The Outbreak

This story was submitted to for a short story writing contest. The theme was “If you could manifest one thing, and it could be true, what would it be?”

It was the crack of dawn during the fasting month of Shravan and having nibbled at some fruits, Monhan gathered himself for the task in front of him. Absent-mindedly he made his way to the edge of the farming settlement. As he walked, his mind was still rambling on about the argument he had with his wife last evening. He took a deep breath in the morning air. Immediately his nose was stung with the stench of human excreta. He had his work cut out.

* * * *

There was a scene of commotion near the entrance of the settlement. General Jan Smuts had appeared with a retinue of soldiers dressed smartly in all whites, looking bored at the gathered locals. A heated discussion ensued. “Naidoo, you bloody lawyer!” Smuts barked. “There is a cholera outbreak and The Epidemic Act is in force. I can remove, requisition and quarantine anyone or anything I deem necessary!” 

“But sir, the outbreak has occurred in the gold mines, among the Negros, where the Municipality is responsible for sanitation. Our sewage systems are separate and independent. Moreover, we have not had a single case of cholera at our settlement!” 

“System, what system? When the pits fill, you leave it be and dig another pit. The flies, the stench, the infection, nothing seems to bother you. It is unsanitary and disgusting beyond belief.” Smuts paused. “Pray, let us inspect the latrines, if I find as much as a single fly, I will burn the whole Tolstoy Farm to the ground.”

* * * *

Late one evening Mohan sat by the lamp, writing in his diary. “Initially, there was great opposition to cleaning the latrines among the satyagrahis. They felt that such manual labour was beneath their dignity. But the cholera outbreak and the encounter with General Smuts concentrated minds.” He took off his glasses and furrowed his brows, deep in thought. He dipped the nib of the pen in the inkpot and wrote. “Be the change you want to see in the world. This is how manifestations come true.”