Review of Dreams in a Time of War

In a world directed by economic power and wealth, honest, critical, and dissenting voices that challenge the popular capitalist hegemony are often disparaged and ridiculed. Such are the works of professor Ngugi wa Thiongo, a Kenyan literary icon. His authentic voice on the evils of colonialism and the corrupt neo-colonial Africa has made his books lie in the inaccessible corners of libraries in Kenya and across the globe. Fortunately, passionate readers with a concentrated desire for knowledge find these books that redeem them from ignorance. You learn about the hidden narratives of the African struggle for independence, the unwillingness of brazen colonial powers to face their brutal colonial past, and the true heroes of the African independence struggle.
 "Dreams in a Time of War" is Ngugi's autobiography. Unlike most of his books, which tackle most of the abovementioned themes, "Dreams in a Time of War" depicts how turbulent events affect young, innocent children and how they capture these events and struggle to understand them.
 A Child's State of Confusion
 Landowners to squatters
 A child's state of confusion is the primary theme in "Dreams in a Time of War." Several traumatic events happen in Ngugi's life as a young boy that we only see him trying to process as an adult when writing this piece.
 Ngugi's father, a landowner in Limuru, suddenly becomes a squatter. Their neighbor, an African Catholic Christian convert, grabs their land. There is nothing that Ngugi's father can do to win his land back, yet everyone knows the land belongs to his father. Ngugi does not understand how society cannot solve open land theft straightforwardly. All he hears is that times have changed, and those that possess title deeds are the owners of the land. He chooses not to concern himself with the matter.
 Christianity vs. African Traditional Religion
 Young Ngugi is torn between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. Their neighbor is a Christian (a catholic father). His uncle, his father's eldest brother, their other neighbor, is a staunch believer in traditional African practices. Ngugi's father scoffs at both Christianity and traditional African practices. Thus, Ngugi has the free will to choose his spiritual path. He wanders between the two spiritual paths while failing to pledge allegiance. There is a time he gets baptized and adorns the Christian name "James." There is a time he undergoes the Traditional African rite of circumcision that graduates him from a child to a man. Most of these activities he does since others are doing them.
 African Independent Schools vs. Colonial Government Schools and Missionary Schools
 Ngugi notices a difference in knowledge that teachers provide him depending on the type of school he attends. While at the African independent schools, he can speak his native language, Gikuyu. History teachers also teach them about Mekatiliti of Giriama, Wayaki wa Hinga of Gikuyu, and Koitalel Arap Samoei of the Nandi, African leaders who organized their tribes to repel the British invasion of their country for several years. At government and missionary schools, history teachers talk about Ludwing Kraft, Rebman, and Vasco da Gama, European explorers and colonizers that prepared the way for the invasion of Kenya. When the African independent schools are closed, Ngugi is saddened that his only dream of getting an education is stopped. He only wants an education, so he moves to a colonial government school. His dream as a child is to get an education. That is all that matters to him.
 Family Separations and Divisions
 When Ngugi's family experiences separations and divisions, he does not know whose side he should take. When Ngugi's father chases his mother away from home, Ngugi stays back with his brother. Ngugi knows his father's compound is his home. However, when his father asks him to stop playing with his children (his other siblings), Ngugi leaves with his brother and follows their mother. Ngugi never thought the fight between his parents would reach him, down the family order, and result in his father disowning him.
 During the state of emergency, Ngugi's beloved stepbrother, Wallace, joins the Kenya Land and Freedom Army. He has another stepbrother that works as a police informer that sells the secret of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army. Ngugi also has a stepbrother that fought for the British empire under the King's African Rifles in World War II. He often fears what might happen when these three brothers with different allegiances to the colonial government meet. He cannot decide who is wrong or right in the struggle between freedom and slavery.
 When the colonial government evicts Ngugi's grandmother from her home in Elburgon, she comes to Limuru to stay with them. Ngugi can see apparent strife between mother and daughter (his grandmother and mother). He feels that his grandmother is always stern with his mother. Ngugi's grandmother never appreciates anything her mother does. He knows something is not right but lacks the knowledge and power to solve it.
 A child's Biased Love Towards the Mother
 "Dreams in a Time of War" reveals how children develop biased love towards the present parent, which is usually the mother. Mothers are caregivers in most families. They spend much time with their children and develop strong bonds with them. These bonds of love become so great that they make children elevate their mothers to an angelic, pure, and godly status. Such is the relationship between Ngugi, the character, and his mother. The fact that Ngugi chose to write "Dreams in a Time of War" as a dedication to his mother infers that he would likely be biased.
 Conflict Between Mother and Father
