Thank you Mrs Patel

Back in the days I uses to work for MalawiNet where I started off as an assistant engineer, had a brief stint in marketing before heading off to manage the Lilongwe branch office. After a bitter argument with my boss, whom I never even got to see face to face, I relieved myself of the post and some one else took over. For a good eight months I never knew what my post was but I was basically running around carrying out installations. In those eight months there were three supervisors who came in and left due to various reasons including one who died. Then after that they decided to put me back as the supervisor which I rejected. After much persuasion I accepted but knew I had to find an escape plan very quickly. Luckily enough I managed to leave a few weeks later!

Anyway, that history is besides the point. Before I was moved to Lilongwe, our board of directors got wind that staff were planning a sit in. They thought one way of defusing the action was to give us gifts. So, we learnt, board member Mrs Patel directed we all be given fans - yes, the ones that blow air around! We received the 'gifts' with 'both hands' (manja awiri). It only transpired to us a month later what the true intention of the gifts were. And to be honest, we had planned no sit in whatsoever. However this gift has helped ever since. It has seen rough days, working a good 22 hours of the day on most days in summer. It has been tossed around when moving from Zingwangwa to Area 18 in Lilongwe and back to Blantyre, to Chirimba and back again to Lilongwe. It has borne the abuse of my nephew and now my son. I can foresee it lasting another year which means it must brace itself for more abuse from my baby son if the character of his bigger brother is anything to go by.

Geee, thanks Mrs Patel. Those fans are providing so much reprieve during the hot, sweaty nights of October!!