rondo and Selina out.
When parents treat their children badly, the children suffer as was in the case of Rwafa and his son Rondo.

QUESTION 19: TALKING MONEY

Failure to listen to wise advice can result in conflict. Write an essay to support this assertion based on
Stanley Gazemba’s Talking Money.

No one is perfect. We all have some flaws. If unchecked, our individual shortcomings such failure to listen
and heed good advice can result in misunderstanding. Mukidanyi’s irritability and obstinacy result in his
disagreements with his brothers, his wife and Mr. Galo.

Mukidanyi disagrees with his brothers over the sale of his land. When his elder brothers Ngoseywe
and Agoya try to advise him against selling his land, they fall out bitterly and their wrangles almost
come to blows. Mukidanyi throws both of them out of his compound, his eyes flaming red. Shouting
at them, he declares that he does not need their help. He does not need anyone’s help. He will run
his household however he deems fit. Ngoseywe tells him that he will need them one day. Today, his
head has swollen like that of an expectant toad in the field. He insults them and adds that he will do
what he pleases with his land. In that terrible fit of rage, the neighbours can only watch helplessly
from a distance as he clicks loudly, spits angrily on the ground and dashes a water pot against the
wall. Mukidanyi's fury leads to a bitter disagreement between him and his elder brothers.
Mukidanyi also falls out with his wife Ronika over the sale of his land. Ronika joins Mukidanyi who is
warming himself in the main room. She persuades him to listen to what his brothers are telling him.
He also advises him to consider leasing the land instead of selling it off. In her plea, she posits that
Ngoseywe and Agoya have a point. She tells Mukidanyi that no one could stop him from selling his
land, but he should listen to other people’s advice. Mukidanyi ignores his wife's words of wisdom
and resorts to violence instead. He grabs his hippo-hide whip and gives Ronika a thorough lashing
leaving her screaming and whimpering till the small hours. Mukidanyi’s obstinacy ends in a conflict
between him and his wife Ronika.

Thirdly, Mukidanyi ignores Ronika’s entreaty when she asks him to be wary of the Galos. She asks
him if he knows the Galos. She reminds him that hardly anyone in the village does business with the
Galos. Their money is not good, she says. No one knows where they get it from. Ronika beseeches
Mukidanyi not to turn a deaf ear to what everyone tells him. These pleas leads to a conflict because
Mukidanyi is apt to ignore wise counsel. He assaults his wife Ronika using a hippo-hide whip and
she screams in pain and her whimpering only dies that morning. Mukidanyi’s stubborn nature leads
to bitter disagreement between him and his wife Ronika.

Mukidanyi refuses to listen to Ronika and easily trusts Galo. When Mukidanyi springs his price out
of the blue. Mukidanyi expected a haggle. When receiving the money, 500,000 shillings in cash,
Mukidanyi does not count it. He easily trusts Mr. Galo. He says that he trusts him since he does not
expect a friend to lie to a clansman. Galo offers to take Mukidanyi to Kakamega for transfer of the
title deed at the surveyor's office. Mukidanyi ignores Ronika’s warning and accepts Galo's money
without batting an eyelid. This causes conflict between them when the money starts talking later
that night. Ronika furiously throws Mukidanyi out of the house and tells him to go and return the
“devil” money. She finds the courage to mock and ridicule Mukidanyi , a big man who is hard of
hearing. The row is as a result of Mukidanyi stubbornly disregarding wise advice.

There is a disagreement between Mukidanyi and his wife the night he sells his land to Mr. Galo
despite her objection. That night he wakes up twice and lights the lamp to ascertain that the
briefcase was still there, chained to the bedpost of their termite-infested wooden bed. He calls
Ronika and asks her what time it was, since he is too anxious to sleep. His wife, angry from the
lashing she received earlier that day, nonchalantly asks him how he expects her to know the time at
that hour. Mukidanyi is eager for the daybreak so that he can go and take the money to the bank in
Mbale. Ronika is bemused at being woken up in the middle of the night, the hour for witches unless
Mukidanyi is a witch himself. She refuses to engage in Mukidanyi’s midnight chitchat and returns to
her soft snoring. Mukidanyi is a disturbed man. He cannot sleep. He has to squeeze his eyes shut
and try to force himself to sleep. He is forced to awaken with a start when he hears the voices.
Again, he wakes up an audibly irritated Ronika. Playfully like a couple of school going children, the
money under the bed was talking. The money Ronika had warned him about is the cause of their
conflict and Mukidanyi's regret.

Mukidanyi is mocked by his wife because of Galo's money. She had warned him about. When the
money starts talking Mukidanyi freezes stiff, his whole body covered in sweat. His wife is also
frightened, her bony hand clasped on his wrist, her bosom heaving. The silence in their hut is morbid.
Ronika commands Mukidanyi to light the lamp. She speaks in a shrill voice and scolding tone when
she says that the house had been invaded by the ‘viganda’ spirits. Her breath whistles in the tense
darkness. Mukidanyi’s hands shake as he gropes in the darkness for a matchbox. Ronika’s face is
slick with sweats when she tells Mukidanyi that he will now listen to people. They fight because of
the strange money. Had Mukidanyi listened to her advice this could have been avoided.

The fallout escalates when Mukidanyi is thrown out of his house because of the evil money. With a
note of hysteria in her voice, Ronika commands Mukidanyi to take his money. She reminds him that
she had warned him about Galo's money. His elder brothers Ngoseywe and Agoya did too. But
Mukidanyi is hard of hearing. Ronika's lined face is an indication that she dies to wrest him to the
floor. She refers to him contemptuously as a big man who is hard of hearing. Mukidanyi is scared of
touching the briefcase, about the voices or the viganda spirits. Her eyes glowing angrily, Ronika
laughs at Mukidanyi hysterically when the money talks again. She tells him that today, after dipping
his hand in the wound to ascertain, he will learn about the people of the world. Today, he will know.
She forces him to unlock the padlock after physically dragging him to do it. Then, she throws the
briefcase out and sends her hapless husband after it. The children are bewildered for they had
never seen their mother that angry or their father that frightened.

Lastly, Mukidanyi changes his mind about selling the land and finally returns the money to Mr. Galo.
He had been warned by Ronika but due to his stubbornness he did not heed. The journey is long
and harrowing. The couple hundred yards to Mr. Galo's home seems like a mile. The briefcase gets
heavier and heavier with each step. He is haunted by unseen night creatures swimming all around
 him, taunting him with their octopus arms. Sometimes he trips, slick blood-sucking tendrils would
then grip his arm. He fights the demons when he feels the hold tighten and the razor edge biting
into his flesh, but without drawing blood. The moment is scary. He is, however, determined to return
the case despite the hurdles. When he finally gets to Mr. Galo's house and meets him, he says he has
changed his mind about selling the land. He returns the money then dashes away. He hits himself on
the low-hanging branches and outcropping roots as he returns from Mr. Galo's house. Surely,
obstinacy results in regret and conflict.

In conclusion, one’s weakness can end up causing disagreements.

QUESTION 20: GHOSTS

Survivors of war live with painful memories and experiences. Write an essay to support this statement
citing illustrations from Chimamanda Adichie's Ghosts.

War, even for a perceived just cause, has many detrimental outcomes. There is nothing positive about war.
Ordinary people suffer most in the event of war. Traumatic memories, loss of family members and loss of
valuable property are some of the consequences of war that leave the survivors with painful memories.