 Ngugi assumes that his father is in the wrong when he fights with his mother. Ngugi assumes that the stresses resulting from his father's loss of wealth and property have driven him to beat his mother. However, there are many background occurrences in this relationship that Ngugi ignores that can cause a couple to fight and even break up.
 Ngugi's mother is a hard-working woman who can force the land to yield. When her husband loses his land, it dramatically affects her too. She no longer has the pride, confidence, and motivation that one gets working on her property. Thus, this loss of land might have contributed to her disputes with her husband since she is uncomfortable with it. Additionally, Ngugi's grandfather (his mother's father) is wealthy, with vast lands and cattle. Most children want to do better than their parents. Thus, her husband's failure to surpass her father in wealth could have caused Ngugi's mother to be upset with him. Ngugi's mother also had a daughter who had fallen in a fire and died of severe burns. Maybe this traumatic incident still haunts both parents and causes them to fight. Finally, Ngugi's father has four wives. Only Ngugi's mother left him. Thus, it is unfair for Ngugi to claim that the heat of financial stresses made his father change; otherwise, the other three wives would have abandoned him too.
 Conflict Between Mother and Grandmother
 Ngugi believes that his grandmother is unappreciative of his mother's effort to care for her. One can gather from the story that when Ngugi's grandmother separated from his grandfather, Ngugi's mother followed his father to Limuru, and her mother remained in Elburgon with Ngugi's aunt. Ngugi's aunt lived with his grandmother taking care of her. It might be that Ngugi's grandmother always held it against Ngugi's mother for choosing Ngugi's grandfather over her. Maybe Ngugi's grandmother resented the great love Ngugi's mother shared with her father (Ngugi's grandfather) that happened to leave her for another woman. Ngugi's grandmother's resentment towards her daughter is quite understandable based on her life experiences.
 Strength in Unity
 "Dreams in a Time of War" stresses the common saying that unity is strength. The book is set in a blustery colonial Kenya where the struggle between freedom and slavery is rife. In such trying times for the oppressed people (Kenyans), unity among the people emerges as the most effective way of ensuring survival and fighting oppression.
 Refuge
 The people of Limuru help Ngugi's family settle there after they come from Murang'a, where they escape pestilence. The people of Limuru are very compassionate and empathetic. They welcome Ngugi's uncle (his father's brother) into their community and give him adequate land to farm and live with his family. Later, when Ngugi's father also moves to Limuru after finding life hard in Nairobi, his brother welcomes him to Limuru. Ngugi's uncle gives his father adequate land to farm and live in with his family. Here, we find two brothers that pestilence forced out of their homes finding refuge and life support in a new community far away from home.
 Domestic Violence
 Ngugi's mothers help one another stop their husband from battering one of them. Ngugi's father beats his wives on rare occasions. During such occasions, the other wives, not facing his wrath, always stop him by making loud cries in the compound to invite people to stop him from beating his victim to a pulp.
 Advancement of Education
 Africans start African independent schools to help meet the educational needs of African children that the colonial government neglects. They start schools like Manguo, where children are taught to be proud of their heritage. Ngugi attends Manguo Primary School. Since African independent schools face staff shortages, Africans build the African Teachers College at Githunguri to train teachers for their schools. When Alliance high school sends Ngugi an admission letter, his half-brothers donate money to raise his tuition fee. Njoki, his sister, buys him a pair of shoes. Here we see a large African population that the colonial government neglects their need for empowerment through education. They come together to start their schools and educate their children.
 Conclusion
 "Dreams in a Time of War" has well captured the puzzles children face growing up. It shows that children react to tempestuous events depending on how grownups react. Children also follow the norms of society to wade through life without trouble. This excellently-written novel also shows that children develop love bias toward the parent who spends a lot of time with them, their caregiver. Children develop a strong bond with the ever-present parent and take her side in any conflict she faces. Moreover, "Dreams in a Time of War" reveals that unity is the only way an oppressed society can redeem itself from the claws of slavery and suffering.
 Besides these solid psychological themes emanating from this simply perfect work, there is evidence of adult bias in the novel. "Dreams in Time of War" is a novel whose prime character is a child (the young Ngugi). However, an adult Ngugi that is experienced, knowledgeable, and decisive has written it. Thus, the novel has lots of logical deductions on the puzzles the young Ngugi face. It would be better had the novel been written by the young Ngugi to portray better his thinking, emotions, and reactions to events.
 Overall, "Dreams in a Time of War" is a significant literary piece worthy of your time. It helps you know the life of the legendary writer Ngugi wa Thiong'o. It also helps one understand a child's psychology. Moreover, it helps you understand the brutal colonial history of Kenya and the ignored participation of Africans in significant world events like World War II. Grab your copy.

