Making people think like you want them to think is one of them things that you get teach first as Green Bomber. Don't make no pointless talk. Sometimes you ask question and you only ask simple question because if you ask long questions you also get your head out of gear. Yes or No? that's the style. Once you learn them tricks of Yes or No you can do things. Before someone know it you have put them in tight corner. You can do that with anyone or anything. Even with them girls. People that don't want to answer Yes or No is always suspect, I teach the comrade.
Shingi is quiet.
Is it OK if I use some of our money to buy box of cigarettes?
Shingi is still quiet.
I know this because I see it straight in Goromonzi when we take traitor out to them trees. Girls is easier; "Yes or No" here and there and soon you have put she inside matchbox and she is all yours to put inside your pocket. But you have to have training for these things, I warn him.
'Me I'm worryful about Shingi. He is having diarrhoea and sometimes that can be sign of that big disease with small name. I'm also worryful for the baby; he is my only likkle brother, you know,' I warn Tsitsi but she just look at me funny. 'Shingi have been in prison before, do you know? Anyone who go to prison come out with HIV.'
Love is like termite, I tell Shingi when he come back. He is still desperate and suffer big torment. He is just being porridge.
He wreck himself on beer that night and Tsitsi and me is now worried for him. This frighten Tsitsi now, she even sleep downstairs because she don't trust Shingi sleeping inside Aleck's room next to she room. Me I give the baby goodnight kiss.
That was not bad move, me I tell Shingi in the morning. But improvement is needed. If you give she big fright then you have chance to sniff she front bum. But take it easy, don't lose control too fast.
Shingi say nothing.
Go get good box of shiny condoms or something for she, I advise. But Shingi don't look me straight, you know, like I am try to trick him or what.
Now our Member of Parliament have been paid again. I give Shingi big brotherly smile when the week end; he have get his wages again at his Westminster graft. From now on we call you our MP, I stir the sugar inside him.
Shingi give me them few forced native kind of grins and one big look like he accuse me of things.
You can buy box of condoms this time and sexy underwear.
Shingi say he only want to go out for walk. But he only go and sit under chestnut tree and come back with some tramp that I have see when I see the MFH under the chestnut tree. I remember him because he is gap-toothed, have big wart on his nose and look like he have sleep inside holes for years. He is hop-hopping around on his crutches like injured city fox frightening Tsitsi's baby so it cry.
'Shingi is just trying to bring disorder into the house now because he can't catch you,' I whisper to Tsitsi in the kitchen. 'I have see this matshayinyoka before.'
'What is matshayinyoka?'
'Matshayinyoka – the snake killer – is the person that them neighbourhood's housewives call to deal with snake that come out of its hole to threaten lives of people's children. He is loud, he talk with his hands, and because he is the only man that is around during the day, he is there to kill them snakes for free. For this, housewives allow him to be they substitute husband until the snake have dead. But the snake never die until promise of plate of sadza and nyama have been made loud and clear.'
Looking at Shingi and Dave the tramp for first time talk talk inside the house is like watching long-lost friends who have stumble upon each each in faraway land where they is not expecting to see each each. Even when them communication difficulties that is caused by language and culture difference is easy to see, they make up for this by hints, winking of eyes, big nods, communist-dictator kind of hand movement and funny out-of-this-world sounds that escape from they mouths in moments of excite.
* * *
Maybe it is good idea if we all go play in the park, I say to Shingi on Sunday. That's because when Dave finally leave, yesterday, Shingi look like he have catch the big cheer and this state is still going on. Now the morning promise sunny day and the sky is blue, like it is on one of them English summers that make them days long like stupidity and it feels like everything going to last for ever. Shingi have heap of ginger for this park idea; now he even run to Woolworths to buy some £2 football so we can kick around in the park and be happy like other people.
We is proper London family now, me I give him big smile when he come back with the ball.
