Mafuta Mingi

Acoli

Min ot pa Mingi pwud oaa kany ka nen-na, en ocika tyen me agiki ni adong maber ki pig wange. Diki dong abiweko twon ot pa Mingi eni. Inge mwaka abicel kulu ma atyeko kany awinyo mapat tutwal kit ma kwo twero tera kwede labongo lu ot pa Mingi, kidok bene pe dong abimede ki aa malo con i kwar piny cawa 12 ka yubu cam me odiko ki Ladit Mingi, onyo mede ki winyo odoco dwon Min ot pa Mingi ka lwonga:

“Patrick, Patrick – Cawa me mato mucungwa na oromo”

“Patrick, Patrick – Bin iwer lweta doo…”

Ka atamo gin ma obedo ka time ikare ma okato angec awinyo cwer cwiny pi kit ma onongo angii kwede ki Mingi gi.

Akwongo rwate ki Min ot pa Mingi ikare ma abino ipaco pa Mingi ilwak mwaka ma okato angec.

“Dony iot jal”, En owaco kumeno, ka okwanga naka wa iot namo ki bade ma ocwee ni. En obedo ka kutu lwet cing-nge ma owero ma obok marom aroma ki del doge. Acung ki lworo kun aneno kit ma kiyubu kwede twon ot eni. Dan ot-te nen calo cok oo naka idan polo ka dyer ot-te kikome lac kato wa gang wa ma icaro ni. En onongo obedo iwi kom bedo mayom.

“Ibino iwang cawa ma opoore kikome-Ene, wer lweta.”

En ocwalo cupa moo matidi bota. Amako ka abunyu kwede, kun pe angeyo dong gin ango ma omyero atim inge enoni. En oryeyo tyene ma tung acam.

“Mede kwede .”

Ayaro wanga ikome. I agiki ne en obango nyero ka okwanyo cupa ki icinga .

“Pe ingeyo gin ma omyero itim. Abi nyuti.”

En oyabo wiye ka oywayo gin moni ma obedo calo lut. En otimo lanyut me jwayo ne ka ocimo lwet tyene. Aniang enoni, kadong ki myel cing, acako timo kit ma kinyuta kede. En onyero kun woto ki ngiyo adwogi ne.

“Latin awobi ma lababa ni, pe omyero iwer naka wa idel kom kumeno.”

Inge kare manok adoko “latin gin amara ne” pien onongo nen calo atimo ite jami weng maber kit ma en mito. Pig mucungwa ne ma abiyo onongo mwonya tutwal- Pe obedo calo pa lababa ni Sebagala ma lelo ki pii keken”. Tedo na bene onongo ogamo dog gi.

“Tedo mamit tutwal manaka pwud pe abilo-Abiweko idoko lawii lutedo.”

Ka miyo wange ka bango iye nyero ma longo.

Ikare mogo ka onongo apeke ka wero lwete onyo ka timo tic mukene iot, en onongo lwonga ka neno Video kwede kacel, kun tita gin ma obitime i anyim onyo wel filim adii ma ‘’laco enoni’’otuko iye. Ikare mukene en onongo cwala piny idukan moni ka kelo gajeti mogo ma opong ki cal pa mon muni otara ma gitye ka bunyu ki dog- gi ma guwero ma kwar.

Wiya poo maber ikare moni dako munu otara moni obino idogola wa owaco ni en tye ka nywako ki dano lok pa lubanga. Awinyo ka Min ot pa Mingi waco ni en bene ebedo la christayo pi kwo ne olu. En ociko dako enoni ni odwog doki odoco. Lim-me ducu kong cake ki dunyu ki lwoko jami dok bene kikelo biscut me ‘’rwom ma malo’’Ikare ma apenyo pingo wa timo jami enoni weng cii Min ot pa Mingi ogamo ni:

“Pe imito ni wanen marac ku, Imito obed kumeno Patrick?”

Pe otero kare malac, dako enoni ojuko bino. Gwok pien Min ot pa Mingi obedo ka penyo lapeny ma pol ikom London.

Cwiny Min ot pa Mingi pe obale pi kare malac tutwal pien en onongo tye ki jirani ne mabedo iot matye ingete, Min ot pa Mafuta Bili, ma konye ki boko lok. Ka gitye ka mato kikopo kawa ,gibedo ka boko lok ikom rwom pa gin lawer lwet cing eni onyo caa ni onyo giloko ikom ‘’laco moo’’ matye i filim.

