Harare North (15 page)

Tom have also run away from them Green Bombers and is soon
supposed to land in UK,
soon you hear from him
. That's Original
Sufferhead sending more messages.
Yari yari yari Comrade
Mhiripiri run away there too; the jackals is scattered; the movement
have lose its way. Yeee and people say the UK government is now
investigating Comrade Mhiripiri for crimes against humans; and
have you hear about your mother's village? Yari yari yari the
Daily
News
want to interview me. Oh, Zim no longer exist.

Me I have no time for jazz numbers; Original Sufferhead only
know fourth-hand stories.
Some memories is not meant to be pissed
on any tree just because you can,
I answer him.

Don't open the front door without asking who is outside if
there is a knock, do you hear? Tsitsi also have to leave, I tell Shingi
and Tsitsi. Tsitsi give me the eye. And Shingi is not paying attention.
Just because he have walk Tsitsi back home after park disaster,
Tsitsi have been giving him sweet smiles which is very silly and
dangerous. And now Shingi think this is the time to catch it; he
can sniff sniff front bum right under his nose.

You have to do a TKO move very fast and furious or else she
jump out of your clutches now, I coach him. Catch the termite
by the head.

He start hitting on she with more fire now. Before I know it
he have pull Green Bomber move and start pushing Tsitsi to
answer Yes or No if he can visit she room at night.

Keep the pressure on; I become cheerleader now.

Every evening Shingi is now whipping she with Yes or No and
she have nowhere to turn. Then it happen one evening – suddenly
she get vex and storm out of the kitchen. I go out and buy beer
so we can celebrate being one big family.

'I keep warning you about Shingi but you don't listen,' I tell
Tsitsi when I come back. 'Why you want to live in this pigsty
place me I don't know.'

'You don't want me here?'

'No no no. I am just worryful for likkle baby brother. You can
stay if you want.'

Shingi feel like big reject and have run miles inside his head.
Now he don't want to talk to Tsitsi no more. He spend time
inside his room smoking skunk. I go inside to tell him not to
worry because soon he is going to catch it.

Shingi look at me like I make fun of him and don't talk. He
look funny because now he start to walk like boy of the jackal
breed – all that bold and reckless kind of step; you can tell he
have bit of the jackal inside him now after learning to do the Yes
or No skill.

If you want to catch girl, you have to make she jealous and
then she come running to you like animal. I have sweet plan for
you.

Shingi don't believe me but me I'm not worryful; now I want
to surprise him with another plan.

There is them those kind of women that is always pushing big
camel's hoof that you can see from Scotland – that's the one I
drag into the house. All the time I am trying to stop myself from
going kak kak kak. She is prostitute, and me I hold she hand just
to show off to Tsitsi the kind of wild things that is now coming
inside this house that she don't want to leave. She go and hide
in she room quick.

Shingi have big foolish grin. He think the woman is English
girl, but she is Polish; she can't speak one lick of English. He
wonder how I manage to talk to she, I can tell.

I lure she into the squat after I pounce on she on Josephine
Avenue. She was busy doing she make-up in front of rear-view
mirror of abandoned car when I spot she. Then I spin she some
number about how your bed is lice-infested and ask if she want
to help you kill them by rolling many times on the bed and crush
them likkle things.

Shingi go kak kak kak kak now because his head is full of skunk
smoke.

Polish girl is quiet as mouse and look frightened, only giving
them East European hard-set looks. But at killing lice, it turn out
she is right old riot. Within minutes of them getting into Shingi's
room we hear the original native squeal as they task come to sweet
end.

Hooray; viva, comrade! I shout loud for Shingi so Tsitsi can
hear.

God make man, French fries make round faces, but Shingi and me,
we make porridge and number-one steak. But we also make Polish girls
cry.
That is how I start new diary page that night and show it to
the comrade. And when me and Shingi joke with Tsitsi that Polish
girl have take all the money that live inside mattresses in this house,
the speed and racket that she make on floorboards as she run to she
room to see if money is still there is like she have ten legs.

