Kris Massie's memories of Kitwe.
Part 3
When our son was approximately 10 months old I obtained the services of a nanny and I was able to resume work and by getting back to work it was a means of meeting people and making friends.
My first work was as Credit Controller and mastering an NCR accounting machine (huge and cumbersome] for Vennie Myers Gowns, a dress shop in Coronation Square (later re-named Kaunda Square after the first president at Independence). The owner, a widow, Vennie Myers, started her chain of three clothing shops with the others in the towns of Ndola and Chingola. She initially made her way round houses selling her wares from a suitcase carried by her African employee, named Engine, who became her driver and right-hand man as it were.
What a formidable and memorable woman she was! I estimated her age as possibly in her 60's, blonde curls piled atop her head, bright red lipstick and nail varnish to match, always wearing a dramatic black dress and high heels not to mention smoking from a long cigarette holder. Elegance personified was she who ran her shops by means of strictness and good customer service. This completed her picture and it was akin to something from a film to see her, every inch so decked out and in absolute authority.
The longer I worked there the more I got to know a bit more about her life and learned that they had been in the country a long time. Her late husband had been a keen photographer and I was to see some of his excellent work. I felt that her business was her life and kept her from being too lonely. She also had a deputy – in fact we were ‘an all women’ lot on the staff! The rest of the employees worked from behind the counters selling the clothing and helping in the changing rooms. Our mentor often came out of her downstairs office to greet customers and to give advice on whether a garment suited or to check the fit. I think she had her ear to the ground at all times! Her stock ranged from underwear to dresses, cocktail frocks and wedding gowns and she also employed a seamstress for alterations when and where necessary.
The rains, that first working year of 1964, were late in fact so late they arrived at the beginning of December and the large raindrops crashed down on the corrugated iron roof – a noise that was so loud you couldn’t hear or be heard to speak. We were just under it as our accounting office was on a balcony gained by way of a staircase toward the rear of the shop. Additionally, imagine how hot we were with the heat rising from the floor below and eventually one fan was installed but it just blew hot air around!
I dashed from the office that day to the pavement and into the warm rain and I got soaked of course but, on returning to the shop I was dry in 10 minutes!
Sleep at night became almost impossible for we were yet to have the luxury of air conditioning and we hadn’t yet bought a fan either.
On my walk home from town one day as I drew abreast of our lounge windows through which I could see our home help dancing! Now this alarmed me for what was he up to when we were out? Intent on having a word with him I fortunately held my tongue … thank goodness I did, for although he was dancing he was in fact polishing the floor! Each foot was slipped under the canvas grip of the floor brushes and he was moving his feet around doing just that, polishing! What a novel idea I though and one which I would remember and use myself one day - it beats getting down on one’s hands and knees.
I had grown vegetables before and was used to waiting for days before any green emerged from the soil. So imagine my delight and astonishment when the green shoots from the planted seed were literally seen the next day – that’s the tropics for you!
I eventually met up with the occupants of the flat across the road. Yvonne’s husband Tony, a salesman at Duly Motors, an energised and quite mad, lovely person. Yvonne was attractive and very serene – the exact opposite of Tony and they had two small boys. Having gone over for tea one day with son, I was informed by Yvonne well into the visit that one of her two had measles! I charged out of there but, too late. he caught it and the little fellow was certainly ill with a good dose of overall cloned spotting giving him a red hue. I kept him in his cot with curtains drawn as one of the complications which could occur was to eyes and I was taking all precautions. His nanny had strict nursing instructions as I could not take time off work. On arrival home one afternoon I was to find him, beetroot red and laden with jerseys … these were very quickly removed! It was then that I learned when African children became ill it was thought better to keep them warm, no matter how hot the weather! Fortunately a full recovery was made with no after effects.
Tony bought a radio controlled ‘plane, for his boys really, but it certainly brought the kid out in him. With my son, Yvonne, Tony and their sons we drove to the old airfield one day – Tony was to show his offspring how to fly it. He had a few trial runs down the runway and then decided he’d had enough practise at the controls, so got it into the air … and then … lost control. Oh!! It was one of the funniest episodes I have ever watched as Tony, desperate to get it back, ran down the runway trying whatever controls he could to turn the thing around. Alas, he had lost complete control and all was in vain as we watched the ‘plane growing smaller and smaller off into the wide blue yonder. How crest fallen were our children’s faces as we drove home – never mind Tony’s!
Margaret Tait:-
Lovely to hear about Vennie Myers, thank you. Our friends, Rosemary and Colleen Allanson, had all their frocks from her in the late 50s and early 60s. Fabulous clothes. Colleen's wedding dresses - for all of the bridal party - came from the shop too. I was the youngest and loved my dress.
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