Critical Bones
 
By Baba Galleh Jallow
 
It was a hot afternoon in dusty city. Poplin lay lazily on his couch, his eyes closed, his mind roaming around the world from one object and issue to the other, hoping that sleep would come soon to shut his mind and give him some respite from all the troubles of this scheming world. All of a sudden, an unusually loud bang sounded on his door. Before he could ask the obvious question, his long time friend burst in, looking all hot and agitated.
 
‘Hey Kookah you almost broke my eardrums,’ Poplin said, as he lay back into his couch. 
 
His friend Samba Kookah dumped his duffel bag on the floor and instead of sitting down, paced angrily up and down the sitting room, his eyes red hot, his teeth clenched, his entire face a mask of creases and dust-soaked sweat. Poplin had never seen Kookah this agitated before. He sat up.
 
‘Hey what’s up man? You not acting normal.’
‘I don’t give a damn,’ Kookah fumed. ‘I have to deal with this guy! I have some serious bones to pick with him!’
‘What guy? Has someone offended you? Did you get into a fight?’ Poplin stared hard at Samba Kookah, who was now angrily grinding his teeth as he paced up and down the room.’
‘You know who I mean. I told you about him last night.’
‘But Kookah, come on, man. What did he do to you? Why don’t you leave him alone?’
‘He should leave me alone! Just now when I was riding in the van he sat on my mind and made me forgot myself and all the other passengers held their noses and looked at me. Some of the rude girls were even laughing at me! The fucking beast!’
‘You did what in the van? Oh come on. Even if something smelled and people held their noses why should anyone think it was you?’
‘It was me man - it was loud! Why should he make me do that in public?’
‘Come on Kookah; you can’t blame him for being in your mind. He didn’t put himself there. You put him there. Why not try to forget him?’
‘I did not put him there!’ Samba Kookah yelled, glaring at his friend. ‘I don’t want him in my mind but he stays there all the time! When I sleep he’s in my dreams. When I wake up first thing in the morning he’s on my mind. The other day I nearly cut my hand at work because he sat on my mind like a devil! He’s a fucking devil and I have to deal with him!’
‘Now, okay Kookah,’ Poplin said, trying to calm his friend down. ‘Let’s look at this issue logically. Tell me one thing – one bad thing this guy has ever done to you or said about you. Just one thing so I can understand why you have such critical bones to pick with him.’
‘He thinks that he’s better than me and everyone else!’ Kookah fumed.
‘Did he ever tell you he thinks he’s better than you Kookah?’
‘He never said it but I know it. The way he looks at me, the way he smiles, as if he knows everything and I am a fool!’
‘Now come on Kookah. I think you are being extremely unreasonable and unfair to this guy. Do you remember telling me how he used to be so kind and helpful to you? When your wife grabbed your neck and called you a woman because you didn’t have fish money didn’t you say he gave you lots of money when you told him? And when your wife slapped you and called you good for nothing because you couldn’t pay the rent did he not give you money to pay? As far as I know this guy has done you only good. It puzzles me why you are so hostile to him now. There must be something you’re not telling me.’
‘There’s nothing; nothing! What I don’t understand is why he keeps sitting in my mind all the time! He’s a fucking witch and a beast and I must deal with him.’
‘You really gotta be kidding me Kookah. Aha! You remember telling me about the time you called yourself Mbota and told a lie about the chief’s wife to him and someone overheard you and the chief’s police arrested him and tried to force him to reveal your identity? Didn’t you say he chose to go to jail than reveal your identity? And you know the chief would have killed you because he trusted you so much and you betrayed his trust by lying about his favorite wife. But this guy suffered for you and spent three days in jail rather than disclose your identity. Should you not be grateful to him rather than making an enemy of him?’
‘I was grateful to him but he thought I was a fool and he thinks he’s better than me. Just because he helped me doesn’t mean that he’s better than me. And that’s what I don’t fucking like about him and I have to find a way to deal with him, to expose his vanity, to make him vanish off the face of the earth! Look what he did to me today, in public, how he put me to shame?’
‘Kookah, Kookah, Kookah.’ Poplin was getting impatient with his friend. ‘Look, you need to sit down and have a glass of water. My final advice to you is this: stop bothering yourself about this guy. He has done nothing wrong to you. If you do not drop this silly idea of having critical bones with an innocent man, a man who has done you only good, nemesis will soon be your lot. Just forget about him man.’
‘So you are now threatening me ha? You are now taking his side even though I am your friend! Then let our friendship end here today! I must deal with him and I must deal with him and I do not need any advice from you!’
 
Samba Kookah angrily grabbed his duffel bag and stormed out of the room, banging the door loudly behind him. At the compound gate he missed a step and went sprawling face down into the sandy street. A chorus of children’s laughter greeted his fall as he blew the sand out of his mouth . . . He was having a really bad day, the worst day of his life!  Picking himself up and ignoring the laughter of the rude children, Samba Kookah angrily strode away. He had to deal with that impudent bloke who thought that he was better than the entire world! Just let him wait and see! He knew exactly what to do! 
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