In Tanzania it is common for "wealthier" people and mzungus to
have an askari (security guard) to guard the houses at night. I’ve always thought the askari who looks
after my house has an quite an easy job, as Nyangao is not exactly a crime
hotspot!
He is a pleasant old fellow
whom I have nicknamed “the shuffler” due to him shuffling past my window at
night on his “patrol”… that’s when he is not curled up asleep underneath the
kitchen window… a trait common in many askaris which has spawned the phrase for
a good nights sleep:
“How
did you sleep last night?”… “ooh, I slept like an askari”
So my askari may not have to deal with ruffians, reprobates
or ne’er-do-wells but he does have other
challenges in his job… I was sat on my back porch one evening with my laptop,
and I heard his shuffling approach. I’m
still not great at Swahili so my understanding of our conversation went
something like this:
Askari: “something something something death/dead/to
die something something”
Me
“ sorry, I don’t understand, say again
slowly”
Askari (still at the same speed) “something
something something death/dead/to die something something to hit/beat/strike
something something” … “come, come”
Me “ Ok, I’m coming”
So he
leads me round to the front of the house and proudly shows me a massive snake
that he has killed by hitting it on the head with a stout stick!
Askari
“ I hit it and killed it”
Me “
aah, you hit it, thankyou!” “Where was
it?”
Askari
“ There”.. pointing to the small puddle of snake blood outside the kitchen
window where he usually sleeps
Me
“ wow!
It dangerous?”
Askari
“ Yes, dangerous, very dangerous”
Me “
Thankyou! I will look when I walk”
.jpg) |
| eeek! |
 |
| One squashed-headed snake |
So I think he has earned the flask of tea we make him each
night, and I shan’t complain about his snoring or his shuffling anymore! Also,
I have now taught myself the Swahili word for snake “ Nyoka”…. I think it might
come in useful!
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