I call Sekai on she mobile phone to check if there is change of
mind but she don't answer.

Shingi is in big happy mood because he have finally taste this
sweet thing that even Adam and Eve thief from Garden of Eden.
Now he leave the door of the house whistling whenever he go to
graft. But Tsitsi won't go.

Then Dave the tramp come in with some strange woman,
complete with rough face, smoker's throat, rasping laughter, them
nose rings, dog and mouse, pockets full of them things and cigarette
butts. She hair – it's like some small bird will fly out any
time.

'Me I like the direction our life is taking. Soon our squat turn
into haunt of them bare bellies and people that pierce everything
on they body,' I tell Tsitsi; she is all alone in the kitchen wiping
sink for no reason.

In less than half-hour of meeting the woman that Dave have
bring, Shingi and I have learn that Jenny have see Shingi outside
Sainsbury, that she have been taking care of Dave since he fall
from some tree, that she is eco-warrior and have even place an ad
in
Loot
saying 'ADOPT AN ECO-WARRIOR AUNT', but nobody
want to adopt she because 'I am also gothic, you know'. She used
to live in Margate, have try doing plumbing course and was good
girl that never used to do them drugs. Then one day when she
boyfriend have go to work and she is about to go to plumbing
class, she think, 'Oh Jenny, this is boring life, isn't it?' then she
pack she bag and hitch all the way to Somerset to pick them strawberries.
There some art student sweet she and they start disorderful
love that end when she realise he is only able to look after
his crayons. That's when she new life begin again.

'Centuries ago in China, local gods use to be threatened with
demotion and punishment if they failed to obey people's wishes;
after failing to stop the rain, the statue of the god Lung-Wong
was imprisoned.' Dave teach us new things too.

'Shingi have never hear this kind of thing. Maybe that's why
Chairman Mao try to put things straight,' Shingi say with headful
of skunk smoke.

'Why do you talk about yourself in the third person?' Jenny
ask Shingi. 'It's funny.'

We is getting bored with talking in the house when Dave say
that maybe we go to the Aba Shanti gig at the Brixton Leisure
Centre in the evening. He know someone who can get us in for
free, he say.

Aba Shanti have four speakers, each the size of shipping container.
It is through them speakers that the DJs is unleashing the wrath
of Jah, pounding on them walls, floor and roof of the building.

'Jah is so vex he want to tear the whole place apart?' me I ask.

Dave say it's iron reggae dub.

Jenny say something about Aba Shanti gig being the only place
where people can discard they mental shackles and become free;
she is now sitting on the floor in what she call lotus position.

'There's no segregation and no one makes you feel strange here,'
Jenny say but Shingi is still high on skunk and jump in before she
have finish what she say.

'Once I used to be bad boy,' he say and Jenny ask why he
always do that.

'What?'

'You talk out of turn,' she say.

'No.'

'Yes; you have DID. It's funny. It's weird; I know a woman
that used to do that. She was suffering from DID.'

'Here.' Dave hand me bokkle of brandy that he have smuggle.
And then he start calling everything that he like 'wicked' and it get
my head all out of gear. If there's some good tune, 'Wicked.' The
taste of brandy, 'Wicked.' You give him cigarette, 'Wicked.'
Everything is wicked.

'Stop calling good things wicked because if you come across
real wicked thing, then you will find yourself with no word to
describe it. Me I know wicked,' I tell him.

When we leave Aba Shanti, Dave and Jenny follow us back to
the squat on account of Jenny have leave she dog and mouse and
she want to collect them.

We get there and find front door raving open. Tsitsi have collect
all she things and go. Everything. Even the money inside mattress.

Tsitsi gone; Shingi come from his graft and lie on his bed like
defeated man – shoes still on and the new hat that he buy from
Phat Heads pulled over his face.

Dave have spend the night and all day here because when we
find Tsitsi have go we get worryful that soon the police or immigration
people come to sniff sniff at our door, and Dave say he
know how to make them go away because Dave have live in many
squats for long time and know about these things. 'The police
need warranty to come inside squat,' Dave say.

