What Has Horns Can Never Be Hidden by Christopher Mlalazi
Khethiwe’s face was pressed against the window, the corners of her lips wilted. From her aerial view, six floors up a Hillbrow flat, her eyes were fixed on the pavement of the block of flats across the street below. Like termites with their feet on fire, hordes of people rushed up and down this pavement, their faces indistinct blurs from the distance in the early morning sun — but she was not concerned with facial features. Body movement. That was what she was scrutinising.
This story has been selected for the annual StoryTime anthology African Roar 2012, please go to the African Roar site for more info.
What Has Horns Can Never Be Hidden was written by Christopher Mlalazi.
Copyright © Christopher Mlalazi 2011.
Copyright © Christopher Mlalazi 2011.
Christopher Mlalazi writes prose, poetry, drama (TV and stage), and also children's fiction.
In 2004 he received the Highly Recommended citation in the Sable Lit Mag/Arvon (UK) Short Story Contest. In 2007 he was short-listed for the HSBC PEN (SA) Short Story contest, and in 2008 he was awarded the OXFAM NOVIB/PEN Freedom of Expression Award. In 2009, Christopher was awarded the NAMA (National Arts Merit Award Zimbabwe) in the Outstanding First Creative Published Work category for his début book, a collection of short stories called Dancing with Life.
He has published short stories in the 2005 Cain Prize Anthology Orbituray Tango,the 2006 Edinburgh Review, and the 2007 Africa Pens, in 2009 in The Literary Review (USA), amongst many other magazines, anthologies, and journals.
In 2010 he was named a Feuchtwanger Fellow and over 2010/2011 attended the Villa Aurora Artists’ Residency in Los Angeles, and then the Nordic-Africa Institute in Sweden.
In 2004 he received the Highly Recommended citation in the Sable Lit Mag/Arvon (UK) Short Story Contest. In 2007 he was short-listed for the HSBC PEN (SA) Short Story contest, and in 2008 he was awarded the OXFAM NOVIB/PEN Freedom of Expression Award. In 2009, Christopher was awarded the NAMA (National Arts Merit Award Zimbabwe) in the Outstanding First Creative Published Work category for his début book, a collection of short stories called Dancing with Life.
He has published short stories in the 2005 Cain Prize Anthology Orbituray Tango,the 2006 Edinburgh Review, and the 2007 Africa Pens, in 2009 in The Literary Review (USA), amongst many other magazines, anthologies, and journals.
In 2010 he was named a Feuchtwanger Fellow and over 2010/2011 attended the Villa Aurora Artists’ Residency in Los Angeles, and then the Nordic-Africa Institute in Sweden.
4 comments:
What a touching story, very emotional at the end. I hope she is saved.
Thatz superb Chris...Very captivatin'!
Yes Human trafficking is currently a thorny issue - and Zimbabwe with its lax borders together with South Africa, is unwittingly aiding this process. Touching story, some have managed to escape but its doubtful this woman can. I am curious about the title, because in Shona, I guess thats the idiom that says - Rina manyanga hariputirwe - I was never very good at idioms, but anyway...
I absolutely love the imagery, well done
very touching story. It crawled underneath my skin as I read it. Superbly well narrated...
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