Friendly Enemy

Kevin had spent several days inside. He felt odd and sad. It was awkward for a man of his age to stay at home. His reliance on Daniel, his wife's young brother, worsened his acute condition. In the past, he had supported Daniel by helping him settle in Nairobi when he first moved there. Kevin was oozing cash back then. Unfortunately, things changed. This promising, enthusiastic young man that could even buy the whole supermarket for his rosy wife had now become dependent on his abrasive and unfocused brother-in-law. Kevin sat pitifully on the hard-wooden coach as he longed for and reminisced on those beautiful days when life was merry and blissful.
Kevin tried desperately to reach his bosom friend Onyewu during these incessant lone moments until he finally found him. Kevin sent a simple text message to the peculiar Onyewu that drew his attention. He had ignored several calls from Kevin. Most people preferred calls to text; Onyewu was different. He never took calls.
Onyewu called Kevin in response to the text. The two long-lost friends engaged in an agreeable, drawn-out conversation of sweet, sentimental memories of their college life that made them desire to relive it. By the end of it, Onyewu demanded that Kevin move immediately to his place so that he could help him pick up his life. Kevin quickly accepted the offer without mulling over it. The trust he had in Onyewu was greater than that of his mother. On top of that, he felt that staying with a friend was more acceptable than staying with a brother-in-law.
In the evening of the following, Kevin called Onyewu to meet as they had immaculately planned. Onyewu did not pick up this call. He repeated this call severally but to no avail. Kevin's infinite trust in Onyewu killed the slightest whiff of doubt about Onyewu that attempted to cross his mind. He believed something wrong must have occurred that made Onyewu unable to respond.
"When he finds time, he will inform me about it," Kevin concluded and slept peacefully.
Despite Kevin holding him in high regard, Onyewu was a seasonal friend that would disappear during the holidays like polar animals during winters. Additionally, Onyewu was so reserved that nobody knew anything concrete about him. Kevin never minded his closure. He was not the sort of person that pressed people to talk about their feelings, emotions, or intimacies. Kevin accepted Onyewu as Onyewu was. After all, Kevin believed that leading a happy life was all that mattered, which they both led through their friendship.
The following morning, he picked up his phone and contacted Onyewu again. Onyewu picked up the call this time and started laughing apologetically to ease things between them. Kevin joined in the laughter too. He was used to getting disappointed in this half-life of Nairobi.
"I know you think I was about to stand you up. It'sIt's a common habit among city folks," Onyewu started lightly.
"I can never doubt you, my friend," Kevin answered.
  Onyewu then explained how his workload had increased the previous day abruptly, making it impossible to meet. Kevin assured him that he had taken no offence.  

