Now is the Time for Running

Innocent is Deo’s older brother. He is 24 when the story begins, and although the narrative implies that he has some kind of developmental disability, the author never provides specifics on a definitive diagnosis. Innocent finds it easy to memorize numbers, needs to keep to a specific routine, and has sensory issues that manifest as a need to repeatedly wash his hands. He also has seizures that are triggered when he hears a particular song. It is unclear how Innocent would respond to learning about the deaths of his family members, and, in fact, Deo never tells him that they are dead. Generally, Innocent is trusting and honest, which sometimes makes it more difficult for Deo to tell necessary lies to keep them both safe. “Innocent” is a relatively common name in Zimbabwe, particularly among Shona and Ndebele people. Innocent’s family is Shona. Many Zimbabwean children are named after Christian virtues, aspirations for their lives, or major events surrounding their birth (“Zimbabwean Homemade English Names.” Zimbabwe Names, 19 Jan. 2013). Innocent had a traumatic birth, for the doctor was unable to deliver him in time, and his family believes that this occurrence is what caused his unspecified disability.

While Deo is dynamic and changes a great deal in Now Is the Time for Running, Innocent remains a relatively static character. He has even less context than Deo does for why it is necessary to flee Zimbabwe, and Deo never provides him with solid answers. Deo manages to shield Innocent from some of the more difficult realities of their situation, though both brothers suffer many hardships throughout their journey. For Deo, managing trauma is mostly about trying to ignore it. For Innocent, everything is easier to manage as long as he has access to self-soothing resources such as his Bix-box and his radio. Ultimately, Innocent dies without ever achieving a more stable life. He is one of many victims of xenophobic violence in South Africa.

Deo and Innocent live with their mother and grandfather. They call their mother amai, which is the Shona word for mother. She is a schoolteacher who is trying to obtain food aid from a church in America. Deo thinks of his grandfather as Grandpa Longdrop, which is a somewhat rude nickname related to his grandfather’s birth. Grandpa Longdrop’s real name is Dixon Nyandoro. He used to be a sergeant in the army, and he is a patriotic supporter of Zimbabwe’s president, Robert Mugabe. Deo’s father, Samuel Goniwe, is a trucker who lives in South Africa, not Zimbabwe; Deo has never spent much time with him. 

At the beginning of the book, Deo plays soccer with some of the other children in the village. Their names are Javu, Lola, Bhuku, Shadrack, and Pelo, also called Pelo the Buster. The children have grown up together, and their families all live in the same small village. The soldiers who massacre the village are led by a man named Commander Jesus, a violent man who wants to eliminate all opposition, real or imagined, to President Mugabe. Commander Jesus and his soldiers beat and kill everyone in Gutu except for Deo and Innocent. Deo never sees Commander Jesus again, but the man becomes emblematic of horror and fear in Deo’s memory.

Innocent and Deo meet many people on their long journey to Johannesburg. They spend one night in the home of Captain Washington, their mother’s former lover, who lives in a neighboring town. While Captain Washington is a sympathetic ally who is horrified to hear about their mother’s death, he cannot do much to help the brothers stay safe. When the Chipangano youths try to recruit Deo and Innocent to their cause, Captain Washington finds them passage to the border with a trucker. The unnamed trucker is a man of few words who does successfully get the boys to Beitbridge, but he also leaves them behind as soon as the border opens. 

In Beitbridge, Deo plays soccer with some other children who are waiting to cross into South Africa. The named characters are Aziz Mohammed, Mujuru, Sinbaba, Fantan. There is also a boy named Patson, who only has one leg. Additionally, the character of Mai Maria is a physically imposing but ultimately kind woman who organizes Deo and Innocent’s crossing of the Limpopo River. Other members of the crossing party include Patson and his father; two unnamed men; and Lennox, their guide, who is an extremely brave man who ferries people across the Limpopo and through the game reserve before making the journey back on his own. 

After they make it through the game reserve, Deo and Innocent start working on a tomato farm. There, they meet Benjamin and his nephew, Philani. They work under Foreman Gerber alongside many other unnamed characters. Most people Deo and Innocent meet on their journey are minor, static characters. Typically, they spend only a little time with those characters before their paths diverge forever. Philani is an exception, as he is not who he initially appears to be. Deo trusts Philani during the time that he and Innocent are working on the tomato farm, but he ultimately learns that Philani is just using him and his money to get to Johannesburg.

In the second section of the book, Deo and Innocent spend most of their time in Alexandra Township, a relatively poor area in the northern part of Johannesburg. The first people they meet there are Philani’s friends or family members (the narrative does not specify). They are hostile toward refugees and do not want to help Deo and Innocent. It turns out that many people share this sentiment, making it very difficult for the brothers to survive on the streets of Alexandra without friends or resources. 

The people under the bridge provide refuge for the two brothers. The residents of the bridge include Gawalia, a father to two young children named Tsepo and Rasta; Angel, a sex worker; and an engaged couple called Catarina Manungo and Rais Sewika. Catarina is a waitress who brings home leftovers, and Rais is in a band. Gawalia works for a Somali man named Ahmed who runs a small store. All of them are refugees from other African countries, and all of them are willing to take care of each other and help each other survive. As refugees, they are all at risk of xenophobic violence. When residents of Alexandra Township attack the area’s refugees, Ahmed is implied to be murdered, Innocent is murdered, and Angel is sexually assaulted and severely beaten.