Diary of a vendor...

She wakes up at the crack of dawn to heat up water for the twins to bath. The geyser has been out of order for 3 years and thoughts of fixing it are the furthest from her mind. Just as she has filled up her tin pale with the last remaining drops of water and placed it on the stove, the power goes out. Oh ZESA though art a scrooge. She then goes out into the cold dark to light a fire to boil the water, its June and she knows that the twins don’t like cold baths.

While the water heats up she takes her 20 litre container and heads for the borehole. There won’t be enough time to collect water in the evening; I might as well do it now. Besides the queues in the evening are unbearable and she knows just how tired she will be in the evening.

She rushes back home and cooks a tiny pot of mealie meal porridge. While the porridge simmers she gives the twins their bath, laces them in Vaseline and wraps them up in warm clothing. Time for your porridge my little ones she calls. While they eat she takes a quick bath in cold cutting water. Looking at the time she realises that there is no time for her to eat, she has to take the children to preschool and rush to the market.

She takes a minute to stand at the door and admire her babies while they play amina. Tamirira looks so much like his father who left for the city of Gold and never came back. Cousin Ngoni says he has recently saw baba Tami in town with a Zulu woman who he introduced as his wife. I couldn’t care less if he never came back to me; I just want him to help me fend for the children. With that thought she picks up her basket, packs her money deep into her bosom. “Tami take a cup of water and pour it over the fire”, “Tsungirirai, pick up you satchels we are leaving now”.

Children in tow she leaves her house and heads for the combis. She drops off the children at school “morning madam” they shout as they enter the class. “Morning Tami and Tsungi. Mai Tami may I please have a word with you”. Teacher and parent walk into the office and the door is shut behind them, “Mai Tami you are owing two months fees for your two children and we have forgotten the last time you brought their grocery allocation. Your children are intelligent delightful children but I am sorry we cannot afford to continue providing services for free. I have been asked to give you one month’s notice”. “I understand Madam, let me do something as soon as possible”. Heavy hearted and teary eyed she leaves the office before Madam notices that she was on the verge of tears.

It was going to be a long walk to the market. “I only want the best for my little ones, the best upbringing I can possibly provide. If they mess up their lives, let it be because of their own choices and not because I didn’t work hard enough to provide what they need. I promised my children everything they need and some of the things they want”.

“Mai Tami, Mai Tami”

She turns around to see Mai Chipo running after her. I guess walking with someone will keep my mind off all these terrible thoughts but Mai Chipo is such a big gossip. But then again now we can share the cost of the push cart that they would use to carry their wares.

They get to the market and make their orders of fresh fruits and vegetables for that day. Then it was off to their market stalls.

As she cleans her stall and packs her fruits and vegetables, she says a silent prayer, “Lord may I find favour in this market today. This week I just need enough to buy groceries and pay school fees for my children”.

Sales were really good today within no time she had sold out half of her fruits and vegetables; surely this was an answer to her prayers. She counts the notes she has made, $52 worth of sales and it was not even lunch time. This put together with the money under her pillow would go a long way.

“Run mai Tami, they have come”.

She had been so busy counting her money she hadn’t realised that the riot police had come to raid their informal market. Her wrist was already under the grasp of an overweight policeman while they loaded her wares into their truck.

“No”, she thought, “no, not today, not right now when I desperately need the money”.

“Off to the police station we go, we can’t keep telling you the same thing over and over again, this is not a designated selling point”.

The police officer hurls her into the back of the truck and it was on its way.

She couldn’t help but wail. She was tired; mentally, emotionally and physically tired.

The police officer keeps telling her to desist from making noise and causing a scene.

They park outside the police station, where she is asked to surrender her day’s collections to the overweight officer. She tries to talk her way out of it by telling the police officer that it has been a slow day and she hasn’t made sales yet.

“I saw you count money, you can either keep the money and spend the night in jail or surrender the money to me and walk free”.

Her hands were tied, if she spent the night in jail what would become of her children? She digs into her bosom and retrieves the $52 and hands it over to the policeman. With a smile on his face he then instructs her to get out his face.

She is numb, heavy laden and confused. They have taken my wares and my takings. What am I going to do? It was all just too much for her, she decides to sit down on the pavement and regroup.