OUR MOVE TO LUSAKA

OUR FRIEND HENRY MATTHEE HAD BEEN WORKING FOR A MONTH IN ZAMBIA FOR A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WHEN HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE MIGHT BE A JOB FOR ME AS A PROJECT MANAGER. I HAD DONE PROJECT MANAGEMENT BEFORE ON LUXERY HOUSES AND SECURITY VILLAGES.

I GOT A CALL FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER ASKING FOR MY CV ON WEDNESDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2010. I SPOKE TO HENRY AGAIN & FOUND OUT THAT THE TURNAROUND TIME WAS 6 MONTHS. I THOUGHT THAT WAS TOO LONG TIME AWAY FROM MARIANNE & AFTER A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH HER WE DECIDED THAT 4 MONTHS WOULD BE THE LONGEST AND THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE DECIDING FACTOR WHETHER I WOULD GO OR NOT.

THE CEO, PHONED US SAID HE NOTICED ON MY CV I MENTION THAT MARIANNE & I RUN AN ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE FROM HOME & OFFERED HER A JOB AS WELL! A PACKAGE DEAL! HE GAVE US 2 HOURS TO DECIDE & THE REST IS HISTORY.

THE CATCH WAS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO START IN 10 DAYS. WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED OUR PLANS & BY 13H00 THE NEXT DAY WE DECIDED TO STORE OUR HOUSE CONTENTS & RENT OUT THE HOUSE.

WE WOULD SELL THE ONE CAR & LEND THE OTHER TO TREVOR FOR SAFEKEEPING. AND SO THE MADNESS STARTED! WE HAD TO TRANSFER OUR ENTIRE HOUSE INTO A 6X3m LOCKUP & DID THAT WITH MY BAKKIE AFTER THE PROMISE OF A TRUCK TO HELP US DID NOT MATRIALISE. (DON’T YOU JUST HATE THOSE TYPES WHO PROMISE & DON’T DELIVER?)

I WENT TO MY PRESENT BOSS’S HOUSE AT 7 THE NEXT MORNING TO TELL HIM PERSONALLY & HIS WORDS TO ME WERE "GO FOR IT!" WE RECEIVED & SIGNED THE CONTRACT ON WEDNESDAY AND RECIEVED THE TICKETS ON FRIDAY.

WE ASKED LOUIS TO FETCH US AT 3PM ON SUNDAY BUT WE WERE ONLY FINISHED PACKING AT 4PM. I RODE OUT OF MOSSEL BAY ON BESSIE, JESSICA'S VUKA WITH MARIANNE & LOUIS, TREVOR, BERENICE AND BRUCE IN TOW FOR THE FINAL STORAGE & THEN LEFT FOR GEORGE. WE REALLY GONNA MISS TREV & MARTHA, JOBY, BERENICE & DEBBIE THEY ARE GREAT FRIENDS, DESPITE TREVS GRUMPINESS! :)

WE HAD A BRAAI WITH FAMILY AT LEILA’S ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SAID OUR SAD GOOD BYES. LEFT FOR GEORGE AIRPORT MONDAY MORNING 1ST OF NOVEMBER. WITH LOUIS & LIZ & SAID MORE SAD GOODBYES THERE. I’M GONNA MISS LOUIS A LOT I KNOW, INSPITE OF NOT BEING TOGETHER A LOT HE WAS ALWAYS A TELEPHONE CALL AWAY.

FLEW TO JOHANNESBURG,
HAD A 4 HOUR STOP-OVER AND THEN TOOK ANOTHER PLANE TO LUSAKA. THE SMALLEST PLANE I'VE EVER BEEN ON (ABOUT 52 SEATER). ARRIVED, WITH THE PLANE DESCENDING THRU A HUGE PENDING THUNDERSTORM AT ABOUT 17H40. GOT THRU ALL THE CHECKS AT LUSAKA AIRPORT. THERE WAS WITH NO ONE TO FETCH US. THE PLACE SEEMED DESERTED EXCEPT FOR A HUGE POLICE FORCE. MANAGED TO DRAW MONEY, BOUGHT AN MTN SIM CARD AND CONTACTED HENRY, WHO WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT.


ONCE HE ARRIVED HE TOOK US TO OUR HOUSE WHICH WAS IN THE BACK OF SOMEONES YARD. WE WERE NOT HAPPY WITH IT, JUST LOOKING AT THE HANGERS IN THE CUPBOARD DECIDED IT FOR US!

NEXT HE TOOK US TO THE ARCADES SHOPPING COMPLEX WHERE WE HAD SUPPER AT THE OCEAN BASKET. HE CAME BACK WITH US & SLEPT AT OUR HOUSE. THE NEXT MORNING HE TOOK US TO THE OFFICE. WE WERE AMAZED AT THE TRAFFIC IN LUSAKA BUT THAT WAS NOT A TOUCH TO WHAT WE WOULD EXPERIENCE LATER!
WE WERE TAKEN AROUND BY THE OFFICE MANAGER TO MEET THE STAFF IN THE OFFICE. WE THEN WENT IN TO THE CEO & HAD COFFEE WITH HIM & CHATTED FOR A WHILE. REALLY NICE PERSON. WE MENTIONED THAT WE WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE HOUSE & IMMEDIATELY HE GOT THE OFFICE MANAGER TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER PLACE.


