Travelling across Africa is always a pleasure, particularly when one has no money and they trust in the goodness of people. Believe you me, when it comes to sharing, we are big on it and we do it definately big.
I got out of Zimbabwe clutching some coins. Three in all; South African rands; saved by my mother from her last trip down South. Enough to buy me 500ml of coca cola . I could have made a withdrawal of 20m from my bank account in Zimbabwe, and changed it on the parallel market for us dollars or rands. The former would be about 5 dollars, the latter; 35 rands.
But to go through the hassles again! The 15 rands my mother gave me were enough to buy coca cola. I approached a coke vending machine at the Johanesburg airport with unease. They were displaying the precious liquid which has become rare back in my homeland.
With a click you select the flavour and voilà, out it comes. Money is in abundance here. I did not see any queues. The machine told me to slot in a rand for the drink. I did and waited. Nothing happened. The seconds ticking by as I stared at the machine brought a nauseating feeling of the wait I had the other day at Barclays for the ATM to dispense some cash. I had waited four hours... and Nothing came out.
"Put 7 rands!" I hear a sweeper bellow over my shoulder. Instinctively I dig into my reserves for the other 5 rand, and smile as he takes over the machine, pushes a few buttons, and cold fanta comes out of the machine in a taut package.
He looks at me and smiles at the miracle he has made happen. "Do you have any more rands to spare?" he asks. I look at him and reply in honesty, " I only have 5 rands left" He is determined though. "Do you want to use them?"
I want to take him to a seat close by and explain that there is no way I am going to part with the last coin that seperates me from coinlessness but I think, no; a little dignity would be necessary. I tell him, politely, "Yes. Sorry"
For the next couple of hours I roam the alleys of joburg airport, musing at what I could buy if I had money;lots of money. I come to a digicam shop and I am stunned at a 10,1 megapixel machine, silver reflex labelled Lumix. Its an upgrade of my own lumix which I left at home with my woman.
I am about to bolt as I see the price when a burly woman, the shop attendant flashes a smile and approaches. I am caught. She gives a sales pitch that would shame any executive, and says the camera would suit a journalist like me, " How could she tell?"
My brain goes into overdrive; its a machine to have this. Oh if I could just afford it?! I remember how I bought the first one...500euro it cost me, thanks to the untold benevolence of the Catholic Church...
I manage to slink away from her on the pretext that I need to check if I can get some money downstairs. She warns me there's another shop exactly like hers there, and "You will see the same camera, but please heh, dont buy it. Come up stars and buy from me because you are my customer"
I should have escaped her had my plane not been leaving at gate A23. Her shop is quite near gate 23.... Later I was to pass again near her shop. I cast a sheepish glance at her broad welcome, and managed a sorry "It did not work out, maybe another time". She smiled back then quickly sought out another customer.
Our departure was delayed because someone missed the flight. I wondered whether they had enough money to hire a cab to the airport.... Maybe they only had 15 rand...
