Evening Tea with the Dead

I must confess i am a fan of Kiprop Kimutai’s short stories. In his story in this anthology, “Evening Tea with the Dead“, Tapradich is looking for some god everywhere. Her remaining son, Kiprotich dies and later visits her in the evening. Tapradich makes tea and Kiprotich reveals to her hidden village secrets. When Tapkigen, Tapradich’s friend dies, the former makes tea in the evening in the anticipation that the will appear like Kiprotich. Kiprop uses unusual similes in narration, consider this: “Tapkigen’s coffin resembled an overturned cockroach roasting in the sun“. Just like Tapradich, she prepares tea, with the hope that the dead Tapkigen would come back, just like what Kiprotich did. But she doesn’t come, and Tapradich pours the tea, kneels down and prays for death from God. ~ Book Review by Peter Ngila