Now is the Time for Running

Deo is the protagonist of Now Is the Time for Running. When the book begins, he is 14 years old, and he has spent all his life in the village of Gutu in Zimbabwe. Deo is at once mature and naive. He understands that it is his responsibility to help care for his brother, Innocent, even though he is 10 years younger. Even so, there is a lot that he does not understand about how the world works. For example, he is resourceful enough to get himself and his brother to South Africa, but he does not understand the political situation in Zimbabwe, nor does he realize that his mother, and possibly his brother, were sexually assaulted by soldiers at the beginning of the novel. 

Deo’s lack of experience regarding the more serious, violent realities that surround him make it much harder for him to make informed decisions as he tries to lead his brother to safety. In particular, he does not understand the comparative value of currency in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and he has no sense of the cost of living in a city like Johannesburg. He initially believes that his and Innocent’s earnings from the tomato farm will be enough for them to live on “for at least six months” (94), when in fact the money is gone within days.