The Heist

Contents

Chapter One   Masimane

Chapter Two   Approved Break

Chapter Three   National Fugees

Chapter Four   Curtain Call

CHAPTER ONE

Masimane

The problem with crime is not poverty, when a society does experience an upsurge in criminal activity, people are usually very quick to point to poverty. The problem with crime is social disorder which is manifested via the occurrence of various crimes. If you want to know the amount of disorder in a society, all one has to do is to look at the crime statistics, examine the number of violent robberies, the homicides that have been committed plus how the criminal justice system works to deal with criminals. The argument that crime levels rise due to poverty leads to a situation where the dots simply cannot be joined. For example when criminals commit robberies and make away with a big loot, do they stop stealing on the next day?

No! What they do is to squander the proceeds of crime on lavish spending, endless partying and within no time, the proceeds run out then they start looking for the next target to strike. One that will net them a bigger loot, which they will squander and repeat the cycle once more. And thus the dots not joining up on crime and poverty. Crime is indeed a manifestation of social disorder as opposed to a byproduct of poverty. An upsurge in crime in most societies has always been meet with a ruthless crack down on the criminals, with the Police force forming crack squad units to hunt down the criminals which in most cases has led to the said criminals being gunned down in fierce gun battles some lasting hours.

Such scenes have become too common on Television when a wanted robber has been cornered, the media is on hand to capture the scenes like in an action movie where the bad guys and the good guys battle for many hours with the good guys prevailing in the end with the death of the wanted criminal. However the gunning down of wanted robbers has done little to dissuade other people from walking down the same path. The elimination of one lot of criminals that has terrorized people has only led to the coming up of another crop of criminals who are more vicious and sometimes even more ruthless in their methods of committing crime. Criminal activity has also been evolving over the years, long gone are the days when criminals came to rob people brandishing crude weapons such as machetes’, swords, and metal rods. The modern day criminal has evolved in the use of sophisticated arms and weapons. It’s not uncommon to hear victims of crime talking about robbers who were armed with semi automatic rifles and pistols.

Crime has been fuelled by the proliferation of arms and weapons into the country, items which would not have been easily found just a few years back and with some of the youth having no role model to look up to and parents not guiding their children as they are supposed to, some youngsters simply turn to crime due to peer influence and not having a firm hand to guide them through life. The corruption of young minds leading to them falling into crime via the influence of peer pressure has also played a leading role in the expansion of criminal activity.

The time is 11:00am, the year 1970 in the Settlement of Masimane. Masimane is a small township on the Northern side of the country of Kora, dotting the landscape are several large scale farms owned by European settlers who practice heavy commercial farming. Its early morning and most of the farm workers in the farms are hard at work. Tilling the land, taking care of the animals and transporting produce to the market. Among the workers in the European farms is Henry masikolo. Henry is a fifth generation Masikolo, their family has been at the settlement for over 30 years. His great grandfather started working there as a farm hand for the European settlers, then his father before him also worked for the European settlers and now it was him working for the European settlers. Henry was a hard working person and for his hard work he was promoted to a fore man. In this position he was in charge of the other workers in the farm.

The farm where Henry worked was known as Bukers Farm and it was owned by an European known as Sam Buker who was from England. The Buker farm was among one of the best managed farms in the region and also among the most productive. Henry was not just a good foreman at the farm but also a husband to Rebecca Masikolo who was expectant with their first child. The 23rd day of April, the year 1970 started out like a normal day for Henry. He woke up early, and prepared himself for work. Then later joined his wife at the table for breakfast. Rebecca had now been eight months pregnant and with only one month to go, the expected baby was a cause of excitement for the couple.

Do you think the baby will be a boy or a girl? asked Rebecca as she served her husband with breakfast.

I think it’s going to be a boy replied Henry

Why a boy and not a girl? asked Rebecca

Because Iam feeling lucky replied Henry to which they both laughed.

The upcoming birth of their child had put the Masikolos in a good mood with both of them looking forward to becoming parents.

If it’s a boy we will name him Diara Masikolo said Henry

Keeping the old man alive eh chided Rebecca.

Diara was the name of Henrys father and calling a new born after him would symbolize his rebirth into the world as per the customs of the Kembu people.

And if it’s a girl I would like to have her called Regina Masikolo said Rebecca.

Is Regina the name of the local choir leader? asked Henry

Baffled Rebecca asked

Which choir are you talking about?

Ha ha. Got you. There is no one by that name in the choir. I was just kidding said Henry

That’ was a good one; you really got me said Rebecca.