Wat ikin jirani aryo ni pe bedo ber tutwal ikare ducu, dok ikare mogo lweny bene obedo ka tuge ikin lu ot aryo ni. Ikare enoni ki cika matek pe me lok ki ngat mo keken ikin ‘’joo enoni’’..

“Ingeyo ba Patrick, ka dano ma obedo okwan time calo gin dok giniang kato rwom gi cii gidoko lubaba ma wii gi otop calo wii opego. Laco Bili enoni onongo obedo lacatwil iteng gudu imwaka adek ma okato angec cii man kumbedi kong dong inene…”

Ento tim gero ne bene juke cutcut kit ma akemo gi oyito kede malo, cii Min ot pa Bili dok cako bino ka lim odoco.’’Laco enonii’’ dok aye lok ma tiko bedo idog gi.

Ikare ma pud abino abina i Paco pa Mingi onongo pe atwero kwan maber, kit ma agiko kwede kwan -na i Puraimari abic keken ni. Rwom me kwan-na omede pi bedo ka kwano gajeti pa Min ot pa Mingi ma nongo obayo gi med ki buk kwan pa Mingi Junior macon. Ento pe tye ngat mo igang kenyo ma onogno kwano buk maber loyo Ladit Mingi. En onongo kwano gajeti akwana mabor ma onongo agamo ite ki idukan iceng abicel ducu odiko. En owaco ni aa wa ki ilobo ma woko dok bene kigwoko maber tutwal kopi ducu ma kityeko kwano.

Ladit Mingi onongo dwoyo mutoka ma kicoyo “Ministry of Tourism” ikome. En kacel kweda wawire tyen mapol ataa i poto ne matye dok kama bor manok ki Kampala. En cung kenyo ka neno kit ma atingo kwede tug labolo mapol ka aketo iwii mutoka med ki koro ma opong ki gweni ma kwo. Wadok kwed gi weng Kampala, ka wa weko gi ikacat mo acel icuk Nakasero. Ikare mukene ka en odwogo paco, en lwonga ka tingo lupuku cam ki iwii mutoka. Lupuku ne mogo onongo tye iye alama ma kicoyo ni – ‘PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA’.

“Omyero wacam Patrick”, En loko kumeno kun woto ki rucu cinge

Kakare, ka joo pa Mingi omyero ocam, ci wa lutic gi bene. Ikare me mwaka abicel ma abedo ki Lu ot pa Mingi, manaka pwud peya atiyo ki mucara na pi wilo cam. Aneno maber ni but cam ma atedo bene onongo yo mo me donyo i iya. Jupu cam mogo ki i lupuku kany kuca kulu pe twero ngeene. Ikare mo acel akwalo lupuku kulu ma pe tye ngat mo iot pa Mingi ma ongeyo.

Ka onongo pe obedo pi latingi Mingi Junior, kono awinyo mit pa tic-ca madaa. Kadibed atemo tutwal en onongo ikare ducu bedo ka daa ni pe alwoko bongo ne maleng. Ento onongo gin ango ma atwero timo ki ngut cati madong obok koo, dok kono pingo en tiko ruku cati ma tar keken? Wiya poo ni ikare moni baba ne owile war tyen Bata. En okwero ruku ne cii obolo gi iwi odur. Lacen ne akwanyo gi dok gitye ka konya maber tutwal.

Kwan pa latin awobi ni onongo rac tutwal. Wang mapol ata alwoko baba ne igang kwan ka yubu ‘’tam ma kimoko iyo ma pe opoore’’. Lapwony madit ipola kare obedo ka jolo tutwal tug labolo mapol med ki lupuku mucele ma kibedo ka miye kun cike me ‘’yubu bal ma otime’’

Ento lok kom Mingi gi dong oroma. Atye ka yube me tic maber ki cene ma agwoko. Pi lwak ‘’mwaka mapol me tic ki woro” Min ot pa Mingi pwud kumbedi oaa ka miya bataniya um mapol, cupuriya tedo med ki jami tic paco mapol. Medo ikom jami egi ni en omiya cene me culu bac. Kono onongo Min ot pa Mingi ngeyo pi jami ma akwanyo, kono okok ki pig wange.

