Looking for Tanana (Electronic book text)

Death hangs over a helpless boy (Sango) lying on a dusty street: a mob is about to burn him alive. When a stranger (Joshua) accosts them, they fly into a rage and hurl a rock to crush his face. This is a moral story of a mother (Tanana) and son's (Sango) hatred for each other and how it impacts their separate lives. When Tanana realises she can no longer trust Bunu, her closest friend, she turns to the one man (Joshua) whose stand for the truth can turn her tears of grief into tears of joy. This unfolding drama of love, hatred, and remorse gives a startling revelation of their distrust for one another; their hopes and despairs; and the rebuilding of their faith in themselves as they strive to mend the family ties. " ... pleased with her ruse, Bunu was about to laugh when Joshua said: "what do you think she would prefer as your friend?" He waited for her suggestion while he thought of different gifts: shoes, clothes, jewellery. She raised her head abruptly, her face wearing a frown of displeasure: she was amazed at his persistence. Then struggling through conflicting emotions of jealousy, hatred and anger, she forced through a smile, and said nothing. "I wanted to get her a mobile phone: there's one on the market; a new Nokia model Blackberry," he went on, tapping his head, appearing still undecided. The news was electrifying and Bunu cringed from the pain and anguish of his continued desire to please her. The smile vanished. Mobile phone, a new model for Tanana? What did he see in her? Seized with envy, she felt a nervous tremor run through her as if she were in the eye of a violent storm. She puckered her brow, struggling to suppress the waves of treacherous feelings that threatened to betray her. She swore under her breath: "I'll curb his run away enthusiasm." Then she closed her eyes. She knew if she allowed his gaze to continue to hold hers, he would easily spot the burning frustrations within her ..." Fred Soneka is a Sierra Leonean living in Freetown. He is the author of: When the Axe Swings.