A grain of wheat

Author's name: Nghoji Wathiongodaar Publisher: Dar Al-Mada for Publishing and Distribution Year of publication: 2020 Literary classification: Novel Brief about the book: A grain of wheat written by Nghoji Wathiongodaar ... Although the events of this novel take place in contemporary Kenya, all the characters are fictional. As for mentioning names like "Jomo," "Kenyatta," and "Waiyaki," it was unavoidable since they represent part of our country's history and institutions. But the situations and problems are entirely real — and painfully real at times for those farmers who fought the British and now see that everything they fought for has been set aside. Nghoji Wathiongodaar Here is (Myugo) tormented by worries, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. There are dead strands of grass and fern hanging from the thatched roof, all directed toward his heart. And a drop of pure water hanging directly above him. This drop has begun to swell gradually and becomes dirtier as it becomes more saturated with soot particles. Now it has started to fall toward him. He tried to close his eyelids, but alas... He tried to move his head, but found it restrained by the bed frame. This drop has started to widen little by little as it gets closer to his eyes, so he wanted to cover his eyes with his palms, but his hands, feet, and all his limbs refused to obey his will. Finally, Myugo gathered his strength and with a desperate effort, he woke up from his sleep. Now he is wrapped in the blanket, prey to fears and obsessions that his eyes might suddenly close — as he saw in his dream — a drop of cold water. The blanket was rough and worn, and its fuzz pricked his face and neck, and in fact, it pricked all the exposed parts of his body. Myugo was confused; should he jump out of bed or stay in it? The bed was warm, and the sun had not yet risen, while the dawn rays were seeping into the hut through the cracks in the wall. He tried to resort to a game he always played whenever insomnia overtook him at midnight or at the first signs of dawn. Most things in the darkness or at twilight lose their distinct boundaries, and chaos reigns. The game involved trying to distinguish different objects from each other inside the room, but this morning Myugo found it difficult to focus his attention, and he realized that it was just a dream: yet he still felt a shiver from the thought of the cold water drop falling into his eye.