The evening was cold and dry. Kevin packed his few countable clothes into his light-brown army backpack that his generous wife had given him. She had taken it from her loving father, whom she always spoke of highly, making Kevin wonder if he would ever meet his high standards. Fortunately, he was now in Nairobi, and his affluent friend, Onyewu, had offered to help him rise again. Kevin bid Daniel a contented goodbye with the hope of never returning there. Kevin boarded a packed and loud bus to town to meet Onyewu.
When the two friends met, it was like the meeting of the long-overdue rains and the drought-ridden drylands. It was evident that days ahead would be bright and leafy. The sweet aroma of the roasted whole chicken and chips filled Onyewu'sOnyewu's bedsitter apartment. A full one-litre coke bottle stood tall on the delicate glass table. The two friends sliced, ate, and drank to their fill as they told old stories that saw them through the late night into the early morning hours. It was like before when they would play FIFA until morning. The only difference was that they had changed over the past six years. They needed time to norm again.
Kevin no longer listened to hip-hop music. There was nothing beneficial to married in music that only talked about sex, money, and women. He had watched many new musicians rise in the hip-hop scene, like Cardi B and Migos. He tried to follow them, but none of them grabbed his attention. Regionally, his favourite Bongo music had taken a new and unpleasant turn. Renowned Bongo artists like Diamond, Harmonize, and Ray Vanny abandoned the typical Bongo beats and adopted new afro beats that disinterested him. Kevin only listened to Mbosso since he kept the real and authentic Bongo music alive.
Like Kevin, Onyewu had abandoned both hip-hop music and FIFA. However, unlike Kevin, Onyewu was a big fan of the new trends Bongo music had taken. He was a big fan of Harmonize. He took offence when Kevin told him that even Ray Vanny was far better than Harmonize, let alone Diamond. At that time,  a scuffle between Bongo music's leading artists, Diamond and Harmonize, caused a giant rift in the industry. Historically, Kevin had loved Diamond. He would not drop him for any artist, including Onyewu'sOnyewu's cherished Harmonize. Thus, the two friends pledged allegiance to opposite sides of the Bongo hostility.

Reggae music had grown and established itself within Kevin's heart. It talked about the retched nature of this Babylonian capitalist world and the great hope for a bright future. It spoke about freedom and justice for the oppressed. It talked about love and the importance of a woman in a man's life. These are the things that a married man and a father, at the brink of futility, wanted to hear. Kevin surprised Onyewu with this absolute change in preferences. Whenever they played the music they now loved, Kevin tried to listen and get into that vibe of his friend's songs while Onyewu ignored his friend's songs and only engaged with his phone.
Like many people across the globe, the two friends loved football. Even though they supported different teams, it never caused a rift in their friendship. Onyewu, a staunch supporter of Chelsea FC, sat with his friend in his thick, expensive coach one Saturday evening to watch the much-anticipated match between Chelsea FC and Manchester City FC. There was a lot of hype, especially among Chelsea supporters, who ran out of superlatives to applaud the newly appointed coach, Frank Lampard, who was also a legend for the club.
Kevin always admired Chelsea, especially when it had an exceptionally high number of black players like the lethal striker Didier Drogba, powerhouse midfielder Michael Essien, French international Nicholas Anelka, explosive winger Solomon Kalou, and the determined Florent Malouda. The team was a force to reckon with. He, too, was hoping Chelsea could upstage Manchester City. However, unlike Onyewu, he knew the chances of that happening were slim. Kevin had seen Chelsea suffer draws and defeats at the hands of meagre teams like Sheffield United FC and Norwich FC. Thus, he was not raising his hopes to the roof.
The match started with Chelsea dominating possession and playing aggressively. Within four minutes, the young and promising Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham slotted the ball in the bottom right corner of their opponent'sopponent's net, making Onyewu jump high as he screamed goal.
"I told you that we are winning this match," Onyewu reaffirmed confidently.
Kevin, aware that his friend loathed opposing views, applauded Chelsea FC lightly, then kept quiet as he observed the match keenly.
After another thirty minutes, the unstoppable Manchester City FC struck Chelsea FC with a simple equalizer from the legendary Aguero that silenced Onyewu'sOnyewu's bickering mouth. A few minutes later, the enthusiastic Sterling added another decisive goal that sent Onyewu to his warm, comfy bed. He often gave up quickly. The match ended three to one, a typical Manchester City victory.
The following day, Onyewu, still pissed off with the Chelsea loss, brought up the conversation about the match again at the dinner table.
"I know you pretended to support us yesterday," Onyewu commented irately.
"Chelsea has been playing good football. However, Lampard'sLampard's resolve to use those inexperienced kids will greatly hurt your team. Big matches don't just need the flair that youth brings. It needs experience that comes with caution and grit. Untried defenders cannot bar City's world-class trio of Sterling, Aguero, and Silva. It was a game Chelsea FC was bound to lose just upon observing the lineup Lampard selected."
"I knew you pretended to support us," Onyewu replied as he grimly stared at his friend. Then he changed the direction of the talk.
"Kevin, my cousin just finished his high school exams. He wants to spend time with me. He is coming on Friday. As you can see, this space is too small to accommodate the three of us. Go home before Friday. Then you will return in January when your program with Yusudi starts."
Kevin meekly agreed to leave for home even though he had planned and coordinated with Onyewu to spend the December holidays there. In the cold and dusty Nairobi weather the following morning, he packed his clothes and left for Kisumu.

