20.
Runyararo
Runyararo stood at the kitchen sink, humming and peeling a potato. She had been listening to the song ‘Makanaka’ that Celebrate Africa had released a while ago. Panashe had recommended it to her. Runyararo liked it, particularly the chorus. It always made her feel like leaping and jumping for the Lord.
At the thought of leaping and jumping, Runyararo remembered Joseph and how he had done just that at the Bible study. She chuckled at the memory.
‘Eh eh eh. Urikusekei?’
Runyararo turned to see Aunt Abigail coming through the kitchen door holding a green dish with a cloth draped over it.
‘Hi Aunty,’ she said. She shrugged and smiled. ‘ I’m just remembering something funny that happened.’
‘Mhmm,’ Aunty Abigail said, eyeing her. ‘Unoziva kuti laughing by yourself is how people start to go crazy.’
Runyararo laughed.
‘Aunty. I’m not going crazy.’
‘That’s what crazy people will say.’ Aunty Abigail replied, eyebrows raised. ‘But how do they know? They are crazy they can’t tell what is true or not.’
‘Aunty. Really?’
‘Mhmm. Chokwadi.’
‘Well I’m not one of those people. And you know it.’
Aunty Abigail smiled. ‘Yes. Okay okay. You are not crazy.’
She stooped toward the lower cupboards and glanced back at Runyararo. ‘ If anyone is to be crazy in this house it will be that brother of yours.’
‘Aunty!’
Aunty Abigail laughed as she put away the dish in the cupboard and rinsed the cloth.
‘Don’t be mean to Clemence. He’s changing, you know.’ Runyararo said.
Runyararo had noticed that lately her brother was more quiet…contemplative. She felt that his experience of nearly being hit by a truck had changed something in him. She was yet to ask him more about it but he hadn’t seemed in the mood to talk lately. She thought it best to give him space until he was ready to talk.
‘Maybe.’ Aunty Abigail said, not entirely convinced.
She glanced at Runyararo. ‘You are changing too,’
‘Me?’ Runyararo asked, surprised. ‘How?’
Aunty Abigail shrugged. ‘You just seem- happier. You are smiling more. Singing. Look, you were even laughing by yourself, now now.’ She laughed and Runyararo laughed with her.
She hadn’t realised that the joy she had been feeling was evidently showing.
‘Mhmm. I guess so.’
‘Mhmm,’ Aunty Abigail hummed. ‘So what is making you so happy.’
‘I don’t know,’ Runyararo shrugged hesitant to mention the Bible Study. ‘Life, I guess.’
‘Life! ‘ Aunty Abigail exclaimed. ‘ He, please. Don’t lie to me. It is most likely some boy. You girls always smile-smile when you meet a mukomana.’
Runyararo’s mouth fell open in surprise and words of protest got caught in her throat.
‘Aunty! It is not a boy!’
‘Ho ho? So then what is it? Mhmm? See you can’t even tell me. It’s because it’s a boy.’
‘It’s not! I just- ugh.’ Runyararo threw her hands in the air. Aunty was impossible. ‘ I met some friends and we’ve been talking about God together that’s all.’
‘Mhmm mhmm,’ Aunty Abigail looked unbelieving.
‘It’s true!’ Runyararo exclaimed. ‘You know me, Aunty.’
Aunty Abigail looked at her for a moment and then nodded her head.
‘Yes yes. That’s true.’ She began wiping down the kitchen tops with her cloth.
‘So who are these friends of yours?’
‘Well there’s Anah and her best friend Panashe. Umm, and there’s Alice and two boys, Munya and Jospeh.’
‘Hah! So there are boys.’
‘Yes Aunty.’ Runyararo said, exasperated. ‘But it’s not like that.’
‘Okay. Okay.’ Aunty said, ‘And when do you talk? Pamaphone?’
‘Mhmm. Most of the time.’ Runyararo answered vaguely.
‘And the other time? Do you go out to eat together?’
‘No. Not really.’
‘So you’ve met these people in person? How do you know they can be trusted? Mhmm? For all you know you could be talking to ghosts. Chipoko.’
Runyararo sighed and shook her head. ‘They are not ghosts, Aunty. They are people. And I have met them.’
‘When?’ Aunty asked, wanting to be convinced that Runyararo wasn’t communing with spirits.
‘We umm- we met at a Bible Study on Tuesday.’
‘A Bible study!’ Aunty exclaimed. Her loud voice made Runyararo wince.