Tsitsi pack she things and go and so what? That's she style,
I tell Shingi. His face is long like stupidity. He is quiet and don't
take his hat from his face. What all this big deal is about I don't
understand; mothers go and leave you alone. Always. And life is
always not fair, everyone know that. It make you fry wire nails.

You have already hit front bum now and that's all that matter.
Now we can make better savings; why you behaving like big baby?
I ask Shingi.

I cook supper. Dave refuse the
sadza
and stew that I have cook.
Shingi only eat likkle and have no ginger for talk.

Dave, with his unending roll-up in his mouth, talk talk while
I eat. He is big visionary and master inventor, that's what he say.
He need them long periods of quiet reasoning in order to sink
into himself and fish out big new ideas. Me I don't say nothing.

Jenny arrive with she dog suckling one of them dummy teats
that mothers stick inside they babies' mouths. She been wandering
and foraging around Clapham because today she say she don't
feel like going into the city to chase them mobile soup kitchens
that is run by charity organisations. She want food.

Yari yari yari dogs and cats can be cured by homeopathy, she
talk and bite our sausage.

Now she want our skunk.

Next day I make supper and ask Dave and Jenny if they want any.
'I prefer Marks & Spencer's food,' Dave say.

'I'm OK,' say Jenny.

They is trying to see how far they can push they luck with us.
Hoping to wangle big juicy Marks & Spencer's meal out of naive
foreigners. And they don't want to eat what we eat because they
think it's rubbish, I tell Shingi after supper as I take over Tsitsi's
room. I don't want to keep sleeping with Dave and Jenny downstairs.

On Monday, we don't offer them no food, except Coke. They
don't go. On Tuesday they go out during the day and when they
come back we don't offer them nothing, not even water, and we
eat supper while Dave give us those eyes that tell you that the
owner of this face step off long time ago.

This is not right what we doing, Shingi say on Wednesday
morning.

Wait and see, I tell him.

On Thursday morning Jenny get up early and leave because
she say she want to go to the Ace of Clubs in Clapham and then
later chase them soup kitchens in the city. But Dave don't go.
Even when Shingi get ready to leave for work. Me I step out of
the house; you don't want to be left alone with him or else he
end up wanting to be friends and then stick to you like tick.

On Friday our friendship with Dave have take unexpected turn;
he come back from the bins behind Marks & Spencer's hauling
them sausages, bacon, tinned corn, buckets of prawn sandwiches
that we will eat for days.

'But don't go into those backstreets at night,' Dave warn us.

'Why?'

'They can be completely mental. Full of strange characters.'
Dave is now trying to remain inside the house after the soup
disaster last night. That was when we arrive at the squat in the
evening to find that, out of the blue, he had rustle up some flaming
hot soup for us.

This is not good sign, I warn Shingi then.

The soup turn out to be so hot hot but we brave it. Soon
the comrade get sick in the toilet. This morning I am about to
kick up big storm but Dave say he is sorry the spices that he
use he did not get from Marks & Spencer's and is hotter than
he expect and that he will replace some of our food that he
chuck into the soup. Then he tell us that them bins at the back
of Marks & Spencer's is the best there is in town and only few
people know that. Lots of good food – cans of baked beans,
beer, sausages, expired foodstuffs – can be found there waiting
for us.

'But those are mental backstreets at night.'

Because of this Ma . . . Marks & Sp . . . Sp . . . Spencer bins we
is now going to save squillions of money, Shingi say. Maybe he
can stay.

Yes, but we is not getting his share of electricity and gas from
Marks & Spencer bins, I warn him.

Shingi hand me his mobile phone and there is silence from the
other end. Only the sound of slow breathing. Then the line go
dead. That's the first worryful thing. Tom? Or Comrade Mhiripiri?
Me I also don't want to be known now.

'Don't open the front door if you don't know who is knocking,'
I warn everyone. The jackals is scattered.

