Identity Virus

© Copyright 2005 Anthony Lupeke.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

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ISBN 1-4120-4874-5

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Contents

SYNOPSIS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

FOREWORD

PROLOGUE

-Chapter I-

-Chapter II-

-Chapter III

-Chapter IV-

-Chapter V-

-Chapter VI

-Chapter VII

-Chapter VIII-

-Chapter IX-

-Chapter Χ-

-Chapter XI-

-Chapter XII-

SYNOPSIS

SAILASH T0A1AT0, in the Identity Virus, is a character whose rough-and-tumble life was unpredictable with personality traits. Sailash, a village young man, entangled in the prime of the youth left fir the city, very much wanted to be identified in society.

In search of the identity, the virus was nagging and ravaged him of his pride because he was in haste of wanting to know who he was, what he was and where he was going to end.

Through the search of a want to stand fast on this ignoble earth he found himself under the attention of a witchdoctor for lucky voodoo. At one time he landed into a nasty problem and contracted a sexually transmitted disease.

Like a dog that eats its vomit, Sailash returned to what he shunned and later came to believe in it, identity. Enmeshed in the African traditional web, with culture that stood in as a nucleus giving people their collective personality for identity, Sailash had what he wanted most at his traditional wedding, IDENTITY. It was only then that he was at last cured of the disease, the Identity Virus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ANTHONY LUPEKE was born on July 8, 1966 in Alikomfwa, Luanshya, Zambia. He attained primary education at Mipundu and Roan, then qualified and completed secondary education at Roan Antelope Secondary School (RASS) in the same town.

In 1989 he joined Zambia Consolidated Copper Alines (ZCCM) Ltd, Luanshya Division, as a Alining Staff Learner and graduated with a certificate in mining. The author was retrenched when he was a Section Boss I-Stoper. Lupeke is multifaceted, an actor, comedian, poet, play director/producer and stage manager. He is also a commercial copywriter and a creative writer.

He is a diplomate in advertising, which he studied with Institute of Commercial Management (ICAI) of UK. Anthony holds a certificate in Journalism obtained from Pan African Centre for Media and Communication (former African Literature Centre) at Alindolo Ecumenical Foundation.

By the time of writing this book, he was Managing Editor of Luanshya News a community newspaper, and co-presenting Book Spectrum programme on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Radio 2. Currently he is studying creative writing with Writers Bureau (UK).

Anthony is married to Doris Siwila with three children, 2 boys-Romace Mulenda Lupeke and Anthony Katuka Lupeke junior, and a girl-Viola Zipa Lupeke.

FOREWORD

In anyway, brace yourself as you follow adventures of the irresistible-because the young man is capable of making you laugh, sad, and makes you feel like you are going to cry but then, it is all laughter.

I bet you won’t resist the character, Sailash, because his traits are quite unpredictable. The bloke really wanted to be counted and nothing was going to stop him. He wanted to be identified in society as a working class-that is what mattered most, at least to him. The fellow wanted to stand fast on this ignoble earth.

The identity vims nagged him day in and day out. Sailashi, that very remote chap, held life by its neck and this at times landed him in nasty troubles. Faced with predicaments coming consecutively, Sailashi, could think of returning to his home village to continue life from where he left and perhaps marry the dream girl Robina but something held him-the identity he very much longed for.

Sailash convinced himself that only remaining in town would bring prosperity-prosperity which in future would accord him status when he finally gets back to his home village-or was he going to get back?

As the story unfolds you learn how the determined young man tackles all obstacles on his way-but has he? This book offers you a unique form of what makes it worth reading.

For an additional incentive of insight, watch out for the names of characters as you read. The author, with interest and care picks names of characters such that as is a character’s name, so were he or she. If you can read between the lines for subtlety and concealed meanings, the better for your understanding of Identity Virus.

Raydon Lupeke-Republic of South Africa

PROLOGUE

Absorbed in deep thought and memory of whole my life through. Sat on the doorstep I mesmerized the mementos-

Life in that small town was very interesting.

Living as a miner was enjoyable although one could not be a happier person for the first three days after main pay of his salary.

Suddenly she came back from shopping and moved majestically like a queen mother. I smiled as she approached. We entered into the house and started unpacking items bought from one of the elegant departmental shops in town-kitchen utensils, grocery and other nice trivial things. Robina then produced a bar of chocolate sweet and told me, it was a present in memory of the letter I wrote her before our tradition wedding…

My Dearest sweet Umutima’ (heart),

It happens to be one of my sweetest and endearing moments when accumulated with the desire and love of adapting my heartfelt regards to special ones like you.

At this time, I am thinking of so many things and yet nothing has been proved to be important than taking up a pen and a paper to write a cherished one to you. It is also for this reason that I remain hopeful over the fact that you are okay and doing fine. If we’ (for us) darling, ‘ni cikulu buleca’ (so long the day has passed).

Yaa… It is all smiles and loveliness to remind you that our wedding would be on Saturday the S"J and this has inspired me most.

In you, I find joy and love unconditional With cheerio thoughts and special regards, missing you fondly like chocolate sweet, I switch off.

O ‘ways understanding yours

S.T

.. .We laughed.

Sparingly enough, my wife had forgotten to buy salt and asked me for an amount so that she could meet the shortfall.

I produced my wallet-oooh! My life had been a book, the identity virus. And now, the contents of the wallet,

Identity card

Mine-bus ticket

Pay statement

Telephone numbers

Addresses.

Really, ‘The Wallet’, a sequel of my second life, in marriage, would it pose a problem?

The driving force in me insisted. Do it! Do it! Do what?

Take that funny toy called a pen.

With my small and tiny fingers, I did. Engulfed it. Now for those who can’t read very fast do it and get them going.

How about the critics?

No problem, just urge them to take their notebooks and pens but don’t give them chance to write, let the story flow. Just like in a football game, short passes makes it entertaining to the spectators and so the short sentences would do to the readers. In your inner self consider it as style, if there has never been such, please let it be the first of its kind …. Unique. Write in straight English for education and entertainment. The critics would realise about criticising when already through with reading and it would be too late for them but would create an epilogue for your thought with remarks of:

Yah! But…..okay, good God! That had been an Identity Virus of words, otherwise I have reserved my pen and notebook.’

… Now I warrant you critics…CRITICISE.

If I can’t win you in anyway, I won’t join you but at least would confuse you.

Come on, lets participate, the game is on—

-Chapter I-

I usually posed for a thought of prosperity in life, especially about identity’ in society’, in relation to our African culture and tradition.

It was around 18.00 hours on a November evening. All women in the village were very busy preparing the last meal of the day for their families. That was almost the usual time their husbands return from work. There was an aroma produced from variety food being cooked throughout the village. It was good to be hungry at such a time. I smiled to myself and salivated in readiness for the delicacy being prepared.

Although I did piecework for a nearby farmer, I did not earn enough money because I worked only for a few hours everyday.

Why are you smiling? asked my friend Mulenda who sat next to me. Both of us were drinking Kasonge, a traditional beer, from the calabash.

I think our life is a lot better, I replied.

In Lusaka, life is pretty good, said Mulenda, "Not this side of the typical bush we dwell in. The wages there are very big indeed, incomparable to the peanuts we get from our sweat. Talk of nights! Places of beer are open until