The Sunday News
IN earlier episodes I concluded that Joseph Takundwa, Sofia’s father, is materialistic as he defied all logic to get money. He went against all norms in order to satisfy his own ego. He went to great lengths to please his friend and accomplice even if what he was doing hurt his family. He jumps into wrong conclusions when he hears that Sofia is pregnant.
He uses crude language to describe Sofia. He accuses her of loose morals and asks Fatima his wife to instruct her to start packing. Joseph Takundwa is quick to say he does not want to see her in his house again. He says: “She must go to that little boyfriend of hers — whoever it is that made her pregnant. She must go right now!” It is ironical that Joseph Takundwa says he knows why Sofia was refusing to go for work. He says she wanted to have more time with her boyfriends.
Joseph Takundwa pretends to have forgotten that Nyati raped Sofia. He displays blatant stupidity which makes his wife shudder to answer his question on what it takes to get pregnant. Takundwa takes it upon himself to go and inform Nyati about Sofia’s pregnancy. This is against tradition and Fatima his wife, questions him on that. “Since when did fathers go to tell their sons-in-law about their daughter’s pregnancy?”
In defiance of tradition, Joseph Takundwa claims there is nothing wrong in telling a man such good news as this. He believes Nyati will be very happy when he hears about Sofia’s pregnancy. Nyati is very rich and Takundwa is already foreseeing himself in big monies if Nyati becomes his son-in-law. When he returns that evening, Joseph Takundwa, asks Sofia’s mother to tell her that there was nothing to worry about. Nyati received the news of Sofia’s pregnancy with delight.
He is unconcerned with Sofia’s feelings as he says Sofia is a very lucky girl. Mr Nyati was even talking about buying her a very expensive flat with everything inside like TVs and stoves. When Sofia’s mother brings the element of refusal on the part of Sofia, her father does not give her the chance. He says: “How can she refuse? Unless she is not normal. Only a mad person can refuse such a thing.” Sofia’s mother asks: “What if she does not love him?”
Joseph Takundwa does not understand that there should be love in marriage. He asks: “Love? If this love you are talking about is not the same thing as madness then she will realise that she does not eat love. Will love buy her such an expensive flat?” He mentions that Nyati was already talking about teaching her how to drive. He questions if “love” will buy Sofia a brand new car?” But his wife cautions him not to be taken away by outside appearances. “But these things are not as easy as they appear to be.”
Joseph Takundwa is obsessed with riches as he asks: “What is so hard about getting married to a rich man?” That threat of eviction from the house comes back as Takundwa tells his wife to let her daughter know that he will not tolerate pregnant prostitutes in his house. If she does not want to get married properly, then both her and her daughter should immediately leave his house. Takundwa was so desperate in his attempts to marry her off to Nyati hence the threats of eviction if she did not comply with his demands.
This time, Fatima, Sofia’s mother had joined Takundwa in persuading Sofia to accept Nyati’s marriage proposal. Fatima asked Sofia to consider the fate of the child she was carrying before anything else. The day Nyati came to pay lobola became a sham because of Takundwa’s greed. He had stood up to announce that he simply wanted $10 000.
“Ten thousand dollars cash that will cover everything. I am not the old-fashioned father who asks for such things as cattle for lobola. Just give me $10 000 and she is all yours.”
When challenged he reminded all who were in the house that Sofia was his daughter and he could do whatever he wanted with her. He told them to forget about all those old-fashioned things like ‘‘matekenya-ndebvu’’. All he wanted from his son-in-law was 10 thousand dollars. After that Nyati could take away his daughter. Of course, Joseph Takundwa admits that he lived a life full of dreams.
But the question he poses is: “Was he destined to die the dreamer who would never know the true taste of good things that life could offer? As stated in earlier episodes Takundwa says he has always admired those men who have made it in life. Men of substance. Men for whom song and verse would be composed. Men who would capture the admiration of every woman on earth. That is the man of his dreams, the man he wishes to become one day.
Takundwa cannot understand how other men achieved their dreams. Men like Nyati, for example. He concludes that fate has played tricks on him. He has always watched all his well hatched plans turn to ashes. Something always goes wrong at the crucial moment. And this terrible fear that is always in his heart is eating into him. Fear has always ruled his life. It is the same fear that ruined his military career in the Rhodesian army.
On top of that he says he has failed to identify the source of the storms of nervousness that he always experiences even when there is nothing to worry about. But he misfires as he thinks maybe that is the reason why he always prefers to remain drunk. He blunders when he says: “Yes, beer is the medicine that can effectively cure my fear. Beer makes me feel like a man among other men.” Is this true? I might sound subjective but I do not think beer can be a panacea of one’s problems.
In the case of Joseph Takundwa it is clear that beer has led his life astray. He is very abusive to his family because of beer. In fact his life is in shambles as he spends all his money on beer. He finds a scapegoat for his failure. He identifies his uneducated wife as the main problem and regrets why he married such an ignorant and useless woman.
He goes on calling her names like good for nothing and always waiting to be fed. He threatens to get rid of her as he is rich enough to get a better wife.
Takundwa is definitely unfair to his wife whom he insinuates to be a place-holder in their marriage. He uses Sofia as a
cash cow. As long as she is married to Nyati who is rich, he will get loans from him. But Sofia appears to be the main stumbling block in achieving his dreams. She has failed to impress Nyati as a wife. Takundwa cannot understand why Sofia fails to realise how lucky she is to be married to such a rich husband. He concludes that men of Nyati’s calibre are rare.
Finally, Takundwa decides to visit Nyati to discuss that $10 000 loan and the persistent nightmare he has. Remember he has fearful dreams about his youngest daughter, Tabitha, they killed for ritual purposes together with Nyati. It is their closely guarded secret. But for how long?
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