It is Monday, winds are so
strong across the British Isles that we have been advised not to travel unless
very unnecessary.
I am quickly rushing across shops ready for
Christmas, two days away. As I speed around, violent gales are blowing
umbrellas off people’s hands. I watch an elderly woman battling with the
gadget- a classic argument with nature.
Umbrella says: “Let me
protect her. I cost her money, you know. I am expensive.”
Wind replies: “You can’t.
I am strong. I am the universe.”
Umbrella protests: “Have
you nothing else to do? Why don’t you go to the distant valleys where you
belong? What are you doing in our cities?”
Wind blasts harder; making
noises, offering a cruel and distasteful expression.
The hand of the woman
tries desperately to hold on to the plastic handle of the umbrella. The upper
part of the rain shield cannot resist the power of the brutal teeth of air and
tearing gusts.
Woman fails to walk with such
challenging gusts. She lets go. Umbrella falls off her hands, wind dashes off
victorious, looking for another victim.
Yes. Mother earth is in a
big mess. Just as I turn ready to pop into another shop, three people smile
brightly at me.
Smartly dressed, they
leave me assured that they are not beggars – for that is a normal sight in
London these days. Times are tough.
The lady has a blue dress;
her immaculate Parka Jacket protects
her from the storms. Her two male companions have standard gentlemen suits. All
three are holding pamphlets in their hands. First thought is they could be from
the tax department. But tax folks do not grin so cheerfully, they tend to be
mean and serious and officious.
The late writer Shaaban Robert (pictured)wrote in his
autobiographical collection of poems and prose Maisha Yangu Baada ya Miaka Hamsini (My Life After 50) - that “the
ears of the government are quick to hear the sound of money.” He worked in the
customs sector for two decades. This, however, is not colonial Tanganyika of 1940s.
We are in London and strong winds rule, end of 2013.
“Good morning sir.”
“Good morning.”
Hearty smile, beautiful
teeth.
“Enjoying your Christmas shopping?”
“Well, as you can see the
winds...”
They edge closer. So
friendly, I wish life was as friendly. It would be a much better existence.
“We are here to help you
cope.”
It is the lady speaking.
Her two companions, nod like the Simpsons
cartoons; one smiles to the pale,
stormy sky (which just thrashed another lady’s umbrella).
“God is giving us clues to
what we have to do.”
What the hell are they
talking about?
“Can you tell us your
name, sir?”
“Sorry I am in a rush, I
need to shop before the storms get worse; as you know Chris-”
“Christmas is here,” one
of the nodding Simpsons finishes off
my sentence. “And that is why we wanted to help.”
“Help me with money or
carrying my shopping bags? I appreciate.”
“Our help is better than
that. What is your name, Sir?”
“No names. Just let me
know what you want, please.”
They hand me brochures.
That is all they do. Honestly.
“As you can see I don’t
have a third hand.”
Blue Parka Jacket lady
stuffs a bunch of the colourful brochures into my shopping bags.
“What propaganda is this?
Communism? Al Qaeda? End of the world prophesies?”
Behind me is a couple that has already caught
the trio’s attention. New converts. Rain keeps flapping and winds continue
flattening umbrellas.
Later at home I look at
the material. Well written, with pictures of a world of happy men, women and
children. It espouses the truth and insists the end of the world is near, that
we are all sinners.
Which makes me recall an
article I read the week Nelson Mandela died: “Moral Poverty is the Biggest Challenge in the
21st Century” by Regina Kessy Blog- a UK based Tanzanian. Miss Kessy pleads for us to give more love
and copy Mandela’s example. Castigating religious propaganda and human
selfishness she says:
“I still find it peculiar
that in 21st century when we can all browse in the religious menu to choose
what we want, there are religions that market themselves by sending people to
knock on our doors and talk about their limited version of God, because they
think they got it right! They think it will be a shame if we don’t see it their
way and ascend to heaven with them. That is marketing God par excellence! ...Forgotten
is the idea that we are actually one...”
A great quote. Find this
blog and have a read please.
As Christmas passes and
New Year peeps around the corner, we should try forgetting religious differences
and re –educate ourselves on the way the world and nature works.
Also published in Citizen Tanzania...
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