WE WERE KEPT BUSY THE WHOLE DAY AND IN THE AFTERNOON GOT SHOWN ANOTHER HOUSE, A SEMI DETACHED COTTAGE WITH 3 BEDROOMS, WHICH WE LIKED STRAIGHT AWAY BUT MORE ABOUT THE HOUSE LATER. WE THEN HAD TO FETCH OUR STUFF AT THE OTHER HOUSE & GOT BACK AT 8.30PM AFTER GETTING COMPLETELY LOST IN THE DARK. WE WERE INVITED TO SUPPER WITH THE CEO BUT HAD TO PHONE & CANCEL. WE PHONED DONOVAN, THE CARETAKER OF THE ESTATE & HE FETCHED US & GOT US HOME FINALLY.


HENRY PHONED ME AT 9PM AND WANTED US TO JOIN HIM AT THE RAPSODY RESTAURANT WHERE A JAZZ BAND WAS PLAYING. WE WERE TOTALLY EXHAUSTED & HAD TO TURN HIS OFFER DOWN. HE SAID MAYBE THAT WAS THE BEST AS HE WAS ALSO GONNA TURN EARLY. HE WAS LEAVING EARLY FOR CHINSALI. HIS LAST WORDS TO ME WAS THAT I SHOULD’N’T LET THE “PAPER PUSHERS” *(*&! ME AROUND OR I WILL NEVER GET MY PROJECT DONE. HE SAID TO MARIANNE “SEE YOU IN A MONTH” & THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THAT WE HEARD HENRYS VOICE.


THE NEXT MORNING I PHONED HENRY AROUND 6.30AM TO HEAR HOW THE TRIP WAS GOING BUT COULD NOT REACH HIM.


WENT TO WORK AT THE HOTEL SITE WHERE I WOULD BE THE PROJECT MANAGER TO FINISH OFF THE HOTEL.


AROUND 10AM WE GOT TOLD TO GO TO HEAD OFFICE FOR A MEETING WITH THE CEO. HE INFORMED BOTH OF US ABOUT HENRY'S DEATH. IT WAS JUST UNBELIEVABLE. I'LL NEVER FORGET THE LOOK ON MARIANNE'S FACE. I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I SAID WAS THAT I WILL HAVE TO TELL DEBBIE. MARIANNE DID'NT WANT ME TO BUT I FELT I HAD TO. MARIANNE THEN SAID AFTERWARD THAT IF I WANT TO I SHOULD. FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WE SAT STUNNED IN THE OFFICE, CRYING & LAUGHING UNTIL ABOUT 2PM WHEN THE CEO HAD TO GO TO ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. ON REQUEST WE WERE DRIVEN TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AND WAS DEVASTATED AGAIN. NO AMOUNT OF REASONING & TALKING TO THE LOCALS COULD MAKE US UNDERSTAND...


ON FRIDAY WE ASKED A FEW OF HENRY’S FRIENDS TO JOIN US FOR A DRINK ON HIM AT O’HAGANS WHERE HE WATCHED RUGBY THE PREVIOUS SATURDAY. IN THE PHOTOGRAPH IS 2 SOUTH AFRICANS, A LESOTOEATHEN (SIC, WTH DO YOU CALL PEOPLE FROM LESOTHO?) (QUANTITY SURVEYOR) , A ZAMBIAN (PROJECT MANAGER) AND A RUSSIAN (QS), ALL WORKING FOR OUR FIRM.
I ASKED THE HEAD OFFICE TO PLEASE MAKE US A WOODEN CROSS THAT WE COULD ERECT NEXT TO THE ROAD IN MEMORY OF OUR OLD FRIEND.

WHEN WE PICKED IT UP ON SATURDAY MORNING IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MARBLE CROSS THAT WAS MADE IN THE FACTORY AT HEAD OFFICE. WE COULD NOT FIND STENCILS OF ANY KIND SO ON SUNDAY MORNING WE HAD TO TRY OUR VERY BEST AT WRITING SOMETHING NEATLY ON THE CROSS. THIS WAS A LOT MORE DIFFICULT THAN WE THOUGHT AND THROUGH A LOT OF TEARS & CURSES WE FINALLY GOT IT DONE.


WE ASKED DONOVAN, FOR A SHOVEL TO DO THE WORK AND HE PROMPLY SENT GEORGE, ONE OF THE WORKERS ALONG WITH US TO DO THE WORK. WELL, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS VERY DIFFICULT AND EMOTIONAL. WHEN WE GOT THERE A COUPLE OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE CAME OVER & AFTER EXPLAINING WHAT WE WERE DOING, EVERYONE WANTED TO DO THE DIGGING & PLANT THE CROSS.

(THE ZAMBIANS ARE LIKE THAT, WONDERFUL CARING PEOPLE) WE EVEN HAD ONE OF THE ELDERS OF THE LOCAL CATHOLIC CHURCH COME OVER TO OFFER HIS CONDOLENCES (THAT’S THE BUSH TELEGRAPH AT WORK) & CHATTED TO MARIANNE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

WE RETURNED HOME & DID VERY LITTLE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.