copyright Dicho Disashi 2005
CHAPTER ONE: MEETING WITH A BEAUTY QUEEN
I decided to market the new buses that I just acquired: 2 new buses, 2 second hand buses and renovated the old one. I had a big monthly installment to repay the bank and I had to rise the price 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. One of them was a double Decker, the first one in the country. 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 not toilet, the passenger who had diarrhea used to postpone the 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 rize 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 12 father's house in Dar es Salaam for the business. It was not a very big houses. My father used to buy small houses and extend it. But this one he had no chance to finish to extend it. But it was suitable for the business because it was next to the market. I transformed it into an office and depot at the back. People selling good 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. All sort of good where there.
I decided to paint it after the construction and refurnished it and write in big at billboard at the entrance: "Doctor love detective agency" then followed by small writing: "come find peace. For any 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."
It was also a good way to revenge of all the people who mocked at us. They laughed when our business where down but what they didn't know that we had a lot potential. Some how my Albert Musa 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 way 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 succeed.
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. I have mention her many times in the interview.
My daughter 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.
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 scene.
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"...
She disappointed her supporter 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 has 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 a powder soap and appeared in many extra of some local drama. And appeared in many cover magazine in Tanzania.
She was quiet 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 my daughter was all for me. She was my child, friend, hope and life. She always remind 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 hungry lion"
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 basketbal. 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 is the most popular sport in Africa.
It started one day while I took my daughter for a lunch at that restaurant a certain Sunday afternoon. 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 look like he was not interested in what I was talking about. He got already a confirmation. He then asked me: "what do you eat". I told him that we wanted burger, I thought that he wanted to take the order.
I heard the man instructing the chief to quiet make us the hamburger: "4double 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 has 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. 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"
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 Shilling money in exchange equivalent to 150$ 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.
I saw a jazz band playing live while we sat in the African decorated chair. The were no globe(light). They had sort of candles and antique gazol (petrol) 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.
Already 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 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.
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 talk 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 none celebrity people 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 look 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 driver or may be with a bodyguard because she was a starts. 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 herself.
I ordered a champagne and French white wine. I was convinced that my date has been satisfied and I wanted her to confirmed 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 women 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 love 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 grow 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 loose 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"
When I returned home with a disappointed date with Natalie Mchinya. My daughter 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 man at the same time, I graduated as a teacher but never teach. I was born in Lumbala 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 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. 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, they 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, 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 ancestors medicine. We went to many traditional healer but his health was not improving. We thought that may be our ancestors were angry with him.
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 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 Musa 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 on 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 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�s belt, hitting him in the chest and moving upset down.
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 come late in the evening to cook for us. Nicole Moto our biological mother has left with the neighbour to the hospital where my father was recuperating. We used to eat 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 by 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 friend 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 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 used to take care of the business. From eleven car already he was left in charge of only fours cars. The other were really behind reparation and two car overturned in the river when the bridge collapsed and breaks.
It had many passenger 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 South Africa. The wheel chairs were very rare. It has to sold two buses to meet the immediate need.
Musa 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 has started getting those insurances policies.
I once accompanied my father Musa 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 mourned his loved one. It is strange how money can take our priorities away. But Paul Karema my big brother had another plan. He could not renew the car spares or even buy a simple new tyres. What he was doing was saving, saving and more saving.
I supported him before, Karema 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 Musa 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 5 busses. My father had with Nicole Moto six children. But they were only 2 boys: Paul Karema 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 didn't respect his promises of calling her. She is the one who said that he was based in Germany, then went to Japan 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 who had a secret affair with a married man, my brother. Kept hope that Karema 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 freind 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"
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 generate 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. 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 they money in drink and women. He had only one girlfriend while many of his colleagues had many. Many had wives at home and wives too in South Africa.
While in Dar es Salem on the trip to Lumbila to see then his fianc�e Nicole Moto. He past a yard where he saw a bus written "for sell urgently". He 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 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 told him: "I have only 1500 rand. The South African money" According to the exchange rate it was the third of what the seller wanted. The rand was more stronger than the Tanzanian Shilling.
Musa 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 10 000 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. He was rushing to the bus stop when he heard a call. He look 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 noticed 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 robber.
When they were in the bus, Musa was glad with his big bag to see the fiancee that his parents have chosen for him and sent a message to South Africa and the same time happy to return home to meet his friends and families member. He was for a while 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 majors 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.
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 leave. He already spend one week for traveling. Taking different buses and pass Mozambique. He felt that he could have to spend may be only one week with his brides and may see her again after a year. Only if he survive 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 end 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 uncle 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 almost no frontier. People used to travel to many different countries without passport. 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.
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. 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. 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 a nostalgia.
While settle 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 were very angry with Musa. 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 independance and joinded 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 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 they was a party, the uncles and father's friends will slaughter the cow and goat plus chicken for free. It end 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 cattles.
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.
Musa managed to grow the company from one car to eleven cars but at the time Paul Karema my brother managed to loose from four cars to two cars.
When I took over I heard only two buses with me and no truck. Two 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 Kilimamnjaro 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, never been see 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 year he could have spent in the Tanzania's jail. 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 drives 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"
Somehow I understood what my step mother Mischa used to insist that we study.
I didn't know to drive well. I used sometime to park the buses and rarely drive Paul Karema's Toyota Corolla. Since his disappearance I was in charge of that Toyota Corolla but I could 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 were 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 group were the Sukuma, Chagga, Makonde, and Nyamwezi people.
Musa 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 a 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
