I keep saying that I always cherish my childhood days as a boy growing up in the age of innocence, especially the fun I had during my countless adventures.
The one that always comes to mind were the tricks I would play just to watch big matches at Kamuzu Stadium.
One day, I had deliberately put salt instead of sugar in a cup of coffee for a visiting uncle. My mum thought I had gone a bit too far with my mischief and declared that she would not let me watch a game between Bullets and Wanderers.
But boys will be boys and I knew my time would soon come. And my sudden scream that: ‘amayi nyemba zikupserera pa moto’ sent her running to the kitchen. I quickly sneaked out of the house to the stadium.
Penniless as I was, every trick that I tried to elude security to entry the stadium failed badly.
But when time came for the national anthem to be played, I jumped over the fence and whizzed past a police officer who stood on attention.
As I stood under one of the open stands, some liquid started dropping from the stand and before we knew it, I was under a gentle shower. This was not rain, I was rather under a shower of fans from the stands who were relieving themselves.
These are the sights and sounds that used to dominate the giant stadium when it was so packed that fans sitting on the highest level of the stands would have no way to go down to the toilets to relieve themselves.
These are the sights and sounds that used to dominate the battle of Blantyre when the domestic flagship league was still a playing ground for talented artists.
There were days when just watching Lawrence ‘Lule’ Waya waltz past defenders at full pace or ‘Senator’ Kennedy Malunga displaying a five-star exhibition at the heart of the pitch, was all that was good enough to brighten our Saturday afternoons.
I, therefore, felt like crying ladies and gentlemen, when I learnt last Friday that government had closed Kamuzu Stadium because it is slowly breaking down. Hopefully, government will live to its word and ensure that the giant arena is put back together. Uloliwe..Uloliwe! Uloliwe wayidudula hi..nang’esiza! [The train is pushing!]
