DOCTOR LOVE DETECTIVE AGENCY

Copyright Dicho Disashi Ilunga, 2007
Copyright Dicho Disashi Ilunga, 2007
DOCTOR LOVE
NOT IMPORTANT: POSSIBLE NAMES TO BE USED FOR EDITING FOR MISSING NAMES: Pangani, Rutumba, Ruvuma, Wami, Rukuva, Kitenge, Shinyama,Uvinza,Kilosa,Mayele, Same, Sagara, Nzinzi, Lebo.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: MEETING WITH THE BEAUTY QUEEN
CHAPTER TWO: FROM ZERO TO HERO
CHAPTER TREE: DAR ES SALAAM - MOROGORO
CHAPTER FOUR: REMEMBERING MY LOVE
CHAPTER FIVE: THE ANGEL BEGGAR
CHAPTER SIX: SUGGAR DADDY AND THE GOLD DIGGER
CHPATER SEVEN: THE SKY IS THE LIMIT
CHAPTER EIGHT: DIGNITY
CHAPTER NINE: COMPLEX
CHAPTER TEN: SHOULD I SAY YES OR SHOULD I S]AY NO?
CHAPTER ELEVEN: NO REST FOR THE RICH MAN
CHAPTER TWELVE: CHEESE MAN
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME
CHAPTER FOUTEEN: A WOMAN'S WORTH
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: GUILTY MIND
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: THE CONFESSIN OF A WITCH
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: JUST THE WAY LIFE IS
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE HIP HOP CHURCH
CHAPTER NINETEEN: THE REUNION
CHAPTER TWENTY: END OF THE ROAD
CHAPTER ONE: MEETING WITH A BEAUTY QUEEN
I decided to market the new buses that I just acquired of the family's company: 2 new buses, 2 second hand buses and renovated the old one. We had a big monthly installment to repay the bank loan and I had to rise the bus fare to meet the debt. I had to make understand the public the new quality and service I will provide. Those buses where different to the old buses we used before in our country. One of them was a double Decker, the first one in the country and rare kind of bus on the continent. They all had radio and video facilities. They had toilets, I had to tell the passengers not to worry anymore even if they have diarrhea.
Before because the buses had no toilet, the passenger who had diarrhea used to postpone their trips. Those who had diarrhea used to disturb the journey. The bus had to stop every time so they can go in the bush in the toilet.
It was very inconvenient to the drivers and other passengers too. For all those services, it was justice that I raise the fare of the buses. Those buses were like airplane. They even had hostesses so people had to understand that for this comfort the price could be high.
I invited a TV crew to make a report on the buses so many people will be aware of. I wanted to take the opportunity too to advertise my new business I was about to open, the detective agency, so all the people who has love problems mainly and other problems may come to ask for advises and get solution.
I already made billboard for it and I already took one of my father's 8 houses in Dar es Salaam for the business. It was not a very big house. My father used to buy small houses and extend it. Him who swore that he will never put money into the bank and the only way to save money was buying houses and extend them. But this house, he had no chance to finish extending it. But it was suitable for the business because it was next to the market. I transformed it into an office and keep the back as merchandize (goods) depot. People selling goods into the market used to store it in the evening in the depots and take the goods back in the morning.
It was a usual business, all the people having houses next to the market used to rent they garage and sometime the all house to market seller as goods depots. All sort of goods where there expect meat because it needed refrigerator for conservation. I had not the big refrigerators to conserve meats or fish. I was also very reluctant when it comes to store food especially dry fish.
They were many rats who followed the smell of food and end up even eating the luxury clothes stored into the depots. So to avoid the rat mess, I decided only to store other goods not food. They were many neighboring businesses and house storing food only.
They were many homeless children living near the market, they were the one hired to take in and out of depots the goods and in return they could get few money to buy foods. They were the one pushing the good's trolleys.
We had very few shops or malls and the market was the only places people get almost everything they needed from foods to clothes. It was the most popular place in the city.
Some of the sellers lived far from the market and it wasn't suitable for them to travel each evening or morning with goods. And the market wasn't safe to live things. The only things they refused to store in the depot were expensive things like jewelry and other expensive items. Even the depot's owner refused to take responsibilities of those items.
I decided to paint it after the construction and equip it and write in big at billboard at the entrance: "Doctor Love" then followed by small writing: "come find peace. For any kind of problem. Come and catch the man or a woman sleeping in your bed when your are absent. Come and see the man or woman who stole your lover's heart. Come and know the why, how, where and when."
If there was a subject that attracted the attention of people it was "love". We lived it with it in the society. Everybody wanted to be happy with his partner. Everyone dreamed of having a good lover. We hear it everyday of our life from songs to movies...
It was also a good way to revenge of all the people who mocked at us. They laughed when our transport business went down but what they didn't know that we had a lot potential. People were quick to spread bad news than good news. Bad news traveled so fast and people loved it while the good news brought only jealous. People enjoyed spending many times of their lives laughing at others than advising people.
Some how my father Albert Musa Kifwafwa had invested in houses. Even thought we couldn't sell it to respect his instructions, we put people to rent and helped me to have a loan too.
Television was one of the ways to expose the business. I used to see a business program on TV, "Intshi yetu" meaning "our country" encouraging people to build the country through businesses and project and even helping to connect different business people. And I invited them to come and do report on Umoja Transport, the family bus company. My father was well know in the community and we were respected because on him and his success.
Here come the television crew with they car at the office of Umoja Transport. I was interviewed. I was wearing a black suit and tie sitting in the office next to a computer. The computer as a new technology in the country, Tanzania had to give a good impression of the business and the professionalism.
They had a chance too to interview Nikki Manda, the woman administrator that I newly hired. She was very professional and had defended well the new company she will be in charge with. She answered well all the questions and how the new service will serve the population.
I was not expecting that the interview will be behind the office. They visited the Umoja FC a amateur soccer team that we were sponsoring. Because our native village was far, they couldn't visit Lumbila. But they mentioned how Albert Musa has sponsored the school and hospital there.
Then the next day of the program recording they decided to visit my house and visit my daughter, Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa. I have mentioned her many times in the interview.
My daughter Malaika Kifwafwa was 12 years old was quiet very mature compare to her age. She even took the journalist Natalie Mchinga for a swim. Swimming pool was one of the sign of success. Only rich people had swimming pool. More than 90% of the house in Dar es Salaam had no swimming pool but everybody dreamed of having one.
Malaika used to swim a lot and me when I had time I used to clean the swimming pool and put the chemical so the swimming pool was always blue. The show had to last for about an hour on Television, to be broadcast in two 30 minutes sequence. But it took almost tree days to film the different scenes.
I didn't know that it takes long to film a TV program or a movie because we had to repeat time to time our talks and action. The man behind the camera the producer did a very good job telling us what to do. And tell us to repeat many times what we didn't do well.
Natalie Mchinga was very popular in Tanzania, a former miss Tanzania finalist contestant. I remember watching the Miss Tanzania finale. Natalie was close to be crowned miss Tanzania but she panicked when it come to questioning and answering. She felt to smile when she was asked a question of "What people may expect for you once you become miss". She trembled so much that she couldn't even hear what they asked her and she replied: "what". When they repeat the question she responded by, "I don't know" then continued with a lot of "may be I will"...Her answer of I don't know and may be ruined her dream of becoming miss. If the competition has no quiz at the end, I think she could have been crowning Miss Tanzania with easy. She had the look, the ambition and the energy.
She disappointed her supporters at the last moment but the many opportunities come after the competition. Miss competition become a step stone to success for that woman, it open many doors. But despite loosing she become a model then disappeared for about 5 years. She said she was working in the media industry in London while some newspapers have reported that she was struggling as a waitress in London.
Then she return home she bounced back as a TV presenter first, then had this business show. She was also a Public relation and spoke woman of a popular retail fashion shop in Tanzania and was the face of two cosmetic companies. She appeared on many billboard and magazine and was also used for and was used too in the advertising of powder soap and appeared in many extra of some local drama. And appeared in many covers magazines in Tanzania.
She was very mature in her early thirties. I felt that I could try to my luck in dating her. Already she shown that she can be very good step mother to Malaika. Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa my daughter was all for me. She was my child, friend, hope and life. She always reminds me of her mother that I loved so much and with whom we had good time, Melinda Bibi Iti. She was my joy of life.
When her mother passed away I swore never to love again but time is a healer I accepted that we will all die one day even thought some die before other. "Death was the way for everybody: rich or poor"
I approached Natalie Mchinga after the interview: "I can have a talk with you at a different place"
I saw her smiling and said: "with pleasure" I saw that she had no problem as she added: "when and where"
I told her: "at small caf� a certain Sunday"
Natalie Mchinga said: "I heard about this restaurant that everybody talks about, the Italian hungry lion"
The first things come into my mind because I have eaten twice in hungry restaurant on my visit to South Africa when I went to visit my half big sister Lebo Kifwafwa.
It was a very affordable restaurant and very cheap but I was wondering which kind of Italian hungry restaurant. Why Italian owners give his restaurant a name of hungry lion? "Do they have lions too in Italy" I wonder.
As a man searching for a lover, I had tendency of approaching any lady hoping that this one may be can be mine. We never know how, where and when we meet our soul mate. The past has be to cruel to me that I lost my wife when I was only 22 years old. At the time most of my colleagues were getting married, me I was already a widow and it take many years for me to try to forget the past. Because in reality I will never forget what happen in the past but the pain of loosing a loved one have been healed with time and I have accepted what happened to me.
Honestly, I haven't been in the restaurant for a while. I used to take my daughter at McDonald and before I used to take her at Steers. I run away from Steers because of the manager. He wanted to force me to accept that I was a soccer star.
I am a Maasai and most of Maasai are tall and slim and many people encouraged me to play most basketball. I was taller too, but I was not even good in basketball. But many people said that I look like Engineer Mosengo. Engineer Mosengo was the most popular soccer player in Tanzania. He was one of the first player who went overseas and played in an elite league there in Europe. Soccer or football to be precise is the most popular sport in Africa. It is the only popular sport played in all corners of the continent. From rural areas to big town. I remember as kids living in a rural area before we moved to Dar es Salaam, we were making ourselves some plastic soccer ball. We were picking up all plastic bags and boxes and with rope collected from some plant's trees we were making ourselves round's ball. And met at any ground and play for hours until our parents come calling us to eat. Sometime even after the meal we will return to play until it dark in the evening.
In Dar es Salaam the empty grounds were very limited because of all the construction here and there but we used to always find ground. Sometime we were playing in the friend's yard or back of any yard. Sometime in the dusty isolated street. But we were interrupted time to time by the passing car, stop for a while until the car passes and return to play. Sometime we used to clash with cars, motorbike and bicycles drivers. Due to my height, sometime I was playing as a goalie. We didn't need any special equipment to hit the ball, we used all we had as any clothes or shoes, and sometime even without shoes we enjoyed to kick the ball. We could use sometime 2 bricks to use as goal post.
Then at high school, I finally turned to basketball until I graduated and retire from sport. Basket ball was more demanding than soccer. It needed a special ground that we find only at the schools and few places in the cities only not in rural area. The players needed to wore special shoes and some of them were expensive for the majority of people to afford it. It needed special net...
It makes even a sense why football was bigger than many sport on the continent because it was less demanding. Most of the famous players, most of them started kicking the ball the same way we did.
I didn't even make it big in any sport, I never play for any big teams to get any recognition.
I am glad that my father was sponsoring a football amateur club, UMOJA and I kept that commitment to continue sponsoring that club.
Everything started one day while I took my daughter for a lunch at that restaurant a certain sunny Sunday afternoon. The rain has just stopped falling and there was this beautiful sun that come out and the cloud where gone totally and they were sign of any rain falling any sooner. I saw the manager of the restaurant coming to me telling me. "When did you come back?" While I was trying to figure out he continued "When are you going back"
As a bus driver that time who usually have time only time Sunday to socialize. I thought he was asking for my transport bus. I answered him: "tomorrow Monday"
That alone motivated the manager. "Engineer, I really enjoyed the single goal that you scored that sank Manchester United. I hate that team"
I asked him "what". It looks like he was not interested in what I was talking about. He got already a confirmation. He then asked me: "what do you eat Engineer". I told him that we wanted burger; I thought that he wanted to take the order.
I heard the man instructing and shouting to the chief to quiet make us the hamburger: "Quick 4 double burger" Then he look at us. "What do you drink?" I said "Usually Coca Cola for me and my daughter Sprite". I heard the manager saying "2 glasses of coca cola and two glasses of Sprite"
It was just to much for us. I heard only money for two burgers and two glasses of drink. It was just a small meal. I corrected him: "who will pay for all the exaggerate burger and drink?"
The man surprised me: "don't worry star"
Then I saw the order on the table and the manager sitting next to us. "Engineer Mosengo tell me how do you score those goals?" I realized that he thought that I resembled to Mosengo. Some people have told me before but not that seriously.
Then I told him: "I am not Mosengo"
He said "don't worry you are a very good soccer player"
He look like he has already made his mind. He didn't have time to listen to me. He started asking and answering question himself. Then he asked me: "some African players complain about some strange Monkey noise they hear from some of the fans in some stadium in some time in Europe each time they touch the ball. What your say on that?"
I decided to answer him: "I am not Mosengo" But Malaika was pleased to see his father viewed as a soccer player said to me in hitting my legs: "Daddy, daddy please"
The manager made his mind already: "It is a privilege to have you big stars and your daughter in our restaurant. Please come again". Paused and continued. "every food in my restaurant will be given to you for free anytime"
While we finished the first burgers. The manager ordered more burger and drink for us. Saying: "you will always eat for free in my restaurant as long that I am alive"
Before we leave the restaurant he gave us a big parcel for food to eat. We end up not even cooking for four day. All of this because I look like a popular soccer player.
We set a date with the TV presenter, Natalie. I took with me Tanzania 20 000 Shilling money in exchange equivalent to 100$ American dollar. It was a fortune as many people do not earn it at the end of the month. I managed to find the restaurant, hungry lion in central Dar es Salaam where the rich people used to meet and have lunch. This was not a restaurant like McDonald or Steers, affordable to everybody. This was a special restaurant.
The gaps between poor and rich was just too big. While many people prayed to even have a little food, many where throwing money away in the luxury.
This area had only expensive restaurant and shops. Everything in this areas were expensive. It was reserved only to reach people and it is in this area that many tourist and business men meet for a drink. It wasn't like African's marker where everybody goes. In some of the night club here, they even refuses entry to people who are not well dressed.
I remember as a teenager we used to come with my brother Paul Karema Kifwafwa and some others friend to then popular club called: "The frog". I agree with the owner to have given his club that name. Sometime when we were all drunk listen to the loud house music that was new in the country. We sometime goes on our feet and dance jump like frog. It was just unfortunately that we don't remain young for the rest of our lives. We grow up and move on leaving behind just good and sad memory. Good memory of drinking and dancing and not care about the rent, praying for the weekend and holiday to come.
We often didn't care about the trouble waiting for us at home because we used to take the car without permission, we had no driving and return drank at home with the car with new scratches and the consequence waiting for us was a punishment. The father used to be very rude until he finally started giving us authorization.
Sad thing that beer is followed by fighting. We witness people being stab with broken bottle sometime fight over girls, until the club was closes and the managers moved on and went on to form others clubs.
Apparently The Frog was the first club to have introduced the system of Disk Jockey popular known as DJ. All the teenagers from rich families or good income families used to meet in this club. At where we noticed how the bouncer used to chase away people not well dressed even if they had money in they pocket. The appearance was very important. One of my friends was even chased because his hair cut was not good.
In the shop next door no assistant will approach or even talk to you if you are not well dressed because they knew that poor do only eye shopping but do not have money. For many people they hated even this suburb because of the treatment.
I arrived in Central Dar es Salaam about 10 minutes at the Italian Hungry Lion restaurant before the TV presenter arrives. I was busy drinking when she arrives. It was her favorite area. She used to come in the suburb often and lived not far from the area.
I saw a jazz band playing live while we sat in the African decorated chair. There were no bulbs. They had sort of candles and antique paraffin lamp. The inside was all decorated with traditional woods and trees. It look simple, well done decoration that took many months to be completed with very sophisticated material and good decorator.
Few minutes of her arrival she irritated me with her stories. Having met all sort of authorities in Africa. Having met many Hollywood A stars in many function. Having rubbed shoulder with model like Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks and movies stars like Halle Berry, socialite Paris Hilton. Having talked with singers like Beyonce Knowles and Michael Jackson. Being known and mentioned by talk show queen Oprah...
I heard nothing to do with that. She told me how she has traveled to Tokyo, Paris, New York...At least she didn't mention where I traveled lately to buy the busses in Dubai and a stop in Hong Kong and Thailand. I could have loved to hear stories about her growing up may be in rural area or with her family and friend.
Dubai had become one of the recently business destination for many people. Any way I had to suffer to listen to her. It all she could have talked of. She was in the spot light in Tanzania and what was important in life was about was to socialize with all the stars and having all the honour.
I saw already a huge difference between us. I had no time to keep telling her about people: I met, people I saw, where I have been to impress no one. She could mention about popular figure without even mentioning to people who gave her birth: her parent. She seems not content with all the known celebrity people of this generation she met in her life.
But all I wanted was to know her better. I thought that all the talks may not reflect who she is.
I look at the bill fare that was brought, the prices where higher than I had anticipated.
She told me: "I haven't eat a luncheon in a long time"
I understood that she wanted the luncheron and I ordered it, one for her and one for me. I knew that she wanted some. She started telling me how she haven't dress her own bed in many years. Telling me how she has a personal servant with her everyday. How she forgot to cook because she could not touch the hot pots to damage her nails. How she spend many hours in the salon for her skins, hairs, nail... each week.
I wondered if it was really what I wanted in a woman? As an African I wonder if she could have time for children or educate children. I wonder if she will accept to go in holiday in our native village. As an African too, she must have a native village too.
While listening to her, I heard her asking the waiter who has just left the order: "do you have any salmon?"
The waiter said: "of course the imported one". She looks at me and I pleased her: "salmon please for us" I told the waiter.
Then she asked me: "David, do you like caviare" I look at her and she said: "it taste very nice"
I knew that she wanted it. I ordered caviare for both of us when the waiter came to deliver the salmon.
A good lunch should be accompanied with a drink. I asked her what she wanted: "What you would like to drink?" She answered me "it advised to drink a French white wines for a good digestion, my personal trainee recommended it, but I am a fan of champagne"
I was wondering how many servants she will need: A domestic because she cannot cook or clean the clothes or dishes because of her nails. A chauffeur driver or may be with a bodyguard because she was a stars. She had rubber shoulder with the top people in the entertainment industry in our generation. A gardener too because she cannot have time to water the flower because she must attend the special meetings and function. A personal trainee to keep her body in a good shape. A secretary and a manager for her agenda...
If I had to marry her I have to make sure to at least hire about 10 employees for her only. Yes, I could have afforded her but if I had to choose her I could have let down many people who depended on the family's business. African families where not only the direct children it included all the cousin's families, even people from the same village and tribes and even neighbours. I had at least hundred people who required my assistance not forget some charities organization where I made a commitment to support too.
As an African I was raised and taught "never to eat alone no matter how small his the food" That apply in everything that we do in life, not only on the table. It simply means, "share" We were taught to never says "it is not enough so I can't share"
I ordered a champagne and French white wine. I was convinced that my date has been satisfied and I wanted her to confirm that. I asked her: "what else?"
"Of course the dinner won't be memorable without the asparagus" She said.
I felt like if they thrown hot water on my body. I said to myself that this woman once my wife will be making me spend this kind of money everyday. And my business will fall in month and I will be bankrupt in a month. The project that I have won't be accomplished. People who depend on the business will be jobless. I won't be able to support the community and extended too.
I indirectly asked her: "it is how you regularly eat or it just for this special meeting?"
She responded: "almost" she smiled at me: "a ice cream and coffee is missing and imported peach fruit for desert"
While commenting how she loves to shop in Paris. How she love wearing even label underwear. She was scared of damaging her skin with none labels and cheap clothes. Of course I saw her wearing each time only expensive clothes. That night she was all in Versace, from hand back to clothes and shoes too.
I read in a magazine that she had a nose done and she told me that she wanted to go for a second plastic surgery to reshape the noise. I could see that her nose was not natural. I was wondering if Natalie thing that she will always remain young and will never get older. In our culture they says that "you cannot redirect the position of a grown up tree" There is no way that I could have make adapted this woman to our tradition and my philosophy, she already old and will never change. It is too late for her and there was no future for me and her. My father used to tell me, "people don't really change, they only pretend to please others".
I realized that she cared more about her look than anything. I wonder what she will be or do if she looses her looks in a fatal accident.
I said to myself that this woman doesn't even love me. It is a way of chasing me away indirectly.
I decided to please her. I decided to leave a watch if the bill is too expensive and come to collect it the next day. I ordered the ice cream and coffee plus the fruit she ordered for all of us. She waited for me to introduce the love subject until she decided to make a move.
"Are you seeing someone else?"
I lied to her: "of course I have someone and you". While interviewing me for the TV program I refused her to touch my private life.
"Since I break up with my fianc� two hours before our wedding, I haven't seen anyone yet'" the beauty queen responded.
I told her: "Don't worry a woman of your caliber will always get a good man"
"Who is the mystery and lucky woman you are involved with?" She asked me trying to gentle squeeze my hands.
"She doesn't want her identity to be known" I lied "you will see her another time"
"I don't mind to spend some time at my place or your place with a gentle man like you"
"I will never cheat, it is a sin to God and our tradition" I quick answered.
"I hope that you change your mind one day"
"I will never change my mind"
Without my good watch on my hand, I was driving home praying that they don't loose my watch.
When I returned home with a disappointed date with Natalie Mchinya. My daughter Malaika Kifwafwa who supposed to be sleeping was waiting for me to tell her how was the date. She wanted to have a step mother like I had one two when my mother died. She needed me too to get over her mother Melinda Bibi Iti. She wanted me to be happy.
She asked me when I was busy opening the door: "Daddy how was your date"
It took sometime for me to respond. I closed the door and put the keys on the table and answered her:
"Totally a disaster"
CHAPTER TWO: FROM ZERO TO HERO
I, David Kifwafwa decided to take care of the family transport business. It started after my father's death just before I graduated as a teacher. I can say that I was one of the unluckiest and luckiest event at the same time, I graduated as a teacher but never teach. I was born in Lumbila a village next to the popular mountain Kilimanjaro before we moved to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. I was surrounded by all sort of trucks and buses because my father Albert Musa Kifwafwa set a transport company after saving the money from the mines where he worked for many years.
That alone motivated me as a young African to imitate the buses and truck when not playing football or not in the bushes. We used to make cars with wire. Sometime we could go to the farm and cut the wire to make up our toys cars. And sometime farmer used to give us some claps once caught. We had no access to the toys cars, there were not existent in the villages but we end up making our toys with everything that we can collect. We use to take all the boxes we could find to complete our cars toys body.
Two years before I complete my school studies Albert Musa Kifwafwa, the father got sick. We took him to many hospital and he even traveled overseas but they were not able to heal him. We, as African we even end up returning to our ancestor�s medicine. We went to many traditional healers but his health was not improving. We thought that may be our ancestors were angry with him or us.
We made many traditional sacrifices and ceremonies slighting cows and many animals but Musa's health was getting worst.
We didn't want to loose him that early too because my mother Nicole Moto died five years ago in a car accident. Even thought my father had another wife Mischa Nzenga. Mischa Nzenga our step mother played the role of my mother. She is the one who kept us on the school bench of school. I could have had quiet school long time ago because I had a choice in life.
Many colleagues didn't have any choice in life but me I had a choice in life. Albert Musa Kifwafwa had a respected transport company Umoja and left in our native home village a farm. Sometime studying was a huge punishment for me. I had food everyday while some of my colleague could struggle to eat for many days. I had many places where to sleep because my father bought many houses in Tanzania.
In fact my father Albert Musa Kifwafwa had little trust in the bank. He lost once in life plenty of money when he put the money in an advertised bank. The bank started as a fire attracting many people who invested they hard earning money in that bank. After two years of the flourishing business the bank was bankrupt. While people were trying to collect they money. People had hope that the situation will be fix in the coming's day.
Albert Musa Kifwafwa got an cardiac arrest when he heard the news on the radio that: " the Tanzania Premier International Bank (TPIB) has closed down...Mr. Salim Onokulu, the bank MD has escaped the police station after bribing the guards and disappear"
I just heard my mother who was sitting next to my father Nicole crying and screaming. When I went in the living room, I saw my father on the floor. Neighbours and other people who heard the alert noise made by my mother come to the rescue. I was very young at the time about four or five years old. I saw my father who I thought was the strongest man in the world even bleeding from his mouth. I thought really that there was no one more stronger than my father. But that day I saw a neighbour opening his trouser belt, hitting him in the chest and moving upset down.
The neighbours were always there once we are in trouble. In fact neighbours are very important in the African's tradition and become like member of the family. All the people were in the rush while my mother was crying putting both her hand on her head. I didn't know what really was going on, I thought all a sort of joke. The first effect of my father fit was that no one was concerned about us children. We waited for almost the entire day to be given food by an aunt who comes late in the evening to cook for with the help of the neighbours. Nicole Moto our biological mother has left with the neighbour to the hospital where my father was recuperating. We used to eat or put something on the mouth almost every two or tree hours but we were almost left alone at our house. We end up sleeping for the entire day and crying for our mother Nicole instead of the dying father Musa in hospital.
I later heard that my father was one of the lucky people who survived the incident while about four people died from cardiac arrest under shock and thousand of people were affected by the bank drama end up in poverty and many people developed illness.
I had an opportunity that many of my follow Africans didn't have. Sometime when I used to study a home, many thought used to come into my mind. "Why studying while I am from a middle class family". I can say that we were from the middle class family rather than rich. People in our village Lumbila were calling us rich. At some stage my father had about 8 busses and tree transport trucks. But we had very few profit. We had to pay the employees and at the same time fix the cars. They were all second hands cars and needed attention every time. We had to buy every time the spares for the car.
I cannot also say that we were also at the same time poor. We were much better. I met people in life who were unable even to buy meat. They could wait may be for Christmas or New Year to eat meat. While I was sleeping in house in the modern material, many of my friends slept in clay house with no furniture and made with mud with Thatcher. While I was able to change the clothes each time it get duty end up changing sometime tree times a day, many people had not had tree shorts.
But my step mother Mischa was always telling me: "Go to school my son"
I used to respond and say: "A lion's child (cub) is always a lion's child not a ship" meaning that "A son of a rich is also rich"
Mischa used to tell me: "Everyday is not Sunday". She had a sense that the future was unpredictable. Adding: "We heard and we saw". I used to hear that some families were rich in the past but the money just vanished. We used to hear too that some people were very poor but today they are respected in the World. At that time I had one thing in my mind: "it will never happen to us."
Just two months before I graduated my father died. Just before he dies while sick my big brother Paul Karema Kifwafwa used to take care of the business. From eleven cars already he was left in charge of only fours cars. The other were really behind reparation and two car overturned in the river with a restless driver who was trying to avoid a passing Rhino with other animals went to drink near by the river while the other bus went the bridge collapsed and breaks.
It had many passengers aboard it. That was the biggest down fall of the Umoja Transport business. It killed about 30 passengers and injured many people and my father had to buy the coffins and even pay some money to they families. Not forgetting taking care of the injured one. About 12 people even today are walking in the wheel chair. My father even bought the wheel chairs from Kenya and South Africa. The wheel chairs were very rare. It has to sell two buses to meet the immediate need.
Albert Musa Kifwafwa had no insurance policies so he had to take care of the accident himself. He was not the only businessmen without insurance policy in Africa. They were many. I can say that time about 90% of the businessmen had no insurance policies in Tanzania at my father's time. But I am sure that lately people have started getting those insurance policies. Many have learnt from the incident like this.
I once accompanied my father Albert Musa Kifwafwa to comfort his follow businessmen. He didn't loose his father or mother or one of his children. He lost all his fortune when his packed shop caught fire and all the goods were burned and lost. I was about seven years that time. I saw my father's friend, sitting on the floor instead of the chair, with his two wives and many children.
I thought they were mourning their loved one but they were mourning millions that they lost in the shop. It all they had. I saw the father's friend with swollen eyes together with his wives. While my father was encouraging him and motivating him to try and restart from Zero. I heard his wives weeping and crying.
I thought really that people mocked at us only. They say that "the Maasai cry more when a cow is dead instead of mourning a human been". I saw my father's friend mourning money more than he could mourn his loved one. It is strange how money can take our priorities away. But Paul Karema Kifwafwa my big brother had another plan. He could not renew the car spares or even buy a simple new tyre. What he was doing was saving, saving and more saving.
I supported him before; Paul Karema Kifwafwa graduated as an accountant. I thought he had good idea to buy new busses but he stabbed us without pity. My flesh blood brother Karema whom with I share the same mother and father. With whom we were friends since our childhood. With whom we went through all the suffering and joy in life. We together lost Nicole our mother in a car accident and lost our father Albert Musa Kifwafwa to a long and painful disease prostate cancer.
He vanished with his wife and two children with all the saving of the company. When I checked the company record that money could revive Umoja Transport and even buy some more second hand busses. My father had with Nicole Moto six children. But they were only 2 boys: Paul Karema Kifawfwa and me. Then my step mother Mischa had 3 children. They were only one boy and two women. And my father had one girl Lebo in South Africa while working in the mines there. She was much older than us. She used to come often to see visit us once a year in December. But since she got married in South Africa she become little rare but time to time she phone us. My father made sure not to loose any child. He kept teaching her how family is important.
Even thought the family's company money was missing, I wanted to see my brother and know about his were about. I was already doing my master at that time of my brother's disappearance. I went to many towns and villages. Then I was advised to check at home affairs and foreign embassy too. After four months of search. I was finally told by Karema's girl friend that Karema has left the country not under the name of Karema but he left the country under a new name of James Marama.
I trust that woman because I couldn't trace my brother under the name of Paul Karema.
She was upset that Paul Karema Kifwafwa didn't respect his promises of calling her. She is the one who said that he was based in Germany, then went to Japan, then to Australia where he was working as an accountant. Yes, Karema was an accounted graduate. He must thank also our step mother Mischa because it her who motivated all of us to study.
The girl friend whose had a secret affair with a married man, my brother. Kept hope that Paul Karema Kifwafwa will respect his promises of calling her. He even send her twice money from overseas to help her with her need. But suddenly Karema changed the phones number and even stop writing to her and even changed his physical address. The girl friend full of tear even shown me two letter that my brother wrote. I knew how my brother's hand writing used to look like and I immediately said: "This woman is telling me the truth"
They were no one who could have taken care of the business. I decided to leave school for a while hoping to return the following year to complete my master.
I decided to start collecting the rent money in the houses that my father left and to take care of the family. My father told us to never sell any houses and as African we respect the decease man instruction. I remember Musa advising us: "Do not sell the houses no matter how broke you are. Because houses money do not generate money. Houses are an indefinite investment if used effectively"
It was a common experience in Tanzania. People once broke sells the house hoping to do business and buy another big one. But the money from that adventure never generates more money. People end up loosing the house and the money put in business were often lost.
My father said that "You don't need plenty of money to start a business". He advised us to follow his example. He started from nothing. He was a miner he took him about 15 years to save money to buy accidentally an old bus. As a miner he was based in South Africa and kept coming to visit the family just once a year after many years of absence. But kept saving most of his money. In South Africa he lived in a mine hostel. He was not drinking like most of his colleagues whom finished their money in drink and women. He had only one girlfriend the mother of Lebo Kifwafwa while many of his colleagues had many. Many had wives at home and wives too in South Africa.
They had the traditional wives given by the families or the women they met before or while working. Those women they loved so much lived in they villages while they were working hard in the mines. And they had some women around because they were not going home every time but needed someone next to them. And women who will help them to clean their clothes, the house and even cook for them. Most of the miners who were from rural area and traditional society had no problem being polygamous. And a traditional man do not love to cook for himself even thought it was his stomach that needed food.
While in Dar es Salem on the trip to Lumbila to see then his fianc�e Nicole Moto that his parent has chosen for him. He past a yard where he saw a bus written "for sell urgently". Just after the independence many companies closed down selling they assets and some companies where privatized. There were many opportunities to grab many business opportunities but many people had no cash. Some people leaving the country were forced to even leave they asset to they domestic workers. In fact the class of the rich people after independence where those who were working for many colonists who has left the country and leave things and businesses to them.
But very few people managed to succeed and remain rich but many people instead went on marrying many wives and could not even stock the goods and went bankrupt and have only stories to tell people now.
Albert Musa Kifwafwa was not sure that all his saving could helped him to buy a bus or even a motorcycle.
The owner of the bus was relocating to Zanzibar, after buying it from a leaving man and operate it for two weeks, he was transferred to Zanzibar in the new administration and was desperate to sell all his belonging and leave. The bus was the only thing kept him holding him while he was awaited in Zanzibar.
The seller told him: "how much do you have?"
Albert Musa Kifwafwa told him: "I have only 1500 rand. The South African money" The equivalent of about 1600 Tanzanian Shilling. and almost the same rate with dollar. At that time the inflation was very low and almost none existent that almost all the money had very little difference in the exchange rate. It was a lot of money for him too, Albert Musa Kfwafwa earned after many overtime hours 50 Rand a months. According to the exchange rate it was the third of what the seller wanted. The Rand was stronger than the Tanzanian Shilling. There was nothing to worry about the exchange rate all the money was slightly difference.
Albert Musa Kifwafwa when look at the bus it was in a very good condition. In his family no one had ever own even a motorcycle. He was far from reaching 4 500 Rand to have the bus. The price fixed was way behind the true value of the car. The seller wanted to leave as soon as possible. He started with the price of 7 000 to drop down.
He told my father: "Thank you. I cannot throw my bus away."
My father had no idea of qualifying to own a bus. He even confessed that he never thought or dreamed of having a car in his life. It was behind his reach and was not part of his priority. He was rushing to the bus stop when he heard a call. He looked at back. He saw a man running toward him and told him: "my boss is calling for you"
He was wondering if the sweating man was talking to him or someone next to him: "me?"
"Yes" responded the man: "My boss want to see you"
He didn't notice that man when he was talking to the bus owner. With all his savings with him, he didn't want to take a risk to talk to a stranger, he may not know to whom he was talking too. Some may be robbers who could have suspected him of carrying a large among of money from the South Africans. And Musa responded: "why to talk to only me?" he was very strict. "I can't"
He refused to go and was getting in the bus when he heard the man telling him. "We have also to leave now"
Musa didn't want conversation with the stranger. He was wearing a blue overall and duty. He gave impression of being a suspect robber.
When they were in the bus, Albert Musa Kifwafwa was glad with his big bag to see the fianc�e that his parents have chosen for him and they have sent numerous sent a message to him in South Africa, those messages used to take about two months to reach him via letters and Musa at the same time was happy to return home to meet his friends and families member. That moment of meeting each other after many days was unexplainable happiness that even any among of money can buy.
He was for a while away and far from the long hours in the dangerous gold mines in South Africa and far from the drill machine. Happy to be alive after almost loosing his life in two major�s accident in the gold mines that year. The thought of his friends lost in the mines in that years kept returning home too. He was depressed for couple of month in South Africa. Work turned into a daily punishment to meet the life's need than doing what he loved the most. Each time with many of his colleagues from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Malawi, and local people from Kwazulu Natal, Limpopo, Eastern and Western Cape used to pray each time before entering the mines.
Albert Musa Kifwafwa prays was: "God and ancestors help me to come out today alive and one day meet again my loved one far in Tanzania and Kenya"
A Maasai had always cousins in Tanzania and Kenya like a Mukongo have relatives in Congo and Angola, like Bushmen have relatives in Angola, Namibia South Africa...
While charting one day, Albert Musa Kifwafwa asked us: "what is the biggest insult for Africans?"
I quickly responded: "it insulting your mother" He responded: "yes it is a big insult but you are not close"
My brother Paul Karema Kifwafwa said: "two classes: Rich and poor"
"very clever" Musa said: "but it is not the biggest one"
Then we called our mother for help. My father loved to spend time with me and my bother because we were men and wanted to teach us time to time about our tradition as my mother spends time with her daughter to teach them too about how a woman could look after her family.
"the lost of the tradition" Mom responded.
Musa responded: "good but I am looking for the biggest one" he paused and completed "it is one of the big insult to an African"
All those answers were very good according to Albert Musa Kifwafwa. No one could accept her mother to be insulted, many people could even tolerate they father to be insulted but not the human who bear you for 9 months in her stomach.
Two classes was also a big insult. In the African tradition there was no rich and poor but only happy people. But now there is tow classes on the continent, the love of materialism. There was no beggar, no homeless people not people over happy in Euphoria.
Today people were considerate and respected by the material that he possesses while ancestors used to respect people by their moral values.
The lost of the Africans culture was one of the biggest murder of the tradition. While many culture around the world sustain and survive but African's culture was in a state of coma. People are proud and happy dumping they identity. As a kid who grows up in a rural and urban area see the difference. While in the rural area the culture is fighting to survive but in urban area it become almost none existent and the Africans identity was disappearing.
Musa was glad: "at least you know the biggest insult of the modern Africans, all your answers are good. I am revealing the biggest one"
Musa wanted what he called the biggest insult and he answered: "borders"
Musa a Maasai who have relatives in Kenya and Tanzania was refused a asked to have a passport and visa to cross the mountain Kilimanjaro to visit his cousin there. People they shared the same blood, ancestors and languages. Musa was so depressed flet humiliated, living in Tanzania with other tribes like: Chagga, Sukuma, Nyamwezi, Makonde,,, who do not speak the same language didn't require anything to visit them, he didn't even need a visa to cross the Indian's ocean and go to Zanzibar but it needed an authorization to see a blood related relative.
Musa even when living in our village Lumbila next to the border was always depressed when he had to travel to the cost to Dar es Salam to get a visa and to return and cross the border and visit his relatives in Kenya because in the village they had not Kenyan's embassy to get permission, to make the matter worst sometime they used to refused him the visa and the Maasai man could even cry: "why refuse me the authorization to visit people we share the same culture, ancestors, languages..." It is why Albert Musa Kifwafwa hated the modern borders.
It is why in daily pray as a Maasai he prayed to God and ancestors to help him to come out of the mines alive and see his relatives in Tanzania and Kenya.
There was no better job he could have got in Tanzania or even South Africa or else where in the world. He had no formal training what he knew better was just how to read and write.
He knew that he had to make use of his time that he has in this short holiday. It was only two weeks left for his annual leave. He already spend one week for traveling. Taking different buses and cross the entire Mozambique. He felt that he could have to spend may be only one week home with his brides and may see her again after a year. Only if he survives the unpredictable accident in the mine. There was no guaranty that he may return back alive again.
Musa's colleagues were from South African neighboring country like Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Malawi...But him was one of the few exception to leave his country far and work in South Africa. It was when he ends up in Mozambique while trying to sell fish. He met a group of 4 young Mozambican dreaming of working in South Africa. He left the fish on the market table in Mozambique and join the adventure that end up in the mines. The Mozambicans had connection because one of a boy's uncles was already settle in South Africa as a miner and it him whom made life much easier in connecting them. Albert Musa was only fourteen at that time.
At that time, they were frontier but people knew very well were to cross. People used to travel to many different countries without passport before many war emerge after independence and the borders become patrolled. They used to cross the bushes or rivers and end up in another country. It was like if there was only One Africa and One country. They were not a lot of patrolling soldier at the borders like our days where some of the borders have even electric fences and crocodile kept in large number to eat people trying to cross borders.
Without hesitation Musa left the border village in Mozambique. While at home they waited for many days without seeing him and even made a funeral and mourned him. They were sure that Musa has dies, being drown in the water or probably being killed by witchdoctors or their envoyee and his body part used for superstition purposes or even killed by a dangerous animal. Hundred of people did the traditional ceremony of burying people. His few belonging left were buried on that ceremony and people gathered for days and mourned Albert Musa Kifwafwa.
It was only after 5 years that he visited the village. For many people they thought Musa was a ghost or Mukishi. But they realized that he was a human's been later. Even thought they could have talked with him, even his own parents kept a distance thinking that he may be a "ghost" or "Mukishi" or "Tokoloshi" or "Mufu". Then he started visiting the village after 2 years and decided to come once each year to visit his native country.
After thinking the thoughts of leaving his bride to be turned to nostalgia.
While settled in the bus when they reached the first village some thoughts started returning in his mind: "getting married and stay for a week with your wife without a guaranty of returning alive to see her again" Many of his colleagues had two wives and they could see they wives they left at home only in end of December. They used to love they wives they left at home. But Musa felt that one year can be forever.
He felt that the money he was going to give has no meaning. Even thought it was little to what he had, about 50 South African Rand after exchange it means nothing"
Then when they reached a first village while the bus had a small stop. Just when the driver started to leave Musa said: "Stop, I am getting off" Everybody in the bus was very angry with Albert Musa Kifwafwa. The bus stopped for about 5 minutes everybody who wanted to get off and in did. When it was about to leave for a long journey, Musa stopped the bus.
Musa didn't look at back while passenger and driver were insulting him. They didn't know what he was going thought. He returned to Dar es Salaam.
Musa realized that the man who called him wearing the blue overall may be sent by the bus seller. He had to rush because anyone could have bought the bus because the seller was desperate and wanted to leave too.
The man wearing a blue overall was the bus's owner gardener. They were all waiting for the bus to be sold and leave for Zanzibar the same day. The bus owner was transferred to Zanzibar as an administration worker after Zanzibar got his independence and joined Tanzania in 1964.
At that time when he bought the bus he had no money left to even buy the petrol for the bus but a man bored him money for petrol, parking,... and he started transport hiring a driver and without first a transport license. It was only after a week that he got his first profit.
The adventure helped Albert Musa Kifawfwa to see his bride everyday of his life.
My father has learned from other's mistake. Even thought the money collected from the houses rents were not much compare to the Umoja Transport it helped us to keep my brothers and sisters and some cousin to schools and put the food on the table at least.
I set priority: First the rent house money for the daily and basic need of the entire family. The farm in our village Lumbila was almost left to the villagers. When there was a party, the uncles and father's friends will slaughter the cow and goat plus chicken for free. It ends up being like a charitable farm for the villager. At some stage we had about 120 cattle but when I took charge we had left only with 40 cattle.
I decided to send to the village Mischa my step mother to try to take care of the farm with her tree children. Luckily we had a school in our village and my father helped to built to some school classes for the growing school for my half brothers and half sister to study. There is nothing I could have done for her. She was happy with the offer that I gave her. She was happy too to live in a rural village than the big town.
I decided to tackle myself the family biggest generator of money, Umoja Transport.
Umoja means in Swahili together.
Albert Musa Kifwafwa managed to grow the company from one car to eleven cars but at the time Paul Karema Kifwafwa my brother managed to loose from four cars to two cars.
When I took over I had only two buses with me and no truck. The busses were also behind reparation and the money that could have helped to rebuild the company was gone. I had a big challenge and big mountain to climb like I used to climb Kilimanjaro when I was a young boy.
No money in the company. Just when I started the responsibility the other bus driver hit the Tanzanian's tourist minister black Mercedes Benz and the driver fled, the driver never been see again and the car was taken and confiscated by the police and the minister. The penalty to take the car back was even more than the price of the bus. The newspaper has even contributed to slaughter the company because the minister was slightly injured. They even published an article that "Umoja buses are not buses. They breaks can't even respond." I saw myself how I lost the bus and the reputation of the company was on the line. It was not the driver's fault, I suspect. Sometime old cars are very unpredictable. The breaks of the car were not responding sometime but the driver has to flee for his life. I wonder how many years he could have spent in the Tanzania's jail for having hit the minister diplomatic car. He didn't know that it was a minister car. But he saw the diplomatic registration plate number and the black colour of the car he hit plus the make of the cars. Many authorities drive black Mercedes.
I was left with one bus. Just two days after the accident my only left bus driver left me for another company. He said that: "your family's Umoja transport company is dead" he insisted: "please give me my money and I will look for another job"
Somehow I understood what my step mother Mischa used to insist that we study and her famous sentence: "everyday is not Sunday".
I didn't know to drive well. I used sometime to park the buses and rarely drive Paul Karema Kifwafwa's Toyota Corolla. Since his disappearance I was in charge of that Toyota Corolla but I couldn't hire another bus driver so I decided not to take a risk to get another bus driver but to be a bus driver and try to resurrect the company. My father's private car was taken by my step mother that I loved so much with my half brother and sisters.
I could not afford to get another driver. I was my strategy to know better the business and save money too. From eleven transport cars to one car left it was worst than nothing. Everybody was looking at me with thought that I will soon loose the one bus left. I even heard people gossiping that "Musa died with all his transport company"
It was with pain and tear that I took the father's company. Not only Umoja's Transported helped my father to save some money in buying houses but also contributed in the development of our native village Lumbila next to Kilimanjaro Mountain and Kenya. We are the Maasai tribe but most of the Maasai lives in Kenya. So we were really a minority tribe in Tanzania. Tanzania had about 120 ethnics group. The biggest ethnics groups were the Sukuma, Chagga, Makonde, and Nyamwezi people.
Albert Musa Kifwafwa supported the construction of the school and hospital. He buy construction materials. Used his truck to transport them to the village and motivated the villager to build for free the community buildings. He was supporting a soccer team in Dar es Salaam called also Umoja Football club in the local second lower soccer division's league and division. He was buying soccer kids for the young boys wanting to play soccer. The players had no salaries but were proud to wear soccer boots and soccer clothes. Now with one bus only I had many thing to do. I didn't want to stop supporting the Umoja FC, support my family, support the extend family help to build more classes for school in the our village and help to extend the hospital.
Musa was the richest man in Lumbila even thought I viewed him as a middle class man not rich not poor. Musa was the only man owning a bus in our village Lumbila. No one had even a good position in politic or was very educated. We had no doctor in the community of about 10 000 people. We relied may be in one of my brother or sister to be the proud of Lumbila to be the first doctor in Lumbila.
Shane Naidoo was the only doctor from Zanzibar who was in our native village.
I got myself quick a driving license and decided to save Umoja Transport Company. We realized too that driver who driver company's car were very careless with the company's car. As an owner of the bus, I could be more carrying and careful with the car. I knew the expense of the car spare and the danger of loosing the only bus left.

