Growing up in Darfur by Prof.Abdullahi ElTom

It is a story of an ambitious man who grew up in a civilized community. Civilized: because it has a vital social, economic, and political organization and religious life. These systems and traditions are stated in the novel as activities that normally and naturally practised by the members of that community; division of labour is essential in family life; “all children are dead silent listening to their parents discussing their plans for the day. It is important for them to listen carefully as it is now that all duties of the day are assigned. Alfatih is to go and open the shop…Saaeed is to release the goats and cows …Mahasin has to clean the teapots and glasses and complete sweeping the house yard. Neimat is to clean the pigeons’ cottage…”

Politically, there is a local leader who rules the whole are with sub rulers under him, “

For uncle Ali is the most important man in the district. Mohammed says he is the chief just because his title is shartay but he is not right. Shartay is more than just a chief, I say. He is the king because he is in charge of three or four mayors and under each mayor there are between fifty to a thousand village chiefs.” Economically, they depend on farming, animals breeding and trade. Religiously, they are Muslims who are punctual, accurate and peaceful in worshipping, fasting Ramadan, going to Mecca for Pilgrimage, treating people, reciting Koran in the morning and festivals and keen to it teach their children and how to say their prayers properly ,” in Khalwa, we sit in a crescent shape on the sand in front of the open fire. The faqih sits on the other side of the fire on his prayer mat. Sometimes he has a book with him and sometimes nothing. He doesn’t need a copy of Koran because he knows all Koran by heart. The session starts when the faqih asks one of us to do the ablution. That is the ritual washing which you have to do for prayers…..” All these factors work together to form and build Saaeed’s character. Saaeed in the man who was born to lead: because wishes to be an inspector when he saw the inspector visit their school and shifts to be an officer when he saw the police officer that came from the capital and he was full of himself at the air port inspecting his soldiers. Furthermore, Saaeed is always in discussion and dialogue with sisters and brother and even his friend Mohammed and colleagues at schools. Saaeed feels important and great when he tells his friend of locust, “let me teach you about locusts and grasshopper, Mohammed…..”,and that a scorpion can be poisonous again after the first bite only after half an hour. Saaeed experience with spelling of some English words is also a kind of creativity that is important for leaders; [by the way I find Saaeed’s theory of spelling becomes truth nowadays and it is used and favoured by the users of the internet.] and that humorous experiences of canned tuna.

Natural intelligence, witty and genius have existence in that community; because on finds even the flat characters in the novel like Jarenda, Hawa, in addition to the intricate characters are intelligent. That natural intelligence may be due to Koran reciting and drinking and may be to unknown factors, but it is a remarkable characteristic up to now.

Saaeed is a great truth investigator and observer: he experiences a lot these in the judia that took place at their house between Abakar and Hawa, his granny death, when he was given a straw to the cemetery, the information about the aeroplane that is coming from the capital with an important police officer, the scale at the airport, the airhostesses, the queue, the tarmac road in the town, the lemonade to which he walks a mile to and the fun he makes when discovers that is too cold for them to drink and escape when the shopkeeper is with some clients. The questions he asks himself about the rest of his photos and the answers he supposes for that prove that Saaeed is genius. the most brilliant argument is that one takes place between and his granny when Saaeed was only a pupil, “I ask my granddad why it is only women who give birth to babies but men…..I shout what do you mean there was nothing? …..I shout out that was a big mistake Allah did. ….. it is probably invented by a woman trying to put men down.” Saaeed’s days at the primary and the intermediate schools also reflect his leadership and intelligence because even the headmaster trusts him to be the first in the district in the exam, and his clever treatment of the boys who are in charge of the boarding house so as not to report him to the headmaster. 

Saaeed is classic in his thoughts in one because he uses reason in justifying and evaluating all matters of his life. He is romantic and I think he does not practise any kind of romance in his early life, as all his time is to observing and investigating what is around him and his community; he feels sorry only once for the dead crawlies when the boarding house was sprayed by pesticide to kill mosquitoes and flies.

Saaeed’s arguments with his colleagues never show any kind of sentiments or emotions, but represent a portrait of a man who dreams of a brilliant optimistic promising future for himself and his community. Saaeed has accomplished all his goals and ambitions but disappointed at the end when sees what was used to be civilized is destroyed and neglected to reflect and portray the miserable and deplorable ruins for an ambitious man like Saaeed: the places where he used to hunt rabbits in are now places where human beings hunt each other just because of race or colour or money. There is a complete lack of peace, healthy and friendly environment and all those civilized values and virtues and the religious ones are now mere masks and camouflages. Saaeed’s society falls to parts. The novel ends in a gloomy end and frustration that needs catharsis and reformation. Saaeed’s live mood is (Cry, the Beloved Country!) may Saaeed be another Mandela? To make the widows and children hiding in caves and tents smile, smell and enjoy the taste of abrey, dodary, furundu, kawal, madanka, and musran in peace and fraternity.