The Curse: Part Two
Perhaps the passengers will make up for the loss of Jasper. The one next to you is gripping the back of her seat with both hands. The man on her other side holds on to door and the dashboard. Both are staring straight ahead. Neither seems to blink. They are quiet.
The people behind are not. Perhaps it is because they, unlike the two in front, cannot see the road in front. You have put the speakers at their loudest setting. The radio is tuned into a Lingala* and bongo** station.
The music drowns out the noise behind you. You think there is noise because all the mouths – as seen in the mirror – are open. The faces look annoyed. Some fists are shaking in your direction.
You just smile and press the accelerator down hard, keeping an eye on the mirror. The jolt forward jerks most of the passengers. It also causes a few screams which actually pierce through the thumping music. That is new. No cries have ever penetrated your cocoon before. There are some people with good lungs in this lot. Your head nods with appreciation.
You brake hard and the travelers lurch painfully. The cries penetrate again. You laugh and accelerate rapidly. You don’t need Jasper. These commuters are enough.
The music stops, suddenly. The racket behind hits your ears like an avalanche threatening to drown your mind. You punch the buttons on the stereo’s interface, looking for another channel playing music. The radio remains quiet. Your ears are forced to absorb the clamour.
“Madman.”
“Slow this matatu*** down.”
“What kind of driving school did you go to?”
“Did you even go to driving school?”
“If you want to die today, go die by yourself. I don’t want to go today.”
You hit the brakes and the van slews to a stop. People scream but you ignore the sound. Turning to face them, you demand hysterically, “Who said that? Who said that?”
- a type of music originally from The Democratic Republic of Congo.
** a type of music originally from Tanzania.
*** a public service vehicle found on Kenyan roads. Matatus range in size from 14-seater vans to minibuses. They are notorious for playing loud music and dangerous driving.