worcester.ma (https://worcester.ma/author/augustine-kanjia/page/2/)
The teachers had to punish me for telling the headmaster what I should have kept secret. I was given 24 lashes with a stick. While in pain, my result was released. It cured me, but I was still in tears as I heard teachers talk about my good result but lack of money to even go for the intake interview. The days went by fast and I still had no money. Omolé, our illicitly distilled liquor, was helpful.
“The Worcester World Cup, as the name suggests, was created specially to bring people together. We wanted everyone to come together,” Iraqi immigrant and youth volunteer Adam Maarij said.
“We looked for shade to sit and wait for the others as we cooled down. Some children were wandering around, but it was a holiday for them because of the exams for us younger students. They bumped into us. I became their target since I was tiny and going to high school. One of them came and accused me of taking their ball, which was going to be the center of the problem.”
“I had little time to waste for Grannie’s call. She told me in Mende that she had the medicine to make me clever. She showed me the bottle and promised that I would be the best because it is from Bethlehem. I became more excited. She gave me some when we arrived home.”
This was a death trap. It was a bare ferry. It had no engine, it was manpower and cables attached to each shore that pulled it. I think that was the last of its type in the country. The water was dark and fearful, but its speed was terrific in the center. We crossed and had nearly made it to the other side. I then created a panic that remained in my grandmother’s mind for the rest of her days.
I was on one of four soccer teams owned by one Mr. John. Whatever we did at school, my heart focused on what I would be doing after school. It was the most exciting thing above all. Well, our league had started just three days earlier.
“My eyes were red and full of tears. My classmates could not stop laughing, and Mr. Bangura enjoyed his job and continued punishing me hard.” With Augustine struggling at school and Grannie scrambling to make ends meet, Hannah comes back into the picture, but can she help?
“We arrived in our village about 9:30 or 10 p.m. Many were in their homes resting. You could see children running around as the moon shone above. I was lazy, my uncles thought, so I was left behind. The strong ones carried heavy containers full of liquor. Some time later, there was a police whistle blown. It was against us.”
“I was now in the fifth grade; it was then I started reading and writing a fair amount of English. My grandmother was proud of me. I loved being with her, but not in the bush for distilling the alcohol. The bush was not safe, I thought. I would sometimes voice my opinion, but I was called a coward and lazy boy.”
“The first consignment of hard liquor was brewed. People started coming to the house to buy in bulk or by tot. I oversaw the money, because I was an honest boy. I kept to it and did not want to deviate. But boys had to be boys, always.”