CHAPTER TREE: DAR ES SALAAM - MOROGORO
My bus was always packed even thought the press tried to disgrace our company Umoja Transport. The road was always was often wet and persistent in March rain. The roof of the bus was always full of goods and maize. The road was often muddy. My only wish was often to get at the end of the journey as soon as possible.
I end up knowing all the bridges and all the road. I knew where they were holes and trees. I knew all the hills and I knew where to speed and not. Every morning, I used to clean the outside of the bus and the inside of the bus with young boys that I used to hire. I thought that I will be a driver for at least a year and leave. But it become one, two, tree then thirteen year. I could not get ride of the profession.
I failed to buy a new bus in time but managed to fix the bus. I forget about my school qualification and end up behind a bus steering. At the start was little shy then I wasn't shy anymore be called a driver. Many people didn't know that I was the bus owner's son.
The bus becomes my first home and my house was the second home. I used to wake up at five in the morning and finish the journey returning sometime at ten in the evening. I spend more time in the bus than my home. I was left with few time and had very little time for my privacy.
It is in the bus where I used to meet all sort of people: rude and good people. It is in the bus that I managed to meet the mother of my daughter Elizabeth Malaika Kifwafwa. Malaika meant angel in Swahili.
Swahili was the most spoken language in Tanzania and many part of Africa. Thank you to Mwalimu (teacher) Julius Nyerere. He was the legend and hero in Tanzania. The man who was voted as the first president of Tanzania and Zanzibar. He led the country to independence in 1961 and in 1964 and he turned to a hero again when he resigned in 1985. While many African presidents wanted to die president but him resigned when he was unable to continue.
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere encouraged people to study and speak in they native language Swahili. He gave value to this language that was brought by Arabs who constitute the 2% of the population in the country. Unlike many countries, 85 percent of the people in Tanzania lived in the rural areas.
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere despite that 85 percent of the people living in rural area but 80% of the population could read and write. They were many schools in the villages too. It was a record in Africa. It is why I was having the picture of the former president in my room next to my parents� photo and my wife Melinda Bibi Iti, my angel daughter Elizabeth Malaika Kifwafwa, my dead wife Melinda Bibi Iti and my step mother Mischa. Elizabeth was too long name and I decided to short cut it to Liz or Lizzy.
This time, I open a bank account with a respectable and established bank and open an insurance policy. It becomes a must for every business. I refused to hide the money under my bed. Things have changed a lot lately everything in the modern world was through out the bank. I won't blame my father for not trusting the bank. In they generation bank were very new things to them. Albert Musa Kifwafwa managed to save money while working for 15 years in the bank under the room. And he said that even thought that people broke in his hostel room fives times in South Africa. They could not find the spot where he hides the money. They rushed under the bed while some of the money he was even hiding in books. He followed his supervisor's advises. He told him, "You don't have to hide far. The only way to hide his to put money where people can't expect or thing of. Just at the simple spot"
It was a good advice many of the miner lost money while hiding under their bed. He continued in advising him: "As people are not interested to read. Hide some of your saving in the book"
People didn't like to read a lot the novel. They preferred newspaper and specially the sport section. Most of his colleagues in the mine when they take a newspaper they start to read with the back page rather the front page because of the sport session at the back.
Albert Musa Kifwafwa said that in 5 breaks in his hostel room, the robbers had even time to eat the left out food. Once they left shit (extract) covered in one of the pot. May be they were angry that they didn't find money; it may be the way they thanked me. Musa didn't know why they were did so. Because the robbers had limited time the robbers had in the room, they didn't even have a time to take risk to read the novel.
My hears even got tired of noises as driver. I heard hundred or thousands of people who were not considering. I heard everyday the noise of babies crying in the bus and sometime had to stop the bus to separate people who fight and arguing.
While behind the steering while at start, it was fun but doing the something everyday turned to bored. The job that I was doing turned into a punishment. Every time the bus stuck in the mud. I have to call and scream for passenger to get out of the bus and help to push: "get out of the bus and push"
While women, elder and children watch, I could feel the weight of the bus on the steering while. The bus moving and sliding uncontrollable in the mud." left and right while I am trying to accelerate and break. I think many drivers in the developed world would struggle to drive in the unpaved road in Africa. It needed a special skill that the drivers acquired on the road not on the driving license test.
When most of the passengers were young people especially in the school holiday season. Sometime they make the trips joyful in singing. I saw everything I knew which part and season of the trips had crossing animals: Domestics and wild animal. I knew in which season you meet the wild migrating animal, about a million of animals used to emigrate in the north in the dry season. Like the ancestors, the animals used to migrate in the north in search of water in the dry season. Sometime I could come across migrating animals in winter to Serengeti national park across the long grass savanna. I used to wait for hours for herds of zebras, gnus, wildebeests, gazelles, antelopes, baboons, giraffes, hippopotamuses, monkeys, ostrich, cheetah... I saw all the big five Africans animals: elephants, lions, leopard, buffalo and rhinoceros.
It was the beauty of the journey and my work. While stopping watching the migrating troops of animals some tourists used to the take the opportunity to visit the land on they way to the park. It was this time that an incidents changed my life.
A tourist has forgotten a book in my bus. I couldn't trace him again and the book had no address of the owner. They were many thing that passenger used to forget. Some passenger used to return and take back they forgotten item. It was why I used to make sure after my trip to check the bus while cleaning and take and kept all the things they forget. But some passengers were not coming to claim they items. Like that book that helped me to move on. It has a strange title: "The number one ladies detective agency. Written by Doctor Alexander McCall Smith of Botswana but born in Zimbabwe.
People used to forget they bags, wallet, document ...but this one was a book. While I returned back home early and after bed telling story to my daughter Malaika Kifwafwa. Malaika could not see me for days sometime because I used to leave home before she wakes up and come back when sleeping. But when I used to have a good journey and return home early I used to grab a chance and talk to her. I decided by curiosity to open the book. It was about a woman called Ramotshe who had a detective agency in Botswana.
I realized that business it about opportunities. I never heard about a detective agency in Tanzania and I felt that I am concerned much about making money but could be able to help other people too. Helping was not only giving money and gift. I have met many villagers who have no money but give their time and effort to help the community sometime. Many of them used voluntary fix the road so the car can pass. In Lumbila our village, my father used to buy construction's material and the villager build the school and other things alone...
Now that I had a bank account and saved good money and had many houses that my father left. It could help me to get a loan and buy two new buses. I felt in love with the new busses that had curtains and acclimatizer. And re fix this old bus, hire drivers and move on with other things.
I had no time for rest. The only day I had to rest is the day that I used to go and collect money for the rents Sunday afternoon. No one was paying on time except a group of young men sharing one of our houses. I had to go and rudely talking to them even thought I had a soft heart. I realized that when I was soft and understanding no one was paying me while I needed money for the extended family. Everybody has his excuse and problem. "Who doesn't have the problem into this world?"
So all the house's owner used to be rude when collecting they rent's money. People were not even shy to stay in the house even for 6 months without paying rent but no one discuss when going to buy food.
I was also very tired with this man who drives expensive cars but didn't know to pay in time the rent money, David Mandevu. To make the matter worst he was renting our beautiful and biggest house.
One day he was telling me: �Your name is David Kifwafwa and my name is David Mandevu" I was wondering what names has to do with money while he added: "we both David. We can be good friends and negotiate well"
What the man was telling me was out of the subject and nonsense. He could open the door and let me in and cleverly give me beer and put on an American action movie. We could talk about everything until I will get tired and hear to his excuse. As he was talking repeatly very fast he will promise me: "come next week. Come next week you will get all the rent money"
Next time I will come David Selemani received me from the door:
"look something has happen" Then called his wife. "Sylvia comes"
When the woman will arrive, he told me: "She is beautiful. You can get another wife like her not her". He didn't know that I had a beautiful wife who died while delivering my beautiful daughter Malaika.
Then Mandevu will disappear for a minutes when I told him: "I don't want excuses. Your problems are not my business". Mandevu used to live even for 4 months without paying the rent. I was good to him while he had 3 luxuries cars in the garage.
When I thought the man has left to collect money. I saw him returning with all sorts of things: "watches, antic stuff and offer me all the old furniture...and a pizza" I once took them but I regretted because it give me more troubles. I went to many pawn shops to sell them and collected only the third money of the rents after having lost money in petrol and waste an entire day and my valuable time. So I forgave him and refused to take things again. I told him when he wanted to offer me his old glasses, boots and clothes... "You better go and sell those things yourself. What I need is only money"
I managed with my first saving to buy a new body of a bus and new engine after seven years working as a driver while I sold the part of the old bus. It become behind repair and out of fashion. If I didn't make that move I could have lost the one left bus. If I hired a driver I couldn't saved enough money too.
While driving the bus I could learn at the same time people. I decided to open a new business and a new challenge in life. I succeeded to keep stability in the transport business and got a loan while putting all my savings and the house that David Mandevu rented as bank insurance. I managed to secure for the first time in the family two new buses and bought two Dubai second hand buses. I hired Nikki Manda who an university graduate who works for another transport company after being fired because the company owner wanted to marry her as his fourth wife. After a sexual harassment by her boss she was fired for not cooperating. She had experience, she used to work in the company that had about 50 buses all over Tanzania.
I refused to hire any family's member in the business. I wanted professionalism in business. I didn't want to hire people to please me but people who will make a difference in the business with experience too. Sometime family's members feel more privilege and sometime do not take businesses seriously. I have a friend of mine who manage his father's shop and taught me a lesson. He had no discipline. Each time he meet a beautiful woman he will impress her and give her designed clothes and design bag for free even if the woman hasn't agree. Each time he needs money he will go to the cashier and take any among of money anytime. Consequence some of his girlfriend had also the courage to come to the cashier and take money and takes the new arrival fashion's clothes without paying. Until some of his girlfriends started fighting in the shop, when his father took action to fire him, the shop has suffered a huge loss; he didn't even care of paying the shop rent for almost tree months.
I have to be thankful to the bank and especially my father Albert Musa Kifwafwa who invested in houses too. He grows up in the clay and mud houses. He grows up with one parent while me I had both parent before my mother dies. But gave us the opportunity to succeed. I always feel ashamed that I didn't learnt at the young age to make a living myself. I was waiting for food while my father used to search for food as a young boy. If it wasn�t because of my step mother advises too to go to school I wonder if I could had the opportunity to study. I failed to be a teacher with teacher diploma but I managed to revive the family's company.
I missed for the first time my regular customers, and other passenger and tourists who were supporting the business. They were my hero who made possible my dream comes true. Some of the passengers were used to me as they could sit next to me the all trip and telling me all sorts of stories and even encouraging me.
I remember telling some of my regular passenger that "I am leaving driving buses on the regular bases and concentrate in a new business". They were all asking me: "why are you living" some were asking me: "What will keep you busy? Will you be sleeping the all day and waiting for the bus driver to give you the money in the evening?"
I told them: �I am going to opening an detective agency to help the community" One regular passenger asked me: "what will be the name of the agency?"
I told them: "Doctor Love"
It was strange to everybody. To hear some one asking me. "Are you a medical doctor too".
I was not amazed with this question many universities graduate are not able to exercise they profession studied. The unemployment kept growing so people do not wait for they dreams jobs anymore, they take and do any job that will help them to get money and survive.
I told them: "there is no machine to calculate the degree of love"
I have meditated for the last two year about my business and I felt that a detective agency can be the best one. I wanted before hiring the detective�s agents to learn and have the foundation and understanding of the business. The importance of love in the community and our families and I felt justice to make a "Love surgery"
My last trip as a bus driver after thirteen years was the most memorable one. It was a party for me to move on. I was driving the bus watching for the last time farmers and cheering screaming children who used to praise the passing cars. I was 34 years old when I left the steering of the bus. My love of my life my daughter Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa just turned 12. I was still a window and decided too to look for a possible wife. Even Malaika my daughter has pressurized me to get married again.
I swore before never to get married again.
CHAPTER FOUR: REMEMBERING MY LOVE
I decided to revenge all the 12 years that I was single after loosing Melinda Bibi Iti after she died while giving birth to my daughter Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa. If it wasn't because of Malaika I would have may be committed suicide. But there was no need to leave a baby without any parent.
Sometime life is just too cruel when death takes our loves one. The sad feeling that we won't see each other or meet again physically. We won't meet again even in another continent: not in Africa, not in America, not in Asia not in Europe not anywhere on earth again. The incapacity to bring back our love one, no amount of money or anything will ever bring back our loves one.
While waiting for my wife to return with the baby. I was called to the hospital. While I was busy asking: "It is a boy or a girl?"
My father and my elder always discourage us to know the sex of the child before he was born even thought that technology was available around the world. They wanted to keep the traditional emotion of not knowing which sex the child will be. And that alone brings the mystery and the beauty of birth. Crossing fingers and only hoping that the child be may be a boy or girl, single child or even twins.
I could hear from the nurse the frustration: "Please report to the hospital as soon as possible". For me the first time was always very special and memorable. I was waiting for the first time of be a father and taking responsibilities.
All the family and friends has been waiting too for the child. Melinda Bibi Iti was already 7 days overdue. We were expecting a child anytime. While walking on street people kept asking me: "Do Melinda has given birth? It is a boy or a girl". Despite the age being a parent brought so much respect in the family and the community too. I dreamed of being called too to school when the child was naughty or seeing him or her playing sport. I dreamed of playing into the garden or bed with the child. I dreamed of shouting to the child when breaking glasses or porcelain plates. The pleasure of contributing to bring in life a human was just explainable. Already when Melinda was six month pregnant, I went to our village and took all the blessing ointment to bless the new comer in the family ceremony like we do in our tradition.
I was a father to be and that alone makes me very proud. I remember having met this beautiful woman who strikes my heart in Dar es Salaam. She comes to buy the goods for the family tuck shop in the final destination of the bus Morogoro.
She was wearing a long skirt well behind her knee. It was a sign of a woman well educated. Making sure that her private and sensible part was hiding. She was wearing a big long shirt hiding well her breast.
When my father Albert Musa Kifwafwa used to see saying a woman wearing clothes leaving sensible part outside: "why not walk naked if the clothes bore you". It was when I accompanied him to home affairs. Just next to us in the waiting room come this woman wearing a short skirt leaving outside all her private parts and we could see easily her white underwear and a small top covering only half of her breast. After noticing that all the people in the waiting room where uncomfortable, she took a small handkerchief and tried to cover her leg while sitting. Some old women had to leave the room for a while to avoid humiliation; they could not stand watching this scene with unknown people. They felt that the young woman has just brought humiliation to all the women in the waiting room while young people tried to cough to hide their emotions.

As a teenager, I enjoyed what I saw, it was like a free pornographic for me but no parents watches pornographic movie with children. Instead I got shy of my father hoping that he was not there while he too got shy of me. It was already a conflict of generation. My father had enough as he approached the women and told her: "you complain of being raped. How do you expect the men to do when they see woman almost naked. Not all the man has the patience and strength to control themselves". When my father was angry he was not shy to talk and even shout at stranger like all the elder shout to young people and added "how do you expect to be respected if you don't respect yourself"
I didn't mind personally but I knew already that if I have to present to a family a woman to marry, she must be dressed respectfully and have good manner.
It when I could see that the African culture has changed a little bit. In the rural areas or even many places breast where not forbidden. Woman where not shy to breast feeding they children. But after realizing that some women private part where making people very uncomfortable especially in big cities. They encouraged people to start hiding it.
My mother used to teach my sisters to cover they body not even leaving any thigh outside in big cities but taught them that in our rural village it wasn't that forbidden. She used to tell them, you must protect yourself from intrigue like people who can rape yourself first before thinking of the police. In rural area traditional people had no problem with some women's private parts, all the women were like sisters to them. The ancestors had no modern clothes and half of they bodies were not covered but in cities with the mix of many culture and the lack of morality some people seems to get very uncomfortable with it. The mind of people has even changed.
"The bottom line was for women to learn to respect herself and respect people around her" She used to say.
I saw often in the bus many women wearing short skirt. When they sat all the private part was visible. I saw some women walking with half the breast outside. But I was shocked to read in the newspaper and saw a picture of a woman who was in my bus two days before rape just few hours she got of my bus apparently according to her explanation, a man who was also a passenger into the bus has approached her with a friend conversation while they were into the bus and took her to his place in the city where she was new and force her to have sex with him. He gave an excuse that he could not take it anymore; the woman has just killed her from the seat in the bus. Whatever was the excuse of this man it wasn't a reason to rape a woman mal dressed.
What a stupid thing to do for a five minutes pleasure having to spend many years into jail and loose all the respect you have in the community? A real man does not rape.
But what attracted me to Melinda is that she was different to many young women. What people may say she was out of fashion but that different unusual look it what attracted me. It was a different food taste in my eyes. It like eating chicken in a while everyday it red meat. What was usual turn to be boring and what is specific turn to be extra ordinary.
Melinda Bibi was wearing like an old woman while she was young. Her hair was just simple long combed hair while her skin was soft. I kept watching rear view window for all the trips. I end up hitting I don't remember how many animals, what I know I hit first a crossing springbok, then a folk, and almost hit a crossing elephant. That could have been disastrous for me and the passenger if I didn't realize in time that I was few meters away from the giant animal.
Even one of my regular passengers come and shouts at me: "are you Ok? What wrong with you today? Did you drink a little bit before driving today" another one said: "we didn't pay bus fare to die". While the woman was even unaware of the crush she made. She was very quiet on her chair sitting with another man. I was busy watching constantly in (mirror) while the outside town road had no many cars and was not that busy. We were busy watching animals and carefully watching the holes into the road...
I was very worried about the man sitting next to her. I thought that it was his husband. Women used to get married at the early stage and I was expecting too that she may be married. Thank God the man who was sitting next to him was his paternal uncle.
My father used to tell me: �there is nothing wrong with the African tradition or any culture. The problem is the new generation". We spend comparing culture and trying to easily forget where we are from.
When we reached Morogoro, I send the young boy helping me to load the passenger good and sometime collect the passenger fare. "William please follows that woman in the long skirt and tells me where she lives"
William was like: "You don't know that woman?"
I told him: "I never seen before that woman"
"You must be blind" William said: "That woman is called Melinda she sells in the tuck shop next to the usually restaurant we eat Ugali"
Ugali was the most eaten food in Tanzania even in Africa. The only different is that it has different name in many Africans dialects but not a proper name in English. Some call it Pap but it is porridge made of corn. But I think it is too solid to be called porridge. Other food we used to eat was bananas, cassava, millet, rice, sorghum, wheat and vegetable. As a Maasai our traditional food was meat and we drink too a lot of cow milk, I used to buy often five litters of milk and store it in the fridge. The fridge was never short of liquid milk as we hated the powder milk. As a Maasai I could buy also milk and other traditional food in Morogoro because it was a semi rural town where I could easily get traditional food. We loved milk; it was inherited from the ancestor. We used to drink a lot of cow milk as most of the Maasai had cattle. It was not surprising even thought my father Musa had buses to own some cattle too.
I had very little time to cook or even to eat so I used to eat the restaurant food most of the time while my daughter used to eat with a cousin who lived with us Serengeti. Serengeti was a popular name too because one of the national park too was called Serengeti.
And she learnt to cook and lately cook alone food.
Williams was right. Melinda has traveled in my bus two times before I notice her on her third trip. They had a tuck shop and I started buying all my necessity and unwanted things at Melinda's shop.
I even bought one day a cigarette while I was a none smoker there just to see her. To make the matter worst Melinda was not even into the shop that day. I was trying to hide my reason of being in the tuck shop. As he asked me: "Can I help you?" I run out of the idea. It wasn't wise to tell to them selling man that I wanted in fact to see a woman who sells in the shop. You may not know may be the man in the shop was Melinda's cousin husband to be or arranged family's fianc�. I didn't know her that well at the start. So one thing just come into my mind at that moment:
"Cigarette"
The man just open a packed of cigarette and gave me one cigarette. I sometime see this man at the shop and even at the bus stop. The man who sold me a cigarette knew me and was astonished:
"I never knew that you smoke too"
"With all the stress of passengers and the road. I have to smoke like most of drivers� colleague"
The man gave me cigarette. When I was about to leave he told me and gave me a light: "this is the light"
I took the light struggle a little bit to light it and finally light while other customers were waiting for me to leave the counter.
I try to smoke but coughed too many time and I realized that this is not my things.
But things turned differently too while I was buying from that tuck shop. I used to find other family�s member selling stuff there. But each time I used to see Melinda at the counter. She used to give me more than what I was buying. I used to love the traditional extract oil. And started buying at Melinda's tuck shop and she used to give me more than what I supposed to get.
From there I knew that "she was my wife". She knew well as a bus driver rather than a bus owner.
All the formulas of getting to know each other better for a long time do not work in all the relationship. As an African, the ancestor didn't have those formulas. We got married just two mouths after our meeting.
I couldn't believe that she was dead when I arrived to the hospital. The nurses were trying to tell me, "she has lost a lot of blood and they didn't have enough blood in the hospital..."
I didn't want to hear that. I find Malaika my daughter alone in a bed while the other children were with their mothers.
I couldn't believe that Melinda Bibi Iti was gone. It started realizing when we had to bury her in Morogoro. The villagers according to they tradition has ceremonially dig the tomb in the midnight in the rock mountain. The tomb was quiet deep. In the morning hundreds of people gathered at the cemetery.
It was when they have put the coffins in the tomb that I realized that Melinda Bibi Iti was no more. I was not married anymore I become a window just before I turn 22. I complained to God hard. "Why, why, Why". I could call out Melinda. "Please don't leave me. I will go with you" Uncontrollably I cry a lot while trying while walk toward my step mother Mischa, I slide on top of the small stones and without any strength in me. I end up falling into the tomb too.
I cried for "help, help" I wanted God to help me to deal with the pain and the situation I was going through. I heard a man in the group saying: "You wanted to go with your wife and now you are in the tomb and don't want to be buried with her and start asking for help."
It was too much for me, I lost both my parents when I needed them the most and now after a year of happy marriage I lost the mother of my daughter. Not forgetting my only big brother and brother has disappeared without any trace. All I was left was small half brother.
It was a double humiliation but I didn't care. I think may be really Melinda wanted us to be buried together. As young lover, we end up one day sharing each other's blood, after cutting ourselves with razor saying: "together we live and together will die". Sometime love made us do crazy unimaginable things.
I was unable to get out of the tomb myself as young peoples come to my rescue. Mathew Mara surnamed Mr. Funeral was very angry with the man who mocked me. The man who mocked at me said that I wasn't a man enough because I should had control my emotions.
Mathew Mara was surnamed Mr. Funeral because he used to participate in many funerals. Without any authorization he will take charge of the animals slaughtering, food...He used to slaughter animals and telling young people: "you cannot even kill a rabbit" Sometime he will tell to other people to leave: "look go back home, this is a party. There is little food" Some people even hated him. But in all our funerals we had enough food for all the people who come to support us in the difficult time. Food was never a problem in our family.
I loved Mathew every time I had time I used to visit him. He was there when my parents died and was there in many families funeral. I don't care what people say he was a true African. But I didn't like an act he did in my father's funeral.
Mathew saw a poor dog passing by following the meat's smell. The dog was so thin that you could count all his ribs. The kind of dog the owner could not fed leaving the animals looking for food in all the dustbins. The poor dog just passed by next to the kitchen where Mathew Mara was distributing food. I saw Mathew hitting the dog with his boot. I saw the dog thrown and screaming. Mathew was angry telling the dog: "don't you see that we are busy working?"
I am sure that some of the ribs of the dog were broken.
They were many people like Mathew Mara in many funerals in Africa. People taking charge of the food and responsibility even when they were not well known in the family. And some where even women. Some where really carrying but some will take advantage of the funeral to have some food to eat. I will never blame them; some people had really an impossibility to get food.
In all the family funeral we even met stranger. I remember at my father funeral again an unknown couple comes. The man was given the beer. Each time he put down the bottle from his mouth he will cry hard with tear all over his face. He didn't know even the full name of my father he called my father. "Robert Musa, Robert Musa my friend why you leave us." His wife was given the rice each time the spoon was out of his mouth he will support her husband. "Why you died who will take care of the buses, Robert". It was after a mourner corrected that my father name was Albert Musa that they corrected the name.

CHAPTER FIVE: THE ANGEL BEGGAR
I thought business was very easy. I heard people saying that it was easy to work than doing business I thought that they were kidding. I inherited the family business and I managed to lift up the company. As I said once to my mother in law "it won't happen to us". I wonder if I didn't take a risk to be a bus driver if I could have had managed to save enough money to revive the transport company. I realized that it could had happen to us, I was wrong.
I managed to only secure one part of Umoja Transport. My father had trucks and buses. He was transporting goods and people. But me I managed to revive only the bus for people but failed to revive the goods transports. I had no trucks and I needed to work more to be able to get some trucks too.
I thought that it was very easy to make a business and get profit. I couldn't understand why many businesses where closing down.
The first week in the new business, I was sitting on my desk receiving dozen of people who read the billboard at the entrance. They were attracted by the word, "doctor" and many people were coming for the medical consultation instead.
I wanted even to change the business to be a medical business but I had no knowledge of the medicine and medical businesses needed a lot papers: license, equipment and even professional medical graduates...
At least it was a good sign that people were aware of the business and kept pouring in. But no one come with a detective problem. But time to time I was explaining people what was a detective agency. People knew only of the police not any detective agency; it was a rare business in the country.
They were a room of many new businesses. I was advised "to try to fail not to fail to try." I had to try to persuade people of my business instead of failing to take the risk.
It was a very different business compares to the transport businesses.
In transport they were always customers because many people wanted to travel but they were very few cars in the land. Before the clients used to wait for me now I had to wait for customers.
I was waiting for a really case to arrive so I will be able to get into it. I couldn't even manage to hire already an investigator or even a receptionist because I was not generating money. I was still in the study process. I managed for the past few months to buy all sort of investigations and detectives book. I end up loving the investigation more than anything. I was financially stable and I wanted to do something that I wanted to do but the customers were not coming yet.
I have learnt that many businesses take longer to get customs that alone motivated me to wait. It was a new process for me to wait for customers while with the bust the customers wait for the buses.
When I used to rich the bus station, I usually find many people waiting for the bus already. Here it was the opposite.
When I used to open the gate of the premises, I could find already many sick patients and they families members and friends who come to accompany them waiting for the medical doctor to arrive. Sometimes under the rain. So I had to take sometime an hour trying to explain them of what the agency was all about instead of starting the investigation.
I could not remain ignorant because some of the sick people were from very far. They had they bags with them and some were even accompanied by bicycles. I talked with Doctor Dume Mambo who had a surgery to come and help the sick peoples. Dume Mambo agreed and started sending after an hour his employee to come and fetch the sick people, while I was directing too some of the patient to him.
I even made a plan B. To build at the other side a clinic to be may be in operational in 5 years time may be. I wanted to destroy the depot at the back and transform the all available space. I didn't tell anyone of my plan even doctor Dume Mambo. It was just a project in mind that I was never sure of completing it. Only time could have been the witness.
I spend most of my times reading newspaper in the office, listening to the radio, playing games in the computer. I spend time thinking and some time watching from the window everything happening in the street. I wanted really those kinds of cases that will take you busy for many days, which will turn your mind to come up with a good strategy. The office was boring for a man who was always on the road especially when it was very hot. But I don't regret my decision. I had enough time with my daughter Malaika.
Malaika once told me: "you don't spend time with me when I need you the most. I am growing up" She was right, there are some age when children need they parents once they are big you cannot make younger to catch up the missing time.
Malaika was raised by my sister Michele Muzuri because when Malaika was a baby without a mother, Michele Muzuri had a 2 month old baby and she decided to take Malaika and started breast feeding her too. I used to buy also powder milk but in our tradition the mother's breast milk was the most important milk. Michele Muzuri took her until she was almost one year and six months and my step mother Mischa took her in our village Lumbila until she was four. Then I took her and asked my cousin Serengeti to come and live with us with her two children.
She was a window and took care of her children and Malaika, taking them to school and fetching them when me and my neighbours are not valuable, cooks for them and educate them.
I was spending time with her Sunday afternoon after collecting the rent money from our houses or before that I go to collecting the rent money. But I spend most of time with her when the bus was in the garage. The old car sometimes used to spend more time in the garage than in the road.
But I always felt that it was not enough time to spend with my family and friend. Since I left to drive the bus, I was able for the first time to participate in the parents meeting at Malaika�s school. I was able every morning to drop Malaika and neighbouring children to school and fetch them. I was able to hang around with my daughter. I could sit for hours with my daughter and Serengeti children and neighbouring children. I was able to participate on Elizabeth Malaika Kifwafwa's sport activities. She was doing dance and volley ball.
I felt closer to my daughter than ever. As a driver, I could have found myself in the situation where the child has grown but haven't been able to interact with the father. As a bus driver I used to leave the house before she wake up and return when she is sleeping already. This was not good for a child who has a single parent and for myself too. But it was a sacrifice that I had to do to revive the business that my father Albert Musa Kifwafwa left.
Malaika could have been very young but they were always too or one thing that I used to learn from her. I needed really to be with Malaika most of the time. She was like for me someone who look at the mirror and forget his face how it look like and has to watch the mirror continually and keep goes back to the mirror. I could not get enough of Malaika. I had another picture of her on in the bus but that could not help me to forget even for a moment of my daughter.
She was understandable at the same time. She even asked one day: ":Daddy why don't you like to buy a fancy car, you can afford it?" I told her that I was a business man who had to manage each cent I make. I was not a star who wanted a car to impress others or to compete with other even if you don't have a house or car parking.
When we moved to Dar es Salaam as a kid from a rural area where they were very few cars, I used to stand on the biggest street wanting to see the last car that will pass. I didn't know that things were very much different. I could stay in the street for many hours without seeing the last car; there was continually flow of cars.
I compare that experience with the cars; they will never end making new models of cars. What I needed was something to take me from a point A to a point B, helping me to save time and energy. My machine has to be in good condition, something that has a presentable body and excellent engine. It didn't matter which make it was.
I understood, Malaika saw many fancies attractive cars and wanted me to have one and drop her and fetch her from school. She wanted to be aboard a fancy car but she understood why I could not please her. I told her: "I am a businessman and think about tomorrow. I may not drive a fancy car while I can afford one but I want to make sure that our generation and generation to come never sleep hungry. We are a sacrificed generation for a better future" Like my father Albert Musa who invested in the houses.
When I decided to be a bus driver with all the respect we had in the community it was because I was seeing the future than a present. My father once told me: "The problem with people is that they to earn easily, and a lot of money in a short space of time while what sound to good is never true"
She understood why I was driving a Toyota Land cruiser after I got ride of the Toyota Corolla that my brother Paul Karema Kifwafwa left. Each time I used to drive that car I used to think of my brother. I was upset that he could have been dead too and I wondering the motive that drove Karema to disappear without saying any good bye even to me who was like his friend"
I loved Toyota because it has a good reputation because it lasted longer too. It is not mean that it was a better car than other but it was very popular too in the land and the spare were always available and at affordable prices while some car's spare had to be imported and costly.
But the question was "when does a real customer will come". Someone who read correctly the all billboard advert. Many coming people were attracted only by the name of the agency written in big character, "doctor love detective agency" forgetting the explanation that I wrote in a small character.
There was no way that I could have written even the explanation in big character. First they could not have been a space for it and secondly all the writing could appear like one long name of the agency.
I was still convinced that doctor love was a suitable and more appealing name even thought friends and even my daughter Malaika advised me to change the name.
Just when I thought no one will come, I saw this latest Cherokee Jeep entering the yard. The sound of the car was strong with a powerful engine that I stand by the window watching who is coming.
I saw a soldier jumping from the other side of the car when the car was still moving and quick open the back sit door when the car stopped. Then I saw a high heal shoes coming out first. Then a woman come out of the back seat. The driver too open the door and hand over a bag to her. I was convinced that this may be a memorable day, "the first client has just arrived"
I quick switch off the radio. Close down the game window into the computer. I quick wiped the table, the computer and the two chairs and hide the moping clothes.
And sat on the chair when I heard a knock and responded:
"Yes"
The woman entered the office on my approach: "Karibuni" and after greetings she asked:
"Can I see the detective agent?"
It was important to welcome everybody in Swahili the most popular and the most native spoken language in Africa, spoken in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zanzibar, East of Congo and many part of the continent.
I told her: "you are speaking to the right man." I paused then asked her: "how can I help you?"
"I have a problem" She said.
I told her: "have seats." She looks at in her late thirties or early fourties. I could see that she was wealthy because she was wearing a lot of Jewelries being dropped by a driver and a soldier bodyguard, in a latest model car.
She sat on the chair, then started her story: "My name is Kitunga Nyasa" she put her hand bag on the table and said: �I am the wife of Moses Nyasa"
I knew Moses Nyasa, he was one of successful business men in Tanzania. People used to call him, "the boss of the boss" He was once the president of the businessmen association in the country and owner of a many plantations in the country.
She said: �I am looking for an angel who comes under a form of a beggar"
It took me many minutes to try and digest the last sentence, "An angel under a form of beggar? I asked her"
She confirmed: "Yes she visited me"
Then she started her story. "I have everything a woman could have wanted in life. I have a very rich man who married me. I have been all the places a woman could dream of. But" She paused "But I don't have a child"
I was expecting the first cases or many of my cases of the lovers cheating but this one was about a woman who wanted a child. I was not a doctor. I answered her: "I think Doctor Dume Mambo, two street away from the agency can be in the position to help you"
Kitunga was not impressed: "forget about doctors. I saw all the doctors and traditional healer but they failed"
Kitunga Nyasa explained how she spends the last twenty years in different hospital. Every time she could hear or read of a famous medical doctor or traditional healer she could take the plane or a private jet and met those doctors.
She has traveled to all the continent not in tourism but to see the doctors and traditional healer. No one could help her to be fertile. She took all the medicine possible but she felt to get a child.
She met all the well known traditional healer and witchcraft but the child was not coming. The husband wanted badly a child until he got another woman who gave her two children. Moses Nyasa loved her so much that he could not divorce her as many Africans man do when the woman do not give children.
She even met the famous witchcraft doctor Manga Jupita the man who sentenced the judge for two years on his chairs after the judge sentence him in the court room.
The judge sentenced Manga to two years imprisonment and Manga sentenced the judge in reply: "you are sentenced too to two years on your seat" According to people the judge could not stand from his chairs. They tried to remove him by force but the judge was stick there. More than 10 people tried but they fail, they even brought the lifting tractor to remove him that even the heavy engine failed.
It was only when the judge reverse the sentence apologizing: "you are free to go and all the charges against you have been dropped" that the judge was freed too from his chair by the witchdoctor: "you are free to leave the judging chair"
She even met a well known female witchcraft doctor, surnamed "Bushiku" or night. She used to help the villagers warrior in the Est of the country to win the tribal battles and fight because she has the power to bring the darkness in the day so the enemies will loose.
She even met the queen Mudjadji from Limpopo South Africa, the woman who had the power to bring rain.
Kitunga said: "I could do anything to have a child or even to buy one as long I give birth"
I felt a pity for this woman who had everything but wanted only a child. While people were looking for money but she was looking for a child. While teenager could get children but she was not able to carry one. While some women throw children and abandoned them but she wanted one.
Some how she deserved a child. But my question was "what a angel beggar had to do with a children?" Now the biggest problem is that the menopause was approaching.
After failing with medicine she decided to go to many churches. She met many people who were known of performing miracle. She prayed for many hours a day...until something happen to her.
One day her domestic worker didn't come to work. She was forced to do the cleaning. That alone made her very irritated and nervous. She hated to do the domestic works but she was forced to clean the house because her husband Moses Nyasa wanted the house to be always clean, he used to have many visitors.
At around two in the afternoon, while Kitunga was moping in kitchen she heard a knock at the door. When she tried to see who was there. She saw a duty and stinking woman at the door. She could have been may be in the eighty or ninety years old meaning that she was very old. She couldn't work properly, her back was bent. She had flies and insects following her. Wearing torn peace of clothes and covered herself with a blanket. She had many wound too.
Kitunga Nyasa was shocked: "oh my God was this?"
She got angry and called the security guard and blamed him for letting a very duty stinking old woman with wounds and flies following her entering her yard. Her second sentence was: "Go away, your place is not here"
The woman was trembling she went on her knees and begged: "please can you give me food even a peace of bread"
Kitunga didn't want to hear. She noticed that the security guard didn't want to push the beggar by respect. True African had a strong respect for elders and it was natural that the guard has to go against his boss�s word and not push an elder. Kitunga took the responsibility herself pushing the woman and even hit her with a broom: "go out never come here or near my yard."
The beggar was very weak as Kitunga singled handed herself: "I don't have food for you. I better feed dogs and birds than feeding than you?"
The African's tradition of sharing was dying. My mother who used to always have money into her bag giving every beggar she used to meet used to say. "Beggar and homeless is a shame to African's culture. We don't even have those words in our natives� language because it never exists in the African's tradition."
She once went on a search ramp of a family's boy who become homeless and took her home for a while before sending him back to the village saying: "those Africans who are on streets today has families and some of the relatives may be even wealthy. Where are those people to help their relatives?"
�If someone�s exists he must have relatives, we are always born from someone who has relatives too and tribes too�
While the number of destitute people were growing in the country but the number of luxuries cars where growing on the streets and into the houses. It was amazing how materialism has taken over the value of human. It is not amazing to see people killing each other's our days for material gain. "If only each rich man in Africa could support even one beggar and homeless people. Or support charities organization. They could not have been beggars and homeless people in Africa" She once said.
It was amazing how charities organizations have to wait for international donation while the gaps between rich and poor were growing. The few times that countryman has to give donation was when they wanted to buy a good reputation. Give a donation in a while and wanting everybody to know so they can call him or view him as "good man", calling the press to film and write about the gesture. Was it a assistance or a way to buy a good reputation?
I was amazed how all my friend blamed me of stopping dating a famous beautiful, beauty queen Natalie Mchinga. It was a matter of setting priorities. If I had to take her my priority of contributing in the society and large family could have been less. If I was a poor man Natalie Mchinga as I noticed could ever approached me. Unless if she wanted to assist me and letting the all country to know that the former miss contestant has an heart for destitute people. If really she loved me she could have loved me for whom I was not what I have got. Even some famous women truly love people. If I noticed that Natalie Mchinga could have loved me for better and worst, if I noticed that she could have loved me even if I loose everything and end up in a clay house without electricity. I think I could have made a commitment.
I was not expecting that a beggar will be a case. It was the last thing I thought of. I was expecting my first case to be of a complaining woman who suspects her husband of cheating.
Kitunga Nyasa opened the gate and pushes her, while the beggar went down in the middle of the road. She didn't want to even see what happen next to the beggar she wished that even a passing car could even hit her.
Just when she was leaving angrily, she had a voice: "you want help to have child but you don't want to help". When she realized her mistake, she wanted to call the woman back but the woman disappeared. She tried to look around in the street, she was no where to be find.
She looks for that woman for many days in the all town but the beggar has disappeared. She even hired many investigators to find her but that old woman beggar has disappeared.
To make the matter worst, they told her to the church that the beggar was the answer that God send to her for her pray of many years "to have a child". Twenty years looking for a child but she mess at the last moment now she was approaching the age when a woman cannot carry any child. Some people told her "You will never have any child."
So Kitunga wanted me to help her too.
When I heard a story, honestly I didn't know what to do, to laugh or cry. The rudeness of Kitunga blew her chance away to carry a child perhaps.
I am from a middle family, I was close to poor people and rich people even thought we were not poor. I had a chance to live with both my parents. I read many investigations books, I was really aware that many cases will be very different to the one that I read. I wanted a client so I got one and I should be able to help her if I wanted to be respected as a detective.
After analyzing I come with a solution, I told her: "I am sorry for the unfortunate chance you blew but there is always an answer"
I saw the woman very calm listening to me; she was ready to listen to me as I added: "You are not the only woman who cannot carry children. They are millions of others in the world. You must be aware of that. You committed a crime in not carrying for someone who needed food. You preferred to help a dog that a follower human been. You can rectify that by helping people not once like the beggar angel wanted but for the rest of your life"
Kitunga didn't respond, I continued: "I think may be God could have been very angry with you once but you can please him everyday"
Kitunga Nyasa didn't answer or even comment she watched me helpless and I continued: "What you are going through of not having a child. It what also many children are feeling from not having parents"
Then she said: "I understand"
I knew that she had plenty of money, she had it and she was not shy to say that she was prepared to pay to fall pregnant.
And I told her: "the answer to this is to go and open an orphanage or even elderly houses.
Those were the two words that my parents used to hate: �orphanage and elderly house. The ancient Africa had no orphanage because people cared for each other even strangers. The elders were taken care by their off sprints and were against being isolated. They viewed elderly home as house of elder abuse. But with the new culture that we were adopting in the new society, were we become less carrying and lovers of materials, we had no choice but try to help those abandoned people. Because we were becoming greedy and self carrying, we had to accept too orphanage and elderly houses.

