Kwacha!

You just won’t believe it….I’ve managed to get back in touch with Kwacha, the man who used to tell me Malawian children’s stories while he cooked, usually standing on one leg! He was the most fabulous person and I’m so excited, that after nearly 15 years, I spoke to him on the phone the other day.
I wrote three identical letters about a month ago and sent them to the three addresses that we had for him, not really knowing if he’d still be there but hoping that one at least might eventually reach him. Well, one arrived and Kwacha’s brother opened it and then phoned him to let him know that I was looking for him. He told him I was at Malamulo, so Kwacha found the number and phoned the secretary asking to speak to me except I was teaching at the time. He left his number with her and she later came to me with a piece of paper saying Mr. Mhango from ESCOM called…
Now, I didn’t immediately twig because we’ve been waiting for someone from ESCOM, which is he electricity company out here, to contact us about our bill. They sent us one asking if we’d mind, ever so kindly pay the outstanding charges from June, 2006! Umm, well no we won’t actually because that includes a whole year before we got here, and since people liberally help themselves on their way past to water from our standpipe, I think it might just be a little over the top! So I got home prepared to call this Mr Mhango and inform him that ESCOM wouldn’t be seeing anyone of our money until the bill was sorted out…I got such a surprise, one of those ones that happens so rarely that I just couldn’t say anything. I called me Clare-la and my other baby nick-name (which I won’t divulge!) and sounded just like he always had. It was great! All his family are well, his girls are married and have babies, his boys are doing well at college – but the best thing is that he is in Blantyre – only an hour away! I’m going to give him another call and arrange a time to see him – I can’t wait…