Many ordinary people suffer when their family members, friends or colleagues lose their lives in war.
For 37 years, professor Nwoye believed his former colleague, Ikenna died in the war. He is shaken to
see him alive. He is tempted to throw sand at him, a customary practice to ascertain that one was
not a ghost. Nwoye thought Ikenna died on July 6th, 1967 when they evacuated Nsukka amidst the
boom boom boom shelling of the approaching federal soldiers. Nsukka fell that day and two
lecturers were killed; one for arguing with the federal officers. Ebere consoles Zik who left her doll
behind as they were fleeing in haste. Although Ikenna made it out alive, his whole family was in Orlu
when it was bombed. When he says this, his laughter seems like harsh-sounding series of coughs.
After the war, the man who was admired for his erudite asperity and peremptory style is a pale
shadow of his former self. The uncertainty and diffidence about him is alien. His gray shirt sagged at
the shoulders. His laughter was hollow and discoloured , devoid of the aggressive sound of
yesteryears. Nwoye’s daughter Zik and their colleague Chris Okigbo also died in the war. Nwoye
says, “The war took Zik” in Igbo, since speaking about death in English has a disquieting finality for
him. He and Ikenna speak fondly and sadly about Okigbo: “our genius, our star, the man whose
poetry moved us all. A colossus in the making.” Nwoye also remembers other horrors of war like
crouching in muddy bunkers during air raids after which they buried corpses with bits of pink on
their charred skins. Indeed, war affects people adversely when they lose their loved ones.

People are also affected when they are forced to leave their homes as a result of war. On July 6th,
1967, professor Nwoye and his family are forced to evacuate Nsukka in a hurry. This happens even
as they hear the boom boom boom shelling of the advancing federal soldiers. The militia assures
them that the vandals, federal soldiers, would be defeated in a matter of days and they could come
back. This does not come to pass since the war does not end until 1970. Local villagers in their
hundreds are also displaced from their homes. They walk along, women with boxes on their heads
and babies tied to their backs, barefoot children carrying bundles and men dragging bicycles
holding yams. Nwoye, oblivious of the intensity of the war, finds it foolhardy that his colleague,
Ikenna, goes back to the campus with the shelling getting closer. He thought their troops would
drive back the vandals in a week or two. He had faith in their collective invincibility and the justness
of the Biafran cause. To his dismay, Nsukka fell and the campus was occupied that very day. Ikenna
left Biafra the following month and went to Sweden on a Red Cross plane. Some children were
airlifted to Gabon later in the war. When the war ended three years later in 1970, Nwoye and Ebere
came back to Nsukka and they were shocked about the aftermath of the war. Their books, his
graduation gown and their photographs were destroyed and Ebere’s piano was missing. They
decide to leave for America where they live up to 1976. Their daughter Nkiru still lives in America
with his son. People suffer when they are displaced from their homes as a result of war.

Thirdly, people are affected when they are separated from family members and some even become
alienated. Because of the war, professor Ikenna is forced to fly to Sweden leaving his family behind
in Orlu. He loses his entire family when Orlu is bombed. When he recounts this story, his laughter
comes out like a series of harsh sounding coughs. He was believed to be dead. Men who had been
thought dead, walked into their compounds months, even years after 1970. Nwoye wonders how
much sand has been thrown on broken men by their family members split between disbelief and
hope. His daughter Nkiru lives in America. She was born in America when Nwoye and Ebere went
there after the war. Nwoye does not fancy the American life which is cushioned by so much
convenience that it is sterile. It is littered with what they call ‘opportunities’. He is also worried about
his grandson who cannot speak Igbo. The boy does not understand why he has to say ‘good
afternoon’ to strangers. In his world, having been brought up in America, one has to justify simple
courtesies. Nkiru is a doctor in Connecticut near Rhode Island. Her faint American accent is vaguely
troubling for her father. War causes separation of family and alienation of family members.

Also, war causes dire lack of food and therefore people suffer hunger or starvation. At the onset of
the war, the local villages are displaced in their droves. After the war, they are forced to pick
through the lecturers’ bins for food. There was a blockade keeping supplies of victuals such as salt,
meat and cold water from them. During the war, people had no option but to eat cassava peels.
They watched in horror as their children’s bellies swelled from malnutrition. Organizations such as
the Red Cross backed down when a plane was shot down in Eket. The World Council of Churches
kept flying in relief through Uli at night. Individuals like Ikenna organised fundraising to help his
starving community in Biafra. Professor Nwoye buys groundnut and a bunch of bananas for the
tattered men clustered under the flame tree at the university. They had requested him to do so since
“hunger was killing them”. Surely, war results in ravaging starvation and malnutrition.

War gives room for service providers to be corrupt. Professor Nwoye visits the university bursary
and yet again the dried-uplooking Ugwoke clerk tells him that the money has not come in. They are
used to this. Someone claims that the education minister stole the pension money. Yet another one
posits that it was the vice chancellor who had deposited the money in high interest personal
accounts. They curse him saying his children will not have children and he will die of diarrhoea. No
one gets pension. From professors, to messengers, to drivers, to the other tattered men. Everyone is
suffering. Vincent claims that people retire and die because of this delay. He has not received his
money for three years. At the university, students buy grade with money or their bodies. Josephat,
the vice chancellor, for six years, ran the university like his father’s chicken coop. He was once
thought to be a man of integrity but now, under his watch, money disappears and they buy cars
stamped with names of nonexistent foreign foundations. The impotent courts do nothing to salvage
the situation. Nwoye has not been paid since he retired. Many lecturers bribe someone at the
Personnel Service to change their official dates of birth and add five years. Nobody wants to retire.
Corruption and bribery is all over the country. The situation seems ineluctable. To get his phone
repaired, Nwoye has to bribe someone at NITEL. Ordinary people suffer because of runaway
corruption occasioned by the war.

After the war, there is an influx of fake drugs. The latest plague in the country is selling of expired
medicine. Ebere had lain in hospital getting weaker and weaker. Her doctor was puzzled since she
was not recovering even after medication. Professor Nwoye was distraught. It was too late when
they found out the drugs were fake. Nwoye says gravely that fake drugs are horrible. A man
accused of importing fake drugs says that his drugs do not kill people but they don’t cure them
either. Nwoye turns off the television since he cannot stand to see the man’s blubbery lips. He
hopes the man would not be acquitted and allowed to go to India or China and bring more expired
medicine which does not kill people but makes sure the illness does. Surely, war has many
undesirable effects on the lives of ordinary people.

Many ordinary people wallow in poverty as a result of the war. When Professor Nwoye visits the
university bursary for his pension, he sees a group of tattered men clustered under a flame tree
waiting for their pension as well. Vincent, his former driver, has not received his pension for three
years. He says this is why people retire and die. He remembers when Ebere used to give him old
clothes for his children. The students do not pay him on time before mending their shoes. Although
Vincent is younger than Nwoye, he looks older and has little hair left. The tattered man request
professor Nwoye to buy them bananas since hunger was killing them. They lament about a myriad
of problems such as money lender problems and how carpentry was not going well. Professor
Nwoye is lucky compared to them since he has some money saved from his appointment in the
Federal Office of Statistics and also receives some dollars from his daughter Nkiru who is a doctor in
America. After the war is over, the poor locals are forced to pick through the lecturers’ bins for food.
Surely, war has devastating effects on the lives of the people.