I knew that I may not have talked much but if she has a heart she will thing about it.
Kitunga still very quiet in the office. Then she told me: "Thank you"
I am sure that with all the resources she had she tried to look for her every where. If she was able to travel to all the continent to get a chance to have a biological child. That means she has tried everything to look for that beggar because according her, she was the last chance to help her to get a child when she gives her something. I knew that I had no chance too to find her too Dar es Salaam was not a huge city big like New York in America or like Bangkok in Thailand or even big as Cairo, Lagos or Kinshasa the big Africans cities.
I saw Kitunga opening her bag ready to give me the Shilling money, she wanted to get ride of me and just leave.
I told her: "don't pay me". By the reading of her face she was very disappointed and didn't like what I told her. At my side, I felt very happy to be able to help someone. There was always more joy in giving than receiving. Really we need money but I had already a bus successful business and I may not have been able to help all the charitable project but I felt that I should contribute to the community somehow. It was my way to make a difference in the community.

CHAPTER SIX: SUGAR DADDY AND GOLD DIGGER
I was late that day to the agency. I was called in the meeting with the counselor and some tenants. They were complaining of my best clients who kept people awake and torturing the community during the night while they needed to sleep. My worse clients was David Mandevu, the man who drives expensive cars but do not pay rents in time. I had every time to waste petrol and my energy to see him to pay. Every end of month was another challenge for me. I have to talk and do many turn for the money that I deserve to get: the rent money. For my own money I have to shout, demand and beg people to get it.
I gave him notices to leave the house more than four times. It only when he sees that he is about to be thrown out when the limit date approach that he pays. The other tenant pays but not in time. But this group of young people under they leader Shabangu, I don't know how many they live in the house but they always pay the rent it what I needed. Often one or two days late. I didn't want to loose them, I understand because they share the big house they have to collect the money put together and give me.
I do not go to that house because I always remind them with a phone call and the following day they come to pay. I was not the only house owner who goes to this torture, it was a usual phenomenon for many people. Some time people who rent can't pay in time because at work sometime they don't pay them in time too.
Then I suspected that the group of young people renting my house pays may be in time because they don't want me to go to that house. They may have something they are hiding. May be they have broken windows or may be they are just too many. But I loved them I knew that even if they pay me for the rent, I gave them a place where to sleep.
It was until I receive this warning that everybody in the area where tired of the youngster. They wanted them not only out of the house but out of the suburb too because they keep people awake at night. It come to me as a shock and could not believe it. No one wants to loose his best client and I didn't want to loose this client.
I was wondering how they could have kept the people awake all night. Then when I responded to the meeting. I find the counselor with about twenty people who were explaining me.
We heard one of the neighbours two houses away complaining: "Each time I try to sleep fast. I was always wake up by your friends..."
Another told me: "why we have to be punished in our own houses for your people? Even in prison where criminal supposed to be punished the have time to rest" he said: "I cannot sleep well and at work I cannot perform well and I can even loose that job and end up in suffering because of the neighbours"
Another woman said: "I don't even sleep enough and I have developed several headache problems because of stupid people"
Even another man living some streets away complained: "The all area cannot sleep. Nigh has become a nightmare"
The young people had a musical group. They used to chill around the city and night clubs and when all return may be about midnight or one in the morning and when they feel that everybody has arrived they start cooking and bathing and after they start rehearsing. Sometime they could even wake up at around four in the morning when they get inspiration they start the rehearsal.
Then each time they have inspiration, they start singing and beating the musical instrument. Music that supposed to entertain people and make them happy becomes an enemy devil.
They had about four electric guitar, drums, synthesizer, seven micro phones, and loud speakers... Apparently they were about fourteen male members in that group. They rehearse with the instrument. There was one man who represented Shabangu in that meeting and he defended the group.
I haven't see this man before but he was little bit fun and scary to other people. Not only by the unusual clothes. He was wearing: an underwear on top of his trouser. I could have understood if an international celebrity was is idol but the pant was more bizarre. One side of the pant was a short and the other side long. I don't know if we had to call it "pant short". The shirt he was wearing had button at the back not like the usual shirt with button at front. I was angrily watching him and wonder how he wore that shirt? I think he was a self designer of the shirt and clothes. When it comes to the hair style it was scarier. I don't which hair salon can do that style. Four long horns on his head. I saw rock starts but this one was just a super rock stars. I suspect that he was may be the lead singer. I know that Shabangu, the tenant wore little bit strange but he was not scary like this man.
Amazing what the man started defending his group. His voice was so bizarre like someone who has just wake up from sleep. Talking very slow with no remorse and no astonishment, unapologetic of the complainants "but we are singing nice, top quality music, so people should love listening to the free music we play. Next time we will enter the studio and realize a number one world hit album and people will have to pay to listen to real stuff"
The councilor asked him: "Any way what is your name?"
"Zoo man" He explains.
"How an Africans cannot have a family's or African's name" I wonder "do a normal parent can give his child that sort of name?"
The councilor shook his head and said: "your place must be in the zoo not in the human's society"
I imagine taking my child Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa in the zoo and watch a bizarre looking man in a cage next to animal's cages and my daughter telling me: Daddy look in that cage over there"
I think he could be interesting but it won't last because of the outcry of the human's cry.
I asked the man I knew: "Where is anyway the tenant Shabangu?"
"He went to fetch more musical instrument that has just arrives" He responded.
I head people in the meeting room: "no" other: "please.
I understood they worries. They have been complaining about the noise and now more musical instrument has just arrived.
I liked Shabangu. I hope that they could have rehearsed even in forest. Tanzania is a big country with many bushes. But at the same time in forest there is no electricity to operate all those instruments.
The meeting was simple one but we spend many times arguing with other tenant who wanted them out of the area immediately while I wanted to give them a one month stay. Until we come to the conclusion of letting them stay if they don't sing or rehearse for one month.
The have caused already big damage and no neighbours wanted to see them anymore even if they stop they unusual rehearsing late night or early in the morning.
I had to apologize to the community and promised them to chase them even if they change they behaviour. I made up my mind already despite the amount of money David Mandevu and this youngster will give me. The trust is already gone, they must go. I already promised to give them a one mouth free staying. I see injustice to chase people who pay almost in time and leave someone who apparently have money but do not pay rent.
Then after the meeting I decided to visit that house. I heard some strange noise while knocking at the gate. Like robbers who were stealing but trying hard so people do not hear. Then I heard like a whistle: "David Kifwafwa"
Then an unknown woman comes to open the doors after few minutes of waiting at the door.
But I find impossible thing there, the colour of the white house has changed. The windows were broken as I expected and they tried to replace it with boxes, they was rubbish every where bottle of beer, cigarette, clothes, pots, plates every where. I saw in the living rooms mattress there and when I entered the bedroom I saw that they even put to divided all the rooms with curtains and many mattresses here and there even in the living room and balcony. The house was a complete mess, stinking. They yard alone has the stinking of urine... They were small stoves here and there in the house that suppose to have one stove in the kitchen. I even find a mattress in a kitchen. The man stove was broken and out of repair.
There was no more hot water I don't know which technician wanted to fix it. I saw at the electric wire here and there. At my biggest surprise I saw about 4 tins rooms build at the back with boxes...The house at the back was stored with musical instruments and mattress too. The tree toilets were not flushing and one was blocked. I saw in some of the rooms� food on top of the bed instead of the table.
Not forgetting about five drunks woman I find some sleeping in the balcony, some in the corridor...I wondered if is an entire village that lives there. If I can find during a day so many people like this and I knew the majority of them were out at that time of the day, how many people lived in the house? I suspected that they fled when I entered the house. It is why I heard a whistle "David Kifwafwa" and I waited for long at the gate while I could hear some small noise like robber silently breaking in. They could be jumping the wall at the back and disappeared. They had no time to even clean some of the mess. I understood why they were paying early the rent. They didn't want me to see the mess they did. The women that I find could have been some of they girlfriends who were still sober and drank and could not run as some of them where not even aware that I was walking into the house while they were sleeping. If it wasn't for that woman who opens a door, I am sure I couldn't get access in my house. And could have possibly jumped my own house's wall to get in.
Even the hotel was never overcrowded, I knew that they could have been many people sharing 4bedrooms possibly two a room but not this much.
I arrived at the office at around eleven and have to stay there for 2 hours before I go to fetch Malaika to school and return back to the office again.
I was not expecting a client. But for the first time I find a client waiting for me.
The client was sitting on top of his car boot. He had a big hat quiet big in size, I apologized for being late at the office. When he entered in the office he asked me: "I saw you named of your agency Doctor love agency"
I responded: "yes my agency is called doctor love"
There was a short silence, the man was watching me instead of talking to me and he said: "you too young to have many love experience. How many time have you been married?"
I responded: "I am not only dealing with woman love. There is love for family's member, friend, community..."
"I was expecting to meet someone who has been married many times who had many wives. Are you married?"
I told him: "I was married once but sometime the shoes maker does not wear the best shoes as you can expect"
It was common in the country that the shoes maker or people who repair shoes were not wearing the best shoes. Or the tailors were not having the best clothes. Even the mechanics were not driving the best car.
There was another silence in between and he said: "I waited for you for two hours but I don't want to waste my time"
I was expecting him to walk out of the office. There is nothing I could tell him if he didn't have respect in my capacity to help me with his problem. Then he said: "this young woman is just drove me mad" He paused and continued: "may be a young man can help me to understand how young people behave"
I just say to myself "This man is just a sugar daddy and his lover or wife was a gold digger" It was a common name of the relationship where the husband is very old to his wife. So people named them sugar daddy because they have money and they wife are young enough to be they own daughters.
There is nothing wrong if a man or lover was just too old for his partners but it was a problem when the young lover loves and old man because of any material gain in exchange or any favours.
I saw even in the villages old people with young lovers but those one are not luckily to be called:"sugar daddy" because they love was not material based. It was a true love. In the villages most of the people were not that rich and the love of material was not that big. My grand father before his death had one of his wife who was in her twenties while I suspect he was in his sixties or even seventies. No one or even himself know exactly is birthday like many of old people born in villages before the arrival of schools.... We were very young when he was alive in our village but could remember some of the things.
Gold digger was a nickname for all those young woman who marry rich men who are big enough to be called they father or they uncle. Those young woman often were making money rather than making love.
But my father used to tell me: "I was young too" It was difficult to lie to him because he was also young like us and knows how he used to act when he was young too. But this man who is quiet big wants an assistance of a young man.
He continued: "I won't tell you my age, you are young enough to be my child" I looked the man he could have been in his middle fifty or even sixty. The people who had money look much younger than they actual age. The client continued: "my name is Lagosa Ujiji" He started the story about the problem that brought him to see me.
"I met this young girl called Tanya Kasanga while I went to fetch my grand daughter to school" I can imagine that his wife can be very young if they have to be in the same school with his grand child. I didn't want to ask any age because the man was not willing to tell me the age.
He continued: "I gave her also lift many times and then started winning her heart with the gift that I give to her, her aunt in Dar es Salaam and her parents who are based in Mwanza."
I think this man was stressed enough to confess that he has given a girl gifts to be loved. Not many people could confess enough that a woman loved him because of material.
He didn't want to tell me witch kind of gifts he gave her, I expect expensive gift. He continued: "They were living in a total poverty. Then few months later we were married"
He stopped for a while and said: "my marriage to Tanya that young woman made me isolated as all my children and family�s members deserted me. They were quiet unhappy because the woman was too young. But they ignored the power of love. I think that they will understand one day why I marry someone much younger"
It was normal for any child to be unhappy when the father has to marry someone that young. It was common. Lagosa Ujiji continued: "But Tanya has a problem and a serious one. Sometime she is hot, sometime she is cold. Sometime she is blue and sometime she is red. Sometime she is on and sometime she is off"
I then immediately asked him a question: "why did you left the mother of your children?"
He laughed and told me: "I met the mother of my children when I was very poor and very young too. I used to be a parliament member and I am involved in many businesses too. But after more than 30 years of marriage and having 8 children. She become very old and lost the energy." He paused then look ed at me and said: "Look I am a big man and very important man now in the society and need an educated woman who can speak English"
I immediately knew that it was an excuse to dump the mother of your many children after many years of marriage because she could not speak properly a language while some people marry dumb who cannot speak any word. Lagosa with his money has just may be divorced his wife because she become old fashion. If really Lagosa Ujiji was still poor, I think that he could have been with his old wife.
Then Lagosa Ujiji continued: "But this woman is very strange. Sometime she is hot, she can speak good English, she can read and write well, But can't cook at all but I have two domestic workers and she is very provocative in bed. She will come at me, any time and want us to have a private moment" He paused "But look I am quiet very old for all those sort of game every time. I have a problem with my back because of Tanya."
I said to myself that if a old man has to dump his old wife for a younger one it is what he can expect. But that was not the all problem that the old man had. I was sure that he will continue with a cheating suspicious story but he said: "the same woman the other days, can't speak good English and her voice become little rush. The same woman can't read or even write. She become disoriented and very quiet. She cannot even read the title of the music cassette and CD. The same woman cannot even do simple calculation of my money. Then she can cook very well better than my domestics� maid. Then she doesn't like really sex at all. I knew that when she is in that mood there is no chance for me to bed her. I have to wait until the other side of her return into her mind"
I understood why my client said that his young lover was hot and cold. Blue and red and on and off. She had two faces. My answer immediately was that the woman could been drinking and even taking all sort of the drugs available in the market today but I wonder if she takes drugs how she can cook properly?
Then Lagosa Ujiji continued: "I have money and I don't play with women. I sometime hit her" Something just comes into the mind. Lagosa a former parliamentary member who voted many law against the woman and child abuse was still hitting women?
It was easy to talk than to acts. I wonder if this man talking was one of the people voting for women's right and when they return home just do the contrary of what they have just voted early?
Then he continued: "But she heal very fast that I am expecting."
I asked Lagosa: "do you still have the strength to beat up women?
He responded "I hit women sometime and the next day apologize with gifts"
I was sure that he hasn�t meet fighters with his age he may meet next time young woman who may beat him up. I am sure that his wife Tanya Kasanga does not hit him because she just respects him. He was just a good bank to well cherish without him the young lover could not gain money.
Then Lagosa Ujiji told me: "She doesn't smoke or drink, I called many time doctors they took the blood samples many times but the result come always negative"
This was really the kind of cases I wanted. That will take many days and many equations to find the solution. In Europe or America they may have to deal with murders...but it what Africans cases may look like this. I knew that I had really a case to cover.
I told my client to invite me at his place in the evening so I can have the look of the young woman who is on and off. Then I should get her aunt's address in Dar es Salaam and her parents� addresses in Mwanza.
Lagosa Ujiji accepted to invite me for the dinner in his house. I arrived just before eight in the evening. When entering the house well decorated I was attracted with many pictures I saw on the wall. He was in some of the picture with the former president Juluis Nyerere and many ministers. I could see from the picture that he was very influential in politic. I could see many awards, medial and recognition�s certificate on the wall but no picture of his children or his former wife.
I knew that they may have been a lot problems in the family as he told me that the family deserted him and he was isolated because of the young woman. I saw some wedding picture with Tanya. I could sense that the house was home to few people because they were very little but antique and expensive furniture.
My first impressions at Tanya look more like 14 years old. My daughter is 12 years old that is mean that they may have been in the same generation but I had a sense that she may have been little older than that because of the two sides of attitude she had: on and off. It needed some kind of maturity to have those two sides that will only comes with age not only life experience.
Malaika Kifwafwa was 12 but growing fast probably she inherited her height from ancestors and me his father. It was a small concern for us because we were scared that men were little bit scared and shy to marry women who are taller than them. It was custom to see tall men with short women but rare to see short men with taller women. Thanks God that all my sisters and many of our relatives were getting married. But I once heard people laughing at my brother in law who was short than his wife my sisters: "short man, taller wife"
It didn't took longer that Tanya dressed the table and invited us to eat. To my astonishment I was expecting trees plates but they were only two plates for all of us. She gave us Ugali and red and white meat plus vegetable.
I understood that Lagosa Ujiji as many old Africans wanted the Ugali and the vegetable and any kind of meat. They were not fans of rice and all those sort of soup or bread.
Tanya was not seating she was standing at the back of Lagosa Ujiji playing with his head and hands and they were sharing the same plate and spoons. I was shocked to see the little girl putting food in the month of a big man. A parent who supposed to feed a child was in this case fed by a child.
It had been a long time to see this energetic love relationship where they share spoons, fork and everything. It was like watching school kid playing with love.
The scene I saw reminded me of Malaika my daughter. Like a father and daughter playing. I wonder if they act like that when the senior politicians comes to visit them.
I heard Tanya saying to his husband. "Please baby you will take me to the zoo tomorrow"
The husband was responding: "But I took you to the park last week do you want to see again animals in the imprisoned into cages instead of seeing free walking animal?"
"We didn't see all the animals in the park" Tanya said: "they were no bear in our park. Even tigers..."
"Ok" the husband said "I will take you" the husband said.
Then I heard Tanya said: "we have to go to the Chinese restaurant after the zoo"
The husband said: "of course"
I wanted to suggest them to visit the Italian Hungry Lion restaurant where I had to leave my watch and take it next day after paying the all bill. But Tanya was just to young to even know the name of the recipe there. That was really a world class restaurant. But I kept silence.
Then I heard Tanya telling the husband: "I saw another woman wearing very nice Nike, I will show you when we goes to the shop. I want one for me and four my four brothers"
"You know that everything things you asked for I give you" Lagosa said: "you are everything to me"
The good thing about Tanya is that she cared also about her family too according to my impression. I suspected that Lagosa do not only take care of the woman as he said that he help the family too because they were very poor. I hoped that there was really true love in those people. It is a shame if Lagosa took advantage of poverty to abuse the young woman.
When the woman went in the kitchen to leave the plates after we had finish eating. Lagosa Ujiji gave me the address of his in law in Dar es Salaam and in Mwanza. I told him that it may take many days before I get back to him. He even gave me the address of Tanya's former school. She even stopped studying.
I decided two days later to go to Mwanza because Dar es Salaam was my city anytime I could visit Tanya's aunt. The question that comes into the mind was to visit as whom?
But I said to myself that I will see once I get there. So I took my car and decided to drive to Mwanza. Since I stopped driving the bus I didn't travel long distance. It suited my Land cruiser four by four. It was suitable for the unpaved road and mud. It was faster than the bus, after eight hours I was in the city of Mwanza.
A small modern city not a like rural villages or modern city just in between. I think it has less than hundred thousand people not like Dar es Salaam that has more than a million people.
I went straight to Tanya house, slow down the car while searching for the house number. I could see the house was half completed and the other half was under construction. And it was already a big house. And next to Tanya's family house where very small house build with mudded bricks, and the suburb in which the house was situated was surrounded by small houses.
I stopped next door and find two neighbours who were sharing beer. Already an idea comes into me. I greeted the drinking people and told them: "I am looking for beer; I have a small problem with my car"
One of them asked me: "do you want us to push your car?"
It was usually to push cars in the part of the world so the car can start. I told them: "the car is starting well but I heard a strange noise from the engine after one or two beer I may get the inspiration to open the boot and at the same time rest a little bit."
One of them told me: "you can seat here and we will send a young boy to go and buy you a beer and we may share the beer that we have in meantime"
�Around beer it, it was always a best place for gossips and chat�
I knew in the small town or rural villages people drinks and eat together. They could not mind to drink with me. Not like in big modern city where the neighbours come only to complain. When there is party or problem in the rural area neighbours join you. Some people in big town still acting like true African but that practices is quick dying.
And the neighbors were the best person who can give me much information about they neighbours because they lives like families members in rural or small cities in town.
When I was driving to Mwanza, I suspected that Tanya Kasanga could have been may be sick mentally so the neighbours could tell me better. I didn't want to return without any proof and tell Lagosa Ujiji that her loved wife was mentally sick. But when I saw Tanya she had no sign of any disturbance mentally.
I gave money to one of the young boy who was called to buy us beer near by. It didn't took longer four more beer arrived. It was an opportunity to make friendship quick in a short space of time next to beer. To make this happen I send again the young boy to buy more beer.
I could see the two drinkers happy, if they were drinking beer they won't complain for more beer it was also an opportunity for them too to get more beer from a stranger.
I knew I was in a good environment to get information many people when they are next to beer they don't have secret anymore.
I used to drink but not much. I used to drink occasionally and my daughter Malaika was against it. I couldn't even put the beer in my fridge because she used to throw them away so I used to drink outside.
"Why do you have to drink beer?" she used to complain: "beer has no sugar"
I used to laugh and tell her: "some modern beer has sugar now"
"But it is not a reason to drink" My daughter replied.
It happened just as I expected. We talked of soccer, politics and many thing until I asked them:
"This house next door is beautiful and it will look better when it will be completed."
A man with whom we were drinking with said: "It is the fruit of selling daughters to a sugar daddy"
He explained how the former MP Lagosa Ujiji has gave his in law plenty of money and even sponsor the construction of the house and even gave a car.
Then another man added: "I cannot sell my daughters for money". He remembers when the car arrived in a city that has few cars the daughter telling his father: "you must keep well this car. It is a fruit a sharing the sweatl with an old man"
I wondered and immediately asked: "Daughters or daughter?"
Another man said: "there are many things happening into this world for money" then after a drink he said: "The twins sisters sleep with one man. When the other is working in Dar es Salaam, the other is here and when she is tired or being beaten by her old husband the other goes to replace her moment ally"
The other man added: "It how they culture is. The Masonkonbo tribe sells their daughters to one man especially if he is rich so the money stays in the family instead of going into another family. There are not shy to even marry all the sisters to one rich man. Sometime they keep secret"
It wasn't longer that I saw a woman passing by she look at like Tanya and I asked the man next to me: "who is that woman?"
They all laughed at me at the same time and one of them said: "If you want trouble take that 17 years old woman. It is the woman we are talking about. Her name is Natasha Kasanga the identical twins of Tanya Kasanga who is working by sleeping with an old man right now in Dar es Salaam"
The other man who looks at more drunk supported his friend: "They are working very hard. There are gold diggers taking the sugar daddy money." He drank a little bit and added: "This house you see next door and all the inside plus the car parking there is from they afford if it wasn't because of those hard working and clever daughters, they could have still in the same small madden house they had before"
The other man added: "They girls mother is the brain behind that fortune. She is the one who gave them advises and tactics to get money. The mother and daughter are good friends; they talk about everything and anything"
I look at the woman entering the house of Tanya family. Then another man teased me: "Marry her so you will share bed also with her identical twins sister or look alike sister and cousin who like them" he drank a little bit then continued: "you won't loose, you will marry may be 10 women in a price of one instead of being polygamous"
I was searching for a woman too but not this kind of marriage. I know many men won't mind but I was stick to my principles. I have learned the value of a good moral, reputation. If I marry a young woman, Malaika will easily take her like a sister and I won't be amazed to find them fighting one day over shoes or food.
It makes sense to me and the cases I was working on. I think that I accidentally was at the right place and right time to get the much needed information.
It was not all the two guys with whom we shared many beers told me. They reveal to me how Tanya was doing so well in school so she was sent to Dar es Salem to live with her aunt while her identical twins sister was not good in school and lived with her parents and brothers in Mwanza. It makes a sense because the former MP Lagosa said that when her wife is in her second mood she doesn't like sex. That is means she had no feeling for the husband for her sister. She was just playing the substitute.
She was not that clever at school it is why she couldn�t even read the title of CDs or cassettes. She lived in much more small town like a village and knew to cook very well because young children even 10 years old from rural area can cook better than older women living in town.
The Kasanga families didn�t want Lagosa to know that Tanya was a twins. They hide all the photos and made sure that each time he visit them he doesn�t see Natasha.
In their culture the son in law do not visit the family in law without telling them in advance. As Africans each time the in law must come, the must cook the ceremonial food, chicken or goats. And it makes a sense that before the in law arrives he must tell them in advance.
I was planning to sleep in a hotel in Mwanza for many days until I got useful information but I slept in Mwanza for only one day because I was drank and needed to rest instead of taking chances and drive back to Dar es Salaam in road that had many holes and bye pass animals especially at night.
I was not scared of telling Lagosa Ujiji the truth. I knew that he can't dump the Tanya because he loved her so much. I didn't want to be a cause of any separation. I didn't want to live with a guild of separating people. I would love to unify people rather than separating. I would love to brings peace than hate and trouble in the life of people.
And I knew that he won't worry if I tell him that he share bed with Tanya identical twins Natasha. By the looks of thinks he could not mind to have the two sisters as wives. Natasha looks exactly like Tanya and he loved Tanya and he could love to have both for him selves.
After two days I called Lagosa Ujiji and informed him about the two twins. He said to me: "I regret having dumped my wife because she couldn't speak English and got old." I hoped that he recognized his mistake and he said: "But Please don't tell anyone, I won't even tell Tanya about my discovery. I don't mind to have them all. They look exactly the same and I will be jealous and prevent anyone from married Natasha because she looks like the young woman I loved and drove me crazy. This is my price of being a sugar daddy and marrying a gold digger if I leave Tanya I will get a worse one at least she doesn't cheat on me yet"
In our proverbs we always say: "they don't throw old pots even if you buy new ones. The old pots are the one who makes nice soup". I remember another proverb while the former MP was regretting: "they don't sweat bush". Even if is ex wife was not fashionable anymore it was not a reason to try to clean the mess in getting another women.
For this case I needed my money back all the petrol I spend driving to Mwanza and the hotel money. Before he left he paid about in 500 000 Shilling the equivalent of about 2 500$. This was already what I was expecting to earn in two or tree months. But it wasn't a guaranty that money will be pouring every day because they were many dry months to come ahead of me.
As a business man I decided to put all the money in the account making sure that I have enough money
I realized that I should change the small writing of my agency so people may understand. So I keep in big writing: "Doctor love African detective agency." Then I change all the small writing: "With love they will be no crimes, no cheatings, no killing, no robbery�" Then I wrote some Biblical verses from the book of Mathew: "love your neighbour like yourself" and "do to neighbour what you want to be done to yourself"
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE SKY IS THE LIMIT
I went to the post office just before 2 in the evening to collect some of the mails. I used to make sure a week before the end of the month to check the post office and read all the letters. The most important one was the banks letters. I used to make sure to pay all the banks bill and other house bills such us electricity...They were my priorities.
The bank has become a new friend to me especially after helping me with a loan. I wanted to finish repaying the installment and getting more respect from the bank and taking another one. The business was doing well and Nikki Manda the woman that I hired to administrate the Umoja Transport business was very professional she used to make an understanding reports. She used to register the all income and the spending plus showing me all the proof invoices.
Then come second in priorities, the letters from different charities organization who needed some support. And some friends who used to write to me and I used to respond to all of them. The charities organization always welcome any sum of contribution and that makes easier for me to support them.
Then come the last categories of letters that I wasn't that interested, those numerous pamphlet people wanting to market their products and services. I had no time to read it and I used to throw it.
The modern technology such us the internet become a new postal box. I started spending a lot of time on the website and sometime receiving email from few friends who had also the internet. But the surprise email and first email I received was from a man that I met for the first time 28 years ago while we were living in our native village Lumbila before we moved to Dar es Salaam. I don't forget his name he was called John Carter.
This man has changed my perception of life and has touched many lives of many people what he did was super natural.
We used to walk distances from our houses as kids without fear of anything. Sometime we could walk miles into the bushes trying to catch small animals and birds.
Sometime they were big people who used to accompany us and teach us the secret of the Africans jungles. They used to tell us were to hide so small animals could not see us. They used to tell us what to do once we meet dangerous animals.
They used to read by the form of the savanna and grasses if an animal has just passed here. They taught us the foot prints of many animals and how to follow them with dogs. They used to tell us which fruit to eat and which one not to touch. They taught us about rushing herbs and good herb.
They taught us where the snakes hide and how to cure once bitten by a snake. They used to carry some form of snake's healer in form of a stone that used to suck the poison once the snake bitten you. We were villagers and were very much closer to the nature. They taught us how to fight with the traditional sticks. And shown us some readiness exercise for men, to be always ready to defend the family or the land of the ancestors.
We used to climb trees and play with our friends. Life was just enjoyable. We didn't care about food because our mother used to feed us and sometime we will feed ourselves in the bushes with fruit that we get.
We loved swimming into the rivers; we enjoy competing in the water. Sometime we could make ourselves a round ball and play with it in the water. We enjoyed fishing and playing with frog in the water.
We didn't care about radio or television, we loved the nature and the nature was all we knew and interested us. We used to dream and pray that the morning comes quickly so we can return to the jungle.
Sometime we could spend many times with cattle. We knew them very well. We knew how our cattle look like. When his cattle his sick or not. As a Maasai we enjoy drinking the pure milk cow from the cattle.
We used to see many ancient relic round the mountain, painting in caves.
It was just after Christmas I remember, I was even too young to know the Christmas date. What we knew is that when Christmas come. Our parents used to wake up us in the night, I guess may be before tree or four hour in the morning. They could bath us in the big pot and dress us with the best clothes and shoes we had.
Because my parents used to afford clothes usually in the Christmas date they used to dress us with new clothes and new shoes. And then after that they will take us outside so we can watch the sun rise. It was a very good phenomenon, well dressed and waiting to see the sun rise.
Then after these ceremonies, they villagers will slaughters many animals for the events and we will eat together while many villagers will come with the traditional singing instrument and drums and play together. Then those who used to go to church will leave the gathering for a while and go to church.
The churches were very much smaller with few followers because the majority of villagers were not Christians believer. They believed in ancestors even thought they join Christian for Christmas.
After churches service we will join the other villagers and continue the celebration. They were many traditional parties in the village but Christmas was very special to all of us.
Then few days later after Christmas, on our way into the jungle next to the mountain Kilimanjaro, we met a group of about twenty tourists. We loved the tourists because they used to give us gift, biscuits, sweat and even chocolates... We loved the chocolate, they were not available in the village it only tourists who used to give us. So I ate the first chocolate from a tourist. Many tourists too used to give us clothes and shoes. Some will give us even toys and cartoon books.
We knew them as very good people. Even thought they were talking a different language to us but we could hear each other. Some were talking what I suspect French, Spanish, Japanese or Chinese, Germany, Portuguese, English, Russian may be... while we were talking our natives traditional African language. But we used to understand each other. Sometime talking with a lot gestures. And together we could laugh...
The tourists loved children, I recall about 4 children were adopted and left with some colonists. But they used to return after many years to visit their village. They help too to the development of their village. They also contributed to the construction of the hospital and the school in Lumbila. They never forget they roots. Many villager were very much attached to they villager. No matter how long it may takes they will always return and visit they village unless if they dies.
And our parents never worry for us to hang around with tourists. We enjoy accompanying them to the mountain Kilimanjaro.
That day we met this group of tourists with their buses parked in the village while they had big bags on the back some with rifles on they shoulder to hunt.
Then this man just took my hand he was very lovely. He asked me "how was your Christmas"
I answered: "It was fine thank you" and I asked him too: "And yours?"
"Not fine" he said: "It will be complete once I climb the mountain Kilimanjaro, even part of it"
This big mountain that has the biggest pick the other side of the frontier in what they call now Kenya had also a part in Tanzania. The Tanzanian pick was about 19 331 feet or about 5 892 meters high. It was the outcry of many tribes along the borders even my father Albert Musa Kifwafwa who saw they freedom being limited with the borders unable to see the easily the relatives as the ancestors used to do.
I could hear him very well because he was speaking soft and slowly and was talking English. I just started school few months ago and in school they were teaching us basic English.
I saw that he was holding a stick with him and wearing dark glasses. Each time he walk he moves the stick left and right and walking while I hold his hands. Everybody was little bit distracted as they were talking to each other and watching the natures, the trees,...
We walked for about two hours to reach the Kilimanjaro Mountain. We took a long time because the tourists were stopping here and there and watching the natures and seat for a while and chart. It wasn't really a straight walk it was just a happy ride. No one was rushing; no one wanted to arrive sooner to Kilimanjaro. They wanted to see everything in the bushes and trees. Some where busy taking pictures...
When we reached the mountain, John Carter told me: "My name is John Carter" He paused and said to me: "Don't be scared to take me to the rope"
I didn't know why he told me not to be scared to take him where they were ropes to climb. Then he asked me: "What is your name?"
I told him: "my name is David Kifwafwa"
I watched him when he stopped for a while. I saw that he wasn't looking straight to me like all the people look to the person with whom they talk too. His eyes where just fixed one place in the dark glasses and were not moving. I thought that he may throw the stick he had with but he didn't throw it.
I heard him talking to himself like if he was praying. I don't know what he was talking about. It looks like he was praying. Then after that he told me: "David let go."
This time he holds my hand very tight. He was walking much faster than before. He even hit a small rock failed but quick he was up on his feet and told me again: "let go"
I was happy to take him where he wanted to be. We reached the places where they where many rope. Where many climbers go and climb. Some of the ropes were left there permanently. Then we reached one of the rope but John just walk straight into the mountain.
I was wondering if John was drank? He hit a small rock and failed and then just walks straight to the mountain like walking straight into a wall.
Then I looked him with fear and told him: "We just arrived"
Then he started to caress the mountain with both his hands, up and down. Then I hold one of the ropes and gave him while he found the other rope with his left hand.
The parents used to tell us not to climb to the mountain because we were very young and didn't know how to climb. To climb a mountain compare to the trees that we used to climb every time where very different.
I saw John with a happy face he was climbing but little bit slower than the other climbers I have seen and holding very tied the rope.
Then I heard someone in the group screaming: "John, please, I beg you please don't take any further step"
I was happy with what I was seeing. John just ignored that man's call as he kept moving this time little fast like if he was scared that someone will hold him from his feet.
Then I saw the tourists started screaming and some women in that group where crying: "Who took John to the rope?"
Then I heard one of them screaming: "John is blind"
I got scared as people were panicking. Everybody left what they were doing and they come to the mountain. It wasn't only that group of tourists who come everybody around where coming to see what was happening to the mountain.
I saw John without any reply kept climbing the mountain, putting the feet at the wrong hole every time before re adjusting but holding very tie the rope for his balance. Then I heard a woman talking to him: "John I love you don't commit suicide"
While this woman was talking everybody stop talking and were all hearing to that woman was saying. She said again: "John I am your wife, the woman you married. I am telling you to stop and come down"
I saw this woman twice while walking to the mountain coming to us and talked with John Carter but I didn't realize that it was his wife. Everybody was just happy. John's wife was holding two kids with her and had no time to look after his husband. He was not expecting that his blind husband had the intention to climb the mountain.
Then I saw an old man moving forward. I knew old people as all the people with white hair. This man had white hairs and white bear. He was holding with him a Bible and said:
"John please I beg you but the name of Jesus Christ to please stop climb any further and please come down"
I imagine that John was already about 50 meters from the ground and kept going up ignoring all the call. I look at his wife, she was having all her hand on her head while another man was blaming her: "why did you loose an eye on your husband. Look how we are loosing him"
The woman didn't answer for a while then said: "We are all responsible for the disaster no one tried to look after him. We were all chatting, walking and lost eye on him"
Then another Maasai quiet big come to me and talked to me in our indigenous language: "you are responsible for the disaster. I saw you walking with the blind man. Then you took him to the mountain"
Then I started trembling of fear. I didn't know that blind people were forbidden to climb the mountain. And at the same time no one told me that John was a blind. I never saw a blind man in the village. It was the first time to see a blind. I heard about blind people but in our village Lumbila I never seen a blind man.
Then I started crying while another tourist comes to me and telling me:
"Don't cry it is not your fault"
Another man said: "don't cry you didn't know. You are innocent"
Just few minutes already about 200 hundred people has arrived many from the near village next to the river bye. I saw next to me other people crying while John Carter was much high. He didn't hear any call.
Then the big Maasai man who blamed me come to me again when I stopped to cry for a while: "you will see."
Then another villager just come and took me telling me: �I am going with you to the village right away and tell everybody what you just did"
Then he took me and walked for about twenty meter and another tourist followed him and told him: "Please let the child alone. John his not dead yet and may look for him"
Then the villager dropped me and left.
Then suddenly I heard another group of people started cheering and clapping the hand. Another man screaming: "Well done John"
The crowd was mix now, some where screaming desperately and praying and some where applauding what the man has just done. I saw other men climbing the ropes next to John rope trying to follow him. At this stage John was more than 100 meters away, and we could not see properly his moves. He appeared very small in my eyes and was getting smaller into my eyes.
Then another man come to me and told me: "well done, you did the right things"
At this stage I didn't know what to do, to cry or to applaud I kept watching all the scenes.
Then I heard John wife talking to the climbing man: "John I love you. Please come down"
Another one supported John's wife: "Please John Carter don't climb further it is enough now come down"
The old tourists said again: "In the name of Jesus Christ please listen to us and come down"
Then I heard another tourist encouraging John: "John do not loose hope. Hold the rope tied until you feel that you have reached the top of Kilimanjaro"
It wasn't longer that someone has called the rescue team. The patrolling soldiers to the border of Kenya and Tanzania, the paramedics and the rescuer team has just arrived. They didn't know what to do because the man didn't fall. I suspect the supervisor was telling the people who were scared: "John is safe and what we have to do is to wait for him until he gets down. Being a blind is not a an inability"
Then the other big villager come to me and started again blaming me: "all of this it because of your you"
I got again the sense of guilt returning into me, I started again to cry. I didn't know what to do. Then another tourist started talking to the villager: "Why are you blaming a five or six years boy for something he didn't know was wrong?"
Everybody in our group saw us hand in hand walking to the mountain Kilimanjaro and no one predicted John's adventure. Then a woman tourist come and holds me into her arms and took me with her. She refused the other villagers to get next to me.
Then there was a wait. People have stopped panicking John has reached a height where he could not hear anyone and was alone there. Everybody started praying for his safe return. The other two people who followed him also has disappeared and the dark was coming. It was late in the evening and I saw some people sitting on the floor and waiting for John Carter return rather than other two rescuers return.
In that silence we could hear the whistling of insects and birds and some animals who lived in the mountain. I saw some people lighting their torches and the rescuer team cars with red light. It took longer then another rescuer started descending. Everybody where on his feet and wanted to know what happen to John.
I saw many people approaching the rescuer and even before he reached the ground and he said: "stop worrying John is OK he is on top and he his having a small rest and he will be coming to us very soon.
It wasn't longer that I heard now a big cheering noise and clapping. It was john who was descending with the other rescuer next to him.
I even saw John's wife clapping the hands. Another man next to me commenting: "Disability is not a incapacity"
No one was crying or panicking anymore. Everybody was celebrating. I don't know when the drummers arrived at the mountains, as the villager started singing of joy while John Carter was descending. With some people torching the dark mountain in the darkness. I could see John's moves when he was approaching. I could see how he held tied the rope and how he was choosing his feet and place them in the right place and the other rescuer next to him encouraging him.
John was received as hero, some people took him on they shoulders and he hugged her wife and fellow tourists. Then started looking for me: "Where is my little friend David"
John Carter took my hand again and we walked in the dark to our village where he met my parents too.
Then he returns into the country about 4 years later and returned when I was about 14 years old he visited our village Lumbila and when they told them that we were living in Dar es Salaam he come to our place again with his wives and took our correspondence address and kept in touch. Last time I wrote to him and gave him my email address and he wrote back this time by my email address. It was the first email letter I received and it was the special letter.

