It was Monday 14 January that year, Secondary and Primary schools opening day, vabereki vese vaimhanya mhanya kutenga mabhuku nekubatanidza mari dzechikoro kuti vana vavo vandotanga gore rechikoro zvakanaka.
CHAPTER 1
Stories by: Rutendo Lovely Nzira
Mhuri yaBaba namai Makonese muguta reHarare kuMarimba Park, was one of them, for their only son Takunda Makonese was going to St Matthias High School, a Catholic School that was 70km outside Harare, kwaaiita Form 6 gore iroro. Aive mwana ega, the apple of daddy’s eye, the joy to his mother, vaimuda, ndiye wavairaramira.
Even their friends and relatives vaiti kana vasvika vaiti zveavo hazviteedzerwi vanoita mwana wavo kunge tese tisina vana. Asi vese vaisave nehanya nazvo, vaidanana vakadaro, mhuri yavo yaivafadza vakadaro. Takunda aiwana more than necessary things, even things that he would jokingly mention or simply admire in passing, baba namai vake vaimupa asina kutaura kechipiri.
Like the Biblical Jabez, Takunda akange azvarwa mukurwadziwa nekuchema kwamai vake, nhoroondo of the circumstances surrounding the birth of this fine teenager is a story and a half for another day.
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| Train Up a Child |
That Monday, the domestic workers of the Makonese home were running around, the house maid packing and unpacking Takunda’s luggage, the driver and an assistant loading in the car, zvombobudiswa zvovhurwa zvodzorerwa zvakare. Dai vaifamba one continuous journey ah kana boader Nyamapanda vaindosvika musi uyu. Apa Takunda aishamarara nekutukirira vashandi vairongedza muAmarok yababa vake, all gadgets zvairambidzwa kuchikoro, iye aienda nazvo by hook and crook.
Semazuva ese achienda kuchikoro, airongedza monach rake rezvekupfeka riri rega, rebhutsu rega, rechikafu rega. Then boxes of a computer, home-theatre system, Ipods and play-stations, and countless DVDs and memory sticks, loaded with heaven-knows-what-nonsense, ndozvaipinda muAmarok with the driver and an assistant to offload kana vasvika , iye nevabereki vake vari vatatu vaizotevera vari kumashure iye mwanakomana achidriver BMW yababa vake kusvika ku St Matthias High School.
Apa cellfone yaTakunda yakabva yarira ndokudaira achifamba famba and later came back oti kuna amai vake, “Mum, let me quickly go back to that boutique to return the sneakers they just called vawana the color yandange ndichida.” Amai vasati vapindura, baba vakadaidzira vakamira pamota panze vachiti; “Just get a second pair sonny, why return that pair? You may need both.”
Takunda smiled achindopinda mune imwe mota oenda mutown to do his sneakers business.
Later on that day, just before sunset the Makonese family motor-duo yakasvika paSt Matthias Mission, boys’ hostel. Boarding Master vaGondo vakamhanya mhanya helping the assistants to make Takunda as comfortable as the Mission would allow, kwavari zvaibhadhara from both Takunda wacho nababa vake.
After their grant entry into the Catholic Mission Farm, vakazopfuura nekuMission House vachikwazisa vapikiri maSister nemafata, semaitiro avo vaivasiira zvipo. Baba namai ava vaive maKatorike akakwana aichengeta varanda vaMwari muchurch zvaizikanwa chero naArch-Bishop. Vakasiya vakomekedza vana Sister vaishanda kuHigh School kuti vachengete mwana wavo nekumudzidzisa tsika neunhu zvaitsanangurwa mumabhuku eKatikasi yechitendero chechi Katorike...
At the hostel, the 5 A’Level boys, known as the Big 5 or team TK were sitting vachidya biltong nekunwa some energy drinks zvakange zvauya naTakunda, while updating each other zvakange zvaitika during the holiday, and their plans for that term. Mumwe wevakomana ava ainzi John Zuva akabva ati; “Ini guys my report was all red, mudhara akandirova ne electric cord, ndakaita holiday yese kumusha kwaMuchekayaora nemoms yamudhara shamwari, ndichirara muround hut maive nehuku yairarirawo mazai ayo boy, this term I will study, that experience was hell.”
