adminChristopher Mlalazi
YES, you can guess it. I was pleasantly surprised this other day when I saw some kids on the streets of Hannover sucking on, of all things, pennykoolas.It might be called penny cool, but I will stick to pennykoolas as this is closer to home.
Before, I had thought these things were only for African countries.
The last time I saw pennykoolas in Zimbabwe I think it was in the 90s, especially in those supermarkets or superettes around Lobengula Street, or one of their factories near eRenkini.
But then, back in the early 80s, I remember whenever we went on excursions to the city centre with friends, excursions that were not known by our parents, because at Grade Three or Four they didn’t want us to go to the city centre unaccompanied by adults, our first port of call was always these pennykoola selling shops, as this was a treat we always looked forward to.
The ice cream was a dream as it was too expensive for our junior pockets, unless of course if the trip to town had a parent.
But then again on the opposite side of the coin, the excursion to the city centre was much more exciting without the parent, chiefly because as kids alone we could do whatever we wanted to do without anyone cautioning us, or holding your hand as you crossed a street. Lol.
Back to the pennykoolas. Maybe we still have them, and I was not noticing them after the 90s as I had graduated to the supercool, the “frozen,” but seeing these kids in Hannover enjoying them threw me back in time.
But first, as obvious, just like the lollipop, or i-sucker, we graduate from these items as we grow older. From the pennykoola to the supercool, from the supercool, to the soft drink when you can afford to buy a whole bottle for yourself, and then for some maybe to amasese, then to clear beer. By then one too would have attained a degree in not puking nxa usudle kakhulu.
Graduating in alcohol too has its interesting stages for those still carrying the big “L” plate on their backs.
For most of these graduates, it has been from water to wine, especially Don Juan, and then maybe to “hotstuff,” and then to beer — and there are also those who went straight to amasese, and then from amasese experimented with other intoxicants, until they finally settled on their favourite, also depending on the pocket, and so-called neighbourhood “status.”
But again there are those who remain water and tea people for the rest of their lives. These have often been found to be the ones who dance the hardest in parties, and generally keep the ladies busy, as the imbibers will be only concentrating on keeping their favourite drink busy too. Walala walimala.
And so here I am, and these kids are sucking pennykoolas, amakhiwa khona lapho futhi — well I always thought amakhiwa only drink Coca-cola or something like that, and I am thinking wow, what happened to the pennykoola for those who sell freezits back home?
I don’t think that if one were to approach our vendors in summer around our supermarkets in Zim and open their cooler boxes, one would find these pennykoolas.
But just imagine this, for kids coming from kindergarten on hot summer days, this would be something ideal for them as a refresher, enjoying a pennykoola and kicking umphepha.
Maybe the pricing and costs of packaging removed the pennykoolas from the market, but I think it would be great if manufacturers made a note somewhere to bring it back one day when its time comes. It must bounce back.
I think a supercool freezit is just too big for kindergarten kids.
We won’t talk about the hotstuff we once had which we called pennykool which one could hide in their pocket and public drink it without anyone noticing, especially ebhoreni.
And talking about hotstuff, if you remark to some guys that they are drinking hotstuff, you will get a cool “this is not hotstuff, but gin (or whisky).”
Why some guys don’t like the hotstuff tag remains their secret, but “okutshisayo kuyatshisa.”
I also know that this might be a cold Sunday in Zimbabwe to be reading about freezits, but it’s spring in Germany, and the good old sun is shining.
Online Reporter