Voices Beneath the Earth

Archive Entry

1695

Jabali,

The fala (fool) wanted to go deeper! Deeper! Past the wooden stilts and cliffs, and into the mines. Jaleel said the lost treasures had to be found, that its wealth would make our Confederation stronger against the invaders.

Bah! Mvulana mjinga (Stupid little boy). He asked me why the mines had been abandoned, why our riches remain buried under the earth. I told him the truth: years ago, several miners vanished without a trace. They picked at the stone, and sifted the soil, till one day, they ventured too far down the shafts, and never returned. The bwana (boss) had no choice but to shut the mines down and seal the entrance for good.

Today, when I am near those cliffs, I still hear their whispers beneath my feet: the sound of steel striking stone. Thuk thuk thuk! The low, laborious grunts echoing off the red earth. They’re still down there, the poor souls, and I fear our little Jaleel has joined them.

Diallo Shabani