1. It all started in the village. Back in the day the lads ate from the same plate. Picking the meat, the climax, was a hierarchical affair, the eldest first and the rest by age. The eldest could delay to the utter frustration of everyone. But there was nothing you could do.
2. Sometimes the eldest delayed while he surveyed the plate to identify the biggest piece. Sometimes just because he wanted to delay. Power is a dangerous thing when it’s handed to the undeserving. The only qualification for seniority was age. That’s all.
3. One day, a lad who was visiting from the city broke the custom. Just a few morsels of Sadza into the meal he picked the meat ahead of the elder chaps. He swiftly took a bite. It was the biggest. There was pandemonium as the lad was accused of impertinence & other ugly things.
4. In the melee, all the other young lads kept their eye on the ball and grabbed their pieces. For the first time we had managed to get choice picks! The elders were busy lecturing the lad. His parents were also put on trial in absentia for raising such an ill-mannered boy.
5. The lad apologised saying it was a mistake. Later that night, the lad laughed & said he was, of course, aware of the custom, but that he thought it was unfair. We had enjoyed our moment of liberation! Something changed though: the elder chaps stopped their delaying tactics!
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