Kevin was thrilled to see his family after staying away from them for six weeks. He found his daughter Joyce with scars from chickenpox all over her body. He felt guilty not being there with them throughout this challenging period. When Joyce sat on his lap, she made him promise never to leave them again. Kevin pledged not to go, although he knew it was a lie. For the first time, Kevin wished a lie come true. It was his first time staying away from his family, which gravely aggrieved him.

Onyewu never picked up Kevin's calls when Kevin called to inform him that he had arrived safely home. Kevin tried reaching Onyewu throughout December in vain. Although Onyewu read his WhatsApp messages as the double blue ticks confirmed, he did not blink an eye by responding to any of them. Kevin kept faith that that was Onyewu's nature. He never talked to people out of sight. Soon, they would meet again, and everything would be fine.
Unfortunately, on the morning of the first of January, Kevin woke up to this jaw-dropping message from Onyewu that read, "I have decided to withdraw all the help that I offered you. It seems you do not trust me; that is why you keep writing me messages and calling me."
This cruel message astounded Kevin, so he called his supportive wife to help him absorb this nasty surprise.
She genuinely felt sorry for her naïve husband but was unsurprised by this turn of events.
"Nicholas had told me that Onyewu could never be trusted. I have been reluctant to say this to you since you never like me speaking ill of anybody or anything. However, I let the cat loose since what I expected has occurred.
"There was a time in college when Onyewu locked you and Nicholas out of his room. You kept calling him to let you in, but he refused to open it and made you walk away embarrassed. Mark you; he was your closest friend back then. Many years have passed now without seeing each other. It is hard to fathom that you could trust such a childish man."

Human Beasts

 "Animals are worse than humans. See that cock beating his tied opponent pitilessly. The wild thing about animals is that when their opponents are at their weakest point, they see it as an opportunity to eliminate them. 

"Unlike them, we, humans, show much care and compassion. We recognize our fellows lowest points, and empathize with them. We are far better in love than animals," Ngala recollected Owalo's sentiments.

However, he strongly disagreed with Owalo. 

 "There is nothing good about humans. They are more opportunistic and devouring than other animals.

"People have brains, but their actions prove that brawn is much better. Their greed, enveloped in sweet terms like civilization and development, has destroyed the environment, eradicated several other species, and sown deep seeds of hatred among themselves. That is why men keep fighting over petty things like religion, race, ethnicity, and traditions. No wonder they came up with this fallacious idea of 'survival for the fittest' and make it appear normal by supporting it with the idea of 'natural selection.'" 

Ngala alighted at Tom Mboya Street and headed for KenCom to wait for his high school classmate, Obonyo. Twelve years had passed since he last saw him. Now that he was in Nairobi, it was necessary to have good old friends close. He was desperate to stabilize his staggering life. He sat on a "depression" seat nearby and observed passengers boarding the several huge KBS buses at the stage. 

"Nairobi carries hoards of humanity," Ngala pondered. "A single city produces sixty percent of the nation's GDP, a massively uneven distribution of resources," he mumbled. "Sixty percent of the nation's production occurs in this city, yet it carries less than ten percent of its population. This situation is highly unfair to over ninety percent of poor Kenyans who don't live here. 

 "Must we all crowd this overstretched city to get jobs?" 

Then Ngala saw a man rolling up the front side window of a KBS bus to avoid speaking to a lady. The woman was left red-faced as she stood confused beside the vehicle.