CHAPTER EIGHT: DIGNITY
The pressure was mounting to get married as long that I was getting old. The more I was growing the more bigger the pressure from the family, friend and community to get married. Everybody when they see me they always asked me: "When are you getting married? Did you find already a woman?"
Some where proposing me various women to get married. My first excuse was that I wanted the find more time to revive the business now that I managed to revive the Umoja Transport, they didn't want me to make another excuse.
I was wondering if I have to please people or please myself?
Even my daughter Elizabeth or Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa wanted me to get married as soon as possible. She needed a step mother like the one I had. It wasn't longer that my step mother Mischa who was in town for a week and come back to this subject: "David Kifwafwa wetu (ours) when are you getting married you are getting old' She paused and said "if you are shy or scared to approach women we can always help you to talk for you and find a woman."
They wanted me to get any woman. They didn't accept that I had my requirements and my taste for woman. I think that living in a modern society a woman shouldn't be treated as an object that do the domestic work and make children. My step mother went further. "You have to make more children. One child his not good enough. If she dies today, you will have no children but stories only"
I told her: "If I rush to get a woman by pressure I will get a bad one"
She laughed and said to me: "all the women are the same, taller, short, educated, rich or poor, regardless her culture they are all the same"
I told her: "women are like different fruits". If I kept comparing women the marriage will never last. I didn't want to get married to divorce one day. My decease wife was special to me. It is why I made a decision not to get married again when I lost her but with time my heart was healed and I was looking for another special woman who may not be necessary like her.
Since I lost Melinda Bibi Iti, I didn't have a stable and good relationship. I tried to date numbers of women but I didn't get the one who can suit me. I dated many women include the beauty queen Natalie Mchinga. She hasn't forget me she kept calling me each week.
I realized that some how that pressure was affecting me as my step mother Mischa said: "you are greedy" she explain "you are scared that the woman will take your money"
I didn't want an arranged married even thought it was still very popular and honestly it was working. People who were given woman by they families lived happy married for long time while people who find themselves they lovers were divorcing every day. I think it because the arranged married were based on tradition and in the traditional value where they were no room for divorce. In our indigenous language the words divorce didn't even exist.
But for people who made their choices, still have that choice in life. They had the choice to live together and the choice of divorcing when they weren't happy anymore. I was still having great respect and consideration for the arranged marriage even thought it was becoming unfashionable. The percentage of divorce in those marriages were just under 2%. The chance of divorce was very small. It what everybody could dream of to marry for not divorcing one day.
But I was not comfortable with the arranged married, I knew that there was a possibility to be happy with someone that I chose myself too. I knew that I will meet my wife one day but I didn't know where and how. I knew that it will come.
I had couple of choices, may be to marry my cousin Serengeti, in our tradition there was nothing wrong marrying a cousin. She used to live like my wife, she lived with us with her two children that I considered and supported like my children. She was acting the step mother to my daughter Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa. She acted like my wife, she ask me money when she needed and I gave her money for the house necessity and children necessity. We ate often together when we have time. She used to wait for me sometime until the late hours in the evening to eat with me. In our culture women eat after everybody has eaten.
She used to chase all the young woman coming to visit me if I am not there. So I had to tell her if I am expecting visitor. I heard her once chasing this young attractive woman from my neighbouring: "go away. David is not here. I am David's wife. You love David's money not David the person"
Women in the neighbouring who knew that she wasn't my wife were very much angry with her because she was a barrier for them to easily access to me or seduce me.
I had a new choice Nikki Manda, who I learnt to respect. The woman who was the Umoja Transport administrator. She used to show me an understandable and professional report. Writing down all the income and the spending followed by invoices proofs. She used to give me more advises such us to buy each six month a bus and I took that advice in consideration. She was committed that I finish paying the bank loan in time. It is why I used to pay even tree times more that what I suppose to pay each month.
Nikki was still single but we never talk about the love stuff. I felt that sometime I was making a mistake in approaching each woman I see or meet because I was under pressure to get a wife. And I was very scared to even try to talk about love to Nikki Manda. She may have interpreted as a sexual harassment. She left the transport company that she worked before because of sexual harassment.
This things of harassment and rape has taken another explainable tune and dimension. Two of my friends were once charged of raping by their girlfriends. The first case was that my friend refused to give her girlfriend the money she wanted and accused him of raping her. Another case was that the other friend refused to marry her girl friend and took another woman and was accused of rape. The first friend's case, the charge were dropped after she gave the woman the money she wanted and the second case my friend won in the court. But even if you win the rape case or child molestation in the court of law but it affected seriously your reputation in the society.
It is why I was very scared even to try to mention that subject to my employee.
The queen of beauty Natalie Mchinga kept calling me time to time. Last time she was angry with me saying: "You have started a fire into my heart and don't want to extinguish it"
I told her: "I have no extinguisher for the fire" Here I was using extinguisher as money. She needed plenty of money to be maintained while I had family, friends and many charities organization to support.
I know that they were really rich people who can marry her in the country and may be in the World.
I knew that may be I was not always at the right time and right place to find a lover. Some people advised me to start visiting different clubs, some has advised me to start looking for wives in churches, some advised me to look for women in into colleges. I was not a clubs goers but I used to visit them but not regularly.
But I received a very disturbing phone call of this woman that I lost contact with for about 15 years. Her name is Fatimata my ex high school sweat heart. And she brought me more confusion in my choice of woman.
I was once beaten up by Fatimata a Karate woman, her and her sisters used to attend karate classes when I was about 15 years old. I used to date this young woman called Fatimata. She used to live with her mother and her two sisters. I don't know where was they father may be he was kicked out of the house with they karate kicks.
I met Fatimata at school and started dating her while we were spending time at my place or her place doing homework. I kissed her couples of times and she warned me never to reveal our secret.
After some months while we were chatting in our male group, I forgot the warning. As young people each one wanted to show off how he was the best and a bad guy. Each one wanted to show how he had many girl friends, how he played with the girls in the neighbouring and at schools.
Another man was saying: "Me, I slept with 40 girls and women" He even show us a list of women he pretend to have slept with. Another one told us how he dated a famous, rich family's daughters. Another one went on to say: "I eat the chicken and eat the eggs" meaning that he has loved the mother referred as chicken and eggs referred as daughters.
Even thought all the stories were may be lies or exaggerated. I just told them my only true story: "I have an affair with Fatimata"
Everybody went: "wow" another man asked: "she didn't kick you on the bed?"
I responded: "I love her and she love me and will never kick me"
Fatimata and her sister were respected as karate expect. They all had the high ranked karate belts.
I forgot in this proverb: "a secret of two was no more secret". One of the boy who was in that group was related and Fatimata and went to tell Fatimata about me spreading the news. I didn't know that she was serious about her warning when she called me to meet her at her place with no sign of being angry with me.
I even forget that it wasn't wise to criticize an Africans to an Africans. You never know that you are talking may be to a far related cousin.
When I entered her house, I saw her she looked the doors and she went to wear the karate suit while I was busy drinking a cold drink and a cake that she gave me.
Then I saw her coming out of their bedroom with her karate suit while her sisters and mother were watching asking me: "what did you tell your friends?"
I told her: "any way people had to know"
Then she slap me and I slap back too. I was still a man even thought I was not a sport expect or art martial expect. I didn't want to be humiliated by a woman and I had the man proud into me.
Then I don't know how but she took me on the floor. And was on top of me. I don't know how she kicked me down but I managed to punch her on her noise and she bled a little. It then I make the matter worse. I saw her sisters coming to support their sister and she was kicking me while I was trying to run away her sisters standing will push me back to her. She kicked me right and left like a soccer ball while I was trying to hide my face most of the time.
I heard they mother instructed them I don't know in Chinese or Korean or Japanese something like: "hit the dog"
I was really kicked, I never been beaten like this in my life and I will never forget that sad day. I got out of that house bleeding and as a young man I couldn't match them physically. The only thing that I did better was to bite Fatimata when the opportunity arrived on her hear and I decided myself to open a case of assault by the nearest police station.
Even thought I was beaten, I think some how I deserved the beating. It was just a good lesson. I did a very big mistake that could have really jeopardize the future of that lady.
Many men dreamed of marrying a virgin. And virginity to the woman was very sacred to the good reputation of the woman, her family and even they tribes. The parents were always proud when they daughter has been married has a virgin. It was the proud of the community, family, tribe and good morale. Especially in this generation where many transmitted disease were growing.
Fatimata lived also by that culture; she wanted her good morale to be preserved. But as a young boy, I wanted too to show off my capacity of having a secret lover. I thought no one in that group will reveal the secret. It wasn't only African culture that encouraged the virginity of women but many cultures include many in Asia and some religions too.
Traditionally it was a social disgrace befalls a girl who is not a virgin when she wed. Pre marital sex among many tribes community was despised. When it occur, it brought shame to the girl's family. In that case in our tradition the girl will not perform the bridal dances and therefore could not give birth to a chief or a king.
The double standard is that woman supposed to remain pure and ignorant of sex and sexual act like the simple kisses we had with Fatimata but men are free to do as they wish. For the modern society woman and men were all equal and it was injustice to force women to be virgin not men.
In fact the society expect men to test they virility and garner as many sexual conquest as possible to prove they manhood. In that case it surely mean men themselves are deflowering the very virgins they want to marry.
It is why in the tradition once you have slept with a virgin like it or not they will give you that woman by force to marry her. Many of my friends were forced to marry the girl they were just trying to have fun with.
With the spreading of many sexual diseases, some traditionalists were returning to the virginity testing to curb activities among young women. Old women will test the girl especially those ages 13, 14 upward. They say that: "if all the young girl in the village are virgin that is means all the boys too will be forced to be virgin too". They always put a woman like the chief of the morale regeneration. Woman mother of children, mother of the family and mother of the nation. A good woman means a good society and a prosperous future generation.
On a positive note to be declare virgin after the test give women a public recognition and proud to they family and high self esteem. And in the villages it open many opportunities to be married as soon as possible. However in some communities the risk of being raped and sexual abuse by men was high. There is a new myth that sleeping with a virgin can cure certain ailments or sexual diseases.
Moreover girls find not to be virgin face ostracism and castigation by they own families member, they were viewed as disgrace to the family. That were the women's right group was fighting to bring back the dignity of all the women. But in the very cultural society they had no influence in the society linked to they tradition. But in the modern ground the woman rights group has gained valuable recognition.
The desperate pursuit of virginity leads to almost unbelievable measures. I don't know what techniques my cousin Serengeti used. She left the village many years; she got married in Dar es Salaam and had two children before her husband was murdered. She didn't take part on the virginity test in her life because she lived far from the rural village. But she decided to take part after having children. She went to the village and participates on the virginity test and past the test and return with a certificate. She is able to present to anyone and gain the dignity in the society that she past the virginity test.
It is reported that some herbalists grow back a woman hymen and that some gynecological procedures can reconfigure a woman's hymen's by sewing a flap over the woman's private part.
A well known gynecological has made plenty of money with that practice in town.
Priors the virginity inspection especially in the rural area non virgin women even stuff pieces of raw meat up themselves by fear of loosing they dignity if they fail in the virginity test. "So the virginity test was well known as the dignity test" That really outcry the woman group who were not recognized in the rural areas. Even women themselves failed to support that group in they village. Some called them: "anti African- western minded practices, the satanic group to destroy the ancestors� practices group..."
Other women also takes pills so that they to induce menstruation so that the all important traces of blood will appear on the wedding sheets and be declared virgins.
Fatimata dignity was on line even thought we had only kisses. The society valued virginity. Some people try to ignore the virginity in the modern town. Young people facing the pressure, they have access to all the international channels and magazines, international media and music. They convey in the modern message of 21 st century of money and sexual indulgence. They keep saying it is cool to have sex and have fun. They drag the girl into this philosophy but when it come to get married the ironically return to they ancestors� villages and marry the so called virgin women and leaving behind the girl they had fun with. Consequence was that in the big modern town the culture of marrying was loosing it value. Many percentages of women were left not married and the marriage culture was diminishing. It is why the woman�s right group was accepted by many people, they preached and defending the equality between men and women.
It was the first time that I was going to report any case in the police station. I refused even to go and report to my family's member because they could laugh at me that I was beaten by a woman on top of that my girlfriend that they knew. The one who used to spend almost the entire afternoon in my room.
I sat in the queue I find at the police station. I heard the woman who was just before me complaining to the policemen: "I told you and reported many times that my husband wanted to commit a suicide and you didn't took it seriously now he had committed suicide"
The policeman was not impressed with the woman complain as he defended himself: "committing suicide is never a crime" the policeman was continuing his explanation: "He didn't kill anyone. It better to kill yourself by suicide than killing another human's been"
They argued seriously with that woman and the policemen was telling the complaining woman: "may be your husband was just tired of the world and food Ugali"
I know in my culture that before they bury a man who committed suicide they have to whip the dead body seriously. Our tradition was not tolerating a suicide. The woman left angrily the police station.
Then come my turn. The policeman was showing a sign of wanting to help me when he asked me: "what happen to you" I told him: "My girlfriend with the accomplice of her sisters has hit me"
The police man started laughed: "you must be kidding" I was 15 years but I was already tall and look much bigger than my age. Many of the Maasai were taller. We were not much taller like the tribe of Dinkas in Sudan the tallest tribe in the world. The most popular Dinkas's tribe son is Manute who played for a while in the American's basketball tribe. He measured more than 2,30 meters while it often easy to see 2 meters taller in many of they villages. We heard many unconfirmed reports about taller people being cut into two to fit the coffins.
The policeman told me: "don't waste our time" and without anymore comment he called the next person on the queue "next please"
I tried to insist that I was serious, it real that women karate hit me seriously but he refused to listen.
It was strange that when a woman report being hit by a man, the police and people take it seriously. But when it the opposite very few people accept it. There even been very few cases were women raped men but it was never taken that seriously.
I returned home and changed clothes and went to hospital. Now Fatimata has called from Zanzibar where she lived for the pat few years and wanting us to meet. Fatimata was really my first sweat heart. I can say my really first girl friend. It makes more the choice more complicated than ever.

CHAPTER NINE: COMPLEX
I had to give a small taught to my daughter Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa after finding accidentally in her room an enlightening cream lotion. I wanted to give her a sense of responsibility and I used to give her pocket money and wanting her to buy her toiletry that may last for a month. Sometime she used to take one or two friend to accompany her to do her monthly toiletry. I didn't want Serengeti my cousin to keep doing shopping for her. She was a widow and any time she could get someone who can marry her and she will leave us.
I think that there is always something that a daughter could buy and wanting his father to see it.
As a father I felt important to teach her what was important to her and a future. While we were in the rural village of Lumbila I used to see parents teaching young people often in the dark night next to the wood fire some secret about life at night.
But in the modern town we had very few times to spend with our children and they started learning new stuff different to our cultures to school with friends.
I wanted to be precise before I tackle the cream subject, I decided before I talk to Malaika to first see doctor Dume who will explain me well the danger of changing the natural skin. With precise description I will be able to explain her in pure detail.
The same evening after super when we were socializing with Serengeti and her two children watching TV Malaika told me what was in her mind: "Daddy, I have a dream too to go overseas study and live there..."
I immediately look at Serengeti and she look down as if she was disappointed too. Serengeti played Malaika's mother and I was always thankful that she kept teaching her the value of the African's tradition. I even noticed that she used to wait for my arrival too to eat and it was a sign of respect of the tradition. "an African woman eat after everybody has eaten". It was one of the basic rules of the tradition. The Africans women made sure that everybody in the house has eaten before she grabs food while men were taught:"never eat alone despite the quantity of food"
In Lumbila as many villages and rural areas people will even call for a stranger in the street to come and share food. But I haven't seen in big town a man calling for a hungry beggar to come and share food even once.
It brought back the pain in me of loosing my brother Karema who disappeared with the companies� money. The entire family has forgiven him for the money he misused. Anyway it was his father's company's money, Umoja Transport. We all wanted to see him or know how he was doing overseas.
We the Maasai we are trying always to put the value of a human's been before money or any material. It sad in our day people regret more of the money opportunities than fellow human's been. Everybody regret: "I missed the opportunities to secure a big contact, or missed the opportunities to get a good job or business opportunities." But no one regret of not being able to help in time a follow human's been or missed a chance to see a very good friend he hasn't seen in a long time. I haven't heard someone regretting: "oh my God if only I could have met that beggar who died from hunger in time I could have helped him"
Our priority has changed completely, and we talked in various families meeting especially Friday afternoon when we met for the family's gathering in Dar es Salaam. If only Karema could have avail himself we could have had discussed about it. We just wanted to know about his where about. And been able to even chat even once in a while.
We lived in a modern world where we could even talk with the villager in Lumbila or even chart with numerous of friends around the world instantly. The communication technology has reached the very rural areas too.
I understood my daughter requirement and I knew why. They have been many murmurs about better life overseas. "Yes, I can afford it" I told her. I can afford to support her overseas if I wanted too.
"There is no more developed country and less developed country but there is only countries more advance in technology and less advance in technology"
This was really contrary to what Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa have learnt at school. They have learnt about countries more developed and less developed and under development. But it took a while to explain what I meant. It was preferable to call us as countries less technologically advance. Development means everything include cultural. I explained her: "There is no inferiors or more superiors culture, all the culture are the same and suit they owner". I told her how African's culture suit us not Asian, How Asian culture suit them not Europeans...
My father Albert Musa used to tell me: "There is no problem with the African's culture, the problem it us the new generation..."
Albert Musa Kifwafwa who was not that educated even realized that we were suffering from what he called "complex of an inferiority". We feel that our culture is very inferiors to others and try to imitate others.
We used to have really endless disputes at university were we supposed to promote and celebrate our culture but wanted to imitate the other culture. People weren't shy to say that they don't like to speak they indigenous language anymore. They were proud to say how they wanted they children not to speak the local dialects and many has even stopped visiting the rural villages. Some were refusing to be called by their African's name. I remember one lecture who was die hard of his tradition saying: "Some do not even know the meaning of the names they adopt. And it may be a demoniac name too." the lecture used to insist and say: "your native name is the proud of the tradition, culture, tribe and even your family, it is an identity book and even the address book tracing your origins and which part of the continent you come from" Especially the famous people have even erase they traditional names.
Female students refuse to cook because they were now equal to men. The all development things were just misinterpreted. Mwalimu Julius Nyerere has spend the entire life promoting the African language and adapted language from Arabia, Swahili could have get an arrest cardiac if he could have been alive and see what we were trying to do.
Next day in the morning after dropping kids to school I went to see doctor Dume Mambo and I related him the story of enlightening cream I find in my daughter's room. He was shocked too as all parent could be shocked and immediately told me: "Please tell your daughter and people to stop damaging they skin". He said that people has suffered of the inferior complex to the point they wanted to transform they dark skin into the light skin. Doctor Mambo was right. We were judging people by the colour of they skins. Millions of women and men has started using the creams and soap that contains chemical like hydroquinone to lighten the colour of they skin. But those creams can because long term damage. Doctor Dume Mambo was dealing with those cases everyday where hydroquinone and other based mercury products have destroy the skin protective outer layer. Eventually the skins start burning, become extremely sensitive to the sunlight and then turn even darker than before.
He even told me: "who said that lighter colour is superior to darker one?" This old myth of thinking that a light skin was superior to darker one was still persistent and brought a complex. He continued: "You change the outside colour while the inside still the same"
Doctor Dume Mambo insisted: "those practices even kill some patient and they all blame the witchcraft in the rural villager of being jealous and witchcraft them for their success"
Doctor Dume Mambo used to refer many of them to the dermatology department. He said that it was not only Africans who were using it but even in the Middle East and Asia. He was shocked to see the advertising while in Khartoum, Sudan written in Arabic.
Doctor Dume Mambo said that the alighting cream can even cause irritation and infection, blocking and eczema and most contain steroids.
Doctor Dume said the man problem was men; they all wanted to sit next to a woman who is light in skin. That alone was pushing many women to alight they skin. It become even difficult in the lately to get a good job if you are not light in skin. Some people were created naturally light and some were born dark.
He said that in Sudan the decade civil war between lighter skinner northerners and darker southerners has given skin tone more sin sterner connotations and the meaning of various shades is nuances.
I wanted my daughter Malaika to celebrate her identity to celebrate her race and a look. If I don't stop her from being influenced by the light skin a 12 years old, I think when she will reach 20 she may regret for the rest of her life of having destroy a skin. It wasn't easy to love each part of your body but it was important to learn to live with it.
I realized that my daughter Malaika could be heading to the complex of inferiority. It wasn't her fault but it was the perception of the community she lived in and the school talks. I told her: "I will send you overseas when the time will come so you can further your studies" There was no doubt that in the developed countries they had the best access to the information and technology where she can learn news things that we don't have yet in Tanzania.
I told her what I saw when I went on leave many years ago with my father in England. I could see in every mall or shopping in Birmingham I could meet an African.
The facts was that most of them were skilled or semi skilled. They were in the pursuit of the pound. Many enter the country in the popular two years working holiday visa by the time they have to go back they were working as illegal immigrants earning peanut.
Some have to renew their studying visa and being caught when they demand the academy performance and progress they could not produce them. They had no time to study fulltime because they were met with the obligation of paying rent and surviving. And the only way to meet those needs was to work may be illegally.
But what many do not realize is that the standard of living overseas was equality high. What we pay here for rent, food, school in the Tanzania shilling is not equal to what they pay there. As a result people wanting to save money too end up living in squalid conditions all in the pursuit of the strongest money.
Here Malaika had the opportunity to live in a big house and own her big room and whenever she wanted she could buy hamburger at the corner. She was just hours away from many reserves and park in Africa. She had no headache for school fees because it was affordable and I always pay the annual fees for her and her cousins.
I told her: "I will take you on holiday this summer and you will understand"
I think may be it was because I didn't took her on holiday overseas and she could be suffering from the inferiority complex if I ignore the call and let her being fed by all the information she get at school or in the community.
I didn't want Malaika to suffer from any sort of complex, inferior complex or superiority complex.
But I let aware my daughter that there is freedom in so called developed country were rich and poor are equal in law. It is not in many under developed country were people can even get away with crime, murder or genocide easily.

CHAPTER TEN: SHOULD I SAY YES OR SHOULD I SAY NO?
It wasn't longer after I have discussed with my daughter and let her see the opportunities, she and we had on the continent and the need for her to celebrate her skin colour. As every father, I wanted my daughter to have the best education and the right knowledge and the same time to love herself and celebrate her look and her being. In our culture we say: "A chicken or bird eat what is big enough to suit it (mouth)" Malaika has to accept her condition and live a standar of life that we afford. She has to stop comparing to other and that will lead to unhapiness.
The doctor love detective agency becomes my office. Everybody were coming to meet me. When Nikki Manda wanted to see me to talk about the Umoja Transport business she will leave her office and come to meet me there.
When friends and family's member wanted to see me, they will come and see me there. When people renting houses wanted to see me urgently they will come and meet me there.
Not forgetting the clients. So it become busy than expected. When I left the Umoja Transport office next to the bus stop, I didn't know that my new office next to the market will be this busy especially I had no clients in the first week. It was used only for some market seller to come and store their products in the evening and come to collect it every morning and sick people who wanted medical attention.
When I started I went a dark first week without a customer except those people who thought it was a medical practice that has newly opened because of the name "doctor". But there was no problem it was just the misinterpretation, there is many companies with the name doctor such us doctor drain, doctor print, doctor paint...to name just few of them.
Ironically the doctor drain owner told me that he meet to people coming thinking that it was a medical practice too. May be we should leave the name doctors only to medical related companies.
At around nine in the morning, I received the first telephone call, it was Kitunga Nyasa, the rich woman who wanted so badly a child and come to see me to find the beggar angel that she rudely chased when she come to ask for food. Kitunga Nyasa was so unforgettable because she was my first real client. Even thought I was not able to conduct an investigation on her case, she thanks me. When I pick up the phone she said to me: "...David Kifwafwa, thank you for the advice. I open a orphanage and I have already thirty orphan I look after. I am trying to reach hundred orphans soon"
I was so excited when I heard so, I had no idea that she will take my advice that seriously and I told her: "May be God wanted you not to have children. If you had a child you could have look after one child only now you are planning to look after 100 peoples"
She told me: "I wish that I could be rich like Bill Gates or Richard Branson to be able to buy everybody a pie and a drink for all Africans from Cape to Cairo and people in the world a sweat"
I was happy that the rude women who chased a beggar has changed and become a human and wanted to feed many people as possible. I said to her: "You have found the true you"
She said: "I have to thank the beggar angel, she has changed my life for ever. The guilt that I felt of not being able to help one human has created a will to help many people"
I was glad that one of my advice has made a change in the society and I said: "I am glad that you will be able to assist those orphans. We have many people who need a mother like you who needed a child"
"I decided to sell all my jewelry, I decided to sell some of unnecessary cars and luxury things and keep only few cars and things that I need. I used to drive cars according to the colour of clothes I was wearing and sometime when I change clothes tree times a days, I drive into tree different cars. That was a waste while some are sleeping hungry without opportunity but me I waste things and extend the house that I bought for orphans" She said: "I felt that wearing those expensive jewelry while people are starving with hunger was a murder. My Jewelers were worst to millions of dollar while many people in the poor country lived on a less than a dollar a day"
"It what doctor love is about" I told her: "The surgery of love. The return to the human's conscience, human's value, human's identity"
Kitunga Nyasa made my day. I thought that I failed to satisfy my first client but after few months I realized that I did the right thing in not pleasing the client in telling her what she wanted to hear but I took the risk to tell her a truth despite her feeling. The truth may hurt sometime but still the truth. And that alone was a motivation to me to wake up every morning and rush to the office even if there is no client. The feeling of having contributed to a good cause and assist people in need was joyful.
The next day I was busy reading a popular quote of Jomo Kenyata, the former president of Kenya: "When the missionaries arrived the African had the rend and the missionaries had the Bible. They taught us to pray with our eye closed, when we open our eyes they had the land and we had the Bible"
My daughter Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa blamed me for not going to church and I responded: "If I have to be a Christian I will be may be a bad man because I would love to help only Christians not Muslim or people from other religions" I didn't want to be a specific man but I wanted to be universal seeing all the people from all culture background and religious background as my brothers and sisters. May be it was that fear that kept me away from any specific religion. But I promised my daughter: "I will be going regularly to the church in the coming weeks but as long that I don't change."
Then about one hour later, I saw from a window a Taxi entering my yard. I didn't know if it was a client who has just arrived or a sick patient to be referred to Doctor Dume Mambo. Doctor Dume Mambo has been very thankful for sending him all the sick people. I had a choice even to refer them to others doctors in the city but I chose him and that alone has cemented our friendship.
Then I saw a woman getting out of the taxi and charted little bit with the taxi driver and she walk fast toward my office.
At least she knocked at the open door: "knock Knock"
We learn to never enter without knocking even if the door is open and I see people inside the room.
I replied and let her in: "Karibuni"
Wearing a blue skirt and wearing a T shirt with the king of pop picture then when she entered the office. I didn't see well from the window, the woman was wearing gloves and greeted me. I give her my hands but she greeted me with her glove on.
I felt insulted; we were never advised to greet someone with gloves on. We better give the upper hand if our hands are duty or unable to shake people's hands. But I used to react to clients, they are many different clients and living in a big city were the African culture was disappearing I kept my cool.
I remember as a kid I was slapped by an elder for forgetting to remove my hat while greeting someone. We were taught to greet people standing from the chairs. We were taught to leave a sit to a woman, pregnant women or elder. But I met many young people even in the bus ignoring those simple rules.
We were taught to wait for an elder to give you first his hand before you shake it.
She introduced herself: "My name is Mrs. Jackson."
I answered: "Welcome Mrs. Jackson" Then I presented my self: "My name is David Kifwafwa, a new detective agent how can I help you"
Then she started telling me how she left America and was on the visit on her mother land Africa and while from the market she saw my billboard advert. I could hear from her accent she was speaking English with more confidence and very fast and was speaking extremely well.
We African have a little problem talking with such speed and Accent. In many other part of the world they often speak one or two languages only since they childhood. But we were living in a country that has more than 100 dialects and we can speak at least ten of them and also been able to understand many dialects. That alone has damage a lot our accent and our speed. But still makes us proud of whom we are.
But I was wondering how can I be able to help Mrs. Jackson with her problem if she is on visit in the country? I don't think that I will be able to travel to the USA and conduct an investigation. There was a big difference between us and other part of the world. Here we were dealing with our own kind of problems while we see in movies and read in novel how the USA investigation was based on murder and long search of killer that always end up with bullets.
I don't owe a gun and don't know even how to shoot. I didn't even have a bullet proof to protect myself. I imagine myself being in a car were I am ambushed with bullets.
But I decided not to jump in conclusions but to listen to her first as she told me: "As you can see I am Mrs. Jackson, I have a complain and a real one" She said: "my husband king of pop the best performer of all time has been married to me and we had tree children but then come a certain woman I don't even want to know well her name called so called Derbie who claimed to have give birth to those children"
I was wondering if I was dreaming or not and I knew many people were called Jackson. I wanted to know witch one she was talking about and I asked her: "Excuse me for interrupting you" I apologized: "Which Jackson are you talking about?"
"the only Jackson that you know" She said "the only Michael Jackson" she added; "Can you see his face on the T-shirt and the way I wear gloves?"
"Wearing someone's face on the T-shirt was never a proof of having a special relationship with him" I said.
"Are you mad or what?" she told me: "You must be out of your mind"
I was quiet listening to her. It was not the first time to meet rude customers. I met many while driving the bus. Some were really crazy and mad. I was expecting to meet all sort of clients like in all the business.
I responded to her before she goes far: "I am sure that I won't be able to help you"
"What your agency is for?" She said "you must be able to investigate all sort of problems"
"I wish I could be able to assist you but I can't"
She started shouting at me: "How can I let my children and my husband being taken away?"
I told her: "excuse me miss"
She corrected me: "Mrs. Jackson"
Then I called "Mrs. Michael Jackson" I said "I think there is a better way to deal with this kind of problems. I am sure special lawyer can help you"
"Like whom?" she asked.
I open the cupboard drawer took one of the lawyer phone number and give her just to get read of her. She took the phone number and told me: "Thank you" She said "I will see in the court"
I responded: "With pleasure"
She corrected me: "Mrs. Jackson"
I corrected: "with pleasure Mrs. Michael Jackson"
I was wondering why should I meet her in court. It was because I failed to help her. I don't remember having insulted her or mistreated her. I was already warned by reading many Americans books that they may take you to court in the developed countries for small things.
She left in banging my door. And I watched silence when she arrived to the taxi that drop her and told the driver: "let go"
It wasn't longer that I saw the same women in one of the newspapers in the country with the title: "Mrs. Jackson wants her husband and her children back"
Another newspapers mentioning: "A crazy fan want her idol and her imaginary marriage and children back"
No one apparently took her story seriously.
While reading the newspaper and realizing the opportunity to have met this woman. Because I was used to get client coming by car, I was surprised to hear a knock at my office. By instinct I look at outside the window first and there was no cars outside and I said: "Karibuni"
I saw a gentleman I suspect that he should be in his middle of late twenty entering my office. Wearing a dark suit, white shirt with a tie.
He presented himself: "my name is Joe Malu Malu"
I responded: "nice to meet you Joe Malu Malu, my name is David Kifwafwa the detective. How can I help you?"
After I told him to feel comfortable and seat on the chair he started telling me his story: "The wife of my boss, the wife of my boss" The words were very difficult to come out of his month as he kept moving his head: "No the wife of my boss"
I encouraged him to talk: "I am listening Joe"
Then he continued: "I don't know really. I don't know if really I should say no or say yes?"
I noticed that the man was very stress out and he was not very good with words too. I could not even get a little about what he was trying to say. "the wife of my boss...should I say yes or should I say no?"
I encouraged him: "Joe, I can read by your expression that you are having a big problem"
"Very big problem, very big problem" he interrupted me. But I decided to continue: "Please just relax and tell me how it started and how it end at. Step by step"
It then slowly by slowly I stared catching the matter. Joe was a driver who worked for a wealthy man but it happen that the wife of his boss was in love with him. But now he feared that if he accepted his boss wife demand he will be in trouble with his boss because he will be fired from work or even loose his life if the boss hires bandits to kill him.
At the same time Joe Malu Malu was also scared that once he says no to his boss's wife. She will revenge. She may influence her husband to fire him because the husband used to listen a lot to her because he loved her.
So he was in confusion. "He didn't know whether to say no or say yes?"
I asked him: "what do you think is the right answer?"
Joe told me: "I don't know?"
So I advised him: "tell the wife of your boss that you can't do that because you are scared that the boss will find out soon or later and you may loose your job or even loose your life. Beg her please not to influence your boss to fire you"
Joe responded: "That won't help the wife of my boss want me badly. And she is not ready for me to say no. She will revenge sir"
It didn't look simple as I thought it was. I know that the wife of his boss was not expecting Joe to say any no. But at the same time once he accept to cheat with his boss's wife and the husband find out that will be the biggest mistake Joe could have made"
The client's problem is that Joe wanted to keep is job, he didn't want to loose it. And his boss's wife won't let him until he agree to cheat with her. And the boss like all the man won't tolerate another man to sleep with his wife and especially his servant.
I then asked Joe: "do the right things"
He asked me: "I come to ask you what the right thing is"
I asked him: "Do you want to keep your job or cheat?"
Joe Malu Malu responded to me: "I want to keep my job but not cheat"
I told him: "Go and do the right things job once you loose it because you refused to cheat, come to see me"
It was difficult to advise Joe Malu Malu to even tell his boss about his wife intention not all the men accept that they wives are wrong especially if he loves too much the women. A small denial by her wife will put Joe in more trouble that it is already.
I let Joe go and I knew that he will get back to me one day.

CHAPTER ELEVEN: NO REST FOR RICH MAN
We wake up a with the news of the death of Goma Bataire surnamed Mr. Dollar, one of the biggest man in the country even on the continent. He was one of the biggest food supplier in the country. This Billionaire had a depots and big super markets that has supplying food, the biggest one was rice from China, fish from Portugal and even maize from the far cost of the continent and from Zambia, South Africa...
I don't know why many rich people were nicknamed Dollar while in Tanzania we use Shilling. They were much money into the world and the Pound was one of the strongest currencies. I guest may be it because Dollar was the most popular money.
Sometime when the country used to run short of food the governments run to him so he can end the crisis.
But what was more affecting to this man is that he was a very good friend to my father the late Albert Musa. When he was in the country they used to meet. He could come to our place or my father will go to his residence. Mr. Dollar Goma Bataire was always traveling especially in China and Portugal where he had another company's representation.
I never viewed my father as a rich man just a middle classed man but there was no doubt that Goma Bataire was rich or super rich.
I felt bad that all the people who used to be friend to my father were dying. I compared to the end of the new generation. Already four good friends has died.
Funeral was one of the most important ceremony were African has to gatherer. They were tree biggest parties that we respected the most: Birth, Wedding and Death. Those events just happen once in life. We are born just once in life. Marry just once in life. Even thought today we marry many times because of divorces, in the African tradition they were no divorce. It only death that has to separate people like me who is about to marry again because my wife died.
Then come death, we all die once.
We had those tree celebrations that we had to attend. Missing those event especially death because we cannot see each other again was unpardonable or unforgivable.
As son of the friend to Goma Bataire, I could not ignore this event. In Africa even neighbours and friend are viewed as part of the family. So I felt very affected and I has to leave some of my appointment attend the funeral proceeding.
The funeral was not only assisting to the burying, it start when the man dies, people has to gather at his house and sometime sleeping there outside the house or living room with other people. may be it may take even a week for the body to be buried and after that we stay with the decease family and time to time come and visit them.
It only the death of a new born baby that could be takes a short period of mourning. The all country was mourning this man. All the media were mourning this death and all the authority has presented to the decease family their grievances to the family.
In the tradition, polygamous was a part of the custom and in the modern society polygamous was associated with success and money. Many people who had money had many wives and girlfriend. My father Albert Musa was one of the disciplined men. He was not interested to be a polygamous and discourage us to be polygamous. He was aware of that he once advised me and my lost brother Paul Karema Kifwafwa: "I could have had even 20 wives if I wanted too. But more wives more problems"
Albert Musa Kifwafwa used to tell us that a marriage is a big challenge. Just one wife and one house will give you stresses but once you have more wives and families houses, it more problems. And living in this new demanding modern society it even worse. He had only few women in his life. The mother of Lebo, he got while working in the mines in South Africa. My mother Nicole Moto and Mischa Nzenga.
I have to be honest that he started dating Mischa Nzenga before my mother dies. At some stage he had two wives. I don't really know the reason why at some stage he had two wives. He once told us that it was my mother Nicole Moto who insisted that he has a second wife according to the culture. She didn't want to bear more children. She decided to stop bearing children after her sixth child while my father wanted two more children. Thanks that Mischa gave my father tree more children.
My paternal uncle Sosomani had about 30 children with about six wives but him was based in Lumbila our native village. May be the pressure was on my father to have more children. A true blessing for an Africans was to be able to have more children and have a big descent and be remembered by the children.
Goma Bataire was not an exception, he was not saint. He had the tradition supporting him and money by his side. So we didn't know how many children he had. I heard once chatting with father: "I would love to have children with all the races, I am almost there"
Goma a good friend of my father could not hide his intension. He said that he was almost there. Despite that I knew personally his tree wives living in Dar es Salaam.
It only in the big occasion like funerals were many half brothers met. Some people from no where will be known where they are mourning they father. My father once advised Goma Bataire: "You should limit numbers of women and children"
He responded to my father: "When I die God will ask my wives how many husbands you had. They will all say only one husband. And then when God in my judgment day will ask me how many women you had. I will tell him the number. So my wives won't have a problem with God because they all were married to one man, Goma Bataire. So the man who will have a problem with God won't be my wives but me who has many wives"
It was amazing what the old people talk among themselves. My father used to be very discipline with us and rarely jokes with us but when he was with his friends I was wondering if it is the same man talking. He could come with unimaginative jokes. I may not blame my father, I am doing the same. It doesn't matter how close I am with my daughter Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa my angel but when I am with my mates and friends I will talk anything and many of them I make sure that my daughter do not hear it.
The problem with Goma Bataire funeral started from his death. There was a woman who wanted the postponement of the funeral so they could do the DNA test to testify that she had a child with him so his child too can have the share of the money he left for his children.
Then come another woman who wanted the biggest residence that he left called residence Mayaya. His biggest and official houses. Apparently Goma has gave to all his wives the houses and money and left a big sum of money to be shared equally to all his children equally. But the biggest residence and official house Mayaya has be taken to his legitimate wife.
That woman come with a marriage certificate claiming that he was married to her two days before his death and divorced his first wives. Then come another woman with a certificate of marriage claiming that Mr. Dollar Goma Bataire was married to her. Then come another wife claiming that Goma was married traditionally to her.
According to the traditional law, the traditional wedding was the most important and the other one like religious wedding and civil wedding to the home affairs. But the government wanted the civil wedding first and then followed by the religious wedding and finally the traditional wedding.
That alone was giving a lot clashes in the definition of the marriage. But on the ground it seem that the traditional wedding was the most recognized and respected one because it was the meeting of the woman's family and the men's family that met with the community has witness to agree on the marriage of two people. With the men's family paying a something in symbol of taking the wife while the bride family will take it in sign of acceptance.
But many people took the civil marriage as the last compulsory step. Sometime it was mal view because some foreigners out of love pretend to be in love marrying a woman just to have access to the citizen permit.
Already the women's battle took about a week and it was difficult to burry the rich men. Some women even exchanged some fist among themselves and the newspapers didn't stop writing about the famous family's scandal. There was no immediate solution yet.
I took my daughter Malaika to accompany me to the mourning house, at Mayaya house. A very big house builds with imported materials and marble with plenty of rooms and a very big yard. Everybody coming to mourned was sitting just next to the main living room next to the big garden. They were already many chairs and all sort of people there.
I wanted my daughter to get used of those Africans big gathering already. When she will grow up she will be visiting the mourning families easily. You will never been view a good man if you do not participate to the funerals no matter how busy you are. The community and even your own family will never forgive you if you do not attend the funerals.
We find a man with a microphone praising the dead man: "...He was a very good man. He had all types and range of expensive cars: Mercedes, Jaguars, Royce Rolls..."
People applauded. There was about almost five hundred people that time. Then the man continued: "He had many shops, depots, many houses and traveled around the world many times. He could travel Dar es Salaam London or Paris like going to the corner shop..."
People applaud. I was not that interested. I think that Goma Bataire has done many things in the community that could have been the first praise. But the world has changed. Success was all about material things that we had...
I was not interested to the same songs when someone has died become a good man.
After the none impressing speech he said: "...We are waiting the premier minister to come and solves some family's matter and fix the day of our dear brother funeral"
I was wondering why the premier minister could be involved in the family's affairs? I suspected that it may be because of Goma's wives and girlfriends fight over this mansion and other things. If only Goma Bataire was a poor man his body could have been buried without no problem.
The delay of his funeral was also because they were waiting for all his children to arrive. We had that another one was based in China being born with a Chinese mother and worked as the represent of his father company in China. Then another one was in Portugal being born with Portugal's mother and worked for Goma's family in Portugal. Other children were based In Los Angeles, America, Paris and Egypt.
The people who had money preferred to send they children overseas in the better school to get a good education and respect. They were proud that they children were studying in the best university overseas. I dreamed too of studying university overseas too. But Albert Musa didn't want to send me alone. He wanted justice that we all go overseas or study locally. He could not afford with all to pay school fees for ten children overseas where we have to pay about 40 000$ a years for a child not forgetting the rents, books, food,...per child while with the same education at Dar es Salaam university and colleges we pay between 400$. The choice was clear for the Albert Musa.
At some stage he wanted to send me and my brother Paul Karema Kifwafwa only because we were big boy. In the family boy were always priority, it is why I easily inherited the power of looking after the family's business because I am a man not woman. I will have the power too in future to include in the business my small half brother when he grow up. But Paul Karema Kifwafwa was not impress as the first boy born he discouraged the idea.
One of the first man that I saw there was the famous Mathew Mara who was nicknamed Mr. Funeral because he used to organized the food distribution and all the Kitchen stuff. I even lately heard people mocking at him: "Mathew stomach has grown bigger with the funeral food". He was already big in size and lately was still getting big.
We all wanted this funeral to end so we can move on with our daily activities without disturbance. I was spending sometime tree to fours hours to the office waiting for my father's friend funeral before I return to my normal time table.
Mathew Mara come to me telling me: "David Kifwafwa, cattle still arriving. The other day I slaughtered about 20 cattle (cows) and many chicken..." The man was showing a face of a busy man. Shouting giving orders in and out of kitchen for food to be served and cook in time like a professional chief chef in a big restaurant.
I could see that Mathew was busy because he was still having blood on his dress on top of his clothes and was holding a big knife with him and just had few minutes to chat to me and few people in knew in the group.
The other side was a musical group praising the rich man: "...Goma Bataire you are in paradise seating with the angel and having dinner with Jesus Christ...You are a very good man, you were praised by God, had plenty of cars..."
The song was quiet irritating when I see people respecting other because of material not of the being of the person. They was a lot to sing or talk about. Goma has helped many time the community...
We took some drink with my daughter sitting just opposite the musical group. They were no way to escape the noise, they were speaker every where. It was one of the reason we wanted the burial and the funeral to end soon as possible.
While in this fever, I started chatting to another man who comes to sit next to us. Distracted. I heard the music stopping and the tune of songs changed. The musical group was singing mainly in English and Swahili. Now it was only drums and other Africans instrument such us Madimba, Kora...The traditional music group has just arrived chasing away the singing modern group. Then I saw people wearing traditional clothes. A lot animals skins throwing guitars...The previous singer tried to save some instruments fleeing with the remaining instrument.
The traditional music group was singing in Makonde, Goma's native language. While some people were standing trying to see what is happening. Them we saw many traditional fighter entering the yard with they spears and arrow to take control of the funeral.
It was Geita Bataire, one of Goma Bataire son who has just arrived from Cairo where he was based. He wanted his father to be buried in the African traditional way. He was aware of the fighting of his mother and others Goma's wives. He comes to take control of his father's burial. He has called a group of traditional singers and warrior to come and take over his father's funeral. He has hired about tree bus to fetch traditional singers and warrior in they native village.
After about twenty minutes, everything returned to normality. Then Malaika told me that she wanted to go home. I ignored her call and told her: "You have to stay until we get the date of burial..."
I understood that she didn't like the music. Malaika has been buying all the new music especially Hip hop. If there was hip hop group singing, she could be staying there for the entire day. It was a Sunday and there was no rush to go home.
It was Sunday too that many planes from overseas land in Tanzania and we were expecting all the Goma's children to arrive.
I saw Gaeta passing very angry entering the house. And we shortly heard that they have just detected that one of a civil marriage certificate that one of Goma's girlfriend showed was just fake.
The man who was next to me, just told me: "the traditionalist has just won the battle and we will see a traditional burial"
After about an hour: We saw a group of big bouncers arriving at the wedding and pushing each other with the warrior that Gaeta brought. It was another battle. Carlos Bataire who was based in Portugal has arrived with a brass band. He knew that there was a battle and bought the biggest weight lifter in the town. He wanted his father be buried with a fanfare group or brass band. He wanted to take control of the funeral.
The traditional group stopped for a while singing and the brass band with about 30 singers took over. But this time the traditional group refused to leave but they moved at the back of the house and kept singing at the same time.
Gaeta Bataire and Carlos Bataire didn't even greet each other and started arguing.
The man sitting next to me told me: "Now the funeral will be a modern one with a European style burial"
I said to myself: "Why to make suffer Goma's body? The corps should be resting a long time." Really it didn't matter much to us how Goma Bataire is buried.
Then it look like they has a compromise for the music, Gaeta and Carlos Bataire finally agreed that the two musical group: the brass band and the traditional group will share the stage. The modern group that was chased too will sing because it was hired by Gaeta's mother who was Goma's Bataire first wife.
We were waiting for someone to announce when finally Goma Bataire will be buried. But Gaeta wanted his father to be buried in they native village while Carlos wanted his father to be buried in Dar es Salaam. I was prepared to follow the proceeding even if it takes place in Goma's native village. He was my father's friend and I had to pay respect to him.
About an hour later. While people kept pouring and we were still waiting for the premier minister to arrive too. He had a say and apparently had to fix the family's matter. We saw a group of people wearing Karate suit arriving.
I saw a bouncer who was at the door fighting with a jumping man in white karate suit while a traditional warrior come running with a spear. It was the arrival of Chung Bataire. Chung Bataire has just landed from China. He wanted his dear father to be burned and he wanted to take a part of his father remaining in a bottle to China and leave the other part of his father in bottle and hand to all his brothers and sisters a bottle with they father's remain in bottles.
He didn't care about any musical group. He didn't bring a musical group but he has recruited in karate clubs some art martial expect to take control of his father's funeral.
I didn't want my daughter to be anymore at these houses. Now the arguing was intense. Few people started leaving the house and I talked to Benga Rufifi who was my neighbour to drop Malaika to my house. While few people were leaving more people were coming. They were more people than it was before at this big garden that could accommodate even 1500 peoples. They were many white hired seats for all the mourners and visiting people.
Malaika told me: "Father you should come".
I felt that Malaika was scared that I could be injured in the dispute but I wanted to stay. I told her: "Don't worry my angel"
Few people entered the living room where the tree brothers were fighting. Chung Bataire was uncontrollable. The poor man could not even speak properly English while arguing with Gaeta and Carlos Bataire. They all against the bottle idea that the Chinese Tanzanian has brought.
Goma Bataire was good to all his children and had a special relationship with all his children. He was a good father and all his children loved him so much that they wanted to take control of they father's burial and funeral. Gaeta Bataire wanted a Africans tradition because both her parents were African. Carlos Bataire wanted a semi European funeral because he lived in Portugal and her mother was a Portuguese and now Chung Bataire wanted a semi Chinese burial because he lived in China and her mother was a Chinese.
The man next to me told me: "It look like we will have now a Chinese burial..."
Chung managed to agree with his brother about the musical group. He didn't care about the music genre but wanted to return to China with his father remain in a bottle and refused to change is mind.
They couldn't agree as Chung agreed his father to be buried and after when people will leave, burn his father's body and return to China with a bottle of his father's remain. But for Carlos and Gaeta that will never happen.
Then when everybody were expecting that the tree brothers will agreed, a fight broke up at the entrance gate between the bouncers, the karate expect and the warriors. Then the tree brothers exchanged fist because they bodyguards were fighting among themselves. Then the fight broke up between the brass band performers, the traditional singer and the modern group that was recalled.
Things were out of control, I didn't know what to do and people were wondering what could happen next. I decided to call the police to come and restore peace but I heard the answer machine telling me: "Your call will be attend too..." But it took about 20 minutes no one was answering and I decided to hang off.
Just when we thought a small calm returns. I just heard: "terror squad", then many people screamed: "terrorists" I thought that the doors and the gate were big enough for people to escape. But they become small as everybody where fleeing in different directions.
It was Musoma Bataire, first born of Goma Bataire second wife based in Los Angels America who has just arrived and hired some people wearing long Muslim rope that we call: "kanzu". He recruited them I don't know from where to protect him and give him the control his father's burial and funeral. We didn't know what really him wanted as everybody were fleeing.
Everybody and I were expecting to hear a big explosion of bomb in a short space of time. In fact the group that Musoma Bataire called was the smallest group with only four young people. But everybody even the bounders, art martial expect, the warriors, singers...fled the scene breaking all the window and forcing the doors and the gate entrance.
In fact no one even I had time to take his car in the big parking. What we wanted was to be out of this mansion as soon and possible and watch from far the bomb explosion. The only thing that kept me there was my car. I was not anymore worried bout the car I knew that it may blow up in smoke but just pray that I will take my Identity book and the passport if his not burn in the car
I saw people bleeding from the rush, some injured because many people forced they way out of the house. It then I realized that my left arm was swollen and paining. It doesn�t remember where I was injured and how it happen. The only good things that we all managed to escape in time. It didn't take much minutes for the palace to be empty even thought they were many people.
I was about 1 kilometers away waiting to see the big fire. A warrior next to me frighten and trembling swore: 'After the blast we will take control of the wedding"
We waited for about 2 more hours just around 7 in the evening, five militaries trucks and a military tank arrived, followed a black Mercedes has just arrived. It was the premier minister Doctor Kiwele who has arrived to end the long conflicts. He had an interest too in this family. Goma Bataire had a child with his sister.
After the much anticipated funeral of Goma Bataire one of the close remaining of my father's friend. Finally they agreed under the leadership of Doctor Kiwele that the money left by the father will be share among all his children. He had too an interest there, his nephew too had to get a share too so to make a justice no one has to be left out.
The company will be operating under the leadership of the first born Gaeta Bataire and he will take the responsibility of the palace name Mayaya. Each girlfriends and wife of Goma Bataira will get also something.
The funeral was held on a African traditional ceremony and his Chinese son Chung Bataire was given nails and hairs to be burned and put in a bottle that he left with. All the musical group shared the stage.

