Intentions - A novel from Tanzania

Ntayo (the main character) is a visionary boy living in hard and chaotic life situations whose intentions are to liberate himself and family from the storms of poverty like other people wish to do in their lives. His sister called Mwamini, works in a factory and she is the one who fixes up all school costs for Ntayo, between the community that lost faith in education by seeing thousands of unemployed youths stamping all over streets joblessly.

Mwamini is dismissed from job where she was getting her daily bread and family needs for as their parents were needy and old. The family remains in a huge instability. Ntayo with his friend Mbaga (a graduate who stayed in village for years jobless) escape the village after causing death to an old woman in an unexpected motorcycle ride crush. Ntayo quites with Mbaga to save themselves from the guilty of being arrested leaving his school dreams vanishing out like a smoke disappearing in the sky.

They hike through forests for several days surviving by feeding on wild guava fruits trying to escape the guilty of murder by police forces in their home village. After a long walk through the game reserves and forests, They arrive in a town called Geita where they are employed as security guards in one of the mining companies. The youths are being sent by their bosses to imply their political intentions like to arrest their business competitors, arresting other businessmen to accumulate wealth and other criminal deeds. They work tirelessly, diligently and they are denied a pay. Some employees who try to strike, are arrested, others killed and others including Ntayo, escape the town for their safety. At the other side of the coin, the humbled employees who often behave like a lamb, stay living and working under crookedness.

Leila, a lady who was brought up by her begotten sister after losing their both parents when she was just few months of age after her birth, finalizes her advanced secondary education. Leila is selected to join one of the best universities in the country. Ntayo’s family in the village, continues to experience hardships day to day while at the other side of the coin, Ntayo runs to North Tanzania as he’s being hunted for what was said to be involved in causing demonstrations of co-workers.

Ntayo’s mother suffers from a chronic kidney complication. Millions of money are wanted for her treatment. Her sister Mwamini and their father Marango play hard their role to save life of the victim. They dig deeper into their pockets, sell plots of land, livestock, farms and other assets and collect some savings to pay for treatment in one big referral hospital in Arusha city. The savings become insufficient and Mwamini stamps over all streets and offices in Arusha city looking for a job at least to earn cents for food and to pay medical costs for the sick mother . Offices she enters, smell of cash corruption and sexy admirations as licenses to acception to be signed a job. Mwamini, a lady of God, misses jobs due to her firm stands and self determination. She gives up and return to hospital to take care of her mother who by the time was denied treatment after failing to pay medical costs.

Leila joins the university. Due to lack of fees, meals, accommodation and hard life situations at college, Leila becomes a chicken whose feathers were being plucked one by one. One of the cunning professors, takes this chance to deceive this visionary lady. Leila is impregnated and is given money by the professor to commit abortion. The aborting process develops severe complications and leads Leila to over bleed and subjected to death.

In hospital in Arusha, the hopeless Mwamini decides to go and kneel before the doctor in charge asking for medical assistance for her mother. The doctor promises to help Mwamini’s mother under one pre-condition, that If Mwamini would agree to sleep with the man (doctor). Mwamini declines the doctor’s prerequisite and she walks out on tears and full of bitterness. She weeps. Just several hours later, her mother passes away on the bed in the ward.

At home in the village, Marango (father of the family) had sold ultimately all the assets to fix up costs for his wife’s treatment. He gets accused by his bloody sister Zeleda who is the only educated in the clan. She uses a merit of Marango’s illiteracy to forge land tribunals of ownership and accuse him for selling the land plots without her knowledge. She fills money in policemen’s pockets wanting them to arrest and lock the old man in cell.

Ntayo ,gets information about the troubles that had trailed their family. He decides to travel back to home. On arrival, he finds only his young sister Leosia at home. Just a day later, a dead body of her beloved mother is brought from the referral hospital in Arusha where she was admitted. They fall in massive mournings. A day later ,once again, the dead body of Leila, a visionary lady and a lovely friend of Ntayo is brought from Dar es Saam in the university she was admitted. The mournings become more heavier and cries become louder like traditional songs being sung during harvesting seasons.

Ntayo develops mental confusion, hallucinations and stresses, and caught twice attempting to commit suicide.