Kevin was introduced to the community slowly by Doreen and Muwena, first by way of whispers to the trusted ‘grannies’ who lived in the street, and then to the rest. The street was full of whispers and gossip, but beyond that, there was a sense of loyalty between all who worked and lived there. It was a form of identity, a caste, to be born and to live on that street, as many had. Others were migrants who had come from the rural areas. They were all accepted, after a rite of passage. The gifts that were given to the elders, the shared attendance of political discussions in the house of the second eldest man, Grandpa Scots, who was so named because of his love of Scotland, and of Scottish whiskey before he saw the power of a different way, and changed his life. Grandpa Scot would hold court in his house on Fridays, and there the community would bond, with many in the house, on the small patio, and in the garden, sitting, listening to Grandpa Scot speak of the ills of society, and would highlight how the Facebook addiction was evil in itself, because it took over the spirit of a man, but was bringing the country out of the bond of dictatorship. What, asked Grandpa Scot, was the greater evil? Facebook addiction or repression, disappearances, mothers without sons, daughters without fathers. Kevin was introduced to one such gathering as an example of a Facebook addict who was working towards the freedom of his society. The neighbours congratulated him, asked him questions, and looked in awe as he described how Facebook addiction was the side-effect of organising a movement, a grass roots movement against repression.
As he recovered from the obvious symptoms of Facebook addiction – the bloodshot eyes, the sweats, the constant fidgeting of the thumbs, he was sent out to help Nathan and Anthony on the stall. He was older, and had already earned the respect of the small community. They would chat with him, and he would gamely sell two or three things they had not thought of needing, as they asked him about Facebook addiction and his extraordinary story of resistance. He was careful to speak about it only to those who had been in Grandpa Scot’s house. He would help Nathan and Anthony to clean up the stall in the late afternoon, and then head back to the house. On the way they would pass through Grandpa Scot’s, where they would speak of the revolution, of Facebook addiction, and how the resistance was faring. Kevin knew nothing of what was going on in the world outside, because his links had been severed before he arrived in the street. All that mattered to him in that moment was repaying Doreen for her kindness to him, by speaking well of her, supporting her by manning the stall, and by cleaning the house before she got back from her cleaning jobs in the late afternoon. He would sweep the house and polish the floors until the dark clay sparkled despite the dim recess of the day. He would hang the laundry outside, wave hello to the grandmother on her porch next door, who would bat away the flies as she smiled into the afternoon sunshine.
Nathan became especially fond of Kevin. Kevin would show him how to cut wood to make a kitchen cabinet, a chair for the house. Kevin took Nathan and Anthony to the woods and showed them how to make a fire, how to capture small animals and taught them bush survival skills. He himself had been out there for several weeks until the rainy season came, and he had finally resigned life in the bush to ask Doreen for help. The boys were amazed that a Facebook addict like Kevin should know how to survive in the bush. He had a surprising ability to acclimatise to his environment. He had come into their lives, their homes, and understood, it seemed, how to fit in their mothers’ lives and in their own. He taught them maths and English, helped them with their homework, and taught them how to survive and fend for themselves. Within a few months, it was as though Kevin had been part of their family all along.
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