CHAPTER TWELVE: CHEESE MAN
It was back to work after the rich man funeral drama. My daughter even reproached me that I am trying to focus more on helping rich people than poor man because of money. In reality it wasn't like that poor people seems to limit themselves too and seems to leave themselves out. In world that people were respected by they belonging and the digit number of money poor where scared to avoid certain services and thinking that in my mind I was focusing on money while I was willing to do even free services.
Money has become a killer for those who don't have it. Many people die prematurely because they could not even afford medical care in good hospital or even travel overseas. It was always painful to see people watching their loved one health deteriorating and keep them in the bedroom while they could have been cured with this advance technology.
I had to make her explain that my business man focuses of helping everybody but unfortunately rich people are my biggest clients. I tried to analyze myself that If I got more rich people as my customers it because they seems to have more problems may be and I understood why many people saying that: "more money and more problems". We seem to think that money could solve every problem if it was the case why not money is able to buy the soul of dead? I have helped many people for free and I will help anybody even the poorest one if the come to my agency.
I gain more confidence as a detective. I was able to talk to people with easy and even advised them and get the answer much more easily. I even bought a micro tape were I records the clients speech then in my spare time I could replay the speeches and analyze it carefully.
I understood that they were no school for experience but practices bring experiences. I had passion of what I was doing.
The investigations cases were very unpredictable. You don't know how the next case looks like. They may be some similarities but they were all very different. I was reading many books expecting to have some similarities but they were still very different. It was may be because I was reading a lot investigations books for Europeans and Americans cases. I would love to read many Africans investigation books but they weren't on the market. The Africans investigations cases were not much exposed.
One Thursday when I was busy checking a google website. I heard a car entering my yard. It was very easy to hear all the car coming in the office or all the cars passing on streets. Some engines were very noisy sometime living black smoke all over the places while passing.
When I looked at the window a saw a Ford car entering and a single passenger on board. A woman driver entering the yard. It was very difficult to get a none client driving car. I think they were reading very well my advert before they enter my premises. I understood too why many people were coming for the medical consultation because we had very few doctors in the countries. Less than 0,02 medical patricians. There was no use even of hiring many doctors while there are few hospitals and sometime very few medicines. It was why we found too jobless medical graduate doctors and people from all profession jobless. Even countries that produce many good doctors like Cuba has to let go overseas some of the doctors too. We didn't need many doctors only but needed too many hospitals and equipment.
Many people weren't that interested to stand for a long time in the public hospital queue and preferred to see private doctors were they were very few patients. The consultation to the private doctors was much expensive compare to the public hospital but they were very few people and the patient felt that they were given much more attention. But the public hospital was well equipped; they had the government supporting them and even foreign country sponsoring the hospital with equipment.
In the last survey people preferred the private doctors but they didn't have enough money and they were forced to spend many hours to the public hospital.
The woman who has just arrived was in her late fourties and wearing the Africans drawn skirt and top.
May be it what I prayed for. I was wanted to balance my agency. I didn't want it to sound like for rich people only. I wanted rich and poor to come. I wanted to help even for free as long that the clients was happy.
I couldn't afford to sleep the all day and relying only in the rent money from the houses that Albert Musa Kifwafwa left and bus money or may be the cattle money in Lumbila. The cattle business has shown a lot of promises since my step mother Mischa took the management from the uncles in the village.
I was planning to buy her a special truck to start sending the cattle in town and slaughter them and sell it in the market. Food was needed in the big towns and we needed more meat in town. The meat never gets rotten in the market and it was selling in a matter of hour.
My agency was a sort of helping people than making a profit. There were numerous charities organizations already and I decided more or less to open a service in the society to make a different.
I was not under pressure, I owe the place. I didn't have to pay rent only the phones bills and the electricity and a small tax. I didn't have a receptionist who could have make long distances call every time. So I knew how to manage the telephone bills.
I saved most of the Umoja Transport income while I uses the rent money to all my need and families need. I used to help all my cousins, cousin's child for schools fees, medical bills and sometime food. The Africans families were always very big. I was happy with what I was doing and how I spend the income and all the families� members were happy with my management. I knew that they could be always one or two people unhappy but that was normal. It was impossible for everybody to be your fans. It was impossible to pleas everybody. And people were difficult to please. They complain when it is too hot in summer and God bring winter and they complain when it too cold.
This woman was not that rich but the first look but unfortunately in Africa every man driving a car was rich and everyone who had no car wasn't rich. While in Europe people who can afford to have cars preferred to go to work with the train.
Car was not viewed as a transport means to take you to the point A to point B but a sign of success too.
I used to wait first for the customer to talk and if he doesn't I started by introducing myself and then ask how can I help him. But usually it was the customers who start by talking as this women started after greeting:
"I would like to talk to a detective"
"You are speaking to the right person" I answered "my name is David Kifwafwa the detective"
Usually the name detective sounded very big like a big responsibility. They were many detectives taking chances and I didn't want to take chance. It was why I usually don't ask any deposit or any money until I complete my investigation and the client his happy. I usually ask the client what he things he can afford and what he feel was good enough for the trouble I went through. Often I target to get back my petrol money and get back all my own spending. I was not targeting a specific profit, if there was a profit it was just a bonus for me.
The woman started her problem in introducing herself: "My name is Tshala Kipili"
I responded: "It is nice to meet you Tshala, my name is David Kifwafwa"
"Are you the son of the late Albert Musa Kifwafwa?"
"Yes I am"
I didn't want people to associate me with the fame of my father, brothers or anyone else. Yes my father was very respected and his life time success was a big motivator for many people. From a miner to become the only man to own a bus in Lumbila. One of the first men to have a private bus companies. Most of the buses were international owned bus companies such us: Transatlantic, Greyhound, city to city, Putco... but Tshala was right I was wondering how she knows me.
"I am a head nurse at the public hospital"
I understood why she may know me because my father has spent many time in the hospital. For the last two years before he dies he was in and out of the hospitals. We went to private hospital and private hospital. But the private hospital didn't have enough machines so we were forced to send him in the public hospital because they had good technology and some specialists of cancer were there. When he was not overseas hospital he was at the public hospital. This woman could have seen me there or she knows me outside the hospital.
"I have a problem and I don't know if you can be able to help me"
I had a detective agency and I was expecting people with problem to come and ask for help. People who had no problems had no place in my agency. Anyway there is no one who lives without a problem. So a problem was not an impressive word.
I told her: "Tshala I am listening"
"Sometime love is blind"
That was a popular quotes and I wanted to know how love was blind. As she started her story.
Tshala before being promoted as a head nurse has worked for 20 years as a nurse. While busy receiving all sort of sick people she receive a young man called Mario Juma. She confessed that even her first husband she got her at the hospital after having two children they divorced with the man.
She managed as a first born in the family to pay school fees for all his 7 brothers and sisters. Two were medical doctors, tree were engineers and two were accountant and they all were very successful.
Unfortunately it becomes a custom to associate success with degrees in our days. I notice each time I accompany friend to meet parents of they fianc�e. The woman's parents will always ask you: "from which family are you from?" When you are from a rich family it increases the chance of being accepted. If you are related to rich people like Bataire the more you get respected.
Even some women before they say yes. They will ask you: "where do you live?" If you live in a nice suburb, the more are chance of getting her.
They will ask you: "What have you study?" If you are a university graduate, the more are your chances.
Not forgetting this question: "where do you work and what are you doing" All the biggest companies that pays well where known. All the positions that pays well were known.
Some question like: "which cars he drives" where not left behind.
Many people has even failed to marry the woman of they dreams even if the woman loved him there was this important interview: "the woman's family's meeting". Those who were from poor suburbs, jobless or job seekers, those who were not educated or much educated, those who had few materials possession were often refused to marry they women they loved.
Our ancestors must be crying for they beloved land. They didn't dream that they children will respect each other for the material possession. Them they used to marry woman without all those material things. They had no social classes: no rich and no poor. They used to live happily married without all those modern things and they used to marry many numbers of women they wanted to marry without specific requirement. The new Africa wasn't what the ancestors could have dreamed of.
It was why many people were wondering why I didn't want to make any commitment for so long? I was educated, I was from what they call rich and famous Maasai family, I was a successful self employed businessman whi inherited the business. Travel around the world when I wanted to. The chances of getting any woman or women I wanted were greater.
Then Tshala met this young boy in the emergency room. Apparently he has collapsed from hunger as a student at university of Dar es Salaam. Mario Juma had a broke his mouth after the fit. When he examined him when he was accompanied by some of his colleague, he had a low blood pressure; the level of sugar in his body was just two.
She gave him inter vein water and some vitamins. She was shocked as she was shouting at the patient: "why you don't even ask food to your colleagues at the campus hostel?"
Mario responded: "I did ask before then I heard people mocking at me and I stopped asking people food. If I don't have bread I will close my room and sleep even for two days"
Tshala was touched by the story. She has just divorced and was with a young man who needed assistance in life. She knew that after realizing from hospital he will struggle to get food. If the man was unable to buy food that is means that he even struggle to pay the school fees. Thank to the government rules they refused to chase people to school because of school fees.
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere has promoted studies and made it affordable for everybody. In a country were 80% lived in rural areas 80% were able to read and write making it one of the top countries in literacy in Africa.
There is no one who couldn't give Mario Juma food. After all even people lives in modern town they all are Africans and in the African traditional culture no one was stranger. In the ancient Africa they were no beggar and no homeless people because people lived as a family. In fact in the African tradition they say: "there is no foreigner but everybody were member of one extended family" Sometime they used to say: "everybody were brother or sister from another mother"
Tshala after helping the young man took the student to his house and told him to come and see her anytime for money to buy food and money for other things.
Then they become friends, Tshala even offered him a room where he started living and left the campus hostel. It didn't took longer that Mario and Tshala become an items and become lovers. Mario Juma was about 10 years younger to Tshala Kipili. But that didn't stop them from being lovers. All Tshala's brother and sister were again that relationship because Mario was a student and was poor on top of that. They were against what Tshala was doing buying him clothes, feeding him and paying the school fees. Two years later they got a child.
Mario then graduated from university, instead of looking for a job he refuses to look for a job. He loved sleeping until late in the day, then watching TV while the women went to look for money and waiting for her to return home very tired to cook for him.
It even got worse that he started controlling Tshala's budget. When Tshala get paid he will take all the money and the management of money and everything.
Tshala stated: "I buy him everything, even a toothbrush, even the under wear even a deodorant..." She continued: "I am tired with this man on top of that he beat me up if I don't give him what he wants"
I went to university too and I know all the realities. Getting a degree was not sign of success or money. Many universities graduate are jobless in Africa. When people graduate they often call them: "welcome to the long list of jobless people" I told the nurse: "sister is not much easier to get jobs. In the early days when we heard few university graduate companies where looking for people and now that they are many graduate they don't look no more people."
To get job was no more by merit. Connection played a huge rule. For a woman a physical appearance has to play a huge role too.
She laughed and told me: "I know why I say he doesn't want to work" She paused: "I helped him to get two jobs. First at the department of commerce. I worked for two days and quit the job. I find him a job at Vodacom the cellphone company when just entered the country. He worked for two weeks and quit that he cannot take the stress of work. He was not a cleaner there but he was hired as one of the manager there" I was shocked to hear that but she had more to say: "Mario Juma even rejected an offer from one of his ex colleague and friend who had a good position in an international import and export company and he refused to work even as the company manager in Tanzania"
This man had a chance to work. He had connection and people who helps him to be connected and many people do not have this opportunity but can't just work" Many people do not like to work it is why many people gamble and play games like Lotto dreaming of being an instant millionaire the weekend and quit the job without any notice the coming Monday.
I could see the face of the nurse clearly while talking; she was not naturally light in complex. She may have used the popular cosmetic alighting product very popular. Even her who is a nurse couldn't be an exception. She was not the only one. Even many doctors who know the danger of cigarettes and beer were heavy smoker and drinkers.
Tshala continued: "Mario then even beat me up. Look the cosmetic products that we woman uses can lead me to have a cancer and when I will get rotten he will flee"
The story was very sad to hear while people are looking for jobs this man doesn't want to work. Tshala by the look of things loved so much this man. She said: "I reported him to the police many times but when it is time to persecute him, I will drop the case and when we return home Mario will beat me again"
This was not a case of investigation yet. Tshala continue: "Then he started using my cars. Before I used to drive a big Mazda that Mario took it one day like if he knew how to drive and hit a tree on the corner just next to the police station imagine" the poor lady said: "I was forced to bail him out. Loosing even the car in process"
Apparently Mario wanted to show off people standing at the police station that he owned the car. And she took the steering by force while he had no license and didn�t know how to drive properly.
"Then I once took all my saving and buy him a car but the car has since disappeared without any trace" the nurse said "but when I tried to asked him where was the car, he beat me up and even broke my arm"
She showed me her left arm. I saw a scar. It was painful to watch how some women were abused. She was not doing sport or riding on a motorbike to break her arm but she was beaten by her partner. But she still loves the man who kept abusing her.
"Now I drive this small Ford" Tshala said "But the man keeps even using the car. He come home even late at night when I ask him he will beat me up" I felt so bad for this women who helped this man and has turned into his boxing bag as she said: "I suspect that she has a woman that she loves the most and the woman must be very young and beautiful than me."
I understood that may be Tshala loved so much this man that she was scared of loosing him. She seems to be not even confident of her beauty. She may have been forced to use dangerous cosmetic to enlighten her skin so may be the man she loved the most will stay at home.
While people works the man enjoyed sleeping and watching TV and then when people rest, he goes out to enjoy. I could have understood if there were no jobs coming his way but he refuses to work. Why did he study for?
By the look of things I immediately suspect that he has another girl friend but I was still very angry with Mario. I wanted him to stop beating this woman. I know the power of love; I knew that Tshala still loves Mario a good solution could be to leave the man as I told Tshala: "Have you prepared yourself to live without this man?" I made my sentence understandable: "Don't you think that there still life after Mario?"
Tshala was silent and open her bag took out a tissue and wiped the falling tears and told me: "I don't know"
I knew that she loved so much this man that she see that she may not get another man like Mario that doesn't abuse the woman. I knew the power of love and I didn't want to worse the time and I told her: "Give me your home address and I will visit you this evening as your colleague"
I said that the African proverbs saying: "when you give a man the hand they always take the all arm". Tshala has given Mario money or food and now Mario want to take everything
She said: "I don't know how Mario will react but I am giving you the address"
She wrote down a home address.
I hoped that Tshala Kipili could have been like my first girlfriend at high school Fatimata. Fatimata could have given her a good lesson in hitting him physically.
We had set a meeting with Fatimata in the coming day by telephone from Zanzibar where she is based now. I really don't know how it will turn out. I haven't seen her for 15 years. I don't know if she will still the same or has changed. It been a long time we didn't see each other. I would love at least to know what happen after me. How many time she got married or she still involved with someone else. I was wondering if I will still have the same feeling.
And I know that she will ask me the same questions. Even if I have to marry a woman stronger physically than me. I don't think that we will fight because I respect women as they respect us too. I never been in a boxing ring or karate club what I knew was playing for fun football or soccer and basketball. But Mario Juma needed a life time lesson.
Those men who used to get everything for free from woman and abusing them were called, "Cheese man" because they take advantage of the woman's love feelings to abuse them. They were even spoiled by they lovers. There was nothing wrong if the woman support you or help you but it wasn't acceptable to take advantage and abuse the woman.
There was no way that Mario could have change. My father once told me : "People don't really change" If people were changing we could have very few divorce. They always say: "the one who drink will always drink" I wanted a permanent solution for Tshala not a temporary solution. Just when I was closing the office in the evening something comes into my mind: "Tshala has divorced once before she meets Mario. There was always a possibility for Tshala to get divorce, it will hurt but time is the bigger healer." May be she was scared of being hurt again. Dar es Salaam is a big city home to one million people and she will get another lover. It may take time but she will get one.
The way Tshala talked to me with all the emotion I was sure that she was right but I had to get both side of stories not only by interviewing Mario but once I get home I will see the all picture.
I get home and changed my clothes. I wore a shirt well ironed and a black pant and I wore white glasses to appear like a medical practician.
At around 8 in the evening I drive to Tshala's house. The address was very easy to find because she lived in a middle class suburb were all the avenue and numbers were very clear. In the poor suburb it was very difficult to get the address. They street were not paves at all and the avenues or street sometime were not that straight and the house numbers were not existent at all.
I saw a average big white house with a parking were the Ford that Tshala drove was parked.
Just when I knocked at the door. There was a child who was about 12 years old almost the size on my daughter Malaika who opened the door. When he told me to seat and wait for her mother who was in the Kitchen. I find all Tshala's children sitting at the living rooms with they studies book.
It remind me of Malaika who uses to study this time. Few minutes later Tshala come and told the children to go into they bedroom so we can talk.
She brought drinks and Ugali and op-end a tin Sardine. While busy eating and talking about the changes in the country. Then heard the main door opening. Tshala told me: "Mario is coming"
He entered and greeted me and asked Tshala: "I told you to be home by five so I will use the car but you were late so a freind had to come and fetch me"
Tshala explained: "I am sorry Darling I was very busy at hospital"
"It doesn't matter" Mario Juma said: "I needed the car"
I could see how he looks like when he approached. Wearing a leather jacket even when it was very hot in summer in Africa. I could see he had a lot hairs like a woman, semi Afro curly shining Afro hair style. Mario was really a good looking man and I understood why Tshala Kipili falled in love with a young man. He llok like he was in his middle thirties.
He didn't ask who I was. I think he had the answer already that I was his wife's colleague from hospital. May be a doctor or may be a laboratorian or may be a radiographer or may be a nurse too.
Then he went in the bedroom and returns after five minutes and come with a small note book. He open the note book and said: "Tshala, how many tins or sardine left?"
Tshala said: "I find only one"
Mario said: "You should have kept the sardine for me" Then stopped an added: "I noticed too that some peace of meat is missing in the pot." I could read a shy face that Tshala shown
"How many fish are in the Sardine" he asked.
Tshala responded: "I don't know may be four or tree". I noticed that Tshala ignored the second part of the question where Mario is talking of missing meat.
That was not a good sign of a man. African's man always try to stay away from pot but it look like Mario is counting even the number of meat in pot. If he could control food that is means that he is too possessive controlling everything includes finance from his wife while he doesn't want to work.
We African where taught to share by our ancestor but what Mario was talking in front of a strange was Unafrican.
My mother used to say: "why refuse to give someone's food? No matter how nice the food taste, you go to the toilet and throw it. The extract won't smell nice because of the nice soup you have eaten. You make sure to flash it"
He said: "You should had kept two for me. The sardine tin has tree fishes in. You suppose to give your colleague one fish only from that tin not the entire tin"
Tshala said: "I thought that the all sardine tin was smaller for one man"
"No" Mario Juma said: "You must know how to manage the crisis"
If there is one word that people uses lately was crisis. My step mother used to advise me: "people are complaining about crisis. The price going up and people want to make few children. While children are growing with the few food that people managed to buy in that crisis"
I could see on that list name of food, the food they buy and consume. That alone said it all. It was for my first time to see a man very greedy with food. I can say that it was unAfrican. May be he still have a sad experience when he had no food as a student and struggling with hunger. At my big surprise he knew even how many fishes are in the tin of sardine.
It was my first time to see a man writing in a note book the names of food. My mother used to tell me: "refusing to give someone food was refusing with shit" After eating food no matter which kind of food, it become shit and we goes to the toilet.
Tshala was working and had a good position, I don't think that food was a problem to her.
Then he called Tshala into their room. Then he come out the room and was angry. I could see while opening the door putting a wallet into his pocket. I knew that he called aside Tshala and asked for money. He was angry that Tshala has given him few money and he gave me food too.
I could see that if I was not there he could have beat up Tshala. When he closed the door one minute later I heard the engine of Tshala's car starting and I knew that he has left with Tshala's car.
Tshala come and sat and didn't say nothing for about five minutes. I could read her face, she felt very humiliated with the way his husband argued with her in my presence about food. She didn't want me to see this kind of behaviour.
I knew a man like this won't be shy to beat up his wife for anything. I could see how he wanted to control everything while he his not bringing money into the house. It was a pity that Tshala will work hard for money, long hours with work stress and do not even enjoy the money she earns. She was working for someone else�s.
For me this was not life and Tshala had to make a firm decision. I told her: "I am sorry that I have seen and heard things that you didn't want me to see. I am the one who asked you to visit you" Tshala didn't respond and I told her: "I will do the investigation and this not the African's way of living. Africans respect they wives and children do not abuse" Tshala was still silent: "I think that it is time you divorce and prepare your mind on living without the handsome Mario"
Tshala didn't answer me. I had to be honest with her. I went through the pain of loosing my lover when I was just 22 years old. I know the pain of loosing someone that you love. I told her: "You have children and a stable respect job. You can go through the pain of divorce"
I left few minutes later and went home to plan my investigation if Mario had a girlfriend or not? Why he kept going out in at night and return sometime very late in the night. I knew that if he has another lover. That lover must be aware that he has another wife. One of the two women that Mario was seeing one should be aware of this.
The next day, I decided to borrow a car from my neighbour Benga Rufifi and leave my land cruiser. Then took a photograph camera just in case. I knew that if Mario sees my car he will quick recognized it because I parked just outside his house when I went to see Tshala. It was a small Fiat but I loved it because of it speed.
At night I went to Tshala's house and didn't find the car. I refused to enter her house and returned home. The following day I parked in just two house away. I opened the boot of the car like if I was fixing the car so the neighbours won't suspect me of wanting to steal in the neighbouring or wanting to commit any crime. Then at around nine in the evening. I quick closed the boot of the car and started following the Ford that Mario was driving.
He drove straight to the campus hostel and parked the car next to the visitor parking. He was still in the car when I saw him not going to the students' homes but he went to the lectures residence. I waited for few minutes watching his moves then I quick get off the car and followed him. I saw him entering the four houses a housed. He didn't knock because he had the keys. He opens the house and entered.
I went back in the car and waited for him to move until about eleven in the evening. I felt very tired after the long day and I was about to sleep and I decided to move the car next to his so when he returns even when he will start his car when I am sleeping I could hear easily. He won't have time to check if in the car next to him someone his sleeping in.
I then pushed the chair back and slept. It was just around half past two that I heard Mario's car stating. I saw him next to a woman who comes to accompany him to the car. They chatted a lit bit and they kissed. I refused to take the picture because it was in the dark and the camera needed a flash light to take the picture. So that light in the dark could have jeopardized the investigation.
Then he left and I decided to follow and see where he was going keeping a long distance so he cannot realized. When I realized that he was heading Tshala's house I decided to return home. I knew that he was going back to Tshala.
I knew that the news won't come as a surprise but a confirmation to Tshala�s hears. She already suspected that her husband was having another lover. What I wanted to make sure who that woman was. I knew the residential address on the campus. I went to the university administration office as an ex students and managed to get the information from the secretary there. It was very easy for me because I met in the office, Christo Pila who was still working there since I was a student. He was still the administration office but promoted.
I told him to give me the information of the woman living at house number four of the lecture residences. Not all the lectures were living in the campus complex only the new one who lived there temporary. Christo Pila gave me all the file of the new single female lecture that lived there and wrote down the information that I needed.
The following day I called Tshala Kipila to report to the office. We discussed for about two hours. I wanted her to prepare herself with the inevitable divorce and bring back her freedom and her happiness. I told her how Mario will never change and she had to end the abuse by only kicking him out of her life.
I wished not to separate people but unify them but I changed my mind into this case. For the first time I encouraged separation for happiness. May be it what Tshala Kipili wanted too. She had enough but couldn't just leave her man. May be she just wanted someone to help her to get ride of this man and support her in encouraging her.
It wasn't easy because Tshala Kipila loved Mario Juma with all her heart. But I had to help her to deal with the pain she will be growing through. She accepted that I bring someone who will confront Mario because she was scared that Mario could hit her or even kill her once she tells him that it was over.
On top of that the poor woman was living in fear like in a dictatorship regimes were people lives in fear. The dictatorship regimes impose fear by torturing people and killing opponent while trying to get international support in making fake formalities elections. The woman who support this man have to live in fear of being beaten in her own house.
In the evening I went to see Mathew Mara nicknamed Mr. Funeral. This man had a natural charisma and a strange courage to command people. Not only he was big in size but he was even having a strong voice. For a man like me even ig I shout for some people it doesn't have much effect because of my small voice.
When I met Mathew Mara and told him about the story he was upset like me. And decided immediately to accompany me to Tshala's house. Just when we arrived at around nine in the evening, we heard from the window Tshala Kipila and Mario Juma arguing intensely. Tshala had made our job easy because she had already told him that the relationship was over. He had to move out of the house before the finalization of the divorce in the court.
When we knocked at the door Mathew Mara entered the house pretending to be a far cousin of Tshala Kipila. Mathew Mara was a very good actor; he acted if he knew Tshala long time ago. He throws outside Mario's belonging and shouting: "get out of the house I don't want to see you again. My cousin had enough you have abused her physically and morally"
It wasn't longer that the neighbours too joined Mathew Mara and chased Mario Juma from the house. I saw Mathew Mara holding the smart man from the collar of his shirt.
Even neighbours were happy that finally Tshala Kipili has chased this abuser one of the neighbours told us: "we have been praying for this day to arrive"
"The cow moves the tail, not the tail that moves the cow" We say in our tradition. "How can you even bite the hand that feed you Mario Juma?" I asked him.
When he was outside. I saw also Tshala's children bringing him few remaining of Mario Juma. The very last remaining was a tooth brush.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME
All the cases were different and unpredictable. I didn't know how the next case will look like and how challenging it will be. Every case needed a different approach and different tricks. At least my office was getting busy and busy. I knew that people won't come only because of reading the billboard advert but all the successful cases will bring more clients.
Those satisfied client will bring more people after testifying. I wanted all the clients to get a permanent solution instead of temporary solution.
I was happy to with the clients renting the houses. Even thought they were not paying in time but they were paying. Some of them even two or tree weeks late. I was not the only house owner who got the money not in time.
What I wanted is for all the people renting the house to be conscious and respect the due. They had to make house one of the priorities. I was not the kind of house owner who raise the price anytime and people were happy because I was not pushing them the only time I pushed them it was when they went a month without paying the rent. I knew that paying the overdue month and the new month at the same time will make the matter more complicated. If you are not able to pay for one month, nothing will guaranty me that you will be able to pay for two months.
I was not the kind of house owner who rise the price when I see the tenant wearing expensive clothes and eating expensive food or eat food. I was not following they privates life. I rarely visit them. People were always very scared that the house owner see them with expensive things or see them eating expensive food every time especially meat. By accident I used to meet in restaurant or shop people renting my houses and I could see how they were uncomfortable. Some were even hiding from me while I had no intention of increasing the rent money or even ask them the rent money in public. The only time I go to see a house tenant, it when he doesn't pay rent for at two to tree month at least.
I heard a car stopping outside my yard. I suspect that it was a taxi. I didn't know that, it come to drop a customer to my agency. The road was quiet busy with a lot cars in a small busy road. The all area next to the market was a business houses. Many people started transforming the private house into offices and businesses. And the selling price of the house next to the busy market was expensive and the price was still rising.
Many people still asking people and increasingly house agents asking me if I was interested in selling my property because they thought that I was wasting my time and property with detective agency while people wanted to build big shop and big company next to the busy street. What was important to me was not important to others.
Then I saw a tall slim very dark man who may have been in his middle thirties more or less my generation entering. He was wearing a white Kanzu or dress similar to those the Muslims wore. This kind of dress was very popular in the Western Africa and East Africa too. Even none Muslim sometime wore it.
He knocked at my door and I let him in. It was a sign of respect to knock at any door even if it opens. Even kid who were tree years old knew the obligation to knock at the door.
I let him in and made him seat after greeting him. He asked me: "Are you Doctor love?"
It was difficult to answer the question, my agency was called Doctor love not myself. I explained him: "My name is David Kifwafwa not doctor love. My agency is called doctor love not me"
He understood: "I beg your pardon for misinterpreting your name"
I knew that some people loved to be called by their business name. But I cherish my name so much that I didn't like any nickname.
"I don't know if you will be able to help me"
He didn't give me his name yet. I always find very difficult to talk to someone
without knowing his name. And I asked him: "I am David Kifwafwa and you are"
He responded: "Yussuf Niang"
The name means a lot to us. We easily identify the origin and the tribe of people by they names. This name was similar to the western African name. I was glad that even people from far the Western Africa has heard about me. He has a French accent and I suspected that he could have be from Burkina Faso, Benin Mali or Senegal where they speak French. But not a Nigerian, Cameroonian or Ghanaian where they speak English. And the other thing that made me suspect that he could have been from Senegal or Mali because of his physical appearance tall and slim.
His English wasn't bad but the accent was different that may mean that he could have spend many years in English country. It was very difficult for big people to change they native language only children had the ability to change they accent that easily.
He then introduced himself: "I am from Dakar, Senegal but I live in this country for more than 8 years"
"Nice to meet you" I said "I am glad to meet all sort of people. The origin do not matter much"
"I am glad to live in Dar es Salaam" He says
"I have this woman and his family who has played with my mind like a small child" he took a breath "Really a small child he insisted"
"I am listening" I encouraged him to tell me the truth.
"I have some bad tragedy that happened in my life and still not ending"
"There is a possibility to end it" I encouraged him.
He started his story.
"First as a young boy." Yussuf said "I watched a movie for the first time from the local cinema in Dakar. On my way home I thought that what people were doing was really in the movie. I jumped from the balcony on the second floor where we lived and break my neck and was in a coma for 4 months"
Yussuf was not the only young boy who has imitated what people does on television. We all may not have jumped from the balcony but were some how influenced by the movies stars. Some of the people has taken movies star�s name. It wasn't strange to see a man or a soldier nicknamed Rambo or Commando.
But that wasn't the story that brought Yussuf into my office I knew that he will tell me his problem.
"Then the tragedies are still not ending" Yussuf said: "I insulted a gang group in Dakar on my way to school. They kidnapped me and made me cook the beans for two days in the back yard of they head quarter in a big pot cut from a petrol tank"
At least they didn't warm him or even kill him. And he recognized having started the trouble. But those were some of tragedies that really still in his mind and the main tragedy in life. We all have some tragedy that still fresh into our mind. Myself I still have a tragedy having being beaten by a karate expect woman who was none other my girlfriend, for not having lied but having say the truth about our secret relationship. I was chatting with my friend and she wanted a dignity.
Then he started telling me the main problem that brought him in the office. Yussuf Niang has arrived in the country more than 8 years ago like he said. He comes to help his brother to sell second hand clothes, called Jumble sell in the market. The second hand clothes were very popular in many Africans and poorest countries.
Many people get there some good and nice clothes. It looks very unusual clothes when it is in the pile of many clothes. But people take time to choose the best clothes they may find. Once they wash it at home and iron it nicely it looks very nice. But the only strange thing is that people want to buy them in secret. They don't want people who know them to see them standing at the pile of old clothes.
So some businessmen has notified the behaviour of customers and preferred to open they second business clothes in hidden areas where the customers will feel comfortable and spend many minutes choosing their favorite�s second hand clothes.
Then they fought over money dispute with his brother. He left his brothers business shop and went to open his. As he said: "I was quiet very young when I opened my own shop. I could see all kind of customers and women coming to my shop"
Then just one woman strikes his heart after some years as a shop owner. Her name is "Miriam Utete".
"At first" Yussuf said: "She used to come to my place and I decided to visit her and see her parents"
The woman initially told him that she had no children and has not been married but lived with her parents, her nieces, her nephews and a cousin Robert Yuwa. He visited the family and met them.

"The first day I arrived there" Yussouf said "everybody welcomed me except the cousin Robert Yuwa"
Yussuf saw Robert but Robert didn't want to meet him and disappeared.
"I felt very bad to see many people sharing the house. I wanted really to take Miriam to another place. I started renting a house for her where she took some of his nephews and nieces" Yussuf said: "The room was small house was suffocated with more than 10 people living there. It made very difficult for a grow up woman like Miriam to have some privacy"
He was sad Miriam family that they shared the four rooms houses. The house was overcrowd and there was no space at all.
One room supposed to be a kitchen mix to living room at the same time. One room was supposed to be shared by her parents. One for the many children he finds there. One for bathroom and toilet.
What about the grow up woman? What about the big cousin who refused to great the visitor? What about other children who were there�

After about six months of relationship, Yussuf and Miriam decided to buy a land and started building a house. Yussuf explained: "You see I was in love. I stop dreaming or looking about other women. The only thing for me in mind was Miriam Utete. I didn't have a residence permit that time. So I decided to use Miriam's identity for the house and all the things I bought cash"
"I spend all my income to build the house, put electricity water and even equipped it" After a year and half of the sacrifice the house was completed and equipped. Yussuf bought the furniture: chairs, beds, television, radio, stove, fridge...
The house was one of the best investments in the country. Youssuf has done just that and even paid half of money Miriam family has asked for the dowry, the price to marry her. He paid 200 000 Shilling, bought 4 cattle for the wedding. And only 50 000 Tanzanian Shilling was left. Unfortunately dowry does not have slip to use as a proof to complain, it has only witnesses.
I look at the foreigner and felt bad; it was too much for dowry. May be Miriam's family thought he was stupid as they call foreigners sometime because they don't know the reality in the foreign land or they thought he was rich or may be Niang himself wanted to pay more for a woman he loved. What we knew in our tradition is that a "dowry was just a symbol, it may even be 1$ or 200 Shilling". But sometime it was acceptable in the new generation because many parents sometime sees dowry as a business or a way to regain back all the money they spend to raise they daughters. Some even ask more than what Miriam families has asked me, depending if the daughter is beautiful, if she still a virgin or if she is more educated...
Why to pay a lot of money for dowry? Because in our culture we know that a man does not stop paying dowry. It continue when he become head of the family, looking after the woman and children and even the in law in need.
Niang and Miriam Utete have been together for two years and it was time that they knock the nod.
"Miriam was working first as clerk in one of the governmental office then I took her to my shop and started managing the shop together as my future wife." the client said.
Yussuf informed his family in Senegal for the woman he got and the house he built and even equipped. His mother was due to arrive in a week time when they will make a traditional wedding. As a foreigner who comes in the land to make money, he felt much attached to the country and made Tanzania his second home.
He moved in the new house that he built for two days only with Miriam when something happened. The called Miriam Utete cousin Robert Yuwa confronted him.
He saw Robert with a machete and a gun on his side chasing him from his house he built for him to live Miriam: "get out of the house foreigner" He was wondering what this man was trying to say. When he saw the man approaching with a machete: "You have slept with my wife for many years... You are leaving this house with nothing. It was the price of cheated with my wife"
Yussuf couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was for the first time he heard someone furious talking to him and even insisting that he is foreigner. He knew Robert Yuwa as his wife's cousin. He trusted him and sometime he could even give him some money because the saw called cousin had no permanent jobs. Sometime the man could visit them when he wanted. Even thought they were talking in they natives language that Niang could not understand but he trusted him as his wife's relative and part of family.
Miriam wasn't there at the time of the scandal. Robert was so serious that he took he machete trying to hurt Robert. Robert got out of the house hearing Robert talking: "Foreigners. You have come here to steal our money. You take ours wives and Job, opportunities and even brings a deadly disease in the country"
While running he realized that the machete cut his neck slightly and he was bleeding.
I felt so bad for this man. This experience only good affect his life and he will view not only Robert as a Xenophobia but all the Tanzanian while we regret Robert's action'
He tried to contact Miriam, but she was no more answering his calls. He waited for his wife to be to come to his shop but she was no more coming. He understood that it was the woman's plan with his husband. He went to live with his country follow man, Mohamed Senghor.
When I heard about a machete that slightly hurt Yussuf Niang, I look at carefully his neck and saw a scar just on his left side of the neck. I saw how the world has lost the sense of humanity. We were scared even to touch a knife and afraid of seeing knife but today slaughtering a human for material gain, revenge...was common and was nothing to people anymore. A human's been who was respected for his soul was now comparable to animal. Yes woman was an animal because it has the physical body and has the flesh like animals but it was special to the tradition because it has something special that animal does not have the soul.
Death uses to be a bad news but now it good news to enemies.
I had to apologize for what the country man has done before moving: "I am deeply sorry for what happen to you. I really I am sorry and we are not all like Robert and Miriam. Even many Tanzanian have been crooked by fellow country men"
"I know that not all the Tanzanians are bad"
"In every community you will find good and bad people"
I told him some of the investigation stories that I did such as
This really was not an investigation case because all the facts were there. Miriam Utete and Robert Yuwa in collaboration with the family had premeditated the plans. They decided to crook Yussuf Niang, they made him build the house and furnish it. They even took money pretending that he will marry Miriam. After they got what they wanted they got ride of him.
I heard many people saying that they will never even loose to a foreigner in the court of law. They knew that Yussuf will not take them any where. They took advantage of the foreigner.
I decided to help Yussuf Niang. I told him: "Before colonialism. They were no frontiers or borders. Everybody was part of one country called Africa. They were no Senegal, Somalia or Tanzania. Those named come after the colonist divides the country according to they need. Now we kill each other, hurt each other like if God created borders" I took a breath and said: "Some consider others like animals and consider ourselves human"
"I know that" Yussuf said
"I don't see why I should treat you any differently. I think that many women couldn't have treated you this bad. You only land in a wrong place; you met a woman with a Satan mind. And arrived in the bad period where money become more important than human's been"
"My brother is happily married to a Tanzanian woman and they have tree children, his wife visit the Senegal every year"
"That is an example that not all the people are bad. You have just landed into the hand of a bad woman"
I knew that this case will take long, this case will take us to court for many months before it get finish. They was no investigation to be done but to help Yussuf to get at least his house that he built back or sell it and get money if he didn't like the environment even if he has to loose the furniture. House was the most important things.
The good thing was that Yussuf Niang got over Miriam Utete. But everything was in Miriam's name. But there was a way to tackle the problem, the must be many witnesses beside Miriam's relative�s and friends to testify. And Miriam didn't have a good job that will help her to build and house and equip it with cash in less than 2 years.
In the same afternoon I took Yussuf to the police station where we open a case.
Then I decided to visit the house that he has built. Yussuf himself was scared to even get next to his cherished house. But I convinced him and drove him to the house.
We parked just outside the house. The street was dark but he could see what was happening into the house because of the light inside. Yussuf Niang was a man of very few words, even when we were driving he was very quiet and when I asked him any thing he will just respond me without adding anything. I had to try to make him forget the drama, in telling him some funny stories but he was not even laughing. I realized that may be he doesn't like jokes. They are some people who had no sense of humours.
The house was big than I expected and I realized that it was may be why he didn't even want to see this big investment, all most all the investment in a foreign land. Seeing this blue house was like we say: "putting a knife in an old wound"
We were watching what was going inside the house like if we are waiting for someone outside. The house didn't have yet the curtains yet with the light inside we could easily see what was going on inside. We saw just around eight when many people eat the supper, two children sitting at the dinner table, then I saw the saw called cousins without any top wearing a long short joining the kids, then the elder kids who I suspect was about 10 years old joined them.
Then I saw Miriam, coming with food and serving them. She did many go and coming into the other door that I suspect leading to the kitchen coming with food.
Then she joined them. Then we realized that they were not moving for about 2 minutes, they head bow down. They head were down, and then they started eating. I realized that they were praying.
I felt very bad into my heard and I remember what my father uses to say: "many churches have to close down". He was saying that because they were good and bad people going to the churches and was always shocked. If we have to prays we should be serious about the religion that we have chosen by doing good action so many people will respect even the religion.
We saw the Miriam's so called nephew, nieces, cousin eating on the table as a very happy family. After about thirty minutes, we saw children getting out of the dinning rooms, they disappeared then few minutes latter we saw too room that were dark, the light switch on and I suspect that they were children's bedrooms. I look at Yussuf Niang, like someone hurt while the doctor is trying to touch is wounded leg, closing his eyes tied. I could see the shock in his eyes and I realized that it wasn't a good idea to visit this house again.
Without any words, I just started the car and we left the house of pain.
I asked Yussuf: "how many where the nephews and nieces sharing a small house before they moves here"
"They were about six when she used to live with her parents but they when I moved with Miriam, only tree joined us"
I said to myself that: "They must be Miriam Utete and Robert Yuwa's children". The cousin has turned to be the husband and the nephews and nieces have turned to be children.

