Petals of Blood

Along their journey, Abdulla becomes popular among the people, especially the children with whom he is friendly. He allows them to ride in the cart, even creating an appreciation for his donkey. He reflects on his time working in a shoe factory, and the frequent workers’ strikes for higher wages and better housing. He ended up joining the Mau Mau Rebellion and reflects that his decision to fight “had transformed him from a slave before a boss into a man” (164), no matter the outcome of the rebellion. He remembers Ole Masai, his leader in the rebellion, who was killed the same day Abdulla was shot in the leg during an effort to free prisoners.

That night, while eating an antelope that he killed, he tells stories about Dedan Kimathi, the leader of the Kenyan Army during the Mau Mau Rebellion. Kimathi planned for a meeting of the All Kenya Parliament, which would reorganize the army for the next phase of the rebellion and discuss ways to link with global anti-British movements. Abdulla’s faction made the long and difficult journey to join the parliament—driven mostly by their desire to meet Kimathi—but they arrived to the news that he was betrayed by Kenyans and killed by the British.

The group continues their journey with a newfound sense of purpose after hearing of the rebels during the Mau Mau. However, they soon run out of food and water, and their pride and respect for Abdulla, Munira, Wanja, and Karega turn into contempt for sending them on this journey.

When they find a cleared roadway and eventually water, their spirits begin to lift, but then it is discovered that Joseph has fallen sick. Seeking help at the first farmhouse, they are immediately turned away by a European woman. When they come to the home of Reverend Jerrod Brown. They are let inside and are surprised to see that Reverend Brown is an African man and not European. Munira realizes that he recognizes the man from his father’s home and that he is “one of the most respected men in the Anglican hierarchy” (176). Despite their hope that he will help them, he turns them away, citing scripture that they should continue to walk and spread the word of Jesus Christ.

As Joseph’s condition continues to worsen, they search the names of houses but find only homes of white men, which they are now hesitant to try. When Munira finds the house of Raymond Chui, he volunteers to go in but away when he interrupts a ceremony and causes a woman to faint.

At the next house, Karega, Wanja, and one of the elders, Njuguna, approach but are taken by men and tied up. Wanja recognizes one of the men as Kimeria but does not reveal this to the others. Kimeria apologizes for tying them up but leaves them as they are until one man comes back to get Wanja. Kimeria harasses Wanja about why she left, what happened to their child, and whether it was a boy. She refuses to answer him, demanding he let them go and ultimately grabbing a knife to threaten him when he asks her to stay with him. Kimeria sends Wanja back to the others, informing her that they can leave if she sleeps with him.

Njuguna is then told that Wanja is “a former wife of the gentleman” (186) and learns of his proposal to exchange their freedom for sex with Wanja. Njuguna and Karega question Wanja. Ultimately, Wanja gives in as she considers the guilt she would feel over Joseph’s death if she refused.

When the delegation finally arrives at the city, they are told that their representative will not be in until the next day. Wanja decides to call the lawyer who saved her from the German man, who allows them to go to his home.

On the journey there, Wanja notices how distant Karega has become since the events at Kimeria’s house. Inwardly, she holds hatred toward Karega and his “innocence,” feeling that he will judge her for what she did. However, he actually feels grateful to her for saving them and finding the lawyer. He later thanks her and explains that “whenever any of [them] is degraded and humiliated […] they are all humiliated and degraded because it has to do with human beings” (193).

When the lawyer comes home, he meets with Munira, Karega, Wanja, and Abdulla, and they tell him of their journey and their shock over the lack of help, specifically from the Black men, Reverend Brown and Chui. However, the lawyer responds that he is not surprised, explaining that even with the removal of the white masters, those in power “went on building the monster” and “now [they] are all slaves to it” (195). He tells stories about when he was in school, and even in the United States where they preach equality, he saw a Black man lynched for protecting his sister from sexual assault by a white man. Now, in Kenya, he sees not the exploitation of Black men by white men but rather the exploitation of the poor by the rich, and he works to uphold the law and protect those excluded from it.