Vakomana vese vakamboseka vachiwanzira mumwe wavo. Takunda akabva ati; “Jay Zee wakapinda ma1, Inini never will I fail, vanenge vaenda kupi vana Sir Makore dzinogara dzakachona, dzinobhadhara child maintenance yeHarare yese”.
Vakomana vakamboseka teacher wavo, Takunda ndokuenderera; “he will always sell me passed test papers and a good report, even paO’Level final exam chaiyo he did a good job, exchanging and rewriting exam papers for me from the Deputy Head’s office, so my dad and mum know that their son is mwaaaah, I had more A’s than most of you vaiverengaka hahahaha.” vakomana vakamboseka, John achibva ati; “Be careful this term TK, hanzi Makore akaenda kuSouth Africa, so uchatanga ani manje, vasara vese vanogara maRosary ari muhuro vanoramba bribe dzako.” Patrick Payarira akabva ati; “Let’s just study guys tipase A’Level zvipfuure izvi, we can still enjoy paholiday, but this term let’s be serious. ”
Takunda akaseka achiti; “P Square unotyawo iwe too much, ease boy.” The sirene for supper time went off vachibva vasimuka voenda to their dining hall. Vana vese were happy and noisy vachionana, Sr Maria-Goretti Boarding Mistress vakatora nguva nekutozobata shamhu kuti vanyaradze vana ava kuti paitwe munamato wekudya. Rakave sadza nebeans zvekurasa chaiko nekuti vese vakange vachine roasted chicken nezvimukuyu from home.
Vakagara kudaro muA’Level Dining Hall pakasvika musikana aitaura naSister, John akabva ati; “Kakabatanaka aka kaO’Level Vice Headgirl, hakaite.” Patrick akasimudza musoro achiti; “Ndekekumaraini kwedu kuGlen View usadherere, amai vacho vanovava too bad, like mother like daughter haupushe ipapa, ndomavirgin Mary aya, amai vacho vakatopanama necement boy, sealed hauvhure.” Vakaseka vese vakatarisa the Vice head girl of St Matthias High School.
TK akazhinya ndokusimudza a clenched fist ndokuti; “PSquare let’s bet guys, I will disvirgin the virgin Mary wacho iyeye, even if it means using the rosary and the bible, so be it.” Vese vakaseka again Sister Maria Gorretti ndokufamba towards them, when she got there everyone was serious she failed to see where the noise had come from.
Vachingobva Patrick akabva ati; “Unoflasher dollars TK but I tell you that girl is not moved, ukamugona then uri munin’ina waSatani boy” they laughed again, this time avoiding attention to themselves. “PSquare you are right, anonzi Dorothy musikana uyo, remember even teachers for that post yaVice Headgirl they choose the most brilliant and well disciplined Form 4 girl , so apo haubate.”
Takunda smiled and said; “We will see about that, watch the space guys.” Aitaura akatarisa musikana uya akange akamira naSister, licking his lips like a rabid dog. Vakabva vazobuda voenda kumahostels avo, to rest and prepare for the first day of school.
The following day, the whole school assembled together, teachers and students, to mark their first gathering of the year, the Priest in charge of the Mission was also present to bless and encourage the children and teachers alike. After singing the National anthem, Church Choir yakaimba rwiyo “Ngaarumbidzwe kudenga denga”, vachitenda Mwari nekudzoswa vese as one big happy family to learn and be educated.
VaGwatikudza headmaster of St Matthias High School vakabva vati; Today I want to teach you about PEER PRESSURE, what is it?
What is peer pressure? :Peer pressure is when we feel compelled to act a certain way because we want to fit in and be accepted by certain people.
• Nobody wants to be the person who gets talked about or laughed at. But, unfortunately, sometimes we lose focus of who we really are because it becomes more important to us to just fit in, especially when we're young like this.
