Go well sis Liz

Last Tuesday as I strolled through Ginnery Corner in the company of my colleague little Gomezgani Zakazaka, we bumped into a middle-aged man who was busy catching bwan’noni (seasonal grasshoppers).

From the look of things, the ‘ole man should have been catching the delicious insects for relish because he had with him a small plastic bag in which he was putting his catch.

And then suddenly, in a manner that could have impressed Chelsea goalminder Petr Cech or Simplex Nthala, we saw him dive full length in a desperate attempt to lay hold of his next target, only to see the bwan’noni flattering away to safety. Gomezgani and myself could not help but roar with laughter at the horrible miss as the poor ‘ole man looked helpless.

Well, yesterday, I started my short leave and I guess it will be good to be witnessing such lovely scenes in my neighbourhood. For a change, it will be good enjoying my boy Stonard Galeta’s funny tales like the one he shared with me yesterday about a neighbour’s house servant who was sacked having been caught putting on his boss’ underwear.

And then yesterday as we were chatting, Stonard argued that my team Chelsea has struggled of late because they had too many old players. In his own words Stonard said: ‘Ankolo inu Chelsea ikuvutika chifukwa ma vertenary achulukitsa mu timu muja.’—well I only realised later that he meant to say ‘veterans’—lo!

Be as that may though, I will also spare a thought for my colleague Elizabeth Lisutha-Banda who passed on last Friday after a short illness. My thoughts are with her family, in particular her lovely daughter Yanjanani.

For over 12 years that we worked together at NPL, we went through good as well as bad times. We called each other ‘neighbour’ and she was one of the followers of this column and oftentimes after going through it, she would pick up the phone from upstairs while laughing and tell me: “Iwe neighbour tamakula asah!”

Well, I just can’t find the right words to describe her, but suffice to say she was such a lovely chirpy lady, oh yeah! Why so soon Liz? Why? In the same vein, my thoughts are also with my colleague Paida Mpaso who lost a sister. Glory be to God! Uloliwe.. uloliwe wayidudula hi..nang’esiza! [the train is pushing!].