English

Mrs Mingi has just been to see me, saying a final, tearful goodbye. Tomorrow I will leave the Mingi mansion. After six years here it feels strange to think of life without the Mingis, and that I will not be getting up at 6am to make Mr Mingi’s breakfast, or hear again the shrill voice of Mrs Mingi calling:

“Patrick, Patrick – it’s time for my orange juice”

“Patrick, Patrick – come and paint my nail dear…”

As the memories flood back I feel despondent, having got so used to the Mingis. It was Mrs Mingi whom I met when I arrived at the Mingi mansion all those years ago. “Come on in dear”, she said, waving me into the sitting room with thick arms. She blew at her red fingernails through equally red lips. I stood nervously looking up the interior of this grand house. The ceiling seemed to reach to the sky and the room itself was larger than my home in the village. She seated herself on one of the soft chairs.

“You’ve come at just the right time – here, paint my nails.”

She held out a small bottle towards me. I took it and smiled at her, not knowing what to do next. She stretched out her left leg. “Go on dear.” I stared at her. Finally she laughed and retrieved the bottle from me. “You don’t know what to do. I will show you.” She unscrewed the top, pulling out a stick like thing. She made a brushing motion and pointed at her toes. I understood, and with shaking hands began to do as I was bid. She laughed as she surveyed the results. “Silly boy, you are not supposed to paint the skin as well.” I soon became her “poochey, poochey pet” for I seemed to do everything to her satisfaction. The orange drinks I squeezed were “excellent – not like that blockhead Sebagala used to make it too watery”. My cooking was equally well received – “The most bonne cooking I have ever tasted – I make you head chef.” Then she would wink and burst out into laughter.

Occasionally when I was not painting her nails or doing other household chores she would invite me to watch a video with her, telling me what was going to happen next, or how many films “that man” had been in. At other times she would send me down to a certain shop to collect magazines which had lots of white women smiling through red lips. I remember once a white woman came to our door saying she was preaching the word of God. I heard Mrs Mingi confess that she had been a devout Christian all her life. She invited the woman to come back again. Each visit was preceded by much dusting and polishing, and “top quality” biscuits were ordered. When I asked why we were doing all these things, Mrs Mingi responded:

“You don’t want us to give a bad impression, do you Patrick?”

The woman soon stopped coming. Perhaps it was all those questions Mrs Mingi kept asking about London.

Mrs Mingi was not disheartened for long for she had our next door neighbour, Mrs Mafuta Bili, to keep her company. Over a cup of coffee they would discuss the quality of this or that nail polish, or talk about “that man” in the film. Relations between the two neighbours were not always so cordial, and on occasions a state of war existed between the two households. At such times I was warned not to speak to any of those “people”.

“You know Patrick, when primitives rise above their level they become too pig-headed.

That Mr Bili only a street vendor three years ago and now look at him…”

But hostilities would cease as suddenly as they flared up, and Mrs Bili would resume

her visits. “That man” would again dominate discussions.

When I first came to the Mingi mansion I could not read very well, having been educated only up to primary five. My reading ability greatly improved through reading Mrs Mingi’s cast away magazines and Mingi Junior’s old school books. But none in the house could read as well as Mr Mingi. He read a long newspaper which I collected from the shop for him every Saturday morning. He said it was from abroad, and all copies of this newspaper were carefully reserved.

Mr Mingi drove a car which had the words “Ministry of Tourism” written on the side. He and I made several trips to a farm a little distance from Kampala. There he stood watching as I loaded the car with bunches of bananas and bales of live chicken. These we took back to Kampala, dropping them off to a stall at Nakasero market. At other times when he returned home, he would call me to unload sacks of food. Some of the sacks had a stamp – ‘PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA’.

“We have to eat Patrick”, he would say rubbing his hands

Well, if the Mingis have to eat, so too do houseboys. In my six years with the Mingis I have never had to spend my salary on food. I made sure some of what I cooked found its way to my stomach. A scoop in the sacks here and there was never noticed. Once I even stole a whole sack and the Mingis still did not notice. If only it were not for Mingi Junior, I would have thoroughly enjoyed my employment. Despite my best efforts he always complained that I never washed his clothes properly. But what am I supposed to do with sooty collars, and why did he always have to wear white shirts?

I remember once his father bought him Uganda Bata shoes. He refused to wear them and through them into the dustbin. I later retrieved them and they have served me very well.

The boy’s performance at school was lamentable. Several times I accompanied his father to school to correct “erroneous decisions”. The bunches of bananas and sacks of rice were always well received by the head master who would promise to “rectify the situation.”

But enough of the Mingis. I am looking forward to making use of the money I have saved. For my years of “loyal service” Mrs Mingi has just handed me a collection of blankets, cooking pans and several domestic appliances. To this she has added money for my bus fare.

If only Mrs Mingi knew what I had helped myself to, she would shed more tears.