Sunday, September 08, 2002

Its happened again!

It was another beautiful day in Africa we were just about to go for a ride when a landrover pulled up giving us 12 hours to get off. Now as you all know this time last year we were trashed and looted then booted so we had been through this before. We knew Biri Farm had a section 8 so we have been expecting it but it always happens when you least expect it. So we started to pack up.

Beryl my 73 year old mother was with us, she couldn't quite understand the commotion and was outraged that anyone should expect her to pack in 12 hours. Our foreman was concerned that we were not packing fast enough. He explained to me that he had heard Chanestsa wanted Biri and if we were not out of there soon we would have to bear the consequences. We packed for our lives but where was it all to go at such short notice. I checked on Mum she was now in her blue nurses uniform struggling to puther epaulettes on.

Mum! you should be packing what are you doing? "Well I found it in a suitcase and I am wondering if it still fits. We eventually moved most of the stuff and left the farm by 12. Chanestsa and his entourage arrived at 2 thank goodness we were not about. They allowed us back on Monday to collect the rest of our stuff, unfortunately for Janee Wallis who lives next door pandemonium took over. Her labour decided they would not pack anything until they had received a full package so Janee and her family were barricaded in the house. Fortunately they managed to escape and Pat picked them up at the dam otherwise they would have had a really uncomfortable night in an empty house. The horses have been moved to the Swanepoels, the dogs will go to town and then rest of us are looking for somewhere to stay.

We have furniture piled to the roof in the church hall and in people's houses baskets all over Gaydia's lawn and its just chaos. While I was packing Pat said to stick white labels on the very important things that must go first so I went around with two off our workers putting the stickers on bits of furniture. Then when I had finished Albert our driver picked up a lablel and stuck it on his chest showing me he was important and and must come too. I started to cry .

Mandy Retzlaff
Chinhoyi
Zimbabwe