Lastly, war is a deeply distressing experience that leaves this people with traumatic memories.
Ikenna lost his whole family in the war. Before, he was defiant and everybody forgave his
peremptory style and admired his erudite asperity. His fearlessness convinced them. Now his
laughter seemed discoloured and hollow and nothing like the aggressive sound that reverberated all
over the Staff Club in those days. His gray shirt sagged at the shoulders. There was an uncertainty
about him. A diffidence that seemed alien to professor Nwoye. When he tells the story about how
 his whole family was killed when Orlu was bombed, he lets out a harsh sound that is supposed to be
a laughter but it sounded more like a series of coughs. Professor Nwoye and Ebere are traumatized
by the aftermath of the war when they return to their former house at the university. The
destruction of property was too much that they are forced to leave for America. When they come
back they are given a different house but they avoid driving along Imoke street, for they did not
want to see their old house. Nwoye cannot talk about death in English since it has always had a
disquieting finality for him. So he says about his late daughter that they war took her in Igbo to
which Ikenna simply replies “Ndo” to mean sorry. During the war, Nwoye and Ebere are traumatized
when the Biafran soldiers shove a wounded soldier into their car and the stranger’s blood drips in
the back seat and soaks into the stuffing. Nwoye also suffers recurring hallucinations when he
imagines that his dead wife visits him from time to time. Professor Nwoye, Ikenna and many other
people are left with lasting emotional shock and pain caused by the extremely disturbing
experiences of war.

In conclusion, it is clear that war leaves the people with disturbing memories and many have lasting
distressing experiences occasioned by the shocking and painful recollections.

QUESTION 21: GOD SEES THE TRUTH BUT WAITS

One can cope with the misery of unfair treatment by forgiving his oppressors. Write a composition to
validate this statement basing your illustrations on Leo Tolstoy’s God Sees the Truth, but Waits.

You should not do harm to a person who has done harm to you, even if you think that person deserves it.
We can deal with the pain of injustice by forgiving those who wrong us, instead of seeking vengeance.
Aksionov finds peace and solace during his misery when he chooses to forgive those who wronged him.
Aksionov is treated unfairly by the police when they arrest him for a crime he did not commit. When
the police arrest Aksionov for allegedly killing a merchant, he crosses himself and weeps painfully.
The police officer orders the soldiers to bind him and put him in the cart. They tie his feet together
and fling him into the cart. His money and goods are taken away from him. He is then locked up in
the nearest town. The police investigate about his past and find out that Aksionov is a good man but
he was predisposed to drinking and wasting time during his younger days. The truth is Aksionov
met the merchant and they put up together that night in the same inn. Aksionov paid his bill and left
before dawn. When he had travelled for about 25 miles and was resting, he is accosted by an official
and two soldiers who crisscross him as if he were a thief or a robber. Oblivious of the fate that
awaited him, he even offers the officer a cup of tea. When they search his bag, they find a blood-
stained knife and accuse him of killing the merchant. Aksionov is frightened. The policeman says his
face and manner betrays his guilt. They demand to know how he killed him and how much money
he stole. When the trial comes, he is wrongly charged with murdering the merchant and stealing his
money. He gives up all hope and only prays to God. He accepts his fate and expects mercy only
from God. He does not blame the police for his predicament.

Aksionov faces further injustice when he is wrongly charged with murdering the merchant from
Ryazan and robbing him of 20,000 rubles. He is locked up with thieves and criminals. This is after a
blood-stained knife is found in his possession. At the time of his arrest, Aksionov only had eight
thousand rubles of his own. He swears that the knife is not his. Although Aksionov is innocent, he is
wrongly convicted and charged for murder. He tries to appeal but his petition to Czar is declined. His
wife reminds him about her dream about his hair turning grey and beseeches him to tell her the
truth if he indeed killed the merchant. Aksionov begins to weep hiding his face in his hands. He is
dejected by the thought of his wife suspecting him too. Only God can know the truth. Instead of
begrudging and fighting the justice system, he let's go and decides to appeal for mercy from God
alone.

Aksionov is treated unfairly when he is torn away from his family at a prime age, and locked up for a
crime he did not commit. His wife is in despair when Aksionov is charged with murder and she does
not know what to believe. Her children are small and one is still breastfeeding. She takes them all
with her when she visits her husband in jail. She is refused from seeing him at first but after
ceaseless entreaties she obtains permission from the official and gets the chance to see him. She
collapses and does not come to her senses for a long time when she sees her husband in prison-
dress and in chains, shut up with thieves and criminals. She had tried to dissuade him from going to
the Nizhny Fair. She had had a bad dream about him. In her dream, he returned from the town when
his hair was quite grey. Aksionov laughs it off and promises to bring her some presents from the fair.
That was the last time she saw him as a free man. Aksionov tells her that they must petition the Czar
and not let an innocent man perish. His wife informs him that the petition she had sent had been
declined. While serving his lengthy jail time, no news reaches him about his family. He remains in
the dark concerning the well-being of his wife and children. When a fresh gang of convicts comes to
the prison, Aksionov asks one of them about his family: the merchants of Aksionov of Vladimir. He
tells him that they are rich though their father is in Siberia; a sinner like themselves. In his gloom, he
nostalgically remembers the image of his wife when he parted from her to go to the fair. Her face
and her eyes rise before him. He hears her speak in love. Then he sees the image of his children
quite little as they were at the time. One with a little cloak on, another at his mother’s breast.
Nonetheless, he forgives Makar Semyonich, the man responsible for his anguish. His heart grows
light and the longing for home leaves him.

Aksionov suffers more injustice when he is condemned to be flogged and sent to the mines. He is
flogged with a knot and when the wounds made by the knot are healed he is driven to Siberia with
other convicts. Aksionov lives in Siberia as a convict for 26 years. His hair turns white as snow and
his beard grows long, thin and grey. All his mirth goes, he stoops, he walks slowly, speaks little and
never laughs, but he often prays. He becomes a pale shadow of his former self: a handsome, fair-
haired, curly headed fellow, who was full of fun and loved singing. He learns to make boots and
earns a little money with which he uses to buy ‘The Lives of the Saints'. He reads the book in prison
and on Sundays in the prison-church, and sings in the choir. Despite his predicament, Aksionov is
likeable since he is meek. The prison authorities like him and his fellow prisoners respect him. They
call him ‘Grandfather’ and ‘The Saint’. He acts as an arbitrator and puts things rights whenever there
are quarrels among prisoners, and he also acts as the prisoners’ spokesman. His contentment helps
him to cope with his agony. Instead of holding a bitter grudge, he remains patient, restrained and
affable.

It is unfair that Aksionov suffers for the sins of Makar Semyonich, who gets arrested for less serious
crime of stealing a horse. When Aksionov asks Semyonich if he had had about the affair of the
murder of the merchant, Semyonich’s response makes him feel sure that he had killed the merchant.
That night he could not get any sleep. He felt so unhappy. He remembers the image of his wife
when he parted from her to go to the fair. Her face and her eyes rise before him. He hears her speak
in love. Then, he sees the image of his children quite little as they were at the time. One with a little
cloak on, another at his mother’s breast. He also remembers how he used to be himself, young and
merry. He remembers the day of his arrest while he was seated in the porch playing the guitar. He
bitterly remembers the flogging, the executioner and the people who were standing around him. He
remembers the chains, the convicts and all the 26 years of his prison life, and his premature old age.
These thoughts make him so wretched that he contemplates suicide. His anger against Makar
Semyonich is so great that he longs for revenge even if it would mean perishing for it. He repeats his
prayers all night but he does not get peace. During the day he avoids going near Makar Semyonich
and avoids even glancing at him. For two weeks, Aksionov cannot sleep at night and he's so
miserable and does not know what to do considering the fact that the man who was responsible for
his imprisonment was right there but he had been locked up for a less serious crime. Despite this, he
does not seek revenge. He had accepted his fate. He says for his sins, he had been in prison for
those 26 years. He did not like to speak of his misfortune. He says that he must have deserved the
punishment. This attitude helps him to cope with the misery of the injustice the state had meted
upon him.