• Most of the times the pressure that you feel as teenagers involves superficial things, like dressing, talking, behaving in a certain way to be considered cool. We have to have the name-brand clothes or shoes.
• Or maybe the pressure involves doing things that we think everyone else is doing. How many people here started drinking or getting high because everyone else was doing it and they didn't want to feel left out?
• Or maybe the pressure involves doing something illegal. Maybe your friends were in on something and you went along and joined in because you didn't want them to think that you didn't have heart or that you were scared.
• Maybe you got caught doing something while you were just trying to fit in and go along with someone else. Or maybe you were the one who convinced one of your friends into doing something wrong. So, first off, we sometimes feel pressure from our friends.”
• Nobody wants to be the person who gets talked about or laughed at. But, unfortunately, sometimes we lose focus of who we really are because it becomes more important to us to just fit in, especially when we're young like this.
• Most of the times the pressure that you feel as teenagers involves superficial things, like dressing, talking, behaving in a certain way to be considered cool. We have to have the name-brand clothes or shoes.
• Or maybe the pressure involves doing things that we think everyone else is doing. How many people here started drinking or getting high because everyone else was doing it and they didn't want to feel left out?
• Or maybe the pressure involves doing something illegal. Maybe your friends were in on something and you went along and joined in because you didn't want them to think that you didn't have heart or that you were scared.
• Maybe you got caught doing something while you were just trying to fit in and go along with someone else. Or maybe you were the one who convinced one of your friends into doing something wrong. So, first off, we sometimes feel pressure from our friends.”
“Today as your headmaster, I advise you, do not be someone who blends in too easily with the crowd and you are comfortable being in the company of unsaved, undisciplined, rebellious people.
As a school we have set up Christian Groups where you meet every Sunday afternoon and discuss issues the godly way, we have Nzanga yaSimon Peter for boys and Nzanga yaMaria for girls, and also the Charismatic Renewal, we want to groom prayer warriors that will save our nation, we want to breed prayerful leaders.
Kwete zvidhakwa zvinofamba zvakarembedza mabhurugwa hanzi ndokuva cool.” Vana vese vakaseka as their Headmaster imitated dropping his pair of trousers the teen-fashion way and walked towards them.
Headmaster vakafamba vachienda to the senior students who were at the back, ndokuvati;
“Be good examples to the new Form one students and other young ones, zvamunoti kuve cool will lead you faster to your grave kwaunondove cool graduating to cold underground zveshuwa.
Church Choir, can I have the song “Mambo ndinotenda nechipo chavabereki” VaGwatikudza vakabata microphone yavaitaurisa nayo ndokutanga kuimba pamwe chete nevana;
Mambo ndinotenda nechipo chevabereki
Makavapa simba negrasiya renyu,
Vakandirera ndinotenda
Ndinokumbira muvapewo rugare
Muvasimbisewo muchitendero
Muchitarisiro nemuchido
Ndinotenda vabatsiri vese
Vamakapa moyo uzere tsitsi,
Vakomborerei kuti
varambe vachipupura
Nezvechitendero chenyu.
Ndingavatendewo neikooooooo
Chikoro chese chakaimba, vaive vakabata ngoma nehosho vachidzitindimura kusvika munhu wese ave kuzununguka, after that the Priest came forth and stretched his hands towards the pupils;
“Let us pray: In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, honai vana vedu ava, may you remind them of their core business at this school.
Teach them kufadza vabereki uye kutenda vabereki vavo vanovada kudai through discipline and hard work. You are the greatest teacher Lord Jesus, the staff members here are simply your assistants. Give us enough of the Holy Spirit at this place to succeed pane zvese zvatinoita zvinokufadzai, zvipe mbiri kunaJesu Kristo iye Mwari kwemisi isingaperi.…. AMEN”
Vana vakazofamba vese voenda to their respective classrooms, while the Form 1 and other new students stayed behind. That was the beginning of the term for Takunda Makonese at St Matthias Catholic High School
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