Before I tell you why, let me give you the background first. It all started on the day I went to the book signing of that Black Mamba Boy book, by Nadifa Mohamed.
People were lining up to buy their own copy and get it signed by the author. I sat back and decided to let the crowd disperse before going to get mine. When I did, I noticed that there were two books for sale. One was by Ms Nadifa and the other was by someone called Cabdullahi Cawad Cige!
The name of the second author rang a bell. I knew I've heard it before and in order to confirm my suspicion; I grabbed the book and quickly read the introduction and the information about the author. It turned out that the man lives in Liverpool, England. It said that he lived there since the late eighties. It must be the Cabdullahi that I knew.
Once I realised it was he, I was obliged to buy his book (isku raas banu nahay, oo waliba bari ayuu i suuriyaay – Bal Maaddeey ha ogado in aan anigu ilaawin koobka shaha la ii qaaday in the early 90s).
At first, I thought the book would bore me and I would give up within the first few pages. In addition, the first few pages of the book had a quick translation giving an overall summary in English. I already knew what the story was all about (AIDS), so was there any point in reading the book itself and putting myself through the torture? I am happy to report that there was.
I have not read any Somali books in the past and therefore cannot comment on the literary style, mastery of words or even the poetic ability of the author. However, I have read many other books in two different languages and believe that I have developed an eye for a story that is told well, and, this one is told really well.
The story starts with the relationship between Keenadiid the schoolteacher and Nuura the pretty girl with a limp. The girl is discriminated against because of her mother's clan but this does not stop the teacher from befriending her and having his wicked way with her. He later ignores her pleas when she tells him that she's pregnant. The girl's aunt (Asli) is the neighbour of the schoolteacher. She is a traditional lady who is into her incense burning and communications with spirits. The girl tells her aunt about her pregnancy, the aunt burns her incense, the schoolteacher loses his mind.
I can go on and describe every character and the way they are portrayed in the book but that will not serve any purpose here. For I was not impressed with the characters themselves (though I related to every single one of them, even the AIDS virus), I was more impressed with the way the author introduced a character, left him to simmer in the background and then brought him back into the story (in later chapters) fully formed and with a tale of his own. The story is about AIDS after all and this little method was like a virus in itself. He infects you with the thought and then allows it to spread until you find yourself completely immersed in the life story of that person.
Take Kaahin for instance. He was a layabout in London who spent most of his time chewing and receiving social benefits. When his two brothers (one an SNM hero and the other a doctor) refuse to accept the job of being the Minster of Health in SL, the old men who struck a clan deal with the president turn their attention to Kaahin and pluck him out of his aimless life in London. On his way to SL, he stops in Addis Ababa, sleeps with a prostitute, gets infected with the AIDS virus and goes to Hargeisa to take up his duties as Minster of Health.
The author covers so many issues and problems so masterfully that it makes one forget how each and every one of these issues would fill an entire book on its own. He talks of the SNM struggle without preening or pride. He describes the life and background of a Somali government soldier that is about to be killed by an SNM sniper. He later creates a moving scene where the sniper is having a nightmare involving the soldier's wife and children asking him why he killed their dad/husband.
Further on, he beautifully builds up another scene involving a government soldier, the sniper (who has become an SNM hero by now), an elusive ostrich and a sleeping snake. The short and long of that scene is that: the sniper is trying to kill the soldier but he can't see him because the soldier had bent down to tie his own shoelaces. Meanwhile, a tired ostrich that has been earlier chased by this same soldier is looking for a place to sit down and rest. She finds a tree with lots of fallen leaves around it. Under the leaves, lies a sleeping snake. The ostrich sits and the snake bites it. The ostrich fleas in pain. The sniper sees it but mistakes it for the soldier and stands up to have a good aim at the tiny head in the distance running to and fro. The soldier gets up and sees the sniper that killed many of his comrades standing openly in the distance and aiming his gun at something to his right. Both men take their aim. As the soldier's bullet tastes flesh, the sniper's one blows the ostrich's head into smithereens.
The other issues covered include ghosts; illiterate wadaads and the way people view AIDS. In addition, I am sure many of us had heard someone or other referring to tribalism as being some sort of AIDS virus. Well, the author goes even further and gives the AIDS virus a name (he calls him Roge – as in waxbo roga). However, he doesn't leave it at that. He gives the virus a personality and a major part in the story (as a character and not just a problem).
In the story, Roge lives in the body of an English schoolteacher. The teacher sleeps with a Somali girl and transfers Roge to her. By the time she finds out (14 years later), Roge has gone forth and multiplied. In this multiplication he practically created his own clan. For the rest of the book, whenever there is a sex scene (not many and not that erotic), Roge has to give long speeches to his clan and tell them to prepare for movement. Furthermore, Roge and his kin, in whatever body they enter (apart from the Ethiopian prostitute's), always have to wage war against the white blood cells. With Roge being the caaqil of this section of the AIDS family, he always has to gee his troops up and tell them that in other bodies their counterparts finish the job in half the time (he gets a chance to say 'I told you so' when they enter the prostitute's body and find many viruses already residing there).
The story has its sad parts, it has its funny parts and it has parts that make the reader think about the situation of Somalia and Somalis. It criticises and shows up ignorance in the religious community, the Diaspora and even pokes much hilarious fun at the president of SL. But every point is valid, every dig is measured and every character is readable.
The book is called ROGE.
Here is a review in Somali