Even when he gets a chance to avenge against Semyonich, Aksionov chooses to spare him the pain
and retribution instead. Aksionov catches Semyonich digging a hole under the wall with a view of
escaping from prison. Makar Semyonich threatens Aksionov and tells him to keep it a secret or else
he would kill him. Aksionov trembles with anger looking at his enemy. He tells Makar Semyonich that
he had no need to kill him for he killed him long ago. He adds that he will do as God shall direct.
When the prison officials find out about the hole and they question the prisoners about it, all of
them deny it. Those who knew would not betray Makar Semyonich, for they knew he would be
flogged almost to death. The governor at last turns to Aksionov, a just man, and says: “Tell me
before God who dug the hole?” Makar Semyonich ruined Aksionov’s life and he contemplates letting
the cat out of the bag so that Makar Semyonich can pay for what he had suffered. However, he
knows that if he opens his mouth, the officers would flog the life out of Semyonich. Maybe he
suspects him wrongly. Also he stands to gain nothing. He surrenders in the hands of the Governor
but refuses to tell him the truth, when he says that it is not God's will that He should tell. He knows
that two wrongs don’t make a right. He keeps his mouth shut and spares his arch nemesis potential
thorough flogging. The liberation of forgiveness is more fulfilling than the temporary delight of
revenge.

Semyonich is unjust to Aksionov when he chooses to confess his sins long after Aksionov had
 endured untold retribution for a sin he did not commit. Nevertheless, Aksionov forgives Makar
Semyonich even after he confesses to killing the merchant and framing Aksionov. He confesses that
he meant to kill him too but fled when he heard a noise outside. Semyonich kneels on the ground
and cries asking Aksionov to forgive him. He promises to confess to the authorities that he killed the
merchant so that Aksionov could be released. Aksionov has suffered for 26 years. He has nowhere
to go. His wife is probably dead and his children may have forgotten him by now. He has nowhere
to go even if he is released. Makar Semyonich beats his head on the floor and begs Aksionov to
forgive him. The guilt in his heart is unbearable. He remembers that Aksionov had screened him
concerning the hole he was digging trying to escape. He sobs bitterly. When Aksionov hears him
sobbing he begins to weep too. He says, “God will forgive you”. He also says that he may be a
hundred times worse than Makar Semyonich. His heart grows lighter and he does not long to go
home anymore. He has no desires to leave the prison and only hopes for his last hour to come.
Forgiveness is liberating. It supersedes freedom. Semyonich confesses, and an order for Aksionov’s
release comes: too little too late. He was already dead.

The fact that someone has done something unjust does not justify revenge. When we forgive our
oppressors, we are contented and we can bear the anguish of the oppression.

QUESTION 22: NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

People living on the streets apply wisdom in order to survive the difficult conditions. Write an essay to
qualify this statement citing illustrations from Rem'y Ngamije’s The Neighbourhood Watch.

Living conditions on the streets are difficult. To survive, one needs not only determination and effort but
also experience, knowledge and good judgment. Members of The Neighbourhood Watch apply wisdom to
survive the arduous conditions on the streets.

First, the crew is judicious enough to secure territory-a safe haven for sleeping or just to lay low
when they weren’t out on a foraging mission. The bridge’s underside is precious real estate to the
Neighbourhood Watch. It is an important shelter when it rains and during cold winter nights. The
letters NW sprayed on the columns have the same effect as musty pee at the edge of a leopard’s
territory. Other crews know better than to encroach it lest they face bloody retaliation. It is also a
safe place to hide their stash so that they don’t have to lug their scant possessions everywhere they
go. More luggage would slow them down as they rummage their neighbourhoods for food and
other essentials. Elias calls their territory headquarters. In the morning, he wakes up the rest of the
crew and they share a can of water for washing their faces. To a street family a safe territory is
indispensable.

Secondly, they are wise enough to rise early to go searching for food. Elias, Lazarus and Omagano
set out before the light of day is full born. They leave early so that they can score the real prizes-that
is the overflowing bins behind restaurants. In the early morning one can get edible semi-fresh
morsels. In the late morning, the food starts rotting. The neighborhood watch knows: “the early bird
does not catch the worms”. In order to get there in good time Elias, Lazarus and Omagano lengthen
they are strides. They know that time is of the essence on the streets.

The crew knows that they have to maintain a good bond with other people in order to survive. Elias
has a good rapport with most of the kitchen staff in the city. They refer to him by the monikers
‘Soldier’ or ‘Captain’. Sometimes, they leave out almost decaying produce for him and his group.
Because of the good relationship, Elias would sometimes be lucky to get potatoes with broken skins,
rotting mangoes, and wrinkled carrots. The staff would be generous enough to give them smushed
leftovers from the previous night for instance half eaten burgers, chips drowning in sauce or salads.
Most of the kitchen staff are poor and many a time they would need to take the leftovers to their
own families. It is amazing that Elias manages to get some food from them.

The Neighbourhood Watch crew is so astute that they have organized themselves into specialised
units. Elias, Lazarus and Omagano are always on full duty whereas Silas and Martin are tasked with
searching for other essentials. Before, Elias was in on his own so when he met Lazarus he suggested
that they form an alliance because it was taxing to rummage for food and other paraphernalia
necessary for survival in the streets. At first, Lazarus was resistant. Cold winter nights forced him to
comply. It worked for them since two people could cover more ground. One searches for food and
the other for other essentials and thus they could do more in a day. Now, they know that children
and women are valuable recruits. Some obstinate guards demand for a 10 or 20 dollar bribe to let
them scavenge through fenced off bins. Elias usually pays them but when he has no money
Omagano goes behind the dumpster with a guard and does what needs to be done. The valuables
crew on the other hand provide discarded blankets, mattresses, clothing, reusable shoes, trolleys
etc. Trolleys are useful but they can also be traded for better necessities. The two teams work
separately and meet in the late afternoon. They share the food that is bread, mashed potatoes,
grapes and water. The valuables crew brings newspapers, plastic piping and poorboy caps.

The Neighbourhood Watch also understands the city and its neighbourhoods. Elias asks the crew to
sleep since they plan to go foraging in Ausblick tonight. It is too hot to be on the streets now. Night
is better and more lucrative for the Neighbourhood Watch. The crew knows that if they hit the bins
early, they may score some good things in Ausblick for instance broken toasters, blenders, water
bottles, teflon pots or pans, flat screen TV cardboard boxes and even some food. People in Ausblick
still know how to throw away things. Elias, Lazarus and Silas will scout ahead rummaging for
valuables while Martin and Omagano push the trolley. They know that soon Ausblick will be
overcrowded like Olympia and Suiderhof. Pionierspark used to be worthwhile but not anymore. Now,
the Neighbourhood Watch are deterred by peeking heads, barking dogs and patrolling vehicles with
angry shouting men. They know that the earlier they get to Ausblick the better.