There is total of £1,745.13 in my suitcase now if you include my own savings. That is US$3,403.00 with the exchange rate at 1.95. If Tsitsi was not here maybe it would be £2,500 inside suitcase. Or £4,000 is Sekai was behaving proper.
While we is looking for small corner where we can also squeeze and fool around, Shingi is already blasting the ball high up in the air.
Shingi, be careful.
He have now blast the ball into the middle of group of people playing football and disturb they game; they don't say nothing but one of them kick the ball back with crooked touch because it go ten miles from us.
The park is full of people lying on grass frying they bodies in the sun, playing with they kites, playing football and all.
When we find our corner, me and Shingi is fooling around kicking ball to each each because Tsitsi say she just want to sit down on grass with baby and watch. I show Shingi my football skills because he is rubbish. I try to show him the one-two so Tsitsi can see. I try to dink the ball over him. I do the back-heel and hit him one clean nutmeg.
Tsitsi now leave likkle brother on the grass because he fall asleep.
'I play you now,' she say with giggle.
She run around chasing the ball as me and Shingi pass it between us. Then Shingi make mistake and she get it. She kick it far away into distance and it nearly hit this woman that is pushing pram. Tsitsi gasp and giggle with both hand over she mouth and the woman give us looks.
'You can kick better than Shingi because you have real proper control of leg like you are not mother,' I whisper to she.
Tsitsi run and get the ball and pass it to me and now Shingi is the one that have to do the chasing as me and Tsitsi pass the ball to each each. He come running to me but he have the turning range of Routemaster bus so me I turn him this way and that way, that way and this way, inside out, and when it look like he is about to put his back out, I finish him off with one sweet sweet nutmeg.
'Danger; don't mess with me!' I shout and hold my hands in the air so Tsitsi can see. There's heaps of vex on Shingi's face because I'm embarrassing him in front of Tsitsi. He turn around now and chase after Tsitsi. As Tsitsi run for the ball me I see now there's disaster on she bum: it look like she have been sitting on head of goat that has just been cut off – blood on she dress. She have hit the moon, I know straight away. She pass the ball to me but I have to stop the play.
'You have hit the moon,' I tell she and she look at me like she is going to cry in front of us. She don't even try looking behind she dress.
'What should I do?' she ask. Shingi stand miles away shrugging his shoulders. People is already looking at us.
'We go home?'
Me I don't know whether to say yes or no. There's big silence and Shingi not saying nothing even if he is the one that should be helping she.
Tsitsi walk over to the baby and take baby's shawl and wrap around she waist to hide the blood. Baby wake up and start crying. Tsitsi pick up she baby wanting to go and look at us. 'You not coming?'
'People going to look at us funny,' Shingi say.
Tsitsi click she tongue and start: 'You is just like schoolboy that go writing "Shingi was here" inside toilets,' she bite off Shingi's head straight and square.
'What?' Shingi now puff up. But Tsitsi is in vex mood now. She start to dump heaps on the comrade, you know in that style like yari yari yari you still not know that girls go on the moon and you think these English people also don't know; yeee they know more than you a
nd don't look at it funny!
She is almost shouting in the end and me I go kak kak kak because Shingi is looking stunned. 'Me; me I don't know nothing,' I try to crack joke.
'And that's the first truth that ever fall out of your mouth,' she click she tongue with pure rural vex.
20
Tom have also run away from them Green Bombers and is soon supposed to land in UK, soon you hear from him. That's Original Sufferhead sending more messages. Yari yari yari Comrade Mhiripiri run away there too; the jackals is scattered; the movement have lose its way. Yeee and people say the UK government is now investigating Comrade Mhiripiri for crimes against humans; and have you hear about your mother's village? Yari yari yari the Daily News want to interview me. Oh, Zim no longer exist.
Me I have no time for jazz numbers; Original Sufferhead only know fourth-hand stories. Some memories is not meant to be pissed on any tree just because you can, I answer him.