CHAPTER FOUTEEN: A WOMAN'S WORTH
I was sitting with my daughter Malaika after she has cooked the super. I was glad that despite she lives in a urban areas but she seems to understand the value of the Africans culture. My worry was that my daughter could loose quickly the tradition because she lived in a modern era in a modern town in Africa. It was why I liked to live with my cousin Serengeti, she has grow up in a rural area and went to town in her late teen. She had a lot of value for the tradition and kept teaching her children and my daughter some of the traditional values.
But Malaika left the rural village when she was four. I thought she was too young to remember anything but time to time she tells me about some of the villages stories.
In rural areas a girl who is already seven or eight years was able to cook for the entire family and help her mother to raise the young sisters and brothers. But in the urban area some of the children whose were seven or eight all they knew after school were to play. People from rural areas used to mocked children living in big modern city that they were like the chicken that grow fast with the chemicals products. They were big enough but unable to even walk properly.
While eating she told me about her schools stories, her clubs stories. She told me about what they often talk and do as young teenager. I wanted to be very open with my daughter so she won't be able to tell me anything. And once she tells me the stories, I try to correct her and give her some advises.
She was too young but I wanted to have a special relationship with her. Especially because I was the only surviving parent. Her mother has died and she never knew her. And children were always close to they mothers. So I had to play both roles: A father to implement discipline and her mother to be friend with her.
Then come one of her stories that shocked me. Malaika told me: "...What about this. A colleague of mine his stressed because her parents in her home village want to sell her sisters because the father his bankrupt..."
I asked her: "Bankrupt?"
"Bankrupt, all the cattle they had has finished and the father want to sell her sisters so they may get more cattle"
I sat in a silence for a long time and she told me: "It hurt or what?"
"I think that it hurt"
"Daddy, you get hurt easily. There is nothing you can do"
"It never too late I sad"
Malaika reminded me: "But it is tradition"
"We misinterpret the tradition most of the time."
The Africans tradition was never hurting woman, children or anyone. The African tradition was based on love, sharing and respect. But many people uses abuses a false excuse of this beautiful tradition our day. I met a group of people in a train England talking about how our tradition was abusive. It took many words and example to make explain that our culture was never abuses. Men have been always abusive for the superiors� physical strength to children and women. And it exist all over the words that some men abuses they families member and the ancestors never gave us a commandment to whip women and children.
They have been rules we received from ancestors to punish bad people: robbers, killers...but no rule to whip children and women. Punishment exists all around the world it is why we have prisons and death sentences.
And everything that went against the Africans rules: respect, love, sharing was unafrican include abuses. If our ancestors used to allow young women to get married it was because life was marriage. When a woman show that she has grown and they allow her to get married. They had no many diseases that times but wanted each woman to have only one life partner. They find in a position where men were always less numbered to women and allowed polygamous. And there was never shortage of free women despite polygamous. They didn't allow exchange of lovers or cheating.
All our mother had known only one lover in they life and all our fathers had only wives not girlfriends.
Africanism was never abusive: young and old were much happy with those practices and never complained.
Africanism was not hurting. Even the animals right who blamed Africanism for they cruel way of slaughtering animals forget that if there was a easy way for Africans to kill animals without pain they could have done so. If they had all those quick way equipment to kill animals they could have used it. They could have even inject Anesthesia to animal if they had it. You kill see how the slaughter struggle in holding animals and kill them. They try the best to kill the animal as quick as possible but they don't have any choices.
"Tradition is about respecting. And respecting the elder" Malaika said.
"Respect is not abuse" I told her.
"But there is no abuse"
"Abuse is not only hitting but there is more form of abuse"
"Can I see your colleague?" I asked her.
"She lives with her uncle here in Dar es Salaam but her family still lives in the village" Malaika then added: "guest what she may be our cousin because she is a Maasai too"
Dar es Salaam was home to thousand of tribes. People from different places and they all lives in big city working and doing their business.
The Maasai tribe was much bigger in Kenya and we were really a minority in Tanzania. Because of that we used to live like brother and sister in Dar es Salaam and used to meet some time for the meeting where we can talk about the way of developing the village and helping each other if any of us his in tribal. Not only Maasai lived this way but many small tribes too live this way. We all had cultures, many things were similar among Africans cultures but there was always few different ceremony according to the tradition. So there were many small gathering groups. I saw in many countries people from different country having some small meeting, parties or ceremony and meet among themselves. I saw Jewish, Muslims, Portuguese, African from Nigeria, from Congo, from Zimbabwe... with small organization overseas too.
But sometime other people were calling it: "tribalism" I saw even overseas many communities who care for each other overseas there.
I decided to ask for the name of Malaika's colleague may be I could be able to locate her family only by name. Names mean a lot to us. It was already an address. You can even identify the person by name. Each tribe had they specific name even countries. If I hear the name Khumalo I will quick says that the person is a Zulu or Xhosa from South Africa. If I hear the name Kitwe or Mwana I will quick say that the person if from Zambia. If I hear the name Okosha or Hakeem I will say that the person is from Nigeria. If I hear the name Mwamba, I will locate the person in central Congo, If I hear about the name Tandei, I see already Zimbabwe, If I hear the name Kamara I see west Africans countries, If I hear the name Kofi I see Ghana,...
I asked then Malaika: "Can you give me the name of your colleague"
"Maria"
"Not that one" I told her. I needed the African name. I used to make sure when I give someone a name I give often give my Africans names. The western names that we had were just usable because they were much shorter and easy to pronounce in English in the main communication language used in towns.
Town had different people from many tribes and we easily talk to each other in English and specially Swahili. There was no tribe by the name of Swahili or English. Swahili was a adapted language brought by Arabs but developed and mixed with different dialects. Our real names were the African one that we uses sometime like the last name. But we were able to speak even 10 dialects and understand many dialects. Many of them had some similarities words here and there.
"Wait a minute" Malaika said "but we always called her Maria"
"you should learn next time to remember your friend's African's name" I told her "African names is a full identity book and addresses on it own"
"Mbambala"
"Excellent" I told her: "It is what I was looking for. Maria isn't what I am looking for"
I knew already that Mbambala was generally very popular in the village of Same. I knew two Mbambala in Dar es Salaam and I could easily locate them and even get to the source of stories. They may not be related by they may even help me if I need them with the information.
"You can see her tomorrow when you drop us at school"
"I will see what I will do"
I knew that they may not be a smoke without a fire. We Maasai like cattle. Cattle were all for us. Our ancestors have taught us about cattle and we are passing it generation to generation. We didn't have the modern machines or technology but we knew how to look after cattle. We didn't go to the veterinarians� school to learn about the cattle but we inherited it.
It only lately that many young Maasai have shown interest in agriculture and veterinarians studies to further they knowledge in farming. We had no really minerals in Tanzania. I mean a big quantity of them to be exploited industrially or even bring the war. Tanzania had very few isolated gold and few Tanzanite...We had no petrol...So the majority of the population still lives with farming.
Our main exports beside few minerals were cotton, Coffee, Cashew nut, Tobacco and Sisal.
It was just 10 hours in the evening when I decided to tell Malaika: "It is time to sleep for you. I want to work"
"Are you going to the office now?"
"No' I told her "I can work even now. We are living in a modern society"
She laughed and said: "Good night"
'Have a sweat dream"
"I love you"
She hugged me and went to sleep.
As I told Malaika that we lived in a modern world. I usually want to use the new popular technology anytime to work. I went quickly in my bedroom and took a telephone note book. I searched for the Mbambala that I could find. I knew two of them. I met them many time in the tribal meetings. I was sure that it wasn't that late for parents and I could phone them and start the work right away.
I saw the first Mbambala and I phoned. He pick up the phone: "Can I speak to Mbambala Lengose?"
"Speaking"
"I am sorry for may be calling you in the inconvenient time. Are you related to Maria Mbambala?"
"Yes I am"
I was happy that by accident already I phoned the right person. He was the uncle of Mbambala. It was amazing how we could dial the right number in a town of more than a million of people. Thanks to the Africans names that is a identity and an address at his own. If Malaika didn't remember the African's name I could not have make it until I get the African's name.
I introduced myself and we started chatting in Maasai. It was always special speaking his native language. He was able to confirm the story and said that it was a true stories. Maria's sisters has be sold by they father who has lost most of his cattle and wanted cattle. He gave me the names and the age of the woman. Lumba was 9 years old, Lety was 8 years old and Zombo was 10 years old.
Our ancestors never took dowry as a business. It was just symbolic sometime even parents of the married woman had no right to touch dowry. Sometime it was given to they families member. So how come a human been is for sell like cars and houses?
Maria's father called Nyembo Mbambala wanted to sell all her daughter to cows. He wanted Maria too but Lengose Mbambala refused to let her return to the village Wami next to a small town Same.
Lengose took her niece to Dar es Salaam so she can have the best education has possible. But school for women means nothing. Women or girls were believed meant for marriage.
Lengose opposed to his brothers idea but he refused to listen and wanted cows.
I told him: "I would love to help you in convincing your brother to stop the madness and I can even give him some of the cows he want as long if he stop the premature marriage"
"It is too late" Lengose regretted. "I wanted to look after all my nieces and nephew but I do not earn enough to support all of them" He stopped for a while and continued: "the poor girl must be sold by now"
I was wondering what a 8 years or ten years woman will be doing with an husband? I was wondering that all the law that the parliamentarians voted was still ignored in the large part of the country. I am a Maasai myself but I haven't seen a 10 years old girl being married but I saw many 12 years or 13 years old woman married.
When the girls start developing breast she was ready for marriage to many villagers. I was wondering how old will be the husband of those girls. Surely not 10 years boy but grow up men. The age of the man was not important as long that he could afford to give the father the numbers of cattle he wanted.
After about an hour on the phone. We come up with an immediate solution. Lengose accepted to accompany me to Wami next to Same so we can save the small girl.
In the morning, I asked my neighbour Benga Rufifi to fetch my daughters and her two cousins to schools. Benga Rufifi the owner of a small Fiat was a very good friend of me. When I wasn�t home he used to fetch and drop to schoop my daughter and her two cousins plus the other children in the neighbouring that I drop to school.
My car was big so I used to take 10 to 12 pupils to school and fetch them. But Benga's Rufifi car was very small he needed to make tree load at least. And I used sometime to give him some money for the petrol. When Benga was unavailable I used to hire a mini bus.
Just when we were about to leave the city an idea come into my mind. I wanted to find a permanent solution for Maria Mbambala's sisters. I wanted too someone from the women right group to help us. I went to see Sister Theresa Kwete, but she was unavailable. I didn't have a chance to meet her because she was out of the country.
I knew that it will be a long drive, I bought a full tank of petrol and put in a tank reserve about 150 liters of petrol. My worry was to arrive in the village then I may buy more petrol in small town of Same that has a petrol station.
As a former bus driver, I used to make sure that I have enough petrol in the car and that the engines and tyres are in good condition. It was difficult to stop in the sliding road especially in the raining season.
Lengose accepted to be absent to work to try for the last time to convince his brother to stop the premature wedding.
It took us about 12 hours to reach Wami. When we arrived it was already past midnight. It was a small village with no running water and electricity. Thank Lengose had a small hut in the village and we went straight to his house. Albert Musa Kifwafwa my father built a very big house in the middle of our native village Lumbila because he knew that his grand children and children will need a home when they are in they village. And many people who had money built some house in they native village but those who had not enough money tried the best to have even a hut like Lengose did.
Just when the cock were staring they songs "cocorico" and bird started singing in the village, I wake up and went to the car that was parked outside. It was the sound of birds that uses to wake up people in rural areas.
I could see very well the view of the villages surrender by thousand of huts and mud and clay house here and there. I could see just one main road the road to the small city of Same.
I open the boot of the car because I heard a strange noise into the engine. I knew that we have to travel another 12 or 13 hours back home. The engine was OK and I went down to see the suspension of the car. It was very important with all the holes we have to meet. Thanks God that we were in summer with very few rains, and they were no mud on the road.
Some of the villagers with the farming tools were greeting me while I was busy checking the car. In the African's culture you have to greet even a stranger. And greet him every time you may meet him.
Then I went back in the house, I chatted with Lengose for a while and we decided to go and bath by a near by river. When we arrived near the river we knocked. Not knock at the door but by screaming: "can I come in". There was time for everybody to bath. Time for young girl and woman. Time for boys and time for men to bath.
When we knocked, a woman responded: "not yet"
So we waited by the bush by and sat and started chatting again. Then we saw a group of about twenty women who has just finished to bath leaving the river in a queue. They were wearing skirt no one was wearing a trouser. In the village trouser were strictly for man and some of them had they breast not covered.
In the African tradition women used to protect most they private part but not breasts. Breast was never a problem. They were not shy like most of the woman in town to breast feed they child. Anywhere or anyplace they could feed they babies.
We waited, and then another group left. Until the last woman said: "You can come" Then we went down the valley the river and had a quick bath. I was struggling lately to bath with cold water but I enjoyed the experience. In the village we always bath with cold water.
Then at around nine we walked with Lengose Mbambala to his brother's house. All the people in the street kept greeting us. It was the beauty of the traditional village. The beauty of carrying people, the beauty of Africa.
Just when we were entering Lengose brother's big hut. We could see rotten carcasses of cows, goat and donkeys. It was a testimony that he has lost many of his cattle lately but still it wasn't a reason for his brother to sell children.
We knocked at the house, a fifty something old man comes out of the house. He hugged us and even hugged me like if he knew me long time. He called his wife who brought us tree chairs made from the local trees branches.
We sat under the trees and started talking.
Lengose begged his brother: "please could you stop the wedding"
"i have already got the cows for the dowries and there are already sold. I want you to bring me back my daughter Maria so she could be sold too"
"Why Nyembo" Lengose said "there are too young"
"I cannot keep girls while the family is struggling"
Nyembo Mbambala has just lost about 40 cows and was remaining with only 15 cows. Many died in the drought that hit the country lately. But he was not the only one to have lost many cows. This was not the first time that many people loose their cattle due to the climate changes and diseases. Many people has lost their cattle and got more after a long period of time. But they didn't rush in selling people to replace their lost cattle.
Nyembo was trying to explain: "Cows for us are everything. They provide us with milk, meat and blood for nourishment" He paused the said: "Cow are everything to us, they push the trolley for agriculture and even for our own transport".
I had an impression that the Maasai man was trying to say that cows where much important to human's been. He was proud mentioning the advantage of having cows but not mentioning the advantage of having children. For may be this farmer the children were nothing but only people who finishes food.
I decided to intervene too: "Yes for us Maasai a man and wealth is measured by the number of cows he owns"
He thought that I was supporting him: "Yes, you are a true Maasai. Cows are everything for us" He agreed.
"But" I interrupted him: "It is not a reason to abuse children"
"What" Nyembo asked with astonishment.
He thought I was supporting him first and suddenly changes.
"A then years old girl still a enfant and a women to be sold" I said.
"You see now" Nyembo said: "you people of town are lost, dead, unAfricans"
"not really, I am an Africans still and our culture do not allow us to take dowry for a young girls"
"Every girl is women to be" Nyembo justified himself: "They will grow up and be women in they families in law. They will be feed by the in laws until they become women"
"they will be forced to be child labours in the in law families" I said.
"Your Bible said that the one who does work won't eat" Nyembo said.
"I will give you the double of the cows you ask for dowry"
He laughed and said to me: "do you have cows?"
"Plenty I told him"
"Then take the girl who lives with your friend Lengose. I just want 5 cows per child"
This was made how can I marry a young girl colleague to my 12 years old daughter. She was 12 years too. That was mad but I didn't panic and I told him:
"I am giving you 30 cows so you will give me all the children so I will look after"
"Two are already gone, to their in law Lumba 9 years old and Zombo 10 years old. I still with only Lety 8 years old"
"Ok" I said "Keep Lety who his 8 years old. I am going to Dar es Salaam and bring you the cows"
I thought of slavery. I thought that slavery has ended long ago and only museum of slavery buildings was left In West Africa, Central Africa and the one I visited our side in East Africa.
But this was another form of slavery in my understanding. Selling a girl under a marriage excuse. The owner keeps her and let her do all the domestic work until she is ready to have a man that will be given to her.
"I am giving you only two days" Nyembo said: "if you don't rush I will take the dowry from anyone"
"But if another drown come" I told Nyembo "who you will sell again because you are selling all the daughters?'
"I have already made a plan." Nyembo said "because my daughters are virgin once a drought comes again they will add all the cows I lost in the future drought. Even you if you take my child"
I knew that it wasn't that easy to change the mind of this man. I wanted a permanent solution for the children. I knew that even if he changes his mind the girl won't be happy in they father's house again.
The matter was already more complicated because two children were already taken. I knew that the in law won't accept to let them go even if I have to give more cows. It only Maria the 12 years girl colleague of my daughter Malaika who was safe and the 8 years old Lety Mbambala who was not taken yet. Safe just for two days.
We end up the meeting so we could meet in two days. It was not really a meeting in two days. Nyembo was waiting for cows in two days.
We returned with Lengose to Dar es Salaam. I went to see the woman right group member who returned from her trip sister Theresa Kwete but it was just after tree days. I was already expecting that even the youngest girl Lety Mbambala was sold already.
I could call this act as only slavery. Selling a young girl waiting for her may be to get old and give her a man.
Sister Theresa Kwete said that she has managed to save many children like this but those children were taken away from they parents and given to charities organization such as Orphanage. I had already someone that I knew very well who open an orphanage and wanted children to look after, the rich women Kitunga Nyese.
I took this time the sister back to the village Wami and two policemen. I had money with me. I bought him 10 cows to about 2500$ in the same village, the entire money that the former MP married to a young girl Tanya with her sister who play the substitute Natasha gave me and hand it to Nyembo Mbambala.

It was a lot of money in our country but no money is more important than any human�s life.
This time when he saw the policemen and the women right group representative he changed the language: �I was not selling my daughters. I just wanted to give them to people to look after them because I could not afford to feed them anymore after loosing all my cows"
I was glad that it didn't took longer he hand over us the tree girls and we left the village. Kitunga Nyasa was very glad to receive more children when we arrived in Dar es Salaam. This time Kitunga Nyasa was not chasing beggar but was helping peoples and wanted beggars. If she had a child she could have been looking after one child and now she doesn't have any she was happy to look after many children.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: GUILTY MIND
I realized that my agency was more a charity kind of organization than any company that target profit. And I was glad that I had something to keep me busy and at the same time helping people.
I didn't realized that there was so much joy in giving than receiving until I started making a difference in the community and lives of some people. There was so much to give in the community than just giving money. Just to be able to give time and effort to help community.
For me giving was to be able to assist people who are the most in need and when they need the most the help. Unfortunately people come to assist when it is too late. When a man his dying in hospital or his already dead, it is when most of the assistance come.
This happen when Joe Malu Malu come to see me and told me: "Mr. Detective I have decided to quit the job. I can't be with the wife of my boss who want me to be her lover and betrayed my boss who helps me in giving a job to meet my need..."
I could see the man had no choice. What we knew is that when the woman wants you and you don't approach her, you may even turn into enemies. It wasn't that easy to get any job it was why Joe Malu Malu stayed for a long time and didn't know whether to say no or say yes. Yes was to keep the job in cheating with his boss's wife but with a great risk. No was means to loose the job because the wife of his boss could have revenged in influencing her husband.
In our tradition, we always says: "even wall or dog will always accuse you and denounce you". It is meant that there is no secret. It sounded like a easy equation for Joe Malu Malu to just cheat with the woman and to keep secret.
I had made a deal with the bank under the advice of Nikki Manda to continually buy a bus each six months. My company has only five buses while they were some of the companies who had hundred or even thousands of buses. Even thought people viewed me as a rich men inheriting business from my father. There was no way that I could compare to those rich people and I didn't even know one day that I reach 100 buses. I was honestly out of my reach.
When the first bus arrived, Joe Malu Malu who was a driver by profession but joined the long list of jobless people. I once meet him next to the taxi station; Joe Malu Malu had already changed. He used to wear suit while driving his boss but was wearing second hand clothes with plastic shoes with a file of his CV trying to look for job. It was clear that he even sold all his nice clothes to buy the first necessity food. He told me: "David Kifwafwa, I regret to have left my job. I thought that in doing the right thing God will listen to me and give me another job. But now what I have are promises and the stomach when angry does not want a promise. It needs food instantly"
I told him to visit me in the office and took his home address and phone number. But he said about his home: "I cannot afford to pay the rent any more, I will definitely send my wife with my children to the parents place and I will live with a brother in Christ from my church".
I never like to make any promise. I wanted to surprise people in giving things but not giving them promises. We heard all sort of promises even for trusted politicians and people. They shown us how everything was possible but when we vote them they abuse our vote and what they give us is unfinished plans. Even if we give them 100 years they will give us plans. In fact people have realized and of definition of politic was an art of lying. A good liar becomes a good politician.
I give Joe Malu Malu 1 000 Shilling that I had in my pocket. It was almost 5$. He thanked me like if I gave him plenty of money. I was always very uncomfortable when people thank me. I told him: "do not thank me"
He told me: "My new baby was not even having milk"
When the bus arrived from Dubai where I got a bus supplier. The bus took more than two months on the ship and I had to pay all the taxes and register the car and the bus become ready after 3 months. I called Joe Malu Malu to my office. He told me that he had an interview. I insisted that it was important that he comes to my office.
When he arrived, I hand the bus key to him and told him to report at Umoja Transport office and start the work. Joe Malu Malu couldn't believe and he thought that it was the April fool because we were in April.
"I do not like this kind of joke detector. My life, my reputation in the community is on the line." he stopped and shouted at me: "This is not a good time for April fool man. I do not have a job"
"Unfortunately the vacancy has arrived in the month of April" I told him "I couldn't wait for month May to give you this offer"
I knew that Joe Malu Malu, needed the most the job and it was preferable to give to those people who need the most the job.
I had no idea that in opening the agency I will be able to help so many people. That alone made me going every morning and make me seat in that office for the entire day.
There was this court case that I had to attend. Having helped Yusuf Niang from Senegal to open a case against the woman who lied to him that she was going to marry him and she was not engaged and had no children. Yussuf Niang has built an house and even furnished the house and bought everything in the name of Miriam Utete because he didn't have the residence permit. He had a business permit that he was renewing time to time but he thought that it was easy before he get the permanent residence to use his lover�s identity. Just to find out later after completing the house, equipped and moved in that Miriam Utete was married to the man she called her cousin Robert Yuwa and had tree children that she called her nephew and nieces. Robert Yuwa chased him from the house he build and even wounding him with a machete. Even if he was illegal in the country that was not a way to treat him.
Yussuf Niang could have invested and made money but he has struggled like all people, he didn't pick up the money on the trees but used his courage and seat to earn it in a legal way. Waking up early in the morning, going through all the stresses and meeting all sort of customers good and bad and just to easily loose it. He has left his country far in the West Africa to make money in East Africa.

He didn't only made money but helped also the community with the second hands clothes or Jumble sells. Not everybody had money to buy new clothes.
I was expecting that Yussuf Niang will get a lawyer and even get many witnesses to testify that he is the one who financed to build the house. He used to buy himself construction materials from the construction's supplier and even hire trucks to deliver the bricks, cement, sand...at the plot. He used to pay the builders and construction's company. The neighbours at that plot even used to meet him. He had an income; the shop that he had helped him to make money while Miriam's income could not help her to finish completing the house in less than 2 years and never took a loan.
But I was amazed that at the court room he was accompanied only by some few follower�s country men from Senegal and many Tanzanian Muslim. Yussuf Niang was a Muslim. Muslim was big in Tanzania about 30 % of the population were Muslim while Christian where about 35% and the rest believed in the traditional ancestor�s religions. But the Island that become part and province of Tanzania just across the Indian Ocean Zanzibar had about 99% of Muslim.
When we enter the court room, Miriam Utete and Robert Yuwa had they lawyer and even had all the documents that the house and the furniture were in the name of Miriam Utete and they marriage certificate. The judge at the start gave advantage to Miriam Utete because of all the documents. We had only hope that witnesses will help us to make understand to the lawyer that Yussuf Niang was the one who built the house and bought furniture using Miriam's document. I prayed that the judge accept to even sell the house and Yussuf and Miriam share the money.
Then I was surprise when Yussuf Niang took the stand. He told the lawyer: "May Allah be praised"
"Miriam, I have no case against you or relatives. I trusted because I loved you. I am not a magician. May Allah bless you" He then looked at Robert Yuwa: "I have lost and you are the winner. Enjoy the success of the scam. May Allah bless you. I am leaving your country and goes back to my ancestor's land"
He look at follower Muslim and countrymen: "Allah his great" and look at me: "My friend David Kifwafwa, thank you for the effort and time you took to help me and comforting me but I am a child of Allah. Allah will pay you back"
The judge told him: "But Miriam has given us his side of stories and even gave us the documents. We want to hear your side of stories and the proof in form of documents or witnesses" he then shouted at Yussuf: "you don't have to tell us May Allah be praised"
Yussuf look at the judge: "Allah is the master of time. Of life and death. Of success and fails, of revenge..."
I could see even the judge was shocked and I even wondered why he gave advantage first to Miriam Utete?
Yussuf Niang was calm and very relaxed. His fellow countrymen and Tanzanian Muslim who were there were very calm too. It was even shocked to curious people who were in the court. Really they were shocked by the humility of Yussuf. They have heard how he lost all the investment in the country and just let it go?
We were all watching Yussuf next move. I just see him leaving the stand and walk to the passage. I heard Miriam's mother calling him: "Yussuf, can I talk to you?"
Yussuf told her: "May Allah be with you"
Robert was full of smile, all his teeth were out and happy hugging the family�s member in a suit that he wore. Joy of having won the case and officially own the house and the furniture in the name of his wife Miriam Utete. I heard one of a woman who was in the court saying: "This man was just too good for Miriam". I wonder if she was Miriam relatives because they were many in that court room.
I was expecting exchange of words and insult but the case was terminated and the man who supposed to cry and regret of the money he has just lost has just let it go.
For me it was the way he was leaving the country. I felt the guilt in me. We were not Xenophobians but we felt that what the followers country man has done was just unacceptable. Everybody I chatted too after Yussuf has left been very humiliated and shocked. Another man told me: "No, now all the world will take us as xenophobia"
The group of people who come to support Yussuf in the court were all wearing the Kanzu or dress and disappeared with him. A man has accepted despite being right that he lost, he was wrong, he was weak; he was nothing giving the looser a win was just too real to be true. While we fight over day and night to have a good reputation, to be always right even when we are wrong, to win even when we don't suppose too...
This court session become one of my learning lesson in life and I wanted to be also humble in life or more humble if I was. I wanted to be stupid even when I wasn't. I wanted to stop fighting about appearing and being or be called a good man, always right, the strongest one or the most powerful man. I started respecting even Yussuf 's religion as one of the best religion that exist too. Many people end up hating that religion without knowing much about it. Especially lately with all the bombing and terrorism activities numerous people end up undermining Muslim faith.
When people saw and heard the bombing many places: the Tanzanian and Nairobi USA embassy bombing, the 9/11 bombing, the bombing in London, Spain and many bomb exploding in Afghanistan, Iraq, Middle East...because all the terrorist were Muslim followers, they end up associating all the Muslims with the terrorism activities while it was just a minority in the majority.
I remember that while waiting for the announcement of the burial of the billionaire Goma Bataire we all run away because we saw 4 young people wearing Kanzu and we thought that a bomb will explode soon because the Bataire children were fighting. We were expecting to hear some of the boy pray and scream: "Allah..." Followed by a blast of the bomb.
I learnt that not all the Muslim were bad people and not all the Christians were good people. In all the community there are good and bad people. We kill each other because of money and material but this Muslim just let it go. He forgot all the pain, sweating and time he has lost to look for money and loose it to crooks.
I was glad to have meet Yussuf Niang and he helped me to learn to be humble, loving and very kind.
I was expecting to hear what the newspapers will say and even what the people will say in commenting on this case. For me I thought that it will be a exchange of view from different religions and people in the country. I thought that because the majority of people were Christian will support Miriam. And few Muslim people will support Yussuf Niang. I thought that the majority of people will support Miriam as a country woman not Yussuf a foreigner. I was expecting to read this kind of sentences: "Any way Yussuf was stupid...He was a foreigner...He was illegal in the country...It better that he has left our country...Miriam didn't sleep for free with Yussuf what she inherited was her salary..."
But amazingly everybody was against Miriam's action and blames Robert Yuwa and Miriam's relatives for bringing shame into the country. Some even went far blaming the judge...I realized that everybody despite our religions and origin has the ability to analyze and see who was right and who was wrong. Despite our differences or what the court says we were all unite against all the crimes and all sort of crimes.
One of the newspaper made a survey 97% supported Yussuf Niang story while only 3% supported Miriam Utete.
Then another day I read an interview of Robert Yuwa the husband of Miriam Utete. He said: "Before the arrival of that foreigner we used to walk free on streets. Now we have to choose which street and when to walk on streets. We won the case in court of law but in the community we have become devil...People talks many thing against us and pointing fingers at us while walking in our own city..."
Then I read another headline in newspapers: "No one want to buy the blood house of Robert Yuwa and Miriam Utete"
It wasn't that longer that I read in a newspaper headline: "Miriam Utete has committed suicide"