The Neighborhood Watch understands that in order to survive on the streets one must focus on the
present, not the past or the future. Everyone brings a past to the streets. Lazarus’s tattoos are
evidence of his prison stint. Elias is not scared of him since he faced gunfire against the South
African Defence Forces. Because of hunger or need for food on the streets, they have no time to
think about the past. Elias shares some street smartness with Lazarus. He says the streets has no
future, there is only today. “Today you need food. Today you need shelter. Today you need to take
care of today”. On Fridays and Saturdays, the crew avoids the streets and retreats safely to
Headquarters. They do this to avoid clashing with patrolling police. Silas wants to leave but is
forbidden from taking Martin with him. Elias and Lazarus mock the fools who sit on the roadside in
Klein Windhoek and Eros waiting to paint a room, fix a window, install a sink or lay some tiles
because they are too proud to forage for food. They end up going home hungry. Martin thinks that
sometimes those “fools” can get a job and maybe things will be better. Elias insists that “maybe is
tomorrow” and there is only today. On the street one needs to focus on the present to survive.
“Every day is today.”

Elias and Lazarus share what they have learned on the streets with the rest of the crew including
how they decided to change tack. The crew learned that you cannot survive by being around
people trying to survive. When foraging in the poor neighbourhoods, you only get what they don’t
need to survive. The Neighbourhood Watch realise that poor people only throw away garbage
 which is disgusting and babies which are useless. In the poor neighborhoods you had to be ready to
find shit: old food, used condoms, women’s things with blood, and broken things. When looking for
newspapers to light a fire once, Elias and Lazarus was shocked when they found a dead baby. They
knew it was time to upgrade. They only went there because they needed to survive. To survive you
go everywhere and do everything. You cannot be picky. But now they know that they should
upgrade and go to places where people have enough to throw away. Neighbourhoods with white
people and black people trying to be white people have such people. They finally get smart and
decide to move away from poor people who have nothing to throw away by themselves.

Lastly the Neighbourhood Watch is wise enough to know that there are some neighbourhoods you
have to avoid. They avoid Khomsadal which is overcrowded and people drink too much there. They
lost their friend Amos there due to his pride end alcohol. He used to curse people, use ugly swear
words and always refused to apologize. He was then stabbed to death. The Neighbourhood Watch
knows that on the streets dead bodies are bad. Police would roughly demand explanations from
witnesses. They used baton bashes, frustrating paperwork and throwing innocent people in holding
cells. When Amos died, everyone including Elias and Lazarus knew they had to run away. They were
also wise enough to stick to the initial story that they had nothing to do with the murder when the
police caught up with them. They were beaten, bruised, bleeding, with swollen eyes broken ribs and
injured limbs but that was better than losing life. They are smart enough to completely avoid
Khomsadal.

In conclusion, difficult experiences make people wise enough to cope and survive. Acuity is essential for
survival.

QUESTION 23: BOYI

War adversely affects families and communities. Making reference to Boyi by Gloria Mwaniga, write an
essay to support this statement.

When conflict thrives, it destroys family ties and communal bonds. Family members are affected when
they are separated from one another, some are traumatized and others killed as a result of the crisis. In
Gloria Mwaniga's Boyi, the militia meant to protect community land from strangers turns out to be the
enemy within, wreaking untold havoc on the same community they had vowed to protect.

First, Mama is adversely affected when her son is separated from the rest of the family. Madness
enters Mama's eyes when Baba gives Boyi away to the militia leader as collateral until he finds
40,000 land protection tax. As if fire ants had invaded her body, Mama stands up abruptly. She tears
off her kitenge headscarf and start shouting. Mama says that Baba must be sick in the head to think
Boyi would return. He must be deaf if he has not heard tales of neighbours whose sons had been
recruited by the militia. A child was not a mat that could be folded and returned to the owner or a
dress that one can borrow from a neighbour. Baba is enraged but he just sits there. In a metallic
whisper, he asks Mama what she wanted him to do. He justifies his action by saying he did it to
protect his family from the militia’s cruel actions of chopping off heads of whole families, carrying
off fresh heads like trophies and hanging them on trees or eating them like Idi Amin. They also
tortured victims by chopping off their ears and feeding them worm-filled earth. Mama does not buy
this explanation. Hives break out on her skin. Her eyes are deathly white like the eyes of one who
did not know her own mind. The narrator feels queasy as if someone had pulled her insides out
through her nostrils. War indeed has a devastating effect on loved ones. (P91-92)

Apart from that, Boyi's family is gripped with fear, desperation and anxiety. When reproached by
Mama, Baba holds his rage firmly with his hands. He pulls in his lips to a narrow thread, like a line
drawn on his dark face by a ruler. His voice sinks to a metallic whisper and he asks Mama what she
wanted him to do. He tells her that the militia was chopping off heads of whole families if one did
not give them money. They carry off fresh heads like trophies and hang them on trees or eat them
like Idi Amin. They torture their victims by slowly chopping off their ears and feeding them worm-
filled earth. Boyi's sister feels queasy as if someone had pulled her insides out through her nostrils.
The family knew that the militia would come to their house. Chesober, Baba's friend who taught at
Chepkukur Primary School, had them that the militia had a long list of people who aided the
government exercise to subdivide their land and give some of it to the strangers. Baba had lent a
panga and ‘makonge’ ropes to the government surveyors. When news breaks out that they had
begun attacking government representatives, Mama desperately starts blocking the sitting room
door with sacks of maize and beans. Out of fear or denial, the narrator and Boyi laughed at the
thought of the militia attacking them, their own kin. That is the night Matwa Kei knocks at their door
and demands to be given 10,000 land protection tax and 30,000 betrayal tax, failure to which they
would be shown “smoke without fire”. That is when he pushes Boyi forward and tells Matwa Kei to
hold onto him. Surely, war causes fear within families or communities. (P92)

The war also causes devastation that pushes Mama to the brink of insanity and disconnection from
reality. Boyi’s sister finds her mother seated alone on a kitimoto in the kitchen. She neither looks up
nor responds to greetings. She screams at the girl to leave some tea for her brother who will return
from the caves hungry. The screaming goes on for weeks. “Stupid girl, you want to finish tea and
your brother will come from the caves hungry,” she bawls. She would sit stunned gazing at the
whitewashed wall, declaring in a quiet voice that she was seeing a vision of a dazzling white dove.
God of Israel was showing her that her son was returning home after escaping from the snare of the
militia. After her monologues, she would sit sadly and silently. When her madness takes a walk, they
would brew tea together with a girl and she would nostalgically reminisce stories about Boyi; about
how he saved her marriage, his shiny ebony skin and eloquence in English which was too good for a
fifteen- year-old like him. This is a clear testament of a mother’s agony, anguish and disconnection
from reality. War really causes devastation to families. (P92-93)

The war drives Baba, a Christian, to partake in a strange cultural practice to escort Boyi’s spirit away.
Together with his cousin Kimutai, he digs a shallow grave and buries a banana stem wrapped in a
green cotton sheet. He asks death to take that body and never bother his family again. They do this
after Saulo brings news that a troop of two hundred Armed Forces men had been dispatched in
green lorries to carry out an undertaking dubbed ‘Operation Okoa Maisha’. They were coming to
flush out the militia. The war had gone on for too long and it is them themselves who had forced the
mighty arm of the government. Boyi’s sister is taken aback that her pious father had turned his back
on religion. Her mother refuses to play a part in the mock burial. She only follows Baba's movements
with her eyes. Mama’s voice bears manic vibrancy when she declares that she would not participate
in escorting her son’s spirit away. She has lost touch with reality and lives in denial. This is as a result
of the pointless conflict.(P93-94)