"Is it necessary? Must he embarrass her publicly? She did not approach his window, shouting or doing anything out of order," Ngala mumbled again as he watched in disbelief. "Humans have become so ignorant of other people's feelings. We only see our hurt and anger. People do not take time to feel other people; like that haughty man."

Suddenly, Ngala's phone rang. It was Obonyo calling him. 

"Hello."

"Hello."

"Have you arrived?"

"Yes. I am standing here below a traffic light besides KenCom building. In front of me is a lousy crowd watching a busy band shooting a gospel music video."

"I know that place.I am coming there. Give me thirty seconds."

When Ngala and Obonyo met, they greeted each other warmly like two great childhood friends meeting for the first time when old.

Obonyo had not changed except for the trim beard he had grown. He was in great shape, like one of those few people enjoying the rare fruits of this unbridled capitalism. 

They walked into Cafedeli, a high-end restaurant along the busy Moi Avenue, and sat confidently like the wealthy foreigners around them.

"Boss, bring me a glass of strawberry milkshake and get him a cup of white coffee and two beef samosas," Obonyo ordered.

"My friend, you are one of the few people eating their education," Ngala followed up that order with this witty comment aimed at his friend.

"Do not worry; your time will come," Obonyo responded.

The waiter brought the food. Ngala's plate had two samosas, sliced tomato and lemon, and a small sauce dish. His cup had a thick and robust white coffee, proof of its high grade.

"Kenya is a significant producer of tea and coffee globally, yet we drink the lowest grades of the two products. One has to visit classy restaurants like this that are typically for these wealthy foreigners to get such a strong and sweet cup of coffee. 

 "Now we are here with them. That is why when I say you are eating your education; I firmly mean it."

Obonyo laughed.

"I am sorry about your loss. I mean, your mom," Ngala said remorsefully. 

"It's a pain hard to bear. 

"She had an accident at the flyover in Nyamasaria. 

 "She had hired a trailer to move her grains to Kondele. The vehicle lost balance and tipped over the edge protection as the driver oversped while passing through the sharp bend of the flyover. They fell down the highway below," Obonyo paused.

"The sad part is people rushed for the container behind to loot grain instead of rescuing her and the driver. 

 "Those who tried saving her later stole her purse." 

Tears welled in both eyes as they stared at the light-brown soft board table without noticing it. Ngala did not know what to say.

"That is wicked," Ngala mumbled suddenly.

 "Are such actions motivated by poverty or greed? 

 "It must be greed," Ngala thought assertively. 

 "How can one steal from a dying person? How can one put bread above life? 

"Life had become so meaningless that it was reasonable to let a person die.

 "Or was this the paradox of life? Others die as others fight for the resources the dying are laeving to live. Was survival for the fittest at play here again?"

A man should expect nothing from his fellow man in this capitalist system. It holds that only the strong, capable, and fit deserve to live. A man should expect nothing from these world religions that serve to advance the interests of unrestricted capitalism. In the Bible, people read God charging the Jews to murder and destroy other tribes. Were not those tribes God's creations? Man has become hopeless, and whoever thinks religion promotes morality and humanity needs to think again objectively.

"Recently the Kenya Bureau of Statistics released the 2019 Census Report," Ngala started again. "One key statistic is the nation's fertility rate that has dropped to about 3.8. This shows our population will reach a replacement level in the next few decades."

"What do you mean by fertility rate and the replacement level," Obonyo inquired.

"Fertility rate is the average number of children in a family. Replacement level is a situation where a country has a fertility rate of 2. This occurrence implies that most families mainly have two children that act as replacements for their parents when the parents die. In such a situation, the population remains relatively constant. 

"Our low fertility rate shows that Kenyans are aggressively responding to the economic stress they have faced over the last decade. 

"Look at you. You are thirty yet you have no plans to marry. This shows that in as much as you reap these benefits of capitalism, capitalism still does not assure you that you need to start a family." 

 "That's true. I work hard. I work a lot. Rarely do I get free time for anything — not even for courtship. 

"You've made me remember. Sorry, I need to leave now. I must finish a client's project before tomorrow. I'll settle the bill. We will meet again soon."

"Okay."

They both rose and walked away.