Flat 9 by Mariam Akabor
Mariam Akabor’s Flat 9 is a collection of 11 short stories explores the loves, lives and troubles of a South African Indian community living in a dilapidated old building called AK Mansions.
The book is set in central Durban, which is a seaside city in KwaZulu Natal, a province in South Africa. “Amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, the tenants of AK Mansions are never short of excitement, drama or pain,” the back cover synopsis says.
The stories in Flat 9 draws on universal moments most people can relate to, even while they learn of a life steeped in a different culture.
The book uses a lot of local dialects, giving the stories a unique and sometimes colourful flavour. The stories are also short, with the plot moving along very fast. Some of them leave you with the need to know what happens next beyond the pages.
For example, in Latif’s Mother, we meet a cranky woman whose son moved away to get away from her. Even as she yelled at the local kids to chase them away, I couldn’t help but feel pity for her. Given the chance, would she change? Or was she doomed to alienate family and potential allies?
Then there’s Fatima, in AK Mansions, whose life just took a turn for the better. She has a new job, is about to move into a new flat and she’s looking forward to her mother’s visit. However, it turns out that life is about to deal her a very nasty hand.
The Paki hits too close to SA’s shame – its citizens’ zenophobia against non-European immigrants. The story revolves around a bias that “If he’s a Pakistani, of course he sells pirated DVDs. That’s what those people do.” The story was not a comfortable look in the mirror, especially bearing in mind South Africa’s recent history.
I suspect teenagers the world over can identify Feroz, the main character in All About Money. Feroz is destined for a secure, well-paying job that does not touch on their interests or passions. He tries to explain to his father that he wants to be a chef, not an accountant or engineer. But his dream career is dismissed as a teenage stage he’ll outgrow.
Flat 9 was prescribed as secondary reading for high schools in the KwaZulu Natal province in South Africa, and with good reason. But the book is more than a duty read.
It’s a fun read, to be enjoyed equally by teenagers and adults. The book is also a good place to start if you or your teenager are not yet fans of the short fiction form.