It’s been a while since I shared my thoughts and in that time a lot has happened.

Roba almost died, Rashid almost died, Linda almost died … had all these people died we might have been forced to rename the comic strip ‘Cher’ and she would have no choice but to have Jimmy Kidole as a sidekick since, well, Stevo is still convalescing.

But hey, we still have a full stable of characters.  For one of them though, things are very different.

Roba came out of prison with one mission only, to kill Rashid.  During the raid at Rashid’s in Runda, he came close.  Very close actually.  But Rashid was saved by his guards, or was he?  Would Roba have gone ahead and killed him had the guards not gotten there?  Why did he (Roba) an incensed 120kg of lean beef choose to punch Rashid instead of just snapping his neck like a twig?  Was he so mad that Rashid shot Linda and almost killed her that he wanted to punish him more than kill him?

As a writer, when developing a character, it is important that he goes through a journey, and that he changes while taking that journey.  It was key that Roba get’s the opportunity to kill Rashid, to see the life ebbing out of him.  Whether he went through with it or not would tell us (and him) something about him.

Talking about Linda, my artist, Chief was wondering whether Roba’s rage would have anything to do with Linda almost dying.  He also wanted to know how this would play into the Roba-Cher something’s-going-on-here situation.  Roba doesn’t have feelings for the woman who’s sleeping with his mortal enemy (I wouldn’t).  But human life is human life and Roba did not wish Linda death … hence the outburst of emotion.

I tell you, that raid in Runda was a milestone in the story and in Roba’s character development

P.S.: Part of the reason I have been away is because I have been working on the online version of the strip.  You can read all issues published so far here (Kenya Noir)