The Sunday News
Highway to Success
SOFIA first met Nyati when he came to her father’s house in Mufakose. She tells us that right from the beginning, she could not help but notice that the fat man exerted an overwhelming influence on her father. Nyati made it clear to Joseph Takundwa that he did not know that he had such a beautiful girl.
Today we pick it up from the time Sofia says Nyati looked at her the way a dog looks at a piece of roasted meat. His eyes resembled those of a puff-adder that is about to strike. While Takundwa was busy talking about Nyati’s businesses, the eyes of the latter were permanently focused on Sofia. Nyati is impressed by Sofia. He says he could use her talents to advertise some of his cosmetics from the beauty products factory. She has all the qualities of a model; beautiful face, graceful figure, and the aura of innocence.
In the same vain Takundwa is impressed by Nyati’s comments about his daughter. Takundwa keeps on nodding approving what Nyati is saying to the chagrin of his daughter. Are Nyati’s comments genuine or they are made by a wolf in a sheep’s skin? Sofia says: “I looked at my father and wondered what it was that he was nodding his head so vigorously for?” Nyati tells Sofia’s mother that she should never let her daughter out of sight.
He says: “Do not let these good for nothing little boys that are always looking for jobs get anywhere near.” Nyati says all this in order to protect his own interests. He suddenly broke into another thunderous laughter and was immediately joined by her father. Sofia says, however, it was clear to her that her father did not know what he was laughing about. Nyati talks about a new job in the market called “looking for a job.” Nyati strengthens his resolve saying “Looking for a job” will be the permanent job for these good for nothing lazy fellows, 10 to 15 years experience.
Proceeding, Nyati said: “And there are all sorts of qualifications for that job; even graduates with high sounding university degrees, ‘looking for a job’ is their job! A beautiful girl like you Sofia must watch out for these useless fellows who are members of that kind of profession.” Nyati was doing all this to crush all competition from young men who might be interested in Sofia. He was an old man so wanted to use his riches to win over Sofia. Lack of jobs in the market is presented in a humorous way by Nyati.
Nyati emphasises that it is almost impossible to find a job. Paper qualifications no longer matter. He brings in an element of corruption. Degrees, diplomas are a thing of the past. It is now a matter of “who knows you” that makes a difference between getting a job and not getting it. Takundwa agrees with Nyati but it becomes very clear that they are operating at different wavelengths. Takundwa says: “These days it is indeed who you know that is more important than passing.”
But Nyati immediately disagrees with him saying: “It is not who you know that matters, but it is who knows you that is important. What I mean here is that these days it is no longer enough just to know important people. You have to go further than that. You have to expose yourself to the people that matter. People like us are the people who should know you.” Nyati says they are the people who should know Sofia, not some little squirrels with stomachs full of ants.
Nyati mocks saying: “Stomachs full of ants and heads full of useless degrees.” He says he is going to his factory in town and is going to fire so-called university graduates, absolutely useless fellows. He says he wonders what they learn at that university of theirs. They are only good at demonstrating and burning Government cars in town. They must be fired if they are good for nothing. He goes on to give a new meaning of ESAP. We know it as Economic Structural Adjustment Programme. He says because of ESAP they no longer talk about firing of workers but retrenching useless fellows. But there is something ironic about Nyati and Takundwa when Sofia looks at them. They were friends but two worlds apart.
Nyati was short and plumb and jovial while her father, Takundwa, was tall, thin and weary. Nyati’s laughter was loud and confident while her father’s laughter was hollow, metallic and empty. Nyati looked very much in control, but her father looked more like a feather trapped in a storm. Sofia wonders how in this world could such different personalities ever be friends.
Nyati sees Takundwa and Fatima’s youngest daughter, Tabitha. He offers her sweets and after some days she disappears. What happened to her? I smell a rat. Of all the friends and relatives who came to console her parents, Mr Nyati was the most outstanding. Find out how in the next issue.
For views link up with [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> or sms only to 0772113207.