Both of them then burst into laughter. After Henry had finished eating his breakfast, he bid his wife good bye and left for the fields in Buker farm. He was looking forward to having a good day of increased productivity among the workers as it was the harvest season. A bumper harvest had occurred and thus more casual workers had been employed on a part time basis to bolster the work force of the farm and this meant he had a larger team of people to supervise. Upon arrival at the Buker farm, he planned the day’s activities and allocated tasks to the workers in groups. Certain groups were to harvest, others were to move the produce from the field into the pack houses, while others were assigned to work in the pack house, packaging the produce for sale and preparing them for shipment to the market.

Henry had worked at the Buker farm for a period of seven years, he started out as a casual worker, then rising gradually to being in charge of a pool of workers. Workers under him had not let him down neither disappointed him during the harvest season which was the busiest time of the year. They worked like worker bees to ensure that the produce was harvested, packaged and shipped out to the market on time. Henry’s work as a foreman at the farm placed him in the field most of the time checking to see that the farms water systems were working well, servicing the pumps, supervising the planting during the planting season and also harvesting when it was time to harvest. He had in depth knowledge of how the farm was run and who everyone was from the managers down to the workers. Due to his position in the farm, he knew most of the permanent workers by name. He knew almost four thousand people by name, by both their first names and surnames. He had also earned the respect of his fellow workmen who looked up to him as a leader and a role model. It was through Henry’s leadership that better terms and conditions were realized for the workers at the Buker farm. His skills in negotiation proved to be an asset to his fellow work men who had chosen him as their representative when the new terms and conditions were being worked on by the managers of Buker farm.

Later in the afternoon on that day while recording what had been harvested, a fellow work mate came running to him calling his name.

Henry Henry said the workman

What is the matter Paulo? Asked Henry

You look troubled said Henry

It’s your wife Henry said Paulo

My wife, what about her? asked Henry

No need to panic. Your wife is well. Save for news reaching me that she has gone into labor and a neighbor came and took her to the Hospital. you are being requested to go to the hospital and be with her said Paulo

Does that mean that she is going to deliver? Asked Henry

Henry, rush to the hospital and be with your wife. She asked me to send for you replied Paulo

Paulo, stand in for me, let me go and see what is happening at the hospital said Henry

Off course I will do that for you my good friend replied Paulo

Henry hopped onto his motorbike and sped off towards the hospital. The Hospital in Masimane was some thirteen kilometers from the settlement of Masimane. Thus Henry had to travel for some distance before reaching the hospital. However being an agricultural region, it had some of the best roads in the country and thus contributing to him reaching the hospital in twenty minutes time. Upon reaching the hospital, he parked his motorbike in the shed and ran into the hospital. He then went straight to the reception to inquire about his wife.

Good after noon. My name is Henry Masikolo. My wife Rebecca Masikolo has been brought here experiencing labor pains. I would like to see her said Henry

Please give me a minute to check the list of patient’s. Then I will advise you on what action you will take said the nurse manning the reception area

The nurse then started going through the list checking on the status of Rebecca.

Please have a seat. I will inform you once I have found the details of your spouse reassured the nurse.

Henry then went and sat in the reception. He was not settled after having received the news of his wife being rushed to hospital. Only knowing what was going on was going to put him at ease. The hospital in Masimane served hundreds of people from the settlement and the surrounding regions and thus it was going to be some time before the status of his wife was disclosed to him.

Henry Masikolo called out the Nurse

Henry got up and moved towards the reception desk.

Your wife Rebecca has been admitted. You will be directed to the Doctors office shortly. Kindly do have a seat. I will come and usher you into the Doctors office said the nurse

Upon hearing his wife’s admission to the hospital, thoughts begun running through the mind of Henry making him even more unsettled. After some few minutes of sitting in the reception area, he was ushered into the Doctors office at the Masimane hospital. The nurse introduced him as the Husband of Rebecca Masikolo.

Doctor, how is my wife? asked Henry

Calm down said the Doctor

Your wife is doing well. Congratulations Mr Masikolo. You are a Father said the Doctor.

Henry seemingly taken by turn of events was surprised by the Doctors announcement.

Doctor. My wife has given birth? asked Henry

Yes she has. Replied the Doctor.

Henry then burst into laughter. He shook the Doctors hand vigorously happy with the news he had just received.

Doctor Can I see my wife and my child? asked Henry

Yes you can. But there is something that I do need to share with you. Your wife has delivered prematurely and thus the baby will need to stay in hospital in an incubator before we allow you to take the baby home.

Is the baby going to be okay? asked Henry

We are optimistic that all is going to be well for both the Mother and the baby and you should not worry. They are in safe hands, the staff at this hospital is able and well trained. We also have the best equipment in this region.

