Kris Massie's memories of Kitwe.
Part 18
I must relate one of No 1 son's escapades which unnerved us apart from its ingenuity. Late on a Saturday afternoon when Esther, who had opted to work that day, went to find him in the garden as she’d run his bath, he and his tricycle were nowhere to be found. He had only been seen some 10 minutes before and now he had disappeared.
We searched the entire garden without result. The tall driveway gates were closed but nevertheless Esther decided to search further - every inch of the Close plus all the friends homes. Nothing! She went off round the corner to the small playground park she often took him to and still nothing. Despite having just washed my hair and with curlers in situ hopefully hidden under a scarf, I made the decision to go to the television studio just up the hill in Freedom Avenue to see if they’d put out a message for our blonde haired boy. As I got there they were in the middle of the news and I would have had to wait. A sudden hunch or was it instinct again, led me to check the shopping precinct across the way.
And where did I find him? In a Perry’s Greek Delicatessen-Bakery sitting on the counter eating ice cream from a cone … Perry whom we knew well said he couldn’t remember whose little boy he was as he saw so many … My son had got on his tricycle, opened and closed our tall gates behind him, pedalled all the way to the precinct plus crossed the very busy Freedom Avenue. He had ‘parked’ in a parking bay outside the shop!
Our relief was so great that the only admonishment was to tell him that fast cars would run over him and if there was anything he wanted he was to tell me first. He promised never to repeat, and I am relieved to say he didn’t!
When No 2 son was about five, our doctor announced he should have his tonsils out as she was so sure this was the cause of his continued infections. A five page typed letter was given to the consultant at Nkana Mine Hospital. Husband had by then become Manager of the Copperbelt Agricultural Show Society which was part Rhokana Mine managed. I was somewhat annoyed with the consultant as he insisted on calling me ‘mother’ instead of by my proper name and we also had a bit of a controversial conversation when he asked me why I thought my son should have his tonsils removed! In return I simply referred him to the more than adequate letter he had in front of him. I learned later he could be somewhat difficult when in pain from a back problem he suffered, but there was no need to take it out on me!
After this everything went smoothly and I was blood type cross-matched as a precaution. As I waited for him to ‘come round’ I read the notes that were at the end of his bed to find the consultant had only referred to me as an ‘I told you so Mother!’ Too right!!
Best of all we did not look back after this ‘cure all’ and his health improved greatly.
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