Summary — Chapter 1
In the hilly South African province of Natal, a lovely
road winds its way up from the village of Ixopo to Carisbrooke,
a journey of seven miles. This misty vantage point looks out over
one of the fairest valleys of Africa, where the native birds sing
and the grass is dense and green. The lush grass of the hills clings
to the rain and mist, soaking up the moisture, which in turn feeds
every stream. Although cattle graze here, their feeding has not
destroyed the land, and the few fires that burn have not harmed
the soil. As the hills roll down to the valley below, however, they
become red and bare. The grass there has been destroyed by cattle
and fire, and the streams have all run dry. When storms come, the
red dirt runs like blood, and the crops are withered and puny. These
valleys are the homes of the elderly, who scrape at the dirt for
sustenance. Some mothers live here with their children, but all
the able-bodied young people have long since moved away.
Summary — Chapter 2
The Reverend Stephen Kumalo, a native Zulu, sits in his
house writing when a young girl appears with a letter. After sending
the girl to the kitchen for some food, Kumalo wonders who may have
sent the letter. It is from Johannesburg, but so many members of
his family have been in the city for so long without word that it
could be from any of them, and he cannot recognize the handwriting.
Among others, Kumalo’s brother, John, lives in Johannesburg, as
does their sister Gertrude, who is twenty-five years younger than
Kumalo, and Kumalo’s son, Absalom, who went to the city in search
of Gertrude and has never returned.
Apprehensive, Kumalo calls to his wife, who confirms
that the letter is not from their son. Finally, Kumalo’s wife musters
the courage to open the letter and reads it aloud in faltering English.
It is from a minister in Johannesburg named Theophilus Msimangu, who
reports that Gertrude is ill and who requests that Kumalo come to
the Sophiatown section of Johannesburg.
Kumalo’s wife asks what Kumalo intends to do, and he
reluctantly tells her to bring him the money they have saved for Absalom’s
education at St. Chad’s, the local school. Kumalo’s resolve falters
when he holds the money in his hand, but his wife comments that
there is no longer any point in saving it—Absalom has gone to Johannesburg,
and those who go there do not return. Kumalo reacts angrily to his
wife’s suggestion that their son will never come back, and although
she protests, saying that Kumalo is hurting himself, he continues
to deny her claim angrily. When he realizes that his words are wounding
his wife, however, Kumalo calms down and reconciles himself to the
inevitable. He and his wife pool the St. Chad’s money with the rest
of their savings, resignedly giving up the money they intended to
spend on clothes and a new stove. Kumalo apologizes humbly to his
wife for his unkindness, then heads off to his church to pray for
guidance and forgiveness. His wife watches him through the window
with a weariness born from years of suffering.
Summary — Chapter 3
Kumalo waits for the Johannesburg train at Carisbrooke.
Generally, this journey is shrouded in mist, which some find to
be an ominous sign and others find a mysterious prelude to adventure. Kumalo,
however, pays little attention to his surroundings. He is anxious
about his sister’s health, the potential costs of treating her illness,
and the chaos of Johannesburg, where there are many buses and one
can be killed just by crossing the street, as happened to a twelve-year-old
boy who was an acquaintance of Kumalo’s. His gravest concern is
his son.
The train arrives, and Kumalo bids farewell to the companion who
has helped him bring his bags to the station. As Kumalo boards the
train, his companion passes on a request from a man named Sibeko,
whose daughter accompanied a white family to Johannesburg and has
not written since. Kumalo says he will do what he can. He boards
one of the train’s designated non-European carriages, where he searches
in vain for a fellow passenger of the same social class as himself.
He then goes to the window to say farewell to his friend and asks
why Sibeko couldn’t make his request himself. His companion explains
that Sibeko does not belong to Kumalo’s church, but Kumalo proclaims
that they are all of the same people and should not hesitate to
go to one another in times of trouble. He states grandiosely that
he will check on Sibeko’s daughter, although he will be busy, as
he always is when he is in Johannesburg. Since Kumalo has never
been to Johannesburg before, this statement is a fib, but it has
the desired effect of impressing Kumalo’s fellow passengers.
