Mr. Alfred Gadzirai Chisango

Mr. Alfred Gadzirai Chisango
(by Memory Chirere)

We were frantically looking for stray coins
between the rail lines when we saw him.
First we saw the felt hat with a hole
rising from the pebbles and the wood and iron work.
We drew closer and he raised a hand and pointed at his mouth.
‘Water and food, perhaps,’ we thought.
Later he munched bread and drank a coke
and thanked the gathering villagers.
He looked back across the boarder
and appeared to see what we didn’t see.
Then he sat up and opened a brief case.
There were no clothes or money in there
but papers and old newspapers
Then he brought out many – many certificates
and beckoned at us to come see.
Caetano went very close to him
and peered at the certificates and old newspapers:
‘He is from Zimbabwe
and the certificates say he is a teacher, a good educated man.’
Caetano paced up and down and reasoned:
‘Take him to the school and he can teach us a few things.’
That is how Mr. Alfred Gadzirai Chisango
got to teach us Algebra, History and Creative Writingand would spice it with: ‘the sanctions back home are no fun, guys.’