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: THE CONFESSION OF A WITCH
We were fast sleeping when I heard a hooting of the car just outside my property. I wake up then I heard again the car hooting. This time I moved next to the window and try to see what was happening into the street. I built a long wall to prevent robbers from easily jumping into my yard.
I had a old guard who used to look after my house but since he got sick, I didn't want to hire another guard before he get better. I was very close to this guard. He used to be our family's guard since my father was alive and he becomes more than a guard, he become as a father to us.
I could see the light of the car but not the car. Then I heard someone screaming: "David Kifwafwa, we need you please"
I knew that it wasn't robbers, robbers always operate in silence. They could not have the courage in the middle of the night to hoot and everybody in the neighbouring wake up and break into the house. I was always very scared at night because many robbers who knew me thought that I had a small bank into my room where I keep money for Umoja Transport, for the house renting and even for the new agency that I have opened. Few people knew that we had even a farm in Lumbila.
I took my traditional spear and went to the entrance gate. I look between a small wall and saw two policemen. I was wondering what they wanted from me in the middle of the night? I was very scared because some robbers pretend to be policemen and wore police clothes to easily have access into the premises.
I saw two policemen cars there. Then I decided to take the risk to open the door. One thing come into my mind, If I am killed obviously my step mother Mischa and uncles will take the management of the company and houses until my daughter Malaika grow up. I knew that no matter what happen to me this night Malaika will never sleep hungry and will never run short of the school money.
Then I open the gate, I heard one of the policemen excusing himself: "Mr. David Kifwafwa I am sorry for disturbing you in the middle of the night. We are two in the morning but we have an urgent matter"
"How can I help you?"
"I want you to help us with this matter before it too late" One policemen said.
"How can I conduct an investigation in the middle of the night?" I asked them. Of course there is time when I conducted investigation in the middle of the name. For example the case of Tshala Kipili and Mario Juma. But Tshale met me to the office during the day. I never had a client coming to my home in the middle of the night.
"My name is Shawn Naidoo" one policemen said: "And my colleague is Williams Jacobs" Then stated: "We were call to investigate a witchcraft scenario. Look I am originated from India and my colleague is originated from Europe. We have no clue for the African witchcraft"
Then Jacob supported his colleague: "Look we don't know how to open a case of witchcraft. We never believe in those things but we are force to conduct and investigation and even open a case"
I told them: "Let me go and wear my shoes"
I enter in my room and quick wore the shoes, remove the pajama and wore a trouser and a shirt and comb my hair. Then went into Malaika room and told her: "I love you. I am coming back"
She asked me: "Daddy where I you going into the middle of the night"
I told her: "I have a work to attend too"
Then I left, I closed the doors properly because I was the only big man in the house. Serengeti and her children and Malaika couldn't defend themselves. Serengeti children were only 6 and 4 years old. They always called my daughter Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa: "Big sister sometime aunt"
When I got outside and closed the door. The two policemen were amazed as one of them said: "That was too fast. I was expecting you to change only wore shoes"
The other policemen supported his colleague: "It looks like you have a robot that make you wear in less than 5 minutes"
I laughed and I told them: "I am a Maasai"
We were raised to be ready anytime. As a young boy in the village they taught us to be ready no matter how tired you are or how sick you may be to have the ability to wake up instantly and wore the warrior clothes and take the spears, the axe and get out of the house as soon of possible and struck the enemies before he realized.
We were trained to do in an instant move a lot of thing. They used to take us in a big empty field and teach bus all those things. Sometime to make an axe or spear from anything like stick of tree in a short space of time while fighting. It was all about reflexes and that reflexes appear mostly at night. What they didn't know is that I even went into my daughter's room and talk to her and make sure that all the doors are closed properly.
Williams Jacob told me: "I heard about the instant Maasai warrior's move but it is my first time that I saw it"
I got into William's car and we headed to one of the suburbs in Dar es Salaam called: "Uhuru" in English means "Freedom". A newly built suburb were the road were not paved with many houses under construction. People even when they built big houses they move in before the house his completed. They only cover with the roof one or two rooms and moves in.
The street had no light yet. I saw from far a police car parked there and many people there. I knew that there is a problem. If everybody has to wake up in the middle of the night and stand together waiting for the policemen to solve the problem.
Many men in that group didn't have the top. When it is too hot men sleeps without they top and often wear the short to sleep with. A pajama was really a luxury to many people. It was costly and unnecessary for many people. Some of the people didn't know that there was even special sleeping clothes called pyjama (pajama). Sometime people could wears it and wake with it. Especially in the villages were they didn't special labels, they could even buy a suit of pajama and wake with it.
In one of the interview when I was interviewing drivers when the four buses arrived I hired one of the interviewed who was wearing a pyjama as a suit.
I was not the king of people who could mocked of anyone. We didn't need specific clothes. All we needed was clothes to hide our private parts and even protect us against the bad whether such us rain, cold...
When we arrived at the scene while walking in the middle of people. I could hear people talking: "Waskari" meaning policemen or soldier.
I heard another man saying: "Mulozi ame kamatiwa" meaning "The witch has been caught."
Another said: "Mulozi ni Mutu wa kutshoma". meaning : " a witchcraft is someone who deserved to be burnt"
Then another men greeted me: "Mambo vipi Mzee?" Meaning "how are you wise men or old man?"
I responded too in Swahili: "Lazima bwana" meaning "I am fine my friend or Mr."
About a group of two hundred people were there. I was expecting just a little bit much bigger group. But I realized that it was just in a new suburb under construction not many people have moved into they house. 90% of the houses had no electricity. Sometime to build houses it takes many years even 10 years to complete properly the house unless if you have a good income you can build your house in one or two years like did Yussuf Niang.
People start by buying the slot first or empty land. Then build a small room to keep the slot because once you take longer without building anything the slot may be taken. And there were always many disputes about the slots some of the people takes other's people slots. Endless fight, sometime the man who lost the slot will be given another slot very far. The most wanted land where those who were next to big street or paves avenue.
So it was important to first keep the slot in building anything. Then come to bring bricks. Start the foundation of the house. And you can hire someone or yourself can live at night at that small room because you have to look after the cement. The cement was often stolen and it was important to hide and for someone to sleep in that small room.
While building, you make sure each time to buy material, hire trucks then pay the builders. Mostly people uses independent builder because they were much cheaper. Each time you get money you invest in construction...But it wasn't easy to save money. They were always many unpredictable things like funeral that you have to contribute. The opening of school. It was always a headache for parents to pay the school fees, sometime hire everyday a transport to take kids to schools, uniforms, books...At this time many parents stop the construction first and takes school as a priority. Then come the end of years, all the Christmas parties and new years. Many people wanted to wear nice and new clothes at that time and disturb the budgets...
It was why the house was always the biggest and the expensive investment. Albert Musa Kifwafwa my father had managed when the town was growing to build many houses and buy small houses and expand them. It was why I understood he told to never even think of selling the houses.
I felt very blessed that even the police could call me in the middle of the night. That means that I was getting the respect in the community as a detective. I knew that all the cases were different even thought some of them look alike. All those cases were cementing me and giving me much more experience as a detective. I felt that I was on the road of being a good African investigator or detective. A profession that many people weren't aware of.
I was expecting to see a old naked human with a broom but it was just a woman who was in the middle age of 40's in the group not naked by wearing the traditional African's clothes. A flower decorated two peace of rip and a top from the same material. It was just an ordinary women. I was wondering how come she find herself in the middle of people and being called a witch?
She was lucky because people used to mob kill or even burn the witches and robbers. We heard about many people being killed just before the police save them. Most of robbers were not stealing in the neighbouring they often steal in the suburb very far. When there are caught there they appear to be totally stranger in the neighbouring.
Many of witches, who were caught in the middle of the night, are believed to fall when their petrol gets finish. The petrol in the witchcraft was the blood of people. People say mainly the blood taken from people who loose it in the accident. For the modern law witches are mentally disturbed people.
But all the Africans believed that witches are bad people, jealous who brings pain and misery in family and they community. People who brings curses, premature death, poverty, accidents and all sort of disasters.
We can take it lightly but it is not that light. All the Africans tribes believe in witchcraft even thought they often says that The Kasai tribe in central of Congo is the biggest witchcraft tribes.
The Williams Jacobs told me: "please can you help us to first asked her why she is sitting here. We don't understand the all story"
I then moved toward the woman who was sitting in the middle under police guard: "Mama" I said: "Please what it is wrong?"
"I decided to confess" the woman said: "I want my heart to be clean"
"What is your names?" I asked
She responded: "My name is Celestine Bukara"
I always feel necessary to start by knowing the name with the person I am talking too and using it. It always means that you have consideration with that person you are talking with.
"My name is David Kifwafwa"
With respect I gave her my name so she can feel free to talk to me. But I thought that she may not feel comfortable talking in a group of people watching her. It happen to many people, she may have some secret or something to say that she doesn't want other people to listen"
I asked her: "Celestine Bukara, can we go somewhere were we can have a secret conversation"
"No" she responded "i want everybody to hear and everybody to know that I am a witch"
Quiet strange because most of the witches keep secret and want they magical phenomenon to remain secret.
Then Shawn Naidoo told me: "Do not worry. We were here before we call you. She doesn't mind everybody to listen to the confession"
I asked her: "Why you decided to make a confession just in the middle of the night"
Celestine Bukara responded: "It was the appropriate time to make a confession"
I saw the Indian policeman very worries not knowing what to do. And asked her:
"You must be a serial killer. How do you kill people? Did you kill them with poison or with what?"
"We don't need poison to kill a human been" the suspected witches proudly said: "we spell curses to bring premature death through diseases and accident"
I knew that witches operate in the middle of the night but Bukara decided to make her confession in the middle of the night. So I didn't have to worry about people watching us and listening to us in the middle of the night. So I wanted too to hear that confession that she made so I can have an idea too.
I asked her: "Celestine Bukara can you make that confession so we call all here and find the solution?"
"I said and I will repeat" Celestine Bukara said: "I have enough with this witchcraft life. I brought misery to my neighbour Lana Majozi"
Williams Jacobs urged the woman: "Zugumuza na watu matendo zako" meaning : "Tell to us what you have done"
Williams Jacobs has a very good Swahili accent when he urged Bukara to tell us all. I was personally impress with the accent and pronunciation. I knew that he regularly speak Swahili. I was sure that he was married to an African's woman and speak with his children Swahili and everybody Swahili.
Celesitine Bukara said: "I have killed her tree children, Nvula Majozi, Tony Majozi, Mark Majozi and her husband Muso Majozi"
Shaw Naidoo intervene: "tell us how you killed them. You must be a serial killer"
"With the witchcraft different method of killing" Celestine Bukara responded.
Then Williams Jacobs talked with an upset voice: "Our problems is how did you killed them? My wife is an Africans and my children are semi Africans and European. So tell us how did you killed your neighbours children and husband?"
Williams has just confirmed what I thought of him that he was married to an African woman.
Celestine Bukara said: "I killed Nvula with lighting, I killed Toni in causing an accident, I killed Tony with a deadly disease and I killed her husband Muso with water when he drown"
Shawn Naidoo insisted: "We have also witchcraft in Indian my ancestor land. But why, why you killed your neighbour's children and husband?"
"I was jealous" Celestine Bukara said: "I was jealous because she had a nice house, successful children clever at school and an handsome husband"
Then I look her and asked her: "Where is your neighbour Lana Majozi"
She pointed at the white house near by. It was one of the few completed house with a wall outside. I could see the light globe and it shown that she was successful.
Williams Jacobs said that: "I thought that you have poisoned may be Lana Majozi's family"
"we don't need poison to kill someone" Celestine Bukara.
Celestine Bukara had made a confession to the one of the community member who called the police then called other people to solve this problems. I never heard about witchcraft investigation. It was something spiritual while we were dealing with physical proof but I asked her: "so how do you think that we may do to solve the problem"
"We have to slaughter some animals and cows to fix the problems. One cow for Lana Majozi family's and one cow for the community"
I heard in the group of people many disagreed: "no we cannot eat a witch's food. It will bring curses into our loves"
I understood the policemen it was difficult for them to make a report. A death from rain's lighting strike, an accident, a disease or a drawing in water were purely natural. It was impossible to associate them to witchcraft. I understood the frustration of Shawn Naidoo and Williams Jacobs wanted to make a statement but it wasn't useful in the court of law.
I didn't need money for my investigation�s work. It was why I was always honest when I can't succeed in the investigation. May be other could manage to conduct the investigation. I could have made an effort may be to be the first African to successfully link witchcraft to modern court of law.
I told to the two policemen who come to fetch me: "I think it is a waste of time to do a witchcraft investigation. Witchcraft is purely spiritual while you are looking for physical proof: a poison that killed people or an action like pushing people in water to drawn in water. Shouting or stubbing someone"
They didn't know what to do but the wanted to take the woman in the police custody and charge her. It was impossible to kept her in a community were they hate witchcraft's suspects. Her life was still in danger from the angry community member who believed that she was a wicked one after that confession.
Lindi Majozi have been hit by series of death into her family, in tree years she has lost her husband who drawn in the Indian Ocean bitch while swimming. One of her child died by a light strike, one dies from a disease that they didn't want to mention and one was involved in a car accidents.
Celestine Bukara who confessed to be a witchcraft and wanted to fix the problem by slaughter some animals for the community and Lindi Majozi family has her request rejected by the community member.
William Jacobs then asked me: "detective what do you think will should do? For us she didn't do any crime. There is no scientific proof to charge her."
Shawn Naidoo responded before I talk: "take her in a mental institution"
I told them: "Let ask her how she want us to protect her."
Shawn Naidoo said: "I see that she is mental disturbed. And no mental disturb will accept to be send in a mental institution unless she is forced."
I then told them: "Take her with you for a protection and I will do the investigation"
"Really?" Williams Jacob was surprise.
"I can do the investigation, I see a room of investigation I said"
"Don't play the super man" Shawn Naidoo said.
"How long?" Williams Jacob asked me.
"An investigation do not have a deadline, may be one day or may be many months"
They took Celestine Bukara with them and I decided top start my investigation by visiting the self confessed witchcraft Celestine Bukara before heading home. When I reached her place I find that already some angry community members has took some of her domestic animals, they have already break everything inside the house. I knew that if the police could have left her she may have died.
When I returned home, I had many ideas into my head. I wanted to go to the village, to ask to elder people how the witchcraft works. I wanted to visit the near bye village to really have some explanation about witchcraft. This was a very important case for me if I wanted to establish myself has a good detective and get a respect in the community and cement my agency. The police wanted me to help them. My fail in this case could jeopardize my profession. My success into this case will really open many doors for me. It was a do or dies case for me or make it or beak it case for me.
I said that I don't have to look far because the answer may be in the community. We always say: "old people are living dictionaries. They have seen a lot and have plenty of experiences." They are the one who can give me some idea on the witchcraft. In Dar es Salaam thousand of different tribes lives in. I can get many different answer from different old people in Dar es Salaam.
I started questioning many old people that I meet in the market, on street and in the neighbouring pretending to make a research on the African witchcraft. I got many answer and explanation from about 20 elders from different tribe. They had seems to have the same in common. One word that interested me is that all of them said: " witchcraft was a strictly a secret. It wasn't easy to confess"
I look the picture of Celestine Bukara. In my mind, she didn't show any sort of mental disturbance into my mind. She was not shy to confess in public. And I realized that she was pushed by something to make her confession. She told the policemen before they come to fetch me and at the same time she repeated when I was there. Then she insisted that we slaughter tree cows and many animals to fix the problems.
So I had with me tree words: first, the elder told me that the witchcraft was a secret and it was difficult to make a confession that was unusual.
Then secondly I realized that she had something pushing her to talk. If she was a witchcraft why she kept secret for many years. May be she had enough as she said or may be she had a motive of doing so. Even an old man that I met sitting under a tree told me: "yes they can be a sort of confession from witchcraft but the real confession is not pushed is out of the suspect's own will"
Everybody may make a false confession under severe torture or pressure. We saw and heard many people wanting to escape the pain of torture in making false claims.
The last when I visited the self confessed witch�s house she seems not to show a sign of have enough money to buy easily animals and tree cows to slaughters but if the community wanted to fix the problems she could have given the animals.
Then I said to myself how someone could accept to be humiliated in public? The newspapers were interested in those sort of stories and even wrote a small article about it: "A witch made a confession..."
I was an African I knew that after any family his hit by accidents and unfortunate death. There is a pressure in the community and family to find who is really a witch? After analysis I got the answer and decided to visit the unfortunate Lindi Majozi who has lost her husband and tree children but she was left with four children. She had in total five children. All the children were grow up already.
While trying to meet Lindi Majozi, I saw already at the gate a sign of dogs: "Passop mbwa makali" meaning: "be aware of dangerous dogs"
I could hear the bagging of dogs at the back of the houses. The dogs were kept in the cage and mostly realized at the night to look after the property. I could hear the strong bagging of big dogs. Sometime dogs were good keepers of houses but some robbers were always clever, the throw bones to dogs, while dogs are busy struggling to eat the bones with few minutes, they are busy stealing in the house. So the dog's owner had to educate even they dogs not to eat food thrown by strangers.
Lindi Majozi received me well in her house: "Karibuni Mzee"
I could see the picture on the wall of the tree children who has dies and her husband plus the picture of her children alive. I introduce myself to her that I was a detective who was helping the policemen in they investigation.
Majozi's husband had quiet a lot of money. For me he was just a middle class man but for many people in the poor neighbouring suburb she was married by a rich man.
I saw in the house a giant TV screen. It wasn't that popular yet in the country but I suspect that she may have bought it overseas. That is mean that she had an access or possibility to travel. It strange to be an detective because everything we see and hear it part of the work. We analyze it. We can even find an answer by something that sounded stupid and complete the investigation.
She give me a cold drink and I asked her if we can sit in the balcony because it was hot in the house. She agreed and we went to seat outside in the balcony. I saw could see builder who were busy building the pool passing with the wheel barrow in and out of the yard with bricks and sand.
"my children are coming back soon" The woman told me. "the swimming pool as to be ready very soon"
I then started by telling her: "why are you playing with people"
"Detective" she said "how can I play with people while I lost my husband and tree children in tree years"
"Do you think money will buy you a good reputation and everything?"
"I don't know what you are trying to say" Lindi Majozi said.
"Why are you doing this?" I kept asking her.
She was quiet for some time and then started weeping: "I had no choice detective but really to do what I did"
"Why do you want to buy a good reputation because you have money and disgrace Celestine Bukara�s reputation because she is poor?"
"You see we Chagga" Lindi said "every time there is a death in family it only woman who are suspected. It was one then two then tree then four people. Even my own children do not trust me. As you can see all my remaining two children have fled the house and even fled me. They suspect that I am a witchcraft and that the house was witchcraft and they may die too if they continue to live in this house"
Lindi Majozi runs out of idea after the death of four people into her family. Her own children have fled the house. In her village as from the tribe of Chagga, they wanted her to be judged and made her drink some of the traditional drinks that could easily kill her.
She was an university educated woman and used to work for an international organization in Tanzania UNICEF. Her husband too used to work to a big bank CITY BANK. In her husband village and her village because they were all from the same tribe Chagga and village Malambo. They sent many message for her to report to the village and she refused. Refusing to return to the village disgraced her already. She was viewed as a witchcraft who has killed her husband and her tree children to get promotion at work and inherited everything her husband Muso Majozi has left.
She didn't want as an educated woman to be subjected to the judgment and she was very scared of the substances that they may her drink because it can destroy her body. There was no way that she could survive the overdose they could have given her. Four times the normal dosage because she has lost four peoples.
And not only that she was to be beaten by the villagers and husband�s family�s member. In many tribes once you loose your husband you are subjected to a big torture.
But my anger was that she tried to clean her image in taking advantage of poor. She deserved a good reputation not a poor woman. The life of a poor do not means much to a rich people.
I should have been much softer with her and I know she went through many pain. Loosing four people of your immediate family in tree years. But I had to let her know that what she did was bad. She has just soil the reputation of a poor woman.
I didn't want to go further with the discussion. I wanted to report my finding to the policemen who hired me and at the same time I felt her fear to win back her good reputation but I was angry that she took advantage of money to try to clean up her image only. I think there could have been many way to fix those witchcraft suspicion. She was not the first African woman to loose a husband and some of the children in a short space of time.
But trying to bring back home the remaining children this was wasn't the answer even if they don't return home or even if they deny Lindi majozi of being they mother, she was always they biological mother. No one could change that fact.
I didn't know how much Lindi Majozi gave or told Celestine Bukara to risk her life and reputation to restore Lindi's children trust to return home and reinstate her good reputation in the reputation. The life of poor woman was less important that her life. She will never been respected in the community for the rest of her life and may even loose her life. Everybody will blame her for all the suffering occurring in their families and may end up being killed by angry mob residents.
The law has discouraged people of making witchcraft suspicious to anyone and even torture anyone of being a suspected witch. There was no scientific proves yet linking the spiritual to physical one.
I felt so sad that Lindi's children has to leave her despite she was the one who gave birth to them and even raised them. It was so unfortunate for Lindi Majozi that in the continent she lives no one could sometime accept that an accident can occur in life and everything had a cause and bad thing were believed simply caused by witchcraft. I think according to their believes if there was no witchcraft the world could have been a paradise.
"but we planned to take her to the church for delivering after the all saga and she will get her good reputation back as a good Christian" Lindi told me.
I then told her: "look if there is a witch it you" I and advised her: "you should have find another way to bring back your children than missing with people's reputation." I then told her: "look if there is a witch it you"
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: JUST THE WAY LIFE IS
I realized that I become more emotional and I supposed to balance my emotion. As a detective I should be able to remain neutral as much as possible. It was one of the mistakes that I realized after reading so many books. There was also room as a detective to improve as I was establishing myself as a detective, may be the first well established investigator in the country.
Any investigation needed a good thinking and precise equation to solve it. It needed a lot judgment and thinking. It needed to analyze everything I hear and even see. Every event was important for the investigation.
I got used to expect any kind and any different kind of cases anytime. But I seem to look at the window every time to see what is happening in the street. And passing people. I had no interest to build a big wall like the one I did to my house because this was an office and a business area.
I saw a woman walking coming to my office. I look at a woman who could be easily in her fifty passing the office, then passed again by my office and then went across the road. Then I saw her entering my office's yard.
I was sure that this must be a client not a sick man looking for her doctor. She heard about my agency and was looking for my address and asking to many people my address.
As she approaches the door, I saw her way of walking slowly changing. It was like if she was injured at the left feet. But I saw her passing around before entering the office, she was walking fine. I thought that may be I didn't see her well while walking in the street.
Then I shortly heard a knock at my door and let her in: "Karibuni Mama".
I saw her wearing a long blue long dress and covering her top like many of the independent traditional churches women cover they hair. It wasn't only church goers woman who covered they hair with a peace of clothes but many women used to cover they hair.
She introduced herself after I greet her. "I am Anastasia Manyoni" she said.
I knew that she was looking for me. She didn't even ask if she was at the right place. She has got the information already when she was looking for the address. I knew that Anastasia was took long and she is called Ana. Like we call Elizabeth Malaika, Liz or Lizzy because Elizabeth is too long.
"Mama Ana it nice to meet you, I am detective or investigator David Kifwafwa how can I help you?"
A woman or a man who is big enough to me a your mother or your father. It was advised to call them Mama or Baba just by respect.
"I have a big problem" Ana Manyoni said: "I am really finished."
"I am listening" I told her.
"You see my son" Ana said: "I felt from a when getting off the public transport bus. I stumble and fall and I was slightly injured but when I reported the incident to the father of my children when he returns from a trip from our native village. He was very angry with me. Because we could have made plenty of money in claiming the money to the national road accident found"
For respect women used to call their husband father of their children and the man used to call they wives the mother of their children. Those terms were used by grow up people. They find difficult to call they lover�s husbands or wives.
I had very few knowledge about the public interzone (urban) buses in Dar es Salaam, our buses were doing the long distances routines. It was possible as many people rushing to work could sometime stumble and fall. As long that it wasn't serious, they usually get up and go to work.
But when someone stumbles and serious injured everybody even they were late for work. Even thought many people were loosing their traditional values in town but the African's instinct of humanity was still in them and very few people were bringing out. Sometime the traditional human's values come out when there is a problem not everyday in urban areas. Albert Musa Kifwafwa my father used to tell me: "you can deny of your origin, you can even change the colour of the skins, you can get all the things money can buy, you can forget your native languages, you can live a European life, and you can insult our tradition...but deep inside of you will remain an African"
For a very rare time I saw in a urban area people taking a human's life important than they work and they will usually try to help they injured man or woman.
It happen to me once, I took a train to school. Then when I get off to the train station. There was a striking group of employees in that train. I don't know if it was one of them. I saw a man holding a plank. I was too late to see when the train started moving that a man was standing at the door with a plank. I realized just few centimeters away from the dangerous object. When I tried to protect myself in bending my head down. I was hit by that plank.
I went down by the force of that objects bleeding from my noise. Sometime people who are on strike they are not only angry with employers only but angry with everybody.
All the people who were around rushing for work stopped and come to my rescue. Everybody wanted to help me. I saw other people going to the houses near by to collect water while I was lying down. Some where with me trying to help me breath easily. I could see a woman with her hat moving it left and right on my head so helping me to get more breathing air.
Even if we were living in big town, people were still having the African's love of carrying for each other but do not bring it out when it needed the most. There was no stranger in the African tradition. Others were asking me how I was feeling. We had very few paramedics in the country; it was an only ordinary person who plays the paramedic. I didn't hear anyone complaining: "My boss is very rude; I am too late for work..." It was about after an hour that the group of many people who come to rescue me left me when my father was informed and come to fetch me for hospital.
I asked Ana: "do people helped you to deal with the injury?"
"No one" she said: "at that time I had almost no pain"
Then I knew that it wasn't that big. If really it was a big accident no one could have left her or let her go without helping her.
Ana Manyoni continued: "I didn't have money to hire a lawyer so I went to the bank and got a loan. I paid a private doctor to consult me and he gave me the document that I have got"
She then opens her back and gave me a document from a private�s doctor. They were quiet many private surgeries here and there and some were not that popular. I saw the letter but didn't even know the name of the doctor who signed or the name of the surgery. What I knew was the address.
Ana continued her story: "then I used few of that money to solve some family problem. And the last money or the biggest money I took as a loan supposed to be given to the lawyer. I went in central Dar es Salaam and I saw a lawyer. It was last Friday. The lawyer told me to see him Monday so he can help me to open a case that will help me to get compensation from the road accident found."
I didn't know really what to say at this stage because Ana Manyoni was still telling me what went wrong. "Then a certain Monday, I went to see that lawyer in the office. The securities guards told me that the lawyer has moved and they didn't know he were about" Ana said: "so I with the father of my children even my children look at the lawyer for the past two weeks to all the law offices and even asked many people no one knows the were about of that lawyer" She paused then continued: "I lost money while trying to get more money. The comings few months I won't have even enough money from salary because the bank will deduct money from my salary. I tried to increase the price of rent from a boy who rent my back room but he refuses to add more money to the rent"
Dar es Salaam was a big town but having taken about two weeks to search for someone without saying him especially office meant that it was difficult to see him again.
Anna then told me what she wanted for me: "I want you to help me to find that lawyer. I have his name and I have to take my money back and get another lawyer."
I didn't respond and she continue: "As I will struggle for the next tree months to repay that loan I took and I have to get a huge accident compensation"
I understood why Anna was walking little bit funny. She wanted may be to show me the severity of the accident. She wanted me too to see how she was seriously injured"
I then told her: "Mama we cannot help you"
"Why" Anna Manyoni asked: "I will pay you. I will get a lot of money from the road accident fund"
I knew that there were luckily many doctors who were able to give sick documents in exchange of money it is why the medical document didn't impress me at all and I was not even tempted to read the all documents.
"Not this way" I told her: "my biological mother died from a car accident, she was more than seriously injured because she succumbed from the injuries. We didn't bother to even look for any compensation." I stopped and concluded: "What ever how much we have ton earn we cannot encourage fraud or any form of any scan"
"Are you crazy" she told me: "it is not your money I am asking for. It is the governmental money"
"not this way" I told her "I could had supported you if you were injured. Everyone has stumble once in his lifetime and they didn't claim a road accident fund"
She spit on my face and took her bag and left. The saliva was little bit itchy that I spend the few following minutes washing my eyes.
This was a taste of controlling emotion. We don't have to expect all the customers to be friendly but it was important to never retaliate.
I wanted to control any sort of emotion: anger or joy. We have to expect all sort of reaction to the actions that we take. Some satisfy client has they immediate or long term reactions and some unsatisfied one had they immediate or long term reactions too.
Just when I finish washing my eyes, I still was feeling the eyes itching. I then decided to write a note on the computer print it in many copies and stick to the entrance door and inside my office so people could be aware of what they could expect of my service.
I wrote a title: "Very important"
Then I wrote, some of my policies and the first one was �We don't support any kind of fraud or scam"
Then I wrote: "we deal with any sort of investigation problem. Every case is strictly confident"
I didn't want people to fear that once they make a confession, it will appear in the newspapers the following day or the cop will be informed to arrest them. We were here to fix matter and find solutions.
Then I wrote about the service fees: "free service and advice available. The price is subject is subjected to everyone's earning and was negotiable. The service is affordable to everybody"
I didn't want to terrorize poor people. They may always feel that they were not able to ask for my assistance. My business was not subject to money making. So I wanted to tell everyone that they were welcome into my office.
Then I wrote: "no deposit needed" I wanted first the client to be satisfied no matter how long the investigation will take place.
Then I wrote some useful number. First I start by my home private number for all sort of emergency. I didn't want many people to get hold of my private cell phone (portable phones) number. I knew that if I am not there my daughter Lizy Malaika could easily take the message or my cousin Serengeti. If there was not one they could leave a message on the answering machine and I will get to them later.
Followed by Doctor Dume Mambo, surgery numbers for all the sick people.
Then I give the phone number of the human's right lawyer and the university student law clinic numbers for those people who can't afford to get a lawyer because they services were free.
Then I wrote the phone number for the woman's right and animal�s right just in case.
I wrote phone numbers for 4 charities organization for those who needed food, temporary accommodation and for Orphan or children who needed help I gave the phone number of Kitunga Nyasa.
Then I wrote the free phone number of police service.
Then I wrote other less important number because they were not that effective in the country. Fire station, Paramedic emergency numbers.
They were very few fire station and paramedic so people in the community relied on they effort to extend fire or help someone involved in the accident.
Then I decided to return home early that day just after completing the notice. Ana Manyoni has really reminded me of my biological mother Nicole Moto who died in a car accident. It was like if someone has put a knife into an old wound. I wanted my mother to be able to see my wife and my children.
I wanted my mother to be able too to benefit from the money I made. I wanted my biological mother to be with us. I felt that she dies without accomplishing many things in life. She died in her fourties. If there was any price to bring my mother back I could have tried.
When she died I was thinking that a new medicine or a powerful witchcraft doctor will come so I can see him so he can even bring back my mother for a day. I used to dream about her every time and it was like if she was still alive.
Then my mother pain brought the pain of my lovely wife that I had Melinda Bibi Iti. The woman who changed so much my life. When she was pregnant I was so happy that we will be parents and together raise our childe but she didn't even have a chance to be with her child Malaika.
When she died I was so guilty that it was by my fault that she died. If she wasn't pregnant she could be alive with me today. But we wanted to be parent and now she left her child Lizy Malaika.
I returned early and went into the garden. I loved garden because the flowers used to bring so much joy into my heart. I had a part time gardener but ever Saturday I used to spend time alone with the flower. I could cut off the old leaves and even water the flowers. The flowers needed water every time and I used to help the gardener too.
I started by cleaning up the pool. I put the pool machine on backwash, rinse then back to normal position, filter. I took a pool brush clean the pool then takes off the lives into the pool. I put the acid hydrochloric and the chlorine HTH chemical in the pool.
Then I took a chair and went to sit in the middle of the garden.
I was watching the trees and bird on the trees. I was just in a sad mood. Those things happen sometime even thought my mother died many years ago and my wife died thirteen years ago. I hoped for a miracle so I can even see them for a minute.
Then the thought of my father who worked so hard for us just added more misery and I immediately remembered my brother Paul Karema Kifwafwa. All the thing that we were doing together from the village Lumbila to Dar es Salaam. The life in the bush into the rural area and the few soccer games we played together. He has disappeared without saying any good bye even a good bye to me who was very close to him.
Then I heard a voice: "Daddy, can I bring you some thing to drink?" Malaika knew me very well. She knew me when I was angry or not. She knew when I was sad or happy. She was spending a lot of time with me and knew me. She saw me how I was struggling to come to term with pain into my heart. She saw me how I tried to work in the garden and left it. She saw me how I tried to clean the swimming pool and left. And she saw me how I went into the garden and started thinking.
I told her: "please"
She brought me a cold drink. I took the glass of drink and told her: "Thank you my angel"
She was trying to comfort me but didn't know how to approach me. She thought that I may chase her if she disturbs me on my meditation.
I sat under the tree and was watching the nature. The growing flowers and grass loan.
Then I just saw a lizard falling from the tree and the stomach explode and small lizard coming out of the stomach.
I called and screamed: "Malaika"
She come running and when she arrived. She saw me the eyes stick to the animal who has just give birth and lost her life in process.
Malaika also joined me watching the big lizard that has given birth and she told me: "Daddy you have been sad, thinking of my mother is it?"
It was the way that some lizards give birth they die in process but leaves a new generation.
"It is the way life is" Malaika told me.
We watched the scene for many minutes without talking. I felt a sense of relieve in my heart. We were born to die one day but we were not born to stay alive eternally.
In the African tradition they say: "Dead were only people who took advance in joining the ancestors" Life of death was just part of our journey on earth.
Then Malaika disappeared for a while. I thought that may be she was remembering her mother that she never seen. Photos meant nothing when you need the physical presence of someone. Photos do not moves, not talk and it is only a peace of paper that has no touch feeling.
I imagined Malaika in her room looking may be to the picture of her mother crying and asking God: "why did you allow this to happen to us?"
Then I heard Malaika telling me: "there is someone at the gate who want to see you"
I told her: "let him or she waits for me in the living room"
I didn't want to be disturbed in my meditation moment yet. I was watching the garden and my back was toward the house.
Then I heard a voice that used to be usual to me calling me from the back sit: "David Kifwafwa"
That voice was very cherish to me many years ago. I tried lift up the head I saw Fatimata standing at back of my chairs.
Fatimata knew very well this house. Despite all the renovation I did, it was her house. She is the female colleague and girlfriend who used to spend most of the afternoon into this place. She was not a stranger and didn't felt strange to this house that she knew very well.
She is the one who used to help my step mother with many domestic work and use even to cook for the family. We were both fifteen that time and my father I remember used to call her: "my sweaty pie". My step mother used to call her: "my daughter in law"
We broke up and reminded friend until we were about twenty.
It had been fifteen years that we didn't see each other.
The last time we talked on the phone she said that she will come to see me from Zanzibar. But for me she was a past. We all heard lovers who broke our heart we were young and they reminded history and Fatimata was a history to me. I didn't know who she was any more. A wife of someone else�s like I was a husband to another woman.
We all grow up and went through many things and there was no guaranty that we will see each other again one day.
Shortly Malaika joined us into the garden. She was curious to know why this woman who supposed to wait for me in the living room has rushed and joined me into the garden.
Then I look at her face. I realized that she had a trace or a semi scar on her face. Sometime a perpetual covering of the head with a peace of clothes that religious women wore leave a mark of the face.
With all I went through the day and all the thinking and said memory that emerged into my heart, Fatimata appeared to me like a ghost.
I asked her: "what have you become"
She look at me: "I was a catholic nun" and she asked me the same question: "what have you become?"
I felt my mouth to heavy to respond as I kept watching the dead lizard that fall from the tree and the small lizard around.
She responded to me: "A window. Your wife died when she gave birth and the girl next to us is the child that your wife left"

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE HIP HOP CHURCH
Fatimata was back in town and the ex girl friend returns back into my life. Every evening she used to visit me as she used to see me after school when we still together. She was in fact my first girlfriend the woman who taught me how to kiss for the first time.
It was automatic that she found a place that she left into my heart many years ago. With the pressure that was mounting into the community and family for me to get married she becomes the obvious number choice.
I remember when I saw her again into the garden and we chatted and told me: "we have to finish what we started"
I was very much scared that she may not attract me again after 15 years that we haven't seen or heard of each other. She only phoned me when she met one of my ex colleague who visited Zanzibar that I have opened a detective agency and call me.
We talked but with a lot reserved. She knew that I was may be married or involved with someone else and didn't know exactly who I was anymore me too I had the same sentiment.
So we spoke like stranger with very few details. We didn't see or heard from each other for 15 years and that was not a guaranty that we may see each other gain despite her promises to visit Dar es Salaam.
But coming to see me wasn't that easy because Serengeti my cousin who become like my wife because we lived together wasn't happy to see her. They had some differences that didn't stop Fatimata to come and visit me often. She lived with her mother who was still alive and all her sisters were married. They had no boys into they family.
Fatimata has changed a lot it was the same woman I used to see lifting weight everyday or walking with karate suit in a bag, she was no more the same woman who used to play soccer with man.
But I saw her many times doing light exercise just to keep herself fit. She was not the same woman who used to terrorized boy and men in the neighbouring. She didn't have that zeal anymore. I can say that she may have retired for the art martial but that didn't means that she may not hurt anyone in self defense.
I wondered why Serengeti who confronted her many times why she was not beat up. I am sure that even the religion as a former nun helped her to be more tolerable and loving not aggressive anymore.
I don't know if it was her plan to win back my heart she become closer to Malaika. She started spending a lot of time with Malaika, in the few days we met again Malaika slept twice in her place. Even if they meet, they will spend at least an hour on the phone.
Malaika even told me once on the table: "I find a step mother like you had a step mother"
Malaika was very influential in my life and I wanted this orphan of mother to be happy. Serengeti played her mother but wasn't my wife. I could not manage to live myself in this big house that was a family house with 7 bedrooms. Not forgetting the four room back house.
I didn't know that the differences between Serengeti Muta and Fatimata was so big until one day just after the supper Serengeti told me:
"I am leaving the house"
I knew that it was because Fatimata has started invading the house. I told her: "I am your big cousin and still your big brother and I say no"
For us respect was very important even a grown up person still respect the elder. I am the one who took her to live with us and help her so she can help Malaika in teaching her many women's things that I cannot teach her and she becomes a part of the family. In fact in our tradition cousins do not exist. Cousins were a western name for the children of an uncles or aunt. In the African's tradition cousins was called always as sister or brother.
I told her: " I am aware of the conflicts that you are having with my girlfriend Fatimata. Fatimata was my first girlfriend even before I meet the mother of Malaika. My father never met Melinda Bibi It but he knew very well Fatimata"
Serengeti the daughter of one of my paternal uncle. She shares the name with one of the biggest park in the North of the country. Serengeti was also a name of the popular park. Many rivers, villages, park...were names after influential people in the history of the tribe or the country.
I had to be very clearly with Serengeti Muta. It was also my fault because we didn't discuss about those thing in detail before. Most of the time we used to joke. But this time I was serious and I continue: "I love you and love Fatimata like two different fruits with different taste. You are my best female cousin because we lives together for many years. Fatimata has returned in my life and may be my wife. Your time will come when you will get another man to marry you. I may have the same feeling that you have now. I may be jealous too."
The Serengeti said: "I am sorry but you see isn�t easy to see you in the hand of another woman"
I responded: "It is not easy too for me to see you in the hand of another man. I would love to see you with a good man may be."
"I think that Fatimata is not good for you" Serengeti said.
I knew that women do not get along very well. And I was expecting it to happen between Fatimata and Serengeti. It wasn't a must for me to marry a cousin, those case were legal in our culture but still were very rare.
"of course I said "you know better than me. You were married too. There is no one perfect. We have just to adjust"
"I hope that you don't regret" Serengeti said.
"I hope that may be with time, you will get to know each other and be good friends" I told her: "This house with plenty of rooms is not a museum, not my house alone but it is a family house and your house too"
My father initially when he bought it the house had only tree bedrooms and he extend to suit everybody. He wanted everybody to have a place where to sleep even the uncles and other cousins and aunts everybody to sleep at this house.
Everybody relatives who is in Dar es Salaam had a place where to sleep anytime. It was why we called this house a family house.
For me it was good news that Fatimata was a nun, I was not expecting to meet is ex who will pretend to come and visit us to see the children he made with Fatimata and that alone were a blessing for me.
I could not take her and live with me before any form of wedding because I wanted to respect the culture. My uncles had to come and talk with Fatimata's family and make an arrangement for the dowry. It was very important.
In the African tradition an dowry was just symbolic, the family of the man will give something to the woman's family. Any way the pay dowry really does not end. Once married the woman will look after the children and wife.
But in our days it changed, the dowry becomes a business. A woman's family used to ask for crazy amount of money and goods. Today the price was going up if the woman was a virgin, if she was educated. The more educated she become the more expensive she was. If she was beautiful...The woman's parent wanted to get back all they spend to raise the woman. It wasn't strange to hear that a woman was given in dowry 20, 30 cows and 10 000$.
I know a daughter of a wealthy man who was given for dowry 50 cows not mentioning money. It was some people were avoiding the dowry things and were going against the tradition in living together for many years without the traditional wedding. Me I was a Maasai while Fatimata was from the Nyamwezi tribe. We were expecting some little difference in the traditional wedding but most the ceremonies will me Maasai one because the woman was joining the husband's family.
We grow up in different generation and thing were changing day to day. When we grow up we when we used to listen the radio playing the local music then slowly they added jazz music, then come reggae music. Reggae did a very good time it was so popular that many local people were singing reggae too. Then come rock music, disco, rhythm and blue. But lately every young people were taken by storm by the hip hop music or rap music. And slowly the technology was changing from the LP, to tape cassette, CD and now we have the DVD and MP3...
It was so popular like a movement that even my daughter Malaika stared buying much hip hop music. Every community has group of people singing the hip hop music. They loved to talk fast following the musical rhythm. I could hear most of the time Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa singing this kind of music. I loved some of the songs not all the hip hop songs. I was listening this kind of music to please my daughter then slowly I end up loving some of the songs. What was a torture for me is that sometime I could hear what the artists were talking about.
Slowly the clothes that were wore by hip hop artist become popular. Malaika could not accept to wear any kind of clothes. She wanted to be seen like all the young people of her generation. I loved those clothes because at least it wasn't exposing the woman or woman's sensible part. And that suited our tradition and I was happy to buy her those clothes. But I could not wear it because the pants were so big and appeared like someone wearing an heavy nappy under the pant. The top were so big mostly basketball oversized clothes and design. With big shoes some of them were so heavy that it affected the walking style.
I had my time in my generation and enjoy the kind of clothes that were popular that time. When our parents were growing they used to wear short trouser that were not touching shoes and we called them: "don't touch my shoes". They let they hair grow and they called them "Afro". We wore those pant that were small at the feet but big at the hips. Those kinds of clothes that you won't wear without belt. Then started wearing those long pant but very tight. Then we started wearing those militaries designed clothes and shoes.
I was in several troubles with some soldier who used to stop me and asking were I got they kind of clothes. There was too style of those clothes, the fake one that were very light and the soldier one that were heavy. I could afford to buy the heavy one or the original material that were much heavier than the light one, cheap and fake imitated clothes from the original materials.
We used to cut our hair living a lot of hair on top and just cut the side of the head. Then we started leaving a lot hair at the back and then while growing we started making some drawing on the head. I remember that we used to get into trouble with the head master. Sometime he used to cut with pair of scissors in the office all the pupils who had fun hair style. Sometime he won't cut you the all head. Just in the middle or one side of the head all the hair. So we were forced to return home and cut of the entire head because we couldn't walk with one side of the head were there was no hair at all.
I then started walking with the slip of those pant in the pocket every time I wear the military clothes. It was our generation and we had good time too.
Then the Jeans took over and I felt in love too with this materials. When I was not working I was always in jeans.
Then come Sunday morning, I wanted too have a long sleep and watch some television's programs but I heard a knock at the door and it was Malaika who come to wake me up: "Daddy, you made a promise to come to the church"
I told her: "sit down and let have a small talk"
She sat on the bed and I told her: "Malaika, I do not have any problem with any things against any religion. But I don't accept the 11th commandment"
"Which eleven commandment are you taking about" Malaika said "I know that you are very lazy to go to church"
"There is a new commandment" I told her: "11th commandment it is what it is not mention in the Bible. It may be against my culture, tradition, life style or heritage. When it undermined any traditional value. When it teaches about the new sin that is poverty. Material blessing as a must have. When it seems to take material as a substitute of happiness. We can be poor but still blessed with good moral value and good contain with what we have. When it teaches about comparison, when it takes sick people or dying people are a curse while the human's body can't leave forever. When"
"our church is very different" Malaika interrupted. "Come and see from yourself"
she said "come and hopping with God"
I then told her: "If he doesn't teach the 11th commandment then I coming with you" then I told her: "I don't want to pray a God of hospital, when you sick or want a blessing or want a wife goes to church because once I will get healed after getting what I want I will leave the church"
"yes" Celebrated Malaika. This time I won't drop her and fetch her up in her congregation but I will join her.
I quickly took a bath and wore a suit. Just when we were about to leave Malaika come and told me: "you don't have to wear this suit" she said: it is too hot Daddy be cool. Wear a jeans and a T shirt'
We were already running late and went into my room and wore a jeans and top. While she wore a usually big jeans and a oversized basketball jersey and the Timberland boot.
We rushed at the church. They were many churches and many were taking birth everyday. This time I didn't stop in the street to drop Malaika like I used to do but I even entered the church.
Just when we were at the door a boy who was may be fifteen told me: "welcome brother" I saw him he was wearing also oversized clothes. Then when we got inside about 10 minutes late. I was directed just at the back to sit with my daughter. It was a very small congregation with about 100 peoples only. Then I look at the face of the worshipers they were all in they teens. I felt that I was just the only big man in middle of teenagers.
Then I started looking at them no wore a tie, they all wore jeans and T shirt or oversized clothes. And they all were listening to the speaker. I saw the speaker he was having some curled hair and wore an oversized T shirt and extra ordinary oversized pant. Without a bell the trousers were about to fall anytime but it wasn't falling.
And announced the singing part of the service: "...Brothers and sisters and friends, let shake shake shake now for Jesus Christ"
I heard everybody applauding. They were very happy. Before he left the podium he said: "We always feel free here. We don't have to look at the pastors or an uncle to limit our moves and dances. No one his paying any attention to what we are doing. Now let shake shake shake that thing for Jesus"
Then I heard the sound of keyboards at the corner. Just when it started. I could everybody singing: "go go go go for Jesus, go go go go for Jesus"
Then the keyboard player supported the church member on the micro phone: "once again"
Everybody were singing: "go go go go for Jesus, go go go go for Jesus" He played the instrument for few second then introduced the song: "shake it up, shake up, shake up"
Everybody was on their feet and I also stood like everybody else.
Then I saw another man with a microphone jumping and walking a front her left and right: "Me and my Jesus, Me and my Jesus" then sang very fast rapping.
Then everybody sang: "all I need in this life of sin, is me and my Jesus, me and my Jesus"
I heard one of the songs that my daughter used to play of Tupac saying: "me and my girlfriend" it was similar to this song the rapper referred girlfriend to a gun while here girlfriend word was replaced by Jesus.
I never saw this joy. Teenagers dancing and jumping of joy. Even my shy daughter Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa was dancing screaming: "Oh lord, Jesus my saviour"
I could hear in the bridge of one of the songs young singing: "Shoot shoot shoot Satan, shoot shoot Satan"
As hip hop continues to dominate pop culture are using it to bring more young people into the religious fold.
I understood why my daughter didn't want me to wear a suit. I understood why my daughter told me: "hopping with God"
Everybody was clapping hands and nodded their hands while jumping. Some of the youngster were going to the church altar and doing the shake dance.
I never thought that a music genre will be so big and even taking over in the church too. We used to listen to the soft gospel music but things have changed so much that I wasn't aware of the evolution the house of God.
After about 20 minutes of group singing. The music stopped and I saw the same man talking saying: "Brothers and sisters and friends, it is time for individual people to praise God. This is what we do to praise God" he said "A holy ghost party does not stop"
He encourages people to go forward and sing the songs that they have prepared for God.
About 5 different teenagers went to the Altar and sand hip hop songs. Each of the singers was praising God, thanking him with their life stories but rapping. They were all talent with different style singing for about 5 minutes each while the church goers were support them with words like: "Jehovah, Thank you God, Amen, Praise the lord, Alpha and Omega, Alleluia"
They were very happy, I never seen people this happy in the church or anyplace. One of a teenager who was solo singing said: "we are living the paradise already"
I could see some of them even dancing the old break dancing moves.
Then after this part they introduce the pastor who had to preach. He was in his early twenty probably the oldest man after me in the church that day and I was wondering if he had the words that could really touch people or change people. He like his church member pastor Mbeya wearing white running shoes with a normal jean with a oversized coats went to the front.
I loved the oversized clothes, it was why I never hesitated to buy Malaika oversized clothes. It suited the African tradition of protecting sensitive parts of the body. Even thought before the breast were never viewed as sensible part but because of the development in the modern society it was advised to even protect it. If I was attracted to the mother of Malaika it was because she was wearing clothes that protected all her body long skirt and a good top. I felt little comfortable because no one in the congregation wore short mini skirt or left the breast wide open. I remembered my father saying: "people complained of being raped but they don't respect their body, they leave sensible body and walking in public. Meeting different kind of men and some men cannot just control they feelings"
They church goers applaud before he speak. I could here a fan screamed: "say it all pastor"
He laughed and said: "may God be blessed" then he said:"brother and sisters and friends when hip hop stated it was fun. It was created by God somehow Satan got it and transformed it. Now Hip Hop is controlled by the dark spirit: Materialism, drugs, murders. We need to get back to the religious pure way of life"
The origin of hip hop is generally said to be from Jamaica, some says from the West Africa. And many researchers have find that many ancient society in all the continent some how had a kind of Hip Hop songs. I may understand why it spread very quickly in the world. There was hip hop every where. From China to Japan, From Cape to Cairo, From France to England, from Brazil to Canada, From Australia to Russia. Even thought the USA hip hop music was still the most commercial one but hip hop took the world by storm.
He said: "brother and sister and friends today we will take about a foolish job."
I was interested in this topic of foolish jobs. I wanted to know what the pastor Mbeya is thinking of the best job and bad jobs.
When it was time to listen to the words of God all the teenager were silent. It was a sign of a strict discipline in the congregation. There was a time for everything, time to dance, sing and time to listen to.
There were many Biblical verses that the pastors gave to support his preaching. But there was always a part that attracted the attention of each and everybody.
Me I was attracted by this paragraph that the pastor Mbeya said: "...Brothers and sisters and friends, you laughed at me because I am your bodyguard but you need someone to protect you. You laughed me because I am your domestic servant but you need someone to clean your house and your clothes and even iron it. You laughed me because I am a musician but you like good music, you laugh at me because I am your driver but you want to be driven. If everybody were minister who will be the servant? If everybody is president so who will be the cleaner?" And he concluded:"there is no foolish job but there are only foolish people"
There was no foolish job but only foolish people, I agree. I remember that when we were kids our parents used to discourage us from even singing and dancing. After hearing how much famous singers were making, many parents were now encouraging they children to try they luck too in music. I once heard a parent of friend telling me: "please David, can you try to tell your friend to try too luck in singing. I noticed that he had a good voice while singing in the shower"
It was quiet a simple message but very profound. A good message for a good morale for the teenager.
After the church service, we were greeting each other. Malaika was proudly introducing me to his brothers and sister as his father. Most of them couldn't believe. Another young lady said: "your father is cool he comes to accompany you to the youth church. His young not like my father who talks only when he has to shout."
I laughed and I told her: "he still your father and you have to respect him"
Then come pastor Mbeya himself who come to greet me. Because the community was very small they knew each other and were very close to each other. I wanted to know much about this phenomenon Hip Hop that took even the church. As he knew that I was a parent he started explaining me: "youth need to get involve in this sort of activities because they are many bad thing happening in our lives our days. Those kinds of activities keep the children out of troubles, out of teenage pregnancies and crimes. To learn to fear God and respect his words. This is a simple way to bring to God many youth with the new style of lives they adore."
He was young but very precise with his words. Very mature and quiet honest. I was scared that this kind of association will encourage young people to get involved in unmoral activities but it look like in this Hip Hop congregation they were discouraging unmoral acts.
I was also very impress how the teenagers were happy and was expressing themselves. The he said: "I know people who used to carry five sweatshirts in his backpack. Every time he got to a new gangs territory going from house to school, he'd switch colours. Because he feared for his life"
Then I nodded and asked him: "where these things of Hip Hop church started"
He said to me: "We have a branch in Queens, New York and Glendale, California.
I gave my impression to the pastor and then called Malaika so we may return home. I had an appointment in the evening.
When I just started the car. Malaika wanted me to give her the impression of the Hip Hop church. But indirectly asked me: "Daddy, will you drop me to the church next week?"
I laughed, she knew that it I say "no" that is means I didn't get a good impression and if I say "yes" that is mean that I loved what I saw and heard.
I didn't answer immediately; we were stuck in the middle of the traffic by a big petrol truck that had broken down in the middle of the road.
Then while where were stuck, we heard a loud music from another car. It was so loud that everybody around could hear the powerful speaker from that car. When I look at that car, I saw a granny driving the loud car. Everybody was watching, she has no one in the car not even her granny to listen to the music she was playing. She was so taken by the music that she was moving her head and arms while holding the steering. But what was interesting was the kind of music she was playing. I look her car, then look at my daughter, then look at the man who was selling news papers, flower and a beggar on the corner and look at the driver of the car coming in the opposing direction. We all look each other then laughed at the same time; she was playing Hip Hop music.
There was no way that I could keep a child from enjoying and having a good message at the same time. I said: "Of course I will drop you"