Don't open the front door without asking who is outside if there is a knock, do you hear? Tsitsi also have to leave, I tell Shingi and Tsitsi. Tsitsi give me the eye. And Shingi is not paying attention. Just because he have walk Tsitsi back home after park disaster, Tsitsi have been giving him sweet smiles which is very silly and dangerous. And now Shingi think this is the time to catch it; he can sniff sniff front bum right under his nose.
You have to do a TKO move very fast and furious or else she jump out of your clutches now, I coach him. Catch the termite by the head.
He start hitting on she with more fire now. Before I know it he have pull Green Bomber move and start pushing Tsitsi to answer Yes or No if he can visit she room at night.
Keep the pressure on; I become cheerleader now.
Every evening Shingi is now whipping she with Yes or No and she have nowhere to turn. Then it happen one evening – suddenly she get vex and storm out of the kitchen. I go out and buy beer so we can celebrate being one big family.
'I keep warning you about Shingi but you don't listen,' I tell Tsitsi when I come back. 'Why you want to live in this pigsty place me I don't know.'
'You don't want me here?'
'No no no. I am just worryful for likkle baby brother. You can stay if you want.'
Shingi feel like big reject and have run miles inside his head. Now he don't want to talk to Tsitsi no more. He spend time inside his room smoking skunk. I go inside to tell him not to worry because soon he is going to catch it.
Shingi look at me like I make fun of him and don't talk. He look funny because now he start to walk like boy of the jackal breed – all that bold and reckless kind of step; you can tell he have bit of the jackal inside him now after learning to do the Yes or No skill.
If you want to catch girl, you have to make she jealous and then she come running to you like animal. I have sweet plan for you.
Shingi don't believe me but me I'm not worryful; now I want to surprise him with another plan.
There is them those kind of women that is always pushing big camel's hoof that you can see from Scotland – that's the one I drag into the house. All the time I am trying to stop myself from going kak kak kak. She is prostitute, and me I hold she hand just to show off to Tsitsi the kind of wild things that is now coming inside this house that she don't want to leave. She go and hide in she room quick.
Shingi have big foolish grin. He think the woman is English girl, but she is Polish; she can't speak one lick of English. He wonder how I manage to talk to she, I can tell.
I lure she into the squat after I pounce on she on Josephine Avenue. She was busy doing she make-up in front of rear-view mirror of abandoned car when I spot she. Then I spin she some number about how your bed is lice-infested and ask if she want to help you kill them by rolling many times on the bed and crush them likkle things.
Shingi go kak kak kak kak now because his head is full of skunk smoke.
Polish girl is quiet as mouse and look frightened, only giving them East European hard-set looks. But at killing lice, it turn out she is right old riot. Within minutes of them getting into Shingi's room we hear the original native squeal as they task come to sweet end.
Hooray; viva, comrade! I shout loud for Shingi so Tsitsi can hear.
God make man, French fries make round faces, but Shingi and me, we make porridge and number-one steak. But we also make Polish girls cry. That is how I start new diary page that night and show it to the comrade. And when me and Shingi joke with Tsitsi that Polish girl have take all the money that live inside mattresses in this house, the speed and racket that she make on floorboards as she run to she room to see if money is still there is like she have ten legs.
I call Sekai on she mobile phone to check if there is change of mind but she don't answer.
Shingi is in big happy mood because he have finally taste this sweet thing that even Adam and Eve thief from Garden of Eden. Now he leave the door of the house whistling whenever he go to graft. But Tsitsi won't go.
Then Dave the tramp come in with some strange woman, complete with rough face, smoker's throat, rasping laughter, them nose rings, dog and mouse, pockets full of them things and cigarette butts. She hair – it's like some small bird will fly out any time.
'Me I like the direction our life is taking. Soon our squat turn into haunt of them bare bellies and people that pierce everything on they body,' I tell Tsitsi; she is all alone in the kitchen wiping sink for no reason.
