News:
  • Alley Pond Park, The Cousins' Club, and The Loony Bin
  • Poets on Craft: Gloria Mindock and Lori Desrosiers
  • Swan Lake Petitions Putin
  • ZENDAYA
  • Something to Splash About
  • Hurricane
  • Contact us
  • About
    • What is Cultural Weekly?
    • Advertise
    • Contributors
    • Masthead
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions: Write for us
    • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
  • Contact us
  • About
    • What is Cultural Weekly?
    • Advertise
    • Contributors
    • Masthead
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions: Write for us
    • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
Cultural Weekly logo
  • Film
  • TV + Web
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Film
  • TV + Web
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • Food

Benjamim João Luís: “Returning Home”

By Benjamim João Luís on September 29, 2020 in Literature

Click Here To View Comments

In one of the most controversial neighborhoods in the city of Beira, called “Munhava,” Sofala province, that is, in Mozambique- Southern Africa, a selfless and dreamy young man was born with a strong desire to do something different that impacts his own life, the life of his humble family and that of those around him, because from an early age he showed love for his neighbor, get trained and make the destiny of his life different from many young people who live in that neighborhood.

Munhava is a suburban and controversial neighborhood located on the outskirts of the city of Beira—its popularity is due to the fact that it houses a quarter of the population of the city of Beira, where there are many unemployed and disadvantaged young people and many of them preferring to live in the world of crime, that is, they steal within the community as well as in other neighborhoods. The reaction of this people when something like this happens is nothing less than lynching the thieves, putting a tire around the thief and burning him alive, even though it was an extremist and inhumane attitude that caused the wave of robberies to diminish over time.

You must already imagine what it is and what it is like to be born and grow up in a neighborhood like this one, suburban, disadvantaged and a little violent, even before the child grows up those in the other society try to predestinate their journey, something that many do without hesitation. Well, it was in this controversial and famous area where Benjamin was born, the son of a maid and a father he never knew because his dad lost his life when Benjamim was still a baby, so he was raised by his grandparents.

Benjamim had a childhood like many other children in that area—played hide and seek, bathed with friends in the rainwater, played the ball and even fished, since about 4 kilometers from where he lived there was an area of plantations of rice and there was a lot of fish in them.

Time passed and he grew up, each stage of his life faced the same challenges as other children in the community. However, he always dreamed of doing something different, which was to graduate, to have ventures and to provide better living conditions for him and his family.

He managed to graduate first as a teacher, which made him leave his home and his home area to walk new paths and follow new challenges that life had imposed on him at that time, so he did. Away from home, away from the area and away from his friends he had stayed for years, he had missed everything, even the dust that plagued that area.

First he worked very far from home, which was in another province where he learned to live alone, to be responsible for his choices and actions, there he had to be very responsible and respectful, because it was a province with everything different from where he came from. The tradition was different, the culture and customs were different, which was a great challenge for his adaptation in that new environment. Time passed, he had a great and unforgettable life experience and had to go back a little closer to home, so he did. Already in his province, but still far from home, he made his new home, learned a lot there and had a lot of professional, personal and even entrepreneurial life experiences. It was a new stage in which he expanded his vision of the world and what he always dreamed of conquering. But he was not happy, even though he had a job and now a daughter has always felt and knew what he really wants and has always wanted for his  life. Weird? No, it’s the childhood wind blowing back towards him and made him wake up and he remembered his true dreams and goals in life and, now he is willing to make a decision that will change his life drastically, it will be a challenge but worth  a try.

The winds guide him back home, yes, to Munhava.

He got home and the new day starts, went out on the road and took a deep breath. He looked around, took a few walks through the neighborhood and visited places he had been when he was a boy.

Much time has passed, but things have not changed so much. He can still smell the dust that was plaguing and continues to plague the area, the children are different and the games too, today they are no longer playing as the last generation used to be, the children are fearless and try adult games, he felt like a stranger in the middle of all this, of all this change.

Friends are still the same, but not the same. Some were arrested for the life of criminality they chose to lead, some seem older than they really are because of the excessive consumption of alcohol and traditional drink in the area known as “NIPA”, others are married and have children, others already have a minimal life made and others simply in the struggle chasing goals just like him.