CHAPTER NINETEEN: REUNION
I had no idea that the woman that I will meet will be my ex girlfriend. I was sure and convinced that it will be a new woman in my life. I didn't know where and when I will meet her. May be in street, may be by the connection of friends or relatives, may be one of my client.
With Fatimata back into my life a former nun, the woman who once hit me to preserve her dignity she wanted us to get married instead of taking to long. As a young she was obsess with the dignity of being view as a virgin and now that she has grow up she faced another dilemma. Her integrity because she was a nun. She wanted to keep the reputation of the church. As a catholic nun she was not allowed to get married but now that she has decided to have her own family and dreamed of having children because she was already in her middle thirties like me and was scared that menopause will get her and she won't be able to have children.
Her head nun advised her when she left: "we accept your decision but it is important that you keep a good reputation whenever you goes. It will be a shame to all the Catholic Church that has about 1 billion worshipers that a former nuns has become a prostitute or have an unstable marriage"
On top of the traditional moral value were the good reputation and the proud of the church she served and somehow still serve because she was still a dedicated member of the Catholic Church.
I, at the other hand had the same kind of pressure. Family and friend wanted me to get married even my own daughter wanted me to get married. Since the death of Melinda Bibi Iti more than 13 years ago, I didn't have a stable relationship. I also dreamed of making other children too but it wasn't a big priority to me anymore. We were not in a generation when children were viewed as wealth, the more children you have is the more successful and respected you will be in the community.
When we finally break up with Fatimata it was more a matter of proud that kept us apart. We both didn't want to be the first one to talk. I wanted Fatimata to approach me and talk to me and even say I am sorry. And she waited too for me to make the first move and come and say I am sorry or say anything. That proud we had finally kept us apart. We waited for the other person to make a move, the weeks, months, years passed until we lost contacts.
Fatimata was just part of the past, we had girls who broke our heart in our youth days and many are now somebody else's wife.
It was strange how proud separate people. I felt that if I make the first move I will appear like a weak person and she had also the same sentiment. There was a time when I was close to break the self made rule and make the first move but I said to myself: "if I make a first move Fatimata will feel like she is the winner and I am stupid. She will win. She will be very proud..."
For the first step, the negotiation, I called my uncles and they sent tree families representative so we meet with the in law. At the same time Fatimata too called for her family representatives and they send tree people to come in Dar es Salaam and meet my family.
Fatimata's mother had no say in the wedding because women were not allowed to negotiate the wedding that was a men affair. What Fatimata's family had to ask for the dowry was purely her uncles business and the mother had no influences.
As I was the man my delegation: tree uncles and I met Fatimata's delegation to her mother's house. The women were sitting outside while the men were inside. All the negotiator and I were wearing suit. It was a sign of respect for the negotiation.
Fatimata cooked for us indigenous chicken those who grow up in the village with pure food, grain that they pick up here and there. They were not brought up in the modern farm were there was light day and night and the chicken didn't know when it was day or when it was night. They eat day and night without rest and grow up very quickly.
For the traditional ceremony the indigenous chicken were needed. Those who self grow. They knew when to wake up and when to sleep. They all knew were they houses. They knew how to self defend and run in the bush when attacked by dogs and the small animal. They tasted very differently to the industrial farm chicken. They meat were much harder with less water. And we had to finish the chicken. And once we leave the chicken before we leave the in law house they will give us all the peace that we left and we have to leave with it. The in laws were not allowed to even taste it.
I imagine that cooking a meat without even taste it if there was enough salt or if it was ready to be eats needed a good and experimented cooker.
No matter how the government wanted the civil wedding to be the most important one but in the community the traditional wedding was the most important. There was no slip for dowry but the two families meet and the all community of thousand of hundred will come to witness. It wasn't like the civil wedding where the couple is accompanied may be by two witnesses each.
The bride dowry often was composed of money and animal and other thing like shoes or some clothes for the parent of the bride.
It was agreed that I pay 3 cows and 3 goats, 3 pairs of male shoes for Fatimata's uncle. Two piece of the African's clothes for her mother and 10 000 Tanzanian shilling about 50 dollars. When I heard of Fatimata's family demand I remembered of Yusuf Niang who paid twenty times what we had to pay. And the Senegalese man kept calling me from Dakar telling me how he re started his life from zero and Allah was the master of time and everything happening.
Then we agreed that the marriage will take place in two week in my native village Lumbila. I had to take care of the transport of the in law family.
I was in the wedding fever as I sent a message to my step mother Mischa to help me too to organize the wedding. I went to a T shirt printing company and printed 150 white T shirts for our wedding. I reserved from a bottle store 200 cases of beer and 500 cases of cold drinks. I bought 12 bags of 50 kg each of rice and maize mills. I sent money to step mother to buy many chicken, goats and cows to be slaughter. I bought for me and the wife to be new clothes and bought other clothes for my uncles, Serengeti, Lizzy Malaika Kifwafwa and for some aunt.
The party was organized by me and it was not a requirement in the dowry. I wanted to celebrate with many people from my village and visiting people and make the wedding memorable. She was already my wife after we finished paying the dowry but I wanted many people to witness and get blessing from the elders of my native village, Lumbila.
I knew that Serengeti my cousin was against for this union and against me getting married to any woman but she had to stick to the traditional rules and participate to the biggest ceremony.
The marriage was one of the tree biggest party in our tradition. They were the birth of a child, marriage because people just get married once to each other in our tradition. But for the modern wedding sometime they renew that sermon. Then funeral because when someone dies he won't come back. And funeral turn to be the very big ceremony.
It was a must to attend to the funeral. If you don't visit people who have just lost they loved one. When you will loose your love one, people and neighbours will come but no one will eat your food. You will be forced to dig a hole and throw all the food that people refuses to eat.
In the community when people hear the death of a fellow resident they rally around and assign specific different task many without being asked to. They are those who will stand on the corners of the street and begging to passing people in street for any donation. Some will help arrange the chairs, some will disseminate information. It was why Mathew Mara used to self assigned for the slaughter of animals and manages the food distribution. You are not forced to be cooperating but have to be community conscience.
After dropping children to school I went to see another house that was on sell. I decided to follow my father's foot step to invest into the houses. The values of the houses were always going up while the price and value of the cars was going down from the first day you bought it. I decided to complete what my father started.
I return to my office expecting to take a leave in two weeks for the wedding. I was waiting for a new case or new challenge. Most of the cases were always new challenges requiring a different approach. There was no specific formula for any investigation. It needed a good sense of judgment and the right approach.
Part of my work was reading a lot. I read many investigation books, newspapers and websites. Then I heard a knock at the door. This time I didn�t see the person coming in, probably because he was not driving any car and was not dropped by any car. I answer in Swahili: "Karibuni" meaning "get in"
I saw a woman who I estimate may be in her late fifties or early sixties, wearing a decorated traditional skirt and top. She said to me: "Salama". I great her back and told her to seat and feel comfortable.
"dina langu ni Dana Mafia." and told her my name to "Dina langu ni David Kifwafwa"
"Axanti" she "thanked me for letting in'
She was full of respect. "Miko na Mambo Kubwa" she said: "I have a big problem"
I immediately switch on my micro cassette record like the one the reporters uses but not for the news reports of for interview but to re listen again the client speech and analyses after for a better understanding and analyses. Every word was important to help me to make a good judgment.
She continued: "Bwana (Mr.) David Kifwafwa, I heard a lot about you. I heard how you perform magic and miracle and how you help people to solve their problems. It is why I come to see you but I don't know if really you will succeed to help me"
"I will try Mama" I said.
Dana Mafia gave birth to twins 27 years ago. She was glad to have given birth to the identical twins. Men wanted they wife to give birth to twins so they may add a new name to they names. All the people who have given birth to twins were nicknamed. In some tribe they called the father of twins: "Shambuyi" and the mother to twins "Mwambuyi" It was really a respect in the community and a privilege. Even for the traditional ceremony, they were given an honorable place in the community.
So all the people dreamed of having twins but it wasn't coming that easy. A twin�s birth was always a double celebration. 6 months after the birth of twins she took them to the hospital for a check up. They were thousand of people in that queue. Some of the woman used to help the twins mother in holding one the child. It was automatic that a woman helps to carry one of the twins.
But that day something disastrous happened. One of the women who were helping Dana Mafia to hold her baby boy just disappears in middle of many women. The Child was crying and usually when the child cry they often get up and put the baby on they back and take a small walk and often the child stop crying when the mother changes position. Some children do not like to sit. At first she was not that concern when she first looks for the missing child. She taught that the woman who took her baby may have still in the group of other people and may be took the child a little bit far.
But it wasn't to be, she waited one, two, tree, thirty minutes then two hours. She with the women around started searching for the missing twins. Then hospital personnel and the security were informed.
But one security saw a woman leaving with a child. But they were many women with they babies and he had no idea that she may have stolen the baby. It only when they described how the woman who disappeared with the child was dressed and he realized having seen the woman. He said that the woman was taken by a car outside the hospital.
Everybody were very concern and since that disaster they even boosted the security system in the hospital. Then she waited for one, two, tree and many days praying that she find the missing child. With the help of the police they look all over and made many notices and the baby was not returning.
At some stage the hope was gone. They were children missing and sold to witchcraft doctors to take the human's parts for superstition. And started searching even the remains of the baby boy so they can even do a traditional ceremony and re bury him with the traditional respect.
Then come another man who worked at the cemetery who confessed having see the body of a baby boy being buried in the cemetery. Diana Mafia's relatives and the police rushed at the cemetery and even did just to find out that it wasn't even the body of a baby but of a grow up person.
She went into her native village and find a well respected witchdoctors who said that the ancestor have told him where was the body of the missing child. He said that the child was killed and her heart was used and the blood drank. They slaughter two cows and throw it next to the Indian Ocean some money coins. After tow days the body of a man who was drowns come out of the water. At they disappointment it was not the body of the baby but for an old person.
The old person was known in the community. Instead for her to rejoice but other people rejoice. She said: "the witchdoctor was very good but we don't know why he went to find the body of an old person instead of my baby"
She visited many traditional doctors, witchcraft doctors and many prophets mainly form the independent African church. She and her husband had spent the little money they had to pay for the divine service.
Dana Mafia was very poor. It was my answer to my wish I had to be able to have many poor clients too. I wanted to help everybody.
But after she had my stories from her neighbour that I may help her it was why she come to see me.
I told her: "Mama Dana, we will try. If the child is alive we may be able to find him but if his dead. It will take many days for me to have a clue. Everything has happen on this earth and if really he is dead. His tomb or a place where they dump his body his on this earth"
"Axanti sana" the woman thanked me very much.
"I don't have enough money to pay you but"
Before she finished her answer I told her: "Mama do not worry, you won't pay even a cent"
"Axanti Bwana" She thanked me. She was not expecting that I will help her for free. Today everything was money but I believe that they are many things than just money into this world. I made a decision that my agency will be more a sort of a charity organization for poor people but for people who have money, it was important that I even get back the money that I spend on petrol, on the telephone, on the hotel that I pay when I am not in Dar es Salaam from wealthy people to help others.
For Dana Mafia I was a magician who can help to get the answer from the divinity. It been 27 years that accident happened.
Every case was a different case and was a different challenge. There was no specific formula to get answer.
I took her home addresses and promised her that I may visit her if I needed more information. She had no phone. She gave me the name of the twins that she raised. He was called Kalu Mafia, and the missing twin was called Kakese Mafia and her husband who was already late was called Sabora Mafia. She told me that she didn't have the pictures of the twins when they were babies but she had the picture of the surviving twins Kalu. The first picture was when Kalu Mafia was about two years old. A photo picture was a luxury at the time and she didn't have enough cash to make the picture when she had twins.
But they were many witnesses who were still alive and saw her with the twins. Even thought the other twins was still missing they were still calling her as a twins mother.
I sat in the office with two ideas into the mind when Dana Mafia left. First the child may be alive. And secondly he may Kakese Mafia may be dead. There was those two possibilities because not all the stolen babies were killed but some women who couldn't bear children sometime could buy children or even still from themselves. In the Africans tradition there was a huge pressure on woman to have children. When she could not bear children they often don't blame the man but they blame only woman. Some woman could do anything just to have a baby.
If my first client Kitunga Nyasa who had money wanted, she could have bought many children but she didn't want to buy any child but she wanted to have a child inside of her.
In the evening I decided to visit Dana Mafia. I drove to the address that she gave me and I find her she was busy cooking. She invites me into her bedroom mud house. I went in, there was no electricity but the small house was very clean. It had no cement floor with only two chairs there and a small cupboard. She lights a small self made oil lamp. People who could not afford to buy a paraffin light usually makes a oil light. They use a bottle and put oil inside and with a small rope from the top of the bottle cover that they makes a small hole.
She was still using fire wood to cook in town. The clean house had some dark colour here and there of wood fire.
She gave me food Ugali and vegetable and we eat together. Often people who had little money eat vegetables only and those who had eat vegetable always accompanied by meat. She told me the stories about her other two daughter who were married in Pemba a small island and Dodoma another Tanzanian town.
I asked her if she had some pictures. She comes with a photo albums. It had very few pictures and I decided to take the picture of the wedding of Kalu Mafia the living twin�s brother of the missing twins Kakese Mafia. I promised her that I will bring back the picture the following day.
I had some money with me and I gave her before I left. But she was even very reluctant to take money even thought she needed money and said: "I am the one who has to pay you but you are giving me money?" I insisted a lot and she finally took the money and She was so thankful and wished that God bless me more"Mungu akubariki sana David Kifwafwa"
The following day, I scan the wedding picture of Kalu. I made many colour photocopies of the photo and make it in big size to possibility get attention of people and I went into the market near by trees and stick the some of the pictures. Then I went to other two big markets in Dar es Salaam and stick other pictures to the trees. I only write down the picture: "happy people, then gave my office address"
Then when I wanted to return to the office an idea come into me to go to the popular newspaper and publish the picture. I paid for the advert. I didn't say that we were looking for the missing twins who is now 27 years old but I only said that it was a happy wedding.
Then I went to the police station. I become good friend to some of the policemen especially Shawn Naidoo and Williams Jacobs. Since the witchcraft confession we become friends. They started respecting me. I talked to Naidoo about the missing baby twins and I wanted some documents of some of the remains of babies they find more than 20 years.
It was very difficult but Naidoo tries to check into the old files. Many of them were so old that they were tearing apart easily when touching them. And some of the writing was not readable anymore.
But many of the missing corps find that year were for old people, there was no missing.
Then I returned to the office. I had a less confidence that the picture could lead me to any finding. It been 27 years that the twin was missing. They have tried for many years to find the missing twins but they failed. But I decided to try instead of failing to try.
Trees days later while I was driving to the office. I saw a new model Peugeot cabriolet car parked to my office and a man wearing a dress that we call "kanzu" waiting for me. I was happy that a client was waiting for me instead of me waiting for the clients.
When I was busy opening the office door. I saw the man who was parked the car approaching after I have greeted him and he didn't respond.
He come to me: "What wrong with you?"
Then he approached me and holds my shirt tied and ready to fight me: "why do you want me to divorce. Do you want to take my wife?"
I learnt to me very calm in all the situation. "you are into my yard and I have the right to defend myself but let talk"
Then the business neighbour heard the arguing tune voice and were coming. Then the man realized that he could be harm if he tries to fight me in my property.
I was expecting that they will be always those kinds of people who will fight me. I thought it may be Mario Juma relatives who want to revenge because I played a huge role for his lover to divorce him.
The last time, I heard from Tshala Kipili that Mario Juma has find a new job and wanted her back but Tshala Kipili didn't want her back anymore.
A neighbours intervene but I told them that everything was OK and I wanted to talk to him but the visitor was so angry that he wanted to leave: "I don't know this man, I never seen before this man in my life but he has put pictures of me every where the market and newspapers so my wife has left me?"
Then I told him: "your biological mother is looking for you"
I realized that the picture that I was sticking had someone resembling to him. But the only big difference was that Kalu Mafia was skinny but this man was big in size with a lot beard and hair but they had the same resemblance and height.
My reason of choosing to stick them near the markets it was because it was the most frequented places. If really Kakese Mafia was still alive and lives in the city someone could have seen the pictures and recognize him.
My reason of taking a wedding picture it because it was the most memorable photos. If really one of people knew him could be shocked to see him with another wife if he was married or see him making a wedding and didn't invite some of his friends to the wedding if he was single.
But he wasn't interested as he tried to leave warning me: "I will see you even in the streets. There are millions of women but you only love my wife"
Then the neighbours tried to calm in down so we can talk. And I told him: "your really name may be Kakese Mafia and your biological mother's name may be Dana Mafia. And your twin�s brothers may be Kalu Mafia..."
He was opening his car door and stopped and told me: "what it is"
Then I approach to him and told him: "The news may be has a surprise but please come into my office and we may talk." I told him "It may be you or may be not but we have to clarify the matter"
I was not sure either if he may be him. There are millions of people who resemble each others. And this may be one of them. He accepted finally to enter my office and immediately apologized: "I am sorry for my action" He stopped: "We need to talk and let me call my wife so you clarify the matter. She has left me that I have married a woman at her back"
He immediately took the phone when he sat in my office and tried to call her wife and the wife refused to pick up the phone. I suspected that she may have seen the husband number appearing on her cell phone (portable phone) and refuse to pick up the phone.
I felt a sense of guilty. And I told him: "let me call her may be she may pick up the phone if she sees another number appearing in the phone." then I apologized "forgive me if really my investigation has damaged your relationship. I will try to make up"
I then phoned his wife and she pick up the phone immediately. When I tried to talk about her husband was in my office and I am the one who has stick those pictures every where. She told me: "I am done with Abdul. First he tried to wear none Muslim clothes, cut the beard and went to marry another woman. He has denied our religion and cheats on me while I am faithful to him"
I then told her: "the picture wasn't Abdul but a man who look alike and I wanted her to meet him"
"No way" Leila, Abdul's wife said: "the pictures said it all, he tried to even cut his beard and hair against our religion so we cannot recognized him" She insisted: "he thought he foolish me but he foolish himself"
"Then I will help you to legally divorce if it true"
When she heard that I may help her to divorce and she said. "yes for divorce but I won't take him back"
Then Leila accepts to come to my office and see me so she can divorce.
I got the name of this man from his wife who called her Abdul and introduce myself: "my name is David Kifwafwa, I am working on one of a case of a woman who lost one of her twin son 27 years ago"
"27 years?" Abdul was shocked "I am 27 years old now" He wondered: "But my name is Abdul Matapisi"
"it may not be your birth's names"
"this can't be" he said "I am the only child of my mother. My father has many others kids with others wives as a Muslim and African's tradition custom"
It was Leila best friend who come across the picture stick to one of the tree next to the market. It was her who identified the resemblance of a man's wedding picture. She then tear off the picture and went to show to Leila. After the examination, she admitted that the man who is in the picture was his husband Abdul. She fought with her husband and packed her bag and went back to her parent's home. Leila's parents too were shocked by the picture the saw.
Then Abdul himself was confronted later by one of his friend who saw the wedding picture in the newspapers. He was sure that a man has mixed the picture and arranged from a computer so his wife will divorce him. And the only reference on that picture was mine.
Abdul Matapisi was raised into a wealthy family. As the only child of her mother who had money. He afforded to study and was a mechanic engineer air plane pilot, he graduated and further his studies in Canada and USA and was currently employed as a pilot and African technician chief of Virgin airline in Tanzania. He loved so much her mother who loved him so much as her only child and didn't believe that her mother could have kept a secret from her if she wasn't a biological mother. He was a Muslim follower nearly married he had no children. If he was the child Dana Mafia has been looking for all those years. His birth name is Kakese Mafia.
At the other hand the suspected twin brother to Abdul, Kalu Mafia didn't study much and was a big drinker. He had no qualifications and has changed 11 jobs in the few years of working. He did all sorts of jobs here and there. He wasn't a dedicated Christian but used to attend the Methodist church were his wife and four children attend.
"I want to see that man who resemble to me" The pilot said. "it like I look myself in a mirror
I said that at this stage it was important that Abdul sees Kalu. I wanted to make sure that before he goes to meet Dana Mafia who could have been is biological mother when it confirmed that Abdul was the right person we have been looking for. I didn't want her to get an arrest cardiac for someone who is not even her lost twin son.
I phoned Nikki Manda the bus administrator to send a driver to meet Dana urgently and I gave Dana Mafia's address to look for Kalu Mafia pretending that we had a peace job for him and needed urgently.
Abdul was still under shock as he was watching one of the copy of the printed picture. I could hear him wondering: "27 years ago?" then added "even if Mabuki Matapisi is not my biological mother she wills still my mother. I don't want anyone to hurt her. She all for me"
He was so shocked that he asked me water to drink in the short space of time and told me: "when I look at this man in this picture. I see myself. It is like I am watching my face into a mirror"
I said to myself that even if I failed at least I tried. Those people Abdul Matapisi and Kalu Mafia will be good friend. And Abdul will help some how his look alike friend. Kalu needed help and financial assistance.
Then I heard a sound of the car entering the yard. When I was rushing to the window to see, Abdul told me: "that is my wife's car"
I saw this small Toyota conquest entering. Then he stopped. I saw a woman wearing a all black clothes and covering all her faces with a clothes called Niqab leaving only a her eyes coming out of her car. I knew that it was Leila, Abdul's wife as he told me. He knew very well the sound of the engine.
Then she walked rushing to my door office. I could read from they way that she walked that she was very angry. For real she was ready for separation.
When she entered the office she didn't greet anyone and told me: "help me to fill the divorce form. I want to take these clothes covering my face off so another man can see me and love me"
I told Leila: "wait for a minute" while watching the angry woman. I let her sit: "have a seat"
"No way I know your game" she said "I want a divorce not reconciliation"
"When did I cut my bear and marry another woman?" Abdul asked.
"May be you were married before you met me" Leila said "the picture says it all and it is my witness"
For many people in the land they didn't know much the role of a detective. For some he was a policeman. For some he was a judge for other like Abdul wife a detective can help her for divorce. For Dana Mafia he was a powerful magician.
I took one of the picture copy and shown her: "look there is a small difference when it comes to hair"
She didn't even want to look at the picture. Then I heard Nikki Manda's car getting into the yard. While the couple were not even talking to each other. Nikki has borrowed her private car to one of my driver, the newly hired driver Joe Malu Malu. When he stopped the car, I saw a man getting off the other side of the car. He was wearing old clothes that he uses for the construction job. He had sand, mud and dust every where on his body. He was taken from a construction's site where he was helping the builder to build house. He didn't know how to build but helps the builder in mixing the sound and cement and gave him. And help to transport bricks and give to the builder.
Then he followed the driver toward the office. I saw Abdul standing up with joy and going to hug the man who resembled him and even put his marriage on the line. Abdul get out and went to hug the duty man. They hugged each other for about 5 minutes while we all watching. Some of the neighbors too come to watch them. They had the same height look alike expect that Abdul was little bit fat.
Abdul's wife was so amazed that she said: "it is true!"
Until then they were just look alike not brother until something else prove it. Until now I was happy that two people who look alike have met. I was happy that even if Abdul is not her biological son she has been looking for 27 years. Few minutes later I saw Abdul taking his look alike human into his car even forgetting that he had an explanation to give to his wife and wanted to leave.
I followed him: "please Abdul can you give me your phone number?'
I gave him and a paper and his gave me his number but Leila was next to me and asked me: "please show me the phone number?"
I show her the phone number. But she took a pen and said: "he is so excited that he misspelled his phone number" she gave me the right Abdul's phone number.
I knew that at least Abdul will get back with his wife and Dana Mafia at least could be console even if Abdul is not her biological son. I was running already 45 minutes late to fetch my daughter Malaika and other child to school and I rushed to fetch the children to school before I return again to the office.
I knew that Abdul will meet Kalu's mother and they will have a good time together.
My reason that gave me a little confidence in this case is that when the police and Dana Mafia's relatives and her where looking for they lost child it was 27 years ago and the baby could have been to young to be aware of what it was happening. Then because many years passed they get tired and give up this case while the children were growing. 27 years later, I knew that the woman who could have stolen the child or bought the child was unable to hide the child anymore because the child was big and probably on his own and some how some where he could easily be aware of the search himself.
It was very different with looking a young baby who doesn't know anything and looking for a grown up man and easy to be hide. One thing for me comes as a blessing is that they were identical twins.
The only thing could have stopped for this case to be success was if the other twins were dead. But until now nothing reassured me that they were related but for sure two people have made a friendship. They were many people who look alike. For me that was already a success in this case. Two people will love each others and help each other. Most of the time look alike love each other.
The other things it was the development of the technology. I decided to print the picture after scanning, I was about to make a big size format of the picture in colour and it was easy to attract the attention of people. If I printed as a small format it couldn�t had attract the attention of people.
One week before my wedding day, I stopped working. I lost concentration into my office because I kept thinking about my coming wedding every time. I always wanted my client to be satisfied. I left a note to the office that the office will be closed for 2 weeks. I had already written the emergency numbers and I knew that if there is any emergency I will be getting the message.
I paid my due to Fatimata's family and was waiting for the traditional wedding.
I hired a truck to transport beer in my native village Lumbila and was partying for the big day to arrive and be called again married man. Then I took my old bus to transport my in law to Lumbila. I didn't choose the old bus because of the bad state of road and keep my new buses for business but I chose the old one because I had a strong affection to this bus that I drove for many years. This bus changed my like, while a driver I find my defunct wife, Melinda Bibi Iti. In this bus I got the idea to open a detective agency while I pick up a passenger's forgotten African detective book written by Doctor Alexander McCall Smith talking about a woman Mma Ramotswe from Botswana and the book was called The number one ladies detective agency. In this bus I got the idea of approaching a bank in giving one of the houses as an assurance of the bank and get a loan. I drove it for 13 years despite all the changes I made to the bus. In this bus I managed to save enough money to pay at the bank as a deposit.
For a special event, I chose a special bus too to accompany me to my home village.
We lived separately with the law. They lived in the guest huts and houses in Lumbila while I lived in the mansion that my father built with all the relatives I took from Dar es Salaam.
The first night of the arrival in the village. About 10 elders come to do the cleaning ceremony. They wanted me to clean me from the bad spirit and clean me from the widow spirit. We made pact with my previous wife and they wanted me to be clean so my new wife does not succumb from my previous wife spirit. In our tradition my new wife was in danger rather than me. Even thought Melinda Bibi Iti will always still part of my life.
We slaughter a cow and they made many traditional prays to the ancestors and I drank the cows uncooked blood.
We used to even eat the blood of the cow but when it comes to ceremonies I had to drink uncooked blood.
It was always a good feeling to return to the ancestor's land and a place where I was born and spend my part of childhood there. The village was quiet big home to thousand of villagers.
Everybody wanted to help us in the wedding. Young men were slaughter animals early in the morning while women set up fire with wood they pick up into the bushes and were warming the water as early as five o clock. Many people come to support me with the traditional beer and some animals. And the ceremony took place in the soccer field because they were many people. The chief of the clans and the village chief and dignitaries come to bless the wedding.
At around tree in the afternoon I went to fetch my wife in the house where Fatimata relatives were sitting. When I went in, I find another woman there and Fatimata's aunts. They asked me: "what are you looking for?" I gave them 1 Shilling and I said: "hat I was looking for my wife."
Then they called Fatimata's cousin: "take your wife and leave us alone"
I told them: "not this one". I gave then one shilling.
Then they called another woman and they asked me: "take your wife"
I said: "this is not my wife"
Then I gave them one Shilling. They called another woman and it wasn't Fatimata. Then I moved to another house where some of my in law lived and I went to the same procedure. Leaving one shilling each time I get the wrong woman.
It was at the fifth house that I finally find Fatimata. All of this was part of the traditional wedding ceremony. I took her while we were all wearing animals skins and walk to the soccer field while women and people were cheering in our passing and many singing and dancing.
At the soccer field they were about 6 traditional groups all singing turned to turned. We were blessed by about 20 elders and chiefs and dignitaries. They all spoke and prayed our marriage.
I was just after the ceremony and the blessing of the community that I finally took Fatimata and we were given a hut where we spend the first night together.
When we returned to Dar es Salaam the first thing we did was to go to the home affairs with witnesses to sign the civil wedding. Then we went home. When we reached home. I decided to listen to the message that was left by some of the caller. Then I heard this message: "I did call you many times but there was no one in the house. This time I decide to leave a message. Thank you David Kifwafwa. The DNA test has just come out and Kalu Mafia is my twin brother and Dana Mafia is my biological mother..."
I was so happy that I immediately took the phone number that he gave me and corrected by his wife and called Abdul Matapisi. He told me that he was coming to drop off at my house. I gave him over the phone my residential address.
Thirty minutes later I heard a hooting, when I went to the gate I saw Abdul Matapisi. I let him in the house and we chatted for a while. He insisted that he still loves the woman who raised him and she still her mother. Nothing could change. He said that if it wasn't because of Mabuki Matapisi he could never be successful in life. But it was a good feeling to find too the biological family. He said: "Mabuki Matapisi is a blessing to me and the Mafia family in general"
Then he gave me an envelope. I open an envelope there was 10 000$ and a Mitsubishi Pajero car's key.
CHAPTER TWENTY: END OF THE ROAD
I went to the bank the following morning to deposit money from Abdul Matapisi birth name Kakese Mafia and get the register and document of the car he gave me. I didn't really need another car, the car I was using had many more years to run and was still in good shape but it was important to keep it because it was a gift. I had another plan to buy my new wife a car because she wanted a wagon car where she may be able to put with easy the grocery.
When I was driving to my office just before I enter in the office premises. A neighbours stopped me. He congratulated me on my new wedding and told me: "there is someone who has been waiting for you to your office and didn't want to leave"
I knew that they are all sort of customers with different attitude. Every case was a different challenge. All the cases were unpredictable. I was wondering how someone could refuse to live and wait for me for many days. I had already an idea to help me if he needed a place where to sleep and needed help. I had made many connections with charities organization that help people and I was always proud to assist them too.
When I entered the office. I saw a man sleeping at my door office. I parked the car and was walking toward the door office when he wake up and said: "I postponed my death date so many times just to see you"
"How someone can postpone his death date?" I wonder to myself "no one knows his death date but everybody knows that he will die one day"
They is different kind of people that we meet in life. I told him to enter my office so we can talk. I could see that he has been waiting for me for many days and sleeping outside my office while I was away ignoring all the notices that I left at the office. He was wearing a blue shirt and a Khaki pant that were very duty. I wondered how a man can accept to sleep on the floor just to see me.
I enter the office that I didn't wipe for many days. I let him sit, immediately open window for a fresh air to enter, I switch on the computer and I started wiping the office and I switch on the micro cassette record to record his problem that let him wait for me for so many days.
He told me: "Doctor Love, time he running out let me talk"
I didn't correct him that my name was David Kifwafwa rather than doctor love. I just didn't have the courage to correct him. I knew some where in future I will be known by my company's name rather than my real name. But I still cherish my real name. But it was a custom to be called sometime by your company's name.
I understood that he wanted me to stop wiping so I can give a special attention to his problem. I stopped wiping and sat and told him: "my name is David Kifwafwa and I am a detective agent"
"it doesn't matter" he said "my name is Tim Singida, I am tired of this life"
He looked like he was in his middle twenties or late twenties.
I remember as a kid me and my brother Paul Karema Kifwafwa, we took a butterfly and we put in my hand and went to see an old man sitting in the village. Then we said: "that let ask the old man if the butterfly who is in my hand is dead or alive. If he says dead we will open the hand and show him a butterfly alive. If his said that the butterfly is his alive then I will crush the butterfly in my hand and show him a dead insect"
We cheered and were happy that we will prove the old man wrong this time. We approached him and asked him: "Kambo (grand father or grand mother) is this butterflies in my hand his dead of alive?"
He then look at us and said: "I won't answer this question because the life and the death of the butterfly is in your hand"
This returned to me and I told the desperate man because I was scared that he may want to prove me wrong. If I told him to be persistent he may try to prove me wrong. I told him: "Tim Singida I don't know much about you because your life and death may be in your hand or God's hand"
"Exactly" He said "exactly, I waited for many days to tell you what I am telling you now. I am tired of this job"
He was not the same person who was tired of his job. Me too as a bus driver I got tired of that job at some stage. It was why I wanted a change in life. He was not the same person of getting bored of doing the same thing every day. It was just normal.
"Do you know my job?" He asked me.
"I am hired to sell human's part" Tim Sindiga told me in open all his eyes and looking strait to me. I feel my all body getting cold and frighten. I never heard a man confessing or talking about this kind of atrocity before. This kind of people are difficult to meet, they crimes are only mention in news papers while the television show the decapitated human's remains.
Just as a drunken man talking. We all heard, sees in the television and newspapers some of the body they recover in the bushes mostly or even dump in the rivers. We think that they take places in the under world and committed by some darker forces. Those rituals continue to ravage the lives of many Africans. But it was committed by people and humans like us.
But this man talking to me didn't prove me yet that he was one of them. There was no physical proof to me to believe that he was one of them, one of the people who is wanted by the police.
Tim Sindiga continued: "I thought money was every thing and I had no patience, I lived for a present only. I end up choosing the easiest way to make money. You see materialism corrupt me because I was weak mentally"
Tim Sindiga said how he was looking for a way to make fast money. Then he went to see the witchcraft doctor. The witchcraft doctor told him that he wanted a hand of a human so he may make him a Dawa or medicine or superstition to help me to get richer. But the end of human was hard to find. So he decided himself to walk in the bushes and look for a young boy or girl alone. He got one and cut and killed first his victim and cut off his right arm. He hides the human's part into his bag and went to see the witchdoctor. But the witch doctor told him: "it won't work, you must cut the human's part while the victim still alive"
It was a rule that the sacrificed man or victim must be alive. He must also cry, as this will increase the power of the "Dawa" or traditional medicine.
The Africans tradition never thought people of this practices but lately the many numbers of witchcraft doctor and even ministers of religious opening they practices here and there. A minority of them has found out that humans part "his exceptionally more powerful than an ordinary ingredient of herbs mixed from plants or animal part"
While talking I heard a cell phone ringing. It wasn't my phone's sound and I knew that it from the talking client. Cellphones has become so popular that the majorities of people had access to it. Then I heard him asking: "testicles" then heard the caller and added: "6 to 9 years?" then he responded: "I will see what I can do.
I was wondering if I should call the police or not? But it could have been to early to call the police. I had the idea of making him a state witness to be able to arrest many people in that syndicate. Many religious ministers and witchcraft doctors were included. They are those who hire desperate people like Tim to bring them human's parts.
We read almost every week of body's find in the bushes or water with missing part.
In the few days I heard that a boy of about 6 years old was finding near Tabora town with genitals chopped off.
I remember having read that the body of a 46 years woman was finds headless near the conservation of Ngorongoro.
I read that a 30 years old man's body was find half naked with private part and heart missing.
One year ago, a religious minister was finds while the police were checking a bus of illegal substances but find him with a genital part and a hand of an unknown man into a plastic bag in his traveling bag in a bus while wearing his church ministry uniform.
They were many people find dead with body's part missing and some of the people were never been find but were killed and they bodies even buried after they have taken what they wanted.
This man was to be a state witness to denounce his clients and help me to find more criminals.
This new kind of criminal activities were taking places in many Africans country or may be all the countries were affected by this new Dawa phenomenon.
The decease relatives and friends battle to come to term with the manner which their loved ones dies by gruesomely having their lips, tongues, nipples, heart, eyes gouged out while alive, privates parts sliced off...
Then when Tim Sindiga hang off the phone he continued in explaining how when is first victim body was rejected by the witchcraft doctor he went to kill another human near lake Esayi.
He brought the body part but the witchdoctor praised him: "you are courageous; you can make plenty of money if you start delivering us human's part"
He convinced him to sell this part to another rich man who wanted the Dawa for his shop and the money was very good and he sold it.
While doing the investigation on Kalu Mafia's twin brother Abdul Matapisi, when Dana Mafia come to see me. I once talked with the policemen Shawn Naidoo while searching for the files. He told me that: "Dawa murders was very difficult to investigate because of certain high ranking politicians, business people, and many civil servants are the man client of the religious sect ministers and bishops and witchcraft doctors."
Most of the investigation they did on this subject was often obstructed. File and crucial evidences were often stolen in the courts with some help of the inside job. The witnesses were scared to come forwards and testify. Some time the investigators were hurt or even killed. He said too: "many Africans feared and believed that the power of human organ Dawa to an extend that even when they oppose its use, it still difficult to get witnesses to testify"
This was much easier to get physical evidence compare to witchcraft that was purely spiritual but many people fear the reprisal of some sect church bishop and ministers and witchdoctors and leaving the media and civil society as sole organs to fight it.
Then it was my turn, my phone rings. When I look at the number it was my wife's Fatimata calling. As new married people we used to phone each other any time. But this was a serious case for me. I didn't answer and I hoped that she understood that I was in a middle of a huge and important talk with a client. Then she sent me and SMS. I read it: "Your brother Paul Karema Kifwafwa has called". It was very important news for me. Since my brother has disappeared many years without any hope of getting him he called. It means that he is alive but I tried to ignore it.
Then she sent another quick message: "He is waiting for you to fetch him at the airport"
I then replied: "call Nikki Manda so she can fetch him". If it was like any case I think I could have easily interrupted it but this case was too different. My biological big brother Paul Karema Kifwafwa went missing for 15 years. We were all wondering where was he?
Then he said that it was how he started capturing people in different places and takes their privates part and started selling. He was a hit man hired to deliver they needed human's parts.
I made sure once again that I was recording the conversation.
He said that the human's skulls were being used in the foundations of new building to ensure that the business thrived, and severed hands were buried in the shop entrance in order to draw customers.
Brains were used to impart political power and business success.
Genital, breasts, placentas are to ward infertility and bring good luck, with the genitia of young boys and virgins girl being especially highly prized as "incontaminated" by sexual activity and therefore more potent.
Blood was to boost vitality.
For shopkeeper, arms are thought to be the main source to attract customers and make business thrives.
The tongue was linked to the power of oratory.
And even revealed some ceremony such us rapping old man as to boost powers.
But this didn't affect Tim Sindiga. Until one day he failed into his job. A man was captured ready to be chopped of his lips but escaped. He immediately fled the areas near Salei plains. He then went to his village were he lived next to Arusha town. He needed money urgently.
Then an idea comes into his mind. To sacrifice his own wife, Mapendo. Money become more important that human's been he said. He stabbed his wife first with a sharp instrument, tied her mouth so no one could hear her screams, before she die he sucked her blood out of her body and poured in the bucket. Then took the body parts and buried his wife at the back of his yard. This happened late at night while everybody was sleeping.
He got the money he wanted after sacrifice of his wife. Her wife was pretended missing for 2 years. Then he thought that it was easy to get another wife. He thought: "all the women were the same"
He was making money and it was easy to get any woman he wanted into his village, Dekozola.
- The next women he got was stealing everything, from his money into his wallet and meat into the pot. He chased that woman and got another one. he said "she had a long arm" Robber were called people with long arms. They take thing that didn't supposed to be their. They cannot control the limit of their arms.
- The next wife she had no respect of anyone and had no secret. She was insulting him in public how he was useless in bed and unable to satisfy him sexually. Insult his tribe, insult his relatives, and parent even his loved mother. He chased her. He said: "she had a big mouth"
- The next women he got was so stupid that she used to urinate on the bed everyday and the mattress was stinking. He chased her and got another one. She drinks too much and even smokes more than I do. When drank she loose even conscience, she used to shit in her clothes. He said: "she was useless to the society"
- The next one was a big cheater sleeping with anybody. He sent her to church she become the pastors and head choir member gild friend. They fought and the small church split and died. He forgives her and sent her to a sewing school to get sewing knowledge and be self employed. She felt in love with the school teacher and the school principal at the same time. They teacher and the principal fought and the school went down.
He forgive her and decided not even to send her to the market to buy food. But she felt in love with his neighbour and Tim Sindiga's last brother. Sindiga and his brother and neighbour fought. He chased even the woman break up with his brother and friend, they become enemies and He chased this time the woman and moved another place. He said: "she was a public woman. Woman for thousand men"
- The next women was snoring so much that he wasn't able to sleep at night. He tried everything to stop her for snoring he failed until they fought and she left him. He said: "she turned my night in nightmare with her endless music" he concluded:"she was a nightmare"
- The next woman he got didn't know any domestic work. She burned all his clothes while trying to iron them. Every time she washed his clothes they look duty that when they were not washed. She broke everything. She embarrassed her so much that even when he had visitors, she could fry a chicken well fried outside but the inside was not cooked. Each time they will put a knife to cut of the chicken blood was coming off. He said what she knew best was to spend all the day in front of a mirror. She looks at self, forgets how she looks like and returned to the mirror. He said: "she was a shame to the society"
- The next woman he got was just a liar liar. Lies were just part of her life. She could never say the truth even when it needed and lie even when it wasn't necessary. She lied to her that she was twenty but she was fourty. She lied to her that she had a one year old kid while her first kid she got very early in her teen was even two years older than Tim Sindiga". She lied to her that she had a degree but didn't know even how to write and read. She said she used to ride a motorcycle but she didn't know how to ride a simple bicycle. He saw her helpless when she felt from the bicycle unable even to move it and hurt badly herself. He said "she had a verbal diarrhea of lies"
- The next woman, they were sharing room than being lovers. She didn't want him to touch him, or kissed her. She didn't want people to even see her walking with Tim Singiga as lover. She didn't have any love to Tim even thought the shared the same bed and room. He said: "she was a roommate"
- The next woman was too obsessive; she didn't want him to look at any other woman. She didn't want him to talk to anyone. She didn't want him to travel but he made money but continually traveling to many places to slaughter people so they may not suspect him or even catch him. She didn't want him to leave her while his job was secret to even his loved one. She didn't want him even to talk to any body even his relatives and mother. She almost empoisoned him with an overdose of love substances. He said: "she was a sticker".
- The last was very good but too strong for him. He used to beat him and lock him into the room. He reported the case to the police no one could help him. They ignored the atrocity of the beating. Now in his own village he cannot walk head up because everybody is laughing at him for the marriages failure. He said: "she was a wrestler"
- Then he got finally a perfect woman. The woman who suited him and was loved my all his relatives. The woman who seems even better that his previous wife Mapendo. Her name was Dineo. Everything was set and the wedding well prepared. It had to take place in a Pentecostal church. He invited all many dignitaries, friends and relatives.
He hired a Mercedes Benz to drop him at the church. He bought an expensive black suit and shoes. He spends already plenty of money and even ordered a one meter and half cake.
All the dignitaries and all the people invited went to witness the marriage between Tim Sindiga and Dineo.
Half way the wedding wall, the door of the car just went off. The driver stopped the car and went to fetch the car's door that fell from the luxury car.
He took them sometime to fix it. And they driver started the car and they were on the way to the wedding ceremony were everybody were still waiting for Tim Sindiga to arrive. Then after a distance. Tim Sindiga saw a tyre of a car rolling in the road. And the car he was in just leaned one side. Then it stops, then realized that something was wrong and asked the driver: "Is it that rolling tyre from our car?"
The driver didn't answer. The car had a good body but all the part were old and weren't even the Mercedes part. The original parts of the car were stolen and this driver just took the good left body and mixed different part of many cars just to see the beautiful body on the street.
It took many time for the driver to fetch the tyre that rolled miles away and put back and drive.
When he arrived at the church everybody and guest and the pastor who supposed to bless the ceremony and the wife to be and her relatives were angry and left the church ceremony. "How could you be late for the most important feast of your life?" He enter he find the neighbouring chicken eating the one meter and half tall cake.
I wondered if it was his innocent's wife he killed spirit that revenged. He went though all the woman without getting a woman who suited him. We African believe in the power spirits.
Then he started remembering the woman he sacrificed: "if I didn't love money so much I couldn't have killed my love Mapendo"
He cannot sleep properly one is keep thinking of the woman who he sacrificed for money. Then the horrible cry of people he slaughtered star coming into his mind every time.
"I want us to have a special talk and arrangement so we can try to fix this problem of human's slaughtering. I am making sure that you won't be arrested..."
"Money is not happiness at all" Tim Sindiga said: "I thought if I get 10 I will be happy. Then when I got ten I wanted 100. Then I thought that 100 will make me happy. I was looking for 1000 then" He stopped and cried and said: "I can't"
He took his cell phone and gave me: "you may need it for your investigation to trace some people" I was wondering why he gave me his cell phone. Then I heard: "good bye"
I was wondering what was next to this man. He stood up, put his hand next to his private part too out a revolver.
I hide immediately under my desk and I heard a gun shot.
The businessmen neighbours and many people before the arrival of the police poured into my office to see what was happening. I was under shock but I was rushing too to see my brother Karema that we didn�t see or hear of each other for more than 15 years. His arrival back home was a miracle.
Tim Sindiga was serious when he said: "I am tired of this life". Traumatized, I was left only with his cell phone and the tape recorded as a witness of this suicide in my office.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I was blessed to meet by accident by the internet, Rowan Williams. I remembered while marketing my none editing materials. Rowan first wrote me a long letter via email where he quoted that I was wise.
It was a blessing for me that a 80 years old call me wise and that was a motivation for me.
He thought me many tricks of writing, some of them he advised me to use also the first person instead of always using the third person narrator. He advised me to write more short story.
Despite his age and sickness he helped me with many advise into this writing business when no one did want to look at the unedited material from a French speaker from Congo writing in English language spoken in his adoptive land South Africa. He taught me how to write and how to describe. Then he edited two short stories: "traditional witchcraft form the novel witchcraft and ten thousand franc for a bullet from the collection of my novels extracted called Vice Versa..
We submitted to some of the short stories contest but we didn't win. But we got many praised and that alone was a blessing to me and encouraged me to write. He taught me how to write and how to create emotion out of the fiction's stories. He taught me of how to bring out the best in me.
Williams encouraged me to keep writing without targeting any profit or money making.
I really say that my first break was the American Rowan Bill Williams. He motivated me to exposed some my culture. People thing that what is universal was attractive but my finding is that what is specific is attractive. What is universal become more repetitive and do not attract any more attention. What is specific is a celebration of the back ground culture.
When I was watching my mother Mutoka Disashi a producer journalist back in Lubumbashi, Congo spending many hours writing. I had no idea one day that I will write too.
I remembered when writing as a 6 years boy I didn't even know that there was a career of writing. It was more like an agenda or reminder where I used to write ideas of my love that time inventing.
Then when I went to the catholic seminary priest school, I stated writing school's and community's plays. We didn't have any television capture in that town, Manono, no news paper and we were capturing with difficulties a radio station. We were forced to create an entertainment.
Then I started reading from the seminary's library some small local novel. It where I started writing back then, but I lost my first manuscript of all my novels but the ideas were in mind. After I left the province Katanga because of tribal's fight. I couldn't get ride of writings. It then I realized that I should follow my dream of writing.
This novel it entirely Rowan William teaching and motivation. It is a sort of a continuation of a short stories selection. The 80 years old man once told me: "I may not be a famous writer but will be glad to see my student publishing books"
FROM THE SAME AUTHOR
- POSTAL CARD: THE CULTURE CLASHES
- VERBAL DIARHOEA: A PLANE CRASH REPORTER SURVIVOR ON HIS WAY TO AFRICA TO REPORT ABOUT THE AIDS ENPEDEMIC.
- THE CANNIBAL: THE CHALLENGES THAT MET COLONIST TO DISCOURAGE THIS PRACTICES.
- VICE VERSA: COLLECTION OF SOME EXTRACT OF SOME OF MY NOVEL IN A SHORT STORIES STYLE
- WITCHCRAFT: THE INTERPRETATION OF THIS PHENOMENON IN RURAL AND URBAN AREA.
- THE ANGELIC AND DEMONIAC VERSES: THE INTERPRETATION AND MISINTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLICAL VERSES.
- EYE FOR EYE AND TEETH FOR TEETH: A FOLLOW UP OF ANGELIC AND DEMONIAC VERSES.
- THE LOST DREAM: MY AUTO PRE BIOGRAPHY.
- PRINCE IN AMERICA: A LIFE OF A REBELIOUS PRINCE.
COMING SOON, FICTION:
NOTE: THE TITLE MAY CHANGE AFTER EDITING
- THE HAND OF GOD: A IMAGINARY SOCCER WORLD CUP.
- STUMBLING BLOCK: THE FALL AND FAIL OF A DICTARSHIP REGIME
- THE HIGH AND THE LOW: A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES
COMING SOON: NON FICTION:
- ENCYCLOPEDIA: THE CONVENTIONAL WORLD: A NONE COMMERCIAL SELF INVENTORY MANUAL
DICHO DISASHI ILUNGA
6, COTTON ROAD
GREENSIDE 2193
SOUTH AFRICA
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0027 11 6461336
0027 767690258

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