There are days you just wake up to a new day without a plan. In such instances if you are not careful, those days will add to your wasted years. Days in which you do completely nothing but loaf around. I think one of the biggest regrets for some is the wasted years. And if you are living in the ghetto, you can spend acres of hours sitting on drainage bridges and street corners, doing completely nothing. I have seen grown-up men wake up every morning, dress up as if they have an appointment with destiny only to spent time at the local shopping centres from dawn to dusk, making fools of themselves.
But let me go back to my predicament, but first things first.
“Can I have my porridge,” I called out to Mai VaMaidei. She was pottering around in the kitchen. I knew she had done with preparing the maize meal porridge because she had switched off the gas stove.
She was tasting my patience. The door leading outside slammed shut and shortly afterwards, I could hear her gossiping with our neighbour, Mai Svinurai over the boundary fence that separated our match-box houses. I was tempted to serve myself but my upbringing in the village weighed me down. The kitchen and everything in it belonged to women.
“I am coming!” She called out but I could still hear the chattering. It was all gossip and nothing else.
The children were outside playing. I could hear the distinct kicking of a home-made ball, going back and forth. Each time the ball was kicked, I could hear the sound, boom!
I put on my white T-shirt, emblazoned on the back in black, it was written,”Manage Your Life.”
I had absolutely no plan for the day. At the back of my mind, I knew that as usual I would end up drifting to Zororo Bar where I would meet with my friends, Baba VaTata, Fatso and Rasta.
- Biggest regret is wasted years
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The new year had just unfolded. Should I continue with my old life? Moving from pillar to post without any tangible plan to improve my life circumstances? I had not achieved even one of my resolutions for the previous year. I could not bring myself to make a new set of resolutions as the previous year’s resolutions were like an albatross around my neck.
I heard footsteps as Mai VaMaidei came back.
“Your porridge is ready,” she said as she brought it. The porridge was still too hot and I had to wait for it to cool down for three or four minutes.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Said Mai VaMaidei.
I grunted inaudibly as I tried to figure out what was so important to be chatting with Mai Svinurai so early in the morning. One thing for sure, we were not getting any younger. Our old habits and actions had to change if we had to make a positive impact in our twilight years.
She started making preparations to go to the market. From the basket, she selected some of the red tomatoes which had become rotten and threw them away in the small garden at the back.
“There are too many of us traders at the market and few customers these days,” she complained.
After I finished eating the porridge, I pushed the plate away and it made a rattling noise as it slid on the floor.
“It’s because, there are no jobs to be found, the number of street traders is going to treble this year,” I said.
“I hope you are not going to meet with your good-for-nothing friends and drink beer all day,” said Mai VaMaidei bitterly. Her words stung like bees as I avoided looking into her eyes.
She had a point there. I had to run away from my past life. But what could I do without capital?
Maybe I could start a car wash business. It did not require much capital. I ran down a list of possible businesses I could start but most of them required capital which I did not have access to.
I was determined that this new year couldn't be dark and gloomy. For all of us, we are expecting a prosperous new year with positive vibes. Happy New Year to everyone!
*Onie Ndoro
Onie@X90396982