In less than half-hour of meeting the woman that Dave have bring, Shingi and I have learn that Jenny have see Shingi outside Sainsbury, that she have been taking care of Dave since he fall from some tree, that she is eco-warrior and have even place an ad in Loot saying 'ADOPT AN ECO-WARRIOR AUNT', but nobody want to adopt she because 'I am also gothic, you know'. She used to live in Margate, have try doing plumbing course and was good girl that never used to do them drugs. Then one day when she boyfriend have go to work and she is about to go to plumbing class, she think, 'Oh Jenny, this is boring life, isn't it?' then she pack she bag and hitch all the way to Somerset to pick them strawberries. There some art student sweet she and they start disorderful love that end when she realise he is only able to look after his crayons. That's when she new life begin again.
'Centuries ago in China, local gods use to be threatened with demotion and punishment if they failed to obey people's wishes; after failing to stop the rain, the statue of the god Lung-Wong was imprisoned.' Dave teach us new things too.
'Shingi have never hear this kind of thing. Maybe that's why Chairman Mao try to put things straight,' Shingi say with headful of skunk smoke.
'Why do you talk about yourself in the third person?' Jenny ask Shingi. 'It's funny.'
We is getting bored with talking in the house when Dave say that maybe we go to the Aba Shanti gig at the Brixton Leisure Centre in the evening. He know someone who can get us in for free, he say.
Aba Shanti have four speakers, each the size of shipping container. It is through them speakers that the DJs is unleashing the wrath of Jah, pounding on them walls, floor and roof of the building.
'Jah is so vex he want to tear the whole place apart?' me I ask.
Dave say it's iron reggae dub.
Jenny say something about Aba Shanti gig being the only place where people can discard they mental shackles and become free; she is now sitting on the floor in what she call lotus position.
'There's no segregation and no one makes you feel strange here,' Jenny say but Shingi is still high on skunk and jump in before she have finish what she say.
'Once I used to be bad boy,' he say and Jenny ask why he always do that.
'What?'
'You talk out of turn,' she say.
'No.'
'Yes; you have DID. It's funny. It's weird; I know a woman that used to do that. She was suffering from DID.'
'Here.' Dave hand me bokkle of brandy that he have smuggle. And then he start calling everything that he like 'wicked' and it get my head all out of gear. If there's some good tune, 'Wicked.' The taste of brandy, 'Wicke
d.' You give him cigarette, 'Wicked.' Everything is wicked.
'Stop calling good things wicked because if you come across real wicked thing, then you will find yourself with no word to describe it. Me I know wicked,' I tell him.
When we leave Aba Shanti, Dave and Jenny follow us back to the squat on account of Jenny have leave she dog and mouse and she want to collect them.
We get there and find front door raving open. Tsitsi have collect all she things and go. Everything. Even the money inside mattress.
21
Tsitsi gone; Shingi come from his graft and lie on his bed like defeated man – shoes still on and the new hat that he buy from Phat Heads pulled over his face.
Dave have spend the night and all day here because when we find Tsitsi have go we get worryful that soon the police or immigration people come to sniff sniff at our door, and Dave say he know how to make them go away because Dave have live in many squats for long time and know about these things. 'The police need warranty to come inside squat,' Dave say.
Tsitsi pack she things and go and so what? That's she style, I tell Shingi. His face is long like stupidity. He is quiet and don't take his hat from his face. What all this big deal is about I don't understand; mothers go and leave you alone. Always. And life is always not fair, everyone know that. It make you fry wire nails.
You have already hit front bum now and that's all that matter. Now we can make better savings; why you behaving like big baby? I ask Shingi.
I cook supper. Dave refuse the sadza and stew that I have cook. Shingi only eat likkle and have no ginger for talk.
Dave, with his unending roll-up in his mouth, talk talk while I eat. He is big visionary and master inventor, that's what he say. He need them long periods of quiet reasoning in order to sink into himself and fish out big new ideas. Me I don't say nothing.
Harare North Page 14