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Monica Cheru-Mpambawashe is a Zimbabwean journalist and author. In both her fiction stories and media articles, there is the underlying theme of women and children’s issues.
“The Happy Clapper and Other Stories” is her latest collection of short stories and The Herald Entertainment had a chance to preview the anthology before publication. Below is a brief review of several stories from the collection.
The Happy Clapper
“The Happy Clapper” takes a look at the issue of modern-day Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe and especially at the so-called “prosperity” gospel which has taken religion by storm.
The story focuses on Miriam who attends a church where “instant miracles” are guaranteed to congregants as long as they contribute offerings which match their needs in life.
The doctrine of the church is that people no longer wait for Jesus to get to God but they only have to go through the prophet and receive instant gratification.
The prophet is renowned for performing miracles including healing bedridden patients, “knowing” the ID numbers of complete strangers as well as making pregnant women change the sex of their unborn babies according to their preference.
Those who doubt the legitimacy of the “miracles” are labelled as hypocrites and non believing pessimists even if the prophet moves around with intimidating bodyguards and wears expensive designer suits.
After learning that her husband is having an affair, Miriam offers all her hard-earned money to the church and prays that he forgets about his girlfriend and returns to his wife.
Will her offering appease the Divine being and make her wayward husband return home to his family is the question which the story concludes on.
Two Wrongs
The story looks at the widely held view that all men are the same and “men will never be faithful to one woman”.
A memorable metaphor in the story says “The world is full of women who had failed to satisfy their men’s hunger for a dish that soon produces a jaded palate when continually served at the same table and on the same plate”.
Maud is a married woman who has learnt through experience that her promiscuous husband will never change his ways because apparently the whole community already endorses this idea including her mother, sister, hairdresser, friends as well as people at parties and in kombis.
In the end Maud resigns to the idea of her husband’s ways and settles into the role of the model wife who enjoys the material benefits of marriage as long as her man conducts his affairs far from the matrimonial home.
Ultimately she starts to believe that she is better off than having a husband who sexually abuses his own children, or one who chases after prostitutes or dumps his family for the housemaid.
However, the twist in the story comes when Maud asks herself if two wrongs can in due course make a right or if they certainly made them sweetly even, as she looks at the possibility of having a discreet affair of her own.
Chimera
“Chimera” is a story which looks at the taboo subject of homosexuality in Zimbabwean society, and lesbianism in particular.
The story begins with George mourning the loss of his beautiful wife Mandy in a car accident which instantly takes her life leaving behind eight-year old twins.
George is not as affected by his loss as he is more affected by his guilt at having cheated on his wife who had shown all signs of being faithful to him.
The person who seems to be able to pull the family together is Mandy’s childhood friend Melissa, who has been a pillar of strength through the funeral.
In fact, the unmarried Melissa is considered as a suitable replacement for Mandy because she has always stood by the family ever since the twins have been born, up to the time of her best friend’s untimely death.
When George collects his wife’s belongings at work he discovers a mobile phone which contains messages to someone who is apparently her lover, and he is devastated and angry.
After investigating the matter, he discovers a secret which he cannot believe at first, and which he decides to keep to himself because of the magnitude of the ramifications if the truth is found out.
Meeting the Maker
The story delves into the issue of the apostolic faith religion in the country, and the sects’ belief in polygamy and the distrust of modern medication.
Martha is suffering from severe cervical cancer but refuses to go to hospital for treatment citing her faith as capable of healing her if it is God’s will.
A closer look into the livelihood of Martha’s extended family portrays a chauvinistic husband who has several wives and numerous children who look up to him as the head of the clan.
However, it is revealed that he no longer loves his other wives as much as he does his third wife, whose lobola is paid for using the money he takes from the sweat of his other wives and children who ultimately go hungry.
Martha is depicted as a strong woman who toils to send her children to school, despite resistance from her husband who is opposed to sending his daughters to school as he sees it as a waste of money and time.
In the end, Martha dies and many questions remain including if being faithful to God is the answer for long life because even the non-believers face death just the same as very religious people.
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