Dan took the Isuzu NPR300 truck turning into Bindura road. He was ready and fully charged for the trip to his rural roots. Beside him he had two half-brothers eager to be visiting their families, specially their wives whom they had not seen for the last few weeks. They too had groceries loaded up. He picked up seven passengers on the way. He picked and dropped passengers at Mazowe Estates, Bindura, Nedziwa and Mount Darwin. He stopped to talk to friends at a shopping complex just before Ruya Bridge. Most of them had the shaven heads of members of various Apostolic Faith sects some with hooked shepard's staffs. He loaded up on perishables like a crate with a dozen freshly baked loaves of bread. In the back where three boxes of equal measurement with family groceries which he had made sure were not disturbed by travelers whom he picked. His half brothers were having paper bags full of goodies coming out of the shops. Normally they came by bus once every week or two but now that their elder half-brother was going by truck they had loaded up whatever they could not carry by convectional bus, fertilizer, cement, building material and asbestos sheets.

Finally he drove for his rural home towards Mukumbura border post. He stopped about thirty-eight kilometres from the Mukumbura turn off after Ruya Bridge. There was his rural home. After dropping his two half brothers at their various stands and offloading their wares, he retraced his path dropping off four parcels he had been sent with by other relatives before coming towards a hill whose houses were ringed in a wire fence of boxes less than fifteen centimeters square each.

There were about seven round huts built of brick under thatch, there were about two two-roomed brick under asbestos cottages and three larger brick under asbestos cottages. Like most of the people here, he had been born in a polygamous family where his father had three wives and about twenty-four children. He was the eldest from the second wife.

Dan greeted his father paying his respects to his mother and his father's wives. They thanked him for the monthly upkeep and the day's groceries. His mother's share was always more than the others for obvious reasons.

"Dan," the old man said. He was sitting on a canvas chair, an improvement from the wooden stools. There was electricity now replacing solar lights which were a good back up for load shedding. Fridges hummed television and radio sets blared mostly in the evening when all chores had been concluded. All the houses were painted, different colours, near where they were it was black at the bottom and sky blue at the top.

"Yes father," he replied. The old man cracked into a smile. "Did you hear what happened to my friend?"

"Your friend?" he asked.

"Old man Martin?" asked his father.

"You can tell me," he replied relaxing. He wore denim blue jeans, denim jacket, black t-shirt and black canvas shoes to match. He was self employed along with six half brothers and brothers that he had selected from all the three families within his father's harem. They bought and sold commodities as far as Beitbridge and Bulawayo.

"Martin went to sell tobacco in Harare. He did pretty well, at the last trip. He took a woman to her quarters where she asked him to bath first before sex. When he came out spotlessly clean, she had vanished alongside his USD $ 700," his father narrated.

Dan laughed. "I will talk to him father," he said. In their custom, though he treated his father's friend the same way he revered his father, he treated his father's friend like a friend. Dan drove to the homestead where his father's friend had four wives. They greeted. He walked to the kraal with the older man.

"So tell me about the USD$700," Dan said.

"It was nothing," the older man suggested.

"I am waiting," Dan coaxed the story out of the old man. "So if you saw the woman you would know here?"

"Positively, I would know here," the old man searched into his pockets and brought out a Samsung cell phone.

He flipped through the folders and selected images. He showed Dan.

"Hmm," Dan said. "How did you take her photos?"

"She didn't know I was taking her photos," he replied.

Dan looked at the woman in the photograph. She was selling wares, blankets, sheets, jeans etc at Boka Industries Tobacco Auction Floors. She looked to be around eighty kilograms in weight, tall and full of flesh with big pendulous breasts. Her hips were rounded and shaped to produce twins at a time naturally. Her teeth were white and even. She had a scar slightly above her eye or was it a birth mark. In height she was about a metre seventy-eight centimeters.

Dan scratched his head looking at the images. "Friend of my father?"

"Son of my friend?" asked the old man in return.

"We are going to find this woman," Dan said.

"How?"

"Can you come to Harare next week, you know my house in Glen View 3 extension," he asked. "Then we will work out how to get hold of her."

"And if we catch her son of my friend, what do we do?" asked the old man.

"We will think of the bridge when we come to the river friend of my father, next week, Wednesday," Dan said.

"Okay, son of my friend," he replied.

