Summary

The narrator, whose name is Dantala, describes the Friends with whom he hangs out under the kuka tree. Gobedanisa is loud and often lies. Banda has killed a man; but, unlike the other boys, he does not like to boast about it. The narrator remembers that one day Gobedanisa insulted Banda, and Banda pinned him down to the ground, using a knife to cut a long gash in his cheek. The narrator likes Banda because he shares his weed, which the narrator calls his “wee-wee” (5). Banda works for the Small Party running for election in Bayan Layi. Everyone is talking about the election, and many in the village support the Small Party candidate.

Banda and the narrator have been friends ever since, long ago, Banda defended the narrator against a boy calling him a bastard child. Unlike the narrator, Banda has...