© Google – June 2015
Thursday, April 30, 1970, Kampala, Uganda.
“Rabbi Sizomu, you have a year to get the Jews out of Kampala before Idi Amin gains power.”
“How can you be so certain of this, my friend?”
“Do you trust me?”
Both men were standing on a lonely road, untamed brush to the right, a large hothouse farm to the left.
“I have learned to trust you in the time you’ve spent among us. You know things I cannot explain.
“Trust me, Gershom. President Obote will be overthrown in a military coup. Amin will attack the Jews living in Kampala. Convince them to make Aliyah, emigrate to Israel.”
“Why are you warning us?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Then it’s a matter of faith. Very well, I will do as you say.”
Time Traveler Martin Fields watched Rabbi Gershom Sizomu walk back to Kampala before returning home to 2017, his mission accomplished.
I wrote this small tale in response to K. Rawson’s What Pegman Saw writing challenge. The idea is to use the image above, taken from Google maps, and craft a piece of flash fiction no more than 150 words long. Mine is 149, and it’s a difficult tale to tell in so few words. I once again employed my time traveler Martin Fields because it’s true. In 1971, Idi Amin took control of Uganda, deposing President Milton Obote in a military coup. Amin exiled all the Asians and viciously attacked the Jewish population of Kampala.
I couldn’t find any information about any Rabbis in Uganda in 1970, so I “borrowed” Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, who in February of last year, was elected to the Ugandan Parliament. You can read his story at Haaretz.com.
To read other stories based on this prompt, go to InLinkz.com.
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I was breathless! Your clever approach really accomplishes a lot in very few words.
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Thank you. The original version was nearly 200 words long, so you can imagine I had to do quite a bit of editing.
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Nice use of your time traveller to shed light on true events. A good use of science fiction to illuminate real world. Well done.
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That’s what science fiction is for, Iain. Thanks.
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It’s a good story. Amin was a fascinating character who bears more than passing resemblance to the current American president.
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Love it. How many lives have been saved by timely warnings in foreign lands. My own, included.
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Dear James,
I love where you went with this. I will definitely read more about the rabbi. Imaginative and well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle.
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A clever use of your time traveller guy!
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Thanks. I appreciate the complement.
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Does your Time traveller come to India too? what an excellent use of the prompt. Well written, James.
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I suppose he could (or did depending on your point of view).
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