____________________________________________________________

"What you do friend of my father," Dan said at his Glen View 3 extension home. Outside were parked an Isuzu NPR300 and Nissan cabstar truck. "Is I will give you bus fare so that early in the morning, not now, around 0430hrs, you leave for Mbare, Chikwanha, Chigovanyika, Mbudzi, Hatcliff and any other places were wares are sold and look for the woman. Visit each place in the morning and check for an hour or two. Dark glasses and a hat please, she won't recognize you. She shouldn't."

"I hear you son of my friend," the older man replied sipping coffee. This was good. He bit into a scone, this was soft. He realized that his friend's son had prospered well. The house was brick under tile with two carports. It had four bedrooms with the main being ensuite. Dan unlike his fathers had one wife, tall and slightly slender with a lopsided smile. She was taller than friend of his father, almost the same height as Dan. She had brown eyes, thin lips and large teeth. In five years she had produced only two children, aged four and a half and another aged a year whom her medium breasts suckled. A girl and a boy! Back in the rural areas she would have been a mother of four but not here, she ran a flea market in the city employing an assistant there and a maid here both of whom she supervised. She gave richly, food, lodgings and drink to the relatives who bombarded her home with visits. Back in the rural areas, Dan would have married earlier than he had done at twenty-five. Further more; Dan had left the church sect that allowed him nay wives even to the point of having the youngest wife equivalent or younger than his first born child.

"When you find the woman," Dan tapped his Nokia X 6 three times. "You ring and you photograph the surroundings."

"Yes son of my friend," the old man said.

"I am off to Hauna to bring two truck loads of bananas that we intend to sell in Beitbridge so maybe I will not be around tonight," he replied. He rose towering over his father's friend The old man made to rise but he was touched on the shoulders. "Sharon?"

"Baba," the wife responded.

"Bring friend of my father the morning newspaper," he replied. "Remember he likes maheu brewed with your chimera bought in store and deeply cooked meat. Buy and stock a daily newspaper, they made good reading in the rural areas when he goes back."

"I will look well after him," she replied from the kitchen. "Are you off sweetie?" 'Yap," he said. He stood in the hall surveying himself. She came and gave him a hug. He rubbed his hands on her backsides. She worked out of his embrace chiding him on his public display of affection. She whispered, "Stop your nonsense."

"Maybe I should bring the second wife home," she joked.

"Whatever you want besides that I will do for you," she brushed his cheeks with her hands. "What are you bringing from Manyika area?"

"I will pass through Marondera and find out if they have completed manufacturing our Norton house roof," he replied. Investments in properties were what they were using as a hedge against inflation and old age. The Norton property sat on two thousand square metres with a borehole, underground pipes and two water tank collecting 15 000-litres of water. The 'house' was 2-in-1 with a main house and a 'cottage'. The main house was to have two storeys with a lot of six bedrooms, four with ensuite facilities, an upstairs lounge and bar area, downstairs, two bedrooms, three car garage, dining room and fitted kitchen. There would be an all weather swimming pool while the cottage would have three bedrooms with one ensuite, a lounge, separate dining room and fitted kitchen double carport and all the other facilities like ceiling fans in all lounges, kitchens, main bedrooms and visitors' bedroom. There would be fireplaces in all lounges including the upstairs lunge for the main house and a visitors' bedroom. Then he was gone. Three days later he returned home in the evening but friend of his father was not yet in nor was Sharon. He tried friend of his father's cell, no service. Sharon came around six thirty bearing her wares for her flea market.

"Evening," she said as she loaded her suitcases.

"Hi," he replied watching SuperSport. "I checked my account balance with Barclays Bank. It seems the tenants in Glen Norah C and Kuwadzana are paying their rents on time."

"I make a monthly check of the municipality and electrical services, they are up to date," she replied. She hugged him. "Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee," he crossed his legs. His cell rang. It was friend of his father.

"Yap!"

"I found her," was the curt response.

"Where?"

"Chigovanyika," was the reply.

"Chitungwiza?" 'St' Mary's," was the correct place within Chitungwiza.

"Come and we will plan," he replied. It was half past seven in the evening.

"I am Machipisa bound," was the reply. ____________________________________________________________

It was evening. Soft light was now falling as Dan walked holding a black briefcase. He had a Nokia 1616 in his hands talking. He reached a spot.