In her anguish, Mama is too despondent to eat. She sits muttering to herself without touching her
food. The ugali would remain untouched until a crusty brown film formed and the food had to be
thrown away to the chicken coop. Boyi's sister would catch the twist of her mouth when she would
sit and talk to herself for hours on end lamenting about her suffering. She asks God to tie a rope
around her stomach - to help her bear the anguish of losing her son to the ruthless militia. She asks
Boyi’s sister if she remembers his perfect teeth. After weeks of watching Mama, Boyi's sister gets
tired and starts going out with the rest of the children to the chief’s camp in Cheptap-burbur where
the army had pitched their green tents. War really causes suffering of family members. (P94)
Boyi's sister helplessly wishes that rituals would protect her brother. After getting tired of watching
Mama, she goes with the rest of the children to the chiefs camp in Cheptap-burbur where the army
had pitched their tents. They spend hours peeping through the Cypress fence eavesdropping the
soldiers’ conversations and making up fabulous tales from them. The very black officer called Sah-
gent defeated Idi Amin in Uganda. He told the others that Matwa Kei had more magic than Idi Amin.
The man is a real djinni. Boyi’s sister pictures Matwa-kei's favourite Chicago Bulls red cap absorbing
Sah-gent’s bullets. These stories make her think of the tales Boyi was telling her about the militia.
How they drank magic potions from Orkoiyot so that their bodies, like the Luo legend Lwanda
Magere, would become stone and enemies’ spears would slide off them. Their bodies were
embalmed in bloody cow dung to make them invisible for successful raiding missions. When they
marched through dry lands, clouds of red dust would rise up to the heavens like a swarm of locusts
because the earth god Yeyiin went with them. She held on to these stories tightly. Willing them to
be true. Willing Boyi to be more powerful than the soldiers. (P94-95)

Boyi's sister recounts horrific tales of the militia’s cruelty. That December the farmers do not clear
their shambas for the second planting of maize. The militia steals young crops from the fields and
goats from the pens. Instead of working, men and women sit under mtaragwa trees and exchange
dreadful tales of the horrendous cruelty of the militia. The militia cuts up people and throw their
bloodied bodies in rivers, pit latrines and wells. They recruit boys as young as ten who are forced to
kill their own relatives. Instead of protecting the land from being given to lazy strangers, the militia
goes on an indiscriminate killing spree, and their kin are victims of the aggression instead of
beneficiaries. Koros, their neighbour, informs Baba that the recruited members of the militia had to
first go home and kill a close relative so that their hearts were strong to kill others. Baba replies
solemnly: “Puoot, war is a maggot that nibbles and nibbles at the heart of men.” Boyi’s sister has a
terrible dream that her brother, whose eyes were the colour of Coca-Cola, attacks her and chops her
into “small-small” pieces so that his heart would become strong to kill. The thought is traumatizing.
She wakes up feeling like an anchorless red balloon was floating in her stomach. (P95)

The chilling tales of war causes fear and trauma. There is a mass exodus to Bungoma and Uganda as
families try to escape. The family of the narrator’s friend, Chemtai, moves away to Chwele. The
villages of Kopsiro, Saromet, Chepyuk and Chelebei are engulfed in a thick yellow fog of fear. They
did not understand the militia’s motive anymore. The thugs take away girls to cook for them. They
decapitate people and throw their heads in Cheptap-burbur river which was scarlet with fresh
human blood from the floating human heads. They also rape their own relatives. The abused
women and girls end up giving birth to transparent “plastic bag” babies. The narrator imagines the
horror of seeing Boyi’s “plastic bag” baby playing Tinker-tailor-soldier-sailor with boats that fell from
the flame tree. Since school is disrupted by the war, such thoughts haunt the young girl as she
spends her idle days under a flame tree at home.

Boyi’s family members are devastated when they hear the news of how Boyi goes from a pious boy
to a marked man. Boyi's sister wonders if it is Mama's mourning that courted misfortune or Baba's
total refusal to talk about Boyi that made their ancestors forget to protect him. It is raining and the
narrator is standing at the kitchen window staring at the silver droplets when she sees Chesaina, an
old friend of Baba, who works as a watchman in a grain depot in far away Chwele market. She is
surprised to see him visit. Chesaina tells Baba and Mama that he got word from a trader, who got it
from the mouth of a big government man, that boy was now a marked man. Because of the war,
innocent children turn into savages. Apart from the boys who were forced to murder or rape their
own kinsmen, Boyi has also gone from a God-fearing young man to a wanted criminal. Chesaina
says: “This war has taken with it the mind of your son.” Boyi's sister hides behind the kitchen door
watching Mama. Mama says in her old voice that she must not be told such rubbish about her son.
She tells Chesaina that if he wanted Omo to wash his dirty mouth he should just say so. Her eyes are
flooded with tears. She puts both hands on her head. She asks: “Matwa kei what did I ever do to you?
Tell me Matwa kei, tell me now so that I repent.” Her voice chokes. The narrator wanted to tell
Chesaina to shut up but her tongue is clammy and it sticks to the roof of her mouth. Baba tries to
calm Mama down. He tells her that Boyi was a good son who used to recite his responsorial psalm
earnestly. The distressing news crashes Boyi’s parents and reduces both of them to tears. They
cannot wrap their heads around the fact that their good son is now Matwa Kei's right hand man and
an enemy of the state. Mama keeps crying so Chesaina walks out in the rain. That day Boyi's sister
sees Baba's tears for the first time: Two silver streams rolling down polished porcelain. War really
devastates families. (P96)

War causes sad memories as family members think about the broken bonds. Boyi's sister sleeps on
Boyi’s bed for the first time. His blue bed sheets, with prints of chicks coming out of yellow egg
shells, enfold her with deathly coolness. They smell much of him; of his boyish laughter which shone
like toffees wrapped in silver foil; of brown butterscotch sweets which appeared as though by
magic from his sticky pockets. She fondly remembers how he used to hoard items Baba declared
illegal for example jawbreakers and sticks of Big G. She presses her sore stone-breasts on the sheets
willing the pain her brother felt in the cold caves on herself. She imagines him staring with shiny
eyes as she tells him about the soldiers, especially Sah-gent, whose adventures she knew Boyi
would love the most. She also imagines them playing Ninja soldier as they had done as children.
Boyi is wearing his checkered school shirt while she is in a T-shirt. She remembers when their
mother caught them playing that game once, and scolded them for courting misfortune and calling
death by its name. War affects families and communities adversely. (P96)