The four main characters each react differently to the lawyer’s speech. Abdulla considers the blood shed for Black freedom, only for the control to pass to the Black men with money—yet he also realizes he never considered this other than to wish that he, too, had money. Wanja considers the idea of white sex workers. Munira is “bored” during the lawyer’s monologue and simply considers how shocking it is that he, too, went to Siriana. Karega becomes enthralled with the story and allows it to help him construct his own identity through their shared experiences.

Karega then tells the story of his strike at Siriana. Fraudsham’s dog, Lizzy, passed away, and he lectured the students about the importance of caring for pets in order to understand human life and God’s love. When he asked for volunteers to build a casket, dig a grave, and serve as pallbearers, none volunteered, and the four who were forcibly selected refused; they were then expelled by Fraudsham. The students began to realize that Fraudsham was not a big, invincible white man; rather, he had cracks in his teachings. The students refused to go to class, and even when Fraudsham relented, they continued to revolt, demanding changes in the curriculum to include ways for them to learn about their roots through African history and literature.

The striking students caused Fraudsham to resign, and they were elated to bring Chui in as headmaster. However, when he arrived, he informed everyone that he would continue to enforce strict “obedience” and use Fraudsham’s curriculum. As he imposed even stricter rules, the students once again striked but were forcibly stopped by the police. Ultimately, Karega was expelled.

This section begins with a discussion about Nderi wa Riera, the representative that the delegation is on their way to visit. He began his career as a man of the people, socializing with working men and even putting his offices near local bars. He went into parliament with the goal of championing populist causes but was quickly derailed by offers from foreign-owned companies. He was found only in elite social circles, and entered the tourist industry, claiming that what Africans needed for growth and independence was “capital.” Despite this, he remained strong when it came to African culture, insisting that foreign companies take African names.

When he hears that the delegation has arrived from Kimeria, he believes it is a trick. Wondering how “they [could] have managed to organize themselves” (210), he assumes it is the efforts of a political rival to overthrow him. Wanja, Abdulla, Njuguna, Karega, and Munira go to meet with him, and their conversation begins pleasantly but degrades as they discuss population control and China’s oppression of its people. When Riera turns to Abdulla, Abdulla tells the parable of the hare and the antelope, then abruptly leaves the room. When Riera asks if Abdulla is from Ilmorog and Munira says no, he believes his suspicions are confirmed: that the drought is a ruse and they were sent by a political rival. He ultimately decides that Mzigo, Munira’s employer, sent them to cause chaos.

When Riera accompanies them back to the waiting delegation, he gives them a speech about returning home to collect people and money and form a new delegation to travel to Gatundu. Given that the citizens of Ilmorog are starving and have already come all this way—and that Gatundu is the site of the “tea” ceremony—they revolt, throwing stones, sticks, and mud at Riera, who runs to the police. Munira, Abdulla, and Karega are arrested, and the rest of the delegation follows the police as they are taken away.

The lawyer comes to help Munira, Karega, and Abdulla, allowing them to be released on bond and for their trial to take place the next day. At the trial, he argues that they are “Good Samaritans,” describing Ilmorog and its plight as well as their long, difficult journey here. He points out that Riera failed to properly care for them, causing them to take this journey to begin with. As a result of the trial and the press coverage, the delegation receives donations and food, support from the church, and promises to speed up the process to create easier access to Ilmorog.

In defeat, Riera contemplates the Kamwene Cultural Organization (KCO), which he created to prevent uprisings and which gained support after two politicians were assassinated. His goal is to unite the wealthy few of Africa and create African “Rockefellers, […] Hughes, Fords, Krupps, Mitsubishis […] to serve the interests of the wealthy locals and their foreign partners” (223). After his experience with the delegation from Ilmorog, he decides to grow a branch of the KCO in Ilmorog and, in turn, expand the area’s roadways and tourism industry.