"Phone me in three minutes while I decide, 17-carats," he said shutting off communication. He looked at the wares on display. "Where did you get these?"

"In Harare?" was the response.

He looked up into the black eyes of this well dressed beautiful woman. She was a mixture of ivory brown and black in complexion. Her hair was made out in a single turf above her braids that made her appear like she had a bird's behind on her head.

"We could trade," Dan thought. The lady rose and came close to where he was. "Let me see if I have cash." He opened the briefcase slightly rustling with his fingers. Three diamonds came into view. He pushed them away. The cell phone rang. He snapped the briefcase shut, moving away to haggle over the price. They agreed on a price and venue.

"Are there any lifts straight to town?" he asked a small boy with sweets to sell.

"Whatever says city yes," was the response.

"You going to the city?" was the question. He looked up. It was the woman.

"Yes and you were selling clothes there?" he asked.

"I want to pick up a consignment," she replied. He started talking to her. Her perfume wafted out to him.

"You are ----- beautiful," he whispered the last. "Are you married?"

"Oh," she replied. "Not really, separated."

"Is there any price?" he asked.

"I could arrange," she replied. "For USD $30-00."

They went into a city bound 18-seat taxi. Dan texted a message because he sat in the front and she was in the middle. So did she. When they alighted she offered a room at an inn somewhere. He took her on his insistence to Machipisa. She refused supper suggesting she wanted to be back with her kids. He showed her Mushandirapamwe Hotel. He paid for a room and led her in.

"Normally," she stated, "I like my men looking smart and neat."

"I am," he replied.

"You have to bath first," she insisted.

"Here," he opened the briefcase rearranging his things. Inside was a black leather bag with diamonds that he checked. When all was okay he snapped the briefcase shut placing it near the built-in wardrobe. "Now what was it?"

"Bath first," she insisted.

"Do you want your $30.00 or you don't want?" he asked. He handed her the money she had mentioned. He reached over she tried to break away from his embrace. "Woman don't we have an arrangement?"

"Bath first," she insisted.

"I have a hard on already," he started removing his clothes laying them on the ground. Soon he was in his birthday suit. "Come woman I am not waiting the whole night."

He pulled her to him removing her cardigan, her blouse and skirt. He surveyed her at length. She was a smasher. He made her kneel. His hands reached low kneading her big breasts for about two minutes while she played with his stock. Before she knew what was happening, his stock was in her mouth. He took a glass of water.

"My sugar pills," he said. Two minutes later he turned her over.

____________________________________________________________

How could things turn out the way they had? She asked herself as she rode the commuter taxi to her home in Zengeza 5. Most of her smooth talk swindles included the odd kiss, pat on the behind, the snap at her breasts and no sex. Now how could she explain to her husband that to conclude the deal she had had to suck a stranger's cock for three minutes? How could she explain that she had kneaded his balls in her hands while his fingers were inside her woman touching and arousing her? How could she explain the big cock smashing through her rectal muscles, pushing and pushing until he had concluded five minutes later? An anal? That had never happened to her before. None of her men friend before and after marriage had given her an anal, not even her prized Charlie. What would all those who knew her escapades say when they learnt that she had been bulldozed in the anal cavity by this diamond seller?

To add salt to injury, within an hour, he had demanded her three more times, once from the back facing the bed. He had even had the nerve to hold onto her breasts smacking her on the bottoms time and time again while she wriggled in style. The other lying side by side with her legs on his back. He had exchanged sucking her breasts. The last with her legs on his back, his mouth and hers glued while he rammed himself upon her coming home three times with mild shouts of delight! She had even heard her own body reaching cloud 9 three times! She was no worse than a hooker. She held on to the briefcase in case some pretty thief tried wrestling it from her. She would have to try the combinations she had memorized. When he finally went in for a shower, singing his heart out, she had dressed up, taken the briefcase and here she was headed home.

Charles should never hear of her sex with this man. What would her husband say? Luckily he was not at home. It was the same as had happened in Beitbridge when she faced confistication of her contraband imports and jail and there were these two state agents. She had chosen a night with both in Dulibadzimu knowing that even her four friends faced the same fate of having someone other than their husband put their fingers in their private parts. She had insisted on condoms throughout the long and terrible night. Their breaths had been bad to her but she had survived never to say a word to Charlie. ]

Oh yes she remembered talking on the telephone in a Rusape office while her host was working combinations of a safe locking up. He had wanted her so badly they had slept in the office. Just once on her and he went flat. The camera had captured the cominations, when he woke up, the safe was locked but USD $ 4, 000 had gone so had she.

