The Wisdom of Granny-Nothing for Free

Have I been harsh with you?' The question came after she threatened that I will have nothing to take with me to watch football. All I asked her was one kwacha to buy glucose power business. Her response was very unusual, ' go to my bedroom, pick my blue handbag and look for one kwacha in it.' I dashed to her bedroom as fast as possible and within seconds I was breathing fast with excitement after my eyes saw the hand bag, my hands searched everywhere there was nothing. When I told her I saw nothing she said, ' No no no there has been a big mistake, go to my neighbour Nyamusinanjowe she was here she took the one kwacha I remember she said she will give it to you.' I found myself running fast to the house of her neighbour, the neighbour smiled, ' good boy what have you come to get?' I told her my grandma said the money I need is with Nyamusinanjowe. The neighbour said wait here my boy. I waited for few seconds and hen she came she said , ' Oh my boy the money you need is with me but another friend Nyavwaramahamba wants to top up , so go and get one kwacha from her then you have more money to take with you to football. Convinced that I will now have two kwacha I ran fast, fast to the house of Nyavwaramahamba. I saw her standing with her husband all their eyes welcoming me. Before I opened my eyes she said, ' my husband Chiswakhata was just thinking about you, he is going to get his money just there at the hill and he was thinking if you go with him you can have two kwacha that will be your money to buy everything you want.' I smiled and started following her husband and when we reached where he said he would get money he said,' you see that bush?' I said yes. 'That is the one which owes us money,' Chiswakhata said with hands dug into his pockets. He continued saying, ' your grandma wanted you to know that there is nothing free in this world. If you want money for pleasure you have to work for it.' I furiously asked, ' Why she didn’t tell me straight away?' 'She wanted you to walk house by house and the elders have agreed that all children asking for things will be treated in that way to learn and see for themselves that money is not sand.' When I got home said, ' Next time pick a hoe, do piece work then you will have money of your own to take to watch football.' She unfolded a cloth and gave me one kwacha. This was how it was hard to get money off her; she wouldn’t give without giving a lesson