Lastly, Boyi’s family is devastated by the news of his killing. Boyi's sister knows it was a bad omen
the night thunderstruck and a bolt of lightning shattered the huge Nandi flame tree at the front of
 their house. Mama jubilantly declares that the evil which was to come to their house had been
struck down and swallowed by the Nandi flame. She then sits next to Boyi’s sister on the animal
print sofa and listens to the tatatata as the splinters of tree fall on the mabati roof and shake the
whole house. Early the next morning, Simoni dashes into their compound and hands her a copy of
the Nation newspaper whose headline screams coldly, “Ragtag Militia Leaders Killed by Army
Forces.” Something throbs with both fists at her chest as she runs like a mad woman and bangs on
her parents bedroom door. She does not stir when Baba crumples like an old coat due to shock
after reading the article. She does not frown when Mama’s ribbon laughter pierces the early
morning. She does not weep when neighbours start streaming into their house pouring
consolations for war has robbed them of their kin in the prime of his youth. Mama does not fall on
the ground as Simoni describes how Boyi had been captured in the sacred cave. She does not weep
when he describes how Boyi was murdered brutally by Sah-gent who threw him out of an aircraft
which was mid-air, without a parachute. There was no body to bury or for Mama to slap for that
matter. She looks at Baba with unclouded innocent eyes of lunacy. With death in her voice, she tells
him that the government Sah-gent had thrown Boyi down “without a parachute, imagine”. Her
voice is neither bitter nor sad. It is flat. It cracks a little like dry firewood when fire eats it. Mama does
not fling words at Baba when he takes his Sony transistor radio and the Nation newspaper and
throws them in the almost full pit latrine outside. She is truly devastated. She speaks Boyi’s name
softly as though the syllables were made of tin. She sits on Boyi’s bed together with her daughter
who weeps uncontrollably, her tears soaking her blue silk blouse and purple boob top. Boyi’s sister
does not tell her mother that she had felt life leaving Boyi's body. War indeed affects families
adversely. (P97)

In summary, it is evident that conflict or crisis has no positive outcome. They instead destroy families and
communities.
QUESTION 24: DECEMBER
People suffering from mental illness need a close, loving bond from family members. Making reference to
December and September in December by Filemon Liyambo, write an essay to validate this statement.

It is important to maintain sincere, meaningful relationships with loved ones who are suffering from mental
illness in order to provide the support that they need. September loves and cares for his sister who suffers
from a mental illness.

First, despite the mean treatment by the KFC waitress, September is determined to get his sister a
meal she enjoys. The waitress is impudent. She eyes September with a deathly stare and the
furrowed brow and rudely asks him if he was ordering anything. When he orders chips, she sneers
at him. This reminds him of how his grandfather Ezekiel looked at him over his glasses whenever he
sensed “traces of idiotism” or absent-mindedness(P84). September endures the nonchalance for
the sake of his sick sister. Like most Namibian towns where everyone knew each other, there was
an indifference to those who did not reside there. Strangers had to wait until Jesus returned for
decent customer service. The rude waitress hands September his chips and scoffs at the idiocy. She
wonders who comes to KFC to order chips. September samples the chips and they are soft just like
his sister preferred them. He even asks for an extra sachet of tomato sauce(P85). When he visits
December in hospital and gives her the chips, she acknowledges that they are nice. September adds
that they are soft, just how she liked them. A further display of affection is evident when he rubs the
tomato sauce off her lips gently(P89). It is important to maintain such a loving bond with our family
members who suffer from mental illness.
Despite the cold reception at the hospital and his lateness, September is adamant that he must see
his sick sister. When he greets the nurse sorting paperwork at her desk, she shouts rudely: “What do
you want?” To which he replies that he was there to visit his sister. Her curved eyebrows point him
to a chart on the wall. He is thirty minutes late according to the wall chart for visiting hours and the
clock. Determined to see his sister, he tries sincerity and charm by flashing a smile. His
courteousness does not spare him the indifference. Rolling her eyes, the nurse insists” “Kamatyona,
you’re late.” The nurse call security on him. He is not moved by the two giants and the smaller man.
He sits on the grey waiting benches, hoping to see his sister. Luckily, the head of security is
Tshuuveni, September’s childhood friend. He was one of the several boys who pursued December
when she was young. He was the reason why September acquired a puppy named Kali, which
hound Tshuuveni whenever he came near the homestead. The rude nurse learns that it was
December Shikongo, his sister, that September wanted to see so badly(P87). Due to his resolution,
she finally capitulates and allows September to see his sister for twenty minutes. September’s
persistence is born out of the loving bond between him and December.

September maintains a loving bond with his sister despite her challenge of mental illness. December
affectionately refers to September as Ka Brother, little brother. This is her favorite greeting.
December and September have always shared a loving relationship since they were children. When
they were too small to join their siblings working in the mahangu (pearl millet) field, December
tended to her mother’s vegetable garden, together with September. September, four at the time,
liked hiding. When the sister was digging with a hoe, he sprang up when she was in mid swing. The
impact made a small but deep gush on the head. December shows sincere affection for her brother
when she rips off her T-shirt to stem the bleeding. She also nurses him back to health when he
returns from the hospital(P85). At the hospital, September notices that December’s hair was
scattered like patchy Kaokoveld Dress. Her eyes shine. She is gaunt. Her lips are swollen. She had
probably walked into a wall again. She looks thin – like that time her grandfather had taken her to a
healer and she returned looking skeletal, as if the healer had tried starving the voices out of her
head. September sympathizes with his sister, and can only manage a weak: “How are you?”. This
notwithstanding, they engage in a warm conversation. They talk about school. They both laugh and
share a smile(P88). When it is time to go, December has to be pried out of her brother’s arms. The
nurse comforts her saying that tomorrow is also another day. It is important to maintain such a
loving relationship with relatives suffering from mental illness.

When September visits, he often brings his sister food and thoughtful gifts. He had visited the
hospital a few times before so he did not need directions to the psychiatric ward. He even knew a
shortcut: a narrow path between pediatrics and the pharmacy. He was so familiar with the hospital
that he notices that it had been renovated twice since the last time he had been there. The
turquoise and green paint was still fresh. He also notices that the bars on the windows of the ward
had been reinforced(P86). The ward had a small garden outside, made-up of three beds of irises.
That is where he used to sit with his sister when she was first admitted. He would bring her food –
beef or mutton – and ask her how she was. She always responded: “Fine”. She would plead with him:
“Onda vulwa mo mu!” She wanted to go home because she was tired either of her mind or the
hospital. He cared for her and could not promise something he could not fulfill(P86). September
brings his sister some thoughtful gifts. He gives her a jersey – a grey hoodie. She thanks him saying
the place is always cold(P89). He also gives her a pen and a book full of puzzles. Then a T-shirt:
simple, navy blue, with the Union Jack on it. A replica of the one December ripped to stem
September’s bleeding. She shows the indifferent nurse the gifts her brother had brought her. Lastly,
he hands her chips: soft, just how she liked them. September displays loving affection for his sister
when he visits her regularly and brings her food and gifts(P89).

Lastly, September has to be there for his sister December since he is the only relative in a position to
 do this. He tries to inquire from his grandfather why December is forbidden from eating chicken but
his grandfather never clearly explains. He simply says: “That’s how things are.” He was hiding
something(P85). September did not understand how December unraveled the way a thread comes
loose: in parts then all at once. She went from having problems with her classmates, catfights and
name-calling, to walking half-naked through the streets talking to herself. He believes people did not
go crazy overnight, there had to be a plausible explanation. September is angered by his
grandfather Ezekiel’s insistence that December was bewitched. Ezekiel’s brother Josef was also
mentally ill. The illness also afflicted September’s father, Silas Shikongo, who passed away.
December's descent from being a stellar student to a psychiatric patient was too abrupt and
inexplicable. The grandfather felt there were other forces behind it(P86). Besides their grandfather’s
superstitious beliefs, their mother's heart was broken and her daughter’s sickness had aged her
faster than her husband’s untimely demise. September is also hurt that December was left on pause,
while life moved on. He cannot also inform December that their grandfather had passed on. He
keeps this information to protect her feelings. September has no choice but to maintain a loving
bond with his sister who has no one else to turn to.

In conclusion, it is important to maintain a loving relationship with family members suffering from mental
illness.
QUESTION 25 : CHEQUE MATE
People who live in constant fear of being exposed try very hard to keep their dealings secret. Write an
essay to support this statement citing illustrations from Kevin Baldeosingh's Cheque Mate.