He was in one tarnvern or another planning a heist as he usually did once everytime the money had run out. Or he was with another woman being as stiff and stubborn he was with her. She wanted to show him that her swindles took a day and earned her more than he did in four months!

Only that this time, this one had been insistent and his sex had been brutal. The erection had been hard each time. She went into her house and stood there in the kitchen looking outside. She looked at the briefcase. She headed for her bedroom. She rushed through a shower cleaning off the dirt the dealer had given her. Thank goodness he had worn rubber for the non-anal. She put on cotton night apparel, morning shoes and wrapped a cloth around her body, now! She tried the combinations first in her mind. The first refused. She tried the second.

There was a snap of a lock opening.

"Walla," she delighted. She opened the lid. There was a hiss, a blinding flash and strike. She screamed.

_______________________________________________________

Neighbours alerted by her lodger and family rushed her to Chitungwiza General Hospital in the dead of night. Someone got her husband on his cell. They found him breathing hard as he reached Chitungwiza Hospital from wherever he had been drinking.

Nurses folded her arms and tied her legs together as they followed the doctor's orders to give her, her own berth in the mortuary.

"The venom from the cobra was just too much," the doctor had said. "It didn't take ten minutes to paralyze her."

_______________________________________________________

"You did not go to trade last night," Sharon said late in the night looking him straight in the eye.

"Why is that?" he inquired as he trimmed his beard.

"The vehicles were with your half-brother and brother," she replied.

"I took a sabbatical," was the response.

"Exactly what is friend of your father looking for?" she asked.

"There is a small part to his solar system which if he finds will prevent him buying a large part," he replied looking into her eyes. He had taken off the clock of tradition, renounced his sect's religion to be a free man without many wives and more children than he remembered.

He had grown up knowing he would never be noticed as a child within a harem where three births were recorded every three years at most. If that went on for thirty years, then there would be thirty-three children for a single man.

"What is it Sharon?" he asked.

"Are you seeing another woman?" she asked.

"I was with friend of my father," he replied. "We shared a bed in a cold back room of a shop in Seke rural. Trust me we made some little money."

"Will you need another wife?" she asked.

"As long as you don't misbehave. You and the two children and four more for you to bear four years apart are all I want," he replied. "I want to believe the next is due in three years."

"I just thought if you wanted another woman I would have to find one I can survive with," she said hugging him from behind. "There is no need for a woman to be proud of being one with her man if here were to have affairs. These days there is HIV/AIDS"

"I will not make the same mistake my father and his generation before him did. If need be I will divorce and marry someone new not have two or more wives," was the final response. "Today friend of my father is going back to Mount Darwin. Did you see the ear rings I bought you?"

_________________________________________________________

"Friend of my father," Dan sat in Glen View looking at his father's friend. There was a neat small suitcase and a big bag of groceries stuffed at the top with old newspapers.

"Son of my friend," the other replied.

"The matter is settled you can go to Mount Darwin now. Not even a word to anyone," Dan replied.

"I know my son." The other replied. "But your performance was great."

"Which?" Dan asked.

"Son of my friend, when you went on her four times as I watched from within the built-in wardrobe, you did not give her a chance," the older man replied.

"You gave me the muti that made me vicious," he replied. "Now it only cost us USD$30-00 and hire of the room."

"My, you see why I was lured? Did you look at the buttocks?" asked the older man. "I saw them as I exchanged the briefcases. My, I had an erection too. I wished I could stick it from behind like you did riding anal. I have never tried that. Our old horses won't ever hear of that."

"Friend of my father too may days in the bush make a man have an erection," Dan replied. "I have never taken the time with other women. I did that to spite her for what she did. I was having my first anal. I will drive you to Mbare from where I will get you into any early bus going to Mount Darwin."

"Thank you son of my friend."

____________________________________________________________

Glossary

Machipisa		one who makes things cheap 
Mushandirapamwe	        co-operative
Muti			African traditional medicine/ means a tree too
Chimera		        yeast like substance for brewing beer/non-alcoholic drinks
Maheu (wu)		non-alcoholic beverage made after fermentation in a day or two
Baba			Father or sir