'The doctor from Rwanda has been arrested.' I can hear Dave
talk to Shingi. That's the second worryful thing. Me I don't want
no one knocking on our door if they is being investigate by British
police. Tom say that's what he hear is happening to Comrade
Mhiripiri since he came to Harare North.

'What doctor?' Shingi ask.

'The doctor that was involved in the killing of Tutsis in Rwanda;
it's in the news.' The police have catch him now. He run away
from Rwanda and have been living in Brighton for years, Dave
talk talk like he know anything about them these things. Yari yari
yari yeee I was involved in campaign to have him arrest some
few years ago; yeee I was campaigner for Amnesty International;
yeee Amnesty International they campaign for justice all over the
world.

I listen to him talk talk until he have tell and retell the Rwanda
story to death. He go on and on about how he have friends that
know Peter Tatchell, the homosexual that try to do citizen's arrest
on Comrade Mugabe. Shingi also get carried away now and for first
time ever he now have opinion on Comrade Mugabe – spinning
clouds of jazz numbers about how the president encourage corruption
because in Zimbabwe ministers can take take anything they
want from anyone. He have hear that from me when I tell him
about Mother's village but now he talk about it like he is professor.

When Dave go out to buy tobacco me I want to ask Shingi
what kind of style this is. In the end I don't say nothing but only
offer him cigarette. He just give me funny face because he know
me I can read the score.

Shingi have come late from graft that evening and refuse to
cook saying that he is not hungry and that he have headache. He
also say he now want to keep all his money for himself.

You OK?

Yes.

How come you not hungry?

N . . . nothing.

You eat anything?

No.

Even on your way from graft?

Shingi walk out of kitchen. I don't get the score that make this
jazz number necessary. But I am no civilian so I don't panic.

'Why you talking to yourself, DID man?' Jenny ask. She is back
in the house and already causing big racket throwing off she boots
on them floorboards.

There is small silence. Dave have been quiet all this time because
he is busy helping Shingi spend his money now. I give Shingi all
his money yesterday because I want him to feel the truth; if the
truth start crawling on his face then he get ashamed, apologise
and let me keep it. That was my plan. But he take the money and
walk away without shame. Not even thanking me for keeping it.
Now they have start to waste it.

'You have to try this,' Jenny break the silence.

'What is it?'

'Smack.' Dave now start to tell Shingi that this smack thing
going to make him forget Tsitsi. It work like magic, he say.

This smack thing – that's Shingi's money being wasted. I am
sitting tight in this house hoping all this don't end with people
spinning jazz numbers about my past. I look in the mirror and I
see my beard is growing long.

Shingi have start to leave pieces of bread in kitchen cupboard so
that he can feed the rat. Jenny has spin him some number about
animal rights and why we should learn to live with the rat. It's
complete waste of money; none of this will have happen if I was
in charge of our money. But I just spend time in my room because
these days our house is having big headache I can see.

Last week there was syringe in the lounge. Then there was
another in the kitchen. Yesterday one was lying on staircase. Now
there is even one inside toilet bowl. And evenings now end with
everyone curled up on floor of Shingi's room like they is dead. I
grow my beard with skill.

From window of my room I can see miles into Brixton. My
window look everywhere; it's one of them sad eyes that look at
you when you come to our house. I spend my time sitting by
window and look outside at the world while Shingi and his friends
slam them doors in the house.

I spend heap of time by the window writing the diary about
us, pushing heaps of thoughts around inside my head. I am making
big effort to keep big cheer on my face and don't want to sow
too much bad ideas about Shingi. But I cancel out the page that
I have write about Shingi. I buy another padlock so I can have
two on my suitcase because me I don't trust Shingi and his friends
no more. Maybe soon they try to go through my suitcase. I don't
even recognise this Shingi. And when I find that he also now keep
his suitcase locked all the time, I have to try hard to stop myself
from finding out if his toothbrush in the bathroom can also work
good as toilet brush.