That is good to hear. So when I can take my wife and the child home? asked Henry

We will advise on when that can happen. As for now, let me take you to see your wife and your child.

The Doctor and Henry walked out of the office and he was taken to the inpatient ward of the hospital. The ward had two rows of beds one on the right side and the other was on the left side. The beds were occupied by various patients who had been brought to the hospital. Henry was walked to the bedside of his wife Rebecca. Upon seeing him, she smiled at him even though she looked tired after delivery.

Congratulations once more Mr Masikolo. I will leave you with your wife. The nurse will be in this ward to take you and your spouse to the nursery when you wish to see your new baby. I will now leave you since I have to attend to other patients

Thank you Doctor for all that you have done for us said Henry

The Doctor then left the Masikolos and went back to his duties. Henry looked at his wife and embraced her. A new chapter had been turned in their lives; he had become a Father while she had now become a new mother.

When did this happen? asked Henry

When you left in the morning. I started doing some chores then I felt some pain in my stomach. I then lay down for some few minutes then the pain went away. I resumed performing the chores until around mid-day when my water broke. I called for help from the neighbors, I was lucky that they were around. They came over and brought me to hospital. said Rebecca

Our neighbors are good people. I hate to think of what could have happened had they not been there to help you said Henry

They went out of their way to help me. They even paid my admission fees replied Rebecca

How are you feeling? asked Henry

Exhausted after delivering. Happy to be a new mother said Rebecca.

Iam also happy my lady. I have not been told whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Is it a girl or a boy? asked Henry

Even though Iam tired. We will go to the nursery and see the baby. Then you will know whether it’s a boy or a girl said Rebecca

Henry helped his wife out of the bed and motioned to the nurse for assistance.

Nurse, please assist me with my wife. We would like to go and see our new born in the nursery Said Henry

The Nurse supported Rebecca on the left side, she held her left hand while Henry supported her on the right side. They then went to the nursery. Upon reaching the nursery, Henry was dressed up in a lap coat plus headgear to prevent any hair particles from falling within the confines of the nursery. Rebecca was also dressed up in the same regalia. The Nurse explained to them that the nursery was a sensitive place in terms of the health of the new borns that were housed there and thus the dressing was a precaution to prevent diseases and infection from getting into the environment of the nursery. With the couple dressed as per the hospital standards, they were both allowed into the section that housed the incubators. Various new borns were in the incubators, both girls and boys. The boys were covered in blue shawls while the girls were covered in pink shawls. The incubators were also numbered.

The baby of Henry and Rebecca was housed in incubator number seven. Henry looked at the incubator and saw the baby. He was overwhelmed by emotion and embraced his wife. The baby was wrapped in a blue shawl meaning he was a baby boy.

He is so tiny said Henry

Rebecca chided him and said

Once upon a time you were also as tiny as that

The Masikolos admired their baby for a short while then the nurse ushered them out of the nursery. Henry was overjoyed at having seen his baby. A baby boy, his first born. They both removed the regalia that they wore while inside the nursery, then the nurse that came with them to the nursery escorted them back to the ward. Supporting Rebecca on one side as Henry supported her on the other side. Upon reaching the ward, the nurse inquired politely.

Have you chosen a name for your son

We are yet to decide on the name. But once we have one we will let you know replied Henry

Congratulations once more, please let me know once you have decided on the name of your son and let me know if you need anything

The Nurse then went to attend to other patients.

Henry and Rebecca had not expected the birth of their son on this day and thus they were caught unawares by the day’s events. They went back to the conversation that they one time had about the choice of names for their baby in the event that a boy was born or in the event that a girl was born. The girls names were now obviously out of the running since the baby had turned out to be a boy. The names for boys were floated by both Henry and his wife as they went about choosing a name for their son. Several names were floated between them as they engaged in a hearty conversation. They finally settled on the name Diara Masikolo. Diara meaning brave one as per the local customs. Diara was also the name of Henry’s Father and thus his son taking up the name symbolized his rebirth into the world as a new being in person of his grandson who had now been given the name.

The Masikolos then called the nurse and informed her of the name they had chosen for their son. The Nurse then went to the registry of the hospital and collected forms which she came back with and assisted them to fill in. The birth of a new child in the country of Kora had to be recorded and thus the nurse giving them forms to fill in. The forms would be used to process birth certificates and a declaration of birth to the local and national authorities. The birth certificate of an individual formed the core document that would be used when applying for other public documents such as a passport, Revenue declaration number plus a personal identification number and so it was important that it be obtained upon the birth of a child since failure to get it would lead to problems much later when one was an adult applying for other public documents. With a name having been chosen for the new born the