Some people are constantly worried about what they do in darkness being brought to light. When the
things they do in secret are revealed in public they may be embarrassed or be in trouble so they go to
great lengths to hide their misdeeds as in the case of Sukiya and Randall in Kelvin Baldeosingh’s Cheque
Mate.

Since Sukiya is hell bent on keeping her huge income secret, she deliberately avoids going to the
bank branch where she has her savings account because the staff there would be too familiar with
her business. She chooses a special queue for platinum credit card holders that only has three
people. There are only two people behind her and they are not close enough to hear her
conversation with the teller. She does all this trying to keep her huge earnings a secret because of
the fear of being exposed.

Also, she decides that she would not deal with any bank managers directly. Ever since she was
appointed corporate secretary, she got a tenfold salary raise. She became among the country’s one
percent highest income earners. Every 28th day of the month, fifty thousand dollars went
automatically into her savings account. Her savings account had over seven million dollars.
Although she has been working for fifteen years, she became corporate secretary only six years ago.
As an in-house lawyer for Randall’s company, her savings never crossed ten thousand dollars. Now
she deposits five times that amount every month in that same account, which she opened when she
was eighteen years old working as a store clerk. That is why she decides never to deal personally
with bank managers as most new customers in her income bracket do. A bank manager could make
an educated guess and find an anomaly in her earnings. Someone who earns fifty thousand a
month accumulating seven million dollars in only six years is something that would raise eyebrows.

Sukiya is worried that the bank teller may get suspicious when she takes back her cheque of five
million dollars, which is a substantial amount. The teller seemed like a sensible woman and
everything about her, including the black wire frames of her spectacles and her stocky figure in her
grey bank uniform seemed sensible. But she was not making any sense, when she asks if Sukiya
wanted to deposit the thirty million dollars, in her savings account. Sukiya thinks that ordinary tellers
know little about how rich people conduct their business. But today she feels a flutter in her
stomach. She is nervous because she was about to deposit a cheque of five million US dollars which
is equivalent to 30,242,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars. When the teller gestures with the cheque
Sukiya almost flinches. Aghast at her own carelessness she barely hears as the teller explains about
US dollar accounts. Sukiya is worried because her boss would be furious if her error exposed him to
a legal investigation or a public embarrassment. This is a mistake she could not have made 16 years
ago when she was a 25 year old attorney fresh out of law school or seven years ago when she
completed a degree in accounting. She had never made such a mistake before and she never
makes mistakes. She is thus worried that the teller may get suspicious if she took back the cheque.
She does everything to keep her income secret.

Sukiya has to keep some of her money in offshore accounts for the fear of being exposed to the
authorities. She could not deposit the five million dollars into her local account. All her cheques go to
the Cayman islands account which she uses to invest and pay mortgages on her London flat. When
Randall inherited his company, electronic banking was not standard. He had also watched many
movies where accounts of businessmen had been cleaned out by unrealistically cunning criminals
who hacked into them. So he preferred payments in paper. He insisted on paying Sukiya for her
extra duties involving foreign firms with US cheques. Every two months she had to fly from Trinidad
to the Grand Caymans to deposit the cheques into her account there. She does this to keep her
large earnings a secret. She is worried about being exposed if she banks the money in her local
bank accounts.

In order to keep her secrets safe, the maids are not allowed inside Sukiya’s study even when she is
present. It always remains locked. Although she is not as paranoid as Randall, Sukiya’s desktop
computer does not have internet access. For that, she uses her laptop, netbook or iPhone. The
computer also has more than one layer of password for foolproof protection. On the computer, she
checks her accounts over the past year and compares them with the recent transactions with the
cheques laid out in front of her. Everything matches except for the five million. She does all this
hoping she has not made any mistake because the mistake may expose her or her boss and this
would make her boss furious in case it leads to legal investigations or public embarrassment. Sukiya
does everything to keep the dealings of her company and their incomes secret.

Sukiya plans her strategy to help protect herself from the prying eyes of investigators. She arrives
for the meeting with Randall at 1:15 and waits in her Q7 since she does not want to be kept waiting
because that would put her in a position of weakness. She also does not want to arrive late since
Randall insists on punctuality. She waits until 1.25 o’clock and takes the elevator to the top floor and
walks into Randall’s outer office at exactly 1.29 o’clock.

In order to keep his secrets safe, Randall maintains his old secretary for very long time. This is
because she knows more about his dealings than anybody else at the company. Margaret was
Randall’s secretary even before he inherited the company. She has no formal skills except typing
and shorthand. That notwithstanding, she is Randall’s executive assistant. What’s more? She even
has her own secretary to deal with routine duties. Her office is bigger than Sukiya's. She is paid more
than most managers in the company's subsidiaries. This is because she knows more about Randall’s
dealings than anyone else in the company including Sukiya herself. Randall goes to great lengths to
prevent his secrets from leaking to the public eye or the prying eyes of the authorities or
investigators.
Randall tries to avoid prosecution by forging his own signature using Sukiya’s pen. He gives Sukiya
a cheque of five million U.S. dollars which he says, on the books is her fee for writing the methanol
deal but off the books, it is her fee for keeping her mouth shut about the methanol deal. Randall
influences Sukiya to write a valuation report for the shares in which the contract undervalues the
shares by fifty percent. He knows that Sukiya signs documents without reading them properly.
Because of the undervaluation, the Chinese offer him a huge kickback. Feeling victorious, Randall
smiles. Sukiya is more nervous than she was at the bank and now she feels as though her stomach
is a cold, tight ball. Her mouth has gone dry. Randall uses different signatures to sign off the
cheques. He does this to make it appear like someone had access to blank cheques and forged his
signature. He even uses Sukiya’s pen, a Tibaldi rollerball, to make it appear like Sukiya had forged
his signature. He tries to betray Sukiya in order to protect himself. He knows that the universe is
collapsing and its masters cannot hold. The company will be bankrupt in three months. He thinks
that there’s going to be a worldwide financial crisis before the year is finished. He laughs when he
realizes that Sukiya does not pay attention to the world. He wants to avoid prosecution since he
knows that when push comes to shove and the storm breaks he will be in its eye. His strategy is to
avoid prosecution by ensuring that none of the documents the authorities will come for implicate
him. He is the boss but there will be nothing to hold him accountable and that makes a crucial
difference. Randall goes to great lengths to conceal his financial transgressions.

In order to protect herself, Sukiya ensures that she records Randall’s voice which incriminates him.
She knows that if the company goes down, it will affect many people who have taken a life
insurance with them. That will affect the votes and therefore the government would hire American
forensic auditors or even the British QC to prosecute the case. She sheds tears and tells Randall that
she has always been loyal to him to which he quickly replies that she was certainly paid enough to
be loyal. She asks if he can help her. Randall tells her to approach him and kneel. Sukiya peers at her
iPhone and presses some buttons. Randall’s voice is heard distinctly. He shoots up from his chair. He
 has the expression of a vengeful god. He stands there as if held by invincible chains. His breathing is
heavy. Sukiya tells him not to worry as they will face the coming storm together. Sukiya does this in
a bid to protect herself and keep her secrets safe.

In conclusion, people go to great lengths to keep embarrassing or illicit details of their lives hidden from
the public eye. However, this means they live their lives in fear and they have to keep watching over their
shoulder to avoid the prying eye of the hawk-eyed investigators or embarrassment from the general
public.