Dark times begin

In December 1973, my mother abandoned me and my brothers Bartholomew and Abraham. My father was not there – I think he was travelling spreading the Christian gospel all over the continent.

Our eldest brother Norman, who worked in Bulawayo, came and took all his belongings. He was moving out of our home permanently, to set up his own home in Sipililo. Mother left with him.

Soon after, it dawned on Bartholomew and Abraham that we were on our own. They decided to leave home too. They sold the chickens we had to raise the bus fare to follow mother to Guruve.

I was left alone in our home without anyone to look after me. My Aunt Ruth, who lived nearby our home, refused for me to live with her. No one bought me groceries.

I lived on wild fruits and fruits from the orchard, took care of our livestock and went to school, pretending that life were normal. I became a beggar among my own people.

Sometimes Aunt Ruth would call me to her house to offer me a plate of fresh food when she was in a good mood. It was almost a year before Grandma Bassi realised that I was living alone. She suggested that I live with her in her house. But life with her was no better –she beat me and neglected me.

Finally, my grandfather said it would be better if I want to my mother in Guruve. I left for Guruve in August 1976. It was the first time I saw my mother since her departure in 1973.

[Note from Damaria: I think more explanations are needed as to the family situation. Issues like why the mother left, why the other kids were left alone. And what happened to the girls? Gaps like this are a major reason I asked my colleague to interview Amos, so we can include more detail for context.]

My life became normal again – I was living with my mother, and we used to go to church for mid-week services and Sunday services.

I was just about to get comfortable when we began to receive messages that war was already in our boundaries.

The Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), a militant wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union was using Kanyemba in Mashonaland West as their entry point.

The Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), formed during the 1960s by the nationalist leader Jason Moyo, the sometime deputy of Joshua Nkomo was using Kazungula in Mashonaland West as their entry point.

These armies were coming from Mozambique and Zambia respectively. Land mines were planted mainly in major roads. Young boys and girls in village were rounded up and forced to provide labour in white farms. We were trapped on all sides.