“OH! Munhava, I missed you and during all these years that I was away I thought a lot about you, how I fought against all adversities to become who I am today and it was because people looked at you with contempt eyes that I had to fight to show the society that judges by the place of origin that “we” can be anything we define to be, no matter where we were born or grew up because we are what we believe to be- said Benjamin.

But, does he still identify himself with the zone? No, not anymore, because of what he lived during all this time he became a new being, with different habits and customs, but he carries the “Munhavanse” being in his heart, because a boy who was born and grew up in Munhava with all the adversities and yet he turned away from crime, got trained  and is beginning to shine he becomes a “winning warrior,” and I became this being, a winning warrior and at the same time a mirror for the coming generation, I am an example of overcoming for those who do not believe that coming from nothin does not influence anything to achieve success or even stability.

“I am staying here, killing homesickness, friends and family while I plan to continue my new challenging journey where I will surely triumph.”

 

 

VOTE!

Click Here To View Comments

TagsBIPOC voicescreative nonfictionMozambique literatureshort story

Previous Story

LIFE AFTER BIRTH IS FREAKED OUT

Next Story

Thaddeus Rutkowski: Three Poems

About the author

Benjamim João Luís

Benjamim João Luís, from Mozambique-Autral Africa, is a teacher with more than five years experience in teaching at upper primary school. Has been writing since 2019 but this year, 2020, decided to take writing professionally, a member of club of books of Beira, makes part of one of the ebook project to be published soon, poet, tale and micro-tale writer whose dream is to see a solo book published one day. Apart from being a teacher and writer, has intensive training in Activism, Secretariat and office administration and basic fundamentals in digital marketing.

Related Posts

  • The Stenographer

    By Richard Klin
    At a certain unsettled point in his life...
  • Moon and the Animation

    By Lena Sarbanes Ehrlich
    There once was a little girl, who lived in a...
  • I Hate to Break It to You: Quarantine Edition

    By Terance Gerard Joseph
    If you apply pressure to a shaky foundation,...
  • Why I Resigned From The California Arts Council In The Middle Of A Pandemic

    By Sarah Rafael García
    I am a Chicana activist, author, and...

Support Our Friends

Follow Us

Join Our Mailing List

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @CulturalWeekly

Comments

  • Lisa Segal Lisa Segal
    Valentine’s Day Redux: a Second Chance at True Love
    Marvelous!!!!!!!
    2/14/2021
  • maurice amiel maurice amiel
    Shakespeare on Despots, Power, and Finally… Transition
    Timely and educational this post Your scholarship...
    1/31/2021
  • maurice amiel maurice amiel
    Abigail Wee: “Growing Home”
    A first place well deserved While the particular...
    1/24/2021

New

  • 5 top slot games with a blockbuster movie theme
  • Buying a Used Car With No Experience: Possible or Not?
  • Bitcoin investment – Why is it full of risks?
  • Surprising facts that every bitcoin user needs to know about!
  • Bitcoin is the most expensive cryptocurrency! What are the reasons behind it?

Tags

art dance film Los Angeles music photography poem poems poetry tomorrow's voices today

Like us

Please Help

Donate

Who are we?

Cultural Weekly is a place to talk about our creative culture with passion, perspective and analysis – and more words than “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” Our mission is to draw attention to our cultural environment, illuminate it, and make it ... read more

Site map

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Contributors
  • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
  • Food
  • Home
  • Masthead
  • Privacy Policy/Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Submission Form
  • Submissions: Write for us
  • Subscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Thank You

Links

Adam Leipzig
Entertainment Media Partners
This Is Crowd
CreativeFuture
Plastic Oceans Foundation
Arts & Letters Daily
Alltop
Alexis Rhone Fancher
Jack Grapes
Ethan Bearman
Writ Large Press

Mailing List

* indicates required


  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy/Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Contact us
Cultural Weekly is the digital magazine and public platform of Next Echo Foundation. DONATE HERE.
Copyright © 2010-2020 by Adam Leipzig. All Rights Reserved.