She glanced nervously at the door to the dining room.
‘Ooh hoo. I see. That’s good. That’s good. If you are attending church together it’s fine.’
‘It’s not really a church, Aunty. Its-‘
‘Church? What church?’
Runyararo froze.
Oh no.
She turned to see her father standing in the doorway. Her heart plummeted down her chest and landed into her stomach.
‘Deddi-‘
‘Are you attending another church?’ He stood in the doorway. He looked serious. His face straight and unyielding.
‘Not, umm,’ she swallowed. ‘It’s- it’s not really a church. It’s a- a Bible study.’
‘And you go to it?’ He left no room for her to answer. ‘When?’
‘Yes. I- on Tuesday. ‘
‘How long have you been going?’
‘Just- just last week.’
‘Fine. That was your last one.’
‘Deddi! ‘ She exclaimed. He had just come in, heard the word church and jumped to conclusions. Would he let her explain?
‘I have told you before. We will all attend the same church. What do you think people will say if they see my children going to other pastors?’
‘Deddi. It’s not a church. There is no pastor.’
‘It doesn’t matter. If people know you are going elsewhere they will question my credibility. Do you want that?’ He looked at her, his eyebrows raised in question.
‘No, Deddi.’ She didn’t want his credibility questioned. ‘But-’
‘Aiwa,’ He shook his head and lifted his hand. Leaving no room for further arguments. ‘ I’m not going to fight with you. I’ve had enough of that with Clemence. I’m not going to start with you. You are not going to attend anymore.’
Runyararo opened her mouth to make further protest. He was being unreasonable!
But her father interrupted her firmly. “Ndati no, Runyararo. You will not go anymore.’
With that he turned around and left.
Runyararo stared after him. Her mouth hanging open with the words left unsaid.
She could feel the heavy heat of anger rising up within her. How could he be so unreasonable? It wasn’t a church! And besides? Who cared what other people thought? Her father did clearly and he was going to keep her from the Word to keep up his own image.
Tears of frustration gathered in her eyes.
‘Ugh,’ she slammed her hands against the sink.
‘Mwanangu,’ Aunty Abigail said. Her tone consoling and gentle. She touched a hand to Runyararo’s shoulder. I’m sorry. He must have heard me. Me and my loud mouth. I am sorry.’
Runyararo was tempted to glare at the old woman and agree with her. It was true. If Aunty Abigail hadn’t been so insistent on getting into her business and then yelling about church, her father wouldn’t have heard and then come and ruined everything. Runyararo took a deep breath and shook her head. No, that wasn’t fair.
Sure he may have been tipped off by Aunty Abigail but this was going to happen eventually. It just happened sooner than Runyararo would have liked. Besides, other things could have led to him finding out. She could have let it slip. She had no right to take out all her anger on Aunty Abigail.
‘It’s fine Aunty. It’s not your fault.’
But still the tears gathered in her eyes.
She let out a weighted breath. What was she going to do? She didn’t want to stop attending the meetings? She couldn’t. They were feeding her soul; they were giving her light. Sure there was WhatsApp and she could talk to Anah and Panashe, but meeting in person was important too. She didn’t want to have to go back to staying at home all the time. She didn’t want to go back to sitting through unfruitful services. She-. She sighed.
Runyararo squeezed her eyes shut. Oh Lord, Lord. Please, help me. Please. Don’t let this good thing come to an end.
Why would He let this happen? He was the one who led her to these Bible studies. Surely He would then keep her father from knowing about them? What was the point of starting something in her life that wouldn’t finish?
As Runyararo’s mind ran over these questions, Runyararo remembered the word in Mark Chapter 4 that spoke of the seed that fell on hard soil, sprang up and then died.
Jesus had explained that the man who received the seed this way was one who heard the word and then left it when trials and persecutions came. Another passage of Scripture came to mind. Where Jesus said he came not to bring peace but a sword. He came to put daughter against mother –in- law, father against son.
Understanding dawned on her. This was what was happening here.
Her seed of faith was coming under persecution. Her faith was pitting her against her father. But what was she to do? How was she respond to that? Would she let her father choke the word growing in her? Would she let him destroy it? Or would she press forward regardless.
Runyararo opened her eyes and gazed out the window. She knew what she wanted. She wanted to continue in the light of truth. There was a strong and firm conviction within her that she was supposed to continue with this.
God? Is this you speaking to me? She believed it was.
But how was she supposed to defy her father? How was she supposed to keep attending without him knowing?….
