Visit Every City

August 9th, 2023

I heard the roosters crow and a couple of cats fighting outside my open window. The cool morning air crept in and I opened my eyes and checked the time. It was still very early, in fact the sun wasn’t even up yet. I wanted to maximize the time we had with Mike but I also didn’t want to wake anyone else up if they were still sleeping. I stepped onto the cold tile floor, slipped my jacket on, opened the bedroom door, and laid back down for a while to write and read. It was a couple hours before I heard any of the guys stirring.

I said good morning to Mike and then stepped outside to feel the warmth of the sunshine and to see the garden. Mike’s garden is very well maintained and has a variety of flowers and plants. I loved seeing the desert plants, the banana trees, and the olive tree that he planted in honor of his late wife Primrose. As I walked around the yard I saw the two cats who had been fighting outside my window earlier. Mike later came outside and showed me the backyard and the food garden he planted in the small patch of land across the street. There was a beautiful view of a small mountain just beyond the garden. Just off to the right was an unfinished apartment building that has remained in its present state of disarray and decay for quite some time. Thankfully the view of the mountain from Mike’s house wasn’t blocked by its construction all those years ago.

Once everyone was awake we enjoyed a few cups of coffee together while talking about the state of the country and the world, and a little about the history and work of the Church of God. Soon it was time to get ourselves ready for the long journey home. The plan was, I would drive but only after we were out of Mutare. Mabasa figured it would be better for me to get used to the truck on the highway. Before climbing back into the pickup we said our goodbyes to Mike and made sure our bags were packed and loaded. We planned to stop somewhere and have a more substantial breakfast.

Once we were in the road and having good conversation, Mabasa just kept driving. He drove up out of the valley. He drove through the toll booths. He drove past the police checkpoints stopping minibuses. He drove past the horrific motorcycle accident scene somewhere near Headlands where the police were making sure the death of the rider was well documented and the evidence was undisturbed. He pulled off to the side at one point so we could buy some carrots to snack on that supplemented the snacks I had pulled out of my bag a while back. And then he continued on as if he hadn’t just done the same drive the night before, on into Harare.

There was some kind of presidential demonstration happening in the capital city. Some streets would be completely blocked off as bus loads of people were brought in for the event. Thankfully we were able to easily make our way into the city center where we were meeting a friend of Mabasa’s to secure some car parts. Nicholas (not to be confused with Nick) ended up climbing into the backseat of the pickup with me, catching a ride back to Kadoma with us. As we waited for the parts to be paid for and loaded, Nick and I checked out the facilities in a very nice hotel. If we had time we could have enjoyed a fresh cup of coffee there or perhaps some fine dining. But we had places to be so we headed back to the pickup where we discovered Mabasa had purchased a small glass fish tank with beautiful white stones at the bottom, a couple of aquatic plants, and about fifteen small fish of varying sizes. It was an impulse buy on the street which would look very nice in his home.

Before we left the city we needed to drop some bags of grain off at the home of Mabasa’s older sister, Juliet. As we approached her street the truck hit a few large bumps. The water in the small tank splashed up from the floor at Nicholas’s feet where it had been placed. We hadn’t anticipated such a problem. After a couple more small splashes I had Nicholas hand me the tank. In the past I’ve successfully drank hot coffee while walking and at one point even while getting in and out of a car and while driving. I had very few spills doing that (although the spills that did occur were usually catastrophic) and I wondered if that skill was transferable to this moment. Sure enough I could hold the tank and manage the bumps with minimal splashes. Needless to say the fish made it safely the last few yards to Juliet’s house where we set the tank on the ground outside as we unloaded the grain and came inside for a chat with her and Mabasa’s cousin Teresa.

After the short visit we climbed back in the pickup. All the way to Kadoma Nicolas, Nick, and I took turns holding the small fish tank trying to make sure as much water as possible stayed inside as Mabasa navigated the traffic, the speed bumps (aka traffic calming devices), the potholes, the cows, and the varying conditions of the roads. Poor Nicholas always seemed to get the largest and most unexpected bumps whenever he carried the tank. At one point, after carrying the tank for a while and having been in the same position since leaving Harare, my right knee started to hurt. For the longest time that’s all I could think of. I had trouble enjoying the beauty of the longest straight stretch of road in Africa or the yet green wheat fields along the way. It was a relief for my knee when we dropped Nicholas off in Kadoma, and I’m sure he had his fill of fish tank holding shenanigans at that point as well.

Once we pulled into the gate at the home of the Chichayas, we were greeted by the sweetest guard dogs and by Chisomo. Except for the news playing in the background the house was especially quiet since Crystal and Laila were visiting family in Zambia during their holiday from school. We had a nice meal (really our first meal of the day) and a chance to stretch our legs and relax with the Chichayas. Nick and I enjoyed an evening cup of coffee and did some blog writing before bed.

– Lewis VanAusdle

PS – If you would like to read Nick’s blog, you can find it here: Out of Vermont